Authortunities Hub: a Gated Online Community Opens Next Weekend
Authortunities #76 │August 24—September 21
Here are your author opportunities organized by date and emoji, plus…
Details about the new Authortunities Hub!
Time is running out to enter SFPA’s poetry contest!
Hear a Twitch streamer try to sing “authortunities” 😂
🌳What’s in this issue?
I have some news I’m very excited about. On my quest to find the perfect platform to host the upcoming LaikaCon (Oct. 30-Nov. 3) I stumbled across Mighty Networks, a social network (as opposed to a social media). I looked into it, liked it and hit buy. By this time next week there will be a gated online community for you, the fantastic Authortunities community.
Like this newsletter, most of it will be free, open access to all. Because it is gated, there will be no spammers, con artists or algorithms. Best part? It’s almost done. I’ll be inviting the Space and Time First Readers and staff in on Aug. 27, paid subscribers to Authortunities will get an email invite to join on Aug. 29 and there will be a link for everyone to join next Saturday, in this newsletter.
I called it the Authortunities Hub, a place to bring together aspiring writers to exercise their writes so that, together, we can make change for our pockets and the world. I look forward to hanging out with you there. 💙💚💙
🍃Bullet Points
Proud to have Bree Buonomo as this week’s Extra guest. I met Bree during a recent AuthorTube summit and I loved her honest and reasonable approach to a career as a writer. You can listen to that here, or find it on Spotify, iTunes and on your favorite podcast platform.
I’ll be interviewing Maxwell I. Gold Tuesday, August 27 about his newest prose poetry collection, Tiny Oblivions and Mutual Self Destructions. This event will be hosted by HWA president John Edward Lawson and will include a reading and giveaway. Free, register here.
Last call to get your poems in for the SFPA’s Speculative Poetry Contest. Prizes will be awarded for best unpublished poem in 3 categories. All the details here.
Weird Horror Magazine has raised 84% of their $10k goal with 38 days left. If they fund they’ll open a November 2. Support Weird Horror here.
Ryan Aussie Smith (aka my husband) is on a push to make Twitch Partner, so any likes, follows and lurks appreciated. Thank you everyone! He streams Saturday-Tuesday here: Twitch.tv/Aussiemanplays.
Just for laughs, seems like a few Twitch streamers have difficulties pronouncing “authortunities” so I’ve started clipping their efforts. Here’s DonkeyShaunJr trying to sing it. Watch (and chuckle) here.
And finally, how about a poll? This is open to all subscribers, forever.
I find author opportunities everywhere, I want to give special credit to some of my favorite sources here. angelaysmith.com/subscribe
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
🟡 Last week! 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. Every month's Indie Spotlight is open to all types of books: fiction and nonfiction, adult and children's, secular and religious, written and graphic. As long as the subject matter matches the month's topic, a book can be included. For September, submit picture books and other illustrated titles, including graphic novels until September 1.
https://booklife.com/about-us/booklife-s-indie-spotlight.html
🟡 Last week! The SFPA Speculative Poetry Contest is open until August 31 to all poets, including non-SFPA-members for speculative poetry in any form. Prizes will be awarded for best unpublished poem in 3 categories. Winning poets will be awarded $150 First Prize, $75 Second Prize, $25 Third Prize and publication on the SFPA website for first through third places in all categories. $3 entry fee, the contest is chaired by Angela Yuriko Smith and judged by Stephanie M. Wytovich.
https://www.sfpoetry.com/contests.html
🟢 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: Bon Voyage 🚢.
https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/
🟢 Apparition Lit’s 2024 Flash Fiction Contest is open until August 14 for submissions of speculative flash fiction (under 1k words) prompted by “beignets, cronuts, and the almighty donut.” 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/
⭐🎤 AUG 25 · 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.
🎓 AUG 25 · Why Nonfiction Book Proposals Often Fail Using examples submitted by attendees (that's you!), Jane Friedman will discuss how proposals can be strengthened and revised for a chance at greater success in this free presentation.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SjOje7MsQvmw3TequXh_Ew#/registration
⭐ AUG 25 · 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.
🔴 AUG 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/
⭐ AUG 27 · Tiny Oblivions and Mutual Self Destructions Book Launch Join Maxwell I. Gold and Angela Yuriko Smith as they discuss the release of Gold’s newest prose poetry collection, Tiny Oblivions and Mutual Self Destructions. Discover cosmic horror through a poet’s lens and find out what really scares these two poets and how they use their craft to explore big ideas and small. This event will be hosted by HWA president John Edward Lawson and will include a reading and giveaway.
🎓 AUG 27 · From Pen to Profit: Mastering Book Writing and Digital Marketing This exclusive webinar with Nick Thacker, founder of Book Career in a Year. This insightful Q&A session will dive deep into the art of book writing and the science of digital marketing for authors. Free.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vcOGhrTotG9L84gloXNQuEKrUEUqdCF9y#/registration
⭐ AUG 28 · The Muse's Mic Hosts James Bryant and Nik Macioci talk poetry and writing with Gregory Seth Harris. Includes audience Q&A and the Fill in the Blank game where a member of the audience will have a chance to win a gift card of their choice.
https://www.facebook.com/spofest/live/
🎓 AUG 28 · Intro to Boosted Promos Join Jack Shilkaitis from Bookfunnel live for an introduction to Boosted BookFunnel Group Promos and how they can benefit you as an author. Boosted Group Promos are promos hosted on the BookFunnel dashboard in which the organizer collects payment from participants for the purpose of advertising the promotion to readers (often times on Facebook). Boosted promos are a great way for organizers to bring more traffic and an affordable way for authors to get their books in front of more readers. Free.
⭐ AUG 29 · Halloween in July presents “Weird and Wonderful: The HWA Mental Health Initiative” for #throwbackthursday. Hosted by Lauren Elise Daniels with panelists Lee Murray, and Dave Jeffery, a look into the HWA’s Mental Health Initiative and how writers can break the stigma surrounding mental health in our work. A fundraiser to support the Horror Writers Association’s scholarships and the University of Pittsburgh Horror Studies Archive.
https://www.pledge.to/2nd-annual-halloween-in-july
🎓 AUG 29 · Best Practices of Successful Indie Authors Join Keith Wheeler to answer why some authors reach success while others flail about? Most often, it's about incorporating simple best practices. Free.
🔴 AUG 30 · 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
🟢 AUG 30 · Havok is closed for flash fiction to the theme of “Remember November” in “all five genres: mystery, science fiction, humor, thriller, and fantasy.” Payment is $50 via PayPal for each story selected for an Anthology; no payment for online publication.
https://gohavok.com/submission-guidelines/upcoming-themes/
🟢 AUG 30 · 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/
🔴♻️ AUG 31 · Short Story on Substack is closed for short stories from 6- 10,000 words in any genre. Payment is $100 + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Selected story to be announced on the 15th. Reprints welcome.
https://shortstory.substack.com/
🔴 AUG 31 · Rattle Magazine’s Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge closes for ekphrastic poetry in response to selected visual art posted on their page. Two winners receive $100 and publication online.
https://www.rattle.com/ekphrastic/
🔴🏆 AUG 31 · The BookLife Prize for fiction closes for “unpublished or self-published books–works for which the author has subvented the cost of the book’s publication–in the English language” for a chance at a cash prize of $5,000 and a profile in Publishers Weekly. All entrants will receive a Critic’s Report, which includes a score and a brief written critical assessment of their novel by a Publishers Weekly reviewer.
https://booklife.com/about-us/the-booklife-prize.html
🔴 AUG 31 · After Happy Hour closes for “online issues, we accept fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, visual art, photographs, graphic narratives, and any combination thereof.” Payment is $10.
https://afterhappyhourreview.submittable.com/submit
🔴 AUG 31 · The SFPA Speculative Poetry Contest closes to all poets, including non-SFPA-members for speculative poetry in any form. Prizes will be awarded for best unpublished poem in 3 categories: Dwarf (poems 1–10 lines, prose poems 0–100 words); Short (11–49 lines, prose poems 101–499 words); Long (50 lines and more, prose 500 words and up. Winning poets will be awarded $150 First Prize, $75 Second Prize, $25 Third Prize and publication on the SFPA website for first through third places in all categories. $3 entry fee, the contest is chaired by Angela Yuriko Smith and judged by Stephanie Wytovich.
https://www.sfpoetry.com/contests.html
🔴 AUG 31 · 21 Futures: Financial Fallout Anthology competition closes for stories up to 3k words about what economic and “catastrophic failures will we see in the next 100 years'' The 21 best stories will feature in the anthology and will be eligible to win the following prizes: 1st place: $1,000 + feature interview, 2nd place: $100 + podcast appearance, 3rd Place: Book haul + podcast appearance, and 4th to 21st place: Featured in anthology + anthology copy + launch appearance. Entry fee is purchasing a copy of 21 Futures: Tales from the Timechain [https://amzn.to/3JMUBJ2]
https://21futures.com/submissions/
🔴 AUG 31 · Broken Sleep Books closes for non-fiction prose pamphlets (up to 150 pages). Payment is 10% royalties, with the author receiving five (5) free author copies and a 50% discount on future purchases. Simultaneous submissions.
https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/submissions
🔴 AUG 31 · The Other Stories Podcast closes for 2,000 word speculative fiction on the theme of “THE TAROT. Pull a card; tell a story.” Payment is $15 GBP.
https://theotherstories.net/submissions/
🔴♻️ AUG 31 · Siren’s Call eZine closes for short stories, flash fiction, drabbles, and poetry within the horror/dark fiction genre to the current theme of “Halloween.” Reprints welcome. No payment. Advertise for only $10 for a full page ad to 35,000 readers.
http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/ezine.htm
⭐ AUG 31 · Halloween in July presents “All About the Bram Stoker Awards.” James Chambers is joined by Lisa Morton, Laura Blackwell, and Alex Hofelich to talk all about the prestigious Bram Stoker Awards®. A candid look at one of the most celebrated awards in the horror genre. A fundraiser to support the Horror Writers Association’s scholarships and the University of Pittsburgh Horror Studies Archive.
https://www.pledge.to/2nd-annual-halloween-in-july
⭐🎓 AUG 31 · Master Class: Revision Strategies for Writers with NY Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry from 10am - 1 pm PST (1-4pm EST) via ZOOM. Revisions are what make a story come alive. This masterclass will show you how to transform your work through different drafts, but also how to work with editors, interpret and apply their notes, and craft something that has the best chance of selling in today’s market. Workshop costs $50. Proceeds benefit no-kill animal shelters.
https://www.jonathanmaberry.com/workshopdescriptions.cfm
🟢 SEP 1 · Apparition Lit’s 2024 Flash Fiction Contest opens until September 14 for submissions of speculative flash fiction (under 1k words) prompted by “Noodles.” 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/
🟢 SEP 1 · Rattle Magazine’s Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge opens until the last day of the month for ekphrastic poetry in response to selected visual art posted on their page. Two winners receive $100 and publication online.
https://www.rattle.com/ekphrastic/
🟢 SEP 1 · New Orleans Review opens for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Payment is $300 for prose and $100 for poetry. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, there are no submission fees for Latinx writers from September 15th to October 15th. $3 submission fee otherwise.
https://www.neworleansreview.org/submit/
🟢 SEP 1 · The Other Stories Podcast opens until September 30 for 2,000 word speculative fiction on the theme of SHAKESPEARE. “Pay homage or re-imagine the Bard’s timeless works. We’re looking for stories of star-crossed lovers, tragic heroes, cunning jesters, and more.” Payment is $15 GBP.
https://theotherstories.net/submissions/
🟢 SEP 1 · The Forge Literary Magazine calls for fiction and nonfiction under 3,000 words including flash and micro fiction for $100 flat rate until the free submissions quota is full. “If there is no free link, we’ve hit our quota.”
https://forgelitmag.com/submit/
🟢 SEP 1 · Foglifter opens submissions until November 1 for “daring and thoughtful” fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, hybrid works, and drama. A journal for LGBTQ+ contributors, they are especially interested in cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive work.
https://foglifterjournal.com/submit/
🟢 SEP 1 · Kweli Journal opens to self-contained novel excerpts, short stories, creative nonfiction pieces, and poetry, up to 6,000 words. Payment is “We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.Pay ranges from Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word). $50 per poem.
https://www.kwelijournal.org/submit
🟢 SEP 1 · Electric Spec opens for speculative fiction stories of “science fiction, fantasy, and the macabre” between 250 and 7000 words for their November issue until October 15. Payment is $20 per piece.
http://www.electricspec.com/Submissions.html
🟢 SEP 1 · Off Topic Publishing’s Poetry Box opens to submissions of poetry until the 25th of the month. Selected poems to be sent as a physical card with tea and chocolate to subscribers. Payment is for $30 CAD.
https://offtopicpublishing.com/opencalls/
🟢 SEP 1 · Strange Horizons opens for speculative poetry submissions year-round, including at times when they are closed to fiction submissions. The editors operate on a rotation system, so the person who reads and replies to your poem will depend on when you send it. This month Vanessa Jae (she/her/hers) is the editor. Payment is $50 USD per poem, regardless of length or complexity.
http://strangehorizons.com/submit/poetry-submission-guidelines/
🟢 SEP 1 · The Hudson Review opens fiction submissions until November 30. Payment is 2.5 cents per word for prose. Submissions of fiction via their Submission Manager at https://www.hudsonreview.com/submissions/.
https://hudsonreview.com/about-us/submission-guidelines/
🟢 SEP 1 · Bourbon Penn opens now for 2000-7500 word “highly imaginative stories with a healthy dose of the odd… looking for genre / speculative stories and are quite partial to slipstream, cross-genre, magic realism, absurdist, and the surreal." Payment is .04 cents per word.
https://www.bourbonpenn.com/submissions
🟢 SEP 1 · The Cincinnati Review opens to submissions of miCRo, poetry, fiction, fiction translations, literary nonfiction, poetry translations, and drama until they hit the submissions cap for that period. Payment of $25/page for prose and $30/page for poetry in the print journal and $25 for miCRo posts or special features.
https://www.cincinnatireview.com/submission-guidelines-2021/
🟢 SEP 1 · The Bombay Literary Magazine opens until September 30 (or until subs cap of 400 is reached) for submissions of fiction, poetry, translated fiction, translated poetry and graphic fiction but will “only consider the first 400 submissions in each category”. Payment of an honorarium of ₹ 5,000 (approx. $61 or €51) per contribution.
https://bombaylitmag.com/submit/
🟢 SEP 1 · Flame Tree Fiction Newsletter calls for monthly themed submissions from newsletter subscribers only (free to subscribe) up to 1k words for $0.08 per word USD for original fiction.
https://www.flametreepress.com/submissions/
🟢♻️ SEP 1 · Short Story on Substack opens for short stories from 6-10,000 words in any genre. Payment is $100 + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Selected story to be announced on the 15th. Reprints welcome.
https://shortstory.substack.com/
🟢 SEP 1 · You, Human, Vol. 2 from Written Backwards opens submissions until September 30 for novelettes that reevaluate and revise Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics. Coedited by Michael Bailey and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki. Payment: $0.10 / word.
https://nettirw.com/submissions/
🟢♻️ SEP 1-2 · Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores opens for new work, reprints, poetry (up to 40 lines) and prose from 1,000 words and up. Payment is .08 per word for new fiction, .02 per word for reprints, .02-.08 for new fact based work, .01-.04 for reprinted fact based work, $1 per line for original poetry, .50 per line for reprinted poetry. No simultaneous or multiple submissions.
https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/
⭐🎤 SEP 1 · 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.
⭐ SEP 1 · 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.
🎓 SEP 3 · So Close, So Far Away: Unlocking the Secrets of Psychic Distance—Mark Tavani 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. “Psychic Distance is how deeply the writer places the reader inside a character’s mind. Deeply, where fears, emotions, and thoughts live, or a step back where observation rules. Learn to master this tool and add power to your storytelling.“ Costs $45.
https://www.outlierswritinguniversity.com/ongoingconference
⭐🎓 SEP 3 · Autumn Chills - 6-week horror writing school from Alex Davis events. “Select from our range of ticket packages to upgrade your event experience with written feedback, one-to-ones and more and bring your horror writing to the next level this Fall!” Sessions will be recorded for those unable to attend in person. Tickets from £55.
🏆🔴 SEP 4 · Terrain.org’s Annual Contests in Poetry, Nonfiction, and Fiction closes for submissions of poetry, fiction and nonfiction. With $1,000 grand prize in each genre and $200 to finalists.The cost to submit is $20 per story, essay or article, or set of 1-4 poems.
https://www.terrain.org/submit/contest-guidelines/
🔴 SEP 6 · 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
⭐🎓 SEP 6 · Business Clinic: When Your Email Newsletter Growth Has Stalled Jane Friedman will talk with children's author Jacqueline Davies about any improvements that can be made to her stalled newsletter, next steps for growth, and how to make the most of what she has.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vihX7GxSRtW1Y4cwfBexMw#/registration
⭐🎓 SEP 6 · 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
🟢 SEP 6 · 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/
⭐ SEP 6 · 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 Johnna Dee, L.A. Guettler, Vanessa Ricci-Thode, Jean Marie Ward, and Donna Glee Williams. Pre-register.
https://strongwomenstrangeworlds.weebly.com/
⭐🎓 SEP 7 · Celebrating Authors Summit: Getting Real Support There are so many distractions that can sideline your efforts to write your book. Are there ways you can adjust your environment and your support system to help you focus, rather than distract you? During this summit we'll share author stories about how they've created a supportive environment that helps them produce content. Free to attend live.
https://go.eventraptor.com/summit/celebrating-authors-series-summit-2409/angelayurikosmith
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