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Finding
the Bacon
Keeping Fit
E-Queries: Yes, plus snail mail or fax. No
simultaneous submissions, please.
E-Queries: Yes, or snail mail. NOTE:
Always query first.
E-Queries: No. Send #10 SASE for
guidelines. Query with published clips.
E-Queries: Yes. Plus snail mail. Get free
guidelines via email. (Note: do send for guidelines, they have lots and lots of
information.) Query with published clips.
E-Queries: No. Please use snail mail, fax
or phone. Send #10 SASE for writer's guidelines.
E-Queries: Yes, and snail mail. Send #10
SASE for guidelines. Sample copy is available for $5.00. Contests Corner By Moira Richards
Compliments
of the season, and the very best of 2002 to you!
I
hope you're invigorated and a-raring to go, because I've found some great
contests this month, and copied extracts from their websites below - there's
something for every type of writing so no excuse not to submit :-) THE
"SMILING POLITELY" VERY VERY SHORT STORY COMPETITION "The
Smiling Politely Very Very Short Story Competition has been established to
encourage writers who enjoy dabbling in the art of very very short story
writing. The competition is almost unique as it is one of the only short story
competitions which encourages stories of less than 1500 words. "Anyone
from anywhere can enter, and we are keen to see emerging Australian talent,
however no preferential treatment will be given to Australian writers. "The
Smiling Politely Very Very Short Story Competition sets no themes or
requirements for entries, aside from each submission being under 1500 words.
There is no minimum word limit. Because one of the goals of Smiling Politely is
to promote short story writers in a very real way, we are looking to publish a
book of short stories every year, containing collected works from various
writers. This means that even if your story doesn't happen to win the first
prize, it may still have the opportunity to be published. It is for this reason
that we request that none of the stories submitted to the competition have been
previously published, or are under consideration for publication." PRIZE:
$500 ENTRY
FEE: $5 DEADLINE:
February 15, 2002 URL:
http://www.users.bigpond.com/swandmaker/
GCWA's FOURTEENTH ANNUAL "LET'S WRITE" LITERARY CONTEST "All
categories--Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction are open to all writers, published
or unpublished. The Young Writers contest is limited to two categories, Poetry
and Fiction and is open only to teens -- ages 13 through 18 (entrants reaching
age 19 before February 15, 2002 should enter adult categories). "Maximum
entry length: 36 lines (poetry), 2500 words (fiction and non-fiction). PRIZE:
Various from $10 to $75 ENTRY
FEE: $10, $5, $1 DEADLINE:
February 15, 2002 URL:
http://www.gcwriters.org/
KINGDOM
COUNTY PRODUCTIONS AND FLEDGLING FILMS "Located
in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom since 1991, Kingdom County Productions is a
nonprofit media arts education organization and independent film production
company that produces dramatic and documentary films rooted in Vermont. "Kingdom
County Productions Fledgling Films are soliciting teen and pre-teen written
short stories, plays and screenplays, to be produced as short films at the
Fledgling Films Summer Institute. "Looking
for something smart & original. Accepting national & international
submissions, with a strong preference toward works written primarily in English.
"Writers
receive small honorarium, invitation to be involved in the filming process and
copy of finished film. Ideal script/play is 10-30 pages in length. Must
be 18 or younger to submit." PRIZE:
Small honorarium ENTRY
FEE: None DEADLINE:
April 15, 2002 URL:
http://www.fledglingfilms.com
FICTION
ONLINE LITERARY SHORT FICTION CONTEST "Fictionline
is a non-profit online literary journal/contest/co-op. We award $1000 to one
story from each reading period, and we publish all the winning stories online,
with absolutely no charge to the reading public. We publish as many stories as
we can afford, one at a time, as soon as enough reading fees have accumulated to
fund another prize; you can sign
up to receive email notification whenever a new story appears on the
site. "DEADLINES:
There's no deadlines. That's partly because the time it takes us to fully
consider any given submission may extend over more than one 'reading period'.
Then if an editor takes a shine to a piece, we hold it for 30 days, so everybody
can get a chance to read it. If it then becomes a serious contender, we hang
onto it for as long as we think it might have a chance, across multiple reading
periods. In
other words, we give every story as much chance as possible, regardless of when
it arrives in any given reading period. "GENRE:
We publish literary short fiction. Any submission that squats humorlessly in a
single genre (including the genre 'literary short fiction') is unlikely to get
published here. "LENGTH: any length story will be considered. Don't worry about your story being 'too long for reading online'; readers will be encouraged to print out the stories [and will be given nice Adobe Acrobat versions for doing so]."
PRIZE:
$1000 ENTRY
FEE: $2.36 DEADLINE:
Ongoing URL:
http://www.fictionline.com/
EAST
OF THE WEB "Open
competition for original non-fiction short stories.
"Hyperfiction,
publishers of the award-winning literature website East of the Web Short
Stories, are pleased to announce their 2001-2002 non-fiction short story
competition. We want the truth! Maybe you have had an unusual or interesting
experience. Perhaps you have an insight into a remarkable incident.
You might know of something quite ordinary that you can tell from an
entertaining perspective. Whatever the subject, we want to hear your story. Entries can be serious or humorous, modern or historical -
the only restriction is that they must be based on true events. Both prizes
include non-exclusive publication on the East of the Web Short Stories
website." PRIZE:
$150, $75 ENTRY
FEE: None DEADLINE:
February 28, 2002 URL:
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/Competitions/NonFict2002.html
FREE
THE MUSE CONTEST by THE WRITER'S GALLERY "We’re
looking for poetry, fiction, non-fiction and personal essays that are
refreshingly bold. Let your mind, heart and muse take you where you’ve never
been before. "Competition
is open to manuscript(s) of 1,500 words or less. Entries
outside the limitations will not be accepted. In the right hand corner, type the
word count on the first page of your entry, along with your name, street
address, daytime phone number and email address. "Winners
will be notified by June 1, 2002 and their names will be posted at our website.
If you have not been contacted by this date, you may assume that your entry is
not a finalist and may be marketed elsewhere." PRIZE:
$100, $75, $50, $25 ENTRY
FEE: $10 DEADLINE:
April 1, 2002 URL:
www.thewritersgallery.com
THE
MARLBORO PRIZE IN POETRY Judge:
Eleanor Wilner "Submit
up to five poems (any length). The judge's decision is final although all
submissions will be considered for publication. Include SASE for contest
results. All contest applicants will receive a copy of the contest issue of the
Marlboro Review. "No electronic submissions." PRIZE:
$1000 ENTRY
FEE: $10 DEADLINE:
March 15, 2002 URL:
http://www.marlbororeview.com/ POETICALLY
EXPRESSED POETRY CONTEST
"Each
time we receive 150 entries, we close the competitions for judging. New entries
received are automatically entered into our next contest. "We
guarantee cash awards as below. Note: We hold our contest this way for
two reasons. The first is to offer a guaranteed prize award. The second is to
keep the number of entries down. This increases your chances of winning. "Poems
may be any style, rhyming or non-rhyming, structured or free verse. "Poems
may be of any length. "Poems
may not be obscene, vulgar, or promote hate, crime or illegal activities. Classy
erotica is acceptable. "Author
retains all rights to their work. "PE
may request one time publishing rights for posting winning selections on our
website. We do not require an acknowledgement if you publish the poem elsewhere
at a later date. It is always appreciated, but never required. "Poems
must be the unpublished work of one author and can not have won other awards or
contests. "The
contest is closed for judging when we receive 150 entries. All submissions after
that point are automatically entered into our next contest. Why do we do this?
To guarantee a specific cash award for each contest period and keep the odds of
winning as high as possible for each participant. "Complete details and our submission form are located on our website." PRIZE:
$200, $125, $75 ENTRY
FEE: $5 DEADLINE:
Ongoing URL:
http://members.aol.com/PoeticImpression
BRODY
PRODUCTIONS PEOPLE'S
PILOT COMPETITION "Better
writing makes better TV. "With
more networks and cable channels on television than ever before, the market for
bright, fresh, and original ideas is at an all-time high. "The
old pros who have been the traditional creators of series are hard on the job,
but even they can't fill the demand. Executives and producers are ready and
waiting for new people they can count on to supply them with material unlike
that ever before seen. "This
is the dawning of the era of YOU, THE NEW WRITER, with your unique vision. To
help you sell your series, TV Writer.Com, the most successful television writing
site on the Web, has created the PEOPLE'S PILOT COMPETITION. "The
rewards can be enormous. Your dream, on TV for all to see. With you as the
producer/head writer...and collecting the salary that accompanies that job. And
all you have to do is commit your dreamchild to paper. Only a few short pages
containing the title of your series idea, the main thrust of the storyline or
storylines, the characters, and the setting. "That's
right. This isn't a screenplay or teleplay contest. Television networks and
cable channels don't buy series pilot scripts; they develop them with their
creators and production companies and packaging agencies they trust. "The
winners of the PEOPLE'S PILOT COMPETITION will be working with Brody
Productions, a company with a history of over 20 years of involvement in the
creation and production of such series as SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED, DIABOLIK, THE
SILVER SURFER, SPAWN, MIKE HAMMER, PARTNERS IN CRIME, THE FALL GUY, MAN
UNDERCOVER, POLICE STORY, and BARETTA. "Brody
Productions has been associated with networks all around the world, including
NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX NETWORK, FOX KIDS, UPN, USA NETWORK, WB NETWORK, BBC, M6
(France), and many more. They are a company to which the networks regularly GIVE
ideas. Now, in the spirit of new creativity, they will be BUYING your ideas as
well. "Since
the networks and cable channels have two pilot development seasons each year,
two PEOPLE'S PILOT COMPETITIONS are held as well. One Competition runs from
August 1 to December 1, so that the winners can be chosen in time for the pilot
season that will begin the following February. The other Competition runs from
February 1 to June 1 so that the winners can be chosen in time for the pilot
season that will begin the following August. "No
matter who you are, no matter where in the world you live, this is YOUR chance
to make television as good as you always thought it could be! "The
PEOPLE'S PILOT COMPETITION is open to ALL writers in all countries in the world. "Pilot
submissions must consist of a 'presentation,' 'prospectus,' or 'leavebehind'
containing the following elements: A.
A title page including the title of the series, and the name, address, phone
number, and e-mail address of the writer(s)-submittor(s) B.
A summary of the basic idea behind the show, including the setting, theme,
profession, etc C.
A summary of the main continuing characters, their background and appearance,
personalities, and their interaction D.
A statement of the kinds of situation in which the characters will be placed,
including what the basic structure of those situations will be, what effect
these situations will have on the characters, and what effect the characters
will have on them E.
A short list of possible episodes with enough different stories to show that the
series will be viable week to week A
sample series presentation can be found on the website." ENTRY
FEE: $40 DEADLINE:
Ongoing
THE
HUMANIST ESSAY CONTEST "The
Humanist has conducted national essay contests since the 1950s. This effort has
not only cultivated young talent and produced inspiring material for the
magazine but many winners have gone on to make noteworthy contributions to
society. If you are under the age of twenty-five and have thoughts on humanity
and the future, you are invited to share your perception and vision. First,
Second, and Third place prizes will be awarded in two age categories: thirteen
through seventeen and eighteen through twenty-four (ages determined as of the
entry deadline of December 1 of each contest year). Possible
Topics "Humanistic
essays applying head and heart to any subject or field of endeavor are welcome.
Entrants should express their views based on the interpretation of humanism that
appears on the inside front cover of the Humanist. That statement reads as
follows: Humanism
is a rational philosophy informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by
compassion. Affirming the dignity of each human being, it supports the
maximization of individual liberty and opportunity consonant with social and
planetary responsibility. It advocates the extension of participatory democracy
and the expansion of the open society, standing for human rights and social
justice. Free of supernaturalism, it recognizes human beings as a part of nature
and holds that values--be they religious, ethical, social, or political--have
their source in human nature, experience, and culture. Humanism thus derives the
goals of life from human need and interest rather than from theological or
ideological abstractions, and asserts that humanity must take responsibility for
its own destiny. The
following list of titles are examples of possible topics: ·
What
Meaning Shall the New Millennium Hold? ·
The
Dangers and Opportunities of the Information Age ·
Can
We Still Save Our Environmentally Imperilled Planet? ·
Responding
to the Population Crisis ·
Why
the Suffering of Those in Other Countries Should Matter to Us ·
Alternatives
to War in the Twenty-first Century ·
The
International Project That Will Most Benefit Humanity ·
Does
the United States Have the Right to Try and Spread Its Values and Culture to
Other Societies? ·
Can
the Enlightenment Project Survive the Postmodern Challenge? ·
How
Can a Humanist Outlook Help People Confront the Fears of Life and Death? ·
Discovering
Grounded Values in an Anxious and Changing World ·
Death
with Dignity: Is It the Ultimate Human Right? Those
who desire other specific topic ideas may find recent issues of the Humanist
a useful source." PRIZE:
$1000, $400, $100 ENTRY
FEE: None mentioned DEADLINE:
December 1 each year URL:
http://www.americanhumanist.org/essaycon/ I have been an accountant for a very long time, but I always wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I realised a year or so back, that there's not that many decades left for me get grown up, and so I'm working part time at learning how to be a writer. Besides my column here, I write a weekly article on Women Abuse for Suite101.com - not a pretty subject, but if you have the stomach, check it out at http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/women_abuse - and have recently been promoted by them to Managing Editor (Food). To see past issues of Absolute Markets, click here. |
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