April 2021 Top Picks: Opportunities for Writers
The April 2021 edition of "Writing Life Essentials" is a monthly hand-curated list of contests, grants, scholarships, submissions calls, and awards. We try to prioritize opportunities that are at least one of the following: local, free to apply, and/or committed to celebrating and supporting writers from historically marginalized communities. We do the research, so you have more time for what matters: the writing. Or, hanging up your denim jacket collection. That’s important, too.
Contests & Awards
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
Fee: $0; Award: $2,000; Deadline: April 1st
$2,000 plus a two-year gift certificate from Duotrope (a $100 value) will be awarded to the first prize winner for a humorous poem. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Orison Books Prizes in Poetry and Fiction
Fee: $25; Award: $1,500; Deadline: April 1st
$1,500 and publication are awarded for book-length manuscripts. The 2021 judges are Jericho Brown (poetry) and Debra Spark (fiction). Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Nimrod Literary Awards
Fee: $20; Award: $2,000; Deadline: April 1st
Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication in Nimrod International Journal are given annually for a group of poems and a work of fiction. The winners will also be brought to Tulsa for the Awards Ceremony and Writing Conference in October or, if global health situations do not allow for an in-person conference, winners will take part in a virtual Awards Ceremony and reading. All finalists will be considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
New South Writing Contest
Fee: $18; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 1st
New South holds an annual writing contest at the beginning of each year. Submissions for New South’s 2021 writing contest are now open, and will close on April 1st, 2021. Winners and runners-up will be featured in issue 14.2 of New South. EJ Koh will judge our prose category and Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach will judge our poetry. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Creative Nonfiction Book Award
Fee: $25; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 1st
The competition is open to all authors writing original works in English. Manuscripts that embrace creative nonfiction’s potential by combining lyric exposition, researched reflection, travel dialogues, or creative criticism are encouraged. Memoir, personal narrative, essay collections, and literary nonfiction are also invited. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Oberon Poetry Prize
Fee: $18; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 10th
Oberon Poetry Magazine's Annual Contest offers a prize of $1,000.00 for the winning poem. All entries are judged anonymously and past judges have included Louis Simpson, Siv Cedering, Lewis Asekoff and George Wallace. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Imagine 2200 — A New Climate-Fiction Contest
Fee: $0; Award: $8,700; Deadline: April 12th
Welcome to Imagine 2200 — a new climate-fiction contest by Fix, Grist’s solutions lab. What they’re seeking: short stories that envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress. What they’re offering: $8,700 in prizes, publication, and a reason to stay hopeful. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Yemassee Poetry and Fiction Chapbook Contests
Fee: $18; Award: $1,250; Deadline: April 15th
Yemassee is accepting entries for its 2021 Chapbook Contests. The author of the winning fiction chapbook will receive $1,250 and 25 copies of their chapbook. Author input on cover art will be considered. The editors will select ten finalists and pass those submissions on to the guest judge. The ten finalists will receive acknowledgment. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Etel Adnan Poetry Prize
Fee: $25; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 15th
The series editors serve as the judges for the Etel Adnan Poetry Prize. Together, they will select a winning manuscript and write a preface for the book. Winning author will receive a $1,000 prize. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Florida Review Editors’ Awards
Fee: $25; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 15th
Each year between January 1 and April 15, the Florida Review accepts submissions to its three Editors’ Awards contests in Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry. Each winner receives publication in The Florida Review and $1,000 (upon publication). Visit the website for complete guidelines.
New Ohio Review Literary Prizes
Fee: $20; Award: $1,500; Deadline: April 15th
New Ohio Review accepts literary submissions in any genre. They do not reprint previously published work, book reviews, or unsolicited translations. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Panther Creek Book Award in Nonfiction
Fee: $20; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 15th
Hidden River Arts offers an award of $1,000 and publication on Hidden River Press, an imprint of Hidden River Publishing, for an original, unpublished book-length work of non-fiction. (This includes creative non-fiction, memoir, biography – all forms of nonfiction are welcome.) Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Spoon River Poetry Review Editors’ Prize
Fee: $20; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 15th
One winning poem will be awarded $1,000, two runners-up will be awarded $100 each, and 3-5 honorable mentions will be selected. All winning poems, honorable mentions, and several finalists are published in the winter issue of SRPR. Moreover, the contest winner will be invited to read his/her winning poem at the annual Lucia Getsi Reading Series held at Bloomington, IL. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize
Fee: $0; Award: $6,000; Deadline: April 19th
The Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize, which was inaugurated in 2009, recognizes the importance of Asian translation for international literature and promotes the translation of Asian works into English. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Italian Prose in Translation Award
Fee: $0; Award: $5,000; Deadline: April 19th
The Italian Prose in Translation Award (IPTA), which was inaugurated in 2015, recognizes the importance of contemporary Italian prose (fiction and literary non-fiction) and promotes the translation of Italian works into English. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Single Poem Broadside Poetry Contest
Fee: $10; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 19th
The winner of the Omnidawn Single Poem Broadside Poetry Contest wins an immediate cash prize of $1,000, letterpress publication of the broadside by Omnidawn, 50 free copies of the broadside, and publication of the winning poem in the Omniverse online journal. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Sixfold Poetry and Short Story Awards
Fee: $5; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 23rd
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Sixfold are given quarterly for a group of poems and a short story. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
F(r)iction Short Story Contest
Fee: $15; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 29th
A prize of $1,000 is given twice yearly for a short story. All submissions are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
2021 Cave Canem Poetry Prize
Fee: $0; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 30th
Winner receives $1,000, publication by Graywolf Press in fall 2022, 15 copies of the book, and a feature reading. Both the winner and runner-up will be invited to individual critique sessions with the final judge. All unpublished, original collections of poems written in English by Black writers of African descent who have not had a full-length book of poetry published by a professional press are eligible. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction
Fee: $0; Award: $10,000; Deadline: April 30th
A prize of $10,000 will be awarded for a novel of at least 50,000 words published during 2020. Self-published books will not be accepted. The winner will be notified in the fall of 2021 and invited to attend the Willie Morris Award ceremony in Oxford, Mississippi, with travel expenses paid for the occasion. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry
Fee: $0; Award: $2,500; Deadline: April 30th
A prize of $2,500 will be awarded for an original, unpublished poem that evokes the American South. Poets may enter only one poem in any style no longer than three pages (12-point font, one-inch margins). Submissions will not be returned so be sure to keep a copy. Susan Kinsolving will judge. The winner will be notified in the fall of 2021 and invited to attend the Willie Morris Award ceremonies in Oxford, Mississippi, with travel expenses paid for the occasion. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
The Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry
Fee: $15; Award: $1,500; Deadline: April 30th
Beloit Poetry Journal invites submissions for The Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry. $1,500 prize is awarded for a single poem. Natasha Tretheway will judge. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Oversound Chapbook Prize
Fee: $18; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 30th
The winning prize is $1,000 and 25 copies. Timothy Donnelly will judge. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished (individual poems may have been published.) Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Waterston Desert Writing Prize
Fee: $0; Award: $2,500; Deadline: May 1st
The Prize annually honors literary nonfiction that illustrates artistic excellence, sensitivity to place, and desert literacy — with the desert as both subject and setting. The Prize will recognize one writer with a $2,500 cash award, a residency at PLAYA at Summer Lake and a reading and reception at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Fellowships & Grants
2021 Uprise Grant Fund
Fee: $0; Award: $1,000 – $5,000; Deadline: April 5th
As part of the Sundance Institute's continued commitment to supporting artists from underrepresented communities, they are pleased to announce the launch of the Uprise Grant Fund. Acknowledging the disproportionate effects the pandemic and racial terror have had on storytellers of color and other systematically marginalized groups, their goal is to provide financial support at key moments in an artist's career by supporting their personal livelihoods and creative projects. This is a need-based artist-support grant where need will be partially determined by the response to the pandemic impact question. To apply, please submit a letter of inquiry (LOI). Finalists will later be invited to submit a complete application. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Writing Fellowship for New Parents
Fee: $15; Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 17th
One talented writer who is the parent of at least one child under 10 years old will receive $1,000 to further their writing career, a year of mentorship, and will be offered the opportunity to read their winning story at the Pen Parentis Literary Salon on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 (online, or in-person if bookstore events have resumed). Their winning story will also be published in Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine (both online and in print) as well as included in the annual Dreamers Writing Anthology. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant
Fee: $0; Award: $40,000; Deadline: April 19th
The Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant of $40,000 will be awarded to as many as eight writers in the process of completing a book-length work of deeply researched and imaginatively composed nonfiction for a general readership. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Just Buffalo Literary Center Poetry Fellowship
Fee: $20; Award: $1,500; Deadline: April 30th
Just Buffalo Literary Center invites adult poets of all ages and stages of their career to apply for its Poetry Fellowship, judged this year by Lillian-Yvonne Bertram. Give yourself the space to write and the time to focus. Live in one of the nation’s most vibrant literary cities. Read at an event curated by Just Buffalo Literary Center. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Teaching Fellowship for Black Writers
Fee: $0; Award: $20,000; Deadline: May 25th
GrubStreet’s Teaching Fellowship for Black Writers provides financial and professional development support to two self-identified Black writers interested in teaching classes, participating in events, and working with our instructors and staff to deepen our curriculum. The fellowship includes compensation of $20,000, artistic mentorship, and access to the GrubStreet community and the Muse and the Marketplace conference. In time, the program aims to offer sustainable support to Black Writers and create a cohort of fellows who have direct access to GrubStreet resources, classes, and events. We also hope the fellows can influence GrubStreet’s pedagogy and cultural vision based on their experience and feedback. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Work Experience
Finance and HR Associate, GrubStreet
Boston, MA
The Finance & HR Associate role is responsible for assisting with the day-to-day financial and human resources operations of the organization. This includes communicating with students, instructors, and vendors regarding payments; managing accounts payable and receivable; supporting with monthly reconciliations processes; helping to coordinate onboarding, reviews, and other HR processes; and supporting both the Finance and HR teams in payroll and benefits. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Muse Conference Manager, GrubStreet
Boston, MA
The Muse Conference Manager role is responsible for managing the organizational planning and execution of GrubStreet’s national writing conference, which is our largest convening of the year. The Muse Manager develops and improves systems for processing large volumes of conference information, manages broad communications with all attendees and presenters, manages and works closely with members of the seasonal Muse Team, and brings creativity and a commitment to equity to the work in ways large and small. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Writer, MIT Horizon
Cambridge, MA
Write educational articles on a variety of emerging technologies in a style, voice, and at a quality that is consistent with MIT Horizon. Build and manage relationships with subject matter experts, including MIT faculty and outside industry professionals and executives. Collaborate with researchers and editors in a deadline-driven environment. Adjust and respond to feedback from editors, leadership, and our audience of learners. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Editorial Intern, Axios
Remote, USA
The Editorial Intern will be working across multiple teams to support Axios’ entertainment business, including their current HBO show and future made-for-TV products. This intern will get to support efforts to get new shows off the ground, from the pitch process all the way to post-show content circulation. You’ll learn what it takes to run a successful show from end-to-end in a fast-paced environment. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Staff Writer, Filter Magazine
Remote, NYC
The staff writer will work either three or four days per week. Writing and reporting will comprise the bulk of duties. The staff writer will be expected to file one shorter news report on a typical work day, but will also be given time to pursue longer features, such as investigative reports, interviews, essays and opinion pieces. They will have scope to propose and develop story ideas and beats in areas they’re most passionate about. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Copy Editor – Education, Red Ventures
Remote, WA
The Copy Editor is an integral part of the editorial team. In this role, you'll work closely with our writers, editors, and reviewers to ensure that all content is grammatically correct, concise, and easy to understand. You will copy edit original content targeting prospective students and develop questions for education experts and writers. You will also help enhance and optimize information for consumer usability. This is a full-time position with the option to work remotely or within our Seattle-based office. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Submissions
Submissions to No Longer Ignored Anthology
Fee: $4; Award: Royalties per published piece; Deadline: Now until April 25th
The Auroras & Blossoms No Longer Ignored Anthology wants art, photography, poetry, stories and testimonies from people who have risen above their experiences with social injustice, including racism, discrimination, and xenophobia. They are particularly interested in entries from women, minorities, POC and disabled artists. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to FIYAH: Sound and Color
Fee: $0; Deadline: April 30th
FIYAH is a quarterly speculative fiction magazine that features stories by and about Black people of the African Diaspora. FIYAH wants to see stories and poems about experiencing new worlds with particular emphasis on sensory detail. Magic systems based on color schemes, aural spectres in northern lights, the hearing of mysterious voices, the intoxicating scent of alien flowers luring our heroes to their deaths, etc. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to AGNI
Fee: $0; Deadline: N/A
AGNI looks for writing that catches experience before the crusts of habit form—poetry and prose that resist ideas about what a certain kind of writing “should do.” They seek out writers who tell their truths in their own words and convince us as we read that we’ve found something no one else could have written. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to The Puritan
Fee: $0; Deadline: Rolling
The Puritan seeks submissions all year round, from anywhere in the world. Regular submissions to the magazine are free of charge and should fall under one of four categories: fiction, essays, poetry, and reviews. Unless we are soliciting your work, all submissions must be previously unpublished (this includes self-publishing, publishing on blogs, and in chapbook format). View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to Embark Literary Journal
Fee: $0; Deadline: Rolling
Embark accepts submissions from all over the world and have no geographical constraints. However, all submissions must be written in English (or translated into English from another language, in which case both the author and the translator must be credited). They do NOT accept submissions of memoirs or other nonfiction works. Only the openings of novels (works of fiction 50,000 words or longer) will be considered. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to Frontier Poetry
Fee: $0; Award: $50 per poem, up to $150; Deadline: Rolling
Submissions for Frontier Poetry’s New Voices poetry category are open year round to any new and emerging poet who has not published more than one full-length collection of poetry. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to Voyage YA
Fee: $0; Award: $200 per accepted story; Deadline: Rolling
Voyage YA simply aims to publish good work and provide a space for new and established voices. To get an idea of what they publish, please read their archives. General submissions are open year-round and there is no fee to submit to their general categories. New work is published weekly. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to So to Speak Blog
Fee: $0; Deadline: Rolling
The So to Speak Blog is unique in that it opens itself up to multiple forms of storytelling. Hybrid works, reviews, interviews, and visual art are welcomed submissions. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to The Sun
Fee: $0; Award: $100-$2,000; Deadline: Rolling
The Sun publishes personal essays, fiction, and poetry. Personal stories that touch on political and cultural issues are welcome. They encourage submissions from writers of color. View more submission guidelines here.
Submissions to Hippocampus Magazine
Fee: $3; Award: $40; Deadline: Rolling
Looking for a literary magazine that accepts personal essays? Hippocampus Magazine enthusiastically considers unsolicited, previously unpublished creative nonfiction submissions in the following categories: memoir excerpt, personal essay, flash creative nonfiction, and more. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to Solstice Magazine’s Features Blog: Anti-Oppression Theme
Fee: $0; Deadline: Rolling
Solstice Magazine is looking to feature the voices of previously unheard and also established writers who write to make us see, to clarify injustice, and to move us to action. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to Redivider
Fee: $0 - $3; Deadline: Rolling
Redivider seeks previously unpublished works from emerging and established writers. They welcome general submissions year-round. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to Boston Accent Lit
Fee: $0; Deadline: Rolling
Submissions to Boston Accent Lit are always open on a rolling basis. They accept works in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art. Issues are published six times per year online. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to Boston Poetry Magazine
Fee: $0; Deadline: Rolling
Boston Poetry Magazine accepts submissions year-round. They accept both previously published material and simultaneous submissions. View complete submission guidelines here.
Submissions to Raising Mothers
Fee: $2; Deadline: Rolling
Raising Mothers celebrates and examines the realities of parenthood for Black and brown mothers. Raising Mothers publishes experimental and traditional pieces of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, book reviews, photo essays, comic and graphic narratives that explore what it means to identify and coexist as a parent on the margins. View complete submission guidelines here.
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