Words With Jam First Page Competition

Just SIX DAYS left to enter the 2014 First Page Competition, and this year it's open to published works too!

 

We're looking for the most captivating first page (up to 400 words) of a story. Entries can be from a novel published, unpublished, a part written novel, or simply a first page written purely for the competition. Entries will be judged anonymously. 

 

Prizes

1st Prize - £500

2nd Prize - £100

3rd Prize - £50

 

Closing Date 

31st May 2014

 

Results

All three winning entries will be published in August 2014 on the Words with JAM website. All entrants will be notified via email with the results.

 

Judge: Orna Ross

In 2011, in what she describes as the best move of her writing life, Orna took her rights back from her publisher, Penguin, to republish her books herself, with the titles and treatment she had originally envisaged for them. The experience led her to launch The Alliance of Independent Authors the following year at London Book Fair. Having enjoyed a 20-year career in media publishing and creative teaching, mentoring and facilitation, she is greatly excited by how author-publishing is now democratising the business of books.

 

Orna writes novels and poems and the Go Creative! series, which teaches the application of creative principles and practices to everyday life. “What I love most about author-publishing is the creative freedom,” she says. “You become the creative director of the book from inspiration to publication — and beyond. What I love most about ALLi is being in daily connection with such an engaged, talented, forward-thinking group of authors who are changing not only the status of writers in the industry but also, and more importantly, what we read — and how.” Orna blogs regularly on her Author Blog, on ALLi’s Self-Publishing Advice blog and for many other websites and publications.

 

http://allianceindependentauthors.org

Over the Edge New Writer of the Year Competition 2014

 

2014 Over The Edge

New Writer of The Year competition

OPEN TO POETS & FICTION WRITERS

WORLDWIDE

NOW TAKING ONLINE PAYMENTS

COMPETITION JUDGE: ELEANOR HOOKER

Major Sponsor: Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop,

other sponsors to date:

ISupply, Quay Street; Ward’s Hotel Lower Salthill;

 Clare Daly TD, Kenny’s Bookshop & Derek Nolan TD

Closing date: Wednesday, August 6^th, 2014

In 2014 Over The Edge is continuing its exciting annual international creative writing competition. Since its inception in 2007, it has grown to become one of the most important competition’s for emerging writers in Ireland and internationally. The competition is open to both poets and fiction writers worldwide. The total prize money is €1,000. The best fiction entry will win €300. The best poetry entry will win €300. One of these will then be chosen as the overall winner and will receive an additional €400, giving the overall winner total prize money of €700 and the title Over The Edge New Writer of The Year 2014. The 2014 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year will be a Featured Reader at Ireland’s leading literary reading series, the Over The Edge: Open Readings in Galway City Library, on a date to be scheduled in Winter 2014/15. Salmon Poetry will read, without commitment to publish, a manuscript submitted to them by the winner in the poetry category. Doire Press will read, without commitment to publish, a manuscript of short stories submitted to them by the winner in the fiction category. The winner in the poetry category will have one of the poems from her or his winning entry published in the April 2015 issue of Skylight 47 magazine.

Entries should be sent to Over The Edge, New Writer of the Year competition, 3 Carbry Road, Newcastle, Galway, Ireland. Entries will be judged anonymously, so do not put your name on your poem(s) or stories. Put your contact details on a separate sheet. If you live in Ireland and wish to be informed of the results by post, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope. OTHERWISE, YOU DO NOT NEED TO ENCLOSE A STAMPED ADDRESSED ENVELOPE.

Criteria: fiction of up to three thousand words, three poems of up to forty lines, or one poem of up to one hundred lines. Any of the aforementioned is one entry. Multiple entries are acceptable but each must be accompanied by a fee. The fee for one entry is €10. The fee for multiple entries is €7.50 per entry e.g. two entries will cost €15, three entries €22.50 and so on. Fee payable by cheque or  money order to Over The Edge. The competition is open to writers worldwide. We accept payment in Dollars, Sterling, Australian Dollars, Canadian Dollars and so on. Writers from outside the Euro area can calculate the payment for their entry here http://www.xe.com/ucc/ WE ALSO NOW ACCEPT ONLINE PAYMENTS. See the below for details. If you pay the entry fee online you must still post us a hard copy of your entry/entries and enclose with it a note saying ‘entry fee paid online’. PLEASE INCLUDE THE EXACT NAME IN WHICH THE ONLINE PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE SO THAT WE CAN VERIFY. 

To take part you must be at least sixteen years old by September 1st 2014 and not have a book published or accepted for publication in the genre in which you enter. Chapbooks/ pamphlets excepted. Entries must not have been previously published or be currently entered in any other competition. The closing date is Wednesday, August 6th, 2014. A long-list will be announced at the August Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library on Thursday, August 28th, 2014 (6.30-8pm). THE LONGLIST WILL BE AVAILABLE, BEFORE THAT, AT CHARLIE BYRNE’S BOOKSHOP FROM 5PM ON THURSDAY AUGUST 28^TH.  The shortlist will be announced at the September Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library on Thursday, September 25^th, 2014 (6.30-8pm). The winners will be announced at the October Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library on Thursday, October 30^th, 2014 (6.30-8pm).

Mslexia Memoir Competition

Drum roll please…the brand new Mslexia Women’s Memoir Competition is now open for entries.

The only competition of its type in the UK, this year we’re looking for memoirs of at least 50,000 words of prose that narrate actual events in the writer’s own life. Said writer must not have had a memoir published, but can be previously published in other genres. It’s a crime to let wonderful life stories go untold, so if your writing fits the bill get those fingers typing, you only have until 22 September to submit your entry.

The first prize is a massive £5,000, and the acclaimed judging panel is comprised of memoirist and novelist Julie Myerson, literary agent Jenny Brown and Guardian Women’s Editor Jane Martinson.

Being placed in the competition is a great way to get a foot onto the publishing ladder. As well as the substantial monetary prize, we’ve again joined forces with The Literary Consultancy, who will provide free professional feedback for five finalists – who will also be invited to meet literary agents and editors at a special networking event in London.

The winning novel of our 2011 Women’s Novel Competition, The Palace of Curiosities by Rosie Garland, was published by HarperCollins, and Lu Hersey’s Deep Water – the winning entry in our 2012 Children’s Novel Competition – has recently secured a publishing deal. Winning a Mslexia competition guarantees your work will be noticed. Even if you’ve never attempted memoir before, life writing is an incredibly creative – and often cathartic – genre to dive into; let our competition be the incentive you need to start telling your own story.

Please visit our website for full details of how to enter and specially-commissioned memoir writing workshops.

Mslexia Memoir Competition

Drum roll please…the brand new Mslexia Women’s Memoir Competition is now open for entries.

The only competition of its type in the UK, this year we’re looking for memoirs of at least 50,000 words of prose that narrate actual events in the writer’s own life. Said writer must not have had a memoir published, but can be previously published in other genres. It’s a crime to let wonderful life stories go untold, so if your writing fits the bill get those fingers typing, you only have until 22 September to submit your entry.

The first prize is a massive £5,000, and the acclaimed judging panel is comprised of memoirist and novelist Julie Myerson, literary agent Jenny Brown and Guardian Women’s Editor Jane Martinson.

Being placed in the competition is a great way to get a foot onto the publishing ladder. As well as the substantial monetary prize, we’ve again joined forces with The Literary Consultancy, who will provide free professional feedback for five finalists – who will also be invited to meet literary agents and editors at a special networking event in London.

The winning novel of our 2011 Women’s Novel Competition, The Palace of Curiosities by Rosie Garland, was published by HarperCollins, and Lu Hersey’s Deep Water – the winning entry in our 2012 Children’s Novel Competition – has recently secured a publishing deal. Winning a Mslexia competition guarantees your work will be noticed. Even if you’ve never attempted memoir before, life writing is an incredibly creative – and often cathartic – genre to dive into; let our competition be the incentive you need to start telling your own story.

Please visit our website for full details of how to enter and specially-commissioned memoir writing workshops.

Narrative Short Story deadline

$4,000 awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem,
one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction published
by a new or emerging writer in Narrative. June 15 Deadline

Glimmer Train Short Story Competition

Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers Deadline: May 31, 2014 Prizes:

1st place wins $1,500 and, of course, publication in Glimmer Train Stories. 2nd place wins $500, or, if published, $700. 3rd place wins $300 or, if published, $700.

I find it endlessly fascinating, the ebb and flow and mystery of what a character recalls.—Bret Anthony Johnston, interviewed by Margo Williams.

Other considerations:
	Open only to writers whose fiction has not appeared in any print publication with a circulation over 5,000. (Writing Guidelines)
	Reading fee is $15 per story. Please, no more than 3 submissions per category.
	Winners and finalists will be officially announced in the August 1 bulletin, and contacted directly the previous week.
	Simultaneous submissions are okay. Please notify immediately if your submission is accepted elsewhere.

2014 Raymond Carver Short Story Contest

One Week Left: 2014 Raymond Carver Short Story Contest

If you haven't yet entered the 2014 Raymond Carver Short Story Contest, featuring guest judge AIMEE BENDER, there's only a week left to do so! This is the 15th anniversary of the contest and to celebrate we're offering our biggest grand prize yet: $1500. This is your chance to be published in our fall 2014 issue and win one of five prizes: $1500 - first place $500 - second place $250 - third place $125 - Editor's Choice (2) Plus all winners will be read and considered for representation by three literary agencies: Rees Literary Agency, Folio Lit Management, and Sobel Weber Associates, Inc.. Entry fee is $17 online / $15 mailed. The contest closes Wednesday, May 15 at 11:59PM CST (also a postmark deadline). Winners will be announced August 1st.

Narrative Short Story Competition

The Spring 2014 Story Contest is open to all writers, and all entries will be considered for publication.

•	$2,500 First Prize

•	$1,000 Second Prize

•	$500 Third Prize

•	Ten finalists receive $100 each.

See the Guidelines. Read prior winners, and view recent awards won by Narrative authors.

For over a decade, Narrative has proudly published emerging writers alongside established authors, and we continue to look for exciting, meaningful new writing.

Narrative reaches a worldwide audience of 170,000 readers, and our contest winners and finalists have seen their exposure in Narrative bring great attention to their work.

Winning works from Narrative often appear in collections such as the Best American Short Stories, the PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories, the Pushcart Prize series, and many others.

Words with Jam first page competition

Just THREE WEEKS left to enter the 2014 First Page Competition, and this year it's open to published works too!

 

We're looking for the most captivating first page (up to 400 words) of a story. Entries can be from a novel published, unpublished, a part written novel, or simply a first page written purely for the competition. Entries will be judged anonymously. 

 

Prizes

1st Prize - £500

2nd Prize - £100

3rd Prize - £50

 

Closing Date 

31st May 2014

 

Results

All three winning entries will be published in August 2014 on the Words with JAM website. All entrants will be notified via email with the results.

 

Judge: Orna Ross

In 2011, in what she describes as the best move of her writing life, Orna took her rights back from her publisher, Penguin, to republish her books herself, with the titles and treatment she had originally envisaged for them. The experience led her to launch The Alliance of Independent Authors the following year at London Book Fair. Having enjoyed a 20-year career in media publishing and creative teaching, mentoring and facilitation, she is greatly excited by how author-publishing is now democratising the business of books.

 

Orna writes novels and poems and the Go Creative! series, which teaches the application of creative principles and practices to everyday life. “What I love most about author-publishing is the creative freedom,” she says. “You become the creative director of the book from inspiration to publication — and beyond. What I love most about ALLi is being in daily connection with such an engaged, talented, forward-thinking group of authors who are changing not only the status of writers in the industry but also, and more importantly, what we read — and how.” Orna blogs regularly on her Author Blog, on ALLi’s Self-Publishing Advice blog and for many other websites and publications.

 

http://allianceindependentauthors.org

http://www.ornaross.com/

Boston Review Poetry Contest

POETRY CONTEST

THE 2014 BR POETRY CONTEST

Judge: Major Jackson | Prize: $1,500 | Deadline: June 2

The winning poet will receive $1,500 and publication in the November/December 2014 issue of Boston Review. Submit up to five unpublished poems. Any poet writing in English is eligible.

For complete details or to enter online, visit our Web site.

BBC script writing open for submissions

Send your script to the BBC - Script Room is now open for Comedy scripts (Radio, TV & Film) until midnight on 12th May 2014.

BBC writersroom provides a unique open-door at the BBC for writers - we call it the Script Room. 
The Script Room window for submitting Comedy scripts is open from 10am on 28th April 2014 until midnight on 12th May 2014.
The Script Room is a place where you can send your script to be assessed by our team of experienced readers.  We read all scripts as a calling card of a writer's talent. This is not a free script-reading service, but a means by which the BBC seeks out the best new writing talent, offering writers without a track record, representation, or contacts the opportunity to have their work considered by the BBC.  Shortlisted writers will go forward to access a range of development opportunities with BBC writersroom.

What we accept

We have strict rules on what we do and don’t accept, so before sending in anything you should acquaint yourself fully with our Terms & Conditions before submitting.

How to submit

Submissions to the Script Room should now be made online via our brand new e-submissions system 

Please read the E-submissions FAQs for full guidelines on how the new system works.  All scripts must be formatted as PDFs.

If you are unable to submit online, please email us on writersroom@bbc.co.uk to request a cover sheet no later than 3 weeks ahead of the Script Room deadline.

Deadline: midnight, May 12th 2014

Find more information about Script Room and about formatting your script, in the Send a Script section.

Book cover design by Mia Hoddell

If you're an author looking for a book cover, promotional material or you know someone who's looking for a designer make sure to check out my website.

I'm offering 20% off covers until May 11th 2014.

M Designs

Sean O Faolain Short Story Competition 2014

First Prize: €2,000 (approx $2760/£1640 in April 2014), publication in the literary journal Southword,
AND a week-long residency at Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat. 

Second Prize: €500 and publication in Southword.

Four other shortlisted entries will be selected for publication in Southword and receive a publication fee of €120.

The Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition is an annual short story competition open to writers from around the world. It is dedicated to one of Ireland’s most accomplished story writers and theorists, sponsored by the Munster Literature Centre. If the winner comes to Cork to collect their prize, we will lavish them with hotel accommodation, meals, drinks and VIP access to the literary stars at the Cork International Short Story Festival (16 - 20 September 2014).

Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat www.anamcararetreat.com is again awarding a week-long residency to the first prize winner of the Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition. Located just outside the colourful village of Eyeries on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork, Anam Cara is a tranquil spot structured to provide support and sanctuary for people working in the creative arts. It offers private and common working rooms as well as five acres of walking paths, thirty-four nooks and crannies, a river cascades and a river island, gardens, and a labyrinth meadow. Editoral consultation is also available. The prize is valued at €700. (The dates of the residency will be arranged between the writer themselves and Anam Cara, and can be scheduled before or after the week of the Cork International Short Story Festival. Otherwise, the week can be scheduled for another time of the year, at Anam Cara's discretion.)

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. The competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast short stories in the English language of 3,000 words or fewer. The story can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, translated work is not in the scope of this competition.
2. Judging for this competition is ANONYMOUS. The entrant's name and contact details (address, phone number) must be on a separate piece of paper. Manuscripts cannot be returned. Entries should be typed.3. Each entry must be accompanied by an entry fee of €15 or £15. You may submit as many entries as you wish. For non paypal payments only cheques or drafts drawn on an Irish or British bank can be accepted and must be made payable to THE MUNSTER LITERATURE CENTRE. Paypal link available below for payments in Euro.
4. Closing date is 31st July 2014. All non-email entries must be postmarked before or on that date (i.e. entries posted before or on the date will be accepted after 31st July provided they are sent via airmail). Entries must be sent to The Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition, The Munster Literature Centre, Frank O'Connor House, 84 Douglas Street, Cork, Ireland (no postal/zipcode).
5. The winners will be announced at the Cork International Short Story Festival in Cork in 16 - 20 September 2014