Weekly Roundup: March 15, 2024
Writing this while pondering different decisions and choices about life, growth, money and other important things
Looking at the world, it appears as though every bad thing has to do with greed. Going back to every history of colonization, you can trace their motivation to wanting more and more and more.
Most of us know that capitalism in its current form doesn’t work except for the top 1% of the richest people on Earth. Heck, most middle-class folks in this country pay more tax than the millionaires! How’s that even fair?
While our healthcare system is broke AF, our tax money pays for free healthcare and education of a people in a totally different country in the Middle East who also gets a free ticket to commit genocide.
And here I am, a cog in the machine forever trying to catch up, dreaming of someday making it so big that I don’t ever have to go to bed worrying about money. In different parts of the world, people are dying every day, and I’m here thinking about how to make a few extra bucks.
What a lopsided world we live in, eh?
I know I said I’d turn on the paywall in this newsletter, but should I though? I want money but I’m also tired of wanting to make more money…
So anyway… excuse me while I go and read a few books on economic degrowth. If I can’t change the world, maybe I can at least convince my brain to slow down and not thirst after money so much. The first step in unlearning, so yeah… that’s what I’ll have to do. And maybe one day I’ll be fine making this newsletter (and other projects) totally free and not look at my efforts and wonder if I’m just wasting my time doing something that makes zero profits.
Until then, your paid subscriptions are appreciated. But feel free to share your thoughts on the matter in the comments if you’d like. I sincerely wish to know what you think... On degrowth, this newsletter, paid or unpaid, or whatever else you have in mind… share away.
Opportunities
With a focus on creative and magazine writing. I try to include a mix of super high-profile and indie publications that are more beginner-friendly. (Click the names of the publications for detailed submission guidelines.)
The Rumpus: Their original fiction submission window is closing TONIGHT! Thought I’d give you a reminder in case you forget… As of writing this, you have ~13 hours left to submit. Pay: A little.
Granta: Reminder that Granta is closing their submissions window for fiction and nonfiction on March 31. Pay: paid market, amount unknown.
Swamp Pink: They’re accepting fiction, nonfiction, and poetry until Jun 1. Pay: Up to $200.
The Offing: They’re accepting submissions for their “Insight” section. You’ll find samples of this “Insight” section in this tweet. Deadline unknown. Pay: $25-$100.
Split Lip: They’re open for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submissions until Jun 15. Pay: $75.
Salamander: They’re open for submissions until Apr 1 (prose and poetry.) Pay: Paid market, amount unknown.
Story: They’re now looking for original short stories. The deadline is unknown for this one as well. They just tweeted about it, so maybe send something soonish. Pay: $10 per page.
The Drift: They’ve also tweeted about wanting fiction and nonfiction submissions. For nonfiction, check out the pitch guide here. For fiction, send a Word document with the filename “lastname_firstname” to this email: fiction@thedriftmag.com. Pay: $500-$1,000 for short stories and $2,000 for essays.
Michigan Quarterly Review: They’re accepting fiction, nonfiction, and poetry until Apr 1. Pay: Paid market, amount unknown.
Journal of Compressed Creative Arts: They’re accepting compressed fiction and nonfiction (think: micro, flash, prose poems, etc.) submissions until Jun 15. Pay: $50.
Translunar Travelers Lounge: They’re now open for speculative fiction submissions. Pay: $.03/word with a $20 minimum.
Birdcoat Quarterly: They’re now accepting poetry and essays. Deadline: May 31. Pay: $20 for poems and $25 for essays.
A Velvet Giant: They’re a genreless lit mag, so don’t tell them whether it’s fiction or nonfiction or whatever. Submit by May 15. Pay: $20.
WIRED: Senior editor Leah Feiger is looking for “disinfo, online extremism and conspiracies, tech legislation, influencers and grifters, AI in politics, and anything strange or manipulative in that vein.” Email pitches to leah_feiger@wired.com. Pay: $500+
Prairie Schooner: They’re open for fiction, essays, poetry, and review submissions until May 1. Pay: none.
Common Ground: They’re accepting fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submissions until May 1. Pay: none.
Post Road: They’re open for submissions until Mar 31 for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Pay: unknown.
New Flash Fiction Review: They’re now accepting flash fiction (more like micro with a 500-word max limit) until Apr 15. Pay: none.
CRAFT: Here’s a reminder that CRAFT is always open for submissions for fiction and nonfiction. Pay: $100 - $200.
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*** Note: I cannot always vet each of these publications, unfortunately. So, please do your due diligence and research. See if their values align with yours, if there are conditions/restrictions to who can or cannot pitch/submit, whether or not they’re a paying market, how much they pay, etc., if these things matter to you.***
That is all, y’all.
But before I go, The Rumpus is accepting applications for a volunteer fiction editor position until March 18. More info here if you’re interested.
Now that’s really all.
Enjoy your weekend!