SFPA Contest Winners, Showcase Cover Reveal and Twitch Partner Congratz!
SFPA Contest Winners, Showcase Cover Reveal and Twitch Partner Congratz!
Authortunities #83 │October 12—November 9
It’s been a long week of watching and worrying about Hurricane Milton after doing the same thing with Helene just a few weeks ago. Thoughts and prayers for everyone recovering at this time. I want to mention a special thank you to Space and Time layout artist and illustrator Anthony R. Rhodes who does an incredible job every issue. He kept safe and still managed to work on the Space and Time #147 proof edits. As always, the issue looks amazing and will most likely be available by the next issue of Authortunities.
🌳What’s in this issue?
I had a brilliant, wonderful time on The Writing Community Chat Show,
, with “Right Chris and Left Chris” not talking about the book you see in this image. To find out why we aren’t talking about it you’ll have to check out the interview here. These guys are witty and wise.
HWA Poetry Showcase editor Maxwell I. Gold reveals the new cover by Lynne Hansen on his site, The Wells of the Weird. See it here!
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association contest winners and their winning poems are listed here. Congratulations everyone and thank you to
for judging this year.Congratulations to my husband, Ryan Aussie Smith, for being invited to as a Twitch Partner. Thank you to everyone from this newsletter that has taken the time to lurk and follow him. It counts! He streams Sunday-Tuesday at twitch.tv/aussiemanplays.
If you are located near Collingwood Public Library in Collingwood, ON you can check out CollingWord, an in-person event on OCT 19. People not in the area can still find plenty of interesting things to inspire, like their great collection of quotes. Join the Facebook group here.
The Authortunities Expo on November 2… Seeking Craft, Credibility, Fortune and Fame? You can have it all… just not all at the same time. This free, virtual conference maps out how to define and find your next publishing quest. The event ends with the first ever Linzner Awards from Space and Time Magazine. Explore the Neighborhub while you wait at authortunitieshub.com.
Authortunities may contain affiliate links that might earn a small fee for Authortunities at no extra cost to you. Comments, questions, compliments or concerns?
This calendar is organized by emoji! Use [ctrl F] to find what you want fast.
🟢 opening subs
🔴 closing subs
⭐ networking
💼 conference
🎤 open mics
🎓 education
♻️ reprints
🏆 awards
💰 grants
🟢 BookLife runs the Indie Spotlight feature, a thematic roundup of self-published books from a broad range of genres and topics, both online and in print in Publishers Weekly magazine. Each Indie Spotlight is open to all types of books as long as they match the month's topic. Submit your works of horror, mystery, and the supernatural until October 1.
https://booklife.com/about-us/booklife-s-indie-spotlight.html
🟢 OCT 12 · Reedsy Prompts is open until the following Friday for short fiction between 1,000 - 3,000 words based on one of five prompts. Writers have until the following Friday at 11.59 pm EST to enter. No fee to enter and have work posted. $5 fee to be eligible for the $250 cash prize. New prompt every Friday. This week’s prompt is: Fright Night 🎃.
https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/
🟢 OCT 12 · Cave Canem is open until November 6 for chapbook-length manuscripts by Black poets for the Derricotte/Eady Prize. The winner receives a $1,000 award, publication, 10 chapbook copies, a residency at The Writer’s Room, and a featured reading at the O, Miami Poetry Festival in April.
https://cavecanempoets.org/prizes/derricotte-eady-prize/
⭐🎓💼 OCT 11-13 · Romance Writers of America® 2024 Annual Conference will be an in-person event in Austin, Texas and feature “an exciting lineup of speakers, interactive sessions, and invaluable networking opportunities” along with an appearance by Stephen Schwartz presenting Smalltown Tales at “Up Your Game at Storytelling and Writing.” Registrations begin at $349.
https://www.rwa.org/2024-conference
🎓 OCT 12 · Celebrating Authors Summit: Finding Your Best Writing Strategy Need Some New Writing Strategy Ideas? Do you have a hard time getting the words from your vision onto paper? Our speakers share their own personal strategies … what's worked for them and what hasn't. Join us to learn more ways you can try to create a writing strategy that will work for you. Free to attend live.
https://celebrating-authors-series-summit-2410.eventraptor.com/
🔴 OCT 13 · This Way Lies Madness, ed. by Lee Murray and Dave Jeffery, closes for stories that challenge the stigma of mental illness, up to 4k words. Payment is 8 cents/6 pence per word. To be published by Flame Tree.
https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/this-way-lies-madness-submissions-call-0
🔴OCT 13 · Griffith Review closes for nonfiction and fiction submissions on the theme "No Place Like Home," what it means to us, why it matters and how it shapes our sense of self. Payment is $0.75 AUD per word for fiction and nonfiction, $200 AUD per poem and $500 per piece AUD per work commissioned for GR Online.
https://www.griffithreview.com/submit-to-griffith-review/
🔴OCT 13 · Daikaijuzine closes for speculative fiction, poetry, and art submissions. Payment is $10 for short stories and $5 for poems and flash fiction.
https://daikaijuzine.org/guidelines
⭐🎤 OCT 13 · Rattlecast livestreams, is part interview and open mic with a prompt-based open mic. Hangout with Rattle editor Timothy Green and Katie Dozier. Each Rattlecast begins with an interview, a writing prompt, and poets reading from the last week’s prompt. | Rattlecast at 8 pm EST.
⭐ OCT 13 · GoIndieNow presents This Week In Indies for 2024 a weekly Sunday chat show that covers issues relevant for Indie artists and the scoop on who is publishing what and where you can get it. Broadcasting every Sunday at Noon ET/11a CT/10a MT/9a PT. This week features Ariel Dawn, Wayne Turmel, Bryan Tann, Tiffany Vega and Juliet Rose.
🔴🏆 OCT 15 · The Pulitzer Prize on Books closes to all eligible titles published in 2024, including the fourth quarter of the year. There is a $15,000 prize for the winner. Fee to enter is $75.
https://bdmentrysite.pulitzer.org/
🔴 OCT 14 · Apparition Lit’s 2024 Flash Fiction Contest closes for submissions of speculative flash fiction (under 1k words) prompted by “Bread of the Dead.” The writer of the selected story will be notified and their story published the following month. The prize is $30 USD.
https://apparitionlit.com/submissions/
🔴 OCT 14 · Solarpunk Magazine closes for submissions of prose and poetry that will “stir readers with themes of defiance, change, and achievement.” Pro rates paid as defined by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA): $.08 per word for fiction ($100 minimum), $40 per poem, $75 for for nonfiction, $100 for reprint cover art, $200 for original unpublished cover art, $50 for reprint interior art, and $100 for original unpublished interior art.
https://solarpunkmagazine.com/submissions/
🔴 OCT 15 · New Orleans Review closes the fee free submissions for Latinx writers submitting fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Payment is $300 for prose and $100 for poetry. Submissions remain open for a $3 submission fee.
https://www.neworleansreview.org/submit/
🔴 OCT 15 · Translunar Travelers Lounge closes for speculative fiction in the form of “Swashbuckling adventure, deadly intrigue, and gleeful romance are some of the most obvious examples of what we’re looking for, but we won’t say no to more subtle or complicated topics, as long as they fit under the wider “fun” umbrella.” The first week of submissions (Sept 15-21) is reserved for writers of color. Payment is .03 per word with a $20 minimum.
https://translunartravelerslounge.com/submissions/
🟢♻️ OCT 15 · Solar Punk Magazine is closed for submissions of speculative works around Solarpunk, envisioning a future where humanity has addressed challenges like climate change and established sustainable societies. Payments are fiction at $.08 per word, $100 minimum, poetry at $40 per poem), nonfiction $75 per essay or article, cover art $100 for reprints, $200 for original unpublished, and interior art $50 for reprints, $100 for original unpublished.
https://solarpunkmagazine.com/submissions/
🔴 OCT 15 · Consequence Magazine, print and online, closes to short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, interviews, reviews, and visual art.. “All submissions need to address in some manner the experiences, the realities, or the consequences of war or geopolitical violence.” Payment is $20 to $50 for prose and poetry, $150 for art.
https://www.consequenceforum.org/submissions
🔴 OCT 15 · Electric Spec closes to speculative fiction stories of “science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre” between 250 and 7000 words for their November issue. Payment is $20 per piece.
http://www.electricspec.com/Submissions.html
⭐🎓 OCT 15 · Writing with AI: What’s going on here? Join Evan at StoryOrigin for an insightful Q&A session on how authors are utilizing AI with Jason Hamilton, creator behind The Nerdy Novelist YouTube channel (~40K subscribers), as he shares his own experience on incorporating AI into his activities as an author. Free registration.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuc6sqT0rH9LwN_uV1ACBRDYXb5AJsOE-#/registration
🔴 OCT 15 · Painted Hearts Publishing closes submissions for their holiday/winter-themed LGBTQ+ romance “of all heat levels.” Payment is a flat $100.
https://www.paintedheartspublishing.com/submissions
🔴 OCT 15 · Jake Adam York Prize for a first or second poetry collection, a collaboration between Copper Nickel and Milkweed Editions, closes for book-length (i.e., more than 48 pages) poetry manuscripts. Winner receives a $2,000 cash award and the opportunity for publication through Milkweed Editions. Be accepting online submissions of book-length (i.e., more than 48 pages) poetry manuscripts. $25 reading fee includes a one-year subscription to Copper Nickel.
https://copper-nickel.org/bookprize/#JAYGuidelines
✅🔴🏆 OCT 15 · Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship closes for applications to US poets for an annual grant of about $66,500 for a year of overseas travel and study. To apply, send in two sets of your poetry: up to 40 pages of published or unpublished work or a published poetry collection with an additional 20 pages of poetry. No entry fee.
https://amylowell.org/applicationInstruct.html
🔴 OCT 15 · Translunar Travelers Lounge closes for speculative fiction submissions. Payment is $0.03 per word with a $20 minimum.
https://translunartravelerslounge.com/submissions/
🎓 OCT 15 · The Arcane University offers valuable video game development skills, including game writing, from experienced modders and industry professionals. In collaboration with TESRenewal, the AU aims to provide teaching and support to any and all members and applicants to help them to acquire, expand, or improve the skill set needed to contribute to Beyond Skyrim and/or their partnered modding projects. In addition, it serves as the primary location for learning or enhancing existing skills for the wider modding community, becoming the go-to place for anyone looking to learn. Free.
🎓 OCT 15 · Writing Timeless Historical Fiction—Boyd Morrison is the latest offering from the Outliers Online Ongoing Writers Conference where all classes are taught by working, best-selling authors with two classes per month, every month on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 4 pm PST. “Learn how to research historical elements, how to apply aspects of daily life from your chosen time period, and why language and names are so important to establishing the setting.“ Costs $45.
https://www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/ongoingconference
🟢 OCT 15 · Star*Line, the official print journal of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA), is a literary venue for speculative (including science-fiction, fantasy, and horror) poets and poetry enthusiasts. The site features interviews, articles, reviews, member news and letters, association business, and poetry. Star*Line is open for submissions year-round. Payment for poetry: 4¢/word rounded to next dollar, minimum $4. Nonfiction, 1¢/word rounded to the next dollar. Reviews pay a flat fee of $4.
https://www.sfpoetry.com/starline.html
⭐ OCT 17 · PEN America webinar: Understanding Election Disinformation: What Voters Need to Know In this webinar, Kurt Sampsel of PEN America will provide an overview of the key themes, motivations, and trends of current election disinformation campaigns, followed by a conversation with Maritza Félix of Conecta Arizona and Jen Fifield of Votebeat about what they’ve learned from fighting election conspiracies and providing communities with nuanced, accurate information about voting.
https://pen.org/event/understanding-election-disinformation-what-voters-need-to-know/
⭐ OCT 17 · First Friday - Third Thursday Quick Read features 6 authors each reading a selection of speculative fiction for 8 minutes. There will be time for questions & answers at the end and a giveaway from the authors. This free event is hosted by Strong Women - Strange Worlds and features Christiane Knight, Kim Poovey, Jan Stinchcomb, A.D. Sui, Theresa Tyree, and Larina Warnock. Pre-register.
https://strongwomenstrangeworlds.weebly.com/
⭐🎓💼 OCT 17-20 · Writer's Digest Annual Conference will be an in-person event in Cincinnati, Ohio with “everything you need to advance your writing career creatively and professionally.” Registrations begin at $449.
https://new.writersdigestconference.com/
🔴 OCT 18 · Rattle Magazine’s “Poets Respond” challenge calls for poems inspired by “a news story or public event from the previous week, and has been written in the time since.” Selected poems will appear as the Sunday poem at Rattle.com which appear to over 10,000 people via RSS feed and daily email service. Poets will receive $100 and a free print magazine subscription. Each week's deadline is Friday midnight PST.
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/30232/poets-respond-online
🟢 OCT 18 · Reedsy Prompts calls for short fiction between 1,000 - 3,000 words based on one of five prompts. Writers have until the following Friday at 11.59pm EST to enter. No fee to enter and have work posted. $5 fee to be eligible for the $250 cash prize. New prompt every Friday.
https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/
⭐🎓 OCT 18 · Rattle Magazine’s livestream Poetry Critique of the Week Rattle's editor hosts a livestreamed poetry critique on YouTube and Facebook, offering suggestions and feedback. The viewing audience is encouraged to participate. The goal is to help us all become better poets through the honest sharing of our reactions, similar to the experience of an MFA roundtable workshop. Critique of the Week at 4 pm EST.
https://www.youtube.com/@RattlePoetry/featured
⭐🎓💼 OCT 18-20 · MULTIVERSE is an annual 3-day convention for fans of science fiction, fantasy, horror, gaming, art, and cosplay at the Hilton Peachtree City, Georgia. Join in-person only for a fun-filled weekend with dozens of the industry’s top creators.
https://www.multiversecon.org/
⭐🎓💼 OCT 18-22 · H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival Streaming Edition is the 5th Annual Streaming edition of the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival. Film blocks will release on a rolling schedule, starting October 18th through the 20th, and will stay available to watch until October 22nd with 3 feature films and over 40 short films from 12 different countries. You'll also be able to stream several panel discussions, author readings, and other streaming extras. Streaming bundles begin at $55 USD.
https://hplfilmfestival.com/events/2024-h-p-lovecraft-film-festival-streaming-edition
⭐🎓 OCT 19 · PARSEC, Pittsburgh’s premier Science Fiction & Fantasy Organization, welcomes the public to their monthly meetings held the third Saturday of each month beginning at 12:30 pm EST. Virtual Zoom meetings are available for those unable to attend in person. Timons Esaias will lead a discussion on “Finding the Future in the Past.”
https://parsec-sff.org/monthly-meetings/
🎓 OCT 19 · Celebrating Authors Summit: Editing & Finishing Touches Getting Help to Make Your Book Shine With self-publishing, authors can bring to market their work at any level of quality. Sometimes that means books filled with errors, which reduces credibility in the eyes of the reader. The book can contain amazing content, but if it's not presented well it can repel readers before they have a chance to look more deeply into the book.There are a wide variety of professionals who can help you give your book its best image.Our speakers share their contribution to the quality of your book, and what they're looking for as they choose their new projects. Free to attend live.
https://go.eventraptor.com/summit/copy-of-celebrating-summit-2410-1/angelayurikosmith
🎓 OCT 19-23 · Escape the Plot Forest hosted by Daniel David Wallace, is a five day long online get together event. Improve your plotting and storytelling techniques inside this supportive writing community. Register now to join for five days of substantial and detailed craft training -- for writers of all experience levels.
https://forest.plotsummit.com/
⭐🎓💼 OCT 19-20 · Self-Publishing Advice Conference 2024, in Association with the Alliance of Independent Authors, will be a virtual event with 24 sessions over 24 hours on the theme “Publishing for Profit.” Free to watch for three days, always free for ALLi members. Guests include Dale L. Roberts, Gina Bianchini, Orna Ross, Ricardo Fayet and Russell Nohelty.
https://selfpublishingadviceconference.com/
⭐🎤 OCT 20 · Rattlecast livestreams, is part interview and open mic with a prompt-based open mic. Hangout with Rattle editor Timothy Green and Katie Dozier. Each Rattlecast begins with an interview, a writing prompt, and poets reading from the last week’s prompt. | Rattlecast at 8 pm EST.
⭐ OCT 20 · GoIndieNow presents This Week In Indies for 2024 a weekly Sunday chat show that covers issues relevant for Indie artists and the scoop on who is publishing what and where you can get it. Broadcasting every Sunday at Noon ET/11a CT/10a MT/9a PT.
🔴 OCT 22 · Astrolabe closes to fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography/art for $50 USD flat rate with free submissions.
https://www.astrolabe.ooo/submissions
⭐🎓 OCT 22 ·An Author's Audiobook Journey: Going Wide with 30+ Titles Join Evan at StoryOrigin for an insightful Q&A session for an insightful Q&A session with Rebecca Hefner, USA Today Bestselling Author with 30+ titles out, as she shares her expertise on producing and distributing audiobooks. Free registration.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsfu-orjgvGdBCUqpitHLMr3jN_-EoVkb_#/registration
🟢 OCT 23 · Mythaxis opens for submissions until October 30th for fiction from 1,000-5,000 words for €0.01 per word, with a €20 minimum.
https://mythaxis.co.uk/submissions.html
🔴 OCT 25 · Rattle Magazine’s “Poets Respond” challenge calls for poems inspired by “a news story or public event from the previous week, and has been written in the time since.” Selected poems will appear as the Sunday poem at Rattle.com which appear to over 10,000 people via RSS feed and daily email service. Poets will receive $100 and a free print magazine subscription. Each week's deadline is Friday midnight PST.
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/30232/poets-respond-online
⭐🎓 OCT 25 · Rattle Magazine’s livestream Poetry Critique of the Week Rattle's editor hosts a livestreamed poetry critique on YouTube and Facebook, offering suggestions and feedback. The viewing audience is encouraged to participate. The goal is to help us all become better poets through the honest sharing of our reactions, similar to the experience of an MFA roundtable workshop. Critique of the Week at 4 pm EST.
https://www.youtube.com/@RattlePoetry/featured
🟢 OCT 25 · Reedsy Prompts calls for short fiction between 1,000 - 3,000 words based on one of five prompts. Writers have until the following Friday at 11.59pm EST to enter. No fee to enter and have work posted. $5 fee to be eligible for the $250 cash prize. New prompt every Friday.
https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/
🔴 OCT 25 · Off Topic Publishing’s Poetry Box closes to submissions of poetry to be sent out as a physical card with tea and chocolate to subscribers. Payment is for $30 CAD.
https://offtopicpublishing.com/opencalls/
🔴 OCT 26 · Riddlebird opens until October 26 for literary fiction, personal essays, and genre fiction from 650-5000 words focusing on humor and lighthearted pieces until full. Payment is $100.
https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/riddlebird-Ae4Nk
This is the end of the free authortunities, but do you know what else is free? The Authortunities Hub where the full month is posted early for members each week. Join us at authortunitieshub.com.
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