GrubWrites

December 2020 Top Picks: Opportunities for Writers

The December 2020 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, testing eggnog recipes. That’s important, too.

Contests & Awards

Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival: Brooklyn Nonfiction Prize

Fee: $0; Award: $500; Deadline: December 10th

A prize of $500 and publication on the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival website is given annually for a work of nonfiction that is set in Brooklyn, New York, and renders the borough’s “rich soul and intangible qualities through the writer’s actual experiences of Brooklyn.” Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Virginia Commonwealth University: Cabell First Novelist Award

Fee: $0; Award: $3,000; Deadline: December 30th

A prize of at least $3,000 is given annually for a first novel published during the previous year. The winner and two additional guest panelists (usually the winner’s agent and editor) will also receive lodging and travel expenses to attend the First Novelist Award Night at Virginia Commonwealth University in fall 2021. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Sunspot Lit Culmination: $500 for a Prose, Poem, or Art Ending

Fee: $5; Award: $500; Deadline: December 31st

This year, Sunspot Lit is launching Culmination: $500 for a Prose, Poem, or Art Ending. No restrictions on theme, category, or the length of the piece from which the beginning is excerpted. Word limit is 250 for prose, 25 words for poetry. Visit their Submittable page to enter.

LitMag's Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction (2020)

Fee: $20; Award: $2,500; Deadline: December 31st

Entries must be short stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. Please use 12pt type, preferably Times New Roman, and submit your short story as either a Word doc or a PDF. Only previously unpublished short stories are eligible. Writers may submit multiple stories, each of which requires a separate submission. Submissions through Submittable only.

Moth Poetry Prize

Fee: $18; Award: $7,136; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of €6,000 (approximately $7,136) and publication in the Moth is given annually for a single poem. Three runner-up prizes of €1,000 (approximately $1,189) each are also given. The four shortlisted poets, including the winner, will also be invited to read at an awards ceremony at the Poetry Ireland festival in Dublin in spring 2021. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

River Styx Micro-Fiction Contest

Fee: $15; Award: $1,000; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of $1,000 and publication in River Styx is given annually for a short short story. Submit up to three stories of no more than 500 words each with a $15 entry fee, which includes a copy of the prize issue (for an additional $5, entrants will receive a subscription to River Styx), by December 31st. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Boulevard Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers

Fee: $16; Award: $1,500; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of $1,500 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a short story by a writer who has not published a nationally distributed book. The editors will judge. Submit a story of up to 8,000 words with a $16 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Boulevard, by December 31st. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

BCALA Literary Awards

Fee: $0; Award: $500; Deadline: December 31st

Four prizes of $500 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a first novel, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) by African American writers published in the United States in the previous year. Visit the website for complete guidelines and a list of jurors to whom books should be sent.

Alice Fay di Castagnola Award

Fee: $15; Award: $1,000; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website will be given annually for a group of poems from a manuscript-in-progress. Elisa Gabbert will judge. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Before Columbus Foundation: American Book Awards

Fee: $0; Deadline: December 31st

Awards are given annually for books published in the United States during the previous year to recognize “outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America’s diverse literary community.” Submit two copies of a book (or bound galleys) published in 2020 by December 31st. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Acacia Fiction Prize

Fee: $25; Award: $1,200; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of $1,200 and publication by Kallisto Gaia Press is given annually for a collection of short works of fiction. Submit any combination of short stories, flash fiction, or novellas with a total manuscript length of 40,000 to 75,000 words with a $25 entry fee between now and December 31st. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Four Quartets Prize

Fee: $0; Award: $20,000; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of $20,000 is given annually for a unified and complete sequence of poems published in the United States. in a print or online journal, a chapbook, or a book. Three finalists, including the winner, will receive $1,000 each. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Lascaux Review Prize in Short Fiction

Fee: $15; Award: $1,000; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Lascaux Review is given annually for a short story. Previously published and unpublished stories are eligible. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Robert H. Winner Memorial Award

Fee: $15; Award: $2,500; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of $2,500 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website is given annually to a poet over 40 who has published no more than one book. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Crosswinds Poetry Contest

Fee: $20; Award: $1,000; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Crosswinds is given annually for a single poem. Submit up to three poems of no more than 60 lines each and 66 characters per line with a $20 entry fee by December 31st. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Burnside Review Press Book Award

Fee: $25; Award: $1,000; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of $1,000, publication by Burnside Review Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 64 pages with a $25 entry fee, which includes one title from the press’s catalogue, by December 31st. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

Fee: $0; Award: $10,000; Deadline: December 31st

Three to four prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published during the previous year that “contribute to our understanding of racism and appreciation of cultural diversity.” Submit five copies of a book published in 2020 by December 31st. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Jeanne Leiby Memorial Chapbook Award

Fee: $25; Award: $1,000; Deadline: December 31st

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Florida Review is given annually for a chapbook of short fiction, short nonfiction, or graphic narrative. Submit a manuscript of up to 45 pages with a $25 entry fee by December 31st. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Fellowships & Grants

Steinbeck Fellowships in Creative Writing

Fee: $0; Award: $15,000: Deadline: January 2nd

Yearlong residencies at San José State University in San José, California, which include a stipend of $15,000 each, are given annually to fiction writers and creative nonfiction writers. The fellows will give one public reading each semester and must live in the Bay Area during the academic year. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Leon Levy Biography Fellowships

Fee: $0; Award: $72,000; Deadline: January 4th

Four fellowships of $72,000, writing space at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City, access to research facilities, and research assistance from a graduate student will be given annually to nonfiction writers working on biographies. An additional fellowship, the Sloan Fellowship, will be given annually to a writer working on a biography of a figure in the field of science or technology. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Capacity-Building Grants For BIPOC Artists in Massachusetts

Fee: $0; Award: $1,000 capacity-building grant; Deadline: January 17th

MASS MoCA's Assets for Artists's capacity-building grant program is an innovative support model that helps artists strengthen their creative practice and grow its long-term sustainability. In 2021, their capacity-building program will specifically focus on serving artists of color across Massachusetts. Selected artists benefit from the following:

A $1,000 capacity-building grant.
A basic plan that grantees write outlining their top creative and financial goals and how they will strategically invest their $1,000 grant in support of those goals.
Free artist-led trainings on a range of financial, business, and professional topics.
Free one-on-one coaching, including support in crafting a basic plan to guide the investment of the artist’s grant.

Visit their website for more information.

Mentorship

PERIPLUS Mentee Application

Fee: $0; Deadline: December 15th

The PERIPLUS collective, which aims to support emerging BIPOC writers, has gathered a superstar list of mentors to spend a half hour every other month with mentees to discuss career development, craft concerns, and anything else related to the practice of writing. For this one-year mentorship program, we’re looking for mentees who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color, are in the United States, and are at least 18 years old, and whose writing shows great promise. Apply here by December 15th.

Work Experience

Staff Writer/Editor at Harvard Magazine

Cambridge, MA

The Staff Writer/Editor is responsible for conceiving story ideas; conducting research (background reading, field visits, etc.); reporting (interviewing, reading, other information-gathering); writing; fact-checking; and revising (in light of fellow editors’ comments) contextual, explanatory news articles, features, profiles, and other articles in diverse formats, for all parts of Harvard Magazine, in print and online, focusing on Harvard-affiliated research, teaching, faculty and staff members, alumni, and students. For complete details of roles and responsibilities and the application process, please visit their website.

Chirp Editor at BookBub

Cambridge, MA / Remote

BookBub is expanding its team to address the challenges and opportunities of the publishing industry while continuing to help readers find stories and authors they’ll love. Check out BookBub and our audiobooks retailing platform, Chirp, and learn more about what to expect working at BookBub. For complete details of roles and responsibilities and the application process, please visit their website.

Submissions

CRAFT | Short Fiction Fast Response: Free for Black Writers

Fee: $0; Deadline: N/A

While CRAFT submissions for short and flash fiction are always free and always open, this year they are offering fast responses for free to Black writers. This form is for short fiction (short stories and standalone excerpts) between 1,000 and 6,000 words. CRAFT will pay $200 for accepted short stories. To learn more visit CRAFT’s website.

CRAFT | Short Fiction Fast Response: Free with Proof of Donation in Support of BLM

Fee: $0; Deadline: N/A

While CRAFT submissions for short and flash fiction are always free and always open, this year they are offering fast responses for free to Black writers. This form is currently open ONLY to writers who attach proof of donation ($12 minimum) to an organization in support of Black lives. CRAFT will pay $200 for accepted short stories. To learn more visit CRAFT’s website.

CRAFT | Flash Fiction Fast Response: Free for Black Writers

Fee: $0; Deadline: N/A

While CRAFT submissions for short and flash fiction are always free and always open, this year they are offering fast responses for free to Black writers. This form is for flash fiction up to 1,000 words. CRAFT will pay $100 for accepted flash fiction. To learn more visit CRAFT’s website.

CRAFT | Flash Fiction Fast Response: Free with Proof of Donation in Support of BLM

Fee: $0; Deadline: N/A

Submissions to Delacorte Review - Longform Nonfiction Stories

Fee: $0; Award: $500 per story; Deadline: N/A

The Delacorte Review publishes narrative nonfiction and connects passionate nonfiction writers with readers. They are seeking original works of narrative nonfiction of between 3,500 and 20,000 words. The work cannot have been published elsewhere. 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.

CALL FOR SUBMISSION: A Notebook of Lullabies

Fee: $0; Accepting submissions now until December 1st

The Transpacific Literary Project is calling for writing and translations that swirl around in lullabies. Possible projects might include translating a traditional lullaby into another form, creating a contemporary lullaby, or analyzing an existing lullaby. All contributors, writers and translators, will be paid. Submissions are accepted in any language spoken in Southeast Asia and East Asia. View more submission guidelines here.

Submissions to FIYAH 2021: Unthemed

Fee: $0; Accepting submissions now until December 31st

FIYAH is a quarterly speculative fiction magazine that features stories by and about Black people of the African Diaspora. This definition is globally inclusive (Black anywhere in the world) and also applies to mixed/biracial and Afro-appended people regardless of gender identity or orientation. They accept submissions of short fiction 2,000 – 7,000 words, novelettes up to 15,000 words, and poetry with speculative elements. View more submission guidelines here.