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The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest

Deadline: July 31, 2010

Open to everyone! This competition welcomes anyone who loves arranging words into the beautiful art of poetry or to write a short story that is worth telling everyone. And to all who have the ability to dream... Write a poem or short story for a chance to win cash prizes. All works must be original.

Guidelines: Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on any subject, style, or form, typed or neatly hand printed.

And/or write a short story, five pages maximum length, on any subject or theme, creative writing fiction or non-fiction (including essay compositions, diary, journal entries and screenwriting). Also, must be typed or neatly hand printed.

Multiple poetry and short story entries are accepted. All contest winners will be announced on August 31, 2010

Prizes:Writing Contest First Prize is $500. Second Prize: $250. Third Prize: $100.

Poetry Contest First Prize is $250. Second Prize: $125. Third Prize: $50.

Entry fees:Writing Contest entry fee: $10 per short story. Poetry Contest entry fee: $5 per poem.

To send entries: Include title(s) with your story (ies) or poem(s), along with your name, address, phone#, email, brief biographical info. (Tell us a little about yourself), on the coversheet. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope for entry confirmation. Fees payable to: “Dreamquestone.Com”

Mail to: Dream Quest One - Poetry & Writing Contest

UNBOUND PRESS LITERARY CREATIVE NONFICTION COMPETITION
ENTRY FEE: £5

Deadline July 31, 2010
Two categories: essay and first chapter of a book. Length
up to 3,000 words.

Essay
1st Prize: £100 + publication in Unbound Press Journal + free copy
2nd Prize: £50 + publication in Unbound Press Journal + free copy
Runners-up: publication in Unbound Press Journal + free copy

First chapter of an unpublished book
1st Prize: £75 + publication in Unbound Press Journal + free copy
2nd Prize: £25 + publication in Unbound Press Journal + free copy
Runners-up: publication in Unbound Press Journal + free copy

Narritive eMagazine Spring Contest

Contest deadline is July 31, 2010

Flesh & Bone: Rise of the Necromancers Short Story Contest

SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR Flesh & Bone SHORT STORY CONTEST IS 31 JULY 2010.

Winning stories selected by Alva J. Roberts, Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
Email entries (via docx, doc or rtf attachment) to: necromancers@pillhillpress.com
Please put SUBMISSION, followed by the title of the story, in the subject line of your email.
Pill Hill Press is excited to announce its second writing contest. Winning stories will be published in a print anthology. Winners will receive:
1st Place - $125.00 + 1 contributor's copy of the book
2nd Place - $50.00 + 1 contributor's copy of the book
3rd Place - $25.00 + 1 contributor's copy of the book
Runners-up - 1 contributor's copy of the book
Send us your darkest, fiercest, most magical DARK FANTASY short story about necromancers and the undead rising...Stories can take place any time (past, present, future, alternate) at any place (Earth, Imaginary Places, Your Grandma's Kitchen Sink, etc.). Stories can be told from the perspective of good or evil or anywhere in between.
Send your best effort. Only one short story per person will be considered for this contest. Final selections will be made after the deadline. Winners will be notified by email.
We prefer stories in the 3,000-6,000 word range. Please do not enter stories under 2,000 words or over 10,000 words. Tentative Release Date: Fall 2010

Unbound Press creative non-fiction competition

The Unbound Press Literary Competitions 2010

Closing date: 31^st July 2010

2 Categories:

Essay

Prizes: 1^st Prize: £100, 2^nd Prize: £50

Length: up to 3000 words, Entry fee: £5

 First chapter of an unpublished book

Prizes: 1^st Prize: £75, 2^nd Prize: £25

Length: up to 3000 words, Entry fee: £5

So, what is Creative Non-Fiction?  It is defined as writing which is factually accurate and written with attention to literary style and technique. It should communicate information, while being shaped in a way that reads like fiction. Although there is no specific theme to the competition, subjects that work particularly well in this genre include personal essay, memoir, cultural criticism, nature writing, literary journalism, history.

SAIGYO AWARDS FOR TANKA

DEADLINE: August 1, 2010

GENRE: Poetry

DETAILS: Submit 1 - 10 tankas.

PRIZE: $100, $50, $25 - winners outside the US will receive subscriptions to Tanka journals in place of cash prizes.

Manchester Poetry Prize

August 6 is the deadline

First Prize is £10.000

Queries regarding the contest should be directed to James Draper at j.draper@mmu.ac.uk

Annual Gival Press Short Story Award

Deadline is August 8.

The Going Green Film Festival

officially launches its screenplay competition this week.
Submit your script if it is: a SCREENPLAY, a script written for TELEVISION (MOW, drama, comedy, reality show; original spec or based on current series), or a SHORT script.
The script's TOPIC must be related to third world issues, ecology, nature, wildlife or the environment.
A script that features a HYBRID vehicle, a bicycle, electric scooter, Segway, roller skates, skateboard, or public transportation can also be submitted.

Earlybird: May 31, 2010   $29.00 Submission fee

Standard Date: June 30, 2010    $39.00 Submission fee

Final Date: August 15, 2010    $49.00 Submission fee

2010 MOONBEAM CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS

The entry deadline is August 21, 2010
Enter the world's most comprehensive children's book contest:

• 36 categories, including Spanish Language

• 10 Fiction categories/age groups

• Book with Music and Book with Merchandise categories

• Best Illustrator and Best First Book Categories

• Health and Environmental issues categories

"Celebrating youthful curiosity, discovery and learning through books and reading."

Now is the time to enter your award-worthy children's books into the fourth annual Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards honoring the year's best children’s books, authors and illustrators. The program accepts entries with 2009 or 2010 copyrights or with release dates between January 1, 2009 and August 21, 2010. Entry is open to authors, illustrators, and publishers of children’s books written in English or Spanish and intended for the North American market. These awards bring an opportunity for recognition to independent authors and publishers who have a hard time breaking through to win library association awards like the Newbery and Caldecott.

Entry fee is $95 per title, per category.

To learn more about the awards, visit our links below:

Online entry form: https://secure.independentpublisher.com/secure/moonbeam/entry.php

Print out guidelines and entry PDF: http://www.moonbeamawards.com/Moonbeam_2010_Guidelines_Final1.pdf

Presented by Jenkins Group and Independent Publisher Online, the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and support childhood literacy and life-long reading. Awards are given in thirty-six (36) categories covering the full range of subjects, styles and age groups that children’s books are written and published in today. Gold, silver and bronze medals are presented in each category. The 2008 contest attracted 1,085 entries, and 138 Moonbeam medals were awarded to authors and publishers from 30 U.S. states, four Canadian provinces, and four countries overseas.

"The Moonbeam awards are dedicated to the notion that reading to and with your children will inspire them to become lifelong readers and learners."

Judging is based on content, originality, design, and production quality, with emphasis on social relevance and age appropriateness. Our judging panels include experts from the fields of editing, design, teaching, bookselling and library, and many categories are judged by teachers and their students. Results will be announced on about October 15, 2010.

Questions? Contact Jim Barnes, Awards Director: 1-800-644-0133 x1011; email: jimb@bookpublishing.com

Textnovel.com The best online serial novel contest

Through August 31, 2010

Short Story Competition

3000 Word Max / Close Date: 31st August 2010 / £5 Entry Fee

NANO FICTION CONTEST
$15 ENTRY FEE

14th Annual Robert Frost Foundation Annual Poetry Award

Postmark/Email Submission Deadline: September 15

The Robert Frost Foundation welcomes poems in the spirit of Robert Frost for its 14th Annual Award. The winner will receive $1,000 and an invitation to present the winning poem this fall at the Frost Festival located at the Lawrence Public Library in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the library in which Frost first explored the traditions of English and Irish poetry.

Please submit two copies of each poem, one copy with contact information (name, address, phone number, email address) and one copy free of all identifying information. Reading fees are $10 per poem (send fees via regular mail, please). Make your check payable to The Robert Frost Foundation. Mail your entry to: The Robert Frost Foundation, Attn: Poetry Award, Lawrence Public Library - 3rd Floor, 51 Lawrence Street, Lawrence, MA 01841. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) or an email address if you'd like to receive the contest results. Email submissions are accepted at frostfoundation@comcast.net if you send your entry fee by regular mail.

Micro-Fiction Competition

TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID POETRY CONTEST

Postmark deadline: September 30.

Ten cash prizes totaling $5,550. Top prize $3,000.
Submit poems in any style or genre. Both published and unpublished work accepted. Winning entries published online.
Entry fee is $7 for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers.
Judges: John H. Reid, Dee C. Konrad. Submit online or mail to
Winning Writers, Attn: Tom Howard, Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060.
Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005-2010).

MISSISSIPPI REVIEW PRIZE
$15 ENTRY FEE
Deadline October 1, 2010

THE "SCARE THE DICKENS OUT OF US" SHORT STORY CONTEST 2010

Deadline October 1, 2010.
$20 ENTRY FEE
First prize, $1,000 and a trophy.
Second prize, $500 and a ribbon.
Third prize, $250 and a ribbon.
Junior contest prize $250 and a trophy.

The contest is a Friends of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library fundraiser and is privately funded. All entry fees go to the Friends and are used for library projects. The contest is open to published and unpublished writers alike. The ghost story must be 5,000 words or less, in English, and typed double-spaced.

SEFTON WRITING COMPETITION
ENTRY FEE £2 FOR ADULTS / NO ENTRY FEE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE CATEGORY.

Deadline October 22, 1020

The theme is "IF". Poetry first prize £250. Four runners up of £50 each. Other writing pays first prize £250. Four runners up of £50 each. Writing by young  people pays first prize of £50 and five runners up of £10 each. Poems limited to 40 lines. Other writing is considered short texts, stories, essays, dialogues, mini-dramas, monologues, none of which can exceed 500 words. Age limit for young people category is 14. Young people's work must be illustrated as well. Open to amateur and professional from throughout the UK.

THE LEDGE POETRY CHAPBOOK COMPETITION

Deadline October 31, 2010.

$18 ENTRY FEE
Winning poet will receive a $1,000 cash award and 25 copies of the published chapbook. Submit 16-28 pages of original poetry. Any form or content accepted.

The Unbound Press Literary Competitions 2010

Competition 3 – Flash Fiction & Poetry

Opens: 1^st August 2010

Closing date: 31^st October 2010

We look forward to your entries. Good luck!

Flash Fiction / Prose Poetry Competition

1000 Words Max / Close Date: 31st October 2010 / £5 Entry Fee

1st Place £100, publication, free anthology / 2nd Place £50, publication, free anthology / Shortlisted - publication, free anthology

The Unbound Press Literary Competitions 2010

Competition 3 – Flash Fiction & Poetry

Opens: 1^st August 2010

Closing date: 31^st October 2010

Poetry Society’s National Poetry Competition

The deadline is October 31, 2010

Now in its 33rd year, the Poetry Society’s National Poetry Competition is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious poetry competitions. Winners have been both established and emerging poets, including Carol Ann Duffy, Ian Duhig, Philip Gross, and Jo Shapcott. Prizewinners also see their work published in the Poetry Society’s leading international journal, Poetry Review.

The judges this year are poets George Szirtes, Deryn Rees-Jones, and Sinéad Morrissey. The prizes are £5,000 for the overall winner, £2,000 for the second, £1,000 for the third, and seven commendations of £100. Enter online or download an entry form at www.poetrysociety.org.uk.

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS FICTION CONTEST
$25 ENTRY FEE

Deadline: November 15, 2010.
Grand Prize - $1,500. Domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the 2011 Festival in New Orleans.VIP All-Access Festival Pass ($500 value). Public reading at the 2011 Festival (25th anniversary: March 23-27). Publication in Bayou.

Top Ten Finalists - Names will appear on website. Finalists will also receive a panel pass ($60 value) to attend the 2011 Festival. Submit unpublished short stories up to 7,000 words. Unlimited entries per person. A submission is one original short story, written in English, up to 7,000 words. This contest is open only to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction. Published books include self-published books with ISBN numbers. Those who have published books in other genres besides fiction remain eligible.

The Fish Short Story Prize

CYCLAMENS AND SWORDS POETRY CONTEST

ENTRY FEE $5 (NIS20)

Deadline November 30, 2010.
First prize is $300, second prize $100, third prize $50 and seven honorable mentions. Winning poems and honorable mentions will be published in our winter issue. A chapbook containing
the winning poems and the honorable mentions will be published and presented to the winners in addition to their cash prize.

Creative Nonfiction Competition

3000 Words Max / Close Date 31st January 2011 / £5 Entry Fee

Carpe Articulum will award $10,000 this year!

These dates are ANNUAL, REVOLVING deadlines

SHORT FICTION……..MAR 30, SEPT 30
POETRY………………MAR 30, SEPT 30
NOVELLA……………..JAN 7
ESSAY/NON-FICT…..JAN 7, AUG 30
PHOTOGRAPHY……. AUG 30

Winners to be published in our international, cross-genre, quarterly review, and receive 2 copies. Requirements: Cover sheet with full contact information. Title only on actual piece. $15 reading fee per entry. See complete details and submit online at or mail to: Carpe Articulum Literary Review, CLPW Department, [your contest genre], P.O. Box 409, Lake Oswego, OR 97034. Checks payable to Carpe Articulum Literary Review. Optional editorial feedback fee: $49. The new Screenwriting Competition has a limit of 20 pages and is for the best opening scene only. All other guidelines apply as do for short fiction. Entries may be for plays as well. Good luck to everyone!

Art in the Air Poetry Contest

Deadline: October 30 and April 30

Inventing the Invisible "Art in the Air" Radio Show, 3128 Walton Blvd., PMB 186, Rochester Hills MI 48309. Fax: (248)693-7344. E-mail: lagapvp@aol.com. Contact: Margo LaGattuta, award director.

Offers biannual award of 1st Prize: $100, 2nd Prize: $50, and 4 Honorable Mentions. ("All winners read poems on the radio.") Submissions may be previously published. Considers simultaneous submissions. Submit 3 poems maximum in any form, typed, single-spaced, limit 2 pages per poem. Accepts inquiries by fax or e-mail. Guidelines available for SASE or on Web site. Entry fee: $5 for up to 3 poems.. Competition receives over 600 entries/year. Winners will be announced 2 months after deadline. Copies of winning poems or books may be obtained by sending a SASE to the Inventing the Invisible address. "'Art in the Air' is an interview radio show on WPON, 1460 AM, in Bloomfield Hills, MI, hosted by Margo LaGattuta and may be heard on the Web site Fridays at 1:00 pm EST. The theme is creativity and the creative process, especially featuring writers both local and national. Send only your best work, well crafted and creative. Judges look for excellence in content and execution."

The Chariton Review Short Fiction Prize

Truman State University Press * 100 East Normal Ave. * Kirksville, MO 63501-4221

Kinglake Publishing Ltd. Fiction Competition

for unpublished writers. No fees. Contract and royalties for a new winner each month. A different genre every month.

XTREME TRAVEL STORIES

NO ENTRY FEE
Are you fed up with travel writing as it exists today? Are you looking for a fresh approach to this medium; one that focuses on the extreme nature of traveling as opposed to the "Club Med" stories that so often fill the pages of travel writing these days? If so, this contest is perfect for you! Send us your story, any language, any topic; as long as it's original and interesting it constitutes as Xtreme! The winning author will be awarded a $100 cash prize! This is our second competition and they run quarterly. In addition to submitting your crazy travel experiences in written form- we are accepting Xtreme photos and videos for equal consideration. We'd eventually like to receive enough photos and videos to have a separate competition, but for now written and visual work will go head to head! Our viewers will vote for their favorites and XTS will award the winner on June 1, 2010- no strings attached, no questions asked. If your worried about creative license, the authors of the work on our site retain all rights to their art and, if they so wish, can ask for it to be removed at any time. Give it a shot, you've got nothing to lose!

THE SPRING 2010 24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST

Now accepting entrants! Each contest is limited to 500 entrants so don't delay if you want to participate.

1st Place: $300, 2nd Place: $250, 3rd Place: $200

Entry fee is $5. You can see the complete list of 85 prizes

Caliterary Review Contest

Stories or novellas previously published are eligible, as long as the publication did not exceed 2,000 copies.

*Reading Fee $25.00. AWARDS: FIRST $1,000, SECOND $300 THIRD $200 (each additional entry in this SAME category, $10, not to exceed 5 total submissions)

GUIDELINES FOR POETRY: Not to exceed three pages per poem. Maximum: three poems per entry.

*Reading Fee 15.00 (for 3 poems) AWARDS: FIRST $400, SECOND $200, THIRD $100 (each additional poem entry in this SAME category, $10 each, not to exceed 5 total submissions)

These dates are ANNUAL, REVOLVING deadlines

SHORT FICTION .......MAR 30, SEPT 30
POETRY..................... MAR 30, SEPT 30
NOVELLA....................................... JAN 7
 ESSAY/ non-Fiction......... JAN 7, AUG 30
PHOTOGRAPHY ....................... AUG 30

NOTES AND GRACE NOTES MONTHLY CONTEST

The deadline is the last day of each month.
NO ENTRY FEE
Notes and Grace Notes offers a monthly contest in Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction and Historical Fiction. The prize starts at $25 (and sometimes it ends up being a bit more depending on if we get donations). Finalists get judges feedback, but also all entries submitted on the site can be open for general feedback if the author chooses. The word limit for the monthly contest is 3,500. Entries are limited to 2 per category. No themes. All entries will also be considered for the Literary Mag.

Inamorata Romance Books (an imprint of Stony Meadow Publishing) is sponsoring its

First Romantic Short Story Contest

Contest Deadlines: The 1st of every month for the following month's contest.

The contest is open to all writers, whether published or unpublished, and we are looking forward to reading some great short stories!

Monthly Winner: $20 and e-publication as the winning entry in the current month's contest. (Monthly winners may also be considered for eventual inclusion in an upcoming Anthology of Romance Short Stories Collection.)

Whim's Place Flash Fiction Contest

Deadline: QUARTERLY *  Entry Fee: $5

Prize: $250 plus publication

A quarterly flash fiction contest. Deadlines for each quarter are March 30, June 30, September 30, December 30. Submit flash fiction of 500 words or less. Submit by regular post or e-mail. Full contest rules and regulations available on website.

LORIAN HEMINGWAY SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS

"Life for Change"

seeks stories for a new type of contest. People write their story, others vote for it, and the author of the story with the most votes wins a payout.

 Right now payouts are $100 US, but the site aims to award over $12,000 per month.
Take a look and let me know what you think!  http://www.lifeforchange.com/life

Writer's Digest - Contests

sponsors several writing contests annually. If you'd like to receive contest news via email,

subscribe to the Writer's Digest Competition Update.

Funds For Writers

Great lists of contests, grants, and markets for free-lance writers

Click below for more links --  

Conferences & Workshops    Contests    Places to Publish

 Writers Groups    Miscellaneous Links    GCWA Member Websites