what to read, where to submit, & where to apply in september
poetry, fiction, + nonfiction book recs and submission/fellowship/residency opportunities!
hi friends,
two of the most common questions i get asked are: Where do you find your submission opportunities? and, What are you reading/what books are helping your writing process?
in the last two years, i’ve been a submission machine, getting more than a few acceptances (and quite a few rejections) on both my poems + residency opportunities. most of the resources i know that list these open subs are either behind a paywall, hard to find, or somehow get buried in the feed (blame the algorithm).
finding book recs can be easier, considering the amount of content you can find on Booktok and Bookstagram, but i’m hoping i can offer a good mix of books that i’ve read recently (or that i haven’t read recently but can’t stop thinking about) — each of which have directly informed some part of my poetry or fiction writing process.
i’m including a max of 5(ish) submission opportunities for each category, because i know how overwhelming it can be to sift through massive lists. plus, i only aim to have 5-10 open subs at a time, that way things don’t get too overwhelming (results may vary). i’ve done my best to vet each of these (and have even been published by a couple!)
let me know if this is helpful, and maybe we meet back here in october for the same thing? use this link to view/download the spreadsheet, which includes descriptions, submission deadlines, costs, and more:
here’s a quick peek of what’s inside:
book recs (poetry)
Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith
There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé by Morgan Parker
The After Party by Jana Prikryl
woke up no light by Leila Mottley
The Beforelife by Franz Wright
Kingdom Animalia by Aracelis Girmay
the space between men by Mia S. Willis
The Tiny Journalist by Naomi Shihab Nye
Concentrate by Courtney Faye Taylor
book recs (fiction/nonfiction)
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
Making Love with the Land by Joshua Whitehead
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
First Love: Essays on Friendship by Lilly Dancyger
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
poetry submissions
American Academy of Poets First Book Award
fiction/nonfiction submissions
residency/fellowship opportunities
Collections of Transience Online Residency
Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
all the love, all the warmth, all the light,
housekeeping:
icymi: i made a doc full of book recommendations for people who want to read more poetry but don’t know where to start!
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unfold: poetry + prose, is available on amazon, bookshop, indigo, b&n, or wherever you get books <3
you can still buy paper girl from amazon, barnes & noble, indigo, or your local indie.
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