2011 Bloom Chapbook Contest for LGBT Writers

Deadline: 15 September 2011

BLOOM is a publication of Arts in Bloom Project, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to queer artists, writers, and audiences. BLOOM was founded to support the work of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered writers and artists and to foster the appreciation of queer literature and creation.

THE 2011 BLOOM CHAPBOOK CONTEST FOR POETRY, SHORT FICTION, & CREATIVE NONFICTION

Please read the following guidelines carefully before sending any questions to queerarts@gmail.com.

1) Contest is open to any author who identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender.

2) Any entry by an author who is not LGBT will be disqualified upon BLOOM’s confirmation of author’s identity. Any entry fee will not be refunded.

3) Previous publication in BLOOM does not privilege or diminish an author’s eligibility.

4) For Fiction, material must be original and unpublished, either in print or online. An excerpt from a larger work is eligible, but should not be identified as such. The excerpt will be judged as a stand-alone piece of work.

5) For Poetry, material must be original and at least 50% unpublished. If poems have been published in literary journals, either in print or online, please list the acknowledgments on the Submission Form and not anywhere in the Manuscript. Poems published in books, including anthologies and e-books, are not eligible.

6) For Creative Nonfiction, material must be memoir, biogaphy, travel writing, or personal essay. Material must be original and unpublished, either in print or online. An excerpt from a larger work is eligible, but should not be identified as such. The excerpt will be judged as a stand-alone piece of work.

7) No joint authors. An author may enter any contest, but each entry requires a Submission Form (download PDF), a Manuscript, and an Entry Fee. Simultaneous submission to other contests is permissible.

8) Manuscripts will be judged anonymously. The author’s name should appear only on the Submission Form that accompanies the manuscript and nowhere else, including Headers and Footers.

9) No translations; manuscripts must be in English.

10 ) Manuscript Preparation:

Poetry – Every manuscript must have a Title Page, with the title of the manuscript and a table of the contents (i.e. a list of the poems included). Pages should be numbered in upper right corner, with the Title of the manuscript in the heading. No more than one poem per page; no more than 25 pages (does not include Title Page). A paper clip is preferred, but staples are fine.

Fiction and Nonfiction – Every manuscript must have a Title Page, with only title of the manuscript (no personal information, no word counts, nada). Pages should be numbered in upper right corner, with the Title of the manuscript in the heading. Please double-space the text; use standard margins; no more than 25 pages (does not include Title Page). A paper clip is preferred, but a staple is fine.

11) ENTRY FEE: $15 by check (payable to BLOOM Magazine) or paid online here. Each fee entitles author to one issue of BLOOM.

12) DEADLINE: Submission must be postmarked or emailed by September 15, 2011.

13) REGULAR SUBMISSION: Send Submission Form, Manuscript, and Entry Fee to BLOOM Chapbook Contest, 5482 Wilshire Blvd, #1616, Los Angeles, CA 90036. If you want to be notified of receipt, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard or envelope.

14) ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION: Email manuscript to queerarts@gmail.com with one of three subject lines (Fiction Chapbook Contest, Nonfiction Chapbook Contest, or Poetry Chapbook Contest). Submission Form may be emailed or sent separately. Entry Fee may be paid online or sent separately. NOTE: Work will not be considered until all three items are present.

15) ANNOUNCEMENT: The winner will announced (approximately) in December 2011.

16) Each winner receives $100 and 25 copies of chapbook.

17) Additional guidelines may emerge if we forgot something, but we tried to cover everything.

Download submission form >>

Contact Information:

For inquiries: queerarts@gmail.com

For submissions: queerarts@gmail.com

Website: http://artsinbloom.com

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A Composed Life: An Autobiographical Poetry Workshop for GLBT Seniors (CA)

Deadline: 20 August 2011 (1-5pm)

In a supportive setting student will learn how to craft poems out of their own personal experience. This workshop is designed for the fearful, inexperienced, as well as the established writer. This Workshop is going to be taught by Steven Reigns, published poet and two-time recipient of The Los Angeles County's Department of Cultural Affairs' Artist in Residency Grant. Reigns organized and taught the first-ever autobiographical poetry workshop for GLBT seniors and edited an anthology of their writings, My Life is Poetry. He has taught writing workshop around the country to GLBT youth and people living with HIV and recently received his Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: info@grcps.org

Website: http://www.grcps.org/

Educational Resource

Online classes can teach you more about poetry: www.onlineclasses.net

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"Writing for Our Lives" Writing Workshop at the Gay Community Center of Richmond

Dates: 27 July - 31 August 2011

Do you have a story to tell or words of wisdom to share? Save the date for our upcoming writing workshop, “Writing for OUR Lives” and get help putting your thoughts on paper or pixels. This six week seminar will be held on Wednesday nights from July 27 – August 31 from 7 pm – 9 pm.

This seminar will progress through readings of important LGBT figures of the 20th century in multiple genres (short stories, poetry, & essays) to an exploration of how the pages of our own lives might be written into the evolving (con)textual record of this diverse community. Participants should plan to produce a body of written work in the form of their choosing (3 to 6 poems; one story or essay) supported by in-class writing exercises and prompts as well as a series of peer workshops. This writing should respond in some way to the important themes being explored and discussed in the assigned reading as individual participants consider the diverse needs and desires that motivate us to reflect upon and share our unique life experiences. Ongoing revision and re-working of student drafts will, hopefully, yield publishable manuscripts. All skill levels welcome.

The cost for the seminar is $95. If you have questions or are interested in this workshop/seminar contact Randy Marshall at randymfa@hotmail.com or call him at his cell phone: 804-339-7578.

About Randy

Randy Marshall, earned his BA in Spanish from VCU in 1991 and his MFA in creative writing, also from VCU, in 1997. His poems, essays, and reviews have appeared in the Richmond Arts Magazine, GSU Review, Cream City Review, and Blackbird (an online journal of literature and the arts). Marshall was co-edited Larry Levis: The Gazer Within, which was published in 2001 by the University of Michigan Press as part of its Poets on Poetry series. Since 1999, he has been a featured contributor to Platform, a broadside published by New Virginia Review to promote Poetic Principles (an ongoing reading/lecture series that has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts). Selections of his poetry were finalists in the Frank O’Hara Award Chapbook Competitions for 2004 and 2005. He lives and works in Richmond and currently serves as a senior editor for Blackbird.

Wednesday evenings, July 27 – August 31 | GCCR Classroom | 7 pm – 9 pm | $95 for 6 Week Course. To register, contact Cindy Bray at Cindy.Bray@lgbtrichmond.net.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: randymfa@hotmail.com

For submissions: to register, email Cindy.Bray@lgbtrichmond.net

Website: http://www.gayrichmond.com

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2011 Alfred C. Carey Prize in Spoken Word Poetry (on issues of sexuality and race)

Deadline: 15 August 2011

The Alfred C. Carey Prize in Spoken Word Poetry will be awarded to a poet that demonstrates the power of spoken word to address issues of class, sexuality and race in a way that transcends rhetoric and creates movement.

The winner will receive $300, and the winning poem will be published at My Feet Only Walk Forward (www.myfeetonlywalkforward.blogspot.com). Two honorable mentions will also be named.

The winner of the 2010 Carey Prize was Saymoukda Vongsay, who has also generously volunteered to make a donation in support of this year's prize.

About the Prize:

Alfred C. Carey was a hard working man from Northern Minnesota. He worked in construction, specifically roofing, while raising a family of 8, including three children not biologically his own. He represented a series of beautiful and sometimes hard contradictions in race, class, and history. He also, without a vocabulary around race and sexuality, accepted all of his children and grandchildren for who they were without judgment. This award is named in the honor of my grandfather who died in 1997.

Rules:

You may submit up to three poems no longer than a combined total of six pages double spaced.

You may also submit audio recordings in CD format. The recordings should not exceed 9 minutes in length.

Along with your submission please include a cover page that states your: Name, Address, Telephone Number, Email Address, Website Address, and a brief biography of no more than 6 sentences.

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY AUGUST 15, 2011. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AUGUST 31, 2011.

Authors retain all copyright to their works, and if you would like samples returned, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Make submissions to:

Alfred C. Carey Prize in Spoken Word Poetry
c/o Brandon Lacy Campos
462 W. 52nd Street #3N
New York, NY 10019

Contact Information:

For inquiries:

For submissions: Alfred C. Carey Prize in Spoken Word Poetry, c/o Brandon Lacy Campos
462 W. 52nd Street #3N, New York, NY 10019

Website: http://myfeetonlywalkforward.blogspot.com

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Smudgy Notebook Gay City Writing Workshop (WA)

Date: 23 and 30 July 2011 (1-5pm)

Our lives are collections of short stories with characters, conflicts and plot points more riveting than the bestsellers in the supermarket check-out line. Unfortunately, many of us keep our stories quietly to ourselves. Not anymore! This 2-day writing workshop invites students to speak up, putting their stories down on paper in all their juicy detail. Participants will take the raw material of their pasts and - using fundamental literary tools like sensory details, narration and story structure - shape them into the powerful personal narratives where they were destined to be. All participants will have the opportunity to share and receive feedback on their work.

After completing her MFA in creative writing, Charity Burne spent several years teaching writing in New York City colleges. A professional writer and poet, her work has appeared in literary journals such as the Madison Review, Spoon River Poetry Review, and West Branch. She is the poetry editor of the online literary journal Anderbo.com.

Cost: $25

No need to RSVP, just show up.

511 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122

For more information, please contact Susan Rees at (206) 388-1707 or susan@gaycity.org.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: susan@gaycity.org

Website: http://gaycity.org/

Educational Resource. Students earning an MFA do not keep their stories to themselves: www.mfadegree.net

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MadHat Press “Wild and Wyrd” Poetry Chapbook Competition

Deadline: 31 August 2011

MadHat Press is the non-profit imprint arm of the multimedia e-zine, Mad Hatters’ Review and a production of MadHat Arts Inc. MadHat Press seeks to foster the work of writers and poets: explosive, lyrical, passionate, deeply wrought voices that stretch the boundaries of language, narrative and image, vital and enduring literary voices that sing on the page as well as in the mind.

Formerly based out of New York City, now at home in Asheville, North Carolina, and with our Managing Editor currently situated in Reykjavik, Iceland, MadHat Press is open to authors of all creeds and distinctions, from the emerging to the emergent, from the multicultural to the insolent. For a list of some of our contributors over the years, click on the Mad Hatters’ Review tab.

To inaugurate the official birth of MadHat Press, CAConrad, Philly poet extraordinaire and author of the gripping collection, The Book of Frank (Wave 2010), will be judging the first poetry chapbook competition. Future MadHat Press chapbook competitions will include flash-fiction, short story, and novella categories.

MadHat Press places great emphasis on the aesthetics of design, typography and the printed word. It is MadHat Press’s vision to connect the reader with the physicality of the book in its creative unravelling. The Press will also publish aesthetically pleasing e-books.

As a non-profit organization promoting the literary arts, MadHat Press welcomes all donations. They are fully tax-deductible for US residents.

Please note guidelines for the “Wild and Wyrd” poetry chapbook competition below.

“Wild and Wyrd” Inaugural Poetry Chapbook Competition

MadHat Press, an offspring of the non-profit innovative and collaborative arts organization MadHat, Inc., invites submissions of poetry manuscripts for its first chapbook contest. The genre “poetry” is broad and includes prose and conceptual poetry. There are no restrictions regarding form, style, or content.

This inaugural contest will be judged by CAConrad.

CAConrad is the author of The Book of Frank (Wave Books, 2010), Advanced Elvis Course (Soft Skull Press, 2009), Deviant Propulsion (Soft Skull Press, 2006), and a collaboration with Frank Sherlock, The City Real & Imagined (Factory School Press, 2010). He has a new book of poetry forthcoming, A Beautiful Marsupial Afternoon (Wave Books, 2012). He lives in Philadelphia and writes with his friends at PhillySound, and he is a co-founder of PACE: Poet-Activist Community Extension. Look for him at http://CAConrad.blogspot.com.

WINNERS

FIRST PRIZE


$US500.00 and five copies of the perfectly bound chapbook will be awarded to the first prize winner. If the book is co-authored, each of the two authors will be awarded $250.00 and three copies. The winning manuscript will be issued as a professionally designed, typeset and printed chapbook with a color cover, and cataloged with an ISBN number and copyright information. Additional copies will be available to the author at cost plus postage. Three to five poems from the book, selected by the author/s, will be published in Issue 13 of Mad Hatters’ Review. The book will be available for purchase on amazon.com and possibly, other popular venues. Depending on the geographical situation of the winning author, the editors will arrange a book launch in a venue in the U.S.; should this not prove feasible, an online book launch will be arranged, including a podcast with audio excerpts of the winning work.

SECOND PRIZE

The manuscript of the second prize winner will be published as a MadHat Press e-book, downloadable via Mad Hatters’ Review.

FINALISTS

Poems by two finalists will be published in Issue 13 of Mad Hatters’ Review. CAConrad will select three to five poems from each winning author’s manuscript.

ENTRY GUIDELINES 


Each manuscript must consist of 26 – 36 pages in single-spaced 12 Point Roman font, page-numbered, but otherwise no identifying information, and sent as PDF file or in Word (.doc) format to: http://madhatter.submishmash.com/Submit

Individual pieces may have been published elsewhere, but the manuscript should not have been published previously as a whole, either in a chapbook or a full-length work. Your submission of previously published poems includes an acknowledgment that you hold the copyright. Please provide us with acknowledgments of these pieces in your cover letter.

You may make multiple submissions; however, an $18 fee paid through Submishmash must accompany each entry. We accept simultaneous submissions, but ask that you withdraw your submission through the Submishmash system if your work is accepted elsewhere. No refunds will be provided for partial or full withdrawals.

When preparing submissions, please make sure that in your substantive (manuscript) attachment, your work does not include any identifying information within the title or body of your entry. Please provide a list of the proposed book title, along with a table of contents, including all poem titles in your manuscript. Manuscripts will be read “blind.”

Note that any manuscript containing the author’s name or other identifying information will not be considered and the entry fee will not be returned.

In your separate cover letter, provide relevant contact information including full name, mailing address, email address, telephone number and a short bio.


CONTEST READING PERIOD: 

Contest entries will be accepted from June 15, 2011, 12:00 a.m. US EST through August 31, 2011, 11:59 p.m. US EST. Any contest submissions received outside of this submission period will not be considered. Winners will be announced no later than November 1, 2011, 12:59 p.m. 

ELIGIBILITY: 

In accord with MadHat Press’s mission and vision, English-language submissions from non-U.S. residents and/or citizens are welcome.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: press@madhatarts.com

For submissions: online here

Website: http://madhatarts.com/madhatpress.shtml

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AfterDark Online Seeks LGBT Stories in Celebration of Pride Month

June is Pride Month. AfterDark Online, a free er0tic website for those who appreciate reading and publishing er0tic stories, is looking for story submissions that contain m/m, f/f, bisexual, and trans characters/ elements.

Guidelines

AfterDark Online welcomes authors to submit their er0tica to us. However, we would like to offer some guidance for submission. Please note that all works created are copyrighted to the author. AfterDark Online will not forward materials to members of a third party who wish to use the material for their publications, unless we have permission of the author.

While AfterDark Online does provide a wide variety of genre for story submissions, it's purpose is to publish well-written er0tic stories, not p0rnography. Although, we allow s3x acts to be written descriptively, and it's fine to have physical description of their bodies to be published; however, p0rnography does not include a story plots, and well-developed characters that are understood and motivated by their actions, with s3x scenes that moves along with the story.

You will be notified should your story be rejected.

AfterDark Online requires story submissions to be a minimum of two pages. There is no maximum limit of pages at this time, but we advise you create a series should your story submission becomes very long. Poetry submission are not required to this rule.

For word counting assistance, please follow this link: Word Count Tool

Please add a synopsis of your publication for review. If it is a series please let us know.

AfterDark Online proof reads for grammatical mistakes and most importantly the kind of er0tica submitted, to ensure the kind of themes that are sent are acceptable. We will not change the content of the story if there are too many grammatical errors. We will return the story to the author for amendment.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: click here

For submissions: click here

Website: http://www.afterdark-online.com/

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Creative Writing Workshops at the National Queer Arts Festival (California)

Date: 5 June 2011

During the Winter and Spring of 2011, we’ve paired some of the finest emerging Bay Area poets with luminaries who span four decades of literary legacy to bring you Out of Necessity. Testing how artistic relationships support and sustain poets as they write as a means of political re-imagination and reclamation, Out of Necessity features award-winning and emerging poets:

• REGIE CABICO
• CHERYL CLARKE
• ACHY OBEJAS
• VANESSA HUANG
• SUZANNE DEL MAZO
• NAJVA SOL
  

Join us for a multi-media performance of these six writers’ work, including video clips of queer poets from across the country talking about who’s influenced their writing, and a discussion moderated by CAMILLE T. DUNGY with the featured established writers about how mentorship influences their writing and commitment to producing work that speaks to communal stories and histories.

Sign up to take a writing workshop with Regie Cabico and Achy Obejas on June 4th and 5th!

June 4, 12-3pm: "Conflict in Fiction" with Achy Obejas (sign up here)

Workshop Description: “In this workshop, we’ll examine and work with ways to develop conflict in literary stories. We’ll discuss choices and stakes, the importance of tension, and ways to resolve stories without having characters kill themselves, live happily ever after, betray the rest of the story, or do anything too terribly obvious.”

June 5, 12-3pm: "Verbal Fire" with Regie Cabico (sign up here)

Workshop Description: “This workshop will focus on generating poetry slam texts and finding your own unique delivery and style. Attention will be placed to the visual elements of the "word" with the vocal and physical aspects of delivery. We will look at performance as making choices and creating gestural images by "diving" into the emotional life of the poem. Open for all levels.”

Out of Necessity is co-curated & co-produced by COLE KRAWITZ & ARISE WHITE.

Please make preparations to ensure these events are accessible and safe for people with chemical injury and environmental illness. We request you refrain from wearing hair and body products with fragrance or clothing washed in detergent with fragrance.

Location:

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts
2868 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA

Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm

Contact Information:

Website: http://tinyurl.com/3r33ec8 or here to buy tickets

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10th Gival Press Oscar Wilde Award (for poetry that best relates LGBT life)

Deadline: 27 June 2011

Our dates never change. If the date falls on a Sunday, then Monday becomes the default postmarked date.


Focus:

This award will be given to the best previously unpublished original poem written in English (of any length, in any style, typed, double spaced on one side only), which best relates gay / lesbian / bisexual / transgender life by a poet who is 18 or older.

Submittal:

Entrants are asked to submit their poems in the following manner: (1) without any kind of identification, with the exception of the title, and (2) with a separate cover page with the following information: name, address (street, city, and state with zip code), telephone number, email address, if available, and the title of the poem submitted. (3) A short bio should also be included. Poems will not be returned, so poets should keep copies of their poems. A short bio may also be included.

Reading Fee:

Poets must submit a reading fee of $5.00 (USD) for each individual poem submitted, regardless of the length. Checks or money orders drawn on American banks, routed through a USA address, such as Bank of America, should be made payable to Gival Press, LLC. Overseas money orders are not acceptable.

Mail to:

Robert L. Giron, Editor
Gival Press Oscar Wilde Award
Gival Press, LLC
P.O. Box 3812
Arlington, VA 22203.

Notification of the Winner:

Include a self-addressed, stamped envelop (SASE) for notification of the winner or visit our website (http://www.givalpress.com), where the winner and finalists will be announced. The winner is usually announced on or before September 1.

Prize:

The winner will receive $100.00 (USD), and the poem, along with information about the poet, will be published on the website of Gival Press (http://www.givalpress.com). The winner will be asked to sign a release form for payment. In addition, Gival Press hopes to publish an anthology of the winners of this award along with the best poems submitted to the contest over a period of several years.

Judging

Poems will be judged anonymously by the previous winner of the award. The decision made by the judge will be final.

Contact Information:

For submissions: Robert L. Giron, Editor, Gival Press Oscar Wilde Award, Gival Press, LLC, P.O. Box 3812, Arlington, VA 22203

Website: http://www.givalpress.com

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Arktoi Books Seeking Poetry by Lesbian Writers for 2011

Deadline: 30 November 2011

Arktoi Books, an imprint of Red Hen Press, specializing in the work of lesbian authors, is calling for book-length submissions of poetry for 2011.


READING SCHEDULE

* 2011: poetry
* 2012: fiction
* 2013: poetry
* 2014: nonfiction

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

* Each year, submissions will be accepted from August through November. Submissions sent at other times will be returned unread.

* Poetry manuscripts should be between 50 and 80 pages.

* Fiction and nonfiction manuscripts may be of any length.

* Poetry manuscripts should be submitted as an attachment to an email (Microsoft Word file or .pdf file).

* Fiction or nonfiction manuscripts should be submitted hardcopy to:

4350 Allott Avenue
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Include an SASE

* The cover page of the manuscript should include the name, address, phone number, and email address of the writer.

* A cover letter, sent via email with a poetry manuscript (and hardcopy with fiction or nonfiction manuscript), should present a short biographical statement by the writer and and overview of the work.

Manuscripts should be sent to eloisekleinhealy@mac.com, as should inquires about the press.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: eloisekleinhealy@mac.com

For submissions: eloisekleinhealy@mac.com

Website: http://www.arktoi.com/

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Call for Submissions from Lesbian/ Bisexual Female Poets: Lady Business (Assaracus Journal)

Deadline: 31 August 2011

We’re publishing a special issue called ASSARACUS: LADY BUSINESS which will feature the work of ten lesbian or bisexual female poets. The submission period for this issue is open through August 31, 2011. To our sapphic sisters – follow the same submission requirements listed below… and good luck!

Guidelines:

In order to be considered for publication in Assaracus, please submit a significant selection of your work in DOC or DOCX format to siblingrivalrypress@gmail.com with the subject line “Assaracus Submission” and your name (“Assaracus Submission Levi Johnston,” for example). Again, make sure it’s during January, May, or September. How you define “significant” is up to you. The definition of gay poetry is also subjective. Work that has been previously posted on a personal website is welcome. Previously published work is also acceptable so long as you retain the rights to republish.

Each issue will be built around the selected poets and will showcase the variety within the queer poetry community. We’re not looking for any one style or form. In fact, we want each issue to represent multiple poetic forms. The chosen poets will retain all rights to their work, will receive a free print copy of the issue, and will be endlessly promoted throughout the literary universe.

Due to the small number of poets featured in each issue, we cannot accept every submission. Do not let this deter you. Because we’re always working on future issues, submissions that were declined once might be accepted at a later date depending on the “feel” of the issue we’re currently designing.

Please note that poems with lengthy lines may, as is the case in every publication, require editing to fit our page dimensions. As a general rule, however, we will not attempt to edit your work to fit our standards. The purpose of Assaracus is to offer that grand stage for gay poets – not to morph your work into the kind of poetry our editor enjoys. We’ll give you the microphone. You do the singing.

Contributors will receive proofs of their Assaracus sections prior to print.

We welcome submissions from gay poets with various publishing experience, from old masters to spring chickens. We want everyone from Dennis Cooper to the freshman at the University of Ohio who scribbles love poems about in Biology 101.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: siblingrivalrypress@gmail.com

For submissions: siblingrivalrypress@gmail.com

Website: http://siblingrivalrypress.com

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AustralianPoetry.org Seeking Queer Poems for one.seven.six Poetry Reading

Deadline: 29 April 2011

Australian Poetry, in partnership with Midsumma and MCV, Melbourne's Gay and Lesbian Community Voice, presents the launch of a new poetry readings program in Melbourne on 14 May:

one.seven.six

one.seven.six is a monthly event series at 176 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne (the Wheeler Centre) bringing the poetry community together to cross-pollinate, challenge and celebrate each other’s work. The featured poet for our first event this year is start performer and poet, Terry Jaensch. Emerging poets are also being offered the opportunity to read their work based on the broad theme of 'celebrating queer culture'.

If you're an emerging poet and want to read as part of this event, then... Submit up to three poems on the set theme to our Events Coordinator, Raphaela Lee, at: raph@australianpoetry.org by 29 April. If you submit, please ensure you are free on 14 May from 3 to 5pm to attend our event at one.seve.six!

You can book for the event here.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: raph@australianpoetry.org

For submissions: raph@australianpoetry.org

Website: http://www.australianpoetry.org

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Call for Submissions from Queer Poets: "The Moment of Change" Anthology of Feminist Speculative Poetry (Aqueduct press)

Deadline: 15 June 2011

Rose Lemberg is currently editing "The Moment of Change," a feminist speculative poetry anthology for Aqueduct press.

This anthology will bring feminist questions to the foreground, while featuring queer poets, poets of color, and international poets as much as possible. This will be the first feminist anthology within the history of speculative poetry.

To this end, the editor would like to solicit reprint submissions at the editorial address, feministspec at gmail dot com. Submissions are not limited by gender and sexuality, age, race and ethnicity, disability, immigration status, etc - everyone is welcome. Please send your previously published poems that you think are feminist (maximum 5 poems per submission, please). Date of original publication does not matter, but please supply the previous publication details for each poem.

The following are considered: fantasy, science fiction, magic realism, surrealism, weird, and slipstream.

If you have ideas for poems by others that can fit the anthology, please let the editor know at the editorial address (feministspec at gmail dot com).

Rights: We ask for non-exclusive one-time reprint rights, non-exclusive promotional rights, and non-exclusive ebook reprint rights. These rights should be available when you send me your submissions (i.e. if the poem is under exclusivity period somewhere, that would be problematic).

Payment: one copy per contributor.

Submissions are open now, and will remain open until June 15th, 2011. I will respond to all submissions by July 15th, 2011.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: feministspec at gmail dot com

For submissions: feministspec at gmail dot com

Website: http://www.aqueductpress.com/

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Queergasm! 2011 – Call for Performances at Queer(ing) Poetics Conference

Deadline: 22 April 2011

This Spring, Northwestern University’s Queer Pride Graduate Student Association will host its annual “Queertopia! – an Academic Festival” The festival is committed to showcasing politically progressive and intellectually sound artistic practice, and we are excited to present “Queergasm!” a cabaret of queer performance on Saturday May 28th from 7-9pm at Mary’s Attic in Andersonville.

The cabaret will be a night of all things fabulous: singer-songwriters, drag performers, puppeteers, tangueros, burlesque artists, actors, comediennes, clowns, ball-queens… ALL performance styles are welcome. We are accepting performance proposals from groups (up to 12 minutes long) and individuals (up to 7 minutes long), and can offer a modest stipend for each act accepted. The theme of the weekend’s conference is “Queer(ing) Poetics: Text, Method, Movement, Thought”; we encourage submissions that speak to the theme although we will consider ALL submissions equally.


Please send a word document with a description of the proposed performance (250 words maximum) to queertopia.nu@gmail.com (subject: QUEERGASM 2011) along with a brief artist bio(s). Online video clips, websites, artist statements, CVs, headshots, and other material that can help us to get a better idea of what you’ll be performing are also welcome. Please also include relevant contact info (email, phone, mailing address).

We welcome anyone who understands themselves or their work as queer to apply. We particularly encourage trans and genderqueer persons, people of color, and differently abled persons to submit proposals. Submission deadline is April 22nd at midnight. Accepted performers will be notified on May 1st.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: queertopia.nu[at]gmail.com

For submissions: queertopia.nu[at]gmail.com

Website: http://groups.northwestern.edu/queerpride/

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The Gatewood Prize for a Collection of Poems by a Woman/ Trans

Deadline: 1 June 2011

The Gatewood Prize is Switchback Books' annual competition for a first or second full-length (48-80 pp.) collection of poems by a woman writing in the English language. It is named after Emma Gatewood, the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.

2011 Judge: Harryette Mullen

Reading Period: April 1-June 1, 2011

Harryette Mullen's most recent books are Recyclopedia (Graywolf Press, 2006) and Sleeping with the Dictionary (University of California Press, 2002), a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Mullen was the 2009 recipient of the Academy of American Poets' Fellowship Award. She teaches African American literature and creative writing in the English Department at the University of California, Los Angeles.

General Terms:

Poet must be a woman; our definition of "woman" is broad and includes transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, and female-identified individuals.

Multiple submissions are acceptable, but each manuscript must be entered under separate cover and fee.

You must let us know immediately if your manuscript is accepted by another publisher while under our consideration.

No revisions to submitted manuscripts will be considered; the winning manuscript may be revised before publication.

Translations ineligible.

Manuscripts by close friends and former students of the judge are ineligible. If the judge would recognize your manuscript for any reason, please wait until next year to enter the contest.

Co-written collections are eligible provided both poets meet all eligibility requirements.

Submissions will be read by Switchback editors and staff members. We will select ten manuscripts to send on to the judge, who will choose the final winner.

Manuscripts remain anonymous until a winner is selected. Please remove any identifying references from your manuscript (including those in the body of the manuscript).

Entries that do not meet these terms may be disqualified. Please email becca [at] switchbackbooks [dot] com with any questions.

Manuscript Requirements:

Manuscripts should be between 48 and 80 pages, paginated.

Please include a cover page with ONLY the title of the manuscript.

Table of contents recommended.

No acknowledgments page.

Notification: You will be notified of the winner and finalists of the contest via email.

Entry Fee:

Option 1: $18 for reading fee only

Option 2: $25 for reading fee and a book of your choice from our catalog (a 50% discount). Please specify which book on the Submishmash form; if you don't specify, we'll send you a random book.

All payments will be accepted via Submishmash. We do not accept cash, checks, or money orders.

Submission Format:

Please visit our page at Submishmash to submit your manuscript:

http://switchbackbooks.submishmash.com/submit

Deadline: Manuscripts will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. on June 1, 2011.

Submit here.

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Call for Prose and Poetry: Inaugural Issue of ShuoMii LGBT Magazine

Deadline: 22 April 2011

Call for Submissions

ShuoMii is a dynamic, responsive and collaborative not-for-profit based media Mega-source set with the purpose of changing the LGBT dynamic within itself and society. ShuoMii’s goal is to revolutionize the stereotypical opinion of our community by enabling a platform that will facilitate a positive image by influencing people with art poetry, film, photography, music and other literary works. Through empowerment ShuoMii plans to create a safer environment dedicated to promoting a positive image for the LGBT POCC, so that we may promote acceptance and understanding. At this moment, there is no major magazine which brings LGBT People of Color writers and artists to the forefront. We believe it is time to publish such a magazine!


ShuoMii will:

* Introduce a wide audience to literature and art (film, music, and photographs) by the LGBT community.
* Provide a unique opportunity for underrepresented writers and artists viewpoints.
* Discover and publish emerging and developing writers and artists.

ShuoMii will be published both in print and on the web. Print costs are high, so our agenda is to build a website first and print four magazines a year when we have the funds. We are currently seeking submissions for our inaugural issue! All LGBT people of Color artists, musicians, performers and writers are encouraged to submit work.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Prose and Poetry: Submit up to 3 pages of work(double-spaced, 12 pt.). It is best to send all of your work in one Microsoft Word (.doc) or text (.rtf) attachment.

Graphic files: Submit up to 5 visual art images or photographs. Photography and visual art should be sent using .tif files ( at least 300 dpi /300 pixels per inch resolution) or .jpeg files. Please include a short artist’s statement about the work submitted.

Songs and Sound Art: Submit up to five MP3 files. Please include a short artist’s statement about the work submitted. All sound art and music will be featured mostly on our website.

Video Art/Movies: Please send a URL to the work if it is online. If not, fill out the submission form and we will contact you about how to submit your video. Please include an artists statement about the work.

ALL submissions: Please include a short bio (two sentences) with your name (as you want it to appear in print), email, phone, and mailing address.

Issue Topic: Acceptance (coming out, etc)

DEADLINE for submissions to be considered for the inaugural issue will be APRIL 22, 2011.

Submit here.

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Call for Submissions: Faggot Dinosaur

Deadline: 15 April 2011

Fellow writers & visual artists (or both!) I’m writing to you because I’m compiling the first in what I hope is a series of chapbooks/zines I’m calling ARTISTS AMONG ARTISTS. ISSUE 1 is entitled Faggot Dinosaur. Basically, I wrote a poem called Faggot Dinosaur and sent it to a poet friend to read and he wrote me back an email and to my surprise he said, “I wrote a faggot dinosaur poem inspired by your faggot dinosaur poem.” My impetus for this zine/series is to have writers communing together in an instantaneous non-hierarchical creative way without worry about publishing industry stuff, etc. That is why the deadline submission is such a quick turnaround time.

I would also like submissions from visual artists. Please submit a jpeg of a drawing you’ve done inspired by the title Faggot Dinosaur. Color artwork is fine. Make sure jpegs are at least 300 dpi. The only stipulation for these submissions are that all poems and artwork are entitled Faggot Dinosaur, & of course, that you’re not a crazy homophobic person taking the name faggot in vain. I’ve attached my own poem below so you can have an example.

Faggot Dinosaur—Ali Liebegott

It’s hard to believe there’s anything left to find
on this karate-chopped, wrung-out planet
and just as I say this, beachcombing lovers
pick up shards of china from a sunken ship
and a father lays down his metal detector
on the 50 yard line of a high school football field,
to dig up a nickel so old it’s now worth a dime.

In a dinosaur park in Maryland, after only five minutes
a seven year old discovers the humble jawbone
of the sweetest, dinosaur that ever lived.

The dinosaur was a meat-eating juvenile
but I pretend he was a cardigan-wearing painter—
the effeminate friend I never found in my own youth—
and that I lived with him in a time where dinosaurs could be faggots
and faggots, missing links
in a warmer era when people weren’t assholes
because there weren’t any people.

Email all submissions to Ali Liebegott at friendofducks (at) hotmail (dot) com and please put FAGGOT DINOSAUR SUBMISSION IN THE SUBJECT LINE.

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The Robin Becker Chapbook Prize for LGBTQ Poets (Seven Kitchen Press)

Deadline: 15 April 2011

The annual submission period is March 1 – April 15.

Current (2011-12) guidelines:

SEVEN KITCHENS PRESS announces the 2011 ROBIN BECKER CHAPBOOK PRIZE for an original, unpublished poetry manuscript in English by a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered or Queer writer.

Prize: 50 copies (a $350 value).

Submission deadline: Postmarked between March 1 and May 15 of each year.

Eligibility: Open to all L/G/B/T/Q poets writing in English (no translations, please).

Please note: Two manuscripts will be selected as co-winners: one by a writer with no previous book or chapbook, and one by a writer with previous book or chapbook publication.

Please read the guidelines carefully; the complete guidelines are posted on the Seven Kitchens site and we are not responsible for other versions of the guidelines that may be posted, in whole or in part, elsewhere.

COMPLETE GUIDELINES:

Any poet who identifies as L/G/B/T/Q is eligible to submit to the Robin Becker Chapbook Prize.

* The manuscript itself need not address L/G/B/T/Q themes, though such work is welcome.
* The final judge for this year’s series is Judith Barrington.

Submit a paginated manuscript of 16-24 pages (plus front matter such as table of contents, acknowledgments, or notes).

* Include two cover pages: one with the manuscript title, author name, address, e-mail and phone number; the second cover page should have the manuscript title only.
* Include a table of contents page, if appropriate.
* The collection may contain a series of poems or one single chapbook-length poem.
* Include, if applicable, an acknowledgments page for work previously published.
* Please include, on a separate page, a brief (100-150 words) biographical note, including a statement of any previous book or chapbook publication.

The author’s name must not appear in the manuscript.

* Collaborative works are accepted. Should a winning manuscript be collaboratively written, the author copies will be shared equally.
* All manuscripts will be blind judged, meaning all identifying material will be separated from the manuscripts as they are logged in.
* Manuscript titles and their log numbers will be posted on the Seven Kitchens website [http:// sevenkitchenspress dot wordpress dot com] as they are processed.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us promptly by email if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

* Submissions must be posted between March 1 and May 15, 2011.
* The winning manuscripts will be announced on or before August 15, 2011 and will be published in early 2012.
* Manuscript finalists will also be announced, and may be eligible for publication by Seven Kitchens Press.

Manuscripts will not be returned. E-mailed submission is preferred, but you may send via regular mail.

* If sending by mail, do not staple or bind your manuscript; please use a binder clip and mail flat in an 8.5 x 11 envelope. Please do not use expedited delivery services; your postmark date is sufficient to ensure your entry qualification, and we will allow 7-10 days for receipt of all mailed entries after May 15. Use First-Class Mail and consider spending the money you’ve saved on a chapbook from a small, independent press! Mail your manuscript to: Seven Kitchens Press, Robin Becker Chapbook Prize, PO Box 668, Lewisburg PA 17837.
* If you are sending by e-mail, please send one document in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx files); you must include the words “Robin Becker Chapbook” in the subject line of your e-mail to get past our spam filter. Send to sevenkitchens at yahoo dot com.
* Include a $12 reading fee with each manuscript (multiple submissions are welcome). IMPORTANT: Checks should be made payable to Ron Mohring. Online payment may be made via PayPal to seven kitchens at yahoo dot com. It is okay to send the ms. via e-mail and the check separately by regular mail.
* Each entrant will receive one copy of either winning chapbook (entrant’s choice of which title), to be published in early 2012.
* Each co-winner will receive fifty (50) copies of her or his chapbook. Additionally, the publisher will distribute ten review copies and will solicit online reviews of each title.

ABOUT THE JUDGE: Judith Barrington is the author of three poetry collections, a prizewinning memoir, and a text on writing literary memoir. The poetry books are: Horses and the Human Soul, History and Geography, and Trying to be an Honest Woman. She has also recorded a CD of selected poems titled Harvest. Prose books are: Lifesaving: A Memoir (winner of the Lambda Book Award and finalist for the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir), and Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art which is used in numerous writing programs. Most recently, she has published two poetry chapbooks: Postcard from the Bottom of the Sea (8th Mountain Press) and Lost Lands (selected by Robin Becker as winner of the inaugural Robin Becker Chapbook Prize).

ABOUT THE SERIES:

This chapbook series honors Robin Becker, whose continuing accomplishments as a poet, professor, and mentor of lesbian and gay writers deserve wider acclaim. Becker serves as poetry editor for the Women’s Review of Books and is a professor of English and Women’s Studies at Pennsylvania State University. She is the author of six collections of poems, including Giacometti’s Dog (1990), All-American Girl (1996), The Horse Fair (2000), and Domain of Perfect Affection (2006), all from the University of Pittsburgh Press, and of the chapbook Venetian Blue (Frick Art & Historical Center, 2002).

More information here.

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Call for GLBT-Themed Chapbook/ Poetry Manuscript Submissions (Sibling Rivalry Press)

Deadline: 1 June 2011

CHAPBOOKS/FULL-LENGTH MANUSCRIPTS – POETRY

Sibling Rivalry Press will open for poetry manuscript submissions of any length from March 1, 2011, through June 1, 2011. We don’t want to have to go diva, so please read our guidelines before you send us your jewel(s).

1. Buy or pre-order a Sibling Rivalry Press title from our Storefront during the open submission period and prior to your submission. This takes the place of a reading fee, which is common in the publishing world, and you actually get something pretty cool out of it. Not only do you get a book, but you also contribute to the family of which you may soon be part. Include the date and title of your purchase with your submission (we’ll verify, so don’t be slick, yo!).
2. Your manuscript must be in PDF format.
3. In your email, include a three-sentence bio. This is speed-dating, baby.
4. We don’t need the standard cover letter. Instead, answer these four questions in your email:

* Are you our friend on Facebook?
* You’re stranded on an island with one other poet, living or dead. Who would it be, and why?
* Of the poems in your manuscript, which is your favorite, and why?
* If your manuscript were made into a movie, what song would play in its closing credits?

Email your manuscript, your three-sentence bio, the SRP title and date of purchase, and your responses to the above questions to siblingrivalrypress@gmail.com.

These are the only guidelines we have. As long as you stick to these, we’re cool, and we’ll respond to you by the end of the summer, when we’ll offer contracts for 2012. We’re only offering four contracts for 2012, so the competition will be stiff.

We’ll know what we want to publish when we see it. It will make our heart do karaoke in drag. If you are selected, you will be offered a contract for publication to review which will detail press responsibilities, author responsibilites, and an outline of royalty terms (no advances - you get a straight percentage of the profits). All of our authors will be offered the same contract. There are no other guidelines. If you think it’s worth our time, then we think it’s worth our time.

To answer a few questions, simultaneous submissions are fine. Manuscripts and chapbooks of various lengths are acceptable. We only like cookie-cutters when we’re making cookies. Otherwise, different is good.

About SRP: We’re pretty new as a publisher, but so far, so good. We’re growing, and we like authors who want to grow with us. Sibling Rivarly Press will publish multiple chapbooks and/or full-length collections of poetry each year. What we like: GLBT-themed poetry, feminist poetry, narrative poetry, experimental poetry, shocking poetry, political poetry, erotic poetry, prose poetry, poetry paired with art or photography, poetry you wouldn’t want your grandmother to read, poetry rejected by other presses because the poems have been published on a blog, and poetry rejected by other presses because those other presses aren’t as cool as us.

If you want to know what we’re like to work with, track down Ocean Vuong, Raymond Luczak, or Theresa Senato Edwards. If you want to know the kind of work that captured our attention last year, buy one of our books.

More information here.

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Call for Submissions: Just Love, a Collection of Queer Er0tic and Er0tic R0mance Short Stories and Poetry

Deadline: 1 May 2011

Are you LGBTQ, or do you consider yourself an ally? Do you have the occasional moment of dlrty-mindedness? Then Fredericton Pride 2011 needs you!

Fredericton (NB, Canada) native er0tica author Madeline Elayne is looking for submissions for two queer er0tic/er0tic romance anthologies, the proceeds of which will go toward funding the best Pride celebration yet in Fredericton in 2011.

Just Love (and Lvst) will be a compilation of two s3xy books:

-In Love With Lvst, a collection of queer er0tic and er0tic r0mance short stories by writers from Fredericton and around the world.

-In Lvst With Love, a showcase of local Fredericton and Atlantic Canadian queer er0tic poetry. Fredericton is well-known for its poets, find out why here!

This call for submissions is open to established and new writers alike. If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at s3xy writing, then this is a perfect opportunity! Please note that since all profits from this collection go toward Fredericton Pride, this is not a paying call for submissions.

Intrigued? Check out the nitty gritty details below:

Er0tic Poetry:

-All poems must have both er0tic and LGBTQ content. Currently accepting single poems (up to 4 pages single spaced) and small collections. Authors selected for the anthology will also be asked to provide a short bio. Pseudonymous submissions accepted, but please include your real name in the submission for legal purposes.

Er0tic/ Er0tic Romance Short Stories:

What we want:

- Smart, s3x-positive, LGBT-themed er0tica and er0tic r0mance short stories between 1000-9000 words, with a preference for stories between 2500 and 5000 words.

- Works by authors who are 18 years and older, which follow our Just Love theme. We want stories that feature love or the potential for love, with a happy-ever-after (or happy for now) ending.

-Clean, polished, literary works (not rough/first drafts) with an er0tic focus. Following the norms of the genre, please avoid heavy euphemisms when describing s3x.

-Electronic submissions only, double-spaced, 12-pt. times new roman font, in .doc (NOT .docx) or .rtf format.

-Previously published works considered, provided you have the rights to allow our publication in ebook and POD formats. We ask only for non-exclusive anthology rights.

What we don’t want:

-Anything with a negative attitude toward s3x.

-Horror, gore, b3stiality, or other squick factors. (please note that tastefully-depicted consensual BD SM is just fine)

-non-er0tic, or exclusively heterosexual er0tic works. These could be wonderful stories, but they don’t fit our theme, thank you.

Please send all queries and submissions to Anthology2011@frederictonpride.org.

Submission Deadline for both collections is May 1st, 2011, for publication in early summer. Multiple submissions accepted.

More information here.

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