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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“The crazy thing about poetry is how its simplicity makes it complicated.” |
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I have to admit that the very first genre I wrote in was poetry. I grew up with Whitman, Longfellow, and Tennyson. I could not get enough of Frost or Stevenson. Shakespeare’s sonnets were my nightly prayers and Shelley was my moon. A little later, I met Hopkins and Arnold, the Williamses and Eliot, Donne and Burns. They were not the only ones, I must confess. There were dozens of others and, for a while, I even pursued a cummingesque stage. It wasn’t always serious poetry, because I always found a way to return to Nash and Lear. A course on Japanese literature and culture renewed my interest in the short forms of haiku and tanka, and the purist in me cringes when I read haiku that don’t fulfill the original purpose of the form. The best thing about poetry, and I say this to encourage all writers to try their hand at it, is both the freedom of the form as well as the challenge of expressing ideas, emotions, or incidents in very few words—unless you are writing epic poetry or some narrative form, in which case you could have a whole book, as was the case with Dante. It’s not likely we will return to writing drama in verse form as Shakespeare did, nor are do we see many lengthy contemporary poems that run over a few pages. On the other hand, multiculturalism has opened up several forms of poetry not frequently observed in the canon of literature in English and we now celebrate Hispanic, Italian, French, German, and Arabic forms and writers. Not surprising is that a large proportion of that poetry is from the past century or earlier. Probably because it takes longer for poetry to establish a foothold in the classical literary canon. Regardless of the geographic or cultural origin of the poetry that move you, the fact that it does move you is what makes poetry succeed. Like any other great literature, it must have the power to move the readers, the power to connect with the readers, so readers recognize some universal truth in what they read. Regardless of how you do or do not incorporate figures of speech, rhythm, or rhyme, if the poem resonates or strikes a chord in the reader, it succeeds. If you are not a writer of poetry, I encourage you to try your hand at it. Read some poetry and when you find something that resonates with you, use it as a model, as an inspiration to write one of your own—or many. Every writer has that yearning to express something more personal without having to write a sentence or more. Every writer has words and thoughts that tug at their hearts and need to be released. You could just fall in love with free verse and, if you are brave enough to wander towards the deeper end, you might just discover some other form that works for you. You don’t have to become a poet. You just need to learn to express yourself personally in fewer words. Not only is it good practice for writing more concisely, you just might become a poet!
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
Juxtapose — a Summer Workshop with Isabel Huggan
August 12-13, 2017 at The Haviland Club, Charlottetown
Sign up online by visiting: https://www.peiwritersguild.com/juxtapose/
This workshop, featuring methods of juxtaposition, is suitable for writers of fiction, nonfiction (especially memoir) and poetry.
Isabel Huggan has arranged her exercises in such a way that participants can end on Saturday with a first draft, and a real sense of accomplishment. For those wishing to go further toward improving that initial piece of writing – through the process of positive criticism, group reaction, and opportunity to revise during the workshop, the half-day period on Sunday will allow time for sharing the first draft and beginning the next level of revision. This further work together is not “essential” but is highly recommended.
The writing exercises – focusing on a series of methods to “put things together in unexpected ways” — stimulate creativity, especially by juxtaposing seemingly unrelated images, events, memories and ideas. The “element of surprise” is one of our most effective tools as writers, no matter what we are writing — and this workshop offers several non-linear methods for gaining access to good material AND using it in a new and creative manner. Participants begin with methods such as word-collage, idea-layering, image-filtering and random connections…. and where they end up – with fresh pages of wonderful new writing — will astonish them.
The workshop may initially appear to be “play” but as the day progresses there is time designated for “work” too, time for writing some final piece – memoir, personal essay, story or poem – that has resulted from directed juxtaposition of material, and divergent responses. The techniques learned in this workshop can be duplicated endlessly at home and refreshed according to each writer’s individual needs.
Isabel Huggan’s chief concern with any workshop is that it be easily extended forward into the writing experience of participants.
What to bring? Nothing but love of language, good humour, readiness to try new techniques and a sense of adventure… Add, of course, your own paper or notebook, and bring along (besides your usual pen) a few coloured pencils or markers. Be prepared to discover within your own experience enough material to keep you writing for another fifty years…..
Isabel Huggan is looking forward to coming back to Charlottetown!
Sign up online by visiting: https://www.peiwritersguild.com/juxtapose/
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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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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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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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SUMMER 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 righ-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 SUMMER 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) – CLOSED
SUMMER: June – August 31st, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) – NOW OPEN!
ENTRY FEE: $10.00
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The HG Wells SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Founded by the world-renowned BBC Aeronautics Correspondent Reg Turnill and his wife, Margaret, to celebrate the life and works of HG Wells and encourage creative writing, especially among the young, the prestigious HG Wells Short Story Competition offers generous Senior and Junior prizes and free publication of all shortlisted entries in a quality, professionally published paperback anthology.
Theme: Light
Closing date: 16 July 2017
Submit: hgwstory@gmail.com
For details, please visit https://hgwellscompetition.com/competition-rules-2017/
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The Stringybark ‘Dog Eat Dog’ Award 2017
Following on from our popular thematic Stringybark Erotic Fiction Award 2015 where the story related to the name of a cocktail, this award gives writers free-rein to dance with the Devil and break the ground rules of good writing by submitting a story which contains a common cliché and is titled that cliché. There are some great lists of clichés on the web to whet your appetite. For example:
681 Clichés to avoid in writing or read the Wikipedia article: to get a sense of its meaning.
NOTE: This competition is not to see how many clichés you can shoehorn into your story. Rather it is to inspire you to write a great story. We don’t like clichés and wouldn’t want to see more than one in your tale. The Prize value for this competition is over $1000 in cash and books. International entries are most welcome.
The story must:
- Address the theme;
- Be written for an adult audience (that is, we aren’t after children’s stories); and
- Be 1500 words or fewer in length.
Closing date for entries is 16 July 2017. Results will be posted on the website on 26 September 2017.
For more details, please visit http://www.stringybarkstories.net/competitions/open-competitions.html
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SFWP Awards Program
Deadline: July 20th, 2017
Click here for submission details!
- Open to everyone over the age of 18. International entries welcome. You and your entry do not need to be associated with New Mexico, we publish a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction globally. You can find a list of past winners right here.
- What are we looking for? All fiction and creative nonfiction will be eligible despite genre, form, subject, or length. So, we’ll take full-length manuscripts, works-in-progress, collections short or long, and essays. We don’t care about what the big presses believe to be “marketable,” we want to see excellence in writing, no matter the form it takes. Past winners have ranged from flash fiction to memoir to magical realism to literary fiction to cultural essays.
- The grand prize is $1,500, and two runner-ups will receive $1,000 each.
- Authors retain all rights to their work.
- Winners will be offered a competitive book contract for full-market, frontlist release. There’s no obligation to sign this contract.
- There is a $30 reading fee.
- Deadline: July 20th, 2017.
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2017 Indie Ebook Awards
Library Journal is proud to host its third annual Indie Ebook Awards, celebrating the best self-published ebooks in romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy and young adult. All submissions will be evaluated by a committee of librarians and supervised by LJ editors. One winner and two honorable mentions from each genre will be selected. Each genre winner shall receive $1,000, and all winners and honorable mentions will also receive:
- A full LJ review
• A promotional ad in LJ’s December 2017 Issue
• Recognition at the LJ Indie Ebook Awards reception at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2018 Midwinter Meeting in Denver
Additionally, one grand prize winner will be selected from among all genres. This winner will receive all of the above-mentioned rewards, plus:
- A keynote speaking engagement at the 2018 Cities + Libraries Summit in Charleston, South Carolina
Submissions are due by 11:59 EST on July 31, 2017.
For more details, please visit https://selfe.librariescreate.com/indieawards2017/
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WTP Literary Competition: Prose
First Prize: Writing Retreat to the Legendary Hamptons, NY.
Destination for writers from around the world; home to Peter Matthiessen, George Plimpton, Truman Capote, among other literary legends; seven-nights; accommodations for two in spacious four-bedroom residence, within walking distance to train, ocean beach, and town; full amenities; flexible bookings (Note: transportation costs not included; no pets allowed)
- Publication in special winners edition of The Woven Tale Press
- Complimentary copy of print edition
- WTP Spotlight
- WTP (728 x 90 px) leaderboard homepage announcement
Submission Deadline: July 31
Entry Fee: $20 (per single work)
Submission Requirements: 6000-word maximum; literary fiction or creative nonfiction (self-standing excerpts okay); previously unpublished; electronic submissions only; double-spaced; bio.
For more details, please visit http://www.thewoventalepress.net/literary-competition-prose/
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Winchester Poetry Prize 2017
celebrating the best in new writing
First Prize: £1,000
2nd Prize: £500
3rd Prize: £250
Judge: Sarah Howe
Entry fee: £5 for first poem, £4 for subsequent poems
Closing Date: 31 July 2017
For more details, please visit http://www.winchesterpoetryfestival.org/poetryprize
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International 3-Day Novel Contest
Can you produce a masterwork of fiction in three short days? The 3-Day Novel Contest is your chance to find out. For 40 years, hundreds of writers have stepped up to the challenge each Labour Day weekend, fuelled by nothing but adrenaline and the desire for spontaneous literary nirvana. It’s a thrill, a grind, a 72-hour kick in the pants and an awesome creative experience. How many crazed plotlines, coffee-stained pages, pangs of doubt and moments of genius will next year’s contest bring forth? And what will you think up under pressure?
Prizes
1st Prize: Publication*
2nd Prize: $500
3rd Prize: $100
*The first prize winner will be offered a publishing contract by Anvil Press after the winner announcement in the spring following the contest. Once the contract is signed, the winning novel will be edited, published and released by next year’s contest.
Early registration deadline: The deadline for early registration is July 31st, 11:59 p.m. Normal registration must be made by September 1, 2017, 11:59 p.m. Early entry fee is $35; normal entry fee is $50.
Early registration fee: $35 in Canada; $35USD elsewhere
For more details, please visit http://www.3daynovel.com/registration/
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2017 Constance Rooke CNF Prize
The Malahat Review, Canada’s premier literary magazine, invites entries from Canadian, American, and overseas authors for its Constance Rooke CNF Prize.
The grand prize is $1,000 (Canadian funds) to one winner.
The 2017 contest judge is Brian Brett.
The Constance Rooke Creative Nonfiction Prize is awarded to the best work submitted to the magazine’s annual contest for a genre that embraces, but is not limited to, the personal essay, memoir, narrative nonfiction, social commentary, travel writing, historical accounts, and biography, all enhanced by such elements as description, dramatic scenes, dialogue, and characterization.
Deadline: August 1, 2017
For more details, please visit http://www.malahatreview.ca/contests/creative_non-fiction_prize/info.html
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Screencraft Short Screenplay Contest 2017
This contest is open for entries!
Early Deadline: June 17, 2017
Final Deadline: August 1, 2017
Last year’s Winner Announcement Here
Rules and eligibility.
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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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Let There Be Light
Ends on August 21, 2017
Multiple price options
Write a 2,000-word fictional short story using any nuance, definition, or understanding of the word “light.”
Deadline: August 21st, 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/87902/let-there-be-light
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Violet Reed Haas Prize for Poetry
75-100-page manuscript
$1,000 prize and publication
An entry fee of $25 must accompany the manuscript
Previously published eligible
Deadline: August 31, 2017
For more details, please visit
http://www.snakenationpress.org/wordpress/submission-guidelines/
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Serena McDonald Kennedy Award
No more than 50,000-word novella or 200-page manuscript of short stories will be accepted. Any well written manuscript on any topic will be considered. Previously published works may be entered.
An entry fee of $25 must accompany the submission.
$1,000 award and publication
Deadline: August 31, 2017
For more details, please visit
http://www.snakenationpress.org/wordpress/submission-guidelines/
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THE NINTH ANNUAL Gemini Magazine FLASH FICTION CONTEST
FIRST PRIZE: $1,000
Second Prize: $100
Four Honorable Mentions: $25 each
Entry fee: $5 ($4/each additional entry)
Deadline: August 31, 2017
Maximum length: 1,000 words
All Six Finalists Will Be Published Online in the
October 2017 Issue of Gemini
WE ARE OPEN TO ANY SUBJECT, STYLE OR GENRE
Entries must be unpublished, but stories displayed on
personal blogs are eligible.
For more details, please visit http://www.gemini-magazine.com/contest.html
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OTP Contest #30: Community
Ends on September 1, 2017
Short story contest #30 launched on June 11, 2017. The premise is
COMMUNITY
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but that’s just one example of a kind of community and just one way a community can affect your life. There are plenty of others–good, bad, and otherwise. So, for this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which the idea of community (or some kind of community) plays an important role.
If you have any questions, please write to Questions@OnThePremises.com . Thanks!
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BIOM Narrative Medicine Essay Competition
The BIOM Narrative Medicine Essay Competition is an inaugural BIOM competition aimed at letting osteopathic medical students and residents explore global health and clinical medicine through the written word. Students and residents are invited to submit an original creative nonfiction essay up to 1,500 words in length on any firsthand global health experience they have had. The winner will receive a cash prize and the opportunity to present the work at the BIOM Seminar. Learn more about the essay competition.
The deadline for all competitions, including submitting a poster to the poster session, is Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, at 11:59 p.m.
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SAS Fiction Contest
Deadline: October 3, 2017
Fee: $20.00
The winner will be selected from this year’s submissions of original, unpublished short stories between 3,000 and 7,000 words with LGBT content on the broad theme of “Saints and Sinners.” This contest would not be possible without a generous grant from The John Burton Harter Foundation. Radclyffe is an eight-time Lambda Literary Award finalist in romance, mystery, and erotica—winning in both romance (Distant Shores, Silent Thunder) and erotica (Erotica Interludes 2: Stolen Moments). She is the president of Bold Strokes Books, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ publishing companies.
Prize:
One grand prize of $500 and two second place prizes of $100 will be awarded. In addition, the top stories will be published in an anthology from Bold Strokes Books. There will also be a book release party and reading held during the 15th annual Saints and Sinners Literary Conference in New Orleans in 2018. A list of the top ten finalists will be posted on our website and in our e-newsletter. Have a question about our writing contest? Please send questions to: pjwillisnola@aol.com.
For details, please visit https://tennesseewilliamsfestival.submittable.com/submit
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Pilot Launch TV Script Contest
Opens for entries: June 19
Early Deadline: July 13
Final Deadline: September 13
For details, please visit https://screencraft.org/pilot/
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Action & Thriller Script Contest
Opens for entries: July 17
Early Deadline: August 9
Final Deadline: October 11
For details, please visit https://screencraft.org/action/
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Write your story, change the world
FutureScapes is an annual writing competition that asks writers to envision a particular future, and tell us its story. We could run projections and publish reports, but there’s a reason why Oscar Wilde didn’t say, “Life imitates empirical studies.” We want to help writers of excellent potential find their voice while shaping tomorrow.
For 2017, the Futurescapes Contest theme is “Blue Sky Cities.” We’re seeking stories set in a near-future city where significant strides have been made toward improving air quality, climate adaptation, or even net positive impacts on climate and air quality.
Deadline: October 13, 2017
For details, please visit http://www.futurescapescontest.com/#rules
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River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Contest
River Teeth‘s editors and editorial board conduct a yearly national contest to identify the best book-length manuscript of literary nonfiction. All manuscripts are screened by the co-editors of River Teeth. The winner will receive $1,000 and publication by The University of New Mexico Press. Submissions open July 1, 2017.
All entrants receive a one-year subscription to River Teeth with their submission fees.
Deadline for Submissions: October 15, 2017
For more details, please visit http://www.riverteethjournal.com/contests
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Contest 2017: TW Prize for Personal Essay on Writing and Faith
$15.00 USD
The Talking Writing Prize is an annual contest that celebrates the diversity online of original, personally driven writing.
This year’s Talking Writing Prize for Personal Essay will spotlight our annual holiday theme. We’re looking for honest, unsentimental nonfiction about soul searching through words. How do you tackle life’s Big Questions? Writers are invited to address mortality, belief, culture of origin, atheism, or any other issues connected to making meaning in a complicated world.
Length: Up to 2,000 words. Include only the story title (not your name or affiliation) on the first page and in the page headers.
Deadline: October 16, 2017
Prize: $500 and publication in Talking Writing.
For more information, see http://talkingwriting.com/tw-contests
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Literary Awards Competition is now open
Submissions to the sixth annual Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards Writing Competition are being accepted through October 31, 2017. Entries are accepted in three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Winners will be honored at the 2018 Tucson Festival of Books on Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11.
First-place winners in each category will receive $1,000. Second-place winners receive $500, and third-place winners $250. All winners will be awarded scholarships (a $300 value) to the 2018 Tucson Festival of Books Masters Writing Workshop, on both Monday, March 12 and Tuesday, March 13. The top 50 entrants will be invited to attend the workshop ($300).
For more details, please visit http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/?id=436
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Flash 500’s 5th Novel Opening Chapter & Synopsis Competition
Have you started, or completed, a novel with strong, credible characters and a page turning plot? Have you honed the first chapter? Can you put together a compelling one page synopsis of the balance of the story? Yes? Then why not enter our Novel Opening Chapter competition and have your work judged by the senior editors at Crooked Cat Publishing? We welcome published, self-published and unpublished novelists. The only stipulation is that the entry must be unpublished.
We are looking for an opening chapter up to 3,000 words, plus a one page synopsis outlining the balance of the story. If your chapter is longer than 3,000 words, DO NOT SUBMIT A LONGER MANUSCRIPT. Simply close the entry within the 3,000-word limit and make a note at the end (which will not be included in the word count) stating the chapter continues beyond this point.
This is an annual competition: entries close on 31st October 2017.
Entry fee: £10/€13
Optional Critique of Chapter and Synopsis: £25/€32.50
Prizes will be awarded as follows:
First: £500
Runner up: £200
For more details, please visit http://www.flash500.com/index_files/novel.html
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Tennessee Williams Festival One-Act Play Contest
Deadline: November 1, 2017
Fee: $25.00
Grand Prize
- $1,500
- Professional Staged Reading at the next Festival
- VIP All-Access Festival pass ($600 value)
- Publication in Bayou Magazine
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Risk
Deadline: Monday, November 6, 2017
There is a $20 reading fee, waived for current subscribers.**
Every decision we make, whether as individuals or as a society, involves some risk—whether physical or emotional, economic or legal, social or spiritual. Our comfort level with uncertainty defines not only our choices in any given situation, but how we live.
For a special issue of Creative Nonfiction magazine, we’re seeking true stories illustrating the ways we balance the threat of loss against the promise of gain.
Above all, we are looking for vivid narratives—true stories, rich with scene, character, detail, and a distinctive voice—with unique insights into these questions.
Creative Nonfiction editors will award $1,000 for best essay and $500 for runner-up, and all essays submitted will be considered for publication.
For more details, please visit https://www.creativenonfiction.org/submissions/risk
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TWF Very Short Fiction Contest
Deadline: November 8, 2017
Fee: $10.00
Grand Prize
- $500
- Passes to Panels and Master Classes ($200 Value)
- Public reading at a literary panel at the next Festival
- Publication in New Orleans Review Web Features
For more details, please visit https://tennesseewilliamsfestival.submittable.com/submit
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Tennessee Williams Festival Poetry Contest
Deadline: November 15, 2017
Fee: $15.00
Grand Prize
- $1,000
- VIP All-Access Pass ($600 value) for the Festival
- Publication in Louisiana Cultural Vistas Magazine
- Public reading at the next Festival
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Tennessee Williams Festival Fiction Contest
Deadline: November 30, 2017
Fee: $25.00
Grand Prize:
$1,500
Domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the Festival in New Orleans
VIP All-Access Festival pass for the next Festival ($600 value)
Public reading at a literary panel at the next Festival
Publication in Louisiana Literature
For more details, please visit https://tennesseewilliamsfestival.submittable.com/submit
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2017 Ernest Hemingway Flash Fiction Prize
Entries for the Ernest Hemingway Flash Fiction Prize should be approximately 1500 words or less. Submissions should be unpublished and in .rtf, .doc, or .pdf format. Feel free to submit multiple stories, but please DO NOT submit multiple Word documents as one submission or one text document containing multiple stories. Instead, please submit each story as a SEPARATE entry (so that you complete an individual submission process for each story). Entries should be unpublished. Simultaneously submissions ARE welcome. Contest deadline is December 1st. Entry fee is $10. All entries will be considered for publication in Fiction Southeast.
- Winner – $200 and publication in Fiction Southeast
- Runners-up – publication in Fiction Southeast
For more details, please visit https://fictionsoutheast.submittable.com/submit
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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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Free Novel Contest
- Inkitt Invests A Minimum $6,000 in Your Book Marketing
- Proven Amazon Top 100 Strategy
- A Dedicated Marketing Team
- Professional Editing & Cover
- 25% Royalties
Inkitt is a new boutique publishing house. Our first novel launched mid 2016, and since then we’ve published 18 books, 17 of which became Amazon Bestsellers in their categories and ranked Top 100 among the four million books on Amazon. In the months to come we will be publishing one book every week.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2qLFPb8
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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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Saskatchewan Festival of Words
July 13-16, 2017
The 21st Saskatchewan Festival of Words features readings, workshops, literary trivia night, poetry slam, concert, dramatic readings and panels with award winning and emerging Canadian authors, including Yann Martel, Maureen Jennings, Rosanna Deerchild, Marina Endicott, Marie-Louise Gay, Harold Johnson, Sheri-D Wilson, Jael Richardson and more! festivalofwords.com »
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Port Medway Readers’ Festival
The Port Medway Readers’ Festival is a literary festival that takes place in Port Medway, Nova Scotia, during July and August.
Tickets are $20.00 per person per event. They include a reading at the Old Meeting House at 7 PM, followed by a book signing, sandwiches, and refreshments at the fire hall. These may be purchased by downloading and mailing our ticketing form (click HERE to download or print), or in person at one of our ticketing locations:
NOTE: Tickets will be at these locations after April 21.
- Lane’s Privateer Inn, 27 Bristol Ave., Liverpool NS (902) 354-3456
- Bridgewater Library, 135 N. Park St., Bridgewater: (902) 543-9222
- Lunenburg Library, 19 Pelham St., Lunenburg: (902) 634-8008
- Thomas Raddall Library, 145 Old Bridge St., Liverpool: (902) 354-5270
A festival sponsorship, available for $175.00, includes two tickets to each of the three readings.
For more details, please visit https://portmedwayreadersfestival.com/tickets/
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2017 San Francisco Writing for Change Conference
September 9th at the Unitarian Universalist Center, San Francisco, CA. This full-day event is for all writers who write to change the world.
Online registration is now open. http://sfwritingforchange.org/
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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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Wild Writers Festival
Waterloo, Ontario
$135.00
The New Quarterly is proud to present the sixth annual Wild Writers Literary Festival on November 3-5th, 2017. Join us for a celebration of the savage and free and its expression in poetry, the short story, and everything in between. Create, learn, discover and share the art of ground-breaking writing.
INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES WILL OPEN AT 12 NOON on SEPTEMBER 15, 2017. Tickets available at the door unless otherwise noted.
For more details, please visit https://tnq.ca/product/wild-writers-festival/
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The 15th SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE
FEBRUARY 15-18, 2018 at the Mark Hopkins Hotel
The San Francisco Writers Conference is on President’s Day Weekend next year—February 15-18 on your calendar and register as soon as possible. As you know, the SFWC sells out every year so it is never too early to register and save your seat. CLICK HERE to register now.
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