Contests

WOMAN'S DAY/AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ESSAY CONTEST

Deadline: Noon, May 11, 2008

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In 700 words or less, tell us how the library has helped you find a diagnosis for yourself or a loved one, or improved your physical, mental or emotional well-being.

Entries will be judged equally on subject matter (how well the entry reflects the contest theme), clarity of ideas and grace of expression.

You may submit only one entry.

This contest is open to women who are legal residents of the 50 United States and DC, 18 years of age or older as of time of entry.

The winners and possibly their entries, or an edited or excerpted version thereof, will be featured in the March 2009 issue of Woman's Day and/or on womansday.com (magazine
and/or website publication to be solely determined by the Sponsors). Winners’ entries may also be published on ala.org (at the discretion of the ALA).

Submission of an entry grants Woman's Day and the American Library Association the exclusive and perpetual rights to publish, use, edit, adapt, modify, excerpt and/or copy the
entry for any and all purposes in any and all media currently in existence or hereafter without further compensation to the entrant.

http://www.womansday.com/home/12688/wdala-essay-contest-2008-page2.html

THE ROBERT SNYDER MEMORIAL PUBLICATION PRIZE

Deadline: May 15, 2008

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Book-length poetry manuscripts

Original collection of poems of 50 to 80 pages, with no more than one poem per page

Winner receives:
$1,000.00
publication of winning manuscript in a paperback edition of 1,000 copies
100 copies of the published book (in lieu of royalties)

$25 reading fee made payable to The Ashland Poetry Press

This poetry book series honors the memory of Richard Snyder (1925-1986), poet, fiction writer, playwright, and long-time professor of English at Ashland University.

http://www.ashland.edu/aupoetry/

77TH ANNUAL WRITER'S DIGEST WRITING COMPETITION

Deadline: May 15, 2008

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GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents. Writer's Digest will fly you and a guest to The Big Apple, where you'll spend three days and two nights in the publishing capital of the world. While you're there, a Writer's Digest editor will escort you to meet and share your work with four editors or agents! Plus, you'll receive a free Diamond Publishing Package from Outskirts Press.

Compete and Win in 10 Categories:
Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
Memoirs/Personal Essay
Magazine Feature Article
Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
Mainstream/Literary Short Story
Rhyming Poetry
Non-rhyming Poetry
Stage Play (submission by mail only)
Television/Movie Script (submission by mail only)
Children's/Young Adult Fiction

Entry Fee: Poems are $10 for the first entry; $5 for each additional poem submitted in the same online session. All other entries are $15 for the first manuscript; $10 for each additional manuscript submitted in the same online
session.

Add $2 per manuscript to all entries postmarked after Thursday, May 15, 2008. Entries postmarked after Monday, June 02, 2008, will not be accepted.

http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/annual/77th/

THE WRITERS NETWORK 15TH ANNUAL SCREENPLAY AND FICTION COMPETITON

Deadline: May 31, 2008

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The Writers Network Screenplay & Fiction Competition is a unique program, co-sponsored by WGA Signatory Literary
Agencies in Los Angeles and New York, designed to give new and talented writers across the country the chance to pursue careers in film, television and/or publishing.

Each year, up to ten winners in each category are chosen to participate by our panel of judges (this year including agents from CAA, ICM, Endeavor, William Morris and Metropolitan); each receiving our assistance in securing literary representation during the course of one year!

Not one, but two of your original feature-length screenplays, half-hour teleplays or plays will be distributed to the motion picture industry’s top producers, directors and production companies (manuscripts will be sent to top publishers). Throughout the year, The Writers Network panel of credited writers will assist you with polishing both projects prior to them being submitted.

Material: Two pieces of material (per application) may be submitted in one of the following categories:

1. Fiction/Non-Fiction: Submit two or more short stories and/or one novel or novel-in-progress. Attach a one-paragraph synopsis to the front of each submission.
2. Plays: Submit one or two stage plays. Attach a one-paragraph synopsis to the front of each submission.
3. Screenplay/Teleplay: Submit one or two screen and/or teleplays. Attach a one-paragraph synopsis to the front of each submission. Bind each script with plain white cardstock and standard brads.

Deadline: Your check or money order in the amount of $45, or $47.50 if entering online, after May 1 but prior to
May 31. Online submissions must be in Final Draft or PDF formats. Or, you can enter online and send a hard copy of your script by mail.

http://www.writersnetworkcompetition.com/

THE SOCIETY OF SOUTHWESTERN AUTHORS 2008 WRITING CONTEST

Deadline: May 31, 2008

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Categories:
Short Story - 2,500 words max

Short Story for Children Ages 6-12 (Michael LaCapa Award presented to First Place Winner) - 1,500 words max

Personal Essay/Memoir - 2,500 words max

Poetry - 40 lines max

Prizes Awarded In Each Category:
1st: $300
2nd: $150
3rd: $75
Honorable mentions: $25
Commendation (non-monetary - only name and title printed in Storyteller

Entry fee: $10 per entry; nonrefundable.

Appraisals (critiques): available for an additional $25 per entry.

All winning entries will be published in SSA's The Story Teller 2008.

http://www.ssa-az.org/contest.html

FIRESIDE PUBLICATIONS OF FLORIDA'S CONTEST FOR MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER NOVEL

Deadline: May 31, 2008

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Entry Fee: $5

Prize: Winning novel will be published by the Fireside Publishing Company of Florida. Winner will receive a standard book publishing contract from Fireside Publishing Company and a $100 advance against royalties.

Send the first 3 chapters or 50 pages, plus a one-page synopsis of an unpublished novel. The complete novel must be not less than 55,000 words nor more than 80,000 words.

No women's issues, romances, mainstream, westerns or historical novels accepted.

No extreme violence; include only what is pertinent to the
story.

Sexual passages as necessary to the story can be included.

http://www.firesidepubs.com/downloads/Contest%20Rules%20MysterySuspenseThriller.pdf

THE 2008 AUTUMN HOUSE FICTION CONTEST

Deadline: June 30, 2008

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We are pleased to announce the first annual Autumn House Fiction Contest.

Judge: Sharon Dilworth

The winner will receive book publication, $1,000 advance against royalties, and a $1,500 travel grant to participate in the 2009 Autumn House Master Authors Series in Pittsburgh.

All finalists will be considered for publication

Fiction submissions should be approximately 200-300 pages. All fiction sub-genres (short stories, short-shorts, novellas, or novels) or any combination of sub-genres are eligible.

$25.00 fee

Manuscripts will not be returned

http://www.autumnhouse.org/index.cfm?method=displayPage&pagename=home&CFID=24834434&CFTOKEN=92027373

4th ANNUAL SHELDON CURRIE FICTION PRIZE

Deadline: June 30, 2008

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Stories on any subject. Total entry not to exceed 20 pages.

Previously published works, works accepted for publication or simultaneous submissions are not eligible. No electronic submissions, please. Fiction entries must be typed, double-spaced, one side of page only.

First prize: $600 & publication
Second prize: $400 & publication
Third prize: $200 & publication

Entry Fee: Canada and the United States - $25.00; Outside of North America $35.00 (US funds). This includes a one-year subscription to TAR which will begin with the fall issue, 2008.

Entries will not be returned.

Only winners will be notified by September 1, 2008.

http://www.antigonishreview.com/contest.html

2008 ARIZONA LITERARY CONTEST

Deadline: July 1, 2008

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Prizes: $100 for first place, $50 for second place, $25 for third place in each category and publication, and author and book feature in the Arizona Literary Magazine, as well as a PushCart nomination for poetry, short story, and essay categories.

The “Unpublished Novel” first-place winner will see his/her book published under Five Star Publications’ Silver Plan (a $6,000 value) with national distribution through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and sales on Amazon.com, B&N.com, Target.com, WalMart.com and Five Star Publications’ online store (does not include media kit, website, or publicity).

In addition, the Published "Fiction" and Published “Nonfiction” categories first-place winners receives a $300 (approx. value) AuthorsandExperts.com package, while the first-place Published Children’s Literature winner gets a free $300 (approx. value) listing at SchoolBookings.com.

Entry fees range from $10 to $30, depending on category entered.

See website for full details on categories and rules.

http://azauthors.com/contest.html

1010 FICTION AWARD

Deadline: July 1, 2008

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WordSmitten, an international digital media company provides interviews, reviews, and news of interest to the publishing and writing communities. We invite all writers of literary
fiction (and as much as we like a good romance and thriller to read, no other genre, sorry) to enter this annual competition.

The annual 1010 Fiction Award provides a grant in the amount of $1010.00 to be awarded annually in late autumn.

Requirements: Fiction previously unpublished, unrecognized by any panel or award committee, original work, submitted through on-line procedures only, with a specific word count of exactly 1,010 words. Do not send attachments.

All rights revert upon e-publication on our site www.wordsmitten.com and winner will be notified by mail and/ or by e-mail.

To register, read the guidelines and include a reading fee of $15.00. No multiple submissions.

We only accept submissions of on-line manuscripts.

http://www.wordsmitten.com/fiction.html

ASPIRING AUTHORS WRITING CONTEST

Deadline: August 15, 2008

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This is the third year of the Aspiring Authors Writing Contest.

All appropriate fiction genres are acceptable (see website for details).

There is a 5000 word suggested-maximum. There is no minimum limit, but you will likely need at least 1500 to provide a complete story.

Mail-in submissions should include $6 per entry. Online submissions must be paid for through Paypal.

The prize money derives directly from the received entry fees. 75% of all money received will go into the prize pool. 65% of the prize money goes to the first place winner; 20% to 2nd place; 15% for 3rd place. Honorable mention entries will be noted on the website, but not rewarded with cash prizes. All the top three winners and any other story deemed good enough can be included in the contest anthology. Authors who are included in the
anthology will not receive royalties. All authors have the right to decline being included in the anthology.

http://aspiring-authors.com/rules.html

TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID POETRY CONTEST

Deadline: September 30, 2008

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What to Submit: Poetry in any style or theme. Your entry should be your own original work. You may submit the same poem simultaneously to this contest and to others, and you may submit poems that have been published or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the online publication rights.

Prizes and Publication:
First prize: $2,000. Second prize: $1,000. Third prize: $500. Fourth prize: $250. There will also be five High Distinction Awards of $200 each, and five Most Highly Commended Awards of $100 each. The top 14 entries will be published on the Winning Writers website (over one million page views per year) and announced in Tom Howard Contest News and the Winning Writers Newsletter, a combined audience of over 20,000 readers.

Entry Fee: The reading fee is $6 for every 25 lines you submit.

If your entry wins any cash prize, you agree to give both John H. Reid and Winning Writers a nonexclusive license to publish your work online.

http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/tompoetry/tp_guidelines.php