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We found over
three dozen excellent free poetry and prose contests with
deadlines between September 15-October 31. In
this issue, please enjoy "Do not go gentle into that good
night" by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Julian Peters. Next month,
we'll announce the winners of our 2022 Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction
& Essay Contest.
It's last call to enter our 20th annual Tom
Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest. We will award $3,000
for a poem in any style or genre and $3,000 for
a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style. Ten Honorable Mentions
will receive $200 each (any style). The top 12 entries will be
published online. The top two winners will also receive two-year gift
certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value). Length
limit: 250 lines per poem. Entry fee: $20 for 3 poems. Multiple entries
welcome. Final judge: S. Mei Sheng Frazier, assisted by Michal 'MJ'
Jones. Deadline: September 30. Submit
online here.
View past newsletters in our archives.
Need assistance? Let us
help. Join our 140,000 followers on Twitter
and find us on Facebook.
Advertise
with us, starting at $40.
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The frugal ticket for writing, editing, and marketing your
books
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professionalism like a well-edited submission. Follow
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Congratulations to Tony
Keith Jr., Katrina Roberts, Annie
Dawid, Robbie Gamble, Garret
Keizer, J Brooke, Judy
Juanita, Gloria Mindock, Duane L.
Herrmann, Rick Lupert, R.T.
Castleberry, and Carol D. Marsh.
Winning Writers editor Jendi
Reiter will be reading at the Brattleboro
Literary Festival with poet Quintin Collins on Saturday,
October 15, at 2:30 pm at Epsilon
Spires, 190 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT.
Learn
about our subscribers' achievements and see links to samples of their
work.
Have news? Please email it to jendi@winningwriters.com.
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There are a lot
of hybrid publishers out there nowadays, and we know the track record
for these can be spotty.
Some charge a fortune and provide little in terms of services. Some are
dodgy about who is actually on their staff, or have secret escalator
clauses in their contracts. Some are owned by hazy corporations whose
bottom line is all that matters. It's a lot for an author to sort
through!
Amidst all the chaos of choice,
we're glad to present Atmosphere Press, the most
professional hybrid publisher. They have a well-credentialed
team of actual people working for them, and a Publication
Timeline that's proven successful for nearly 800
books over the last seven years. Founded by an author and PhD in
Literature, and with the most author-favorable contract, Atmosphere
Press combines the rights and autonomy of charting your own
author destiny with the experience and attention to detail that only a
true publisher can offer.
They're reading
now in all genres with no submission fee, so please
send them your manuscript or query and they'll be in touch!
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Early-bird deadline: September
30, 2022
Entries are now being accepted
for the 2023 Next
Generation Indie Book Awards, the most exciting and
rewarding book awards program open to independent publishers and
authors worldwide who have a book written in English and released in
2021, 2022, or 2023 or with a 2021, 2022, or 2023 copyright date. The
Next Generation Indie Book Awards are presented by Independent
Book Publishing Professionals Group.
Enter by the
early-bird deadline of September 30 and you can pick a second category
for your book for free. There are 80+ categories to
choose from, so take advantage of this exciting opportunity to have
your book considered for cash prizes, awards, exposure, possible
representation by a leading literary agent, and recognition as one of
the top independently published books of the year!
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Deadline: September 30, 2022
Prize: $250
cash plus publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up
and finalists
Beginnings have the power to
spark passion or curiosity. They might immediately connect a specific
place and time with an emotional tone. The best openings offer a
feeling, atmosphere, action, or image that is gripping, and hints at
more to come. Meaning, thoughtfulness, emotions, or tone draw audiences
into the moment.
A poem handles this differently
than a flash piece, which handles an opening differently than a novel.
The first photo, painting or frame presented in a gallery, series, or
graphic novel strives for the same intent. Openings contain a spark
that promises to burn.
For Sunspot Lit's Inception contest, send your best opening. There are no restrictions on theme, category, or
the length of the piece or collection from which the excerpt comes.
Word limit is 250 for prose, 25 words for poetry.
Graphic novel and comic book
entries should be the first page (unlimited number of panels on that
page) with a maximum of 250 words (cut the number of panels in order to
meet the word count, if needed).
Visual art entries should be
the first in a series, the first in a gallery lineup, the first in a
themed collection, etc. Entries are limited to one image.
Enter as many
times as you like through Submittable
or Duotrope, but only one piece per submission. Entry fee:
$8.50. Submission files that contain multiple pieces will be
disqualified without review. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but
please withdraw your piece if it is published elsewhere before the
winner is selected.
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Registration deadline: October
1, 2022 (or until sold out)
The Erma
Bombeck Writers' Workshop has a limited number of seats
available for the October 20-22, 2022 gathering.
It's a workshop for writers of
all genres and all levels of writing experience. The classes are
offered multiple times. Keynote speakers at meals will not only inspire
and educate you but entertain you as well. Best of all, it offers time
away for you to refuel.
The workshop will feature celebrated
comedians and authors, including "Cathy"
cartoonist Cathy Guisewite, "Saturday Night Live" legend
Laraine Newman, New York Times bestselling authors W. Bruce Cameron and
Adriana Trigiani, screenwriter Cathryn Michon, improviser and comedian
Dion Flynn, and award-winning author Katrina Kittle.
The $499 fee includes all
meals, keynote talks, choice of dozens of workshops, and a complimentary
virtual package of the keynotes and Pitchapalooza.
Discover more
and register here.
For the virtual option only,
the registration fee is $79. From the comfort of your home (think:
pajamas!) you can enjoy the keynote talks and Pitchapalooza,
participate in a live chat with other writers joining virtually or tap
back in later at your convenience. Register here.
For both options, expect to
laugh (a lot!), learn and network with a supportive writing community.
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Deadline: October 1, 2022
The Missouri Review
invites entries for the 32nd Annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize.
Winners receive $5,000, publication in the Spring 2023 issue of TMR,
as well as promotion on our website, in our newsletter, and across our
social media platforms. Submit one piece of fiction or nonfiction up to
8,500 words or up to 10 pages of poems. Enter online or
by mail, following the guidelines here. All entries
are considered for publication, whether for the print and digital
issues or our online exclusive features, BLAST and Poem of the Week.
Regular entry fee: $25. All-Access entry fee: $30. Winners will be
announced in early 2023.
Each entrant receives a
one-year digital subscription to the Missouri Review (normal price
$24) and a digital copy of the sixth title from our imprint, Missouri
Review Books: Hello, I Love You: Stories of Romance, a new
anthology of stories that first appeared in TMR (normal
price $7.95). All-Access entrants receive access to the last decade of
digital issues of TMR, which also offers audio
recordings of the stories, poems, and essays featured in each issue.
Past winners have included Alix
Christie, Thomas Dodson, Seth Fried, and Amanda Baldenaux in fiction;
Jennifer Perrine, Chelsea B. DesAutels, Heather Treseler, and Diane
Seuss in poetry; and Matthew Wamser, Robert Stothart, Jennifer
Anderson, and Jo Anne Bennet in nonfiction. Check out all the past
winners, runners-up, and finalists back to 2006 here.
Read a prizewinning story by Melissa Yancy,
an essay by Peter Selgin,
and a selection from poetry winners Katie Bickham,
Kai Carlson-Wee,
and Alexandra
Teague. Hear from past entrants what it's like to
win here,
here,
and here.
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Deadline: October 31, 2022
·
1st Place: $250, featured
writer in our newsletter, story posted on our blog, certificate
·
2nd Place: $150, story posted
on our blog, certificate
·
3rd Place: $100, certificate
·
Published and unpublished
stories accepted
·
Word range: 600-3,000
·
Entry fee: $10
A genre always eager to be an
outlet for our frustration and dissatisfaction is dystopian fiction.
Not just for YA readers, powerful titles such as 1984, The
Handmaid's Tale, and Fahrenheit 451 prove the
influence of this kind of work. Often a direct reflection of modern
society, dystopian fiction is always relevant, and shows how words can
move mountains and challenge corruption.
In Oprelle's first short story
contest, When Fiction Comes True, we challenge writers to
write short fiction that takes place in a dystopian setting. All
subgenres are accepted such as action, romance, mystery, thriller, etc.
We're looking for something deeply stirring, with powerful language and
allusions that give us goosebumps.
Go to OPRELLE
to enter.
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2022
JOY HARJO POETRY PRIZE
BARRY LOPEZ NONFICTION PRIZE
RICK DEMARINIS SHORT STORY PRIZE
$1,300 First Prize, $300 Second Prize, Honorable
Mention
JUDGES
JACQUELINE JOHNSON, POETRY
LAURA PRITCHETT, SHORT STORY
DEBORAH MIRANDA, NONFICTION
GUIDELINES: Go to cutthroatmag.com
and submit poems and stories through our online submission manager on
the Submissions page. Submit up to 3 poems
(one poem per page, up to 100 lines per poem) or one
short story or one creative nonfiction piece (5,000-word
limit, double spaced) in 12-point font. NO
AUTHOR NAME ALLOWED ON ANY MANUSCRIPT. There is a $25
nonrefundable entry fee per submission.
Deadline:
November 1, 2022. UNPUBLISHED WORK ONLY! No work that has already won a prize is eligible.
No former CUTTHROAT prize-winning author may enter the contest
they have previously won. Enter as often as you wish. Simultaneous
submissions okay, but we must be informed immediately of acceptances
elsewhere. Finalists considered for publication. Winners are published
in CUTTHROAT and announced on our website, in POETS
& WRITERS, and winningwriters.com. No relatives of
staff members of CUTTHROAT nor close friends,
relatives, or students of our judges are eligible to enter our
contests. See cutthroatmag.com
for more information. WE RECOMMEND YOU READ A
COPY OF CUTTHROAT
BEFORE ENTERING OUR CONTESTS.
CUTTHROAT CONGRATULATES THE WINNERS OF THE 2021 LITERARY
CONTESTS
"Why the Migrant's Journey is So Hard" by Jeanne Wagner of
Kensington, California
Joy Harjo Poetry Prize
"The Same Dream" by Joel Streiker of San Francisco, California
Rick DeMarinis Short Story Prize
"The Book of Bones" by Hannah Hindley of Glen Ellen,
California
Barry Lopez Nonfiction Prize
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Deadline: December 31, 2022
Attention
Women Poets:
Two Sylvias
Press is looking to publish Full-Length Poetry Manuscripts by Women
Over 50
(Open to both established and emerging poets)
Prize: $1,000 and print book publication by Two Sylvias
Press, 20 copies of the winning book, and a vintage art nouveau pendant
The
Wilder Series Poetry Book Prize is open to women over 50
years of age (born on or before December 31, 1972). Women submitting
manuscripts may be poets with one or more previously published
chapbooks/books or poets without any prior chapbook/book publications.
(We use an inclusive definition of "woman" and
"female" and of course welcome trans women, genderqueer
women, and non-binary people who are female-identified or AFAB.) All
manuscripts will be considered for publication. See the
complete contest guidelines.
Learn
more about the prize and Two Sylvias Press. Previous winners
& manuscripts chosen for the Wilder Poetry Book Prize include Gail
Griffin, Michelle Bitting, Gail Martin, Kelly Cressio-Moeller, Erica
Bodwell, Adrian Blevins, Dana Roeser, Molly Tenenbaum, and Carmen
Gillespie.
Simultaneous
submissions allowed.
NOTE: Our
mission at Two Sylvias Press is to support poets. Your manuscript will NOT be disqualified if it was
submitted incorrectly. We will not penalize you for trying and
making a mistake. If we have a question or concern about your
manuscript format, we will contact you and allow you to resubmit.
Please know that we are on your side. Thank you for trusting us with
your work.
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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
Arthur
Flowers Flash Fiction Prize. Salt Hill, the
literary journal of Syracuse University, will award up to $500 and
publication for unpublished flash fiction by authors of color who have
no published full-length books. Submit one story, maximum 1,000 words.
Authors must identify as as Black, Indigenous, and/or a Person of
Color. Due October 9.
Intermediate Writers
Michael
Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets. The
Wordsworth Trust and the British Library offer two awards of 5,000
pounds: one for the author of a poetry chapbook published or
self-published in the UK between September 18 of the previous year and
the contest deadline, and one for an outstanding UK publisher of poetry
chapbooks. Winning poet will become Harvard University's Michael Marks
Poet in Residence in Greece in the Spring/Summer following the deadline
year. Books should be no more than 36 pages. Due September 23.
Advanced Writers
PEN/Faulkner
Award for Fiction. The PEN/Faulkner
Foundation seeks books of fiction (novels, novellas, and short story
collections) by US permanent residents published in the current year.
Top prize of $15,000, four runners-up of $5,000. Recent winners have
been well-established writers such as Philip Roth, Sherman Alexie, and
John Updike. Due October 31.
See more
Spotlight Contests for emerging,
intermediate,
and advanced
writers within The Best Free Literary Contests database.
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Winning Writers finds open
submission calls and free contests in a variety of sources, including Erika
Dreifus' Practicing Writer newsletter, FundsforWriters,
Erica
Verrillo's blog, Authors
Publish, Lit Mag
News Roundup, Poets
& Writers, The
Writer, Duotrope,
Submittable,
and literary journals' own newsletters and announcements.
• Hub City
Press: Novel Submission Period
(literary novels by Southern writers - September 30)
• Kenyon
Review: "Women's Health" and "Food" Issues
(poetry, fiction, essays, drama - September 30)
• Green
Linden Press: "Essential Queer Voices" Anthology
(poetry from writers outside mainstream sex/gender norms - October 1)
• Nimrod
International Journal: "Body Language" Issue
(poetry, fiction, personal essays about embodiment - October 1)
• Rattle:
Irish Poets Issue
(poems by authors who lived in Ireland for a significant time - October
15)
• Under a
Warm Green Linden: Indigenous Ecopoetry
(Native American writers on the environment - November 15)
• Sequestrum:
"Reprints" and "Humor" Issues
(previously published poetry and short prose, or humorous unpublished
writing - December 15)
• 7.13
Books
(novel and short story manuscripts by debut authors - December 31)
• BLF
Press: Black Joy Unbound Anthology
(poetry, fiction, essays, hybrid works envisioning a positive Black
future - December 31)
• Dyskami
Publishing: Superhero Fiction Anthology
(stories inspired by the RPG "Absolute Power" - December 31)
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 Barbie-Core
What kind of love turns a girl into the opposite of who she was when
you met her? There's an important difference, I feel, between a love
relationship that gives both partners the security to grow and change,
and a romance that eliminates your eccentricities so you can become
"desirable" by the other person's standards.
[Read
more]
Jendi Reiter
is the editor of Winning Writers.
Follow
Jendi on Twitter at @JendiReiter.
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