Winning Writers newsletters

With details of writing competitions and more, here are the latest Winning Writers newsletters:

At FanStory... ✔ Learn from feedback that will be written on everything you write. Submit your story, poem or book chapter and you'll get detailed feedback from experienced writers. ✔ Enter contests for free. Over $5,000 in cash prizes this year. Take a chance at the prize and enjoy the feedback that you will receive on your entries. ✔ Since the year 2000 FanStory has been helping writers of all skill levels. Make connections and friends. Enjoy sharing your writing. Details.   Start getting feedback in five minutes! Learn More or watch the video. All these contests with cash prizes are included free of charge (no entry fee) with your paid membership. Information. Love Poem Poetry Contest Write a love poem. Your love poem can be fictional or non-fictional. It can be a humorous or a serious love poem. The choice is yours. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline In Two Days - Jan 26th Sonnet Poetry Contest Just like Shakespeare did, discover the rhythm and rhyme scheme of the Shakespearean sonnet. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline In Five Days. Jan 29th Dribble Flash Fiction Write a story on any topic that uses 50 words. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Feb 2nd Nonet Poetry Contest Write a nine line poem for this poetry contest. But you must count syllables. The first line of your poem will have 9 syllables. The second line has 8 syllables and the 7th line has seven. This continues until your final line, which has one syllable. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Feb 5th Acrostic Poetry Contest Write an acrostic poem. An acrostic poem is a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word. View an example in the announcement. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Feb 8th Six Word Poetry Contest Write a poem using only six words. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Feb 10th 100 Word Writing Contest Write a flash fiction story on any topic that uses exactly 100 words. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Feb 12th Valentine Poem Write a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word. Your love poem can be fictional or non-fictional. It can be humorous or a serious love poem. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Feb 14th 20 Syllable Poem For this contest you are to write a short poem. The poem should have exactly 20 syllables. You can structure it any way you choose and choose the word count. But the total syllable count for the completed poem must have exactly 20 syllables total. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Feb 17th Rhyming Poetry Contest Write a poem of any type that has a rhyme. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Feb 21st 5-7-5 Poetry For this contest you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Feb 28th ABC Poetry Contest For this contest you are challenged to write an ABC poem. ABC poetry has five lines and often is used to express feelings. See the announcement for an example. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Mar 3rd Flash Fiction Write a story on any topic that uses 150 words. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Mar 8th Cinquain Poetry Write a 'Cinquain' poem for this contest. A cinquain poem is a poem that follows a specific format. Read the announcement for a sample poem. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Mar 12th 3 Line Poetry Contest For this contest you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Mar 17th Loop Poetry Contest A fun poetry type that requires you to use the last word of each sentence as the starting word of the next sentence. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Mar 24th One Line Poem Write a monostich poem, a poem that has only one line. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Mar 30th Rhyming Poem Write a poem of any type that has a rhyme. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Apr 3rd 100 Word Flash Fiction Write a story on any topic that uses around 100 words. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Apr 6th 1-5-7 Poem Write a poem that follows the following syllable count: 1-5-7. So the first line has one syllable. The second line has five. The final line has seven syllables. Write about anything. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Apr 9th Write A Haiku For this contest you are challenged to write a Haiku poem. Haiku is a form of poetry that only uses three lines. Can you paint a mental image using only three lines? This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Apr 13th 3-6-9 Poem This poem has three stanzas. Each stanza has three lines that follow the 3-6-9 syllable count. The first line has 3 syllables, the second line has 6 syllables and the last line 9 syllables. The subject can be anything. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Apr 20th Write A Script A script can bring a scene alive with just a little direction and words. Now is your chance to write your own. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Apr 30th Lune Poetry Contest A Lune poem is a short and fun poetry form with only three lines. View the contest announcement for an example. Cash Prize! Deadline May 7th Mother's Day Poetry Contest Show your appreciation to Mom with a poem. All forms of poetry accepted. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline May 12th 75 Words Flash Fiction Write a story on any topic that uses 75 words. Cash Prize! Deadline May 20th 2-4-2 Poetry Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem. It has three lines. The first line has 2 syllables, the second line has 4 syllables, and the last line 2 syllables. The subject can be anything. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline May 25th 5-7-5 Poetry Contest For this contest you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline May 30th Minute Write a Minute poem for this contest. A fun poem to write. It follows the "8,4,4,4" syllable count structure. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Jun 3rd Share Your Story A memoir gives us the ability to write about our life. But you can write about life with the option to create and fabricate and to make sense of a life, or part of that life. Write a piece of your life! Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Jun 6th Four Line Poem Write a four line poem that has a specific syllable count. The first line has 1 syllable, the second line has 5 syllables, the third line has 5 syllables, and the last line 9 syllables. The subject can be anything. Cash Prize! Deadline Jun 10th Free Verse Poetry Contest Write a free verse poem. This is a method of writing poetry that does not follow any structure or style. See an example and details in the announcement. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Jun 12th 75 Words Flash Fiction Write a story on any topic that uses 75 words. Cash Prize! Deadline Jun 14th 5-7-5 Poem For this contest you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Jun 18th This Sentence Starts The Story Write a story that starts with this sentence: It was going to be the trip of a lifetime. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Jun 21st Faith Poetry Contest The theme for this poetry contest is 'faith'. We are looking for poems that in some way pertain to this theme. It doesn't matter if it's spiritual, political, intellectual or emotional as long as faith is clearly represented. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Jun 25th Horror Writing Contest Put your readers on edge or terrorize them for this horror writing contest. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Jun 30th Haiku Poetry Contest For this contest you are challenged to write a Haiku poem. Haiku is a form of poetry that only uses three lines. Can you paint a mental image using only three lines? Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Jul 3rd Dialogue Only Writing Contest Write a story using only dialogue. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Jul 5th 3 Line Poetry Contest Write a poem that has three lines and a syllable count of either 5-7-5 or 5-7-7. The poem must address a loved one. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Jul 9th Flash Fiction Writing Contest Write a flash fiction story that takes place in a tavern late into the night. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Jul 16th I Can Write a poem that begins with the words "I can". Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Jul 20th Tanka Poetry Contest For this contest you are challenged to write a Tanka poem. Tanka is a form of poetry with a specific syllable count. See the announcement for an example. Cash Prize! Deadline Jul 25th True Story Contest Share a memory from your life. Share a moment, an object, a feeling, etc. This does not have to be a profound memory, but should allow readers insight into your feelings, observations, and/or thoughts. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Jul 30th 5 Line Poem Write a five-lined poem that has a specific syllable count to enter this contest. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Aug 3rd   These are just a few of our contests. View the full listing here.

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February 28 |

Welcome to Our January Newsletter We found over four dozen high-quality poetry and prose contests that are free to enter with deadlines between January 15-February 28. In this issue: See our favorite resources newly added to WinningWriters.com, and Julian Peters illustrates the lyrics to "Joan of Arc" by Leonard Cohen. Open at Winning Writers, co-sponsored by Duotrope WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY CONTEST - NO FEE Deadline April 1. Free to enter, $2,250 in prizes, including a top award of $1,000. TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID FICTION & ESSAY CONTEST Deadline April 30. $5,000 in prizes, including two top awards of $2,000 each. $20 entry fee. Want to view past newsletters? Go to winningwriters.com/archives. Need assistance? Let us help. Join our 112,000 followers on Twitter at @WinningWriters. Coming next month: We'll announce the winners of our fourth annual North Street Book Prize. Featured Sponsor: Enter the Indie Book Awards by February 15 - Over 70 Categories to Choose From Recent Honors and Publication Credits for Our Subscribers Congratulations to Nick Korolev, Pete Cooper, Gary Beck, Dana Curtis, Scott Winkler, Lorna Wood, Yvonne Chism-Peace, David Kherdian, and R.T. Castleberry. Winning Writers editor Jendi Reiter's novel Two Natures (Saddle Road Press, 2016) was featured in January on the book blog Snowflakes in a Blizzard. Learn about our subscribers' achievements and see links to samples of their work. Have news? Please email it to jendi@winningwriters.com. Affiliate link: Missing deadines as a writer? Having trouble getting motivated? Today is the last day to apply for this quarter's Inside Track, Literistic's hand-picked accountability groups led by published professionals. Learn more. Rattle Chapbook Prize - Last Day to Enter! Deadline: January 15 The annual Rattle Chapbook Prize gives poets something truly special. Every year, at least one winner will receive: $2,000 cash, 500 contributor copies, and distribution to Rattle's 7,000 subscribers. In a world where a successful full-length poetry book might sell 1,000 copies, the winning book will reach an audience seven times as large on its release day alone—an audience that includes many other literary magazines, presses, and well-known poets. This will be a chapbook to launch a career. And maybe the best part is this: The $25 entry fee is just a standard subscription to Rattle, which includes four issues of the magazine and all of the winning chapbooks. Rattle is one of the most-read literary journals in the world—find out why just by entering! For more information, visit our website. We congratulate our three winners from our 2018 contest: ·         Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Tales From the House of Vasquez ·         Nickole Brown, To Those Who Were Our First Gods ·         Elizabeth S. Wolf, Did You Know? (to be published in 2019) For a sample from the series, please enjoy the title poem from In America by Diana Goetsch, one of the three winners from 2017: IN AMERICA "Why don't you go to Japan and ask the cats?" I said to the TSA agent when she asked if I was Amish, because I believe in answering a non-sequitur with a non-sequitur. I only said it after I'd been cleared, after I'd been strip-searched behind frosted glass, and then posted the bitch's face on Facebook along with her name. Maybe being trans is like being Amish, or maybe I went pale when I missed my flight as Security Agent Pamela E. Starks conferred with Explosives Expert Gary Pickering to discuss, based on the "soft anomaly" picked up by the body scanner, which of them needs to search me (at one point she suggested they each take "half"). I suppose I could have come from Amish country, a place so deep in the heart of America it can't be seen, and delivered to the airport by horse and buggy— an Amish horse, oblivious to traffic. Maybe it's because of my long black dress, or makeup that makes it look like I'm not wearing makeup— a goal whose purpose used to elude me, though I totally get it now, but please don't ask. You could go and ask the cats in Japan, though it's bound to earn you a contemptuous frown, by which they mean to say, "Eat my ass in Macy's window." How do cats in Japan know about Macy's? you must be asking. Beats the hell outta me. They have no tails—did you know? Neither do the Amish. Just kidding. I'm still waiting to hear about the complaint I filed, the one that, along with the viral video of them repeatedly calling me "it," shut down the TSA website for three days while they rewrote the rules about me. "You could be charged for this," friends warn me, but in America it can't be libel if it's true. I learned that from the cats in Japan, who you can ask— though it's best not to disturb them. Creative Nonfiction seeks new work for an upcoming issue dedicated to MEMOIR Deadline: February 25 We're looking for stories that are honest, accurate, informative, intimate, and—most importantly—true. Whether your story is revelatory or painful, hilarious or tragic, if it's about you and your life, we want to read it. Submissions must be vivid and dramatic; they should combine a strong and compelling narrative with an informative or reflective element, and reach beyond a strictly personal experience for some universal or deeper meaning. We're looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice; all essays must tell true stories and be factually accurate. Creative Nonfiction editors will award $2,500 for Best Essay and two $500 prizes for runner-up. All essays will be considered for publication in a special "Memoir" issue of the magazine to be published in 2020. Essays must be previously unpublished and no longer than 4,000 words. See our complete guidelines. On the Premises Short Story Contest (no fee) The premise of OTP's short story contest #33 is "Hidden". For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which someone or something of importance to the story is hidden in some way from at least one important character. It is entirely up to you whether the person/place/thing that is hidden is ever found/revealed/unhidden. DEADLINE: 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Thursday, February 28, 2019 One entry per author. There is no fee for entering this contest. Winners receive between US$60 and US$220, and publication. GENRE RULES: No children's fiction, no exploitative sex, no over-the-top grossout horror, and no stories that are obvious parodies of well-known fictional worlds/characters created by other authors. Click for details and instructions on submitting your story. To be informed when new contests are launched, subscribe to our free, short, monthly newsletter. On The Premises magazine is recognized in Duotrope, Writer's Market, Ralan.com, and other short story marketing resources. Ventura County Writers Club - 19th Annual Poetry Contest Call for Submissions: "Dignity as an Endangered Species: Maintaining Respect, Honesty, and Integrity in the 21st Century" (no fee) We are happy to announce that the newest issue of the About Place Journal, "Dignity as an Endangered Species", will be edited by Pam Uschuk with assistant editors CM Fuhrman and Maggie Miller. Submissions are welcome through March 1. Please submit here. There is no fee. Submit poetry and prose: stories, short essays, memoir pieces, songs, hybrids, and artwork about individual dignity that address public corruption and greed, ICE arrests, and the separation of refugee children from their parents at our border as well as the takeover of education, agriculture, the workplace, and health care by wealthy corporations. We are looking for work to counter racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, xenophobia, discrimination against vulnerable populations, and the degradation of the natural world. Learn more about our journal and submit. 42 Miles Press Poetry Award Deadline: March 15 Judge: David Dodd Lee, Series Editor The 42 Miles Press Poetry Award was created in an effort to bring fresh and original voices to the poetry reading public. The prize is offered annually to any poet writing in English, including poets who have never published a full-length book as well as poets who have published several. New and Selected collections of poems are also welcome. Manuscripts submitted for the 42 Miles Press Poetry Award should exhibit an awareness of the contemporary "voice" in American poetry, an awareness of our moment in time as poets. We are excited to receive poetry that is experimental as well as work of a more formalist bent, as long as it reflects a complexity and sophistication of thought and language. Urgency, yes; melodrama, not so much. The winning poet will receive $1,000, publication of his or her book, and 50 author copies. The winner will also be invited to give a reading at Indiana University South Bend as part of the release of the book. The final selection will be made by the Series Editor. Current or former students or employees of Indiana University South Bend, as well as friends of the Series Editor, are not eligible for the prize. Winners will be announced via our website in the summer of 2019. We will also announce the winner in major magazines such as Poets & Writers. The winning book will be published in September 2020 and be available to purchase on SPD and Amazon. Previous 42 Miles Press publications include books by Allan Peterson, Betsy Andrews, Bill Rasmovicz, Carrie Oeding, Erica Bernheim, Kimberly Lambright, Nate Pritts, Mary Ann Samyn, Tracey Knapp, William Stobb, and Christine Garren. See the complete guidelines and submit by mail or email. Read "Sonnet No. 44" by Nate Pritts, winner of our 2016 contest. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest (no fee) Dancing Poetry Contest Deadline: April 15 Now in its 26th year, all Dancing Poetry Festival prize winners will receive a prize certificate suitable for framing, a ticket to the 2019 Dancing Poetry Festival at the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Theater at the Palace of the Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, and an invitation to read their prizewinning poem at the festival. Three Grand Prizes will receive $100 each plus their poems will be danced and filmed. Many smaller prizes. Each Grand Prize winner will be invited onstage for photo ops with the dancers and a bow in the limelight. Please look at photos of our Dancing Poetry Festivals to see the vast diversity of poetry and dance we present each year. For poetry, we look for something new and different including new twists to old themes, different looks at common situations, and innovative concepts for dynamic, thought-provoking entertainment. We look forward to reading your submissions. See the complete contest rules and please enjoy "Shadow Dancers" by Claire J. Baker, winner of a Grand Prize in 2018. Jendi Reiter's An Incomplete List of My Wishes: "Exquisite...Mischievous Wit" From an Amazon 5-star review by Elise Dennis: Reiter's voice is the voice of a poet, often exquisite—"Desire smells like acid in the dark. Its face is a hundred faces, rising out of the stop bath" ("Julian's Yearbook")—and at other times mischievous in its wit—"...this is a story for, or at least about, children. Imps are for impulse, as A is for apple, as I is for ice" ("Memories of the Snow Queen"). Reiter's characters struggle with painful family relationships and sexual secrets they sometimes try to keep secret even from themselves, like the young gay men awakening to their sexual identity against the haunting background of the AIDS crisis...Readers familiar with Reiter's novel Two Natures will delight in the prequels here to both Julian's and Peter's adventures, while readers not yet familiar with Two Natures may find their appetites whetted to read that novel as well. Buy An Incomplete List of My Wishes now for $1.99 on Kindle. Spotlight Contests (no fee) Some contests are best suited to writers at the early stages of their careers. Others are better for writers with numerous prizes and publications to their credit. Here is this month's selection of Spotlight Contests for your consideration: Emerging Writers John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest. US high school students under the age of 20 can win $10,000 for essays about how an elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born, risked his or her career to take a stand based on moral principles. Due January 18. Intermediate Writers Caine Prize for African Writing. Awards 10,000 pounds for published short stories by African writers, defined as someone who was born in Africa, or who is a national of an African country, or who has a parent who is African by birth or nationality. Due January 31. Advanced Writers John Gardner Fiction Book Award. Binghamton University will award $1,000 for the best English-language book of fiction (novel or short story collection) published by a US resident in the previous calendar year. Due February 1. See more Spotlight Contests for emerging, intermediate, and advanced writers within The Best Free Literary Contests database. Calls for Submissions ·         Arc Poetry Magazine (Canadian journal pays for unpublished poems - January 31) ·         X Marks the Spot Anthology (essays on nonbinary identity - February 1) ·         Sinister Wisdom: 21st Century Jewish Lesbians Issue (lesbian-feminist creative writing, songs, and artwork - extended to February 28) ·         OUT/CAST (queer Midwestern writing - March 1) ·         Belmont Story Review (poetry, fiction, essays, narrative journalism - March 15) ·         Voices Israel Anthology 2019 (original poems and translations - March 15) ·         Rattle "African Poets" Issue (poets born or currently living in an African country - April 15) ·         Breakwater Review (poetry, prose, and visual art - April 30) ·         Damaged Goods Press: Queer Eroticism Anthology (poetry by queer and trans authors - December 31) ·         Story Magazine (literary fiction and personal essays - rolling deadline) PSA: Be a Literacy Hero with a Recurring Gift to ProLiteracy Favorite New Resources Since we are no longer publishing the quarterly special issues of our newsletters, we are integrating their content into our regular newsletters. Here are some of our favorite newly added resources at Winning Writers. For a full list, see our Resource pages. 10 Tips for Creating Your First Children's Picture Book Advice from a publishing professional on picture book layout and storytelling 19th Century Character Trope Generator Algorithm creates fun genre pastiche Barnes & Noble Press Bookstore chain offers free self-publishing service compatible with the B&N Nook e-reader The Bookends Review Online journal publishes author interviews, book reviews, and creative writing F-BOM Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Feminist Book Club Writers' forums, contests, and blog devoted to feminist speculative fiction Advertise in This Newsletter We send this newsletter to over 50,000 subscribers. Ads are just $150 each. On a tight budget? Pressed for time? Advertise to our 112,000 Twitter followers for just $40 per tweet or less. Solo mailings and website advertising are available. Inquire with Adam Cohen at adam@winningwriters.com. "Joan of Arc", illustrated by Julian Peters Julian Peters illustrates the lyrics to "Joan of Arc" by Leonard Cohen (1971) Now the flames they followed Joan of Arc As she came riding through the dark; No moon to keep her armour bright No man to get her through this very smoky night. She said, "I'm tired of the war, I want the kind of work I had before, A wedding dress or something white To wear upon my swollen appetite." "Well, I'm glad to hear you talk this way, You know I've watched you riding every day And something in me yearns to win Such a cold and lonesome heroine." "And who are you?" she sternly spoke To the one beneath the smoke. "Why, I'm fire," he replied, "And I love your solitude, I love your pride." [see the complete lyrics] The Last Word Poems from Paul Fericano's "Things That Go Trump in the Night" Famous lines from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Henry Kissinger, Humphrey Bogart, Bing Crosby, and many others are reworked into zingers that reference the Cheeto-in-Chief and his felonious hangers-on. Individually, the poems and squibs are good for a chuckle or a mood-lifter when the news gets you down. Taken as a whole, the numbing repetition of "Trump" starts to feel like a warning: dictators want all culture to be flattened into their own image. [read more] Jendi Reiter is the editor of Winning Writers. Follow Jendi on Twitter at @JendiReiter.

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