Authors & Artists Eligible

Beginnings have the power to spark passion or curiosity. They might immediately connect a specific place and time with an emotional tone. The best openings offer a feeling, atmosphere, action, or image that is gripping, and hints at more to come. A poem handles this differently than a flash piece, which handles an opening differently than a novel. The first photo, painting or frame presented in a gallery, series, or graphic novel strives for the same intent. Openings contain a spark that promises to burn. 

For Sunspot Lit’s current Inception contest, send your best opening. There are no restrictions on theme, category, or the length of the piece or collection from which the excerpt comes. Word limit is 250 for prose, 25 words for poetry. 

Graphic novel and comic book entries should be the first page (unlimited number of panels on that page) with a maximum of 250 words (cut the number of panels in order to meet the word count, if needed). 

Art entries should be the first in a series, the first in a gallery lineup, the first in a themed collection, etc. Entries are limited to one image of a painting, sculpture, mixed media form, collage, or other artwork. 

Feedback is available for fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels for an additional fee. This is entirely optional and will not impact the judging process. The written comments will consider the work’s strengths, point out critical weaknesses, and make recommendations for any changes that would make the work stronger. The commentary will be provided 4-6 weeks after the contest closes. Feedback is not available for poetry or art, and will not be provided even if the feedback fee is paid.

Open: June 1, 2023

Close: July 31, 2023

Entry fee: $10

Prize: $500 cash plus publication for the winner. Publication will be offered to runners-up and finalists.

For full guidelines and to submit, visit Submittable or Duotrope.

Sunspot Lit seeks fiction and nonfiction, including scripts and screenplays, from 29,001 to 49,000 words in their current open call for novella-length prose. 

Graphic novels are included in this call, and should run between 51 and 100 pages. 

Please note that collections are not accepted in this category.

This call is open for only a limited time. Send in your work before the deadline using Submittable or Duotrope.

Check out this opportunity to work in a magnificent setting.

ROSEMARY’S HOUSE IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR OUR FALL RESIDENCIES IN GREECE

Join us for a life-changing writing workshop residency at Rosemary’s House, in a location that the ancients used to call “phlegra” or “land of fire” in Greece.  With the support of an esteemed mentor you’ll hone your craft in the company of just 13 select writers from around the world.

Whether you are working on a novel, memoir, play, musical, collection of poems, screenplay, pilot, or other genre-bending pursuit, this is an opportunity to propel your progress alongside a group of exceptional peers. 

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis! APPLY HERE 

(Apply by July 1st for our early-bird rate and priority review)
FALL MENTORS

August 24-31 Rebecca Abrams
An Oxford University Tutor, REBECCA is an author, editor, teacher and journalist. She is the author of eight works of fiction and non-fiction, a verse play,  and two stage plays. She has written for many years for the UK’s national press as a feature writer, columnist, commissioning editor and book reviewer. She is a regular literary critic for the Financial Times and the recipient of an Amnesty International Award for Journalism.

September 1-8 Sally Bayley
A University of Oxford Royal Literary Fund Fellow, SALLY  is the author of books featured in Radio 4’s Book of the Week and The Spectator Book of the Year; She is the host of the Podcast “A Reading Life, A Writing LIfe”.

September 9-16 Jake Brunger
JAKE’s film “Love Sarah” was #1 in New Zealand’s Box Office and #5 in Netflix Top 10 Films; His work has additionally appeared at the West End’s Ambassadors Theatre, Old Vic Theatre, and Noel COWARD THEATRE; He’s been a staff writer for multiple shows including an Emmy-Nominated Animated TV Series.

September 25- October 2nd Jenny Zhang
JENNY’s work has received the Pen/Bingham Award for Debut Fiction, LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award, and  the O. Henry Award; Her Work Has been Published with Lena Dunham’s Lenny Books via Random House; She Worked as a staff writer for HBO and Facebook and is currently adapting her work “Sour Heart” into a feature-length film for A24 (Moonlight, Euphoria, Everything Everywhere All At Once).

PLEASE DIRECT ALL QUERIES TO ANGELICA AT APPLY@ROSEMARYSHOUSE.ORG

Sunspot Lit seeks fiction and nonfiction, including scripts and screenplays, from 17,501 to 29,000 words in their current open call for novelette length works. 

Graphic novels should run 41 to 85 pages. 

Please note that collections are not accepted in this category.

This call is open for only a limited time. Send in your work before the deadline using Submittable or Duotrope.

Sunspot Lit’s poetry editor, Morrow Dowdle, offers feedback for poets.

Dowdle is the author of the chapbook Nature v. Nurture (Artagem Graphic Library). Her poetry has been featured in River and South Review, Poetry South, Dandelion Review, NonBinary Review, Pink Panther Magazine, Panoply, APIARY, The Schuylkill Valley Journal of the Arts, Edison Literary Review, River Poets Quarterly, The Griffin, Philadelphia Stories, and Prism, among other publications. She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net.  She is an active member of the Living Poetry collective in the North Carolina Triangle area.

Sunspot is happy to offer three different options for feedback based on the length of the poem. Please note that poets can submit only one poem every three months.

Find out more by reviewing the guidelines on Sunspot’s Submittable page.  

Sunspot Lit seeks works of fiction or nonfiction, including scripts and screenplays, from 7,501 words up to 17,500 words in their Supernova category. 

Graphic novels should be 26 to 40 pages. 

A single poembetween 11 and 15 pages is also accepted. 

Please note that collections are not accepted in this category.

This call is open for only a limited time. Send in your work before the deadline using Submittable or Duotrope.

Sunspot Lit seeks fiction and nonfiction, including scripts and screenplays, from 29,001 to 49,000 words in their current open call for novella-length prose. 

Graphic novels are included in this call, and should run between 51 and 100 pages. 

Please note that collections are not accepted in this category.

This call is open for only a limited time. Send in your work before the deadline using Submittable or Duotrope.

Recently, I returned from a six-week stay at Unpack Studio in Havana, Cuba. I completed an exceptional amount of work on my novel and, through the kindness and professionalism of the studio’s staff, discovered so much about Cuba and its people.

The residency program runs three to seven weeks. Residents stay in a restored building that now is nearly 100 years old. Check out the blog entry here, and cruise through Unpack’s studio for information on how you can write, paint, or research in Havana.