Deadline: July 30, 2011
Entry Fee: Free
Guidelines: Harris County Public Libraries
This contest is strictly for teens in grades 6-12. If you’re looking for something interesting to do this summer, consider sending your best fiction or poetry to this contest. You’ve got nothing to lose, and you could win a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card to finance some more summer reading!
The entry form brochure has tips for writing well, so read it and get going.
Good luck and happy writing!
Deadline: July 31, 2011
Entry Fee: Free
Guidelines: The Novelette.com
Here’s a site that runs periodic writing contests based on a common theme. The theme of this contest is “desire” in any form or context. This is one of those sites where readers may vote on their favorite stories, (no registration required,) and the most popular story wins. So if you have lots of friends/followers who will vote for you, this is a contest you might want to enter.
Reading through the entries, I’m not seeing any great literary talent. Therefore you, dear talented writer, could stand out from the crowd and wow the editor with your story, in which case you’d win the Editor’s Choice award.
In addition to the writing contest, the site hosts the artwork and books of LB Gschwandtner. Her videos about her writing process are delightful to view.
Good luck, and happy writing!
Deadline: July 31, 2011
Entry Fee: Free
Guidelines: GlimmerTrain
GlimmerTrain is well known for their contests and hefty prizes. Try your hand at this contest for free. The winner receives $700 and publication in the notable GlimmerTrain Journal.
The contest runs four times a year. It closes at midnight on the last day of the month in each cycle. Writers may submit three stories per cycle of up to 12,000 words.
Happy writing!
Deadline: July 1, 2011
Guidelines: Etopia Press
Think ahead to Halloween, Samhain, and all they embody. This call for submissions to the Black Cat Tales anthology is for Halloween themed tales that keep the readers on the edge, page after page. Any genre is acceptable, from romance, to urban fantasy, to literary fiction.
Stories may be 15,000 words to novel length. Longer works will be released in print as well as digital, the shorter works will be in ebook format only. Read the entire submissions page for complete guidelines.
In addition to this anthology, Etopia Press is looking for stories in all genres. Read about Etopia and two other publishers that accept unagented submissions in my Suite101 article.
Deadline: August 15, 2010
Entry Fee: Be a follower of The NOT blog.
Guidelines: http://notfromhereareyou.blogspot.com/2010/06/dog-days-of-summer-contest-not-e-chap.html
The NOT blog is looking for writers who know how to tell a story succinctly. In exactly 101 words, write a compelling tale that includes the words “summer” and “heat.” The prize? Inclusion in the e-chapbook to be released on September 1, 2010.
This might be a perfect way to while away a bit of poolside time with the laptop. When you’re finished, send your entry in the body of an email to michaeljsolender@gmail.com. Include Dog Days Entry, the title of your story, and your name in the subject.
Good luck and happy writing!
Contest: Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Children’s Contest
Entry Fee: FREE
Deadline: July 15, 2009
Guidelines: http://www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com/registration_form/
Cheerios is sponsoring the third annual contest for writers of children’s fiction. Winners receive $5,000 and publication of their books by Simon and Schuster. The winning story of the 2007 contest, “The Great Dog Wash” is available at bookstores and in specially marked boxes of Cheerios. Stories should be submitted through the online submission form.
Contest: Electric Dragon Café Short Story Writing Contest
Entry Fee: FREE
Deadline: July 31, 2009
Guidelines: http://www.electricdragoncafe.com/submit/contest.php?/
What would you do if the world had an apocalypse and you were one of the few survivors? The Electric Dragon Café wants to know. They offer contests on a quarterly basis with a themed prompt. This contest’s theme has to do with global catastrophe and the survivor’s plans for rebuilding society. The topic sounds serious, but keep in mind that the editors of the site have a very droll sense of humor. They love to read entertaining, surprising, original speculative fiction stories that are slightly quirky and offbeat. Winners of the contest receive a $25 gift certificate to Borders or Barnes and Noble bookstores. If you have another science fiction story with a different theme, they accept online submissions. So go ahead. Tell Electric Dragon Café how you plan to handle the end of civilization. They may elect you the leader of a new society.
Contest: Seasons of Romance Winter Love Anthology
Entry Fee: FREE
Deadline: July 15, 2009
Guidelines: http://www.newconcordpress.com/sundropbooks/seaons1.html
SunDrop, a new fiction imprint of New Concord Press, is looking for stories to publish in two upcoming anthologies. The theme is “Seasons of Romance: Winter Love.” If you have a romantic story that is between 11,000 and 12,000 words, this may be a viable market for you. Payment for selected stories is low, $25.00, plus one copy of the book. However, if you’ve been trying to break into print, this may be one way to do it. They accept all subgenres of romance except Young Adult and Erotic. They also require a query letter and synopsis, so this is a chance to practice and sharpen those skills.
Contest: Reading Writers Dynamic Dialogue Writing Contest
Entry Fee: FREE
Deadline: July 15, 2009
Guidelines: http://www.readingwriters.com/contest.htm
What makes the best-written dialogue? Is it word choice? Is it a descriptive turn of a phrase? The true test of effective dialogue is how well it develops character and advances the plot. Reading Writers is sponsoring a contest challenging writers to create a story entirely out of dialogue. There should be no narrative whatsoever, not even dialogue tags. If you can accomplish this in less than 1,000 words, you may enter your story into this free contest. The winners will be published in The Verb, the writerly ezine of Reading Writers. All entries must be submitted electronically and formatted according to their guidelines. Reading Writers sponsors contests on a regular basis, so check back after this deadline to see the guidelines for the next contest.
The Novelette Writing Contest
Deadline: June 15, 2009
Entry Fee: FREE
Guidelines: http://www.thenovelette.com/contest
The Novelette offers writing contests several times a year. The current one deals with conflict. I quote from the website, “War may be hell, but conflict is the spice of any good story. How conflicted can you be in 750 words or less?”
If you feel conflicted, if you feel confused, if you feel creative, enter your story through their online submission form. If you win, you will be rewarded with a $25 gift card for books, and publication on the Novelette website.
