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Submit your contest for possible posting. But first, please read what we DON'T post. Then if your contest appears to meet our guidelines, submit your contest.
Most recently added contest(s) noted in pink -- Contests posted by deadline date.
Read "Writing Contest Cautions" by Dana K Cassell at www.wordpreneur.com/2007/03/writing-contest-cautions/#more-207
Poetry: Taking Its Course - improve your poetry in 7 lessons - click for information
In the Midnight Hour Halloween Fiction Contest - maximum 3500 words. Award: $500 & publication, Entry fee: $15. Deadline: August 31, 2008. Info: www.oncewritten.com/Contests/MidnightHour.php
$33-and-a-third Meritorious Boon rant contest: "Bad Job, Good Times; Good Job, Bad Times." Write a rant about either a) the best experience you ever had while working an otherwise terrible job, or b) the worst thing that ever happened to you as a part of an otherwise great job. Award: $33.33 and publication on Poor Mojo's Almanac(k). No entry fee. Deadline: August 31, 2008. Info: www.poormojo.org/contest.html.
Baby Boomer humor writing contest. Awards: $125, $75, $50. Entry fee: $5. Deadline: August 31, 2008. Info: www.leeannrubsam.com/contest.html
Lilly Badilly Travel Writing Contest for kids ages 5 to 10. Awards: $25 plus an autographed copy of the Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly: Costa Rica. No entry fee. Deadline: September 1, 2008. Info: http://smartpoodlepublishing.com/blog/?page_id=8
Newport Review Fourth Annual Flash Fiction Contest for stories of up to 750 perfectly chosen words. Awards: $150, $100, $50. All winning stories and honorable mentions will be published in a future issue of Newport Review. Entry fee: $7 per story, 3 for $20. Deadline: postmarked by September 1, 2008. Info: Newport Review, Flash Fiction Contest, PO Box 65, Warren RI 02885; http://newportreview.org/contests.htm.
Raving Dove's Evolve Beyond Violence Nonfiction Essay Award. First prize: $1,000 plus publicity and publication; three honorable mentions. Submit a 600- to 800-word essay with one or more of the following themes: anti-war, anti-violence, human rights, peace. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: September 1, 2008. Info: www.ravingdove.org/award
Literary Cottage is currently seeking entries for Woodstock Revisited, an anthology to be published by Adams Media. Pays $100 per story & one copy of the book. Plus, $100, $75, $50 to top three stories per volume. We are seeking fifty true stories written by people who attended the 1969 Woodstock Festival. This anthology will document the event itself, but will also provide a portrait of America as that tumultuous decade came to a close. Stories should be historical within the context of 1969 and yet unique to your experience. Stories must be true, 850-1100 words, vivid, and substantive. Deadline: September 7, 2008. Please carefully review the details and sample story provided on the "Woodstock '69 Guidelines" page available on www.literarycottage.com.
The Ralph Williams Memorial Prize for Speculative Fiction, a short story contest, has been re-opened for submissions. Awards: Grand prize, $5,000; category prizes $1,000. Two written critiques per entry. Entry fee: $50. Deadline: September 10, 2008, or until 300 entries are received. Info: www.rwcontest.com or write 7800 Snow View Drive, Anchorage AK 99507; or stpatel@gci.net.
High Prairie Poets - New Mexico State Poetry Society Bimonthly Contests. Open to all poets. 32-line limit. Awards: $20, $10, $5 plus 3 honorable mentions; no poems published. Entry fee: $2 first poem; $1 each additional poem. Deadline: September 20, 2008. Info: Send SASE to Carol Dee Meeks, Silver Arrow Estates, 2601 South Elm Place, Apt. #108, Broken Arrow OK 74012; or e-mail c_pmeeks@hotmail.com.
Literary Cottage is currently seeking entries for My Dog Is My Hero, an anthology to be published by Adams Media. Pays $100 per story & one copy of the book. Plus, $100, $75, $50 to top three stories per volume. For the fourth book in Adams Media's Hero Series, we are seeking fifty 850-1100-word stories featuring a remarkable dog in your life. Yes, about dogs and only dogs, not
cats, or other pets. Please review the spelled out guidelines and sample stories on the "Hero Series Guidelines" page available on www.literarycottage.com. Deadline: September 30, 2008.
Whisper from the Heart Poetry Club - Poems, Short Stories, Art and Photography. Awards: Publication in anthology. Entry fee: South Africa £5.00; £1.00 for students. Deadline: September 30, 2008. Info: www.whisperpoetry.com/index.php/Competition-&-Rules.html
The Movie Deal Screenplay Contest 2008 - 9 Categories. Awards: Top scripts in each category will be reviewed by a Hollywood Agency; other prizes as well (software, gift cards, memberships). Entry fees: $50 script or pilot; $20 short script. Deadline: September 30, 2008. Info: 2418 W. Bloomingdale Avenue, Suite C3, Chicago IL 60647; www.themoviedeal.com.
2008 Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction. Awards: $1,000, $500, $250. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: October 1, 2008. Info: Zoetrope Contest, 916 Kearny Street, San Francisco CA 94133; www.all-story.com/contests.cgi.
Zirdland Novel Competition. Award: $1,000. No entry fee. Contest is judged completely by the new Arc Angel Story Analysis program. Deadline: October 10, 2008. Info: http://zirdland.com.
Rusty Bumper Seasonal Writing Competition: Halloween. Original poems or prose (fiction or nonfiction including creative nonfiction) on any theme or topic related to Halloween. Awards: $250, $100, $50, publication on Web site. Entry fee: $13. Deadline: October 13, 2008. Info: Halloween Writing Contest, c/o Rusty Bumper, PO Box 8171, Holland MI 49422; www.rustybumperworld.com/writing_contest.html
The Earth Vision Nature Writing Contest 2008, short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetic prose, or poetry. Awards: $500, $100, $100. Entry fee: $12. Deadline: October 15, 2008. Info: www.evbooks.net/contest.htm
Inspired Alms First Annual Writing Contest, poem or short story. Awards: $1000, $500 (half goes to charity of writer's choice). Entry fee: $6, $11. Deadline: October 15, 2008. Info: www.inspiredalms.com, inspiredalms@yahoo.com.
Fall Fiction Contest - maximum 5,000 words. Award: $1,000 & publication. Entry fee: $20. Deadline: October 31, 2008. Info: www.oncewritten.com/Contests/FictionContest.php.
Bards and Sages 5th Annual Writing Competition. Theme: Blood, Fangs, and Fire: Tales of Dragons and Vampires. Contest benefits the Children's Literacy Initiative. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: October 31, 2008. Info: www.bardsandsages.com/2008contest.
Hollis Summers Poetry Prize for a poetry collection of 60-95 pages. Award: $1,000 plus publication. Entry fee: $20. Deadline: October 31, 2008. Info: Hollis Summers Poetry Prize, Ohio University Press, 19 Circle Drive, The Ridges, Athens OH 45701; www.ohioswallow.com/poetry_prize.
Tapestry of Bronze Poetry Contest: Odes to the Olympians. Subject: Hera/Juno. Maximum 30 lines. Awards: $50, honorable mentions. No entry fee posted. Deadline: November 15, 2008. Info: www.tapestryofbronze.com/OdeForm.html.
Central Coast Writers Branch 2009 Writing Contest for poetry and short stories. Awards: $500 and publication (print and online) in the Homestead Review (Hartnell College, Salinas, CA). Entry fees: $15 per short story; $5 per poem. Deadline: November 15, 2008. Info and guidelines: www.centralcoastwriters.org; www.centralcoastwriters.org/2009-spring-contest-rules.htm
Suspense Magazine First Annual Writing Contest. All entries must be in the suspense/mystery/thriller genre. Writers retain all rights. Awards: Winner will receive 12 Bestselling Books (many or all of them autographed by the authors). Second and Third places will receive Amazon.com gift cards. No entry fee. Deadline: December 31, 2008. Info: www.suspensemagazine.com/contest.html.
Creative Quills Writing Contests: Humorous story or essay; Inspirational essay; Poetry. Awards: $150 and online publication ($50 for poetry), online publication and editing/promotional consultation, promotional consultation and literary advice. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: December 31, 2008. Info: www.creativequills.com; booklady@creativequills.com; Andrea Foster, Creative Quills, PO Box 942, Kingfisher OK 73750.
Annual Neurobiological Learning Society Choice and Top Choice Awards for (1) published or unpublished books; (2) published or unpublished articles; and (3) published or unpublished enduring public education media concerning any aspect of the neurobiology of learning, especially transformative learning. Awards: (1) Top Choice Award: $100, review and press release; (2) Up to 30 choice awards, 10 each for books, articles and enduring public education media: review and press release. Entry fee: $25. Deadline: December 31, 2008. Info: Daniel S. Janik MD PhD, 2630 Kapiolani Blvd #1601, Honolulu HI 96826; phone/fax (808) 941-3927; drjanik@gmail.com; Intercultural Communications College, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd #1000, Honolulu HI 96814; (808) 946-2445, fax (808) 946-2231.
Buffalo Carp's Flash Fiction Contest for up to 600 words. Awards: $250 plus five copies Buffalo Carp, Volume 6. All entries will be considered for publication. Entry fee: $10 for each submission of up to three stories. Deadline: January 16, 2009. Info: Flash Fiction Contest, Buffalo Carp, Quad City Arts, 1715 Second Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201; buffalocarp@gmail.com.
Annual Writers-Editors International Writing Competition. Nonfiction (Previously Published and Unpublished); Fiction (Short Story and Novel Chapter); Children's Literature; Poetry. Awards: $100, $75, $50. Entry fee: $3–$20. Deadline: March 15, 2009. Click for Guidelines and Entry form or send SASE to CNW Contest, PO Box A, North Stratford NH 03590.
OnceWritten.com Annual Poetry Contest. Award: $500 & publication. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: March 31, 2009. Info: www.oncewritten.com/Contests/PoetryContest.php.
Our Contest Posting Rules & Guidelines
We will NOT knowingly post or leave posted contests that retain all rights to either submitted or winning entries. Nor will we knowingly post contests that assume the right to publish all entries, either on the Web or in print, thereby costing the creators the ability to eventually sell first rights. Such contests are simply attempting to get free content or, even worse, are getting the writers to pay for their content. If winners only are posted or published, the writer can determine prior to entering whether or not the winning prize money is sufficient for transferring first or one-time rights.
Thus, we will not post contests where entries are posted for general judging by site visitors.
Similarly, we will not post contests where the entrants must post their entries on their own sites or blogs, or get them published on others' sites or blogs, with the intent of linking back to the sponsor's directed Web site or blog, and particularly using key words that will be of benefit to the sponsor. Our feeling is that if an author or Web site owner wishes to use others' material to drive traffic to them, or to rev up their ad click revenues, they should simply pay writers for their promotional or content writing.
Also, we do not post contests sponsored by book publishers that have entry or reading fees, with the reward being a published book and/or advance. Viable publishing houses treat manuscript reading and advances as costs of doing business, and do not charge authors for submissions.
We also do not knowingly post contests requesting material that is pornographic/erotic or promotes violence.
We do not post contests where the "prize money" is really a certificate or credit toward products or services that will cost the writer additional money in order to accept the prize.
We post literary contests that offer cash, publication, or book (or related) prizes, but not those where the prize is a house or other property. These contests are illegal in a number of locations.
We may post "Calls for Anthology Submissions" on our Contests page; however, we will not post anthology notices if (1) there is a submission fee required, (2) rights to *entries* are retained, or (3) rights to *winning entries* extend beyond one-time use in that anthology.
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