2015 Writing Opportunities
Are you looking for 2015 writing opportunities? Interested in free contests and opportunities as well as fee-based? Then this list will definitely be a helpful place to start. We’ve searched the web and come up with some great opportunities for the first part of 2015. Hope you can find one that is just right for you!
These 2015 writing opportunities are divided into continuous opportunities and opportunities with a deadline. Opportunities are listed in chronological order and further divided into free and fee-based opportunities to help make the list more readily accessible. If you have an opportunity you would like added to this list, please email us so that we can add it. Thank you!
Continuous FREE Writing Contests
Fine Linen
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Pay 5 cents per word
Contest Flash fiction and short poems. Fiction only 200-700 words.
Website: http://fl-mag.com/guidelines/
Lime Hawk Journal
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Looking for fiction (5,000 words max), nonfiction (5,000 words max), poetry (up to 5 poems)
Website: https://limehawk.submittable.com/submit
Yalobusha Review
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Special Requirements: Now looking specifically for female poets
Contest: Accept 3-5 poems or 1 short story (up to 5000 words) or 3 flash fiction (less than 100 words per piece).
Website: https://yalobushareview.submittable.com/submit
The Intentional Quarterly
Entry Fee: FREE or the optional $5 “tip” submission
Prize: Publication
Special Requirements: Themes include The Hustle, Vows and Commitments, Displacement, and Gray Area
Contest: Accepting on a rolling basis: creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, journalism and interview pitches, letters to the editor, and visual art.
Website: https://theintentional.submittable.com/submit
Sweet: A literary confection
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Accept only nonfiction. Writers may submit 3-5 or 1-3 essays (word total not to exceed 1500 words).
Website: http://www.sweetlit.com/guidelines.php
McSweeney’s
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Varies per piece per issue
Contest: Accepting on a rolling basis: fiction and nonfiction; no previously published works
Website: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/pages/guidelines-for-quarterly-submissions
Printers Row
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Special Requirements: Must be a legal United States citizen, 18 and over
Contest: Accepting on a rolling basis: fiction; no previously published works
Website: https://printersrow.submittable.com/submit
WIPs: Works (of Fiction) in Progress
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Seeking works of fiction that are part of a greater book project. In most cases that means a novel excerpt, or a short story headed for a collection, but WIPs is open to any piece that fits the bill. Pieces should be 1500-7500 in length.
Website: https://wipsjournal.submittable.com/submit
Pulp Literature
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: $0.035/word-$0.07/word depending on piece length with shorter paying more per word
Contest: Seeking any genre fiction up to 75 pages long. No non-fiction, memoirs, or children’s stories.
Website: http://pulpliterature.com/submissions/submission-guidelines/
Beautiful Things
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Seeking flash nonfiction 250 words or less about beautiful things.
Website: https://riverteeth.submittable.com/submit/27921
New York Times Modern Love Column
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Accepting unpublished deeply personal essays 1500-1700 words that deal with relationships, marriage, dating, and parenthood.
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/fashion/howtosubmit_modernlove.html?_r=4&
Empty Mirror
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Memoirs, biographical pieces, essays, poetry and interviews on literature, poetry, art/photography, the Beat Generation, rock/blues/folk/jazz, films and filmmakers, counterculture/1960s, writing and publishing advice, book collecting, and others.
Website: http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/submissions
Continuous Fee-Based Writing Contests
Illuminations
Entry Fee: $2.20
Prize: Publication
Contest: Now accepting no more than 6 poems at a time for 2015 edition.
Website: https://illuminations.submittable.com/submit/32972
Narrative
Entry Fee: It states that there is a nominal reading fee, but we could not find the cost exactly,
Prize: Some accepted pieces receive no payment, others vary from $50-$1000 depending on the piece. Submissions are also eligible for $4000 narrative Prize.
Contest: This site takes a wide variety of pieces on a rolling basis. Accepting short short stories, manuscripts 2000-15000 words long, novellas, serialization of book-length works, poetry, one-act plays, audio, and more. Please see the website for complete details.
Website: http://www.narrativemagazine.com/node/360
Hippocampus Magazine
Entry Fee: $3
Prize: Publication
Contest: Accepting memoir excerpts, personal essays, and flash creative nonfiction no more than 3500 words in length.
Website: http://www.hippocampusmagazine.com/submissions/
Tishman Review
Entry Fee: $2-6
Prize: Up to $75
Contest: Seeking poetry, art, cartoons, photography, illustrations, poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, book reviews, and more.
Website: https://thetishmanreview.submittable.com/submit
January FREE Writing Contests
Sliver of Stone
Deadline: January 15, 2014
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Accepting poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Poetry may be up to 3 poems. Fiction and nonfiction may be up to 3500 words.
Website: https://sliverofstone.submittable.com/submit
Prairie Schooner Blog Submissions
Deadline: January 15, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Special Requirements: Theme is Women and Global Imagination
Contest: Seeking essays, articles, or something in between, on the theme of Women and the Global Imagination. Pieces must be 500 to 2,000 words of well-considered wit, pith, and syntax.
Website: https://prairieschooner.submittable.com/submit/37465
Museum of Americana
Deadline: January 15, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Special Requirements: Theme is music and must explore/repurpose America’s music cultural history
Contest: Accepting original fiction, nonfiction, poetry, book/chapbooks review, writer interviews, and more. See website for full details.
Website: http://themuseumofamericana.net/submissions/
Small Po[r]tions
Deadline: January 25, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Submit pieces up to 1000 words long (no more than 5 pages) via email.
Website: http://smallportionsjournal.com/submissions/
6th Annual Spirit First Poetry Contest
Deadline: January 31, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize $200 (1st); $150 (2nd); $100 (3rd)
Special Requirements: Theme of Meditation, mindfulness. Silence, stillness, or solitude
Contest: Writers may submit up to 3 pieces on the above theme. Poems must be unpublished.
Website: http://www.spiritfirst.org/poetry_contest2015entry.html
Nelson Algren Literary Awards
Deadline: January 31, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Award plus $3,500 (1st); $1,000 (4-2nd place); $500 (5-3rd place)
Contest: Submit fiction up to 8,000 words long, double-spaced, in English.
Website: https://algren.submittable.com/submit
Benu Press
Deadline: January 31, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publishing contract for 15% royalty from book and 20 copies of the book.
Special Requirements: Theme is social justice
Contest: Accepting full-length manuscripts or fiction or essay collections on the theme of social justice. Must not be previously published.
Website: https://benupress.submittable.com/submit
Parody Poetry Journal
Deadline: January 31, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication and a copy of the journal
Special Requirements: Theme is Optical Trickery
Contest: Looking for short poems, limericks, and/or haiku with humor or that parody famous poems.
Website: http://parody.onimpression.com/p/submission-guidelines.html
Amuse-Bouche
Deadline: January 31, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: There are detailed rules on the submission page that you will need to follow. No specific genre accepted. Accepting poetry, flash fiction, fiction, creative nonfiction, works in translation, and art.
Website: https://lunchticket.submittable.com/submit/22526
January FEE-BASED Writing Opportunities
2015 Mississippi Review Contest
Deadline: Postmarked by 1-1-15, so submissions should be mailed in December 2014
Entry Fee: $16
Prize: $1000 in prizes to be awarded
Contest: Accepting fiction 1000-8000 words and poetry entries of 3-5 poems totaling 10 pages or less. Submissions by snail mail only.
Website: https://mississippireview.submittable.com/submit
Tavern Books: The Wrolstad Contemporary Poetry Series
Deadline: January 15, 2015
Entry Fee: $25
Prize: A standard royalty contract; A working relationship with an editorial staff and publisher; Publication of their book in both paperback and hardcover editions; National distribution through Small Press Distribution
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Female poets 40 or younger who are US citizens only.
Contest: Manuscripts must be previously unpublished full-length collections of original poetry written in English (40 pages of text, minimum). Portions of the manuscript may have appeared elsewhere (such as chapbooks and literary journals), but the manuscript as a whole must be previously unpublished.
Website: http://tavernbooks.com/wrolstad-series
William Matthews Poetry Prize
Deadline: January 15, 2015
Entry Fee: $20
Prize: (1st) $1,000, publication in Asheville Poetry Review, and a featured reading in Asheville; (2nd) $250, publication, and a featured reading in Asheville; (3rd) Publication and a featured reading in Asheville
Contest: Send 1-3 poems, any style, any theme, any length, with a $20 entry fee (payable to Asheville Poetry Review) via regular post.
Website: http://www.ashevillepoetryreview.com
Psychopomp Magazine Short Fiction Award
Deadline: January 31, 2015
Entry Fee: $15
Prize: $500 and publication
Contest: Short fiction or stand-alone portion of a novel or novella up to 6000 words. Looking for innovative and ground-breaking fiction
Website: http://psychopompmag.com/contests/
Dickinson House Fellowships for Writers
Deadline: January 31, 2015
Entry Fee: $18
Prize: One of 3 fellowships that cover room and board for a 2-week to 4-week residency.
Contest: Submit 5-10 pages of recent creative work and cover letter/statement of purpose (essay stating your reasons for wanting to come). More information available on website.
Website: https://111o.submittable.com/submit/36967
Grayson Books 2015 Chapbook Contest
Deadline: January 31, 2015
Entry Fee: $18
Prize: $500, publication of chapbook, and 50 copies
Contest: Submit 16-24 pages of poetry for consideration.
Website: https://graysonbooks.submittable.com/submit/24112
Writers at Work 2015 Fellowship Competition
Deadline: January 31, 2015
Entry Fee: $25 per entry
Prize: (1st) $1000, publication in Quarterly West, tuition for 2015 conference, and featured reading; (2nd) $250; (3rd) $200 conference reduction
Contest: Accepting nonfiction (5000 words or less), fiction (short story or novel excerpt up to 5000 words), and poetry (6 entries/ under 10 pages total).
Website: https://writersatwork.submittable.com/submit
February FREE Writing Opportunities
Mountain West Poetry Series
Deadline: February 1, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publishing
Special Requirements: Must live in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming
Contest: Submit poetry manuscripts 60-100 pages long online for consideration.
Website: https://mountainwestpoetryseries.submittable.com/submit
Bellevue Literary Review
Deadline: February 1, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: 2 copies of publication
Special Requirements: Theme is War
Contest: Submit prose (up to 5000 words) or up to 3 poems on the theme of war. Accepting previously unpublished fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. See website for additional information.
Website: http://blr.med.nyu.edu/news/2014/call-submissions-theme-issue-war
Beyond “Crazy”
Deadline: February 9, 2014
Entry Fee: FREE by post ($3 if online)
Prize: Publication in upcoming anthology
Special Requirements: Pieces on surviving mental illness
Contest: In Fact Books accepting for new anthology. Essays must be previously unpublished and no longer than 4,500 words
Website: https://www.creativenonfiction.org/submissions/beyond-crazy
Beecher’s Magazine
Deadline: February 14, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Writers may submit 3-5 poems no longer than 10 pages total, fiction up to 4,000 words, or nonfiction up to 4.000 words.
Website: https://beechersmag.submittable.com/submit
Darkhouse Books
Deadline: February 14, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication in upcoming anthology
Contest: Looking for stories (2,500-7,500 words) for a science fiction anthology that takes place in the future as envisioned by the World’s Fair f 1939 known as “The World of Tomorrow.” Submit in Microsoft Word format via email. Pieces must not have been published after April 14, 2014, and writer must own rights to e-book, audio, and print versions.
Email: Website was not included, but email entries with subject line “Submission-(YOUR TITLE)” to submissions@darkhousebooks.com
Postmasters Podcast Short Fiction Contest
Deadline: February 14, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: $100 and read winning poem on the podcast in April
Contest: Seeking unpublished fiction. One entry per person. No longer than 3500 words.
Website: http://writingpostmasters.com/writing-contest/
Fiction International
Deadline: February 15, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Special Requirements: Set theme of “Fluids”
Contest: Submit fiction, nonfiction, and indeterminate prose tests up to 5,500 words long on the subject of “fluids.”
Website: https://fictioninternational.submittable.com/submit
Grapple Annual No. 2
Deadline: February 17, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Ranges from $50-150+ depending on length and type of piece
Special Requirements: Piece must relate to one day of the year and must not be a date from Annual 1.
Contest: Accepting stories, poems, comics, and more for upcoming collection.
Website: https://grapplepublishing.submittable.com/submit
2016 Texas Poetry Calendar
Deadline: February 20, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Special Requirements: No previously published poems, even on personal blogs or websites
Contest: Submit 1 – 3 poems, with each poem on a separate page. 35-line limit per poem, including title and spaces. They highly recommend that you submit at least one short poem – 10 lines or less, including title and spaces. They welcome haiku, tanka, and other short forms. They prefer poems with a Texas connection.
Website: https://dosgatospress.submittable.com/submit
February FEE-BASED Writing Opportunities
Helen Short Story Contest
Deadline: February 1, 2015
Entry Fee: $5
Prize: $100 and possible publication, all receive an issue of the digital magazine
Contest: Short stories about Vegas and Southern California. Word count 500-5000 words.
Website: https://helenliterarymagazine.submittable.com/submit
American Short(er) Fiction Contest
Deadline: February 1, 2014
Entry Fee: $15
Prize: $500 and publication (1st); $250 and publication
Contest: Each entry fee covers up to 3 pieces of short fiction (1000 words or less). See website for full instructions.
Website: https://americanshortfiction.submittable.com/submit/20181
Maine Review’s White Pine Writing Contest
Deadline: February 10, 2015
Entry Fee: $10
Prize: $100 for winning prose, $100 for winning poetry
Contest: Accepting prose in the form of short fiction, essays, and creative nonfiction (up to 2000 words) and poetry (up to 60 lines).
Website: http://www.themainereview.com/submit.htm
The Non/Fiction Collection Prize
Deadline: February 14, 2015
Entry Fee: $20
Prize: $1500 and publication by the Ohio State University Press
Contest: Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories or essays; two or more novellas or novella-length essays; a combination of one or more novellas/novella-length essays and short stories/essays; a combination of stories and essays. Novellas or novella-length nonfiction must be part of a larger collection. Manuscripts may be no fewer than 150 and no more than 350 typed double-spaced pages, 12-point font.
Website: https://english.osu.edu/creative-writing/journal/prose-prize
2015 Able Muse Write Prize
Deadline: February 15, 2015
Entry Fee: $25
Prize: $500 for best poem, $500 for best short story
Contest: Submit up to 5 poems (no more than 10 pages) or 1-2 stories (each under 1500 words).
Website: http://www.ablemusepress.com/ablemuse-write-prize
Vine Leaves Vignette Collection Award
Deadline: February 28, 2015
Entry Fee: $25
Prize: $500 and publication no later than 2016 by Vine Leaves Press, 70% royalty rights
Contest: Writers may submit a 50-60 page manuscript (20,000 words total). May be a collection of poetry and prose. Guest Judge is editor Sara Sargent from Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon and Schuster.
Website: http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/contests.html
Iron Horse Literary Review Chapbook Issue
Deadline: February 28, 2015
Entry Fee: $15
Prize: $1000 and 15 copies
Contest: Submit an unpublished (as a whole, individual pieces may have been previously published) manuscript of stories or essays that is 50-65 pages long.
Website: http://www.ironhorsereview.com/#!single-author-competition/c1ivg
March FREE Writing Contests
Slice Magazine
Deadline: March 1, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: $100 for short stories; $25 for poems
Special Requirements: Theme is Desire
Contest: Accepting short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Maximum word count is 5000 words.
Website: http://www.slicemagazine.org/submit-your-work/#.VLKvintmpMH
The Quotable
Deadline: March 1, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Special Requirements: Theme of Atmosphere
Contest: Currently seeking flash fiction (under 1,000 words) – 1 submission per reading period; short fiction (under 3,000 words) – 1 submission per reading period; creative nonfiction (under 3,000 words) – 1 submission per reading period; poetry – 1 submission of up to 3 poems per reading period.
Website: https://thequotablelit.submittable.com/submit
Murder Under the Oaks
Deadline: March 1, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: One copy of anthology and invitation to participate in signing at convention.
Contest: Held by Bouchercon 2015; writers may submit a short story (3500-5500 words) by email.
Website: http://www.bouchercon2015.org/anthology.html
Steam Ticket
Deadline: March 15, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Contributor copy
Contest: Submit 3-5 poems with no more than 50 lines per poem. Also accepting creative nonfiction and fiction (4000 word max). Flash fiction is encouraged.
Website: http://steamticket.org/submission-guidelines/
Cahaba River Literary Journal
Deadline: March 20, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Copy of journal
Contest: We need stories, poems, essays, and color and black and white photography on all subjects, in any form. Length of stories: no more than 2500 words; poetry no more than 25 lines (only submit 3 poems at one time).
Website: https://cahabariverliteraryjournal.wordpress.com/
2015 Earth Day Poetry Contest
Deadline: March 31, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Gift bag of nature-related items, $25 donation to the charity of winner’s choice, publication in the spring issue of The Avocet: A Journal of Nature Poetry; 2nd and 3rd place will be published as well
Contest: Submissions are now being accepted for the 2015 Earth Day Poetry Contest. Poems must be about nature, with a 32-line limit each and up to two poems per submission. Previously published poems are acceptable. To enter, send submissions in the body of an email along with name, address, and titles of poems submitting.
Email to: stacyrsavage@yahoo.com
Regular post: Earth Day Poetry Contest, 3121 Mounds Rd., Anderson, IN 46016
March FEE-BASED Contests
The Hal Prize
Deadline: March 1, 2015
Entry Fee: $5
Prize: Publication, cash prize for 1st prize
Contest: Open to fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Fiction and nonfiction under 2000 words and poetry one page or less.
Website: https://thehalprize.submittable.com/submit
Oxford American
Deadline: March 1, 2015
Entry Fee: $2
Prize: Publication
Contest: Accepting fiction, nonfiction, poetry. See website for details.
Website: https://oxfordamerican.submittable.com/submit
2015 St. Petersburg Review Poetry Contest
Deadline: March 2, 2015
Entry Fee: $20
Prize: $1000 and publication
Contest: Writers may submit up to 3 unpublished poems.
Website: http://stpetersburgreview.com/?q=contest
Nelligan Prize
Deadline: March 14, 2015
Entry Fee: $17
Prize: $2000 and publication
Contest: Seeking unpublished stories under 50 pages. No set theme.
Website: https://nelliganprize.submittable.com/submit
Locked Horn Press
Deadline: March 15, 2015
Entry Fee: $10
Prize: $250 and 2 contributor copies, along with print and online publication
Special Requirements: Only accepting poems on the theme below.
Contest: Up to three unpublished poems. Poems must answer/address: What is/are America(s)? What are its boundaries? Are you part of it? Where is it? Is it real? Looking for Americas of the mind, of physical space, of the body and bodies in and around it. Hoping to find poets who are re-writing borders—borders of inclusion and exclusion, safety and danger, the re-purposing/stealing of resources, of human over citizen—in order to compile an anthology that explores and grapples with the idea of America(s)
Website: http://www.lockedhornpress.org/about
2015 Editors’ Essay Award (Florida Review)
Deadline: March 18, 2015
Entry Fee: $15
Prize: $1000 and publication
Contest: One essay or memoir pre entry.
Website: https://floridareview.submittable.com/submit/37339
2015 Editors’ Fiction Award (Florida Review)
Deadline: March 18, 2015
Entry Fee: $15
Prize: $1000 and publication
Contest: One story per entry.
Website: https://floridareview.submittable.com/submit/37340
2015 Editors’ Poetry Award
Deadline: March 18, 2015
Entry Fee: $15
Prize: $1000 and publication
Contest: Up to 5 poems per entry.
Website: https://floridareview.submittable.com/submit/37341
Gulf Coast Prize for Poetry, Fiction and Nonfiction
Deadline: March 22, 2015
Entry Fee: $23 per entry
Prize: Each category (1st) $1500 and publication; 2 honorable mentions $250
Contest: Submit up to 5 poems, one short story (up to 25 pages), or one essay (up to 25 pages).
Website: http://gulfcoastmag.org/contests/gulf-coast-prize/
2015 Able Muse Book Award for Poetry
Deadline: March 31, 2015
Entry Fee: $25
Prize: $1000 plus publication
Contest: Submit a poetry manuscript 50-120 pages long that is unpublished.
Website: http://www.ablemusepress.com/ablemuse-book-award
2015 Essay Collection Competition
Deadline: March 31, 2015
Entry Fee: $28
Prize: $1000, publication, and a standard royalty contract
Contest: Accepting manuscripts 100-300 pages in length of collected essays.
Website: http://www.csupoetrycenter.com/essay-prize/
2015 First Book Poetry Competition
Deadline: March 31, 2015
Entry Fee: $28
Prize: $1000, publication, and standard royalty contract
Contest: Manuscripts are eligible for the First Book Poetry Competition if the author has not published or committed to publish a collection of his or her poetry in a book of 48 pages or more with a press run of at least 500 copies.
Website: http://www.csupoetrycenter.com/essay-prize-1/
2015 Open Book Poetry Competition
Deadline: March 31, 2015
Entry Fee: $28
Prize: $1000, publication, and standard royalty contract
Contest: Manuscripts are eligible for the Open Book Poetry Competition if the author has published at least one full-length collection of original poetry in English (of 48 pages or more with a press run of at least 500 copies).
Website: http://www.csupoetrycenter.com/essay-prize-1-1/
Prime Number Magazine Awards
Deadline: March 31, 2015
Entry Fee: $15 per entry
Prize: In each category (1st) $1000 plus publication; (2nd) $250 plus publication; (3rd) publication
Contest: Accepting poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction for 3 separate awards.
Website: http://www.primenumbermagazine.com/Awards_2015.html
April FREE Writing Contests
Calabash
Deadline: April 1, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Send all literary work (poems, short stories, one-act plays, interviews, book reviews, parts of memoirs, personal essays, critical essays, cultural news, announcements, and other new and emerging genres) with five copies to the editorial board. Bibliographies and documented articles should follow the MLA format. See website for postal address and additional information.
Website: http://www.nyu.edu/calabash/submissions.shtml
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
Deadline: April 1, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: $1000 (1st); 10 honorable mentions receive $100 each
Contest: Submit one poem of any length.
Website: https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free
April Fee-based Writing Contests
2015 Frost Farm Metrical Poetry Contest
Deadline: April 1, 2015
Entry Fee: $5 per poem
Prize: $1000, publication in Evansville Review and an invitation, with honorarium, to read as part of The Hyla Brook Reading Series at the Robert Frost Farm in Derry in the summer of 2015.
Contest: Poems must be original, unpublished and metrical (any metrical form). No translations. There is no limit to the number of poems entered by an individual, but an entry fee of $5 U.S. per poem must accompany the submission.
Website: http://www.robertfrostfarm.org/poetry-contest.html
Creative Nonfiction
Deadline: April 13, 2015
Entry Fee: $20
Prize: Publication; $1000 (1st) and $500 (2nd)
Special Requirement: Must be an essay about weather.
Contest: They are looking for creative essays on “weather”.
Website: https://www.creativenonfiction.org/submissions/weather
Sequestrum Editor’s Reprint Award
Deadline: April 30, 2015
Entry Fee: $15
Prize: $200 plus publication
Contest: Accepting previously published prose (fiction/nonfiction) that the writer holds the rights to at this time.
Website: http://www.sequestrum.org/contests
Bristol Prize
Deadline: April 30, 2015
Entry Fee: £8 (about $13)
Prize: 1st £1000 (about $1500 USD) plus £150 Waterstone’s gift card (usable online worldwide); 2nd £700 (about $1050 USD) plus £100 Waterstone’s gift card; 3rd £400 (about $620 USD) plus £100 Waterstone’s gift card; 17 further prizes of £100 (about $155 USD)
Contest: Short stories up to 4000 words long may be submitted on any subject.
Website: www.bristolprize.co.uk
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction and Essay Contest
Deadline: April 30, 2015
Entry Fee: $16
Prize: Fiction 1st prize $1500; Essays 1st prize $1500; 10 honorable mentions receive $100 each
Contest: All themes accepted, limit 6000 words. Short stories, essays, or other works of prose.
Website: https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/tom-howard-john-h-reid-fiction-essay-contest
Raleigh Review
Deadline: April 30, 2015
Entry Fee: It states there is a small submission fee but does not tell how muchPrize: $10 per piece plus one copy of the magazine
Contest: Accepting poetry (4-5 poems), flash fiction (1 piece up to 1200 words), and short fiction (1200-7500 words, but prefer less than 5000)
Website: http://www.raleighreview.org/Submission_Guidelines.html
May FREE Writing Contests
Heron Tree
Deadline: May 1, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Seeking unpublished poems. Writers may submit 2-5 poems via email. Details on webpage.
Website: http://herontree.com/how/
Fairy Tale Review
Deadline: May 15, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Accepting fairy tale pieces. For prose, you may submit up to 8,000 words of a single piece or three, linked flash pieces each under 1,000 words in a single document. For poetry, you may submit up to 5 poems totaling no more than 10 pages. There is not specific theme. Accepting fiction, nonfiction, and drama.
Website: https://fairytalereview.submittable.com/submit
Alaska Quarterly Review
Deadline: May 15, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication
Contest: Submit via mail. Accepting fiction: short stories and novel excerpts in traditional and experimental styles (generally not exceeding 50 pages); poetry: poems in traditional and experimental styles but no light verse (up to 20 pages); drama: short plays in traditional and experimental styles (generally not exceeding 50 pages); and prose: literary nonfiction in traditional and experimental styles (generally not exceeding 50 pages).
Website: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/aqr/guidelines.cfm
River Teeth Journal Submissions
Deadline: May 1, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: Publication, 2 complimentary editions of the magazine, one year subscription
Contest: Seeking creative nonfiction, including narrative reportage, essays, and memoirs, as well as critical essays that examine the emerging genre and that explore the impact of nonfiction narrative on the lives of its writers, subjects, and readers.
Website: https://riverteeth.submittable.com/submit
One Story
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Entry Fee: FREE
Prize: $500 and 25 contributor copies
Contest: Short stories 3000-8000 words long on any subject in any style.
Website: http://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit
May FEE-BASED Writing Contests
The Florida Review
Deadline: May, 2015 (subscribers may submit year-round)
Entry Fee: $3.00
Prize: Publication
Contest: Seeking fiction and nonfiction (3-25 pages), poetry, graphic narratives, book reviews, and visual arts. See website for details.
Website: https://floridareview.submittable.com/Submit
NOTICE: We are not affiliated with these writing opportunities or the websites that sponsor them. We can therefore not assure you as to whether or not they are reliable and trustworthy. While we have made every effort to visit the websites listed on this page, checked links, and read briefly into the events, there is no way for us to know whether every opportunity is the right one for you. Please visit the websites and read all information regarding the event before you make the decision as to whether or not the opportunity is one you are interested in pursuing.
Our January Featured Author- Lisa Andres
Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, our Featured Author for this month is multi-genre writer Lisa Andres. Never imagining she’d be an author, Andres has published several works of both non-fiction and fiction. After a prophetic dream one night told her to write a book, Andres has realized her love of writing and being an author. Her work includes the non-fiction books Gifted – A Guide for Mediums, Psychics & Intuitives; Indigo Warrior – A Guide for Indigo Adults & The Parents of Indigo Children; and The Dream – How I Self-Published & What I’ve Learned Along the Way. Andres has also published the fictional works Dubicki’s and Guarded Heart (Dubicki’s #2) under the pen name of Gabriella Scott.
We had a chance to catch up with Andres, and she shared her insights on writing, her influences, and her work as a psychic medium.
When did you first start writing?
I started writing my first novel when I was 14 which I didn’t complete. My writing later evolved into songwriting when I was younger and had dreams of being a rock star. By the time I self-published Gifted, I had been asked by several people to write a book about psychic mediums and even had a dream telling me to write it.
Where did you grow up, and how did it influence your writing?
I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was an only child of a single parent; my parents were divorced before I could consciously remember them together. I think the boredom I faced with more alone time than if I’d have had siblings drove my desire to read and write.
Who has had the biggest influence on your writing?
For non-fiction: Doreen Virtue. Her books have inspired me in many ways. For fiction (romance): Nora Roberts, among many. Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series has inspired me enough to say that I want to write something like that when I grow up.
How does your work as a psychic medium influence your writing?
It’s helped me to help others with my non-fiction books and intrigued me into thinking that perhaps I should try to write a paranormal romance at some point.
When you aren’t writing, how do you spend your time?
I spent my younger years aspiring for a record deal, and that later evolved into singing and playing keyboards in a cover band. Now I’m happy to have my weekends free again, but I still like to go out and watch music when I can. I also volunteer with a local pet shelter. I have adopted pets over the years, which has inspired me to do more to help homeless pets.
What inspires you to get out of bed each morning?
I’ve recently decided I’m going to adopt a child. I’m not sure exactly how or when I’m going to do that yet, but the thought that I will finally be a mother after years of wanting a child is an exciting thought that keeps me going.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden: I read this long before the movie was made, and the book was so well written it made me consider visiting Japan when it was over, something I’d never considered before that. To this day, I will not see the movie because that book holds a special place in my heart, and I want to keep my own memories of it intact.
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning: I bought this book before the advent of e-books. It sat on my shelf for months before I picked it up, and I remember almost putting it down after the first chapter because I didn’t initially like the main character. I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s one of the best books and series that I’ve ever read.
The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs: I have no idea why I liked this book so much. Romance is my favorite genre and what I like to write the most. I think this book just inspired me because I connected to the main character so much, and it continues to inspire me as an author.
Angel Numbers 101 by Doreen Virtue: This is a handy little book or smart phone app that tells you the meaning behind repetitive number sequences that you see.
Journey of Souls by Dr. Michael Newton: This book is a fascinating study of souls, soul groups, and past lives.
What is the best writing advice you can give another writer?
Take your time and know it doesn’t have to be perfect. No matter how long it takes, the book will get finished and get to your readers.
What are you working on next?
In 2015, my current plans are to put out a second edition of my book Gifted – A Guide for Mediums, Psychics & Intuitives with an added chapter, then to translate it into Spanish and put out an audiobook. For new works, I’m focusing on fiction in 2015. I’m going to take my time writing my first paranormal romance under my pen name Gabriella Scott.
You can find out more about Lisa Andres by visiting her website: http://www.lisaandres.com
Our December Featured Author Hardy Jones
This month Durham Editing and E-books is happy to showcase Hardy Jones as our December Featured Author. Hardy is a skilled storyteller and gifted writer from Lawton, Oklahoma. He is an Associate Professor of English and the Director of Creative Writing at Cameron University, as well as co-founder and Executive Editor for Cybersoleil and Flash Fiction editor for Sugar Mule. He is a member of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, Phi Sigma Iota, Popular/American Culture Association, and the South Central Modern Languages Association.
Hardy’s writing has been published in numerous anthologies and journals, and we had the pleasure of working with him on the anthology Summer Shorts II in which his short story “Grandmother’s Coconut Tree” was featured. His short story “A New Bike for Little Mike” and personal essay “Dry Gumbo” were both nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2014. He held the Charles and Edythe Holmes Endowed Lectureship in English from 2010-2014. He also received grants from the State of Louisiana Division of Arts Folklife Program and the State of Louisiana Division of the Arts for two of his nonfiction projects, “Laotian New Year and Its Traditions” and People of the Good God. His novel Every Bitter Thing was released in 2010, and People of the Good God is slated for release in February of 2015.
We had the pleasure of catching up with Hardy this month to talk with him about writing, the art of storytelling, and family.
When did you first start writing?
As a kid, I dreamed of being a rock star and dabbled with song lyrics. In high school and the first couple of years in college, I wrote poetry—very bad poetry. A writing tutor looked at my poetry and pointed out how it read like truncated stories, which placed me on the prose path. In 1995, I declared English as my major and began writing in earnest, working exclusively on short stories, and the main comment my professors gave me was that my stories read like stifled novels. In the MFA program at the University of Memphis, a professor, Randall Kenan, encouraged me to use my family’s stories and personal experiences to create novels. Using that advice, I completed my novel Every Bitter Thing. My interest in family history has led me to write personal essays and a forthcoming memoir, People of the Good God, which details the evolution of Cajun culture into the new millennium and inquiry into my ethnic and cultural identity.
Where did you grow up, and how did it influence your writing?
I grew up on the Gulf Coast in the Florida panhandle, south Alabama, and south Louisiana. My father was a Texan and my mother is a Cajun, and both cultures place great value on oral storytelling, so I was raised with family history and stories the way other children are raised with Mother Goose fairy tales.
What has had the biggest influence on your writing?
My father was a cross-country truck-driver for 25 years, and he retired just before my birth, which meant he was at home and daily regaled me with stories of his work and travel experiences. He was born in 1917, was a WWII veteran, and lived to 1991, so his stories created an interest in history as well as in storytelling.
Where do you write? Describe this area for us.
I write primarily in my dining room. We have a large, square dining table, which is next to a large window that looks out on the Wichita Mountain range. I love the natural light the window provides, and being from the coast, having the mountains, however small they may be, gives me a lovely view.
When you aren’t writing, how do you spend your time?
I run, read, travel, spend time with my wife the Thai author Natthinee Khot-asa Jones, and our dog Gumbo. We live in Oklahoma and enjoy spending summers at our house in Thailand.
What inspires you to get out of bed each morning?
The possibility of creating and improving. A writer’s life can be filled with trying moments, but one positive is that each day I have the opportunity to improve my craft.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Paring down my favorite books to five is a challenge, and the books listed are not in any certain order. I love the Brazilian author Jorge Amado and his novel Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands. I am in awe of how his prose blends erudition with bawdy humor. Next is the nonfiction author Joseph Mitchell’s Up in the Old Hotel, which is a compilation of all of his essays and books. I appreciate his ability to write about marginalized peoples and not make them into caricature. Third is Andre Dubus’ Collected Stories. I am impressed with the humanity his characters possess. I bought his Collected Stories not long after I decided to become a writer, and I read the book repeatedly. Plus, some of his stories are set in Louisiana, so his settings were often familiar. Familiarity is what intrigued me about the fourth book: Bobbie Ann Mason’s Shiloh and Other Stories. Reading her stories about working-class Southerners and country folk showed me that literature could be populated by people and places I knew. Fifth is T. Coraghessan Boyle’s novel World’s End, which is the book that convinced me to be a writer. His comedic approaches to history and storytelling grabbed me as a twenty-something pondering the possibility of being a writer. By the time I finished World’s End, I had decided to major in English and threw myself into writing.
What is the best writing advice you can give another writer?
No matter how intimidating a blank screen can be, remember that a story or memoir needs two primary elements: characters and tension. If you have an interesting character facing obstacles, you have a good chance of holding the reader’s attention. Do not be overly concerned with plot; instead, focus on one word after another until they create a sentence, and then the sentences create paragraphs. Do not be afraid to place words on a page, even if you know as you are typing that these words will not be the ones that will eventually be in the story.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working with Natthinee Khot-asa Jones translating her memoir Wal-Mart Girl from Thai (it was published in Thailand in 2008) to English. An excerpt, “My Talking Dic,” is forthcoming in Red Truck Review in January 2015. The memoir details the two years that Natthinee worked at a Wal-Mart store in Lafayette, LA while I was a doctoral candidate at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The book demonstrates cultural and linguistic differences between Thailand and America. For example, the excerpt “My Talking Dic” centers around how in Thai they shorten the word “dictionary” to “dic,” and when Natthinee used the shortened form at work, her co-workers found it hilarious. We hope that the memoir will be entertaining as well as shed light on the differences between what a worker faces in Thailand compared to America. Wal-Mart falls under a lot of criticism, and one thing the memoir emphasizes is that Natthinee wanted to work there for two reasons: as an immigrant, what better place to be immersed in everyday American culture; and in Thailand employers do not hire the elderly or handicapped, so when as a shopper Natthinee saw such workers at Wal-Mart, it impressed her that a company would give everyone an opportunity. The memoir, we believe, provides a balanced depiction of Wal-Mart—not all good, not all bad. Moreover, since it is a memoir, the book provides a more human look at the store and how it treats its employees.
You can find out more about Hardy Jones by connecting with him at:
Website: http://www.hardyjoneswriting.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HardyJonesWrite
You may also want to check out the online journals Hardy Jones works with:
Cybersoleil: http://www.cybersoleiljournal.com
Sugar Mule: http://www.sugarmule.com/index2.htm
Snowflakes and Memories
Snowflakes and Memories has arrived!
There is nothing more exciting than watching those first few flakes of white as they dance across the sky. Nothing, that is, except perhaps those last few days before Christmas. Memories of snowfalls and holidays spent with family and friends seem to brighten our lives, even when bittersweet. Their magic and joy bring happiness throughout the year. Join twenty authors from around the world as they share stories and poems to warm your heart and hearth this holiday season and the whole year through.
Featuring the talents of Adele Kenny, C J Clark, Carl “Papa” Palmer, Chantal Bellehumeur, Dee Stribling, Gail Fishman Gerwin, James Penha, Julia Rose Grey, Linda Radice, Mac Greene, Maureen Ellen O’Leary, Nancy Walker Benjamin, Nancy Werking Poling, Pat LaPointe, Patricia D’Innocenzo, Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Van G. Garrett, William Wortman, Jr., Patrick Durham, and April J. Durham.
The 2014 Durham Editing and E-books Christmas collection Snowflakes and Memories is now available in both print and digital formats.
Print Edition:
Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/5118647
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Snowflakes-Memories-Durham-Editing-E-books/dp/1503323986
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snowflakes-and-memories-durham-editing-and-e-books/1120814505
Digital Editions:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/494847
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PXB86FM
Grab your FREE digital edition through Smashwords through December 13, 2014. Coupon Code: QQ98S
D5 Creation