Over the course of March there are multiple contests or submission opportunities for aspiring writers, check them out below!

Creative Writing Fellowship

Given by the National Endowment for the Arts, this program awards $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) to published writers. These published works can be anything from short stories to creative essays to a novel. 

Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: March 8

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Here’s an opportunity for your short story to be more than just words on a page, when it could be read aloud by stars of stage and screen! Sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts, the winning submission will be performed and recorded live, receive $1000, and win a free 10-week course with Gotham Writers.

Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: March 10

Bellingham Review Contests

All three of the Bellingham Review’s contests are ending this month, so begin writing now if you want to receive one of the three $1000 first-place prizes! Corinne Manning is judging the Tobias Wolff Award for Fiction, Susan Nguyen is judging the 49th Parallel Award for Poetry, and Sasha LaPointe is judging the Annie Dillard Award for Creative Nonfiction. All of the winners and a selection of the runners up will be published! 

Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: March 15

First Novel Fellowship

Created in honor of the late James Jones, author of From Here to Eternity, the James Jones Literary Society will award $10,000 for a novel-in-progress by an unpublished US author. Submissions must include a two-page synopsis and a 50-page excerpt from the manuscript. 

Entry Fee: $33 Deadline: March 15

Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Residency

This is a unique chance for any author who feels the need for unparalleled solitude while working on their current project! In return for an hour a day of maintenance, the resident receives a $5000 stipend and the use of a comfortable house in the Rogue River backcountry of southwestern Oregon for up to 7 months. Applications need to include a brief resume, a 20-page writing sample, and a letter explaining your suitability for the experience.

Entry Fee: $30 Deadline: March 15

The Non/Fiction Collection Prize

The Journal is looking to publish the best collection of short prose written this year, and they are very upfront about their plan! The contest, judged by Lee Martin, is open to writers of fiction and creative nonfiction, and entries must be less than 350 pages. The winner receives $1500 and a publishing contract from The Ohio State University Press. 

Entry Fee: $23 Deadline: March 15

Prairie Schooner Raz-Shumaker Book Prize Contest

This is an opportunity for all living writers, writing in English, who just so happen to have an unpublished manuscript in poetry or fiction! Poetry manuscripts ought to be at least 50 pages long, while fiction manuscripts ought to be at least 150 pages long. Winners will receive $3000 and publication through the University of Nebraska Press. 

Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: March 15

2023 Creative Nonfiction Prize

This is a call to all writers, who think that their work can make the cut! The winner receives $1000 and publication in Indiana Review. All entries receive a year-long subscription to the journal, and all entries are considered for publication. Submissions should be less than 5000 words, but there are no restrictions on theme or subject. 

Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: March 31

The Hudson Prize

If you have an unpublished poetry or short story collection, this could be your big break! Black Lawrence Press is currently accepting submissions from new, emerging, and established authors. The winner will receive book publication, $1000, and 10 copies of the book.

Entry Fee: $28 Deadline: March 31

Prime Number Magazine Awards

With an emphasis on brevity, this contest for poetry and short fiction is meant to be a challenge! Make sure to note that the short story limit is 5300 words, as a nod to their parent organization Press 53. Judged by Felecia Mitchell and Dennis McFadden (for poetry and short fiction, respectively), the first-place winner in each category receives $1000, publication in Prime Number Magazine, and a Pushcart Prize nomination! Enter here.

Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: March 31

Winter Story Contest

This contest from Narrative is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers, writing anything from short stories and memoirs, to essays and literary nonfiction! The entries need to be less than 15,000 words and previously unpublished, while containing a strong narrative drive and intense insights. First prize is $2500, second is $1000, and third is $500.

Entry Fee: $27 Deadline: March 31

Upcoming Events with SDWEG Member KC Grifant

Sat May 20 at 3pm PT (in-person, San Diego)
KC Grifant will be in conversation with Dennis K. Crosby at Mysterious Galaxy bookstore for an interview and book signing of MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER (Brigids Gate Press).
Signed and personalized books will be available.
Details: https://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/52023Grifant

Sun May 21 at noon PT (in-person, La Jolla)
KC Grifant will be at the “Weekends with Locals” author event at Warwick’s bookstore, 7812 Gerard Avenue, La Jolla,  to sign MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER (Brigids Gate Press)
Details: https://www.warwicks.com/event/grifant-2023

June 13 at 6pm PT (virtual)
Join for an interview and reading of MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER (Brigids Gate Press)  with KC Grifant at Space Cowboy Books on June 13th at 6pm PT.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/547947083477

Event/appearances details at www.KCGrifant.com/appearances.

Writing Day Workshops is excited to announce The 2023 San Diego Writing Workshop — a full-day “How to Get Published” writing event in San Diego, CA on April 29, 2023.

This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (200 total).

This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Diego Bay Downtown. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.

This event is designed to squeeze as much into one day of learning as possible. You can ask any questions you like during the classes, and get your specific concerns addressed. We will have literary agents onsite to give feedback and take pitches from writers as well. This year’s agent and editor faculty so far includes:

• literary agent Ameerah Holliday (Serendipity Literary Agency)
• literary agent Lesley Sabga (The Seymour Agency)
• literary agent Annie Bomke (Annie Bomke Literary)
• literary agent Ben Miller-Callihan (Handspun Literary)
• literary agent Lindsay Auld (Writers House)
• literary agent Carlisle Webber (Fuse Literary)
• literary agent Antoinette Van Sluytman (Irene Goodman Literary Agency)
•  and more to come.

For more information about the event regarding schedule, details and registration, please visit sandiegowritingworkshop.com .

Geminga is a neutron star so small it was difficult to detect. It was named, in part, for a transcription of gh’è minga, meaning “it’s not there.”

With Geminga: $500 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art, Sunspot Lit honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Graphic novels should be 4 pages or less.

Close: March 31, 2023

Entry fee: $10

Authors and artists can view the guidelines and enter via Submittable: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit/246999/geminga-2023-500-for-tiny-prose-poetry-graphic-novels-or-art or Duotrope: https://duotrope.com/listing/31906/geminga-contest-tiny-fiction.

Opportunity provided by:
Sunspot Literary Journal

Every year The Masters Review opens submissions to produce their anthology, a collection of ten stories and essays written by the best emerging authors. Their aim is to showcase ten writers who they believe will continue to produce great work. The ten winners are nationally distributed in a printed book with their stories and essays exposed to top agents, editors, and authors across the country. Their third volume was awarded the Silver Medal for Best Short Story Collection through the INDIEFAB Awards in 2015, and their fourth volume was an honorable mention for best anthology. Check them out on Amazon!

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

● Previously unpublished works of fiction and narrative nonfiction only

● Up to 7000 words

● They accept simultaneous submissions as long as work is withdrawn if it is accepted elsewhere.

● Multiple submissions are allowed

● International English submissions allowed

● Emerging Writers Only. Writers must not have published a novel-length work at the time of submission (authors of short story collections and self-published titles can submit as can authors with novels or memoirs with a low distribution [no more than 5000 copies]).

● Standard formatting please (double-spaced, 12 pt font, pages numbered)

● $20 entry fee

● Deadline: April 2nd, 2023

● Please, no identifying information on their story

● All submissions are considered for publication in the anthology as well as New Voices.

● If requesting an editorial letter, please indicate on the cover letter if the submissions is fiction or creative nonfiction.

● A significant portion of the editorial letter fees go to their feedback editor, according to the rates established by the EFA.

● All submissions will receive a response by the end of June.

● Winners will be announced by the end of July.

● To view a list of their most commonly asked questions regarding submitting to The Masters Review, please see their FAQ page.

● Friends, family and associates of the final judge are not eligible for this award.

● Writers who have earned an Anthology Prize before and whose work appears in their printed book cannot submit to this category but are welcome to send us work in other open categories

GUEST JUDGE: Each year The Masters Review pairs with a guest judge to select stories. Their editorial team produces a shortlist of stories, which the judge reviews to select winners. Their past judges include Lauren Groff, AM Homes, Lev Grossman, Kevin Brockmeier, Amy Hempel, Roxane Gay, Rebecca Makkai, Kate Bernheimer, Rick Bass, Diane Cook, and Peter Ho Davies. This year’s judge is Toni Jensen!

Toni Jensen is the author of Carry: A Memoir of Survival on Stolen Land, a finalist for the Dayton Peace Prize and a New York Times Editors’ Choice book (Ballantine 2020). An NEA Creative Writing Fellowship recipient in 2020, Jensen’s essays have appeared in Orion, Catapult and Ecotone, among others. She is also the author of the story collection From the Hilltop. She teaches at the University of Arkansas and the Institute of American Indian Arts.

DEADLINE: APRIL 2, 2023

SUBMIT NOW

Check HERE to see if you are listed.

If you are not listed, use this Quick Guide to add yourself or learn why your information does not appear.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  The website is structured so that only members may see the entries. it is not necessary to remove your profile or details within your profile to protect your information from the public.

Your Step by Step Guide to Joining the Directory

To ensure your information is protected and shared according to your wishes, please follow the instructions below to make yourself searchable to other SDWEG members on the SDWEG website membership directory.

Click the MEMBER LOGIN icon which looks like the profile of a person at the top right of the home page at SDWEG.org.

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Click the VIEW PROFILE link in the pop-up window.

Click on EDIT PROFILE

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You can always come back to this page to update your personal information.

Keep scrolling till you find
OK TO LIST CONTACT INFORMATION IN THE 
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY.

Click on the radio BUTTON in the Members column, then click SAVE to add yourself to the directory.

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Since the Directory only displays to members who have logged in, there is little practical difference between active radio BUTTONs in the Anybody or Members columns. To be certain only members can see your profile, select the Members column for the fields you wish to display and the No Access column for those you do not wish to display.

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Be sure to click SAVE at the bottom of the screen to make your choices effective.

It's a fresh year full of fresh plans for local authors, and we're sure you're interested in working some live author events in 2023! Author events encourage literacy, inspire writers, delight readers, support small business, celebrate diversity, validate public library programs, and create unique community opportunities. They are also terrific for networking with your fellow authors. Check out these three upcoming event opportunities in North County as shared from local author and SDWI member Jolie Tunnell, shared further through San Diego Writers, Ink. While you are there looking around at the Local Author Opportunities, check out their brand new website!

1. Escondido Street Fair on May 21

• Grand Ave, Escondido, outdoor canopy
• Morning seats from 9am to 1pm
• Afternoon seats from 1pm to 5pm
• $25 communal pre-decorated tables, chairs included
• 20,000 festive shoppers

2. Once Upon a Book Fair on June 3

• California Center for the Arts, Escondido indoors
• 100 local authors, dedicated live readings room
• All day event from 10am to 4pm
• Multimedia coverage, dedicated webpage marketing
• $40 private tables, chairs included

3. Escondido Street Fair on October 15

• Grand Ave, Escondido, outdoor canopy
• Morning seats from 9am to 1pm
• Afternoon seats from 1pm to 5pm
• $25 communal pre-decorated tables, chairs included
• 20,000 festive shoppers

If you’re interested, please go to this Google Form created by Jolie Tunnell and Tanya Ross and drop your name. Once each event draws near, they will send out emails and get the party started. Events are "first come first filled," so sign up today!

Registration opened February 14th.

RWA is seeking workshop proposals! Do you have knowledge and experience to share? Consider speaking at the 2023 RWA Annual Conference in Anaheim. Workshop proposals are now open; submit by March 31, 2023.

To learn more go to: https://10times.com/e1z4-85g5-dfrr

Curious how African immigrants fare in the USA? Find out in this dramatic and inspiring adult memoir in Alone in America duology Book 1

Unexpected America is a mainstream memoir which reads like a thriller. Wanjiru Warama leaves Kenya in a huff and heads to the United States for a year's sabbatical. From the first day, she realizes she has to learn to live all over again in a new culture she knows nothing about. Loneliness debilitates her until she meets "Mr. Savior" who becomes not only her savior, but her lover and abuser. Money runs out and she has to turn to housekeeping and babysitting to buy a ticket home. She keeps this hidden from her family and friends as the idealized American lifestyle turns into a mirage, which Warama plods along like one tethered until her persistence pays off.

Website: wanjiruwarama.com

Unexpected American ebook on Amazon where the price will be $0.00 from Feb 20-24: https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-America-Wanjiru-Warama-ebook/dp/B01M31HSZ0

ALL BOOK EDITIONS: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Wanjiru-Warama/author/B01M68PJLA

AUDIOBOOKS: https://www.audible.com/author/Wanjiru-Warama/B01M68PJLA

Books that Enlighten, Entertain, and Inspire...

Andrew Fitzgerald

https://www.andrewfitzgeraldauthor.com

fitzgerald_andrew@yahoo.com

Amazon: https://t.ly/687B

What aspect of editing or writing are you involved in?

I’m a self-published author of How Did I Get Here? - Traveling The Road To Resilience which was released on February 15, 2023 worldwide on Amazon

What first attracted you to writing/editing?

My passion for writing started in high school back in Ireland where I grew up. I loved the opportunity in English class to write about my favorite sports topics. The feedback from my teachers was impressive, how descriptive I was and my ability to transport the reader into the scene.

How long have you been writing/editing?

My first book took me two and a half years as I started, stopped, and repeated that cycle until I sought out book coach support in Andrea Susan Glass and we worked with each other to structure and complete my story.

As a writer, what kind of books do you write? Any published? How about short stories?

A nonfiction memoir detailing my life from growing up in Ireland, emigrating from there to America, a heart health scare which I had a teenager which resulted in me flatlining twice and successfully being resuscitated. In addition to the above, my book details how successful I have been at launching and scaling some of the world’s biggest alcohol brands and recounts the devastation, grief, and loss of four miscarriages that my wife and I suffered before our fifth pregnancy went full term. The core them of my book is “Resilience” and how I used that skill to overcome, survive, and thrive

What are you working on now either writing or editing?

The next project will be a collaboration with another Irish author, and I will also look at developing a resilience handbook for anyone working in sales.

How long have you been a member of SDWEG and why did you join?

This is now my fourth month and I joined after being referred by my book coach. My motivation for joining was to and is to learn! There are many members who all have varied writing and publishing experiences that by osmosis I’m learning from each of them in our member meetings as well as access to speakers for ongoing literary education.

What’s something unique or special about you, that you’d like others to know?

I once competed at the PGA Tour School for golf in 2013!

What request might you have of other members?

I’m available to assist others with any sales and marketing support/advice they may need as I’m an expert in that field. If there are opportunities to run promotions with other members or indeed collaborations, I would welcome hearing from anyone!