2009 AWP Award Series

AWP sponsors an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works—the AWP Award Series. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence. The Donald Hall Prize for Poetry is an award of $4,000 and publication for the best book-length manuscript of poetry. This competition is open to published and unpublished poets alike. The Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction awards the winner $4,000 and publication. Winners in the novel and creative nonfiction categories receive a $2,000 cash honorarium from AWP and publication.

Only book-length manuscripts are eligible. The Award Series defines "book-length" as: poetry-48 pages minimum text; short story collection and creative nonfiction-150-300 manuscript pages; novel-at least 60,000 words.

Submissions must be postmarked by February 28, 2009

AWP Award Series in (genre entered)
The Association of Writers & Writing Programs
Carty House, Mail Stop 1E3
George Mason University
Fairfax , VA 22030-4444

For all the details go to: www.awpwriter.org/contests/series.htm

American Fiction Contest

AMERICAN FICTION PRIZE

Judge: The Member-Guest and The Weatherman author and two-time American Fiction Prize winner Clint McCown

First Prize: $1,000
Second Prize: $500
Third Prize: $250

Entry fee: $12

American Fiction will revive this year with its American Fiction Prize contest, a competition whose past judges include Joyce Carol Oates, Ann Beattie, Raymond Carver, Anne Tyler, Louise Erdrich, Tim O’Brien, and Tobias Wolff.

This year’s judge, Clint McCown, teaches in the creative writing program at Virginia Commonwealth University and is a recipient of the Associated Press Award for Documentary Excellence for his investigations of organized crime and corruption in Alabama politics, and the Society of Midland Authors Award. His novel, War Memorials, was designated for Outstanding Achievement in Literature by the Wisconsin Library Association. McCown's short stories and poems have appeared widely, and he has published two books of verse. He has worked as a screenwriter for Warner Bros. and as an actor with the National Shakespeare Company. He has edited several literary journals, including the Beloit Fiction Journal, which he founded in 1984.

Contest winners and finalists will be published by New Rivers Press in Fall 2010 and distributed nationally by The Consortium.

Entries must be postmarked by March 15, 2009. Winners and finalists will be announced by September 2009.

Contest Guidelines:

We accept all genres of unpublished literary fiction. Entries must be: unpublished; strictly 7500 words or less; postmarked by March 15, 2009; clearly marked "American Fiction Prize” on both the story and the outside of the envelope; accompanied by a $12 entry fee per story (make checks payable to American Fiction). Please include a cover page with your name, story title, mailing address, and email address. Do not include your name on the pages of the story. Please ensure all stories are typed, double-spaced, and that the title and page number appear on each page. In lieu of an email address, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

We welcome multiple entries ($12/story). For entries outside the U.S.: please send entry fee in U.S. currency or money order. While we cannot return manuscripts, we will forward a list of the winning stories to any entrant who includes an SASE; as well, we will e-mail contest updates to anyone who provides an active e-mail address. Entrants retain all rights to their stories.

Mail entries to:

American Fiction Prize / 5712 Briarwick Court / Hermitage, TN 37076

Writer's Digest Competition

Here is a competition coming up through Writer's Digest (Thanks for the leads Cindy)

78th Annual Writing Competition

We are now accepting entries in the 78th Annual Writing Competition. Don't miss your chance to win part of the more than $30,000 in cash and prizes. Compete and win in 10 categories. Deadline: 5/15/09

Full details and on-line entry in the contest are available at Writer's Digest Annual Competition


Check out their website for other contest information, resources, and more.

Atlantic Pacific Press Submissions

Christine Walen, the Editor of Atlantic Pacific Press, specifically contacted Bob Begiebing expressing her interest in receiving submissions from SNHU MFA students. Here's the info:

ATLANTIC PACIFIC PRESS is a new quarterly journal of fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, non-fiction, drama, veterans/military, romance, mystery, horror, westerns, family life, children’s stories, poetry, prose poetry, flash fiction, lyrics, cartoons, art and photography.

FICTION, SCI-FI, CREATIVE NON-FICTION, CHILDREN’S STORIES: 250-7000 words.

MANUSCRIPTS: Email for guidelines. abcworks@att.net Mail submissions via regular mail. Use 1.5 line spacing, and Arial regular 12 point font. Please include a SASE for return mail. No porn.

COVER LETTER: Include with your submission a 50 word count bio that may be printed on the contributor page. If your submission has been previously performed, or exhibited, in the case of art work, and photography, please acknowledge where and when.

TERMS: ATLANTIC PACIFIC PRESS pays a contributor copy, and $10 flat rate for unpublished material, if and when funds are available. No Internet, simultaneous, public domain, or shared common license submissions, or material where the copyright is held by another publisher.

Submit to: Christine Walen, Editor, 279 Gulf Rd. South Dartmouth, MA 02748 USA

ATLANTIC PACIFIC PRESS DRAMA PRIZE

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: January 30, 2009.

SCRIPT: 70-120 page unpublished (no Internet) stage play. Neatly type manuscript, in Ariel regular 12 point font, 1.5 line spacing, in published play format. Italicize stage directions. Capitalize character names on left side of page, followed by a period and two spaces, on same line with dialogue. Include a one page cover letter with a 50 word count bio that may be published along with your play.

TERMS: $2.50 non-refundable entry fee (make checks payable to ATLANTIC PACIFIC PRESS). Please include a SASE. Winning playwright will receive $25, a contributor copy, and have their play published in ATLANTIC PACIFIC PRESS. ATLANTIC PACIFIC PRESS buys First North American and First World Serial Rights for editorial use, print media, and magazine promotional use. Rights return to playwright upon publication.

Good News! The ATLANTIC PACIFIC PRESS Drama Prize will be judged by George William Hayden, a 1972 Pulitzer Prize Nominee in Verse Letters for his chapbook, “The Cancer of the French Candystoreman & 49 Other Poems.” Mr. Hayden has directed over 125 plays for The Original Gateway Players in Wareham, MA. He was born in New York City, has lived in Rhode Island and is now retired and living in Wareham, MA.

Submission Opportunities

Here are a few up-coming submission opportunities...

Playboy Fiction contest, which is open again to all college writers at every level. The deadline Feb 15, 2009. The guidelines are available at www.playboy.com/cfc
Peggy Newland Goetz, who graduated over the summer, got third place in this one last year, out of several thousand entries, and some recognition in the press. Prizes are: Third is $200, second is $500, and first is $3000 and publication in the mag. Finalists are considered for website publication or even mag publication if deemed special.

Fourth Genre Editors’ Prize
Deadline: February 15, 2009

Entry Fee: $15

Web site: www.msupress.msu.edu/journals/fg

E-mail address: genre4@msu.edu

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction is given annually for an essay. Jocelyn Bartkevicius will judge. All finalists will be considered for publication. Submit up to 6,000 words of creative nonfiction with a $15 entry fee between January 15 and February 15. Send an SASE, e-mail, or visit the Web site for complete guidelines.

Fourth Genre, Editors’ Prize, Department of English, 201 Morrill Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1036.

Florida Review Editors' Awards

Deadline: February 16, 2009

Entry Fee: $15

Web site: www.flreview.com

Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Florida Review will be given annually for a group of poems, a short story, and an essay. The editors will judge. Submit up to five poems or a short story or essay of up to 25 pages with a $15 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Florida Review, by February 16. Send an SASE, call, or visit the Web site for complete guidelines.

Florida Review, Editors’ Awards, Department of English, P.O. Box 161346, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816-1346. (407) 823-2038. Jocelyn Bartkevicius, Editor.

Glimmer Train Press

Very Short Fiction Award

Deadline: February 28, 2009

Entry Fee: $15

Web site: www.glimmertrain.org

A prize of $1,200 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given biannually for a short story. Submit a story of up to 3,000 words with a $15 entry fee by February 28. Visit the Web site for complete guidelines.

Glimmer Train Press, 1211 NW Glisan Street, Suite 207, Portland, OR 97209. (503) 221-0836. Susan Burmeister-Brown and Linda Swanson-Davies, Coeditors.