Welcome to The Writing Pool’s Weekly Writing PostTM! We provide you with a free weekly newsletter filled with notices about contests, events, conferences, and other information that might be useful or of great interest to writers of all leanings. Meanwhile, calls for submission to literary publications as well as information about publishers can be found at The Writing PoolTM, your bottomless pool for great writing resources.
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Follow The Writing PoolTM blog at https://thewritingpool.com/. Share a link, an article, a poem, or something else literary. Send your submission to cindy@thewritingpool.com
If you want to include a notice or announcement in the Weekly, please email your submission to weekly@thewritingpool.com
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At the risk of sending certain words into oblivion or exhibiting them in some museum of dead words, I have to remind writing students longer words are not always the best choice in writing. I have students who think they should not use the same word more than once in an essay and search assiduously for synonyms to replace a single word should they need to use that word a second or third time. There is such a thing as introducing variety in your vocabulary and using the exact word. If there is no alternative to the exact word, by all means, use the exact word instead of using alternative words. If a word can replace a phrase, choose the phrase over the word to avoid the downfall of many a writer: wordiness. If a plainer word exists that more people will understand, use the plainer language. Throwing in exotic, long, fancy words when simple language suffices is more likely to repel readers. Besides, when words are used out of context, you risk conveying the wrong meaning or creating the wrong impression. Probably the best rule to follow in choosing words as you write is to use mainly words in your active vocabulary. When those words are not enough, go ahead and rummage through the rest of your vocabulary. If you still cannot find the right word, then do consult a thesaurus but check your choice for the most apt meaning and usage. When in doubt, search for nuances and implications, because the word you choose could have a special significance or usage. If you are writing in a particular genre, for instance detective, crime, or espionage stories, you need to familiarize yourself with the terminology used within those professions. Not knowing the right lingo reveals you are no expert in that area and the last thing you need is to lose credibility. Yes, there is a Dictionary of Espionage.
Need tips on writing? Ask us in The Writing Pool™! You can also read about other aspects of writing at Creativity Unlimited.
Happy writing!
~cpl
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NEWS
PEI LOCAL/ATLANTIC
Reading Town PEI #ilovePEIstories Contest
Do you love spending some time over the weekend curled up with a book? Us too! So, we thought we would have a little contest to celebrate reading and the weekend! We’ll be drawing a name every Friday from now until May 5th. So, show us your books! Show us your nooks! What are you reading? Where are you reading it? What’s your favourite book? Where do your books live? We want to see it all. Send us a #shelfie of you in front of your book shelf or a snap of your favourite stack (of books) and use #ilovePEIstories for your chance to win lots of awesome, inspiring, local goodies! #RTPEI2017
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Spring Creativity Infusion
April 8 & 9
A weekend of creative self-care for women
guided by author and creativity coach Kathleen Hamilton with musical muse Lise Morin
at Trinity United at 220 Richmond Street
Does time spent in creative self-renewal,
in community with women,
guided by two wise and witchy leaders
sound like exactly
what you need right now?
If so, sign up!
Give yourself time to explore simple yet powerful creativity tools to help you
unearth and renew your creative spark
spur your imagination,
capture new ideas
Schedule for Spring Creativity Infusion:
Saturday 9:30 – 12:30
1:30 – 4:30
Sunday 1:30 to 4:30
To secure your place in the Spring Creativity Infusion, send $199 by e-transfer to Kathleen Hamilton at kathleenhamilton@eastlink.ca
And, because the universe loves you, be among the first 12 women to sign up and be entered in a draw for a powerful coaching session with Kathleen.
Spaces are limited. Sign up now.
(You’re signed up the moment we receive your e-transfer at kathleenhamilton@eastlink.ca)
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Margaret Westlie launches Another Way of Being
Island author Margaret Westlie, well-known locally for her novels set in Prince Edward Island, announces the launch of her latest novel, Another Way of Being, at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, at the at Confederation Centre Public Library. Inspired by the report several years ago, of a UFO seen over the West River in Cornwall, near the author’s home, Another Way of Being relates the first meeting and subsequent relationship between Jim (an Islander) and Advena (an extraterrestrial visitor). Advena, who has feelings she cannot control or understand, is a hybrid born of a human mother and an alien father. When her flying saucer lands on Prince Edward Island, she slips away. She finds what she is seeking in Jim. When Advena returns years later, she is not alone. Her daughter, Nova, playful and full of fun, is with her. Their plan is to transform Jim and the future of humanity. But their mischievous meddling in the lives of ordinary Islanders risks revealing their true identities. Playful, tender, and thought-provoking, Another Way of Being will touch readers.
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Second Annual Authors and Illustrators Festival
held in conjunction with Reading Town PEI, at the end of April.
Who: Authors and Illustrators of any genre/medium. Editors and graphic designers who wish to hawk their skills are also welcome, though probably on a shared table for the editors as they have less to display.
Date: Saturday 29th April 2017, 10:00am-5:00pm (followed by an evening social event at the Guild in conjunction with the gallery exhibition opening there)
Place: The Murphy Centre, Charlottetown
Registration: $10/full table, $5/half, shared tables welcome. Payment due on the day, please register in advance via this form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeajRtdYQ6VYP1g-1ugFfJeDIyqQT6n4rz0XaQmddSX380oZg/viewform
Practical details: We’ll supply tables, chairs, and light refreshments. Participants bring material to display/sell, any display requirements (tablecloths, easels, racks, etc.), and are responsible for their own financial transactions.
There will be the opportunity to read from your work, as well as two or three talks on a relevant subject (we’re considering book design, editing, and indie publishing, but will happily take suggestions).
For further information, please contact me (Victoria Goddard). We’ve also got a FB group, “PEI Authors and Illustrators Festival 2017”, for discussion and information.
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Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty
Creative Writing Awards for Young People
Island youth will be recognized for their excellence in the literary arts at the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty Creative Writing Awards for Young People on Saturday, April 29.
This year’s gala will run from 1:30-3 p.m. at Studio One, Confederation Centre of the Arts.
The Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty Creative Writing Awards for Young People recognize excellence in creative writing by Island students. Prizes will be awarded in five categories: early and late elementary, early and late junior high, and high school.
Cash prizes are generously donated by members of the Island community.
The awards run as an extension of the Cox and Palmer Island Literary Awards, an event of the P.E.I. Writers’ Guild.
While the gala is free of charge, seating is limited.
Tickets are available at: http://ow.ly/Iigb30akQl9
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JOIN THE CELEBRATION!
From April 29th to May 06th 2017 Reading Town PEI will turn PEI into a Reading Island and we invite you to join us! Those who register by February 27th will be entered for a chance to win an inspiring package full of local goodies!
Reading Town PEI is a week-long festival that works to inspire curiosity about the stories and storytellers that shape our community, recognize the accomplishments of our artists, educators and literacy champions and integrate reading into the everyday life of Islanders.
Reading Town PEI will be presenting an inspiring line up of affordable, diverse, and fun signature events and we encourage the community to participate in the celebration!
You can get involved by organizing a “reading event” or activity and register the activity as part of our festival. We have many “reading event” ideas on our website: readingtownpei.com. Our mission is to celebrate the reading lives of Islanders in its many manifestations!
Please remember to:
- Register your event or activity for a chance to win our registration contest by February 27th, 2017. You may register after this date, but are not eligible to win.
- Hold your event or activity during the week of April 29th – May 6th, 2017.
- Take photos during your event and email them to: readingtownpei@gmail.com
More details available on our website: readingtownpei.com
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30th Cox and Palmer Island Literary Awards
The P.E.I. Writers’ Guild is thrilled to celebrate the 30th Cox and Palmer Island Literary Awards on Saturday, May 6, from 7-10 p.m. Prize winners will be revealed during gala ceremonies at The Mack theatre in Charlottetown.
Presentations will include the following honours:
• Milton Acorn Poetry Awards
• Maritime Electric Short Story Awards
• L.M. Montgomery* P.E.I. Literature for Children Awards
• Creative Non-Fiction Awards
• Marie Coyoteblanc Award for Indigenous Writing
• Réshard Gool Award
• Joseph Sherman Award
• Reading Champion Award
• Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts of P.E.I.
The awards represent the penultimate event of the Reading Town P.E.I. festival. In addition to awards presentations, the evening will include musical performances and the launch of the video series Honouring Literary Legends.
Tickets to the gala are free, but seating is limited.
Tickets are available at: http://ow.ly/hCoB30akQcB
*L.M. Montgomery is a trademark of the Heirs of L.M. Montgomery Inc.
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Money Anthology
Editors Aaron Giovannone and Naomi K. Lewis are collecting poetry and creative non-fiction for an anthology about money. “Literature often pretends to transcend the material conditions of life, but let’s talk cash: having it, not having it, owing it, wanting it, needing it, fear of losing it, the things we do for it, and the ways it changes us.” They’ll accept non-fiction pieces of up to 5,000 words or up to five poems (no fiction, unfortunately). Submissions are due by May 31.
For more information, contact moneyanthology@gmail.com.
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Cargo Lit Submissions
Hey all you lovers of travel and passion and adventure, Cargo’s reading period is open for Issue 6, due out next month. Whether it’s a photo you took, an experience you want to share, or a piece of art you created inspired by your place in a new world, we at Cargo Lit want to hear about it.
Don’t forget we are always looking for portrait shots for our covers – your photo or art could make the next cover of Cargo.
To drop your submission in our box, follow the links here through Submittable: http://cargoliterary.com/submit/
We are waiting for you!
the cargo team
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Writer in Residence – Call for Expressions of Interest 2017
Do you write romance novels and short stories? Vancouver, B.C., is the perfect setting for writing your next romantic masterpiece. Spend the coziest days of fall surrounded by mountain views and water vistas while ensconced in a beautiful library full of surprises and opportunities guaranteed to spark your creativity. Enjoy four months writing in Vancouver, home to a remarkable natural environment and a lively cultural community.
Vancouver Public Library will host a resident romance author between Aug. 28 and Dec. 15, 2017. The Writer in Residence program promotes Canadian writing and literature to Vancouver citizens. The aims of the residency are to foster greater public appreciation for Canadian writing, provide opportunities to interact with the resident author and to provide the space, time and resources for a Canadian author to write.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/1PkBW1e
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Open Invitation
The poetry engine awaits you at www.poetrypei.com!
New poets are always welcome to submit a poem to this site, especially if they have never have done so before. The submission form —with complete guidelines and formatting tips—is at www.poetrypei.com/submit.
Poets already on the site: remember that you are welcome to replace your existing poem with a new one at any time, provided at least three months have passed since your last update.
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CONTESTS AND CALLS
See more at www.thewritingpool.com
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2017 WORLD’S BEST STORY CONTEST IS ON!
Writers from around the world can submit stories for free in several fiction and nonfiction genres while readers across the world vote on those stories using our easy and fun to use proprietary blockbuster story potential™ voting algorithm. All winning stories receive a pedigree building publishing deal represented by WBS Entertainment Inc.
For details, please visit https://worldsbeststory.com/.
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Tethered By Letters
The Spring 2017 contests are now open for submissions!
Tethered by Letters has launched a new Twitter micro fiction contest, #Blink! Stories must be 140 characters or less. A winner will be selected every two weeks. For more details, follow @TethrdbyLettrs and @FrictionSeries on Twitter.
For details, please visit http://tetheredbyletters.com/submissions/contest/
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Glimmer Train 2015 SUBMISSION CALENDAR AND CATEGORIES
We have five submission categories from which to choose, including our standard category (no reading fees and payment for accepted pieces is $700), and four contests (reading fees allow for 1st place prizes from $1,500 to $2,500). Contests vs. standards. Click on the names of the categories for details.
NOTE: There is always a one-week grace period after the deadline (last day of the month).
Very Short Fiction (1st place – $1,500): Welcome in January, April, July, and October.
Short Story Award for New Writers (1st place – $1,500): Welcome in February, May, August, November.
Fiction Open (1st place – $2,500): Welcome in June and December.
Family Matters (1st place – $1,500): Welcome in March and September.
Standard Category ($700): Welcome in January, May, September.
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The Monthly Writing Contest
Here at Writing Maps we believe good writing should be encouraged, cherished, shared, and most importantly, published.
We hold a monthly Writing Maps Writing Contest to coincide with the launch each month of a new Writing Map product. We challenge you to write and share a 150-word piece in response to our Prompt of the Month.
Each month’s two winning entries will be published in The A3 Review, the new Writing Maps Journal, a fold-out literary magazine to be published every six months. The first issue appeared in September 2014. Winning entries will also receive free Writing Maps and contributor copies of The A3 Review.
To make sure you don’t miss future contests, you can sign up to our newsletter by clicking on this link. Follow us on Twitter for conversation, updates and inspiration.
The Rules:
- Entry is $5 (approx £3). Multiple entries accepted.
- Enter online through Submittable. Click here to enter.
- The contest closes at midnight (GMT) on the fourth Saturday of the month.
- Any entries submitted after the deadline will not be eligible.
- The Writing Maps Writing Contest is open to all writers over 16.
- There is no restriction on theme or style. We encourage prose, poems, prose poems, graphic stories and hybrid forms.
- Maximum number of words is 150.
For more details, please visit http://www.writingmaps.com/pages/contest
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Flash Fiction Competition
This quarterly open-themed competition for fiction up to 500 words has closing dates of 31st March, 30th June, 30th September, and 31st December.
Entry fee: £5 for one story, £8 for two stories
Prizes: £300 plus publication in Words with JAM, £200 and £100
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2017 Publishizer Book Proposal Contests
Reading is food for the heart, mind and soul. Here at Publishizer, we’re passionate about finding and helping more authors get their books published. We strongly believe that there is an urgent need for more book diversity, so we’re proud to be hosting bi-monthly themed book proposal contests in 2017.
There are no entry fees or purchases required to join. For a chance to land a publisher for your book and a shot at the US$2000 cash prize for each contest:
- Write a compelling 1000-word book proposal based on an unpublished book idea
- Submit the proposal within the appropriate contest category for approval
- Launch your campaign within the contest month to be entered into the 45-day book proposal contest
The campaign with the highest number of pre-orders for each contest wins US$2000, though every author that successfully launches a campaign on Publishizer has a chance to get published! Needless to say, the more pre-orders you get, the more publishers will express an interested in acquiring your book.
For details, please visit https://publishizer.com/contests/
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SPRING 2017 FLASH FICTION CONTEST
WOW! hosts a (quarterly) writing contest every three months, and has done so since 2006. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, great writing, and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. The contest is open globally; age is of no matter; and entries must be in English. We are open to all styles and genres of flash fiction, although we do encourage you to take a close look at our guest judge for the season (upper right hand corner) if you are serious about winning. Please make sure you download our Contest Terms & Conditions PDF below for complete guidelines. Get creative, and let’s have some fun! We look forward to reading your work!
WORD COUNT:
Maximum: 750
Minimum: 250
The title is not to be counted in your word count. We use MS Word’s word count to determine the submitted entry’s word count.
PROMPT:
OPEN PROMPT!
That’s right, this is your chance to shine, and get creative. You can write about anything, as long as it’s within the word count and fiction. If you’re feeling inspired, write something new, or dig out those stories you started way back when and tailor them to the word count.
We’re open to any style and genre. From horror to romance. So, get creative, and most of all, have fun.
Click to Download the SPRING 2017 FLASH FICTION Contest Terms & Conditions PDF
CONTEST DEADLINES:
FALL: September – November 30th 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) – CLOSED
WINTER: December – February 28th, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) – CLOSED
SPRING: March – May 31st, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) – NOW OPEN!
SUMMER: June – August 31st, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) – CLOSED
ENTRY FEE: $10.00
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2017 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize
Australian Book Review welcomes entries in the 2017 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize, one of the world’s leading prizes for an original short story. We are seeking stories of between 2,000 and 5,000 words, written in English. Stories must not have been previously published or be on offer to other prizes or publications for the duration of the Jolley Prize. The Jolley Prize is open to anyone in the world who is writing in English.
The 2017 Jolley Prize is worth a total of $12,500, with a first prize of $7,000 and supplementary prizes of $2,000 and $1,000. The judges will also commend three additional stories, the authors of which will each receive $850.
Entries close at midnight 10 April 2017.
Entry fees
Online entry (current ABR subscriber) – $15
Online entry (full-time student) – $15
Online entry (standard/non subscriber) – $25*
* Non-subscribers will receive ABR Online free of charge for three months from entry.
For more details, please visit https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/prizes/elizabeth-jolley-story-prize/current-jolley
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The 2017 Gulf Coast Prize
Now Accepting Entries for the
2017 Gulf Coast Prizes in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry!
Deadline: April 15, 2017
Entries for the Gulf Coast Prizes in Fiction and Nonfiction should be a single prose work not exceeding 7,000 words. Entrants for the Gulf Coast Prize in Poetry may submit up to five poems not exceeding 10 total pages in length. We will accept submissions both via Submittable and via postal mail. Entrants may submit more than once or in more than one genre, but each new entry must be accompanied by a separate $23 entry fee.
Contest Guidelines for Online Submissions
– Click here for online submissions accepted via Gulf Coast’s Submittable
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24th Annual
DANCING POETRY CONTEST
Deadline April 15, 2017
Over $1,000 in prize money to be awarded
All DPF prize winners will receive a prize certificate suitable for framing, a ticket to the Dancing Poetry Festival 2017, and be invited to read their prize-winning poem at the 2017 Dancing Poetry Festival at the Florence Gould Theater at the Palace of the Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, CA.
Three Grand Prizes will receive $100 each plus the poems will be danced, and videotaped for the poet. Each Grand Prize Winner will be invited onstage for photo ops with the dancers and a bow in the spot light.
Six First Prizes will receive $50 each
Twelve Second Prizes will receive $25 each
Thirty Third Prizes will receive $10 each
Entry Fee: One poem for $5 or 3 poems for $10
For more details, please visit http://www.dancingpoetry.com/dpfpoetrycontestrules.html
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Ohio Review 2017 FICTION CONTEST
Ends on April 15, 2017
Entry fee: $20.00
You may submit one story per submission. Prose should be typed, double-spaced, and be no longer than 20 pages. The judge, Colm Toibin, will be reading blind submissions for this contest. Please exclude your contact information from your actual submission–including name, email address, and mailing address.
$1,000 Prize and publication in New Ohio Review 22.
Stories that are not selected will still be considered for publication.
Entry fee comes with 1-year subscription.
For more details, please visit https://newohioreview.submittable.com/submit
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Ohio Review 2017 NONFICTION CONTEST
Ends on April 15, 2017
Entry fee: $20.00
You may submit one essay per submission. Prose should be typed double-spaced and be no longer than 20 pages. The judge, Phillip Lopate, will be reading blind submissions for this contest. Please exclude your contact information from your actual submission–including name, email address, and mailing address.
$1,000 Prize and publication in New Ohio Review 22.
Essays that are not selected will still be considered for publication.
Entry fee comes with 1-year subscription.
For more details, please visit https://newohioreview.submittable.com/submit
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Ohio Review 2017 POETRY CONTEST
Ends on April 15, 2017
Entry fee: $20.00
You may submit up to 6 single-spaced pages of poetry per submission entry. The judge, Rosanna Warren, will be reading blind submissions for this contest. Please exclude your contact information from your actual submission–including name, email address, and mailing address.
$1,000 Prize and publication in New Ohio Review 20.
Poems that are not selected will still be considered for publication.
Entry fee comes with 1-year subscription.
For more details, please visit https://newohioreview.submittable.com/submit
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2017 Prime Number Magazine Awards
OPEN FOR ENTRIES: January 1 – April 15, 2017
Reading fee: $15
Prizes:
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication in Prime Number Magazine
Finalists: A list of nine finalists will be listed in Prime Number Magazine
(Prime Number Magazine is a Press 53 publication)
Poetry: Rebecca Foust, author of Paradise Drive, winner of the 2015 Press 53 Award for Poetry
Short Fiction: David Jauss, author of Glossolalia: New & Selected Stories
Deadline: April 15, 2017
Winners Announced: No later than July 1, 2017
Guidelines:
Submit one unpublished poem or story.
Poem should be no more than three pages in length (no word count needed) with numbered pages and spaced according to the poet’s intended style.
Short story should be 53 to 5,300 words, double-spaced in 12-pt. type with numbered pages.
Writers may enter either or both categories. Multiple entries require separate reading fees.
Reading fee is $15 per entry and is nonrefundable.
For more details, please visit http://www.primenumbermagazine.com/Awards_2017.html
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EVENT 2017 Non-Fiction Contest
Genre: Creative Non-Fiction.
Prize: $1,500 in prizes plus publication in EVENT. EVENT reserves the right to award the prize money as it sees fit (e.g., two prizes valued at $750, three at $500, or one at $1000 and one at $500, etc.) in accordance with the judge’s decision. Published entries will be paid our standard publication payment in addition to any prize money.
Cost: $34.95 per entry; includes a one-year subscription to EVENT and all applicable taxes and shipping—a great deal!
Deadline: April 15, 2017 (postmarked or submitted online)
For more details, please visit http://www.eventmagazine.ca/contest-nf/
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Dangerous Creations: Real-life Frankenstein Stories
Deadline: April 17, 2017
In conjunction with the ASU Frankenstein Bicentennial Project, Creative Nonfiction magazine is daring writers (as Mary Shelley was dared in Geneva) to write original and groundbreaking stories in the spirit of Frankenstein—but nonfiction. That is to say, we’re looking for true stories that explore humans’ efforts to control and redirect nature, the evolving relationships between humanity and science/technology, and contemporary interpretations of monstrosity.
Creative Nonfiction editors and a judge (to be announced) will award $10,000 and publication for Best Essay and two $2,500 prizes and publication for runners-up. All essays will be considered for publication in the winter 2018 issue of the magazine.
Guidelines: Essays must be previously unpublished and no longer than 4,000 words.
There is a $20 reading fee.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2mR0bi4
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14th Annual Screenwriting Challenge
Our longest running competition, the 14th Annual Screenwriting Challenge, is open for registration! The competition is open to screenwriters around the world and all experience levels are welcome. There are 3 rounds of competition. In the 1st Round (April 21-29), writers are placed randomly in heats and are assigned a genre, subject, and character assignment. Writers have 8 days to write an original screenplay no longer than 12 pages. Judges choose a top 5 in each heat to advance to the 2nd Round (June 15-18) where writers receive new assignments, only this time they have just 3 days to write an 8 page (maximum) short screenplay. Finalists from the 2nd Round are chosen to advance to the 3rd and final round of the competition where they are challenged to write a 5-page (maximum) screenplay in just 24 hours (July 21-22, 2017). Feedback from the judges is provided for every submission and the winners share in thousands in cash and prizes. Sound like fun? Learn more, register, and read previous winning screenplays at the link below. Good luck writers!
For more details, please visit http://www.nycmidnight.com/Competitions/SC/Challenge.htm
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Bath Novel Award 2017
OPEN: The Bath Novel Award 2017 invites submissions of unsigned novels written for adults or young adults
Prize: £2,000 | Shortlist: £500 award
Judge: Laura Williams of Peters Fraser & Dunlop
Entry: First 5,000 words plus one page synopsis
Eligibility: Full terms & entry details here
Closing Date: 24th April 2017 | Fee: £25 per novel
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The 2017 Shakespeare Selfie writing challenge for students
THE CHALLENGE
In the Shakespeare Selfie, we ask students to write a modern-day soliloquy or monologue (200-400 words) by a Shakespearean character, based on a prominent news, pop culture or current affairs event from the last year (April 2016-April 2017).
Need inspiration? Have a look at the list of sample topics we’ve created.
WHO CAN ENTER?
The challenge is open to students in two age categories: Grades 7-9 and Grades 10-12.
WHEN AND HOW CAN YOU ENTER?
The challenge will be open for submissions from April 10 to 28, 2017. You’ll be able to enter right on this page, so bookmark it!
PRIZES
Each category’s grand prize winner (Grades 7-9 and 10-12) will receive a 32G iPad mini.
The school library of each grand prize winner will receive 50 young adult books!
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2kDfCMF
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Metamorphose Short Story Contest
We are currently accepting short stories in the fantasy and science fiction genres ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words. The short story contest winner from each category will be published as the featured short story in Metamorphose’s Anthology in the fall. Four finalists will be considered for publication in the fall anthology. Each finalist will also receive free professional edits on their submission. International submissions welcome.
Opens: March 1
Deadline: April 30
Prize: up to $150 and publication in the anthology
Entry Fee: $5
URL: http://www.metamorphoselit.com/submit/
Contact Info: Tammy Davies, contact@metamorphoselit.com
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Editor’s Reprint Award: Fiction and Nonfiction
Every issue of Sequestrum features the best creative writing of today. And once a year, our Editor’s Reprint Award features the best creative writing of yesterday.
Editor’s Reprint Award Details:
- $200 and publication in Sequestrum will be awarded to one previously-published piece of fiction or nonfiction.
- A minimum of one runner-up will receive $25 and publication. Finalists listed on the site.
- Contest doors close April 30th 2017, dependent on submission volume.
- As always, our first obligation is to giving every submission the time and consideration it deserves, and we reserve the right to close contest doors early in order to do so.
- The short and long: Get your work polished and submitted and don’t dawdle about it.
- Entry fee is $15.
- Winners announced in August. Publication in our Winter’17 Issue.
For more details, please visit https://www.sequestrum.org/editors-reprint-award-fiction-and-nonfiction
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2017 Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry
Submission period: January 1 — April 30 (postmark or online submission-date)
Final Judge: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Prize: $3,000
The Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry includes a cash award of $3,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press, 20 copies of the winning title, a book launch, and national distribution with energetic publicity and promotion. Manuscripts are judged anonymously and all finalists will be considered for publication. Please read the complete guidelines before submitting your manuscript.
A reading fee of $28 (U.S.) must accompany each submission.
For more details, please visit https://www.tupelopress.org/2016/01/22/2016-berkshire-prize/
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Friends of Falun Gong Poetry Contest
This contest is an excellent opportunity for those who have never encountered Falun Gong before to research and learn about it, and through poetry, raise awareness among others who have not heard about the practice and its persecution in China.
Submit one or two poems of no more than 50 lines each. Poems must encompass at least one of the following themes:
- Advocate for Falun Gong practitioner’s fundamental human rights.
- Expose the crimes against Falun Gong perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party.
- Share in the beauty, peacefulness and good nature of Falun Gong.
Traditional poetry with rhyme and meter is recommended but all styles and forms are welcomed. No profanity please. Poems should be submitted as a word file or PDF file to competition@fofg.org by April 30, 2017, midnight EST.
Winners will be announced on May 13, 2017 in honor of World Falun Dafa Day. Poems will be judged by a panel chosen by FoFG, which will include Evan Mantyk, President of The Society of Classical Poets. The poet must indicate if he or she is an undergraduate college student, or high school student to be considered for respective awards. There is no Submission Fee.
For more details, please visit http://fofg.org/act-now/poetry-contest/
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Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest
Welcome to the 25th annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest. Submit published or unpublished work. $4,000 in prizes.
Please submit during October 15, 2016-April 30, 2017. We will award $1,500 each for the top story and the top essay. Ten Honorable Mentions will receive $100 each (any category). The top 12 entries will be published online. Judge: Judy Juanita, assisted by Lauren Singer. Please submit as many stories and essays as you like. All themes accepted. Entries may be published or unpublished. Length limit: 6,000 words. No restrictions on age or country. Fee: $18 per entry. The results of our 25th annual contest will be announced on October 15, 2017.
For more details, please visit https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/tom-howard-john-h-reid-fiction-essay-contest
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Hourglass Literary Magazine Writing Competitions
At the confluence of the West and the East, Hourglass Literary Magazine proudly announces its second international writing competition for:
- Best Short Story
- Best Poem
- Best Essay
- Final closing date: 11:59 P.M. April 30, 2017 (US Central time).
- Jury/Judges: SibelanForrester, Jelena Lengold and John K. Cox.
- The competition is internationaland is open to all authors writing in English or any of the BCMS languages (comprising Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Montenegrin.)
- There are no theme, or genrelimitations and boundaries.
- Work must beoriginal and unpublished.
- One author can compete in all categories, for all three awards respectively.
- Multiple submissions are allowed (as well as simultaneous submissions).
For more details, please visit http://hourglassonline.org/contest/
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Alpine Fellowship Playwriting Prize
Aimed at encouraging theatre writers at the start of their careers to explore and challenge philosophical ideas using the dramatic form. The prize will be £3000 plus a rehearsed reading at the Fellowship’s annual Symposium on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice.
Requirements: A dialogue sample of at least 10 pages (a previous play is fine) sent to the e-mail address below, with the subject line ‘Playwriting prize’
A brief proposal of the writer’s intended treatment of the year’s theme (2 pages max, a single paragraph is fine).
Both of these must be submitted by April 30th. The Prize is open to anyone above 18 years of age.
Deadline: April 30th 2017
Delivery of work: July 20th
Symposium: August 24-27, 2017.
Entries to: apply@alpinefellowship.com
For more details please visit http://alpinefellowship.com/submission/theatre-prize/
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Readers Favorite Annual Book Award Contest
Become an award-winning author! Book awards grab the attention of bookstores, publishers, libraries and readers, which can translate into increased sales. As an award winner, you will be able to add your Readers’ Favorite award seal to your book and all other marketing materials as well as identify your book as an “award-winning book” and you as an “award-winning author.”
We accept manuscripts, published and unpublished books, eBooks, audiobooks, comic books, poetry books and short stories in 100+ genres. We do not have a word count restriction or a publication date requirement, which means it does not matter when or if your book was published. We are an international competition, but your work must be in English.
Deadline: May 1, 2017
For more details, please visit https://readersfavorite.com/annual-book-award-contest.htm?reff=bb1
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2017 curt johnson prose awards
Submissions are OPEN – March 1 to May 1, 2017.
We are pleased to announce Lily King (Fiction) and Roxane Gay (Nonfiction) will judge our 2017 Curt Johnson Prose Awards. $1,500 and publication in our Fall/Winter 2017 issue for First Place (fiction and nonfiction); $500 and publication in our Fall/Winter 2017 issue for honorable mention (fiction and nonfiction).
Maximum of 8,000 words for fiction and non-fiction. Name and address on cover letter only. $20 entry fee includes copy of Awards issue.
For more details, please visit http://decembermag.org/2017-curt-johnson-prose-awards/
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Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize
Awarded for the best piece of writing in response to the theme of the Alpine Fellowship Annual Symposium. The winner and two runners up are invited to attend the Venice symposium. Winner receives £3000 cash prize and is presented with the award by the poet John Burnside.
Open to all nationalities
Deadline: May 1st 2017
Entries to: apply@alpinefellowship.com
For more details, please visit http://alpinefellowship.com/submission/writing-visual-arts-prizes/
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THE BATH SHORT STORY AWARD
- Stories can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. They must also be for adult or young adult readers. Non-fiction and fiction written for children under 13 years is not eligible. Entrants must be 16 years or over.
- Maximum length is 2,200 words. Entries should be typed, double or 1.5 spaced, in a plain legible font (Pt 12). Each page should be numbered but carry no personal details about the author. Online entries are sent as email attachments. The file name must be the title of your story. (If your story is untitled, the file name must be the first five words of the story). Postal entries should be on A4, single-sided and paper-clipped together.
- Closing date for receipt of entries is Monday, May 1st 2017 at Midnight BST
- Entries can be made online or by post (details on the entry page) and are open to everyone (locally/nationally or internationally). There is no limit to the number of entries but there is a fee of £8 for each story submitted. Stories submitted online must be paid for via PayPal on the entry page.
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Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction
The Malahat Review, Canada’s premier literary magazine, invites emerging short-story writers from Canada and abroad to enter the Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction.
Eligible authors have yet to publish their fiction in book form (a book is defined to have a length of 48 pages or more). Publication in literary magazines is acceptable. One prize of $1,000 (CAD) is awarded.
Deadline: May 1, 2017
For more details, please visit http://www.malahatreview.ca/contests/far_horizons_fiction/info.html
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2017 Kindle Book Award
WHEN: Registration Starts Feb. 1, 2017. Ends May 1, 2017
WHO: Any Independent and Small Press Author.
WHAT: Books published on Amazon between May 1, 2015 – May 1, 2017 (Must have Amazon Link to qualify).
MINIMUM WORD COUNT: 25K words (to allow for novellas in all categories)
COST: $29
HOW: Click the BIG RED “REGISTER” button or click here.
For more details, please visit https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/2017-kindle-book-awards/
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William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition
The William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition is sponsored annually by The Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society, Inc, a non-profit literary and educational organization. The 2017 deadline is May 1. Winners will be formally presented at the annual meeting of the Society, Faulkner for All, during Words & Music, A Literary Feast in New Orleans, taking place this year December 6-10, 2017.
A list of manuscripts which have been designated finalists and semi-finalists will be posted on the website on or about August 1, 2017. Winners will be notified on September 25th, William Faulkner’s birthday, leaving plenty of time for winners to make plans to be present to receive their awards.
For more details, please visit https://wordsandmusic.org/william-faulkner-wisdom-competition/competition-guidelines/
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Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest
The Emerging Writer’s Contest is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book. The winner in each genre will be awarded $2,000. Read past winners of the contest here. To submit to the Emerging Writer’s Contest, please visit our submission manager.
The 2017 contest judges are Garth Greenwell (fiction), Meghan Daum (nonfiction), and Natalie Diaz (poetry).
Publication
The winning story, essay, and poems from the 2017 contest will be published in the Winter 2017-18 issue of Ploughshares, and each writer will receive $2,000.
Submitting
The contest opens March 1, 2017 at noon EST and closes May 15, 2017 at noon EST. We will announce winners in mid-September, 2017.
Fiction and Nonfiction: Under 6,000 words
Poetry: 3-5 pages
For more details, please visit https://www.pshares.org/submit/emerging-writers-contest/guidelines
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Canadian Stories Contest
The 2017 edition of the is open for submissions. Check out http://canadianstories.net/contest-2017.html for an overview of categories, and prizes to be won.
There is a $20 entry fee. The deadline is May 15, 2017. Notification approximately one month later.
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Palooka Press Chapbook Contest
$10.00 USD
About Palooka Press
The press was founded to offer an opportunity to writers seeking a home for shorter manuscripts.
How It Works
We take great pride in reading every word and giving each manuscript its due attention. We consider manuscripts of all types, styles, and genres and aren’t looking for a particular aesthetic. We’ll give anything a fair chance. Please send your best fiction, poetry, nonfiction, graphic narrative, or hybrid genres. Manuscripts should be roughly 35-50 pages, but we’re flexible. The $10 entry fee comes with an electronic issue of Palooka.
The Winner Receives…
*Publication by Palooka Press (a perfect-bound book with a glossy color cover)
*$200 honorarium
*20 free copies of the book
*A bio and photo featured on our website
*Chapbook will be sent out for review and promotion
Deadline: May 15, 2017
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C.G. Jung Society of St. Louis Writing Contest
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Memories, Dreams, Sensualities:
The theme of our contest and our 2017 conference is Memories, Dreams, Sensualities. Both contest and conference offer an opportunity to join in community through the sharing of how Jungian ideas unfold in our lived experience. We are looking for personal essays that add something unique to the conversation. We would love to read about a significant dream, memory, or sensual experience that led you down an interesting path.
| Winners will have the opportunity to read their essays at our conference, Jung in the Heartland: Memories, Dreams Sensualities, October 2017.
Winning essays will be published on our website. 1st Prize: $1000 Inquiries may be sent to cgjungstlwriting@yahoo.com Submission Deadline: May 1, 2017 For more details, please visit http://cgjungstl.org/contest/ |
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Spring Cleaning
Spring is finally here. To celebrate, we’re encouraging our readers to do a little spring cleaning of their own…in their draft folders.
Pick your very best draft, polish it up, and send it for consideration in our short story contest. No theme, no genre restrictions, just your favorite draft in 2000 words or less. Don’t have a draft in progress? Clean out your “idea bank” and write a new one!
Deadline: May 8th, 2017
Grand prize: $1,000 and publication in our magazine
Word count: 2,000 words or less
Other prizes: Our second-place winner will receive $500 and publication on our website, writermag.com; our third-place winner will receive $250 and publication on writermag.com as well.
For more details, please visit https://writermag.submittable.com/submit
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The Kindle UK Storyteller Award
Winning author to receive £20,000 cash prize and be recognised at central London award ceremony this summer
Amazon UK has announced The Kindle Storyteller Award, a new literary prize recognising newly published work in the English language across any genre. The prize is open to all authors who publish their book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon.co.uk between 20th February and 19th May 2017.
For more details, please visit https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=12061299031
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The Peter Hinchcliffe Short Fiction Award
(sponsored by the St Jerome’s University English department)
For a work of short fiction by a writer in the early stages: someone who has not yet published a novel or story collection.
For more details, please visit https://tnq.ca/product/the-peter-hinchcliffe-short-fiction-award/
Deadline: May 28, 2017
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The Bridport Prize
One of the richest writing competitions in the UK, the Bridport Prize is open to all nationalities aged 16 years and over.
The poem and short story categories each have a first prize of £5,000, second prize £1,000 and third prize £500. An additional ten highly commended prizes (for each category) of £100 each are awarded. All 13 winning entries in both categories are published in the anthology each year.
A new category for flash fiction with a prize of £1,000 was launched in 2010. There is a second prize of £500, 3rd prize of £250 and three highly commended prizes of £100. The six winning entries are published in the anthology each year.
In 2014 the Peggy Chapman-Andrews first novel award, named after the Prize’s founder, was launched. The first prize is £1,000 plus a up to a year’s mentoring from The Literary Consultancy through their Chapter & Verse scheme. A runner-up prize of £500 is also offered. Three shortlisted writers will receive £100. The opening chapters from the winning novel and the runner-up novel will be published on the website.
The Dorset Award is a prize specifically for Dorset writers. Thanks to the sponsorship of The Book Shop of Bridport, £100 is awarded to the highest placed Dorset writer in the Bridport Prize each year.
Deadline: May 31, 2017. For more details, please visit https://www.bridportprize.org.uk/
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The STORGY ‘EXIT EARTH’ Short Story Competition
The STORGY ‘EXIT EARTH’ Short Story Competition is open to all. Final embraces beneath a sky of flames. Tears of joy aboard a sinking ship. Laughter in a lonely land. We are looking for fiction that explores life – be it past, present, or future – on, or off – this beautiful, yet fragile, world of ours. Dystopian or utopian, realist or fantasy, horror or sci-fi, comedy or romance, we explicitly welcome entries in all genres.
The Period for Submissions opens on 24th February 2017
1st Prize – £1,000
2nd Prize – £500
3rd Prize – £250
Finalists will be published in The STORGY Short Story Competition Anthology
£10 Entry Fee
Entry Dates
- Submissions for the 2017 STORGY Short Story Competition will be accepted from 24th February 2017
- The deadline for receipt of entries is 11.00pm 31st May 2017
How to Enter
Applicants are encouraged to submit online to submit@storgy.com as early as possible before the deadline.
For more details, please visit https://storgy.com/2017/02/24/exit-earth-short-story-competition/
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Wundor Poetry Contest 2017: Spring
At Wundor, our aim is to champion interesting, unusual writing in all its forms. Poetry, unfortunately, is currently one of the more neglected, too often dismissed as old-fashioned and elitist. We know this isn’t true, and we hope that our contest will help to restore poetry to its rightful place.
The theme of our inaugural poetry contest will be ‘Spring’, and we encourage entrants to approach it in innovative and interesting ways. It is a theme that will never get old, but which must be kept fresh in our minds. Your poem might focus on Spring or mention it, but the season must play an important part in the poem.
The deadline is 31 May 2017 and winners will be announced at the end of June 2017.
The winner will receive £500.
The winner and two runners up will have their poems published on the Wundor website. Their work will be strongly considered for publication in print, too.
The prize is open to anybody writing in English, aged 16 or over.
Contestants may make as many entries as they would like.
Poems may be of any length.
Entrance fees are as follows:
£10 for an entry of up to six poems;
£15 for an entry of up to six poems + a voucher for one of our poetry books at 50% off;
£20 for an entry of up to six poems + a voucher for two of our poetry books at 50% off.
For more details, please visit https://wundoreditions.submittable.com/submit
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The Newcomer Prize for short stories
The Newcomer Prize is now open for entries. The entry form is here.
This deadline for this year’s competition is midnight (UK time) on 31 May 2017. The first prize is £500, and there is a second prize of £250. The entry fee is £8.
Stories should be between 1,000 and 7,000 words in length.
For more details, please visit http://www.thefictiondesk.com/submissions/newcomer-short-story-prize.php
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Carrie McCray Memorial Literary Awards
The contest is open to anyone, from any country, anywhere in the world. However, entries must be written in English.
Winning entries receive:
- $200—First Place
- $100—Second Place
- $50—Third Place
- Publication in The Petigru Review
- One (1) contributor copy
Honorable Mentions will be given for exceptional work and publication may be offered for those pieces the judges deemed of high quality. No cash prizes for honorable mention pieces. However, we offer publication and one (1) contributor copy.
Submission taken: April 1 through May 31 each year.
Reading fee :
$15 for Nonmembers.
$10 for Members.
The Carrie McCray Awards will feature four (4) genres:
- First Chapter of a Novel – 3,500 word limit.
- Fiction – word count limit 3,000 word limit.
- Creative Nonfiction – word count limit 3,000 word limit.
- Poetry – submit up to three (3) poems, not to exceed 80 lines in total.
For more details, please visit http://www.myscwa.org/contests/
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Governor General’s Literary Awards
The Governor General’s Literary Awards are presented in recognition of the best Anglophone and best Francophone book in each of seven categories: Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature (Text), Young People’s Literature (Illustrated Books) and Translation (from French to English and vice versa).
Prize amount
- 14 awards of $25,000 per book for recipients in both languages in the seven disciplines and $3,000 to each publisher to promote the winning works
- $1,000 per book for the finalists
How to qualify
Nominations must be submitted to the Council by a publisher.
For eligibility criteria, the nomination form and further information on these prizes, refer to the Governor General’s Literary Awards Guidelines and visit the Governor General’s Literary Awards website.
Deadline(s)
- 15 March: for both English and French
- 1 June: for English only
- 7 July: for French only
- 1 August: for English only
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SLATE ROOF PRESS POETRY CHAPBOOK CONTEST
Slate Roof Press offers an Annual Poetry Chapbook Contest. The winner of this year’s contest will be awarded the 2017 Elyse Wolf Prize of $500.
Submit $10 reading fee.
For more details, please visit https://slateroofpresscontest.submittable.com/submit
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Canadian Women Artists’ Award
Ends on June 30, 2017
The Canadian Women Artists’ Award is open to female Canadian citizens between the ages of 21 and 35 who are living and working in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, including students in bachelor’s or master’s degree programs. The $5,000 award is supported by funding granted to NYFA by the Canadian Women’s Club (CWC) of New York as a way to continue its philanthropic work when it disbanded. The award is designed to provide financial support to an emerging or early career artist working in any discipline, and can be used in any manner the recipient deems necessary to further her artistic goals.
For more details, please visit https://apply.nyfa.org/submit/46175/canadian-women-artists-award
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Banff Mountain Book Competition
The Banff Mountain Book Competition and Banff Mountain Photo Essay Competition celebrate the best in mountain literature and photography. Both these competitions are now open!
Inviting all authors and publishers to submit entries to this internationally recognized literary competition that celebrates mountain literature in all its forms. Over $16,000 in cash and prizes. Deadline: June 30, 2017.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2lZSdFv
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2nd Annual 10-minute Play Festival
We had so much fun producing last year’s fest we decided to do it again!
Theme: “That’s so gay.”
The words, “That’s so gay.” Must be spoken by a character.
The context? Author’s choice.
Every script must have 2-4 characters.
No children’s shows or musicals.
10 pages (10 minutes) max.
Will be staged in strict “black box” style.
NO PLAY MAY HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED, READ IN PUBLIC, OR PRODUCED BEFORE. NO EXCEPTIONS.
POSTMARK DEADLINE: June 30, 2017
Plays will be produced in September of 2017. Dates to be announced.
8-10 plays will be produced.
1st prize $300.00 – plus a trophy
2nd prize $200.00 – plus a medal
3rd prize $100.00 – plus a medal
Entry fee: $10.00– check or money order.
For more details, please visit http://www.etcmemphistheater.com/upcoming-season.html
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The Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Contest
The 2017 contest is now open!
Theme: Beach Life
$500 1st Prize, $250 2nd Prize, $100 3rd Prize
Deadline: July 1, 2017
Entry fee: $10
The Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Contest is sponsored by Browseabout Books, Rehoboth Beach, DE
The goal of the Rehoboth Beach Reads contest is to showcase good writing while creating a great book for summer reading. One of the most popular activities for residents and visitors is reading on the beach, and the contest seeks to collect the kinds of short, engaging stories that help readers relax, escape, and enjoy their time at the beach.
Each story must incorporate the chosen theme and also have a strong connection to Rehoboth Beach (writers do not have to live in Rehoboth).
For more details, please visit http://catandmousepress.com/contest/
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2017 Hopper Poetry Prize
The Hopper, a literary magazine from Green Writers Press, is open for submissions of full-length manuscripts to its 2017 Hopper Poetry Prize. This contest is open to poets with an identified interest in the natural world and whose work explores issues tied to our ever-changing environment. The winning poetry manuscript will be selected by the editors of The Hopper in collaboration with Dede Cummings, publisher of Green Writers Press, to be published by Green Writers Press as a collection in the spring of 2018. The winning poet will also receive $250 in prize money.
The competition is open to all poets, regardless of publication history. Publication is contingent on the poet’s agreeing to the terms of the publishing agreement.
There is an entry fee of $25. Deadline: July 1, 2017.
For more details, please visit https://greenwriterspress.submittable.com/submit
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Big Break Contest Launches Careers
- Enter your screenplay or teleplay in the Big Break Contest by July 14, 2017 and launch your writing career
- 11 Feature Genre and TV Format Winners share over $80,000 in cash and prizes, including The Final Draft®/New York Film Academy Fellowship in Writing for Film & Television
- Two Grand Prize Award Winners are flown to Hollywood for a series of meetings and networking with industry professionals
- Join past winners who scored representation with A-list executives and have seen their scripts optioned, sold, and produced
- We’re excited to bring you two new Diversity categories to help celebrate and promote stories from underrepresented writers
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2nvPZid
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The Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers
The Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers.
Prizes: $500 prizes will be awarded in both the fiction and poetry categories, and the winning manuscripts will appear in the spring issue of Nimrod. Winners will have the chance to work with the Nimrod board of editors to refine and edit their manuscripts before publication.
Open only to writers whose work has not appeared or is not scheduled to appear in more than 2 publications.
- Poetry: Up to 5 pages of poetry (one long poem or several short poems)
- Fiction: 5,000 words maximum (one short story or a self-contained excerpt from a novel)
Dates: Contest opens May 1st, 2017. Postmark Deadline: July 15th, 2017.
For more details, please visit https://nimrod.utulsa.edu/Francine_Ringold_awards.html
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Second Annual Ex Ophidia Press Poetry Book Contest
$25.00 USD
Deadline: August 15, 2017
Fee: $25.00 USD for each manuscript
The prize: The winning author shall receive a $1,000 cash prize and 15 author copies of the book.
Eligibility: Open to all English-language authors (of any age, ethnicity, gender or orientation) for a book of poetry. Suggested length of manuscript is between 64 and 84 pages, single-spaced; Word document ONLY. By submitting, all authors attest that the work is their own.
For more details, please visit http://www.exophidiapress.org/poetry-book-prize.html
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St. Martin’s Minotaur/ Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition Contests for Writers
Sponsored by Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America (MWA)
The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any Published Novel (in any genre), as defined by the guidelines below, (except that authors of self-published works only may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel.
Deadline for 2018 is December 2017. Please check the official website for details at http://mysterywriters.org/about-mwa/st-martins/
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Gover Story Prize
Best New Writing accepts unpublished fiction and creative nonfiction under 10,000 words for publication and consideration for the Gover Story Prize ($250). The story must be new and unpublished, including on-line publication. Submissions are read quarterly following the last day of March, June, September, and December. You will receive a response within two weeks of those dates. Simultaneous submissions cannot be considered. Please, no more than one submission per quarter, and STRIP YOUR NAME from the story pages. If your story was previously published, including on-line publications, please do not submit it.
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Metamorphose Short Story Publication
We are currently accepting short stories in the fantasy and science fiction genres ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words for publication on our website. Each year the top 3-5 stories will be published as the featured short story in Metamorphose’s Anthology in the fall. All accepted submissions receive free professional edits on their submission. International submissions welcome.
Open: Always
Pay: Stories published in the anthology are eligible for royalty sales.
Submission Fee: $5
URL: http://www.metamorphoselit.com/submit/
Contact Info: Tammy Davies, contact@metamorphoselit.com
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New England Poetry Club Contests
New England Poetry Club has always recognized the outstanding work of poets with its annual awards and contests. Some awards, such as The Golden Rose and the May Sarton Award, are given in recognition of career excellence, while others are run as contests. This page is a complete listing of annual awards and contests. If you choose to enter a contest, please be sure to read the guidelines before entering, as they may have changed from previous years. The link to submit entries online can be found in the guidelines tab.
Submissions accepted only in May and June each year.
For more details, please visit http://www.nepoetryclub.org/contests/
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Neil Postman Award for Metaphor
Rolling Deadline
(no fee)
Although primarily known as an educationist and a media critic, Neil Postman was, at his core, a “noticer”—and he particularly noticed what we do with metaphor and how metaphor shapes and creates our cognitive world. Postman maintained that words (and words, in truth, are metaphors) are as much the driver of reality as they are the vehicle. Consequently, metaphor was not a subject to be relegated and limited to high school poetry units wherein a teacher drones on about the difference between “like” and “as” and considers the job finished. For Postman, the study of metaphor was unending and metaphors were as crucial as they were omnipresent; they served to give form to and dictate experience.
In honor and remembrance of Neil Postman, who died on October 5, 2003, we have established the Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. The motivation for the award is simple and two-fold: To reward a given writer for his or her use of metaphor, and to celebrate (and hopefully propagate) Postman’s work and the typographical mind.
Each spring the editors will choose one poem from all of the submissions received by Rattle during the previous year. The author of the chosen poem will receive $500. There are no entry fees or special submission guidelines. Send up to 5 unpublished poems plus a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to: Rattle, 12411 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604. To browse previous winners, and for information on how to submit electronically, visit our website: http://www.rattle.com/poetry/extras/postman/
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Nonfiction Book Awards
Welcome to the NEW Nonfiction Book Awards! As an extension of the Nonfiction Authors Association, we are committed to honoring excellence in nonfiction books and welcome submissions by self-published and traditionally published authors alike, in both print and ebook formats. Publishers are also welcome to submit books for award consideration.
– See more at: http://nonfictionauthorsassociation.com/nonfiction-book-awards/#sthash.H0SVcAFl.dpuf
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The Thistle Dew Theatre & KTDT Dramady seeks plays for Stage and Radio
http://thistledewtheatre.blogspot.com/
Call for play submissions: monologues, short plays, one act or full-length plays for stage and radio.
Monthly themed monologues and short plays needed. On-going, no submission fee, no deadline. This is a competition with one winner per production: $25.00.
Continuing call: No fees… no deadlines….
Tales/Lies for THE LIAR’S LAIR
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Zone 3 Nonfiction Award
Zone 3 is accepting submissions for its nonfiction contest. For online submissions, click here to complete the submission manager form, choose “Zone 3 Nonfiction Award” for your genre, and upload your essay. You will be directed to another webpage for secure payment. For paper submissions, submit one essay with SASE and $10 entry fee to: Zone 3, APSU, P.O. Box 4565, Clarksville, TN 37044. No deadline. All entrants will receive a one-year subscription. The winner will be announced on our website. Prize: $250 and publication. For details, visit http://www.apsu.edu/zone3/contests
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Zone 3 Fiction Award
Zone 3 is now accepting submissions for its twelfth annual fiction award. For online submissions, click here to complete the submission manager form, choose “Zone 3 Fiction Award” for your genre, and upload your story. You will be directed to another webpage for secure payment. For paper submissions, submit one story with SASE and $10 entry fee to: Zone 3, APSU, P.O. Box 4565, Clarksville, TN 37044. No deadline. All entrants will receive a one-year subscription to Zone 3. The winner will be announced on our website. Prize: $250 and publication. For details, visit http://www.apsu.edu/zone3/contests
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Zone 3 Poetry Award
Zone 3 is now accepting submissions for its annual poetry award. Submit up to three poems via our online submissions manager. Click here to log in and upload your poems; choose “Zone 3 Poetry Award” for your genre. You will be directed to another webpage for secure payment. No deadline. All entrants will receive a one-year subscription to Zone 3. The winner will be announced on our website. Prize: $250 and publication. For details, visit http://www.apsu.edu/zone3/contests
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Wielding Power Essay Writing Contests
Prizes
Winner- The winner will have their answer published, receive ten free copies of the issue (pdfs), and $1000. There will be one winner.
Finalists- The finalists will be published and receive ten free copies of the issue (pdfs). There will be two finalists.
Who May Submit
Submissions are open to all US and Canada residents (except Quebec) above the age of 18. Submission is free. You may submit up to 10 entries per question. Submissions cannot be the work of multiple authors.
How and What to Submit
IMPORTANT: failure to adhere to the following may result in disqualification. See Official Rules for complete details.
- All entries should be between 500 and 2000 words.
- To ease reading and ensure uniformity of entries- please format your answer in 12pt Times New Roman, double spaced.
- Please send your entries as a Microsoft Word or Google Document attachment to submit@wieldingpowerpublishing.com
For more information, visit http://www.wieldingpowerpublishing.com/submit/
Ongoing deadlines.
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The People’s Book Awards
Welcome to the people’s Book Awards where anyone can nominate or vote for titles available on the *Amazon sites worldwide, or support those important people who provide services to authors. Monthly winners.
The monthly and annual voting closes at 17:00 hours British Standard Time on the last day of each month and the votes of non-winning titles are carried forward, except in December. Monthly winning titles are taken out of the competition and will be returned in December if confirmed as a nomination for the Annual Awards by a direct message (DM) on Twitter or email to winner@thebookawards.com. Each year the voting closes on December 31st following the Annual Awards and all votes are returned to zero for the coming year.
To learn more, visit http://thebookawards.com/awards/
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Ekphrasis Prize for Poetry
Ekphrasis is a poetry journal looking for well-crafted poems, the main content of which addresses individual works from any artistic genre. Please identify the specific work that is the focus of your poem. Acceptable ekphrastic verse transcends mere description: it stands as transformative critical statement, an original gloss on the individual art piece it addresses.
All poems published in Ekphrasis within a given calendar year will be considered for the Ekphrasis Prize for Poetry.
The winning poem will be selected by the editors of Ekphrasis.
No entry fees are required and there is no self-nomination procedure for the prize.
For submission guidelines, visit http://www.ekphrasisjournal.com/home
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Diana Woods Memorial (DWM) Award
Creative nonfiction authors are invited to submit an essay of up to 5,000 words on the subject of their choice to be considered for the Diana Woods Memorial (DWM) Award in creative nonfiction. Winners will receive $250 and their work will be featured in the next issue of Lunch Ticket. Each award recipient must submit a 100-word biography, current photo, and send a brief note of thanks to the Woods’ family.
For more details and to submit, visit http://lunchticket.org/the-diana-woods-memorial-award/
The reading period for the award will be the month of February for the issue that publishes in June, and the month of August for the issue that publishes in December. Please note that previously published work will not be accepted.
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L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest
- Entrants retain all publication rights
- No entry fee is required
- All awards are adjudicated by professional writers only
- Prizes every three months: $1,000, $750, $500
- Annual grand prize: $5,000 additional!
- Opportunity for new and amateur writers of new short stories or novelettes of sf or fantasy
There shall be three cash prizes in each quarter: a First Prize of $1,000, a Second Prize of $750, and a Third Prize of $500, in US dollars. In addition, at the end of the year the winners will have their entries rejudged, and a Grand Prize winner shall be determined and receive an additional $5,000. All winners will also receive trophies.
The Contest has four quarters, beginning on October 1, January 1, April 1 and July 1. The year will end on September 30. To be eligible for judging in its quarter, an entry must be postmarked or received electronically no later than midnight on the last day of the quarter. (Deadlines: December 31, March 31, June 30, September 30). Late entries will be included in the following quarter and the Contest Administration will so notify the entrant.
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events & workshops
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The Independent Authors Conference
The Independent Authors Conference is taking place November 3rd-5th, 2017 in the Sonesta hotel in the heart of downtown Philadelphia.
The Independent Authors Conference is a skills-building educational weekend event for 500 independent authors. Our goal is to bring together bright minds to lead sessions that will improve skills, foster learning, and inspire creativity.
Our purpose is to give independent authors the practical skills they need to publish and market their books and manage careers as independent authors.
There will be two tracks – publishing and marketing, plus keynote presentations, panel discussions, and workshops.
For more details, please visit https://sites.grenadine.co/sites/rps/en/bookbaby
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The Weekly Writing PostTM is brought to you by
The Writing PoolTM
http://www.thewritingpool.com
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The Writing Pool 