| Sponsor / Org |
Contest |
Type |
Eligibility |
Dates |
Entry |
Fee |
Submission |
Categories / Judges |
Awards / Other Info |
| Pacific
Northwest Writer's Association |
PNWA
Literary Contest (Zola Awards) |
Fiction, Screenplay, Poetry, Non-Fiction |
Entries must be original and not previously accepted
for publication or production at time of submission. |
Received by Feb 18, 2012; finalists notifed in June;
winners announced at summer conference July 19-22. |
Categories 1-7: beginning of ms and 1 p. synopsis (28 pp
max); category 8: complete ms (90-130 pp); category 9: 3 poems; category 10:
complete short story, 14 pp max; category 11: text for picture book, 1st 14 pp; category 12: complete ms, 10 pp max.
See rules for exact instructions for each category. |
$35, $50 |
Mail except for #3 Romance, which is electronic. Payment must be mailed. |
8 finalists in each category. Final judges are agents or editors. Categories: Book-length: 1-MS; 2-Historical; 3-Romance;
4-Mystery / Thriller; 5-Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror; 6-YA / Middle Grade; 7-Non-Fiction / Memoir / How-To;
8-Screenwriting; 9-Poetry; 10-Short Story; 11-Children's
Picture Book, / Chapter Book; 12-Adult Short Topics (Article / Essay
/ Short Memoir) |
Every entry receives two critiques. 1st Place: $700
and the Zola Award. 2nd Place
$300. Finalists who attend PNWA Conf. receive finalist
ribbon for name badge. Finalists’ mss made available
to agents and editors during conf. Winners have opportunity to
attend Agents and Editors Reception at PNWA Summer Conference. |
| Idore Anschell |
100 Words or Fewer Writing Contest |
Fiction, no lewd material. |
Worldwide. |
Feb 18, 2012, winner announced March 17, 2012. |
Story (100 words max) relating to one of the two categories. |
$15 ($10 if before Dec 18). $10 for checkmark evaluation. $35.00 for critique. |
online. Pay via PayPal or by check with permission. |
Categories: Eating, Uncommon Character. Stories must relate in some way to one of these topics. Final Judge is Dr. Erica Bauermeister. |
$400 First Prize in both categories. $50 Runner-ups in both categories. |
| Greater
Detroit Romance Writers of America |
Between
the Sheets |
Romance |
RWA members unpublished / uncontracted in book-length
fiction by Feb 14. |
Received by Feb 14, 2012; finalists notified Mar
28; final placements announced on or by May 4. |
love scene, 10 pp max, 25 lines per page max. 1 pp set-up (will not be judged) |
$21, $25 |
Email RTF file only. Can pay by PayPal or check. |
All categories, Sweet to Erotic. Each entry will
have three 1st round judges with lowest score dropped. Top 4 entries ranked by: Brenda Chin, Harlequin; Katherine Pelz, Berkley; Nicole Resciniti, The Seymour Agency |
All 4 winners receive certificates. In addition, 1st
Place receives $100, 2nd Place $50, 3rd Place $25. |
| RomCom |
Readers' Crown |
Romance |
Books with original copyright of 2011 |
Submitted by Feb 14, 2012; finalists notified April 30; winners announced June 24 at RomCom 2012. |
6 copies of each book per category being entered. |
$29 - $246.99 |
electronic or mail (addl fees apply) |
All sub-genres of romance, Urban Fantasy, Mainstream Women's Fiction, and Young Adult Romance |
|
| San Antonio Romance Writers of America |
Merritt Contest |
Romance |
Open to authors who aren't PAN-eligible. Do not need to be RWA member. |
Received by midnight CST, Feb 14, 2012; winners announced May 2012 |
1st 25 pp + synopsis (5 pp max) |
$25 SARA members, $30 RWA members, $35 others |
Electronic. Pay via PayPal. |
Final Judges: Contemp (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); HR (Tessa Woodward, Avon); Para ( Amanda Barnett, The Wild Rose Press); RS (Patience Bloom, Harlequin) Women’s Fiction (Kate Seaver, Berkley) |
All finalists receive certificate. Winners in each category receive plaque and a year’s electronic subscription to SARA’s newsletter, The Love Letter. |
| Washington - Centerville Public Library |
Erma Bombeck Writing Competition |
Humor and Human Interest |
Open to writers of any age. Entry cannot have been published more than once in 2011; blogs entries are eligible. |
7:30 am EST Feb 14, 2012 (opens Jan 3); winners announced in March |
450 words or fewer written in the "spirit" of Erma Bombeck |
$15 |
online |
Panel of judges includes columnists, magazine writers, comedy writers, authors, and teachers. |
Four $500 prizes awarded (2 in Humor and 2 in Human Interest) plus registration fee ($350 value) to Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop held at the University of Dayton in April 2012. Notice in the Dayton Daily News and press releases issued to writer's hometown. |
| Crested
Butte Friends of the Library |
The
Sandy |
Fiction |
Work must be uncontracted at time of deadline. Entries capped at 250. No self-published. |
Received by midnight Feb 12, 2012 |
first 20 pp of novel plus synopsis (2 pp max). 24-25 lines per page, TNR 12 pt font, chapters must start 1/3 down page. |
$30, $35 by PayPal or chek. |
Email only |
1st round evaluated by 2 judges. A 40+ discrepancy
will result in 3rd judge with lowest score dropped. 3 highest scoring entries
in each category advance to final round. Finalists have 1 wk to edit entries
before submitting to final judges: Romance (Sue Grimshaw, Ballantine & Bantam Dell); MS (Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency); Suspense / Thriller / Mystery (Kat Brzozowski, Thomas Dunne Books); Fantasy / Sci-Fi (James Frenkel, Tor / Forge); Children's / YA (Mary Kole, Andrea Brown Literary Agency) |
1st Place winners receive $60; 2nd Place receive $35; 3rd Place receives $15. All receive certificate. |
| Amazon, Penguin Group (USA) & CreateSpace |
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award |
Novel |
Open to unpublished and previously self-published novels. See rules and content guidelines. |
11:59 p.m. EST Feb 6, 2012 (or when 5,000 entries have been received in each category, whichever is earlier. |
See Categories / Judges column. |
Free |
electronic in doc, docx or rtf format |
2 categories: General fiction and YA fiction. 4 phases of judging: 1st: Amazon editors review 300-wd Pitch. Top 1000 entries in each category move to next round. 2nd: Amazon customers rate a 5,000 wd excerpt. Top 250 entries in each category move to next round. Quarterfinals: Publishers Weekly reviewers read and rate full ms of each quarterfinalist. Top 50 in each category move on to the Semifinals. Semifinals: Penguin USA editors read full ms and review all accompanying data for each semifinalist. Top 3 finalists in each category go to finals. Finals: Amazon customers will vote on the three finalists in each category resulting in two grand prize winners. |
Each winner will receive apublishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $15,000 advance. |
| Chicago-North
Romance Writers of America |
Fire
and Ice |
Romance |
Unpublished / not published in novel-length fiction
in last 5 years |
Received by midnight Feb 5, 2012 (extended from Feb 1); finalists announced in Apr; winners announced at April 28. |
1st 25 pp; Courier New 12 pt font, 25 lines per page |
$25, $30 |
electronic; payment must be made via PayPal |
Two experienced critiquers and published authors score
first round. Point spread of 20+ points where highest score is at least 80% of
total possible points will receive a 3rd judge and lowest score will be dropped.
Judges are encouraged to give comments. 3 finalists in each category. Final judges:
ST (Celina Summers, Musa Publishing); Series Contemp (Megan Long, Harlequin); HR (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); WF w/ RE (Cori Deyoe, 3 Seas Literary Agency); Para (Cindy Davis, Wild Rose Press); YA (Emily Easton, Walker Books) |
1st Place Winner: $30. All finalists receive certificates.
Announced in RWR. |
| Christopher Profeta |
Writers of the Unemployed Short Story Contest |
Fiction |
All stories dealing with unemployment or economic hardship will be accepted. |
Feb 3, 2012; winner announced March 2. |
7,500 words or fewer dealing with some theme relating to unemployment or economic hardship |
Free |
All submissions must have the author's name and contact information on the top of every page, and should be sent to chrisjprofeta @ gmail . com (without the spaces) |
Award winning author Christopher Profeta |
Winner will be published on Profeta's website |
| Columbia Journal |
Issue 50 Writing Contest |
Poetry, Fiction, Non-fiction |
People who have graduated from Columbia University's MFA program are not eligible to submit until five years after receiving degree. |
Feb 1, 2012 |
Submit up to 5 poems or one fiction or non-fiction piece of up to 15 pages double spaced. |
$14, includes a copy of Issue 50 |
online |
Judges: Nonfiction: Author Anne Fadiman; Fiction: Author Dinaw Mengestu; Poetry: Author Eileen Myles Inferno |
1st prize per category: $500 |
| Seacoast Writers Association (NH) |
Seacoast Writers Contest |
Short story, poetry, and personal essay. |
Entry must be unpublished |
Received by Feb 1, 2012; winners announced May 14 at SWA spring Writers Conference in New Hampshire |
Fiction (3,500 word max); Poetry (up to three poems with no word limit); Non-Fiction (1,500 max in personal essay genre only) |
$15, $7 for SWA member |
By mail. Payment by check or MO. |
SWA obtains objective and qualified judges for the respective contest categories. The decision of the judges is final. We are not able to provide feedback on individual entries |
Cash prizes of $100, $75, and $50 in each category. Winning entries published in fall of 2011 in Currents VII, the SWA anthology of contest winners. |
| Smoky
Mountain Romance Writers of America |
The
Laurie |
Romance |
Any writer unpublished or who hasn't signed a contract in last 3yrs and is uncontracted
at deadline |
Received by Feb 1, 2012; finalists notified by May 1; winners announced at Romfest June 21-24. |
First chapter (25 pp max). Font restriction: Courier, Dark Courier or Courier New 12
pt or TNR 14 pt |
$25 by PayPal. |
Email only. |
3 trained judges . Top 3 in each category final. Final judges: HR (Tessa Woodward, Avon); Contemp (Deb Smith, Belle Bridge Books); Para / Fantasy (Debra Dixon, Belle Bridge Books); Inspirational (Tina James, Harlequin); RS (Allison Lyons, Harlequin); YA (Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks) |
|
| Year of the Skunk Productions |
Canadian Short Screenplay Competition |
Short Screenplay |
open to writers worldwide; original work; entry cannot have been previously optioned, sold or produced, and non-exclusive publishing rights must remain available. |
11:59 PST on Jan 31, 2012 is final deadline, addl fees apply. Winner announced May 28, 2012 at Yorkton Film Festival. See Fees for more info. |
Short screenplay, 15 pp max / 15 min screentime max, in English and industry standard format |
$25 - $75 Canadian dollars, depending on submission date. Check, money order, bank draft, PayPal. |
email or mail |
A panel of judges. |
Grand Prize winning script will be produced by Year of the Skunk Productions; also comes with option and purchase agreement plus more. 2nd and 3rd prizes, plus 10 finalist prizes |
| Writers Type |
Writers Type Competition |
Fiction (flash, short story, novel excerpts) |
anyone; unpublished work in English |
Jan 31, 2012 |
Dependent on contest entered, i.e., First Chapter, Short Story, Flash Fiction,. Please see website for further details. |
$10 via payPal |
electronic via WritersType.com |
WritersType.com sponsors three annual contests in the categories of First Chapter, Flash Fiction, and Short Story. |
In each category, the monthly winner receives $25 honorarium, comments from our readers, and publication on our site. Each month, the top two submissions in each category advance to the annual competition. Annual Prize: a total of $250, reader comments, and publication on our site. |
| Hoffer Award |
Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Books |
Self-published book of various types. See Categories. |
Open to academic, independent, small press, and self-published books written in English that were released or copyrighted in the last 2 years. |
Postmark by Jan 21, 2012 |
print copy of book (will be donated to library, school, or hospital, if appropriate) |
$50 (check, MO or online payment) |
Mail books. Online nomination form. |
Judges may include authors, editors, agents, publishers, book producers, artists, experienced category readers, and health and business professionals. Categories: Art, Poetry, General Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Children, YA, Culture, Memoir, Business, Reference, Home, Health, Self-Help / Spiritual, Legacy Fiction, and Legacy Nonfiction. In addition to categories, there are 4 press awards (self-published, micro press, small press, academic press) See website for descriptions. |
$2,000 Grand Prize; a single registration gives you 5 ways to win: by genre, press, the Montaigne Medal, the da Vince Eye, and the Hoffer grand prize. Coverage in The US Review of Books. |
| Yellow
Rose Romance Writers of America |
Winter
Rose Award for Excellence- Published |
Romance Book |
RWA PAN or PAN-eligible authors. Novels published
in 2011. Limited to first 75 entries received in each category. E-books accepted if printed and professionally bound. |
Postmark by Jan 21, 2012; winners announced May 12 at Winter Rose meeting |
4 print copies of book |
$25 |
Mail |
Books are judged by 3 different judges consisting of booksellers, reviewers, readers' group, librarians.
Categories: Para / TT / F; RS / ST Contemp; HR; Series Contemp; Insiprational. |
Highest scoring entrant from ALL category winners
receives Sterling Silver Rose pendant, Yellow Rose badge pin and certificate
of achievement. Highest scoring entrant from each category receives a certificate
denoting 1st place in their category, a Yellow Rose badge pin. |
| Yellow
Rose Romance Writers of America |
Winter
Rose Award for Excellence- Unpublished |
Romance |
RWA members not published in book-length fiction in
past 5 yrs. Limited to first 75 entries in each category. |
Postmark / e-deadline midnight CST Jan 21, 2012; finalists notified by March 24; winners announced May 12 at Winter Rose meeting |
1st 25 pp of 50,000+ projected-length ms |
250 via check, MO or PayPal. |
Entry form must be mailed. . Entry can be via mail or
email but everyone must email a copy to the coordinator. |
4 first round judges. Lowest score dropped. Three
highest scoring entries advance to final round. Final Judges: Contemp (Alicia Condon, Kensington Publishing); HR, including Regency (Amanda Bergeron, Avon); Para (Heather Osborne, Samhain Publishing); RS (Deb Nemeth, Carina Press); YA (Kari Sutherland / HarperCollins Children's Books). Top Prize is a partial read by agent Maura Kye-Casella of Don Congdon Associates |
Top Prize is a partial read by agent Maura Kye-Casella of Don Congdon Associates. 1st thru 3rd place winners receive Yellow Rose badge
pin and certificate. Also, 1st place winners receive $50.00 and Sterling Silver
Rose pendant, 2nd place receive $25.00, and 3rd place receive $15.00. Finalists
and Winners will be recognized in Romance Writers of America’s RWR. |
| New England Romance Writers of America |
Readers'
Choice Bean Pot Award |
Romance Novel or Novella |
Novels with original copyright of 2011; e-books accepted. No self-published entries. |
Postmarked by Jan 23, 2012; finalists notified by March 26; winners announced April 27 at conference. |
3 autographed copies of book; E-books accepted in pdf format only if print book not available |
$25 by check or PayPal |
Mail books |
Judges: Readers, librarians, booksellers. Judges give each entry a score of 3-10 (10 is highest). Different judges rank entries in the event of a tie. Categories: Novella; Short Contemp; Long Contemp; RS; HR; ER; F/F /TT/P; Inspirational; MS with RE; YA |
1st Place in each category: $50.00, Bean Pot engraved trophy, and a certificate. 2nd & 3rd Place: certificate. Winners announced on website, in newsletter, in RWR and at conference. |
| Greater Detroit Romance Writers of America |
Booksellers' Best Award |
Romance Book |
Books with 2011 copyright or 1st US printing;
includes e-books. |
Postmark / e-deadline Jan 15, 2012; books
postmarked by Feb 20; finalists notified by Jun 10; winners announced at RWA National Conference |
4 autographed copies of book |
$27, add'l $6 to enter Best 1st Book |
Online or mail for entry form, fee. Mail books. Pay by check, credit card or Paypal. |
Judges: Booksellers, librarians. They try to match book with judges from another region. Categories: Traditional / Sweet,
Short Contemp, Long Contemp, ST / MS, RS, YA, ER, Short HR (up to 85,000 words), Long HR, Para / TT / F, Inspirational
(contemp or historical), Best First Book; Novella (under 45,000 wds) |
Roster of winners’ names and covers printed and mailed to booksellers nationwide; uniquely designed award to each winner; reception for all finalists at National RWA conference; winners’ names listed in RWR; finalists' / winners' names and book covers posted on GDRWA site; certificates to all finalists and winners |
| Houston
Bay Area Romance Writers of America |
Judge
A Book By Its Cover |
Romance Book |
Books published in 2011 by traditional publishers,
ePublishers, POD publishers or self. |
Front
cover image must be uploaded by midnight Jan
15, 2012; winners announced Feb 10. |
Front cover of book in jpg or gif format |
$15 USD by PayPal or check |
electronic |
Judges: Booksellers from U.S, Canada, UK, Australia,
and New Zealand. Categories: ST / MS; Contemp Series; HR; Inspirational; RS; Sci-Fi /
Fantasy / Para; Sexiest; YA |
Winners may be asked to send high resolution image
files for inclusion in RWR ad |
| Southern Magic Romance Writers of America |
Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence |
Romance Book, Novella |
Entries must have
copyright of 2011, no matter the format. E-book only publishers accepted (non-subsidy / non-vanity / no self-pub). Entries may be entered in
electronic format (PDF or Kindle) only if they have not been released
in print format. |
Received by Jan 15, 2012, finalists
notified Mar 2012 |
3 copies of print book; Kindle or PDF copy of ebook. |
$30 1st book, $25 add'l books. |
Mail entry. Pay via check or PayPal |
Judged by romance readers, booksellers, and / or librarians.3 judges, lowest score dropped. Lowest score used in case of tie. to form the final score. Categories: Contemp ST, Series Contemp, Inspirational ST, Series Inspirational, RS ST, Series RS, HR, F / F / TT&P, YA, Novella |
All finalists receive a certificate. Winners receive an engraved bookmark and inclusion in a full-page RWR ad. |
| Washington Romance Writers of America |
Marlene
Award |
Romance |
RWA members unpublished or not contracted for novel-length
romance in past 3 yrs, or if book is with a small press, it cannot have earned $1,000 or more in royalties |
Postmark by, edeadline 11:59 pm EST Jan 15, 2012. |
synopsis up to 5 pp and beginning of ms (35 pp max for entry). 12 pt courier, courier new, or TNR fonts only, 25 lines per page. |
$20, $30 paid thru PayPal only |
email with .rtf or .doc file |
Each entry will be read by 3 judges and scored using a 50 point scale. The lowest score will be dropped. The top 3 entries in each category will be ranked by an editor or agent. Final Judges: Series Contemp (Johana Raisanen, Harlequin; Critique Author: Liz Talley); ST (Megan Records, Kensington; Critique Author: Jeanne Adams); Para (Heather Osborn, Samhain Publishing; Critique Author: Kristen Painter); HR (Esi Sogah, Avon; Critique Author: Diane Gaston) RE (Latoya Smith, Grand Central; Critique Author: Deanna Raybourn) YA (Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s; Critique Author: Diana Peterfreund) |
The winner of each category will receive a Marlene Medallion and a detailed critique of her or his submission by a published author. All other finalists will receive certificates. |
| Virginia
Romance Writers of America |
Holt
Medallion |
Romance Book |
Copyright date of 2011. Need not be RWA approved publisher. Book with 2011 copyright in both print and e-book must be submitted as print book. E-books accepted in e-book format only if print book is not available. |
Received on or by Jan 14, 2012; winners announced in June |
4 autographed copies of print book or e-book printed and bound or as pdf with
copyright info. |
$30. VRW members may enter one book free of charge. |
Pay by check, MO, or Paypal. |
Judged by readers. Single round judging will establish top 5 entries in each category. Entry with highest score wins; other 4 (in no particular order; scores are not disclosed) receive Award of Merit. Categories: HR, MS / ST Contemp, Long Contemp,
Short Contemp, Long Inspirational, Short Inspirational, F / F / TT&P, RC, RS,
Extra Spicy / Erotic, Strong RE, Novella. Bonus Categories: Best First Book; Best Book by a Virginia Author |
Each category winner receives certificate and pewter HOLT Medallion. Merit winners receive certificate. Contest results (all or in part) will be published in RT and RWR. |
| Colorado
Romance Writers of America |
Award
of Excellence |
Romance Book |
Novels with original copyright in 2011; e-books accepted. |
Received by Jan 13, 2012; finalists notified Apr 15; winners announced at May conference. |
3 copies of book; e-books must be submitted in book
or bound galley format. |
$20 via PayPal, check or money order |
mail books |
Judges: Readers, booksellers or authors. Categories:
Short Contemp; Long Contemp, ST, RS, HR, P/TT/F/F, Inspirational,
MS w/ RE, Erotic |
Top prize: Award of Excellence Trophy, letter congratulating the editor. All finalists receive certificate. |
| Desert
Rose Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Quill |
Romance Book, Novella |
Published RWA members. Copyright dates or 1st North
American printing / release date in 2011 |
Received by Jan 13, 2012; finalists announced
~Apr 30, winners announced in July RWR |
5 autographed copies of each book; e-books must be submitted in
book or bound galley format |
$30 per book and / or each category |
mail; pay by check, money order or Paypal |
Judges: romance readers. Categories: HR; Regency HR; MS ST; Long Contemp; Short Contemp; Traditional; Para / Sci-Fi /
Fantasy; Inspirational; Inspirational RS; RS, Hot / Sexy / Erotic;
GLBT; Best 1st Book; Novella (40,000 words max). Category winner will be highest scoring
book in its category, providing the score is in the upper 25% of scores of all
contest entries received. If none of the entries in a given category scores in
the overall top 25%, there will be no finalist in that category. |
Winners and finalists will receive plaques
or certificates, lapel pins and Golden Quill logo graphics for authors' websites,
as shown on their site. Announced in July RWR |
| Wisconsin
Romance Writers of America |
Write
Touch Reader's Award |
Romance Book |
RWA members with full-length romance novels copyright
date or 1st North American printing of 2011 |
Received by midnight Jan 13, 2012; finalists notified by Apr 11; winners announced at Write Touch Conference |
3 autographed copies of each book; e-books must be
submitted in book or bound landscape galley format |
$25 (WisRWA members are entitled to one free entry) |
mail; can pay via PayPal |
Judges: romance readers not associated in any way
with writing organizations or the publishing industry. Categories: Short & Long
Series Contemp; Strong RE; ST Contemp; RS; HR (includes Regency);
Erotica / Romantica; YA; Inspirational / Traditional Contemp; Para. |
1st thru 3rd Place winners will be recognized at WisRWA's
Write Touch Conference and invited to participate in booksigning
reception. A plaque or similar award will go to 1st Place winners. Certificates
will be awarded to 2nd and 3rd Place winners. Contest results will be published
in the RWR. |
| Gulf Coast Chapter of Romance Writers of America |
Silken Sands Self-Published Star Award |
Romance |
Open to writers who are 18 yrs of age by Dec 31, 2011. Works must have original publication date between January 1 and December 31, 2011 |
Received by 5 PM CT Jan 7, 2012 (extended from Jan 5); finalists announced Feb 15, 2012; winner announced March 17. |
complete work (see categories) |
$20 for Gulf Coast RWA members, $25 for all others |
electronic |
Short Story, Novella, ST Contemp, RS, HR, Inspirational, YA. All entries will be scored by three judges, with the lowest score dropped. Ties will be broken with the lowest score. |
Cetegory winners announced in RWR (featuring all first place book covers). Winners also receive certificate of recognition, a starfish award from the GCCRWA, and a winning icon to place on their websites. |
| Gemini Magazine |
Poetry Open |
Poetry |
Anyone |
e-deadline / postmark by Jan 3, 2012 |
up to 3 poems, any style or length |
$5 |
email or mail |
Final Judge: David Bright |
1st place: $1,000; 2nd place: $100; 3rd place: $50; three honorable mentions. All six finalists published in March 2012 issue of Gemini. |
| University of New Orleans - Bayou Magazine |
James Knudsen Editor's Prize for Fiction |
Fiction |
Original, previously unpublished fiction |
December 31, 2011 |
7,500 words max |
$15 (includes 1-yr subscription to Bayou) |
mail entry, pay by check |
Judge: Joseph Boyden |
Winner receives $500, publication and a 1-year subscription; finalists will be named on our website. |
| University of New Orleans - Bayou Magazine |
Kay Murphy Prize for Poetry |
Poetry |
Original, previously unpublished poetry |
December 31, 2011 |
Up to 3 poems per entry |
$10 (includes 1-yr subscription to Bayou) |
mail entry, pay by check |
Judge: Kay Murphy |
Winner receives $500, publication and a 1-year subscription; finalists will be named on our website. |
| Dream Quest One |
Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest |
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry |
Unpublished, published, All entries must be original to entrants. |
Postmark by Dec 31, 2011; winners announced Jan 31, 2012 |
Write a poem, 30 lines or fewer on any subject and / or write a short story, 5 pages max on any theme, single or double line spacing. |
$5 per poem; $10 per short story |
Mail. Can pay via PayPal ($2 add'l fee per entry). |
All categories welcome. Judges: Dare to Dream Master Selection Committee |
Prizes: Writing First Prize: $500.00, Second: $250.00, Third: $100.00; Poetry First Prize: $250.00, Second: $125.00, Third: $50.00. All winning entries will be published online in the Dare to Dream pages. |
| L. Ron Hubbard |
Writers
of the Future |
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy |
Open to those who have not professionally published
a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than 3 short stories
in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment and at least
5,000 copies or 5,000 hits. |
Postmark by midnight Dec 31, 2011 |
Works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. |
Free and writer retains all rights. |
mail |
All types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy.
No poetry or works for children. No excessive violence or sex. |
Cash prizes of $500, $750, $1,000 every quarter.
Annual cash prize of $5,000. |
| North
Texas Romance Writers of America |
Great
Expectations |
Romance |
Must be unpublished and uncontracted
in book-length romantic fiction, or published authors who have not published
or contracted in the entered category within the past 5 yrs. |
Received by midnight CST Dec 30, 2011; finalists announced ~Feb 1, 2012; winners announced end of March. |
1st 25 pp plus 300-word synopsis of ms |
$25, $30, $35 ($5 discount if received before Dec 10) |
electronic |
1st round: 3 judges. If 2 lowest scores differ by 30 points and entry has potential to be a finalist, a 4th judge will be used and lowest of the 4 scores dropped. 4 finalists per category. Contemp Series (Denise Zaza, Harlequin), ER (Katherine Pelz, Berkley), HR (Sue Grimshaw, Random House), Inspirational (Natalie Hanemann, Thomas Nelson), MS w/RE (Emilia Pisani, Pocket Books), RS (Adam Wilson, MIRA), ST (Meredith Giordan, Berkley), FTTP (Talia Platz, NAL), YA (Elizabeth Bistrow, NAL). |
All finalists will have opportunity to update their entry for the final round of judging. Cash prices for first, second and third places: $50, $30 & $15. All finalists receive certificates. Winners will have their names printed in the RWR. |
| L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival |
L.A. Comedy Scripts Screenplay Competition |
Comedy screenplay, script or film |
|
final e-deadline / postmark is Dec 20, 2011. Winners announced Apr 10, 2011 |
See website for page / film lengths for each category |
$30-$70, depending on submission date and type |
mail or electronic, pay by PayPal (+$2) or check |
Comedy Screenplay, Short Screenplay, half hour comedy TV pilot |
Over $10,000 in cash and prizes, including travel, industry meetings, accommodations and two VIP passes to the festival in Los Angeles, CA. |
| Mystery Writers of America- Florida Chapter |
Sleuthfest Short Story Contest |
Short Story |
Must be an unpublished (in mystery / suspense) registrant for Sleuthfest 2011 |
Postmark by Dec 20, 2011; finalists notifed ~Feb 1. |
6 copies of short story (2,500 wds max) |
|
mail only |
|
Winning story will be published in the SleuthFest 2012 program and the winner will be given free registration for SleuthFest 2013. |
| Hunger
Mountain |
Hunger
Mountain Ruth Stone Poetry Prize |
Poetry, unpublished, in English |
Anyone |
Postmark, e-deadline December 10, 2011 |
Submit up to 3 poems, not to exceed 6 pp |
$20 by check or PayPal |
Mail, online |
Judge is Dorianne Laux, author of The Book
of Men, Facts about the Moon, Smoke, What We Carry, and Awake. |
A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Hunger
Mountain website. Two honorable mentions receive $100 each. |
| Connecticut
Romance Writers of America |
The Write Stuff |
Romance |
The entrant must be unpublished or, if published, cannot have earned $1000 or more in advances and/or royalties for a single work of fiction as of December 2011. Entry must be unpublished and uncontracted as of Dec 2011. |
Received by midnight Dec 5, 2011; finalists announced Mar 1, 2012; winners
announced May 12. |
1st 15 pp in 12 pt TNR or Courier New, no more than 25 lines per page |
$20, $30 via PayPal, check
or money order |
electronic |
Final Judges: Para (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency);
Series Contemp (Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency); MS (Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds Literary Agency ); HR (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks);
YA (Jill Corcoran, The Herman Agency) |
Top Prize: $100 in each category. |
| International Thriller Writers |
Thriller Awards |
Thriller fiction novel or short story |
Novels and short stories first published in calendar year 2011 in print or ezine format. |
Received by Dec 1, 2011; finalists announced in April 2012; winners announced at ThrillerFest in July 2012. |
4 hard copies for 1st round judging. 3 add'l copies for 2nd round. |
No fee. |
Mail. |
Categories: Best Hard Cover Novel; Best Paperback Original Novel; Best First Novel; Best Short Story (includes novellas under 35,000 wds) . The top scoring entries (a total of 20 or 10% of entries) advance to 2nd round. Top 10 novels in each category are ranked 1-10. The top 5 ranked novels in each award category are named Finalists, with the number 1 position being the Winner. |
|
| Oklahoma
Romance Writers of America |
National
Readers' Choice Awards |
Romance Book, Novella |
Published romance novel with original copyright
date or 1st US printing date of 2011 and must have been available for sale in 2011; e-book OK
if submitted in either perfect bound or spiral bound, galley-printed book
form with an ISBN and evidence of copyright date of 2011
is provided. |
Register by Dec 1, 2011; books received by Jan 15,
2012 |
5 copies of Book (see Eligibility column for e-book
info) |
$25 (+ $5 if entering Best 1st Book category also) |
Online form entry, pay via PayPal, check or MO. Books sent via mail. |
Traditional; Contemp Series; Contemp
RS / Adventure Series; ST Contemp; YA; HR; Para; RS; Inspirational; Novel with SRE; ER, Novella; Best First book. Judges
are readers from across the U.S. |
Entries accepted from authors, editors, publishers, agents, readers, etc. - from whomever wishes to fill out the entry form, pay the entry fee, and supply the required number of copies of the title being entered. |
| Saints and Sinners GLBT Literary Festival |
Saints and Sinners Short Fiction Contest |
Short Story on broad theme "saints and sinners" |
Unpublished short stories only |
Postmark Dec 1, 2011 |
5,000-7,000 words with GLBT content on broad theme “saints and sinners.” |
$15 |
mail |
Judge: Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina and Cavedweller, Allison will select the winning stories. |
Grand Prize: $250, publication in QueerMojo anthology, reading at Festival (May 12-15, 2011). Two 2nd place prizes: $50 each, anthology publication, reading |
| Screenwriting U |
Emerging Screenwriters Screenplay Competition |
Screenplay, TV Script |
original screenplay or script written in English, which have not been produced, sold or currently under option |
Submission deadline Dec 1, 2011; finalists announced Jan 10, 2012; winners announced Jan 31, 2012 |
Full-Length Features: 80-130 pp; TV Pilots: 30-70 pp |
$69 (Fee reduction for early submissions. See website) |
electronic |
1st round judged by logline entries only; screenplay judged in final round. Genres: Action / Adventure, Animation / Fantasy, Comedy, Drama, Family, Historical, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller |
Grand Prize: $4,500 in cash and other prizes, including flight to Los Angeles to meet with Hollywood producers. See website for 2nd thru 10th places prices. The TOP 100 Loglines will go to producers! . |
| SellAScript |
All Access Screenwriting Competition |
Screenplay |
Feature length original screenplays of any genre, written in English, not under option at time of entry nor at time material is chosen as finalist or winner. Must be 18 yrs of age. |
Postmark / e-deadline midnight PST Dec 1, 2011; finalists announced Feb 1, Feb 15, and Mar 1, 2012. Winners announced March 15, 2012 |
bound copy of screenplay if mailed; electronic formats: PDF, Wordperfect, MS Word, Movie Magic Screenwriter, RTF, Text, Scriptware, Final Draft |
$40 thru Sept 30; $50 Oct 1 and thereafter |
mail or electronic |
Judging in 2 separate elimination rounds, plus a Quarter Final, a Semi Final and a Final round. 1st rd: initial 30 pp;. top 200 scores proceed to the 2nd rd (entire submission). 32 Quarter Finalists chosen from the 2nd round. 16 Semi Finalists will be chosen from the Quarter Finalists. 8 Finalists chosen from the Semi Finalists. 3 Winners chosen from the Finalists. |
Top 3 Winners receive: Screenplay synopsis sent out to 50+ studios, production companies, agencies and managers; Screenplay receives a recommended listing in our Script Marketplace for 1 year; Screenplay listed in special edition of Hollywood Bugle. Winners featured w/ photo + resume on our website; Cash Prizes: 1st Place ($2,000), 2nd Place ($300), 3rd Place ($100) |
| Writer's
Digest |
Poetry Awards |
Poetry |
anyone not affiliated with Writer's Digest |
Postmark / e-deadline Dec 1, 2011, winners notifed Mar 16, 2012. |
32 lines or fewer of rhyming poetry, free verse or
haikuas |
$15 |
mail or electronic (if paying by credit card) |
Writer's Digest |
1st Place: $500, 2nd Place: $250, 3rd Place: $100,
4th thru 10th Place: $25, 11th thru 25th Place: $50 gift certificate for Writer's
Digest Books. 1st Place winner has the option of a FREE package from Lulu.com.
Names and poem titles of 1st thru 10th place winners will be in July / August 2012 Writer's
Digest, and winners will receive the 2012 Poet's Market. |
| Yosemite Romance Writers of America |
Smooch |
Fiction |
Open to all YRM members and to nonmembers in California and Nevada. Must be unpublished in book length fiction. |
Received by 5 P.M. PT, Dec 1, 2011 |
First kiss (8 pp max) |
$10, $15 via PayPal or check. |
email attachment |
3 preliminary judges (at least one published author) 3 top entries will be judged by Debra Salonen. |
1st, 2nd, 3rd places awarded at 2012 YRW meeting. 1st place receives the 2012 Smooch trophy and $50. All finalists receive certificates. |
| Bottle Tree Productions |
One Act Play Competition |
One-act play |
Open to any English-speaking playwright. Play cannot have been professionally produced. Workshops and readings with professional actors are acceptable |
Nov 30, 2011; winners notified Jan 21, 2012 |
bound copy of one act play or no more than 70 minutes. Any subject matter. |
$25; $50 for critique |
mail entry; pay by cheque or PayPal |
Charles Robertson |
First Prize $1,000; Second Prize; $250 Third Prize $100 (Canadaian dollars) |
| Eco
Arts Awards |
Eco
Arts Awards |
Poetry, essay, short story, novella (Other
contest categories include Songwriting, Photography, Fine Art,
Functional Art and Short Videos. ) |
Anyone. Work must be original. |
Nov 30, 2011; winner announced April
20, 2012 |
5,000 word max short story, novella,
or essay; poem of any type. All must have ecological theme. |
$25 before September 30; $30 after that; pay
with PayPal |
mail entry or submit online |
Alan Leslie Combs and David Vaux will select
one winner from 5-10 finalists in the Literature category. Other
categories (with other judges) include Songwriting, Photography,
Fine Art, Functional Art and Short Videos. |
One winner in each of the 6 categories receives
$1,000. |
| Glimmer Train Press |
Short Story Award for New Writers |
Short Story |
writer whose fiction has not been published in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000. |
midnight PST, Nov 30, 2011; results posted Jan 31, 2012 |
up to 12,000 words |
$15 |
online |
|
1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue; 2nd-place: $500; 3rd-place:$300 |
| Romance
Writers of
America (RWA) |
RITA |
Romance Book, Novella |
Book published in English by non-subsidy, non-vanity
publisher with original copyright date of 2011. Entrant must be 18 yrs of age by registration deadline. Limited to first 1,200 entries. |
Register by 5 pm CST Nov 30, 2011. Books must be received by 5 pm.
CST Jan 5, 2012. Finalists announced by Mar 26, 2012 |
5 copies of the book submitted in print book format, complete with copyright page, produced by the publisher, with perfect or case binding and printing on both sides of the page. Text and formatting must be identical to published version. |
$40 for RWA members; $140 for non-members |
RWA members register by mail or online; non-members
by mail. Entries sent by mail. |
Contemp Series; Contemp Series RS / Adventure; Contemp
ST; HR; Inspirational; Novel w/ strong RE; Para; Regency HR; RS; YA; Novella;
Best First Book |
Finalists are announced in Romance Writers Report,
online at RWA website and at RWA National conference. Winner receives a Rita
statue. |
| Women On Writing (WOW) |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction |
Anyone, any age. Entry must be in English. |
Midnight PST Nov 30, 2011. Capped at 300 entries. |
250 words min to 750 words max (title not included in count) |
$10 (extra $10 if you want a critique) |
Online submission. Pay via PayPal |
|
1st Place: $250.00 cash, 2 second place prizes of $50 each. The top stories will be published in an anthology from QueerMojo, an imprint of Rebel Satori Press. |
| Pikes Peak Writers |
The Paul Gillette Awards |
Fiction |
unpublished in short story and book-length fiction
with uncontracted entry; contest caps at 400 entries |
Received by 11:59 MST Nov 15, 2011 (winners notified early April
2012) |
Entire Short Story (5,000 wds max) plus paragraph about target market. For book-length, 1st 4,000 wds of novel plus synopsis
(up to 1,250 wds); for short story, send complete story (5,000 words max) |
$30 by PayPal (can pay addl for critiques) |
email |
1st round: 2 judges (3rd judge if scores are 25+ point apart, with lowest score dropped).3 finalists per category. Final round judges are editors and agents. Short stories, all included in same category; Book Length: Children’s (for ages 8-12); YA (for ages 12-18); Historical Fiction; MS; Mystery / Suspense / Intrigue; Romance; Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror; Short Stories (all genres) |
1st Place winner in each
category will be refunded his / her conference registration fee if attending that year or will be awarded a cash prize of $100 if not attending. 2nd Place
= $50, and 3rd Place = $30. In addition, winners
attending the conference will be given top priority with respect to their editor / agent
pitch appointment selections. |
| Romance
Writers of America (RWA) |
Golden
Heart |
Romance; caps at 1,200 entries |
Open to writers 18 yrs or older who have not accepted a publishing offer for a work of original fictional narrative prose of 20,000 words or more by Nov. 15, 2011 |
Register by
5 PM CST Nov 15, 2011; entry must be received by RWA office by 5 PM CST Dec 2, 2011; Finalists announced March 26, 2012 |
6 printed copies of partial (beginning of manuscript
and 15 pp max synopsis, total entry 55 pp max.) and one printed copy of full
ms or one .rtf / .doc file on CD. |
$50 for RWA members; $150 for non-members |
RWA members register by mail or online; non-members
by mail. Entry sent via mail. |
Contemp Series; Contemp Series RS / Adventure; Contemp
ST; HR; Inspirational; Novel w/ strong RE; Para; Regency HR; RS; YA. 5 judges (RWA members), each give a single score of 1-9 (9 being best), and those scores are totaled. Approximately 10% of each category become finalists. Editors judge finalists. |
Finalists are announced in Romance Writers Report,
online at RWA website and at RWA National conference. Winner receives a golden
heart necklace. |
| Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival |
Fiction Contest |
Short Story |
Open to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction. Includes self-published books with ISBN. Story cannot have won any other writing contest. |
Postmark / e-deadline Nov 15, 2011. Winner announced by March 1, 2012. |
Original short story, written in English, up to 7,000 words. |
$25 |
electronic preferred;. pay via Discover, MC, Visa. If by mail, pay via check or MO. |
Judge Amy Hempel |
Grand Prize: $1500; Domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the 2012 Festival in New Orleans; VIP All-Access Festival Pass ($500 value); Public reading at the 2012 Festival; Top Ten Finalists' names will appear on website. |
| Writer's
Digest |
Short
Short Story Competition |
Fiction short story |
Anyone not affiliated with Writer's Digest. Entries must be in English, original, unpublished and not submitted or accepted elsewhere at time of submission. |
Postmark / e-deadline 11:59 pm EST Nov 15, 2011. Winners notified Feb 29, 2012 |
1,500 words or fewer; word count includes title of entry |
$20 |
mail or electronic |
Writer's Digest |
1st Place: $3,000, 2nd Place: $1,500,
3rd Place: $500, 4th thru 10th Place: $100, 11th thru 25th Place: $50 gift certificate
for Writer's Digest books. 1st Place winner has option of a free Best Seller
Publishing Package from Trafford Publishing. Winners' names will appear in the May / June 2010 issue of Writer's Digest magazine. |
| Silicon
Valley Romance Writers of America |
GOTCHA! |
Romance |
unpublished in category entered |
Nov 6, 2011 |
1st 15 pp of ms |
$25 |
electronic |
1st round judges: 1 published author and 3 experienced,
trained writers. Lowest score is dropped and 3 highest determine final score.
All score sheets will be returned. Top 4 winners in each category will be sent
to an final judge. Categories: Harlequin / Silhouette Series (Susan Litman); ST / MS Contemp (Meredith Giordan, Berkeley / Jove); Mystery / RS (Allison Lyons, Harlequin Intrigue); HR (Allison Byers, The Wild Rose Press);
Para (Sue Grimshaw, Ballentine / Bantam Dell); Inspirational (Becky Monds, Thomas Nelson) |
Each category will be capped at a maximum of 40 entries. Entries received after the first 40 will be moved to the entrant’s alternate category if that category is not closed, or the entry fee will be refunded. Please indicate your preference on your Contestant’s Agreement. |
| Attraction Entertainment |
Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition |
Feature Screenplay, TV script, Short |
Open to all English language screenplays and writers who have earned less than $25k writing |
Extended final deadline is Nov 3 (addl fees apply) |
feature screenplay (130 pp max) or short screenplay in Word doc, PDF or Final Draft |
$40-$65 depending on category and submission date |
electronic submission |
3 rounds of judging using a 14-point evaluation system. 5 genre categories: -Comedy, Rom-Com; -Action, Adventure, Comic Book, Graphic Novel; -Family, Animated, Musical; -Drama, Historical, Biographical, Period; -Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller. |
Grand prize winner is offered a management contract from LA based Attraction Entertainment. Over $15k in additional cash and prizes plus free feedback for every entrant. Consideration by leading Hollywood production companies incl. HBO Films, Mandate Pictures, Escape Artists and more. |
| Hudson
Valley Romance Writers of America |
Hook,
Line and Sinker |
Romance |
all RWA members, published or unpublished |
Postmark by midnight Nov 1, 2011; winners announced January 2012 |
1st 3 pp of ms. |
$10 |
mail |
Top 5 entries will be ranked by Brenda Chin, Harlequin |
1st Place-$50.00, 2nd Place-$25.00,
3rd Place-$10.00. 4th and 5th Place will receive certificates. |
| Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival |
One Act Play Contest |
One-act play |
Students and faculty of the University of New Orleans FTCA and Creative Writing Workshop are ineligible. Plays that have won any other playwriting contest are ineligible. |
Postmark / e-deadline Nov 1, 2011. Winner announced by March 1, 2012. |
Submit unpublished, never publicly performed one-act play up to one hour in length. See guidelines for more info. |
$25 |
electronic preferred;. pay via Discover, MC, Visa. If by mail, pay via check or MO. |
|
Grand Prize: $1,500; staged reading at the 2012 Festival (25th anniversary; full production at the 2013 Festival; VIP All-Access Festival pass for 2012 and 2013 ($1,000 value); publication in Bayou.Top Ten Finalists will also receive a panel pass to attend the 2012 Festival. |
| Glimmer Train Press |
Family Matters |
Original, unpublished fiction / non-fiction / creative non-fiction short story about family |
all writers, all themes |
midnight PST, Oct 31, 2011; results posted Dec 31 |
story about family, 12,000 wds max |
$15 |
online |
|
1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue; 2nd-place: $500; 3rd-place:$300 |
| Script Savvy |
Script Savvy Monthly Screenplay Contest |
Screenplay / script |
Unproduced, original screenplays only |
Oct 31, 2011 |
feature length film script (80-140 pp) in standard industry format; short script is 60 pp max; |
$39 basic entry, $59 w/ feedback, $99 w/ full analysis.Short Script entry fee, $29. TV Script entry fee, $29 (1/2 hour and full hour specs and pilots) |
email |
A winner and 3 honorable mention scripts are chosen each month in the Feature Film Screenplay category. One winner is chosen in the Short Script category. One winner is chosen in the TV Script category. |
Winner receives $700, 3 Honorable Mentions receive $100 ea; plus other prizes. See website for more details. |
| Society of Southwestern Authors |
Writing Contest |
Fiction, Personal Essay/Memoir, Poetry |
All Writers |
Postmarked Oct. 31, 2011 |
Short Story or Personal Essay / Memoir - 2500 words max; or Poetry - 40 lines max. |
$15 |
Mail only |
Judges will be professional members of SSA and the community. |
1st: $250, 2nd: $125, 3rd: $75, HM: $25. Every entry gets judges' comments back. |
| Christian Writers of the West (Arizona branch of American Christian Fiction Writers) |
The Phoenix Rattler |
Christian Fiction |
Unpublished or not published within past 5 yrs |
5 PM PST, Oct 29, 2011; finalists notified Jan 14, 2012; winners announced Feb 11, 2012 |
First ten pp of ms |
$25 |
email |
Contemp Fiction (Don Pape, Publisher, David C Cook; Bill Jensen, William K Jensen Literary Agency); Historical Fiction (Karen Schurrer, Bethany House; Joyce Hart, Hartline Literary Agency ); Suspense / Thriller / Mystery (Sue Brower, Zondervan; Elizabeth Mazer, Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense); Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Allegory (Jeff Gerke, Marcher Lord Press; Author Jefferson Scott; Amanda Luedeke, MacGregor Literary); YA (Becky Monds, Thomas Nelson; Rachel Kent, Books & Such Literary Agency; Joanna MacKenzie, Browne & Miller Literary Associates); Women’s Fiction (Ami McConnell, Thomas Nelson Books; Sandra Bishop, MacGregor Literary; Judy Mikalonis, Andrea Hurst & Associates) |
Grand Prize: 2012 ACFW Conference ‘paid’ registration (value $515) **minimum of 150 entries required to award the grand prize. Category winners: $25 to each category winner. Finalists & winners: Award Certificate and posting on CWOW's website |
| Western Pennsylvania Romance Writers of America |
Bump In The Night |
Paranormal Flash Fiction |
Anyone |
e-deadline Noon, Oct 28, 2011 |
1,000 words or less |
Free |
online |
Judges: WPRW published authors |
Prize: $10 B&N Gift Card & 1 year Membership in W. PA Romance Writers |
| Earth
Vision |
Earth
Vision Nature Writing Contest |
Fiction, non-fiction or poetic prose with nature theme. |
anyone (English entries only) |
Oct 15, 2011 |
500-2500 words of original fiction, creative non-fiction
or poetic prose. Theme must be nature, deep ecology or spiritual ecology |
$12 |
email |
no categories, 2011 judge is Ann Palmer |
First prize: $500. Second and third prizes: $100 each.
Two (or more) honorable mentions. |
| Southern
Magic Romance Writers of America |
Linda
Howard Award of Excellence |
Romance |
Unpublished / uncontracted (by RWA publishing
standards) for past 5 yrs (i.e., after Oct 15, 2006) |
e-deadline 10 PM CST Oct 15, 2011; finalists
announced by Jan 7, 2012; winners announced by Mar 17, 2012 |
1st 25 pp of ms. Finalists must supply a synopsis
with revised entry by Jan 7, 2012 |
$20-$35 via check, money order or PayPal |
Email |
1st round: 3 judges. Lowest score will be
dropped. Series/Short & Long Contemp (Susan Litman,
Harlequin; Nalini Akolekar,
Spencerhill Associates, Ltd); ST (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks;
Jessica Alvarez, Bookends, LLC); RS (series or ST)
Kristin Sevick, Tor/Forge;
Joyce Holland, D4EO); HR (Megan
Records, Kensington;
Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency); Para / TT/ F / F
(Melissa Frain, Tor / Forge; Marlene
Stringer, The Stringer Literary Agency); YA (Adam Wilson,
Harlequin Teen; Laura Bradford,
Bradford Literary Agency) |
1st place receives metal bookmark
with name of contest and winning manuscript's title
engraved. 2nd-5th place receive certificate |
| Stanford
University (Clayman Institute for Gender Studies) |
Ms. Essay Contest |
Reflection |
Anyone |
Oct 15, 2011; winners announced Jan 2012. |
150 word essay on a Ms. cover (how it captured
an era or moment, or how it may have shaped your own life) |
Free |
online |
No categories. Judges will be Stanford affiliates
or Ms. Editors |
Ten $100 cash prizes will be awarded for the
best short essays; exhibition on Stanford campus |
| Mills & Boon |
New Voices |
Romance |
unpublished |
Oct 10 , 2011 |
Enter first chapter |
free |
online |
4 stages: (1) upload your first chapter; (2) Mills & Boon editorial team will select 10 finalists who will submit second chapter (3) Readers vote for favorite entry out of top ten to choose 4 finalists (4) Finalists submit the "privotal moment" of their novel; readers and Mills & Boon judges select winner. |
publication of the winning entry by Mills & Boon and a Mills & Boon editor for a year |
Seekerville |
Query
Letter Contest |
Romance |
unpublished writers per RWA guidelines, 18
years of age and older. |
Midnight EST Oct 10, 2011; finalists announced
Oct 30, winners announced Dec 4 |
One page query letter and last page of an
unpublished and completed ms targeted at Love Inspired. |
free |
email |
1st round judged by the Seekers. 5 finalists.
Final Judge: Melissa Endlich, Harlequin Love Inspired |
The winner will have an opportunity to avoid
the slush pile and submit their first 3 chapters + synopsis
to Melissa Endlich by snail mail. |
| Clark
Library Friends |
Scare
the Dickens Out of Us and Junior Scare the Dickens Out
of Us for ages 12-18 |
Short story, ghost theme, any genre, any tone,
any subject |
Published and unpublished writers. Story must
be original, unpublished and in English. |
Postmark by Oct 1, 2011 |
short story, 5,000 wds max |
$20 |
mail, pay by check or MO. |
|
1st prize, $1000 and a trophy. 2nd prize,
$500 and a ribbon. 3rd prize, $250 and a ribbon. Junior contest
prize $250 and a trophy. |
| Maine
Romance Writers of America |
MERWA
- Synopsis Contest |
Romance |
Unpublished; must be member of RWA |
Postmark / e-deadline Oct 1, 2011 |
synopsis (10 pp or 2,500 words max) |
$20 (by check, money order, PayPal) |
email |
Contemp; HR; Para; RS; RE. Preliminary
round = 3 judges, published and / or trained. 3 highst averaged
scores are finalists. Top entry in each category goes to an acquiring
editor for final judging. |
The finalists in each category and grand
prize winner will receive certificates and be announced in the
RWR. |
| Maryland
Romance Writers of America |
Reveal
Your Inner Vixen |
Romance |
unpublished or published but entry must be
original and uncontracted as of Sept 1, 2011 |
e-deadline Oct 1, 2011 (extended from Sept
8 and Sept 1) |
scene showcasing chemistry between hero and
heroine, 20 pp max; 1 pp set-up (optional) |
$20, $25 |
Email. Pay via PayPal, check or MO. |
Three 1st round judges, trained and / or
published; lowest score dropped. 3 finalists per category will
be judged by 2 editors in that genre. Series Contemp, ST, HR,
Alternative, ER, YA |
All finalists receive a brief critique by
the final round judge, a certificate, and mention in a paid advertisement
in the RWA® Romance Writers Report. 1st Place winners receive
a $50 prize and gold Vixen pin. |
| New
England Romance Writers of America |
First
Kiss |
Romance |
unpublished in book-length fiction |
Emailed by Oct 1, 2011 |
scene of first kiss (10 pp max) plus 1 p set-up |
$15, $20, $23 by check or PayPal |
email |
1st round scored by 1 pubbed author and 1
qualified, unpubbed judge. Discrepancy judge if scores differ
by 30 or more and the point spread keeps entrant from finaling.
Patience Smith (Harlequin / Silhouette) will choose winners from
6 finalists |
1st Prize: $50 or Free registration to the
New England Chapter Conference ($189 value). 2nd Prize: $35,
3rd Prize: $25. |
| North
Louisiana StoryTellers and Authors of Romance |
The
Suzannah |
Romance |
Published or unpublished. Entry must be unpublished
and uncontracted as of Nov 30, 2011. Contest closes after 120
entries are received. |
e-deadline midnight CST Oct 1, 2011; finalists
announced Dec 1, 2010; grand prize winner announced at NOLA STARs
conference in March 2012. |
Beginning of ms, synopsis (25 pp max, 7,200
words max) |
$30, $35, check. money order or PayPal |
electronic |
No categories (6 finalists). Three 1st round
judges are published authors, RWA PRO members, industry professionals
(i.e. librarians and booksellers) with lowest score dropped.
Finalists are ranked 1 to 6 by judges: Laura Bradford, Bradford
Literary; Johanana Raisanen, Harlequin; Leah Hultenschmidt, Source
Books; Megan Records, Kensington; Weronika Janczuk, DEO4 Literary;
Helen Breitweizer, Cornerstone Literary. Lowest score wins, no
other rankings announced. |
Grand Prize Winner will receive $300 in cash
and a trophy. |
| Glimmer
Train Press |
Fiction
Open |
Short Story |
all writers, all themes |
midnight PST, Sept 30, 2011; results posted
Nov 30 |
word count 2,000 to 20,000 |
$18 |
online |
|
1st place wins $2000, publication in Glimmer
Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue; 2nd-place: $1000;
3rd-place:$600 |
| L.
Ron Hubbard |
Writers
of the Future |
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy |
Open to those who have not professionally
published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette,
or more than 3 short stories in any medium. Professional publication
is deemed to be payment and at least 5,000 copies or 5,000 hits. |
Postmark by midnight Sept 30, 2011 |
Works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. |
Free and writer retains all rights. |
mail |
All types of science fiction, fantasy and
dark fantasy. No poetry or works for children. No excessive violence
or sex. |
Cash prizes of $500, $750, $1,000 every
quarter. Annual cash prize of $5,000. |
| West
Houston Romance Writers of America |
The
Emily |
Romance |
unpublished / not published in category entered
in past 3 yrs. Entries capped at 300. |
Received by / e-Deadline Sept 30, 2011; finalists
announced Dec 15; winners announced Feb 11, 2012 |
1st 7,000 words, max in TNR or Courier, 12
or 14 point size |
$20, $30 |
online |
3 judges for 1st round, lowest score dropped.
Finalists judged by 2 experts (agent, editor). 3 finalists per
category. Contemp ST (Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary Management;
Frances Jalet-Miller, Grand Central Publishing); Contemp Series
(Scott Eagan, Greyhaus Literary Agency; Susan Litman, Harlequin
Enterprises); ER (Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds LLC; Katherine Pelz,
Berkley); FF&P (Vickie Motter, Andrea Hurst & Associates;
Amanda Bergeron, Avon Books); HR (Laura Bradford, Bradford Agency;
Leah Hultenschmid, Sourcebooks); RE (Jenny Bent, The Bent Agency;
Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); RS (Elizabeth Pomada, Michael Larsen,
Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents; Patience Bloom, Harlequin Enterprises
Romantic Suspense); YA (Suzie Townsend, FinePrint Literary Management;
Sarah Shumway, Katherine Tegen Books, HarperCollins Publishers);
Best of the Best, selected from 1st place entries across all
categories (Karla Hodde, Katy Budget Books ) |
1st Place: EMILY brooch, all other finalists:
certificate. Best of the Best receives critique of the first
50 pages by the fabulous Leis Pederson, Berkley Books, Penguin
Group (USA) Inc. |
| Hunger Mountain |
Hunger Mountain Creative Nonfiction Prize |
Creative Nonfiction, unpublished, in English |
Anyone |
Postmark, e-deadline September 26, 2011 |
Submit an orginial, unpublished work of creative nonfiction in English of up to 10,000 words |
$20 by check or PayPal |
Mail, online |
The 2011 judge is Sue William Silverman, author of Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction, Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You, and Fearless Confessions: A Writer’s Guide to Memoir. |
A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Hunger Mountain website. Two honorable mentions receive $100 each. |
| Oklahoma
Romance Writers of America |
Finally
A Bride |
Romance |
unpublished, uncontracted authors whose ms
have finaled (but not won) in a RWA sponsored contest or whose
ms placed in the top 25% of the Golden Heart. Do not have to
be member of RWA. |
e-deadline midnight Sept 23, 2011 (extended
from Sept 16 and Sept 2); finalists notified ~Oct 31; winners notified ~Jan
30, 2012. |
first 30 pp. For final round entries, an optional
synopsis (5 pp max) is strongly recommended |
$25, $30 |
emailed with rtf or Word doc format |
1st round: 3 judges, RWA trained or published
authors. Lowest score dropped. Combined scores of 2 final judges
for each category: Traditional / Inspirational (Melissa Endlich,
Steeple Hill; Nicola Martinez, White Rose Publishing); Series
Contemp (Patience Smith, Silhouette; Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin);
RS (Charles Griemsman, Silhouette; Scott Eagan, Greyhaus Literary Agency); HR / Regency (Deb
Werksman, Casablanca Sourcebooks; Carly Corcoran, Harlequin Historical);
Para / TT / F / F (Margo Lipschultz, HQN; Alicia Condon, Kensington);
MS w/RE (Jewelann Cone, Cascade Literary Agency); YA (Leah Wilson, BenBella Books; Nicole Sohl,
St. Martin's Press) |
The Bride (First Place Winner) in each category
will receive a lovely engraved knife and cake server, suitable
for cutting the cake in celebration of THE CALL. In addition,
any book that is published as a result of this contest will receive
a free entry into the National Readers' Choice Award the first
year of eligibility. All other finalists will receive suitable
recognition. |
| 100 Words or Fewer |
100 Words or Fewer Writing Contest |
Fiction of 100 words or fewer |
Anyone. Entry must be unpublished. |
Submission deadline Sept 18, 2011; winners notified by mail Oct 15 and posted by Oct 17. |
Fiction story of 100 or few words. No lewd material. |
$15, checkmark evaluation is $8, critique is $32 |
email entry, pay via PayPal. |
Subject can be anything but cannot contain lewd material. The Final Judge is Erica Bauermeister, author of the best-selling novel, The School of Essential Ingredients, and the recently published Joy for Beginners. |
Awards are $500, $150, $100, $50. |
| The Ayn Rand Institute |
Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest |
Essay with specific theme |
open to high school seniors (12th graders) and college undergrads and graduate students worldwide |
Postmark / e-deadline 11:59 PM PST Sept 17, 2011; winners notified by Nov 28. |
Choose one of 3 topics. Winning essays must be between 800 and 1,600 words and demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged. |
free |
mail, online |
Judged on style and content. Essay submissions are evaluated in a fair and unbiased four-round judging process. Judges are individually selected by the Ayn Rand Institute based on a demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Ayn Rand’s works. |
One first prize of $10,000; 3 second prizes of $2,000; 5 third prizes of $1,000; 20 finalist prizes of $100; 20 semifinalist prizes of $50 |
| East Valley Authors - Romance Writers of America |
EVA Query Contest |
Romance |
RWA members, excluding East Valley chapter |
Received by Sept 15, 2011; winners announced ~Dec 15, 2011. |
1 pp query letter, synopsis (5 pp max), and a writing sample of the first 5 pp of ms (not to be used for judging purposes) |
$15 |
electronic |
The finalist entries will be read and judged by Sue Grimshaw of Bantam Dell / Random House, Inc. |
1st place: $50 Amazon gift card, 2nd place: $25 Amazon gift card, 3rd place: $15 Amazon gift card |
| Notes and Grace Notes |
Collected Poetry Contest |
Poetry |
Anyone 18 yrs and older |
Received by Sept 15, 2011 |
Complete manuscript 35-200 pp |
$15 |
Email entry. Pay by PayPal. |
1st round judged by editors and authors selected by Grace Notes Books. Finalists will be determined by a staff of editors from Grace Notes Books, NOTES Magazine, and Notesandgracenotes.com. Final judging will be conducted by Grace Notes Book’s primary editors. |
Winner will receive $450 or advance $250 against royalties, publication and 3 contributor copies. All finalists will be featured on website as well as a special edition of lit mag, including 5 poems published, full bio and author interview. All finalists will also be considered for publication. |
| Real Simple |
Life Lessons Essay Contest |
Essay in English |
U.S. legal residents age 19 or older |
Received by 11:59 P.M. ET Sept 15, 2011 |
Typed, double-spaced submission (1,500 wds max) essay theme-based, answering the question, "When did you first understand the meaning of love?" |
Free |
Mail or email |
Judged by Real Simple editors, based on originality, creativity, language and appropriateness to contest theme (25% each) |
One winner receives $3,000, round trip economy plae tickets for two to NYC plus hotel accommodations for 2 nights, tickets to a Broadway play, lunch with Real Simple editors, and publication in Real Simple magazine. |
| Windy
City Romance Writers of America |
Four
Seasons Award |
Romance |
Unpublished or not published in past 5 yrs in novel-length fiction in any format. Windy City members not
eligible. Each category capped at 30 entries. |
e-deadline Sept 15, 2011 (extended from Aug 1) |
1st 25 pp of ms in RTF plus optional 1 pp synopsis |
$25, $30 |
electronic |
Judges are experinced critiquers and published authors
of Windy City RWA. 4 highest scores in each category final. Lowest score dropped
to determine final ranking. Final judges: ST Contemp (Adam Wilson, Harlequin, MIRA; Scott Eagan, Greyhaus Literary Agency); Short / Long Contemp (Charles Geiemsman, Harlequin; Cori Deyoe, Three Seas Literary Agency); HR (Helen Rosburg, Medallion Press; Pam Strickler, Pam Strickler Author Mgmt); F/F/P (Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing; TBA); YA (Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks; Diana Fox, Fox Literary) |
Winners in each category receive an engraved plaque.
All finalists receive certificates and will be in RWR. |
| Writer's
Digest |
Sci-Fi Contest |
Science Fiction / Fantasy |
Anyone not affiliated with Writer's Digest. Entries must be in English, original, unpublished and not submitted or accepted elsewhere at time of submission. |
Postmark / e-deadline 11:59 pm EST Sept 15, 2011. Winners notified Dec 31, 2012 |
4,000 words max; includes title of entry |
$20 |
mail or electronic |
Writer's Digest |
1st Place: $1,000 cash; 2nd Place: $500 cash. 1st and 2nd receive $100 worth of Writer’s Digest Books. 1st, 2nd, and Honorable Mentions receive promotion in Writer’s Digest and the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market |
| Writer's
Digest |
Thriller Contest |
Thriller / Suspense |
Anyone not affiliated with Writer's Digest. Entries must be in English, original, unpublished and not submitted or accepted elsewhere at time of submission. |
Postmark / e-deadline 11:59 pm EST Sept 15, 2011. Winners notified by Dec 31, 2012 |
4,000 words max; includes title of entry |
$20 |
mail or electronic |
Writer's Digest |
1st Place: $1,000 cash; 2nd Place: $500 cash. 1st and 2nd receive $100 worth of Writer’s Digest Books. 1st, 2nd, and Honorable Mentions receive promotion in Writer’s Digest and the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market |
| Bartleby Snopes |
Dialogue Only |
Fiction |
Anyone. No simultaneous submissions or previously published stories (includes blogs, message boards, personal websites, etc.) |
Sept 12, 2011; results on Oct 14. |
Short story composed of dialogue (2,000 words max) |
$10 |
electronic. Pay with credit card or PayPal. |
Staff of Bartleby Snopes judges first round.
Two guest judge editors judge final round. Last year judges were
Kevin Dickinson of Writers' Bloc and Rae Bryant of Moon Milk
Review. This year's judges are Ben Loory (author of Stories
for Nighttime and Some for the Day, Penguin Books) and Matt Rowan
(editor of Untoward Magazine). |
A minimum of $290 will be awarded, with at least $250 going to first place and at least $10 to our four honorable mentions. Our five finalists will also appear in Issue 7 of the magazine due out in January 2012. Last year we awarded almost $1000 in prize money. For every entry over 25, an additional $5 will be awarded to the first place story. |
| New
York City Romance Writers of America |
Kathryn
Hayes Love and Laughter |
Romance with humor |
not contracted / published in novella or novel-length
fiction as of deadline. RWA membership NOT required. |
Postmark or e-deadline midnight Sept 12, 2011. |
Any scene in your novel between the hero and heroine which illustrates humor and love / romance (15 pages max.); story / background summary (two pages max., will not be judged). |
$25, $30
can pay by PayPal |
email |
Judges = published authors. No categories, open to any romance genre in category or ST length. Final Judge: Denise Nelson from Carina Press. |
Grand Prize: $75 |
| Southwest
Florida Romance Writers of America |
Hold
Me, Thrill Me |
Romance |
Unpublished entries in English (need not be
RWA member) |
e-deadline Sept 11, 2011 (extended from Sept 1) |
1st 20 pp (a 2-5 pp synopsis is required if
you final) |
$25 |
mail |
Contemp
(Amanda Bergeron, Avon); HR (Elizabeth Bistrow, New American
Library); Para (Meredith Giordan, Berkley) RS (Alex Logan, Grand
Central); YA (Kristin Rens, Balzer & Bray) |
1st Place $50 and a Certificate of Achievement
2nd Place $20 and a Certificate of Achievement 3rd Place a Certificate
of Achievement |
| Mid-America
Romance Writers of America |
Fiction
from the Heartland |
Romance |
unpublished and uncontracted; excludes MARA
members |
Received by Sept 9, 2011 |
prologue, 1st chapter, synopsis (35 pp max) |
$20, $30 for 1st entry, add'l entries half
price. Check or PayPal |
mail, electronic |
Judges: at least one published author and
experienced critiquers. Final Judges: Category (Susan Litman,
Harlequin / Silhouette); ST (TBA); HR (Amanda Bergeron, Avon
Books); RS (Lauren Plude, Grand Central Publishing); Para (Meredith
Giordan, Berkley Publishing Group); YA (Natashya Wilson, Harlequin
Teen); Inspirational (Melissa Endlich, Steeple Hill); Agents
are Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency; Lauren Ruth, Book Ends;
Helen Breitwieser, Cornerstone Literary Agency; Laura Bradford,
Bradford Literary Agency |
Prize: $50.00 / Plaque / Certificate. |
| Missouri
Romance Writers of America |
Gateway
to the Best |
Romance |
writers who are not contracted / not published
within last 3 yrs. Self-published authors may enter if entry
is unpublished by self or others. |
e-deadline 11:59 p.m. CDT Sept 9, 2011; finalists
announced ~Oct 30; winners announced ~Dec 3. |
up to 1st 25 pp |
$20, $30; half price for add'l entries |
electronic |
3 judges for 1st round, lowest score dropped.
Final judges: Contemp Series (Laura Barth, Harlequin); HR (Esi
Sogah, Avon); ST (Katherine Pelz, Berkley); Para (LaToya Smith,
Grand Central Publishing); RS (Margo Lipschultz, Harlequin);
YA (Adam Wilson, HQ Teen) |
Overall Grand Prize: $100 + full reading and
critique of ms by a major pubbed author. 1st Place: Gateway charm,
electronic banner for website, + 1 yr newsletter membership.
2nd Place: newsletter membership. 3rd Place: certificate (all
receive certificates). |
| Music
City Romance Writers of America |
Melody
of Love |
Romance |
unpublished by traditional or digital publisher
in category entered in. Contest is limited to first 80 entries
received. |
Received by Sept 9, 2011 (extended from Sept
1); finalists notified mid-Oct; winners announced in Dec. |
first 25 pp; Finalists may be asked to provide
a short synopsis |
$22, $27, $32 |
electronic only, can pay by check or PayPal |
Discrepancy judge employed if needed. Finalists
can revise before submitting to final judge and may submit a
one page synopsis at final judge's request. Final judges: HR
(Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary Agency); Contemp (Latoya
C. Smith, Grand Central Publishing); Para (Angela James, Carina
Press); YA (Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks Fire) |
Winners in each category receive: 1st place,
$50, certificate, and special prize; 2nd and 3rd place, certificate
and special prize. |
| Celtic
Hearts Romance Writers of America |
Novellas
Need Love Too |
Romance novella |
Published or unpublished author (separate
categories) with completed novella |
Sept 9, 2011 (extended from Sept 1) |
First 5 pp of romance novellas 12-40K in length |
$10 |
electronic |
Each entry will have three judges, one of
which is a published author. Final judges: Para (Imogen Howson,
Samhain); Erotic (Kelli Collins, Ellora's Cave); HR (Mary Hamilton,
Samhain); Contemp (Grace Bradley, Ellora's Cave); Published (Gina
Bernal, Carina Press); Distinguished Novella Award (overall)
(Heather Osborn, Samhain) |
|
| Heartland
Romance Writers of America |
Show
Me The Spark! |
Romance |
Unpublished, not published in last 3 yrs. |
e-deadline midnight CST Sept 9, 2011 (extended
from Sept 2). Finalists notified by Oct 21. Winners announced
Dec 23. |
1st chapter (25 pp max) |
$25, $30, $35 |
Email only. PayPal. |
1st round: 2 judges. 3 finalists in each
category proceed to the final round. Finalists have a week to
revise entry. Contemp (Charles Griemsman, Harlequin); HR (Laura
Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency); RS (Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s
Press); Erotica (Raelene Gorlinsky, Ellora’s Cave); Inspirational
(David Long, Bethany House); Para / Sci-Fi (Rebecca Strauss,
McIntosh and Otis); YA (Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks) |
|
| First
Coast Romance Writers of America |
Beacon
Award, Unpublished |
Romance |
unpublished / not contracted in book-length
(50K min) in last 3 yrs; RWA membership not required. Contest
limited to first 125 entries. |
Midnight EST Sept 8, 2011 (extended from
Aug 31). |
1st 30 pp with optional synopsis (synopsis
will not be judged but should be included in page count) |
$25 FCRW members, $30 RWA members, $35 others |
electronic; cn pay by check or PayPal |
1st round = 2 judges, at least one published;
3 finalists per category. Final judges: HR / Regency (Kevan Lyon,
Marsal Lyon Literary Agency; Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s
Press); ST Contemp (Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary Agency;
Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks); Contemp Series (Weronika Janczuk,
Lynn C. Franklin Associates; Laura Barth, Harlequin); FFP (Courtney
Miller-Callihan, Sanford J. Greenburger; Lauren Plude, Grand
Central); RS (Nalini Akolekar, Spencerhill Associates, Ltd; Leis
Pederson, Berkley); YA (Beth Miller, Writers House, LLC; Susan
Litman, Harlequin); Erotic (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary
Agency; Ralene Gorlinsky, Ellora’s Cave); Inspirational
(Mary Sue Seymour, The Seymour Agency; Rachel Burkot, Harlequin
Love Inspired); Chick Lit / Women’s Fiction / MS (Lauren
Ruth, Bookends, LLC; Tessa Woodward, Avon / Avon Impulse) |
1st place per category - Beacon Lapel Pin.
All finalists will receive a certificate for their achievement.
Winners will be posted in the RWR |
| Chick
Lit Writers of the World |
Get
Your Stiletto in the Door |
Chick Lit |
Any writer unpublished / uncontracted by RWA approved publisher in novel-length fiction. Entry must have a projected minimum of 75k (35k for YA) |
e-deadline Midnight EDT Sept 6, 2011; finalists announced ~Oct 20; winners announced ~Dec 20. |
Beginning of ms (5,000 words max) plus synopsis (500 words max, will not be judged) |
$15, $25 |
electronic. Pay via PayPal, check on US bank or money order in US funds. |
Preliminary round judged by 3 judges; lowest score dropped. 3 fianlists per category. Final judges: ST (Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Management; Editor TBA; Amanda Bergeron, Avon Impulse); Women’s Fiction (Victoria Sanders, Victoria Sanders & Associates;
Editor Junessa Viloria, Ballantine; Rhonda Stapleton, Carina
Press); Mystery / Suspense (Elaine Spencer, The Knight Agency;
Kelli Collins, Ellora’s Cave); Para (Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency; Leis Pederson, Berkley; Jennifer Miller, Samhain); YA (Susan Hawk, The Bent Agency; Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks; Heather Howland, Entangled Publishing); Louboutin Stiletto Award: Agent Lois Winston |
1st place winner in each category will receive a $50 Amazon gift card. Results will be published in the RWR. |
| 3-Day Books |
3-Day Novel Contest |
Fiction |
Anyone - must follow rules |
Register with fee by Sept 2, 2011; winners announced Jan 2012 |
full novel written during Labor Day weekend |
$50, $55 |
online or by mail |
panel of judges from the writing and publishing community |
Awards: 1st Prize: First Prize: Publication by 3-Day Books 2nd Prize: $500; 3rd Prize: $100. |
| Notes and Grace Notes |
Discovering the Undiscovered |
All genres |
Anyone 18 yrs and older |
Received by Sept 1, 2011; finalists announced Oct 1; winners announced Nov 1; winning book published March 2012 |
complete manuscript (between 30,000 and 100,000 words) |
$20 |
email entry, pay by PayPal |
Novels / Memoirs- 70,000-100,000 words. Novellas and Short Story / Essay Collections - 40,000-65,000 words. Both open to all genres. 1st round judged by editors and authors who had previously judged monthly Notes and Grace Notes writing contests. Finalists chosen by Notes and Grace Notes staff. |
Winner of the Novels / Memoirs Contest receives $1000 or an advance $350 against royalties and a standard publishing contract of 15% of the cover price (retail is generally $12.99 for our trade paperbacks), plus 5 contributor copies. Winner of the Novella and Short Story/Essay Collections contest receives $300, publication and 3 contributor copies. All finalists will also be considered for publication. |
| Valley
of the Sun Romance Writers of America |
Hot
Prospects |
Romance |
Published or unpublished RWA member in good standing |
e-deadline / postmark by 11:59 pm PST Sept 1, 2011; finalists notified Oct 31; winners announced ~Dec 15. |
synopsis (5 pp max), beginning of ms (25 pp max) |
$30 |
mail or electronic. Pay by check or PayPal. |
1st round - 2 judges. If scores vary by 26 or more points, there will be a 3rd judge with lowest score dropped. 3 finalists per category. Final round judges: HR (Katherine N. Pelz, Berkley; Jennifer Schober, Spencerhill Associates); FF&P (Deborah Werksman, Sourcebooks; Jenny Bent, The Bent Agency); RS (Amy Pierpont, Grand Central Publishing; Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Management); Contemp Long / ST (Jennifer Enderlin, St. Martins; Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary Agency); Series Contemp (Johanna Raisanen, Harlequin; Leanne Morgena, Sweetheart Rose, The Wild Rose Press) |
The single highest scoring first place entry across all categories can choose between a book trailer, static banner and active banner from Firebird Web Designs for the book of their choice (a $300.00 value) or $100.00 USD. All finalists in each category will receive a certificate, a graphic for their website and an acknowledgement in the Romance Writers Report. |
| Memoirs, Ink |
Annual writing contest |
Essay, memoir or auto-biographical stories |
previously unpublished entry, includes websites and blogs |
Late deadline is Aug 31, 2011 (extra $5 applies after regular Aug 15 deadline); winners announced Oct 7 |
3,000 words max, must be written in first person in English |
$15 1st entry; $10 each add'l (+$5 if "late") check or MO |
by mail. Can pay via Paypal. |
Panel of Memoirs Ink judges. |
First Prize: $1000; Second Prize: $500; Third Prize: $250; plus publication. Winners' stories will be published. |
| Gemini Magazine |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction short story |
previously unpublished flash fiction; new or established writers; no restriction on content, style or genre. |
Aug 31, 2011 |
up to 1,000 words |
$4 for first story, $3 each add'l |
email / mail; pay via PayPal |
David Bright |
Grand prize: $1,000; 2nd Place: $100; 4 honorable mentions. All 6 finalists will be published in October 2011 issue of Gemini Magazine |
| Women On Writing (WOW) |
Flash Fiction Contest |
Fiction |
Anyone, any age. Entry must be in English. |
Midnight PST Aug 31, 2011. Capped at 300 entries. |
250 words min to 750 words max (title not included in count) |
$10 (extra $10 if you want a critique) |
Online submission. Pay via PayPal |
|
25 winners. 1st Place: $250.00 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate, entry published on WOW! Women On Writing, plus more. 2nd Place: $150 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate (see website for further awards) |
| San
Francisco Area Romance Writers of America |
Heart
to Heart |
Romance |
unpublished by RWA recognized publisher as of deadline |
e-deadline Aug 31, 2011 (extended from Aug 15); finalists notified Sept 30; winners announced Nov 1. |
hero and heroine's first meeting, 15 pp max (numbered
as it appears in the ms) plus optional unjudged, double-spaced, one-page set-up. |
$15 |
electronic only. Can pay by PayPal or mail. |
Four 1st round judges, one of whom is a published
author. The lowest score is dropped. Final-round judges are acquiring editors and agents. Top 3 entries in each category final. Categories: Para, Contemp, HR, Erotic, YA Judges: PAN and PRO members, trained and unpublished members. Final Judges: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency; Leis Pederson, Berkley; Jay Austin, Xtasy Books and Devine Destinies; Kimberly Myers, Omnific Publishing; Tera Kleinfelter, Samhain Publishing |
Top prize: certificate |
| Volusia
County Romance Writers of America |
Laurel
Wreath Award |
Romance Book |
published RWA member, copyright of 2010 |
Received by Aug 31, 2011 (winners notified by mid-Nov) |
3 copies of book, e-books accepted in a printed / book
form, bound and covered. |
$20 |
mail |
Contemp; RS; HR / Regency;
FF&P / TT; YA; Inspirational; ER. Judges: booksellers. Judges give each entry a score of 3-10
(10 being the highest). Judges also rank entries, if needed, for tie-breaking. |
|
| NANO Fiction |
Nano Prize |
Fiction |
Anyone except friends and family of the editors. Piece must be unpublished. |
Received by Aug 31, 2011. |
flash fiction piece, prose poem, or micro essay of
300 words or fewer. |
$15 for first 3 pieces, $2 each add'l piece. (You
also receive a 1-yr subscription to NANO Fiction). |
1) by mail with check or money order or 2) by email with payment thru PayPal |
Judges are editors at NANO Fiction. |
One winner receives $500 and publication. All entries considered
for publication. All entrants receive a 1-yr subscription to NANO Fiction. |
| Glimmer Train Press |
Short Story Award for New Writers |
Short Story |
writer whose fiction has not been published in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000. |
midnight PST, Aug 31, 2011; results posted Oct 30 |
up to 12,000 words |
$15 |
online |
|
1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue; 2nd-place: $500; 3rd-place:$300 |
| SpacecoasT
Authors of Romance - Romance Writers of America |
Launching
A Star |
Romance |
unpublished writers in book-length fiction
who are not PAN eligible (entries may be capped at 150) |
Received by midnight EST Aug 25, 2011; finalists
notified Nov 8; winners notifed mid-Dec. |
1st 25 pp of ms |
$25, $30 |
electronic |
1st round: at least 2 judges. If 40 point
difference, a discrepancy judge will be assigned; the 2 closer
scores will be averaged for score. 5 finalists per category.
Final judges: ST (Emilia Pisani, Simon & Schuster; Sara Megabow,
The Nelson Literary Agency); General Para (Meredith Giordan /
Berkley Jove; Marlene Stringer, The Stringer Agency); Futuristic
/ Fantasy Leah Hultenschmidt, SourceBooks; Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan
Ellenberg Agency); HR (Amanda Bergeron, Harper Collins; Laura
Bradford, The Bradford Agency); Series Contemp (Susan Litman,
Harlequin Special Edition; Roberta Brown, Brown Literary Agency);
RS (Holly Blanck, St. Martin's Press; Chelsea Gilmore, Maria
Carvainis Agency); Inspirational (Natalie Hanemann, Thomas Nelson;
Suzie Townsend Fine Print Literary Management); YA (Kristin Daly,
Harper Collins; Becca Stumpf, The Prospect Agency) |
All finalists will receive a certificate.
1st Place winner of each category receives engraved STAR paperweight.
Overall contest winner will have a star named for them through
the International Star Registry. |
| Florida Romance Writers |
Golden Palm |
Romance |
Any writer who has never been contracted in book-length fiction (40,000 words or more) from any publisher. |
e-deadline midnight EST Aug 22, 2011 (extended from Aug 15); finalists notified ~Oct 18; winners notified ~Jan 10, 2012 |
First 25 pp |
$20, $25 |
electronic entry, pay by check, MO or PayPal |
1st round: 3 judges, at least one a published
author. Lowest score dropped. Final judges: Short / Long Contemp
(Megan Long, Harlequin Superromance); ST (Whitney Ross, TOR); MS w/RE Elaine
Spencer, The Knight Agency); HR (Elizabeth Bistrow,
New American Library); Para / Fantasy / Sci-Fi / TT (Deb Werksman,
Sourcebooks); Erotica (Kelli Collins, Ellora’s Cave) |
Finalists can send a revised copy to final judges. First Place in each category will received $25, along with a Certificate and a Golden Palm pin. Second and third in each category will receive a certificate. |
| Kensington Publishing and RT Book Reviews |
Writing with the Stars |
Romance |
Unpublished authors i US and Canada with completed novella-length (20-30,000 wds) manuscript (with sensuality tone that matches the Brava line) in any romance genre, written in English.. Limited to 1st 500 entries. |
Received by 11:59 PM EST Aug 22, 2011; top 8 finalists announced Sept 26. |
full novella manuscript (20,000-30,000 wds) |
Free |
electronic |
5 rounds of competition; each round will include comments from celebrity judges from the romance blogosphere. |
Finalists will have a chance to work with Brava authors in the hopes of being the one lucky winner who lands a publishing contract with Brava! |
| Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival |
Poetry Contest |
Poetry |
Poem must be unpublished. Open to writers who have not published a book of poetry (may have published in other genres). Authors who have self-published or have published chapbooks are eligible provided poetry collection does not have an ISBN number. |
Postmark / e-deadline Aug 18, 2011. Winner announced by January 16, 2012. |
2-4 unpublished poems of any theme with combined length of up to 400 lines |
$20 |
electronic preferred;. pay via Discover, MC, Visa. If by mail, pay via check or MO. |
Judge: Louisiana Poet Laureate Julie Kane |
Prize: $1000; public reading and VIP Festival pass ($500 value) at festival in 2012 and publication in Louisiana Cultural Vistas. Top 10 finalists receive a panel pass ($75 value) to attend the 2012 Festival, and their names will be published on www.tennesseewilliams.net. |
| Memoir Journal, Inc. |
Memoir
(and) |
Traditional and experimental prose, poetry, graphic
memoir, narrative photography, lies, and more |
Anyone |
Aug 16, 2011 |
prefer Microsoft Word format. See
guidelines for details. |
Free |
prefer electronic but also take mail |
Prose (one submission, maximum 10,000 words); ; Poetry (maximum of five poems of any length, all in one document); Graphic memoir (one submission that will fit on no more than twenty 7” x 10” pages); Narrative photography (up to five images) |
4 prizes: Memoir in Poetry or Prose: Grand Prize:
$500, 2nd Prize: $250, 3rd Prize: $100; and Graphic Memoir Grand Prize and Photography Grand Prize: $100. Winning entries published
in print and online plus receive free copies of the
journal. |
| EPIC |
EPIC eBook Awards |
EBook |
e-book in English with publication date between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011. Includes self- and subsidy-published books. Re-released books are eligible provided there is no prior history with the competition; this includes annual books (yearbooks, guides, etc.) |
e-deadline for entries (forms and files) is 11:59 PM CST Aug 15, 2011. Fees must be received and processed by Aug 16th. |
ebook submitted in an "as it is sold" non-DRM PDF format Single Title or Anthology |
$25, $35, $45 by PayPal, check, MO |
email file conforming to strict naming convention (see rules) |
Poetry; Children (non-fiction, fiction); YA (non-fiction, fiction); Non-Fiction; Anthologies (non-fiction, fiction, romance, erotic romance or erotica); Fiction (adventure, erotica, fantasy / para, historical, horror, mystery / suspense, sci-fi, spiritual / metaphysical, western, MS); Romance (contemp, fantasy, historical, horror, mystery / suspense / adventure, para, sci-fi, spiritual / metaphysical, western); Erotic Romance (contemp, fantasy, historical, horror, mystery / suspense / adventure, para, sci-fi, western) |
|
| The
Golden Network Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Pen |
Romance |
RWA member unpublished and uncontracted by Aug 15,
2011 (or not published in last 5 yrs) by a non-vanity, non-subsidy publisher |
e-deadline Aug 15, 2011; early bird submission deadline is July 15; finalists notified Oct 1; finalists must
submit revised entry by Oct 10; winners announced Dec 1, 2011 |
beginning of ms, synopsis (55 pp max, including the synopsis, which can't exceed 10 pp) |
$35 until July 15, then $40. PayPal, check, MO |
electronic entry |
Preliminary round: 3 judges, incl. at least one published author, one Golden Heart finalist, and one PRO. Lowest score is dropped. The 3 top-scoring entries in each category proceed to final round. Final judges: Series Contemp (Susan Litman, Harlequin); HR (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); ST (Katherine Pelz, Berkley); Para (Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group);
RS (Holly Blanck, St. Martin's Press); Inspirational (Melissa Endlich, Steeple Hill); YA (Regina Griffin, Egmont); Strong RE (Valerie Gray, MIRA Books and SPICE Books) |
1st Place in each category: Engraved gold pen, a certificate and a check for $30. 2nd Place: Certificate and a check for $20. 3rd Place: Certificate. Final placements will be announced in the RWR. |
| Romance
Writers Ink |
Where
the Magic Begins |
Romance |
Unpublished or not published in the category entered in the past three years. Includes non-RWA recognized publishers and published novellas of 15,000 words or more. |
Aug 15, 2011 (extended from Aug 1); finalists announced Oct 8. |
1st 25 pp, synopsis (1 pp, may be single spaced, will not be judged) |
$25, $27 |
electronic |
1st rd judges are trained and instructed to provide constructive written feedback BOTH on the manuscript pages and the score sheets. Each entry receives 3 first round scores, averaged. Discrepancy judge if difference of 50 points or more between lowest and next-to-lowest scores. The 3 top-scoring entries in each category final. Final judges: HR (Alicia Condon, Kensington Brava); ST (Amy Pierpont, Grand Central); RS (Holly Blanck, St. Martin's Press); Light Para (R. Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing); Dark Para (Erika Tsang, Avon Books); ER (Raelene Gorlinsky, Ellora's Cave); Sensual Contemp (Gail Chasan, Silhouette Special Edition); Sweet Contemp (Emily Rodmell, Love Inspired Steeple Hill) |
|
| Southern
Louisiana Romance Writers of America |
Dixie
Kane Memorial Contest |
Romance |
unpublished or not published in book length fiction
by RWA approved published in last 5 yrs; do not need to be RWA member to enter |
Postmark by Aug 1, 2011 (extended from July 15); winners announced Sept 30. |
first 5 pp of ms, 1 pp synopsis (will not be not judged) |
$15 |
Mail. Pay by check or MO. |
Final Round Judges: Short / long series contemp (Rhonda Penders, The Wild Rose Press); ST contemp (Debra Dixon, Bell Bridge Books); Para (Lill Farrell, The Wild Rose Press); Inspirational (Nicke Martinez, White Rose Publishing); RE (Rhonda Penders, The Wild Rose Press); RS (Lori Graham, The Wild Rose Press); HR (Nicole D’Arienzo, The Wild Rose Press); ER (Alicia Rasley, Red Sage Publishing) |
The top prize for the highest overall score among
all entries receives $50 cash and special certificate. Certificates for 1st
through 3rd Places and honorable mentions. Names published in RWR,
the New Orleans Times Picayune, and on SOLA's website. |
| Rose
City Romance Writers of America |
Golden Rose |
Romance |
Anyone unpublished or not published by RWA recognized publisher in novel length fiction in last
3 yrs and uncontracted at deadline |
e-deadline midnight PST Aug 1, 2011; finalists notified by Oct 13; winners notified Dec 6. |
beginning of ms (50 pp max plus 1-2 pp synopsis which will not be judged). |
$30, $35, $50 (+$2 if paying by payPal) |
electronic only; pay by PayPal or check |
Preliminary round: 4 trained judges, at least one will be published author or RWA Pro. Lowest score will be dropped. The top 3 in each category final. Contemp Series (Scott Eagan, Agent, Greyhaus Literary Agency); ST Contemp (Jessica Alvarez, Bookends LLC); HR (Rebecca Strauss, McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency); MS / RE (Katherine Pelz, Editor, The Berkley Publishing Group); Para / F / F (Vickie Motter. Andrea Hurst Literary Management); RS (Kristin Sevick, TOR); YA (Holly Blanck, Assistant Editor, St. Martin’s Press); ER (Linda Ingmanson, Editor, Samhain) |
The GRAND PRIZE winner is the entrant with the highest total score overall. This winner will win a 12" American Beauty Rose dipped in 24K gold. First Place Winners in each category will be offered a free chapter membership plus a one-of-a-kind handcrafted necklace (a $30value). All 1st through 3rd place winners will receive a certificate and a website web banner. The names of all winners will be published on the RCRW website and in the Romance Writers Report (RWR). |
| From
The Heart Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Gateway |
Romance |
unpublished or not published in book or e-book
in last 5 yrs (An author is considered published regardless if
their publisher is RWA recognized.) |
July 25, 2011 (extended from June 24); finalists
notified Aug 29; finalists must have latest copy to coordinator
by Sept 4; winners announced ~Oct 24. |
beginning of ms and 5 pp max synopsis, max
total 55 pp |
$20, $25, $30 |
electronic; pay by check, MO or PayPal |
3 first round judges, experienced or published.
Discrepancy judge if scores vary by 20 points or more. Top 5
entries with score of 225 or above will final. Final judges for
Unpublished:: Short / Long Contemp Series (Charles Griemsman,
Silhouette Desire); ST (Lauren Plude, Grand Central Publishing);
MS / RE (Talia Platz, NAL); HR (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); RS
(Shana Smith, Harlequin Romantic Suspense); Para / F/ F / Sci-Fi
/ TT (Latoya Smith, Grand Central Publishing). Judges for Published
will consist of a panel of industry professionals, including:
Laura Barth, Harlequin Blaze/Harlequin American Romance Tessa
Woodward, HarperCollins/Avon Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary
Agency |
1st Place in each category receives plaque
and choice of a free FTHRW contest entry fee or a year’s
worth of FTHRW dues. 2nd Place in each category receives an e-certificate
and choice of FTHRW dues paid or a free FTHRW contest entry.
3rd, 4th, and 5th Place in each category receive e-certificates.
A Grand Prize of $100 goes to highest overall scorer based on
1st round judging. |
| Indiana
Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Opportunity |
Romance (YA entry does not have to be romance) |
Anyone unpublished (according to Romance Writers
of America guidelines) in past 5 yrs. Need not be a member of
RWA. Members of the Indiana RWA chapter are not eligible. Limited
to first 40 entries in each category. |
Received by July 22, 2011 (extended from July
15); finalists notified ~Sept 12; winners announced ~Oct 15. |
first 35 pp, including synopsis (10 pp max) |
$25. MO, Check or PayPal. |
electronic entry. Pay by check, MO or
PayPal. |
1st round: 2 experienced judges who MUST
provide constructive critiques. If the 2 scores are 75 or more
points apart, a 3rd judge is used and the 2 scores closest to
each other prevail. 3 finalists per category. Final judges: HR
(Jesse Feldman, NAL); MS w/ Strong RE (Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary);
Para (Suzie Townsend, FinePrint Literary); RS (Deb Werksman,
Sourcebooks); ST (Latoya Smith, Grand Central Publishing); YA
(Anna Webman, Curtis Brown, Ltd); Best-of-the-Best (Meredith
Giordan, Berkley Publishing) |
1st Place: $50.00 and certificate; Best of
the Best Award: $100 cash and certificate. |
| Utah / Salt
Lake Romance Writers of America |
Heart
of the West |
Romance |
published or unpublished with uncontracted entry |
July 18, 2011 (extended from July 15); finalists notified Aug 20; winners announced Oct 8 |
prologue, first chapter, up to 20 pp (max of 25 lines
per page) |
$25 |
electronic only, can pay by PayPal, check or MO |
1st round: 3 scores, lowest dropped. Categories: Contemp (Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary Agency); HR (Anita Mumm, Nelson Literary Agency); Para (Marisa Corvisiero, L. Perkins Agency); ER (Kiersten Cherry, Loose Id Publishing); Mystery / Suspense (Lauren Ruth, BookEnds, LLC); YA (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency); Published (Lisa Mangum, Editor, Shadow Mountain - will be judged collectively.) Golden Pen (Tara Parsons, Harlequin) |
1st Place Winners receive $40 and a certificate. 2nd thru 4th Place receive certificates. All finalists will be recognized in the Romance Writers Report. |
| Grand Rapids Region Writers Group |
GRRWG Writing Contest |
Genre Fiction |
Unpublished. If published, must be out of contract for at least 1 year by entry deadline. |
Received by July 15, 2011; finalists announced Aug 20; winner announced at conference Oct 22 |
1st chapter (30 pp max) |
$25 via PayPal |
electronic in .doc format |
Highest rated entrant in each category advances to final round. Categories: Mystery / Thriller, Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror; Romance, Western / Adventure, YA. Final Judge: Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Agency |
|
| Heart of Louisiana Romance Writers of America |
Heartbeat |
Romance |
Unpublished or not published authors not contracted for the entry. |
Received by July 15, 2011 |
Query Letter and first 5 pp |
$10, $15 |
|
Categories: Contemp (long, short, ST); Inspirational; HR; Para; ER. Each entry will be read by at least 1 published author in 1st rd. Final Judges are published authors |
|
| New
Jersey Romance Writers of America |
Put
Your Heart In A Book |
Romance |
RWA member, unpublished / not contracted in book-length
romantic fiction at the contest deadline by any publisher and in any format within
the last five years. |
Received by 11:59 EST July 1, 2011; finalists announced by Aug 12. |
synopsis, prologue, first chapter, 30 pp max. |
$20, $35. Check, MO or PayPal |
electronic only |
2 judges for 1st round; 3rd judge if difference of 45 points or more. Score is averaged of 2 highest scores. The 3 top entries in each category final. Short Contemp (Agent: Annalise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency; Editor: Patience Smith Bloom, Silhouette Special Edition; Author TBA); ST (Agent: Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates; Editor: Sue Grimshaw, Ballantine; Author: Brenda Novak); HR (Agent: TBA; Editor: TBA; Author: Cathy Maxwell); Para (Agent: TBA; Editor: TBA; Author: TBA); RE (Agent: TBA; Editor: LaToya Smith, Grand Central; Author: Barbara Samuel) |
1st Place: $50 + plaque; 2nd Place: $35 + certificate;
3rd Place: $25 + certificate |
| Colorado
Romance Writers of America |
Heart
of the Rockies |
Romance |
Unpublished / uncontracted as of deadline. Entries limited to first 215 received. |
e-deadline June 30, 2011 (extended from June 15); finalists notified by Sept 1; winners announced Oct 8. |
1st two chapters plus 1-5 pp synopsis (35 pp max) |
$25, $30 |
Email. Can pay via PayPal or check. |
Each entry has 2 judges, one is published author.
Final judges: Short Contemp (Laura Barth, Harlequin); Long Contemp (Charles Griesmann, Harlequin); ST (Stephany Evans, Fine Print Literary Agency); Para / TT / F / F (Laura Bradford, The Bradford Literary Agency; HR (Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency); RS (Laura Baumbach, Passion in Print); Inspirational (Julie Gwinn, B&H Publishing Group); YA (Megan Records, Kensington Publishing); MS w/RE (Kristin Sevick, TOR) |
All entrants receive one written critique and two comprehensive evaluations of their work based on 20 different potential problem areas. Each category has individualized score sheet. 1st Place winners receive $25; all finalists receive certificate. Winners announced in the RWR. |
| First Coast Romance Writers of America |
Published Beacon Award |
Romance Book, Novella |
Books with first copyright of 2010. Any publishing venue (Traditional, POD, self-pubbed, ebook,
etc.) |
Postmark by June 30, 2011; finalists winners announced Sept 15 |
3 copies of book per category (book may be entered
in multiple categories; no add'l books required for 1st book category); ebooks accepted in hard copy. |
$25 (no add'l fee for 1st book category) |
Mail. Pay by check or Paypal. |
Final Judges: Booksellers. Categories: Contemp Series (all except Suspense / Adventure); Contemp ST; HR / Regency; Inspirational; F / F / Para; RS / Contemp Series; Novel with Strong RE; YA; Novella; ER; Best First Book. |
First place per category - Beacon Lapel Pin, and .gif for website. All finalists will receive a certificate. Winners announced in RWR. |
| Writers in the Storm |
Going to the Chapel |
Romance, any sub-enre except erotica |
Published, unpublished |
Midnight June 26, 2011; 5 finalists announced July 11; winner announced July 18 |
Using one of the 4 processional lines, write the opening scene to a wedding. 250 wds max |
free |
email |
any sub-genre of romance except erotica; judges are WITS bloggers |
Winner receives a one chapter critique by at least three WITS bloggers (chapter not to exceed twenty pages). |
| New
Jersey Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Leaf |
Romance Book, Novella |
All NJRW members and RWA members in Region One published
in novel-length fiction who are eligible for RWA PAN or NJRW PAN. Romance novels with a first copyright date or first NA printing date of July 2010 through June 2011 are eligible for entry |
Postmark by June 25, 2011 and received by June 30; finalists notified early Sept; winners announced Oct 21 |
Romance novel with 1st copyright date or 1st North
American printing date of August 2009 - June 2010. Includes E-books in print
book format, with copyright page produced by publisher, with perfect or case
binding and print on both sides of the page. See rule about erotic or sexually
explicit scenes. |
$15, $25 |
by mail |
Best First Book; HR; Long Contemp; Novella; Paranormal;
RS; Short Contemp; ST |
|
| Northwest
Houston Romance Writers of America |
Lone
Star |
Romance |
unpublished or not published in last 5 yrs in category entered |
e-deadline midnight June 8, 2011; finalists announced Aug 19; winners announced at awards luncheon in Oct. |
first 25 pp |
$20, $25 via PayPal |
Email |
3 first round judges, at least 2 of them published. Lowest score dropped. Top 3 high
scores in each category final. Inspirational (Rachel Burkot, Harlequin; Kimberly Shumate, Living Word Literary Agency; Nicola Martinez, White Rose Publishing); YA (Kat O'Shea, Leap Books; Susan Hawk, The Bent Agency; Meghan Conrad, Ellora's Cave); RS (Katherine Pelz, The Penguin Group; Tina Tsallas, Great Titles, Inc.; Kelli Collins, Ellora’s Cave); Contemp Series (Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin; Pam Strickler, Pam Strickler Author Management; Lori Graham, Wild Rose Press); ST (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks; Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary Agency; Leanne Morgena, Wild Rose Press; HR (Junessa Viloria, Random House; Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency; Susan Yates, Wild Rose Press); FF&P (Ann Leslie Tuttle, Harlequin; Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency; Raelene Garlinsky, Ellora’s Cave) |
First place winners in each category will receive the Lone Star Brooch. Achievement certificates will be awarded to all finalists. |
| Toronto
Romance Writers of America |
The Catherine |
Romance |
Open to all unpublished writers (whether or not a
member of RWA) and any member of RWA who is not eligible to join RWA-PAN. Entry
must be uncontracted, unpublished as of entry date. |
Received by 11:59 PM, June 1, 2011. |
30 pp total, including synopsis |
$25, $30 by check or Paypal |
email as rtf document |
Finalists have a week to revise entry. Contemp Series (Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin); Contemp ST (Margo Lipschultz, HQN); HR (Katherine Pelz, Berkley); RS (Leis Pederson, Berkley); Strong RE (Kathleen Gilligan, St. Martin's); Para / F / F (Esi Sogah, Avon); YA (Karen Chaplin, HarperCollins Children's Books). |
Category winners receive certificates and will be entered into the Gold Ticket competition judged by Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency. The Gold Ticket winner receives a three-chapter critique by NYT bestselling author Kelley Armstrong. |
| Land
of Enchantment Romance Writers of America |
The
Rebecca |
Romance |
Published or unpublished authors with unpublished,
uncontracted entry. |
Postmark / e-deadline May 31, 2011; finalists notified Sept 2;
winners announced Nov 12. |
First 5,000 words in 12 pt TNR double-spaced |
$20, $25 |
electronic, pay via PayPal |
Only 30 entries accepted per category, top 3 entries
final. Series contemp (Natalie Fischer, Laura Bradford LiteraryAgency); ST contemp (Laura Cifelli,
NAL); HR (Deb Nemeth, Acquiring Editor, Carina Press); Para (Becca Stumpf, Prospect Literary Agency); ER (Angela James, Excecutive Editor, Carina Press); YA (Laurie McLean, Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents) |
1st Place winners in each category: $50 gift certificate and silver feather;. 2nd Place $30 gift certificate. 3rd Place $20 gift certificate. |
| From the Heart Romance Writers of America |
The Lories Best Published |
Romance Book, Novella |
Authors published in romantic fiction, print or electronic. Does not have to be RWA recognized. Book, novella with first release date in 2010. |
Postmarked by May 28, 2011 (extended from April 23 and May 9). Placements announced ~July 5. Winner notified ~Aug 15. |
Book in pdf, html or 4 copies in print format |
$20, $25, $30 (subsequent books: $15, $20, $25) |
electronic or mail. Pay with check, money order or PayPal. |
First round judged by a panel or readers using a simple scoring system. Top 3 entries for each category will place as they score. 1st place entry in each category goes to final judge. Final Judge: Bookseller. Categories: Contemp Category, MS / RE, ST, HR, incl. Regencies, RS, Para, Steamy / Erotica, Inspirational, Novella |
Grand prize: plaque, e-certificate, and registration fee paid for RWA, RT or the writing conference of your choice, up to $400 value; or cash prize of $200. Autographed paperbacks and ebooks, and e-certificates to 2nd place winners; e-certificates to 3rd place winners. |
| Celtic
Hearts Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Claddagh |
Romance |
authors unpublished / not published in last 5 yrs, no accepted
offer. Entry must be from full-length, completed manuscript. |
e-deadline May 15, 2011 (extended from May 5); finalists notified by July 1; winners notified by Sept 1. |
beginning of ms, 30 pp max plus synopsis, 5 pp max |
$20, $25 check or Paypal; |
email |
First round scored by 2 trained judges and one published
author and the lowest score is dropped. 3
highest scoring entries go to final round. Final judges: FF&P
(Leis Pederson, Berkley); RS (Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds); Erotic (Katherine Pelz, Berkley);
HR (Suzie Townsend, FinePrint); Celtic (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Contemp
(Angela James, Carina Press) |
1st Place winner in each category receives a golden
claddagh pin. 2nd Place winner in each category receives a silver claddagh pin.
3rd Place winner in each category receives a bronze claddagh pin. All winners
receive certificates and icons to place on their websites. |
| Heart
of Denver Romance Writers of America |
The
Molly |
Romance |
unpublished or not published in past 3 yrs |
Received by 11:59 PM MDT, May 15, 2011; 1st round semi-finalists notified ~July 5; 2nd round finalists notified ~Aug 8; winners notified ~Oct 17. |
1st 30 pp plus synopsis, 5 pp max |
$30, $35; $40; -$5 early bird discount by April 25; check or Paypal |
email |
1st Round has 2 qualified judges. Top 30%
in each category moves to 2nd round. Re-judging will
occur in the 1st round only, and only w/ diff of at least
20 points between judges and if higher judge gave score
of 85 or more. When re-judging occurs, lowest score is discarded. 2nd
Round judged by 2 pubbed authors. After the 4
scores from 1st and 2nd round are received, the lowest of the 4 scores
is dropped. The 3 entries with highest total of the 3 remaining
scores advances to finals. All entries are judged for the Unsinkable Heroine
award. Categories: Contemp (Susan Litman, Harlequin); HR (Katherine Pelz, Penguin Group); RS (Whitney Ross, Tor Books); Para / TT / Fantasy (Meredith Giordan, Berkley Publishing Group); YA (Elizabeth Bistrow, NAL); ST (Rebecca Strauss, MacIntosh & Otis Literary Agents); Heart of Molly (Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds Literary Agents); Unsinkable Heroine (Suzie Townsend, FinePrint Literary Mgmt) |
The 1st Place winner in each category will receive
the "Molly Award Plaque." All other finalists will receive certificates.
Results will be in the RWR. |
| Tampa
Area Romance Writers of America |
TARA |
Romance |
unpublished or not published during past 3 yrs; uncontracted
for novel-length (40,000+ words) fiction in any format |
Received by 11:59 PM EST May 1, 2011; finalists notified ~July 1; winners announced ~Sept 30. |
prologue / first chapter (4,000 words max); optional
synopsis (1,500 words max; will not be judged) Synopsis is required if you final. |
$25 Can pay via PayPal |
email |
At least 2 judges (published authors or
TARA-trained and certified).3 finalists per category. To final, entry must have min overall score of at least 40.
Finalists have a week to make changes & submit synopsis before final round. Series Contemp
(Brenda Chin, Harlequin); HR (Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks); Para (Elizabeth Bistrow, NAL); ST (Lauren Plude, Grand Central); Women's Fiction ( Holly Blanck, St. Martin's Press); RS (Emilia Pisani, Pocket Books); Inspirational (Natalie Hanemann Thomas Nelson) |
Top prize Sterling Silver TARA pendant, certificate.
Finalists receive certificates. Winners announced in RWR. |
| Fox Broadcasting Company
and the New York Television Festival |
Fox-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest |
Script, comedy (TV sitcom) |
Any legal resident of the U.S., 18 yrs and older |
12 Noon ET on April 28, 2011; finalists notified ~June 6; winner announced at the
NYTVF Sept 17. |
script for original half-hour comedy TV pilot, in
pdf format, 25 to 35 pp. Script must be copyrighted or registered, and can not
have been entered into any other contest or competition. |
Free |
upload to NYTVF web site |
The judging panel, selected by the NYTVF in its sole
discretion, will determine 25 finalists, based on the following
criteria, weighted equally: originality; creativity; humor;
overall impression. In event of tie, entries will be re-judged based
solely on the criteria of overall impression. |
Grand Prize: lump-sum payment of $25,000 from FOX. |
| Charter
Oak Romance Writers of America |
Golden
Acorn |
Romance |
Unpublished / uncontracted by RWA publisher at time
of deadline |
Submitted by midnight EST April 25, 2011 (extended from Apr 15); finalists announced ~June 15; winners announced ~Aug 1. |
1st 20 pp plus synopsis (5 pp max, double spaced; synopsis will not be judged). |
$25 |
electronic only, pay via check or PayPal |
Limited to 95 entries. 5 finalists per categpry. Contemp Series (Sally Williamson, Mills and Boon), Contemp ST (Margo Lipschultz, Harlequin); Dark Para (Patience Smith, Harlequin); Light Para (Latoya Smith, Grand Central Publishing); MS with RE / YA (Laura Fazio, NAL Publishing); HR (Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency, LLC) |
Five finalists in each round will receive certificates.
The first place winner will receive $25.00 and their certificate. Results will
be publicized. |
| Scriptscene
Romance Writers of America and Inktip |
Romancing the Script |
Story with Romantic Elements, not contracted, optioned or produced before April 1 |
RWA members in good standing |
Received by April 1, 2011; finalists hard copies must be postmarked by May 25 |
1st Act, not to exceed the first 30 pp, a synopsis (1 pp max), the script's logline, and cover sheet / title page. Semi-finalists must mail complete screenplay in hardcopy. |
$20, $25 |
electronic in pdf format. Pay with check or PayPal |
Top 3 winners must submit the full completed screenplay for critique. Preliminary judges include Sally Walker, Evelyn Morgan, Jamie Livingston-Dierks, Kim Garland, Zac Stanford, Mina Zaher, Mike Lee. Final Judge: Andy Cohen, Producer. |
|
| Ohio
Valley Romance Writers of America |
Summer
Sizzle |
Romance |
RWA member, unpublished or not published or contracted
in last 3 yrs by RWA recognized publisher |
Cancelled for 2011
|
best sexual tension scene (love scene or not) 12 pp
max; optional 1 pp set-up (won't be judged). Courier 12 font, 25 lines per page. |
$20 |
Electronic entry. Pay by check, MO, or PayPal. |
3 experienced RWA members for 1st round. Categories are: Sweet (Inspirational
type scenes); Sensual (Desire / Temptation type
scenes); Spicy (Blaze / Brava type scenes) and Sexy (Erotica type scenes). Final Judges TBA. |
Winners receive $20. Finalists published in RWR. |
| Writers'
League of Texas |
Writers' League of Texas Book Award |
Fiction, Nonfiction, poetry & literary prose, children's books |
American authors of books published in 2010 |
6 pm March 15, 2011 (extended from Jan 31); winners announced in Oct. |
3 copies of the published book; may be submitted by authors, publishers, or agents |
$25, $35 |
Mail. Pay by cash, check, credit card or money order. |
Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry & Literary Prose, Children's books (short works), Children's books (long works) |
Winners in each category receive a $1000 cash prize, a commemorative award and an appearance at the 2011 Texas Book Festival. |
| Magnolia
State Romance Writers of America |
Dixie
First Chapter |
Romance |
Unpublished authors |
E-deadline March 1, 2011 |
1st 25 pp |
$25 by check or PayPal |
electronic |
Trained published and unpublished authors. Final judges: ST (Alicia Condon, Kensington Books); Contemp Series (Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin Superromance); RS (Allison Lyons, Harlequin Intrigue); Para (Kelli Collins, Ellora's Cave); Inspirational (Tina James, Steeple Hill); HR (Kevan Lyons, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency); YA (Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks Young Adult Line) |
|
| Wilkes University, James Jones Literary Society |
James Jones Fellowship Contest |
First novel in progress |
U.S. citizens who have not published a novel. |
Postmark / e-deadline March 1, 2011; winner notified in Sept. |
1st 50 pp of a book-length fiction ms and a 1-2 pp outline (may be single-spaced) of the book. If selected for final round, you must send pp 51-100. |
$25 |
Mail or online. Pay by check or money order. |
Judges: Kaylie Jones, daughter of James Jones and a novelist; J. Michael Lennon, one of his biographers; and Bonnie Culver, Director of Master of Arts in Creative Writing at Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania |
Winner receives a $10,000 fellowship. A selection from the winning work is published in Provincetown Arts. Winner must accept the award at the James Jones Literary Society Conference held each fall, usually in early November. Transportation funding will be provided. Two runner up awards of $750 each. |
| Golden Heart Finalists of 1999 |
Jeannie Gray Golden Friendship Award |
Romance |
2011 Golden Heart Entrants who are unpublished |
Received by midnight EST on Feb 18, 2011, winner notified
~March 1. |
250-300 wd essay on: What is the best/most impactful lesson you have learned from another writer and how do you plan to pay it forward? along with
proof of entry in the Golden Heart® 2011 Contest: |
No fee (I think) |
Submit essay in body of email. GH entry proof may
be sent in a separate email. No attachments. |
Judges are members of the Golden Heart 1999 Loop |
$100 and a beautiful certificate for the winner |
| Maryland Writers' Association |
MWA Short Works Contest |
Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction |
Entry must be original, unpublished and in English. |
Postmark by Feb 6, 2011; prizes awarded at MWA Awards Dinner in April. |
Fiction or creative nonfiction up to 3,000 wds max, poetry 50 lines max; plus cover page |
$10, $15 |
Email. Pay PayPal. |
Each entry receives 2 judges' critiques. Judges' names will be posted after contest is over. Categories: Poetry; Short Fiction; Creative Nonfiction |
1st Place receives $150 and complimentary Annual conference attendance. 2nd Place receives $100. 3rd Place receives $75. All receive certificate to be awarded at April Awards Dinner and complimentary Awards Dinner reservations for winner and one guest. |
| Women Writing the West |
WILLA Award |
Romance Book about girl or woman set in the American West |
Novels with original copyright of 2010 (in any form--hardcover, softcover, e-books, CD, Internet downloads, POD, etc.) |
Postmark by Feb 1, 2011, winners announced at conference |
3 books, if paper books. If e-books or electronic, such as CD, etc., one copy of the actual product plus 3 bound, hard copies. |
$50 |
Mail |
Judges: Panel of 21 professional librarians. Categories: Contemp Fiction; Creative Nonfiction; Scholarly Nonfiction; Historical Fiction; Poetry; Original Soft Cover Fiction; Children's / YA Fiction & Nonfiction |
|
| Stonehouse Press: Warren Adler |
Warren Adler Short Story Contest |
Original, unpublished fiction short story in any genre |
unpublished |
Submision deadline: Jan 15, 2011; finalists notified Feb 15. |
2,500 words max |
$15 |
online only |
Judges: Warren Adler and guest judges |
Awards- 1st place: $1000, People's choice: $500, Finalists: $50, Honorable mention: $25- All winners will be published in anthology exclusively with Amazon.com |
| Orange
County Romance Writers of America |
Book
Buyer's Best Award |
Romance Book |
Published RWA members with novel with 2010 copyright
date, first printing date, and / or first North American release date. Ebooks welcome. |
Received by Jan 8, 2011, finalists announced Apr 9; winners announced June 11. |
5 auto-graphed Books. e- book must be submitted in print format with perfect or case binding (no galleys or ARCs accepted) |
$30, $40 |
Pay by mail or Paypal. |
Preliminary round judged by readers, booksellers and librarians.
Highest score in each category advances to final round. Final judge: Sue Grimshaw, romance book buyer for Borders Group, Inc.. Categories:
Category Romance, Category Spicy, Category Suspense, ST, MS w/ RE, HR& Regency, Para / TT / Fantasy, YA, Inspirational |
Winners announced at OCRWA general meeting. Sue Grimshaw will present the "Top Pick." |
| Maryland Writers' Association |
MWA Novel Contest |
Fiction |
Entry must be completed book-length (50,000 words+), work of fiction, unpublished / uncontracted by an agent or publisher. |
Jan 3, 2011; prizes awarded at MWA Awards Dinner in April. |
1st 25 pp in TNR 12 font. |
$30, $35 |
Email. Pay via PayPal. |
Each entry receives 2 judges' critiques. Judges' names will be posted after contest is over. Categories: Action / Adventure / Horror; MS / Literary; Mystery / Suspense / Thriller; Romance / Historical; Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Speculative; YA |
1st Place in each category receives $200. 2nd Place in each category receives $125. 3rd Place: $100. 1st place also receives free annual conference attendance. All receive complimentary Awards Dinner reservations for winner and one guest. |