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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. (We need the basics: Name of contest, brief description of what is to be submitted, awards, entry fee, deadline, website URL, and contact email for our follow-up questions.)
Most recently added contest(s) noted in pink -- Contests posted by deadline date.
Read Writing Contest Cautions by Dana K Cassell.
Learn when contests are posted - Follow https://twitter.com/danakcassell
Writers-Editors Network Competition deadline March 15 - Guidelines
Writing to Win by Moira Allen
The Colossal Guide to Writing Contests — details on more than 1200 contests
Kindle edition
Follow our Network BLOG: http://writers-editors.com/blog/
Contest judges reveal how they pick the winners - and mistakes you want to avoid with your next contest entries.
Judges Q & A posted here.
Quck Question: What's your biggest challenge when it comes to your writing endeavors? Please share on our anonymous single-question poll: Click here to take survey
"The Seeker of Talent - Nora" contest, Each week participants read the last chapter written from the book and then write the next one. Awards: The best chapters will be part of the final book. The winners will receive a published copy of the final book. No entry fee. Deadline: May 20, 2013. Info: www.theseekeroftalent.com; theseekeroftalent@gmail.com
First Novel Contest: Emerging Writers Getaway by Whidbey Writers MFA Alumni Association. For any adult writer who has yet to publish a book, including chapbooks, eBooks, and self-published works. Submit first 25 pages of your unpublished novel plus 2-page synopsis. Awards: $300 and 7-day retreat at a Smoky Mountain cabin. Top three entries reviewed for agent representation. Entry fee: $25. Deadline: May 24, 2013. Info: www.whidbeymfaalumni.org/?page_id=1323
Mistaken Identity Writing Competition - Using the photo for inspiration write a story where someone has had their identity stolen and paint a picture in words so that we can see just how their life has changed as a result. Awards: £500, £300, £200, £75, £50. Entry fee: £5.00. Deadline: May 26, 2013. http://creativecompetitor.com/competitions/new-competitions/mistaken-identi ty-fiction-writing-competition/
"Devotedly Dad" letter contest, open to America's fathers and grandfathers as an opportunity to encourage a love of reading and writing in their homes. Maximum word count 800. Awards: Prize package including an autographed copy of All the Best, My Life in Letters and Other Writings by President George H.W. Bush. Two winners per state. No entry fee. Deadline: May 30, 2013. Info: http://barbarabushfoundation.com/events-news/writing-contest/
Lois Cranston Memorial Poetry Prize - Submit up to 3 poems. Award: $300 and publication in CALYX Journal. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: May 31, 2013. Info: www.calyxpress.org or email info@calyxpress.org.
June Fiction in Five Contest. A prompt will be issued via email to all paid entrants at 9:45 am (Mountain Time) on June 3, 2013. Final fiction stories are to be submitted no earlier than 10:00 am on June 3, 2013, and no later than 10:00 pm on June 7, 2013. Awards: $75, $25, $15 plus publication. Entry fee: $5. Deadline: May 31, 2013. Info: www.janiewrites.com/contests/a-fiction-in-five-rules/
Write Reality TV: The Reality Show Idea Contest. Dedicated to finding the next hit reality show. Write a short, descriptive summary of your reality show idea. Awards: $2200 and consideration by reality production companies such as MPH Entertainment, producers of The Dog Whisperer. Entry fees and deadlines: Early deadline - May 31, 2013, $30. Regular deadline - August 31, 2013, $40. Final deadline - October 31, 2013, $50. Info: www.writerealitytv.com
The Fiction Desk Ghost Story Competition for stories between 2000 & 5000 words. Awards: £500, £100, with both winners being published in an upcoming Fiction Desk anthology. Entry fee: £6 for one, or £9 for two stories submitted together. Deadline: May 31, 2013. Info: www.thefictiondesk.com/submissions/ghost-story-competition.php
Words with JAM First Page Competition 2013 for the most captivating first page (up to 400 words) of a story. Entries can be from a novel previously unpublished, a partially written novel, or simply a first page written purely for the competition. Judge is Sue Grafton. Awards: £500, £100, £50 plus publication in the August 2013 issue of Words with JAM. Entry fee: £6 for first entry and £4 per entry thereafter. Deadline: May 31, 2013. Info: http://wordswithjam.co.uk/#/first-page-competition-2013/4573741026
The Stringybark Times Past Short Story Award 2013 for the best submitted story based upon a real experience. This may either relate to an event experienced by the author or an event the author has heard or read about: war, disasters, job losses, births, deaths, marriages, happy events, sad events, political events, childhood memories. Maximum 1500 words. International entries welcome. Awards: Total value of over $810 worth of prizes in cash and books available. Entry fee: $12 per story. Deadline: June 2, 2013. Info: www.stringybarkstories.net
82nd Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Ten categories, including Memoir/personal essay, inspirational, genre short story, literary short story, poetry, magazine article, stage play, TV/movie script, children's/YA. Awards: $3,000, $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50 plus other prizes. Entry fees: $32 first entry, $25 each additional entry. Poems: $20/$15. Deadline: June 3, 2013. Info: www.writersdigest.com/competitions/writers-digest-annual-competition
Tethered by Letters' Summer Literary Contest - short story (2,000 to 7,500 words, open genre) and flash fiction (55, 250, or 500 words). All winners will be published in Tethered by Letters' Summer Quarterly Journal and finalists will be considered for later publication (after working with one of our senior editors). Awards: $250 (USD) for the short story winner and $50 (USD) for flash fictions. International submissions welcome. Entry fee: $10 for Short Story and $4 per Flash Fiction OR $10 for three Flash Fictions. Deadline: June 30, 2013. Info: www.tetheredbyletters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id= 215&Itemid=67
Rhyme & Reason Writing Competition 2013 - A Short Story of no more than 400 words or a Poem of no more than 20 lines
on the theme: Ripples. Awards: best three short stories and best three poems: £110, £60, £30. Junior prizes of book tokens awarded for entrants under age 18: £30, £20, £10. Entry fee: £5 per piece (£4 per piece for 3 or more entries). Junior entries £1. Deadline: June 30, 2013. Info: www.irhh.org/RhymeandReason
Annual Junior Authors Short Story Contest - 1,000 words. Open to ages 9 to 21 only. Write about anything as long as it is a short story. Awards: 24 winners: $100, $25 Amazon gift cards plus certificate of achievement. First place published on the Web and will have a press release sent to their local newspapers. No entry fee. Optional $10 feedback fee. Deadline: June 30, 2013. Info: www.juniorauthorscontest.com
Mystery Times Competition for any type of mystery short (3000 to 7000 words). Awards: Kindle, $25 Gift Card, publication in anthology. No entry fee. Deadline: July 15, 2013. Info: www.buddhapussink.com/Mystery_Times_2013.html
Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest - Write a poem, 30 lines or fewer on any subject and/or Write a short story, 5 pages maximum length on any theme. Awards: Poetry Contest: $250, $125, $50; Writing Contest: $500, $250, $100. Entry fees: $5 per poem, $10 per story. Postmark deadline: July 31, 2013. Mail entries/payable to: Dream Quest One, PO Box 3141, Chicago, IL 60654. Info: www.dreamquestone.com
"Love + Lust" Juried Book Competition. Open to Interpretation is a collaborative book project bringing together photographers, poets and writers. Each book begins with a themed call for photos. The chosen photos become the literary inspiration for the writers' submissions. A book is created that matches each winning photo with two stories or poems that offer different interpretations of the image; maximum 300 words each. The unique collaboration adds new dimensions to both the photos and the written word. Awards: $500 Judge's Choice Award Writing or Poetry. Entry fee: $$15 per manuscript; $10 per additional manuscript. Deadline: August 6, 2013. Info: www.open2interpretation.com/submit_writing_love_lust.html
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival 4th Annual Poetry Contest. Poets who have not yet published a poetry collection may submit two to four poems totaling no more than 400 lines. Awards: $1,000 and publication in Louisiana Cultural Vistas is given annually for a group of poems. The winner will also be invited to give a reading at the 2014 Literary Festival. Entry fee $20. Deadline: August 15, 2013. Info: contests@tennesseewilliams.net; www.tennesseewilliams.net/contests/poetry-contest
Fifth Annual Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest. Maximum length: 1,000 words. Open to any subject, style or genre. Both new and established writers are welcome. Awards: $1,000 grand prize, second place $100, and four honorable mentions $25 each. All six finalists will be published online in the October 2013 issue of Gemini. Entry fee: $4 ($3 for each additional flash). Deadline: August 31, 2013. Info: www.gemini-magazine.com/contest.html
Past Loves Day Story Contest. Write your true story of a former sweetheart, in 700 words or less. Awards: $100, $75, $50, honorable mentions. No entry fee. Authors retain all rights. Deadline: September 17, 2013. Info: www.ourpastloves.com/story-contest
Bottle Tree Productions One Act Play Competition for Writers 2013. One Act Plays of from 10 minutes to 70 minutes may be submitted by mail or email. Awards: $1,000, $250, $100. The top ten entries can submit a monologue from their play to our monologues page. In that way we hope to build up interest in your play for purchase of scripts or performance. Entry fee: $25. Deadline: November 30, 2013. Info: www.bottletreeinc.com/script_contest.html
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, 2014. Click for Guidelines and Entry form
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 retain ownership to all entries or 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.
We do not post "sweepstakes" - or contests where winners are determined by drawings or chance. Our intent is to publish only those contests where the writing itself is judged against other entrants; not where the luck of the draw determines winners.
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 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. This also applies to magazine contests with the "prize" being publication in an upcoming "contest" issue.
If your contest appears to meet our guidelines, submit the following basic information: Name of contest, brief description of what is to be submitted, awards, entry fee, deadline, website URL, contact email in case we have follow-up questions, to contestadd@writers-editors.com.
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