Resources

A website, for better or worse, is a piece of digital real estate; this is an imperfect metaphor, but I sure as hell've got a landlord (Cloudflare), a building manager (write.as), and only a certain amount of freedom around how I'm allowed to use the space. I'll use this page to aggregate links that might be useful to anyone who finds their way here; if you have any ideas for how else this space can be used, including ways you'd like to use the space yourself, please e-mail me at [Work AT RiveraErica DOT com].

Free Stuff

On Palestine

Reading list on the history of Palestine, the experiences of Palestinians, and the infrastructures of settler colonialism

InkWell Workshops

Provides free, high-quality literary programming to people living with mental health and addiction issues led by accomplished professional writers with lived experience of mental illness Virtual course catalog available

Submission Calls

These are some of the resources I've used to find opportunities for publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid work, and visual art; inclusion on this list does not equal an endorsement. A friendly suggestion to use an e-mail alias whenever possible, especially when subscribing to newsletters or signing up for accounts; this guide from Proton has useful information about e-mail aliases. A big shout-out to the folks who pointed me towards these resources.

List of Magazines and Presses

Database Free Work in progress; focus on magazines and presses that pay, offer very quick response times, offer free feedback regardless of acceptance, and/or accept previously published work Aggregated by me 😊

Newsletter, twice per week Pay what you can/no one turned away for lack of funds Suggested rate of $5 USD per month Aggregated by Sonia Weiser 🙌

Prose manuscript venues (Google Doc) / Poetry manuscript venues (Google Doc)

Database Free Prose list sorted by genre, poetry list sorted by length; focus on free or low-cost submissions for manuscripts Aggregated by nat raum of fifth wheel press

Authors Publish

Newsletter, several times per week Free Some newsletter issues focus on promoting their own programming About once a month, they focus on opportunities for marginalized writers

FundsforWriters

Newsletter, once per week Free Focus on relatively well-paid opportunities

The Queer Writer

Newsletter, several times per month Free Focus on queer writers Run by Milo Todd

Oleada

Submission manager Submitting requires sign-up via e-mail; free to join Focus on small/independent publications and presses

Small Publishers (Google Sheet)

Database Focus on small and independent publishers Includes information about genres accepted, whether submissions are open, and whether an agent is required

Submittable

Submission manager Requires sign-up via e-mail; free to join The bane of my existence, with a business model that I'm certain is terrible for publications and presses You can use the Discover feature to search by genre-specific tags; please note that the “fee-free” tag is often inaccurate, and some publications move their deadline as soon as it expires so they're always listed at top when sorted by deadline

Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP)

Posting board No sign-up necessary Postings are submitted by publications so they're usually accurate Also has a CLMP job board, though most postings are for volunteer positions

Poets & Writers (P&W)

Database No sign-up necessary Also has the P&W job board, though most postings are for professorships

Chill Subs

Database No sign-up necessary to browse and sort database; filtering and search requires sign-up via e-mail Database pages are sometimes outdated; check the publication's website to confirm

Duosuma

Submission manager Requires sign-up via e-mail; free to join The other bane of my existence, mostly because of their overpriced sibling service, Duotrope

Workshops and Classes

What many refer to as “craft” is, of course, totally subjective, and I feel like most of the time we're better off engaging with things that are as far away as possible from what's considered “good writing” if we really want to improve our ability to express ourselves or communicate with others. That being said, sometimes it's nice to lean back and let someone else take the wheel. Here are a few places that offer free, affordable, sliding-scale, or free-with-scholarship workshops and classes, all of which are virtual; I've put a little information about accessibility for those I'm familiar with. Check out your local libraries too, as well as your local community colleges.

Abode Press

Open to anyone Sliding scale, minimum is usually $10 USD plus nominal service fee Focus on LGBTQ+/BIPOC writers Held on Zoom with auto-generated captions; you can engage via chat rather than using a camera and/or mic

The Loft

Open to anyone Prices range from $8 USD to in the hundreds; 95% reduction in tuition available on a first-come, first-served basis for those receiving public assistance, verification required, application available on their site Wide range of topics, including craft, pitching, self-care, and more

Honey Workshops

Open to anyone Prices seem to be around $25 USD Focus on BIPOC writers Niche workshops on some pretty cool stuff (e.g., “From Barbie to Beyonce: Reclaiming Pop Culture,” “Amateur Just Means You Love It: Demystifying translation as a practice for all writers”)

Brown Bag Lit

Open to anyone $75 per class, with a sliding-scale option available if you reach out via e-mail Focus on small classes with a maximum of ten students Single session classes held on Zoom

Crow Collective Workshops

Open to anyone Prices start at $19 CAD; each class has at least two free spots available on a first-come, first-served basis on the workshop sign-up page; tip-jar donations go towards creating more free spots They also offer a free Crow Collective weekly writing group

Tin House Craft Intensives

Open to anyone Price is usually $75 USD; each class has one free spot awarded through a random lottery, apply on the workshop page Wide range of topics, including craft, querying, and more Held on Zoom with auto-generated captions; you can engage via chat rather than using a camera and/or mic

Hudson Valley Writers Center

Open to anyone Prices are usually in the hundreds; limited scholarships are available for LGBTQ+ writers, writers of color, women writers, and nonbinary writers, application reopens in May 2024 Durations range from one-offs to multi-session

GrubStreet

Some are open to anyone, some require an application with a sample Prices range from free to in the hundreds; each class has some free spots awarded based on expressed need, apply on the workshop page Durations range from one-offs to multi-session