Contests

2009 TOYS FOR TOTS ANTHOLOGY

Deadline: July 15,2009

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Not a contest, but an opportunity to be alongside some good authors and to help out a good cause.

We are now looking for contributors for the fourth anthology, The Gift of Murder, scheduled for release October 1, 2009.

Stories should be between 2,000 and 4,000 words in length and should focus on a crime that occurs during the winter holiday season. Those wintertime holidays include Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, and we encourage you to submit a story themed with any of those holidays in mind! The story may occur in the present day or in a historical setting. It may be serious or humorous, mystical or down-to-earth. Most importantly, it must be well-written and properly reflect the theme of the anthology.

Contributors for this anthology will be a mix of invited authors and open submission, about fifty-fifty. The competition may be stiff, as this has been a popular project
since its inception.

Contributing authors agree to release all publication rights to the contributed story to Wolfmont Press through March 2010.

Contributors will receive two free copies of the anthology and be able to buy more copies at a discounted price if they wish.

Authors will also receive a great deal of publicity mileage, and given the cause, it should be a very positive promotional push for anyone who is a contributor.

http://www.wolfmont.com/2009%20TFT/2009-tft-submissions%20call.html

2009 AUTUMN HOUSE FICTION CONTEST

Deadline: June 30, 2009

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The winners 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.

The final judge is Sharon Dilworth.

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.

All entries must be clearly marked “Fiction Prize” on the outside envelope.

Twenty five dollar handling fee (check or money order) must be enclosed.

Manuscripts will not be returned.

http://tinyurl.com/crwwga

HOWARD FRANK MOSHER SHORT FICTION PRIZE

Deadline: June 30, 2009

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One $1,000.00 prize winner receives publication; two honorable mentions receive $100.00 each.

$20 entry fee, payable to "Hunger Mountain"

Submit one short story, not to exceed 10,000 words.

Enclose a standard index card with short story title, name, address, phone number, and email address.

Multiple entries allowed—each entry must be sent separately and include a separate entry fee.

No simultaneous submissions, artwork, or translations.

Once submitted, entries cannot be altered.

All entries will be considered for publication.

http://www.hungermtn.org/hfm.asp

2009 CRAB ORCHARD SERIES IN POETRY First Book Award

Entry Time Period: May 15, 2009 - July 1, 2009

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A first book of poems will be selected for publication from an open competition of manuscripts postmarked May 15, 2009 through July 1, 2009.

Manuscripts should be 50-75 pages of original poetry, in English, by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who has neither published, nor committed to publish, a volume of
poetry 48 pages or more in length in an edition of over 500 copies* (individual poems may have been previously published).

The winner will receive a publication contract with Southern Illinois University Press, and will be awarded a $1000 prize. The winner will also receive $1500 as an honorarium for a reading at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

No more than one poem should appear on a page.

All submissions must be accompanied by a $25 entry fee.

See website for previous winners.

http://www.siuc.edu/~crborchd/firstpo.html

L.RON HUBBARD WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTEST

Deadline: Quarterly

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No entry fee is required, and all rights in the story remain the property of the author. All types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy are welcome.

To be eligible, entries must be works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. We regret we cannot consider poetry, or works intended for children.

The Contest is open only to those who have not had professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits.

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 U.S. dollars or the recipient's locally equivalent amount. In addition, at the end of the year the four First Place winners will have their entries rejudged, and a Grand Prize winner shall be determined and receive an additional $5,000.

The Contest has four quarters, beginning on October 1, January 1, April 1 and July 1. The year will end on September 30.

http://www.writersofthefuture.com/rules.htm

8TH ANNUAL TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL/UIL FICTION WRITING CONTEST

Deadline: July 1, 2009

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Texas junior high and high school students are invited to submit a piece of original fiction, no more than 2,000 words in length, to be judged by Texas authors, some of whom will appear at the 2009 Texas Book Festival, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in Austin.

Entries should focus on the theme, “In My Own Backyard.” Judges will look for excellence in use of dialogue, character development, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution. Submitted entries will be considered in three divisions: Grades 7-8; Grades 9-10; Grades 11-12. Authors will enter the division for which they were a student during the 2008-09 school year.

Schools are limited to three entries per division. There is no entry fee. Entries must be double-spaced and formatted as a Microsoft Word document, accompanied by a
completed contest entry form, then faxed to the Texas Book Festival office at (512) 322-0722.

First-place winners will be invited to Austin to receive an award and to read their works during the 2009 Texas Book Festival. Winning entries will also be published on the Texas Book Festival Web site.

http://www.texasbookfestival.org/

The 2009 Happy Hour Poetry Awards

Deadline: July 1, 2009

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$1000 - Best Poem

$100 - Four Runners Up

Contest open to all poets across the country and around the world.

Maximum length: 40 lines per poem. Any topic. Any form.

All entries considered for publication in the 2010 issue of Alehouse.

All entries must be original and not yet nor soon-to-be published.

Entry fee is $15 per batch of 3 poems

All US entrants receive a subscription copy of Alehouse 2010

http://www.alehousepress.com/

2010 AUDIES

Deadline: Check website, starting in July

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The Audies, sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA), is the premier awards program in the United States recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment.

Through The Audies award competition, publishers are able to enter titles in various categories for recognition of achievement.

Finalists are selected and, from that group of finalists, one winner is awarded. Finalists will be notified in March 2010, and showcased on the APA website, to the press, and
in APA materials.

Winners will be recognized at the exciting Audies gala in New York City in May, 2010.

The 2010 call for entries will be available in July

Deadlines are usually in August and October, depending on when the title was issued.

http://www.audiopub.org/audies-contest.asp

NEW SOUTHERNER LITERARY CONTEST

Deadline: October 1,2009

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Entries must be the author’s original, unpublished work and should be appropriate for publication in New Southerner. The magazine’s mission is to promote self-sufficient living, environmental stewardship and support for local economies.

$200 PRIZES FOR POETRY, FICTION AND NONFICTION

5,000 word limit for prose
50 line limit for poetry
Entry Fee: $10 for ONE prose entry or up to THREE poems (each no longer than 50 lines); make checks or money orders payable to Swallowtail Press
Multiple entries accepted in all categories

We prefer electronic submissions.

FINAL JUDGES
Poetry: James Baker Hall (author of Praeder’s Letters, The Mother on the Other Side of the World and Pleasure)
Fiction: Janna McMahan (author of Calling Home and The Ocean Inside)
Nonfiction: Cathleen Medwick (author of Teresa of Avila: The Progress of a Soul and contributing editor to O, The Oprah Magazine)

http://www.newsoutherner.com/?page_id=600

The 2009 JOY HARJO POETRY AWARD & THE RICK DEMARINIS SHORT
STORY AWARD

Entry Dates: Postmarked between June 15 an October 19, 2009

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First prize in each genre:
$1250 and publication in CUTTHROAT

Second Prize in each genre:
$250 and publication in CUTTHROAT

All finalists are acknowledged in CUTTHROAT and considered for publication.

Winners are announced in POETS & WRITERS, WINNING WRITERS and the AWP Chronicle.

Submit up to three unpublished poems (100 line limit for each) or one unpublished short story (5000 word limit), any subject, any style.

Writers may submit as often as they wish.

There is a $15.00 nonrefundable reading fee per submission (one story or three poems).

2009 JUDGES:
Dorianne Laux, The Joy Harjo Poetry Prize
Alan Cheuse, The Rick DeMarinis Short Fiction Prize

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

100 WORDS OR FEWER WRITING CONTEST

Deadline: October 20, 2009

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For this third year of the 100 Words or Fewer Contest, new innovations have been made.

Five winners instead of three.

Checkmark evaluation grid posted on website so entrants will know what they will be receiving.

Theme: Open. We welcome whimsy, allegory, mystery, romance, fable, humor, love, fantasy, even horror.

Awards: $400 (first), $200 (second), $100 (third) $50 (fourth) and $50 (fifth)

Scored checkmark evaluation sent to each participant.

Winning stories published on website and ten Honorable Mentions listed by name.

Entry Fee: $18, Critique available for $22.

http://www.100wordsorfewerwritingcontest.com/

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