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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 - click here.
Poetry: Taking Its Course - improve your poetry in 7 lessons -
Bartleby Snopes Second Annual Dialogue Only Contest – Compose a short story entirely of dialogue. Award: $250 plus publication. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: September 12, 2010. Info:
www.bartlebysnopes.com/contests.htm.
GuideGecko International Writing Contest 2010 for travel, food & lifestyle guidebooks. Open for all bloggers, budding writers and established authors. New and previously published titles can be submitted. Authors keep all copyrights. Award: Winner receives trip to the world's largest book fair in Frankfurt, Germany in October, 2010, and will have his title published and showcased on the fair. No entry fee. Deadline: September 15, 2010. Info: www.guidegecko.com/writing-contest.
Oblongata Monthly Contest #5 sponsored by The Medulla Review. Submit one to five poems, one flash fiction piece (up to 1,000 words), or one fiction piece (up to 3,000 words). Awards: Publication and a bio/link. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: September 26, 2010. Info: www.themedullareview.com/Oblongata_Contest.html.
Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry & Short Story Competitions. For previously unpublished poems and short stories in English Language on any subject or style. Maximum length of 40 lines (poems) and 1,500 words (stories). Awards: £150, £60, £40 in each category + First Publication in Sentinel Champions print magazine. Entry Fees: 1/£3, 5/£12 (Poems), 1/£5, 2/£9, 3/£12 (Stories). Deadline: September 30, 2010. Info: www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/slq/competitions.
Twisted Tails Short Story Quarterly Writing Competition. Any genre, but must have thought-provoking or mind-grabbing ending. Awards: €100, €75, €50, €25 plus publication. Entry fee: €6 (£5) for a single entry or €12 (£10) for three, paid through PayPal. Deadline: September 30, 2010. Info: www.twisted-tails.com.
Bananagrams® Writing Contest. Awards: Total of $500 in cash for prizes, plus Bananagrams game sets and publication in Newport Review, an online literary magazine publishing fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. Must use word prompts. Entry fee: $7 per story, 3 for $20. Deadline: September 30, 2010, at 11:59 pm. Online entries only; payment by PayPal. Info: http://newportreview.org/?contests.html.
Meridian Writing Autumn Short Story Competition. Open Theme/Genre, 3000 words max. Awards: £100, £50 & £25 plus firstwriter.com vouchers. Entry fee: £5. Deadline: September 30, 2010. Info: www.meridian-writing.co.uk.
3rd annual Carol E. Doering Poetry Contest hosted by the Women's Artistic Network. Awards: $75, $50, $25. Original, unpublished work; 50 lines max; traditional or free-verse. Entry fee: $5 per poem or 3 for $10. Deadline: September 30, 2010. Info: www.womensartisticnetwork.org or send SASE to PO Box 1485, Simi Valley, CA 93063.
14th Annual Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction. Awards: $1,000, $500, $250. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: October 1, 2010. In fo: Zoetrope: All-Story, Attn: Short Fiction Contest, 916 Kearny Street, San Francisco CA 94133; www.zoetrope.com/contests_allstory/.
2010 New Southerner Literary Contest for previously unpublished poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Open theme, but we are especially interested in work that relates to our mission, which is promoting self-sufficiency, environmental stewardship, and local economies. We are also interested in works by writers with a Southern connection, and works written with a Southern slant or that focus on Southern issues, people and places. Awards: $200 in each category. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: October 1, 2010. Info: www.newsoutherner.com/?page_id=263.
Second annual "Scare The Dickens Out of Us" ghost story contest sponsored by The Friends of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library in Lockhart, Texas. New, original ghost stories of any genre, any tone, any subject; 5,000 words or less. All publication rights remain with the author. Awards: $1,000, $500, $250. Entry fee: $20. Deadline: October 1, 2010. Info: www.clarklibraryfriends.org. Also, the Junior Scare The Dickens Out of Us ghost story contest shares identical rules except the entry fee is $5, the award is $250, and entrants must be age 12-18. Winners will have to provide proof of age.
All Genres Writing Contest: including screenwriting, children's book writing, fiction, nonfiction, poetry and romance. Awards: writing retreat at Dunton Hot Springs, laptops, Amazon gift cards, or the option to receive a cash equivalent. Entry fee: depends on date submitted $25 until August 15; $35 from then until October 1; $45 from then until October 15. Final Deadline: October 15, 2010. Info: www.allgenreswritingcontest.com.
TreasureBoxTales Fall 2010 contest for short stories up to 1300 words describing your treasure and experience. Open to all ages. Awards: $500, $100, plus online publication. All entries will be considered for future print publication. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: October 13, 2010. Info: www.treasureboxtales.com/contest.html.
The SEVEN Fund 2010-11 Essay Competition in partnership with the Washington DC-based Center For Interfaith Action on Global Poverty (CIFA). Essays on enterprise solutions to poverty from around the globe that are faith-based, faith-inspired, or interfaith efforts. Awards: Two prizes of US $5,000. No entry fee listed. Online submissions only. Deadline: October 15, 2010 at midnight Eastern Standard Time (EST). Info: www.sevenfund.org/faith-and-development/.
Burning the Midnight Oil Poetry Contest. Open subject, unpublished at time of submission. Poem must fit on one page. Awards: $100, $50, $25. Entry fee: $5 per entry, limit three entries. Winning poem posted and winning poet profiled. Deadline: postmarked or e-mailed October 30, 2010. Info: www.thewritehelper.com.
Tampa Writers Alliance Annual Contest -- 18 categories; fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Awards: Cash prizes, feedback from judges, and first place winners will be published in an anthology. Entry fees: $$20-$45 dependingo n when submitted and TWA membership. Deadline: October 31, 2010. Info: www.twawriterscontest.blogspot.com/ or www.tampawriters.org.
The Unbound Press Literary Competitions 2010 - 2 Categories: Flash Fiction up to 400 words; and Poetry up to 40 lines. Awards: £30, £15. Entry fee: £3. Deadline: October 31, 2010. Info: www.unboundpress.co.uk/.
If I had a Million Dollars Essay Contest. 1000 words maximum. Awards: $100, $50, $25; possible publication. Authors retain rights. No entry fee. Deadline: October 31, 2010. Info: brian@briankeithforeman.com; http://briankeithforeman.com/contest.aspx.
Bards and Sages Publishing 7th annual charity speculative fiction writing competition, for original, unpublished horror, fantqasy, and science fiction stories of up to 20,000 words. Award: Amazon Kindle pre-loaded with almost $100 worth of speculative fiction offerings; plus cash prizes of $100, $75, $50. Entry fee: A direct donation to Doctors Without Borders using the special dedicated portal at www.firstgiving.com/bardsandsages. A single donation of $20 or more allows entrants to enter as many qualified stories as they wish in the competition. Deadline: October 31, 2010. Info: www.bardsandsages.com/2010contest.html.
The Motherhood Muse Fall contest - Nonfiction essay and fiction short story; 500-1,200 words. Awards: $100, $50 each category and publication in our digital literary magazine. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: November 1, 2010. Info: www.themotherhoodmuse.com.
Saints and Sinners Literary Festival Short Fiction Contest for unpublished short stories between 5,000 and 7,000 words with GLBT content on the broad theme "saints and sinners." Awards: $250, $50, plus publication in QueerMojo anthology, and reading at Festival (May 12-15, 2011). Entry fee: $15. Deadline: November 1, 2010. Info: www.sasfest.com.
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival 2011 One-Act Play Contest. Award: $1,500, staged reading at the 2011 Festival, full production at 2012 Festival, VIP All-Access Festival pass for 2011 and 2012, publication in Bayou. Entry fee: $25. Deadline: November 1, 2010. Info: www.tennesseewilliams.net/article.php?story=2011-1actplaycontest
WMx Grabber 1250! Opening Hook Contest. All genres including, but not limited to: thriller, mystery, romance, western, sci-fi, fantasy and mainstream (please, no pornography). Must be original and never published in print or electronically prior to submission deadline. Awards: $100, $50, $25; first 50 entries will be line-edited and critiqued. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: November 1, 2010. Info: www.writersmatrix.com.
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival 2011 Fiction Contest. Award: $1500 , domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the 2011 Festival in New Orleans, VIP All-Access Festival Pass, public reading at the 2011 Festival, publication in Bayou. Entry fee: $25. Deadline: November 15, 2010. Info: www.tennesseewilliams.net/article.php?story=2011-fictioncontest
Good Read Fiction Book Competition. Submit first 75 pages of your novel plus a detailed, chapter-by-chapter plot synopsis for the entire novel. Award: $500. Entry fee: $40, which includes critique with editing comments. May be resubmitted after applying changes basd on comments, with an additional $20 entry fee. Deadline: November 30, 2010. Info: www.awomanswrite.com/rules.html.
Bottle Tree Productions One Act Play Competition For Writers 2010. Awards: $1,000, $250, $100. One-act plays of up to 70 minutes may be submitted. Plays can have previously been produced but not professionally. Entry fee: $25. Deadline: November 30, 2010. Info: www.bottletreeinc.com/script_contest.html.
Saints and Sinners Literary Festival Full-Length Playwriting Competition. Plays never produced in greater New Orleans area are eligible. Characters should be kept to a minimum, preferably 5 or under. Staging should be simple or adaptable to a small stage. Award: $250, production by the Marigny Theatre Corporation at Festival, registration at Festival (May 12-15, 2011). Entry Fee: $15. Deadline: December 31, 2010. Info: www.sasfest.com.
Central Coast Writers (a branch of the California Writers Club) Spring 2011 Writing Contest for poetry and short stories. Awards in each category: $500 and publication (print and online) in the 2011 Homestead Review (Hartnell College, Salinas). All entries will be considered for publication. Entry fees: $15 per short story and $5 per poem. Deadline: January 15, 2011. Info: www.centralcoastwriters.org.
First Annual Holy Land Essay Competition for Junior High School Students (grades 6-8). Length: 400-800 words. Awards: $50, $30, $20, $10. No entry fee. Entries are not published; writers retain all rights. Deadline: January 15, 2011. Info: kirk@davidleekirkland.com or www.saturdaywriters.org (the sponsoring organization).
Founders Circle Contest - Submit a prose piece up to 3,000 words or a poem of up to two pages. Award: Publication in Soundings Review and $300. Entry fee: $7 or $5. Deadlines: January 15, 2011 and July 15, 2011. Info: www.writeonwhidbey.com/Publications/ContestGuidelines.htm.
First Publication Contest for the writer who has never been published in a publication open to national submissions nor in a publication advertised nationally. Award: Publication in Soundings Review and $100. Entry fee: $7 or $5. Deadlines: January 15, 2011 and July 15, 2011. Info: www.writeonwhidbey.com/Publications/ContestGuidelines.htm.
Amy Writing Awards to recognize creative, skillful writing that applies in a sensitive, thought-provoking manner the biblical principles to issues affecting the world today, with an emphasis on discipling. Must be published during 2010 in a mainstream, non-religious publication, or on the pages of mainstream, non-religious periodical Web sites as determined by the Amy Writing Awards panel. Awards: $10,000–$1,000. No entry fee. Deadline: January 31, 2011. Info: www.amyfound.org/amy_writing_awards/amy_writing_awards.html; The Amy Foundation, PO Box 16091, Lansing MI 48901.
Royal Dragonfly Book Awards – does not restrict the publication date of entries as long as they are still in print; 50 categories, fiction and nonfiction. Sponsored by Five Star Publications. Awards: Grand Prize: $300 plus one hour of marketing consultation. Category winners go into a drawing for a $100 prize. Entry fee: $50 for one title in one category, $45 per title when multiple books are entered or $45 per category when one book is entered in multiple categories. Deadline: February 1, 2011. List of categories and rules: www.royaldragonflybookawards.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, 2011. Click for Guidelines and Entry form
Purple Dragonfly Book Awards in children's literature – 35 subject categories. Sponsored by Five Star Publications. Awards: Grand Prize: $300 plus one hour of marketing consultation. Category winners go into a drawing for a $100 prize. Entry fee: $50 for one title in one category, $45 per title when multiple books are entered or $45 per category when one book is entered in multiple categories. Deadline: May 1, 2011. List of categories and rules: www.fivestarpublications.com/bookcontest/pd_book_contest.html.
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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