Upcoming Contests to Consider

Addition 4/3/2012
http://www.whitecatpublications.com/
White Cat Publications. Submission link is an outlook express e-mail addy. mailto:[email protected]

Flash fiction contest, deadline May 15, 2012, limit 1000 words, $50 for first, $25 for 2nd-4th.

Short Stories
We take stories up to 5,000 words in length, five cents per word up to 2,500 words. Reprints are paid out at one cent per word.
Flash fiction
Up to 1,000 words. $25 per story.
FICTION - NOVEL LENGTH
Regarding fiction, we are interested in novels involving the following genres: suspense and mystery, urban fantasy, science fiction, western and romance. No erotica or mindless violence. In your submission, please include a cover letter, 500 word bio, synopsis (including the ending) and the first three chapters. Please do not send the complete manuscript unless we request you to do so.

Good fiction, of course, is character driven, so we ask that you keep that in mind. The modern reader demands a brisk pace with an emphasis on shorter chapters, as well. Dense prose is a thing of the past and we’d like to do our part to keep it that way.


See addition at post 3 from 10/13/2011 - not contests, but possibly some short story market possibilities.

Sometimes I think we all get a little discouraged by the tough market, publishers, and agents. So, just to give everyone some ideas about other possibilities there are out there, I've collected information about upcoming contests from the Aboutcom website. Posted below are the gleanings through the end of 2009. As with everything, check out the websites posted for the contests before making your decisions.

A note on entry fees for contests - contests have to come up with their prize money and money to cover their costs somehow - the easiest way, obviously is to charge an entry fee. This doesn't mean the contest isn't legitimate.

I have no personal information about any of these contests, just thought I'd pass them along in case anyone is interested.

• Greensboro Review Literary Awards -- September 15
  A prize of $500 and publication in the Spring 2005 issue of The Greensboro Review for one poet and one fiction writer. Submit stories of 7,500 words or less to: Jim Clark, Editor, The Greensboro Review, MFA Writing Program, Department of English, 3302 Hall for Humanities and Research Administration, UNCG, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170.

• Literal Latté Essay Contest -- September 15
  First Prize $500 for unpublished personal essays, 6,000 words max. Submit to Literal Latté Awards, 200 East 10th Street, Suite 240 New York, NY 10003. $10 reading fee.

• Bartleby Snopes Writing Contest -- September 30
  Submit stories of 3,000 words or fewer; for the 2009 contest, stories must be composed entirely of dialogue. (See site for complete rules.) The winning story will receive a minimum of $250. The final award will be based on the total number of entries. There must be at least 25 entries or the contest will be cancelled and all entry fees will be returned. For every entry over 25, $5 will be added to the grand prize. All entries should be submitted to [email protected] with the following subject line: Dialogue Submission: Last Name. $10 entry fee.

• Birmingham-Southern College Hackney Novel Award -- September 30
  A prize of $5,000 for an unpublished novel. Mail entries to: Hackney Literary Awards, Birmingham-Southern College, Box Box 549066, Birmingham, AL 35254. Entry fee: $25.

• Juniper Prize in Fiction -- September 30
  Submit manuscripts of at least 150 pages and no longer than 350 pages. Winning author will receive a cash award of $1,500, a contract with standard royalties, and an invitation to read in the University’s Visiting Writers Series. Send submissions to: Juniper Prize for Fiction, University of Massachusetts Press, East Experiment Station, 671 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003. $25.00 entry fee.

• University of Iowa Short Fiction Awards -- September 30
  Award-winning manuscripts will be published by the University of Iowa Press under the Press’s standard contract. Submit 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages to Iowa Short Fiction Award, Iowa Writers’ Workshop, 507 North Clinton Street, 102 Dey House, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000. No fee.

• PANK Magazine 1,001 Awesome Words Contest -- September 30
  Prizes of $750, $500, and $250 and publication in PANK No. 4. Email entries of 1,001 words or less (“Any form or formlessness”); see site for address and details. $15 entry fee.

• Boston Review Short Story Contest -- October 1
  A prize of $1,500 and publication in the Boston Review is given to one writer each year for a story of no more than 4,000 words. Send submissions to: Short-Story Contest, Boston Review, 35 Medford St., Suite 302, Somerville, MA 02143. $20.00 entry fee.

• Mighty River Short Story Contest -- October 1
  Southeast Missouri State University Press is looking for the best short story relating in some way to the Mississippi River, the River Valley, or a sister river. Winner receives an award of $500 and publication in Big Muddy: A Journal of the Mississippi River Valley. Mail mss (max of 30 pages) to: MRSS Contest, Southeast Missouri State University Press, MS 2650, One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. $15 entry fee.
• Mississippi Review Prizes -- October 1
  $1,000 each in fiction and poetry. Fiction entries should be 1,000-5,000 words; poetry, up to 10 pages. Send entries to: Mississippi Review Prize, 118 College Drive #5144, Hattiesburg, MI 39406-0001. $15.00 entry fee.
• Missouri Review Editors' Prizes -- October 1
  Submit 25 typed, double-spaced pages of prose and ten pages of poetry. One winner and three finalists will be chosen; the winner receives $3,000. Submit entry online or mail to Missouri Review Editors' Prize, 357 McReynolds Hall, UMC, Columbia, MO 65211. $20.00 entry fee.

• “Scare the Dickens Out of Us” Ghost Story Contest -- October 1
  Submit ghost stories of 4,000 words or fewer to either junior or adult contests. Stories must include a character from any of Charles Dickens’ works as part of the original story and be set in the month of December and around any of the December holidays. Download entry fee from site; submit to: Ghost Story Contest, co/Friends of the Library, P.O. Box 821, Lockhart, TX 78644. (Note that deadline is a postmark deadline.) $20 entry fee goes to support the Eugene Clark Library of Lockhart, Texas, the oldest library in Texas used continuously as a public library.

• Ventura County Writers Club Annual Short Story Contest -- October 1
  A grand prize of $500 and publication in the Ventura County Star newspaper to an original story of 10 pages or fewer. Entries will be judged on the basis of plot (25 pts.), character development (25 pts.), intent/focus (15 pts.), reader interest (15 pts.), style/voice (10 pts), grammar/punctuation (5 pts), and title (5 pts). Mail all entries to: VCWC, P.O. Box 3373, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359. Entry fee: $15 for members, $25 for non-members.
• The Wilda Hearne Flash Fiction Contest -- October 1
  Southeast Missouri State University Press seeks the best short-short story -- 500 words max -- on any theme. Winner receives an award of $200 and publication in Big Muddy: A Journal of the Mississippi River Valley. Mail mss to: Wilda Hearne Flash Fiction Contest, Southeast Missouri State University Press, MS 2650, One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. $10 entry fee.

• The Bellwether Prize for Fiction -- October 2
  U.S. citizens with some publication record, but without a substantial book publication may submit an original, previously unpublished novel at least 80,000 words in length. $25.00 processing fee.

• Dogwood Poetry and Fiction Prizes -- October 15
  Prize of $1,000 and publication. All entrants will be considered for publication. Submit stories up to 7,500 words to: Kim Bridgford, Editor, Dogwood, English Dept., Fairfield University, North Benson Rd., Fairfield, CT 06824-5195. $15.00 reading fee.
• Inkwell Short Fiction Competition -- October 30
  $1500 prize and publication in Inkwell. Submit up to three short stories for up to 5,000 words to INKWELL, Manhattanville College, 2900 Purchase Street, Purchase, NY 10577. $15.00 reading fee.

• Union County (North Carolina) Writers' Club Annual Contest -- October 31
  Prizes of $10-$30 for unpublished writing in the following categories: short story, fantasy, poetry, and childrens' story. Open to U.S. residents over 18 years of age. Send entries to: P.O. Box 496, Monroe, NC 28111. See site for complete rules. Entry fees are $3 per poem, or 2 for $5, and $5 per story.

• New Rivers Press MVP Competition -- November 1
  Three prizes of $1,000 each and a standard book contract for unpublished book-length manuscripts by emerging writers. Submit a manuscript of short stories, novellas, or personal essays of 100-200 pages; or a novel or memoir of any length to New Rivers Press, MVP Competition, 1104 Seventh Avenue South, Moorhead, MN 56563. $20 entry fee.

• Reed Magazine John Steinbeck Award -- November 1
  $1,000 cash prize and publication in Reed Magazine for an unpublished short story of up to 6,000 words. Submit online. $15.00 entry fee.
• Roanoke Review Fiction Contest -- November 1
  Prize of $1,000 for the best short story; prize winner and runners-up will be published in the spring issue. Send stories (maximum of 8,000 words) to: Roanoke Review Contest, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153. $15.00 entry fee.

• Moment-Karma Short Fiction Contest -- November 14
  Moment will award three prizes ($1,000, $500, and $250, and publication) to outstanding works of unpublished short fiction of 7,000 words or less with Jewish content. Send entries to: Moment-Karma Short Fiction Contest, Moment Magazine, 4115 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 102, Washington, DC 20016. $15.00 entry fee.

• Georgetown Review Contest -- November 15
  A prize of $1,000 and publication in Georgetown Review for an unpublished short story or creative essay. Send entries to 2009 Contest, Georgetown Review, 400 East College Street, Box 227, Georgetown, KY 40324. $10.00 entry fee.
• Ramble Underground Short Fiction Contest -- November 15
  Publication in Ramble Underground and cash awards, the amount of which varies with the number of entries (a minimum of $50). Apply online; 2500 words max. $6 entry

• Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation Short Fiction Competition -- November 30
  A prize of at least $1,000 is given every three years for a short story that presents the gay and lesbian lifestyle in a positive manner and is based on a historic person or event. Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation, Short Fiction Competition, PMB 503, 31855 Date Palm Drive, Suite 3, Cathedral City, CA 92234. No entry fee.
• Fish International Short Story Prize -- November 30
  Prizes awarded by Fish Publishing, an Irish independent press. Winning authors will appear in an anthology; first prize is €3,000, but all winners receive a prize. Online entries only. €20.00 fee.

• -- November 30
  All stories and poems, submitted on FolioAlley by November 30, 2009, with "Alley Cats and Alley Rats" as the subject are automatically qualified to win the $500 prize. After your submission, it will be displayed on our Story Challenge page where folioalley members will have the opportunity to vote on it. The writing with the most votes wins. No entry fee.

• Smink Works Books Short Story Competition -- December 1
  A prize of $100 to a work of short fiction written in accordance with a given philosophical theme. Open to writers internationally. 1,000 word maximum. Stand-out stories are published in an anthology. Submit stories via email to shortstorycomp [at] sminkworks [dot] com. $10 entry fee.

• Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition -- December 1
  Writer's Digest is now accepting entries in their annual short short story competition. Submit short fiction of up to 1,500 words using online form. $12.00 entry fee.

• Short Fiction Short Story Contest -- December 8
  First prize is $1,000+ publication; 2nd place winner receives $500. Submit online. $20 fee.
• Crazyhorse Fiction Prize -- December 15
  Crazyhorse literary magazine offers a yearly prize award of $2,000 and publication for a story of up to twenty-five pages. Submit online or send entries to: Crazyhorse, Poetry and Fiction Prizes, Department of English, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424. $16.00 entry fee includes subscription.

• Birmingham-Southern College Hackney Short Story Award -- December 31
  A prize of $5,000 for the best short story of 5,000 words or less. Mail entries to: Hackney Literary Awards, Birmingham-Southern College, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254. Entry fee: $10.
• Boulevard Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers -- December 31
  A prize of $1,500 and publication in Boulevard for a short story by a writer who has not published a book with a nationally distributed press. Boulevard Emerging Writers Contest, PMB 325, 6614 Clayton Road, Richmond Heights, MO 63117. (314) 862-2643. $15.00 reading fee includes subscription.

• Delacorte Press Contest for a First Young Adult Novel -- December 31
  A book contract with $1,500 in cash and $7,500 advance against royalties is awarded each year to encourage the writing of contemporary YA fiction. See site for details and send mss to Delacorte Press Contest, Random House, Inc., 1745 Broadway, 9th Floor,
New York, NY 10019.
• Del Sol Press Robert Olen Butler Fiction Prize -- December 31
  $1,200 and publication for the best short story, either published (in a periodical) or unpublished, 2,000-8,000 words; open to submissions from both emerging and established writers. Top ten finalist stories will be published in book form in the spring. Finalists invited to submit book-length manuscripts for consideration by Del Sol Press. Send to: Katie Jean Shinkle, Contest Coordinator, Robert Olen Butler Short Fiction Prize 2009, 1 1/2 Oakwood Court, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 $16.00 entry fee.

• Glimmer Train Press Fiction Open -- December 31
  A prize of $2,000 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given biannually for a short story. A second-place prize of $1,000 is also awarded. Submit a story of up to 20,000 words online. $20.00 entry fee.

• Ruth Hindman Foundation H. E. Francis Short Story Competition -- December 31
  A prize of $1,000 for an original, unpublished short story. Submit two copies of a story of no more than 5,000 words to Department of English, Morton Hall 222, H.E. Francis Contest, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899. $15.00 entry fee.

Found a good website today with a number of markets that might work for some historical shorts - especially for the commonwealth group, but there are some possible for those of us in the states.

I've copied the main website address below and then a couple of the magazines I took particular note of.

http://www.jbwb.co.uk/markets.html

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine pays 7c a word on acceptance for stories to 14,000 words. Fiction with ghosts, futuristic theme or suspense must contain a crime or the suggestion of one. Contact: Alfred Hitchock Mystery Magazine, 475 Park Ave South, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10016, USA. Website: http://www.themysteryplace.com/ahmm/index.shtml http://www.themysteryplace.com/ahmm/
(Also link to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

All Hallows magazine, published by the Bram Stoker Award-winning Ash-Tree Press, Canada wants ghostly tales in the classic tradition. Modern graphic horror/gore not required; suspense/atmosphere are. Preferred length, 3,000-5,000 words; work between 1,000-10,000 words considered. Well-researched non-fiction articles also needed. Visit www.ash-tree.bc.ca (e-mail: [email protected]) or write to Ash-Tree Press, PO Box 1360, Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada V0K 1A0.

Playboy Regarded as one of the best paying markets for serious contemporary stories, mystery, suspense, humour, science fiction and sports stories. The average length of a Playboy story is 1,000-6,000 words, and they will not consider manuscripts longer than 7,500 words. Payment, made on acceptance, is usually $5,000; very short pieces are paid $2,000. Writers who submit manuscripts without including a self-addressed, stamped return envelope will receive neither the manuscript nor a printed rejection. Won't consider stories submitted electronically or by fax. Decision time: around eight weeks. Send submissions to Playboy Magazine, Attn: Fiction Department, 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60611.

Stickman Review (www.stickmanreview.com) is a new, online literary magazine that will be published twice yearly. Editors Anthony Brown and Darrin English welcome e-mail submissions of literary fiction ([email protected]), non-fiction (nonfiction@stickmanre view.com) and poetry ([email protected]). Although they do not rule out genre stories, the editors emphasise that this is a literary magazine, and their major interest is the quality of the literary style. Contact: Stickman Review, 2890 N. Fairview Dr, Flagstaff, Arizona 86004, USA.

Tin House (http://www.tinhouse.com/) is a quarterly literary magazine that publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. It accepts submissions from around the world. Non-fiction articles include interviews with literary figures and essays on writing and literature. Pays from $200 for short stories and $50 for poetry. Contact: Tin House, PO Box 10500, Portland, Oregon OR 97296-0500, USA for further information (enclose sae and IRC), or visit the website for fuller guidelines.

Thanks, BaldEagle. Actually, I've been working on putting together a better list for the western writers who've been languishing. I updated it again today and you might want to check it out - stickied in the next forum down - look for western markets. There's always a potential for some historical writers in what I've found for western too. Puma

Thank you for the post and information, Swordswoman. Much appreciated. Puma