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Preditors & Editors does not recommend or endorse any of the following contests except for its own readers poll unless otherwise stated.
Additionally, it really doesn't make sense to enter a contest that charges a fee if there isn't any prize worth significantly more than the entry fee. We strongly advise writers to enter only those contests without a fee. P&E does not recommend any contests with entry fees.
Because of the volatile nature of contests, P&E will date contest entries from now on and remove those that do not appear to re-occur annually. If you see one that is no longer current or recurring, please let us know.
Ratings criteria for all sections of P&E are listed on the P&E's Rating Criteria page.
American Markets Newsletter Short Story Contest, The: run by Sheila O'Connor. Charges fee. Not recommended.
Screenplay Competition deadline: May 7. Entry fee: $40. Categories: Adult/Family and Comedy. Prime Time Teleplay Competition deadline: June 1. Entry fee: $30. Categories: Sitcom and Drama. Film Competition early deadline: June 15. Entry fee: $40. Categories: Narrative Feature, Short, and Student Short. Late deadline: July 15. Entry Fee: $50. Documentary Competition early deadline: June 15. Entry fee: $40. Late deadline: July 15. Entry Fee: $50. Categories: Doc Feature, Short, and Student Short.
*Our 2006 Winner, Young Kim is in pre-production to direct his winning script, six months after being named winner of BlueCat *Our 2005 Winner, GARY THE TENNIS COACH, starring Seann William Scott and directed by Danny Leiner, recently wrapped in Austin. Winning BlueCat writers Andy Stock and Rick Stempson signed with UTA *Every writer who enters BlueCat receives written analysis on their screenplay *Winner receives $10,000 and Finalists receive $1500, the largest cash prize for a screenplay contest that provides feedback to all writers *One Finalist receives a live staged reading at the High Falls Film Festival, held at the George Eastman House in New York, all expenses paid *Loglines of all Semi-Finalists and Finalists are featured on our site throughout the year *Founded by award winning writer-director Gordy Hoffman
Canadian Aid Publishing Raffle, The 2007: Charges fee. Conflict of interest. Not recommended. Sponsored by BookLand Press. See the site for details.
Category: Fiction Closes: 31st January 2007 Fees: $15 for one entry. Prizes: $0 for first place. Winner will have their novel published. Details: Open category, no set limit on length. Contact: Andrew Byrne Carpe Diem Publishing PO Box 605 St. Agnes SA 5097 Country: Australia
Begin accepting submissions May 7, 2003. Last date for postmarked scripts September 1, 2003. December 1, 2003 finalists announced. 1st place.....$2,000 US 2nd place.....$1,000 US 3rd place.....$500 US The finalists will be receive exposure to literary agencies, film studios and Hollywood producers. Receive a Cinequest 14 Platinum pass granting full access to all events and parties. And have their names and contact information posted on our website. Entry fee $50, all entries will receive feedback.
25 Aug 00 - Confluence Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Story Contest!: Publication and cash prizes await the winners. Eligibility and format details are available on the web site.
Cowboy Logic: Features contests along with critiques, reviews, and more.
6 Nov 01 - Creative Communication: "Poetry Contest: We award over $50,000 in prizes to young poets each year. Poets in grades 4-12 can send in one poem 21 lines or less. Contest deadlines are December 1st and April 5th. You can get full contest information or enter online at www.poeticpower.com. You can also mail an entry to Creative Communication, 90 North 100 East, Logan UT 84321. Teachers who have 5 or more students selected to be published receive a free copy of the anthology that contains their student's poem."
16 Jan 03 - Cup of Comfort, A: "The publisher of A Cup of Comfort now sponsors several inspiring true-story contests each year. Every contest results in the publication of a handsome anthology, featuring real-life stories about the people and events that bring comfort, joy, and meaning to our lives. Share your inspiring true stories -- and win $500! One grand prize of $500 is awarded for each contest/anthology, and ALL contributors receive a monetary fee and a free copy of the book in which their story appears. Submission guidelines are gladly provided upon request and are posted online. Absolutely NO entry or reading fees."
2 Jun 07 - Electrobooks Competition, The: "This is a free competition for fiction writers. Top prize is $500, second $200 and third $100. Fast-paced unpublished novels, short stories or even the first few chapters of novels welcome. Opportunities to be published. Entries by 7th July 2007."
Greetings, Filmaka has partnered with General Motors Corporation, the worlds largest automobile manufacturer, to run a new contest. Up to 7 finalists will receive $5000 each! We want your pitches for shows that will feature some of GM's new vehicles. They are not looking for a traditional commercial, but instead for an engrossing story in which a GM vehicle plays a memorable part. Submit a detailed written synopsis of a film 3 – 5 minutes in length, with 4-5 more episode ideas intended to total around 30 minutes of original webisodic content that can live on its own and potentially be viewed as "pilot" material, as well as your creative extension and distribution recommendations. From these finalists GM can choose pilots to put into production and provide the appropriate vehicles for the shoot. A complete list of the vehicles GM wants to feature, and more info on the contest can be Found Here on our site. (http://www.filmaka.com/gm/) We will start accepting submissions (in pdf format) in the middle of next week. Submissions must be in by MARCH 11th – so get cracking. Regards Hartej www.filmaka.com28 Oct 02 - Firebrand Fiction/SFReader.com Story Contest: Recommended. "an annual fiction contest, open to any writer, published or unpublished." Visit the site for more details.
12 Jan 07 - First Chapters: Sponsored by Gather.com and Touchstone, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. See the site for details which are expected to be posted soon.
11 Sep 03 - First Line Writing Contest, The:
"We are announcing our 2nd First Line contest. The winning sentence will be used for one of our 2004 issues. The winner will receive a one-year (4 issue) subscription to The First Line and $10.00. Of course, with any contest like this, there are rules: 1. Sentences must be your original creation and not part of a previously published story. 2. You may submit up to three (3) sentences for consideration. 3. Send entries to: submission@thefirstline.com or The First Line P.O. Box 250382 Plano, TX 75025-0382 4. Please include your e-mail or mailing address for notification. 5. All entries must be received by 6 p.m. (EST) on October 1, 2003. 6. The winner will be announced November 1, 2003 on The First Line Web site."
Frances Fabri Literary Prize for Fiction: Sponsored by Boaz Publishing. See the site for details.
Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize: Recommended. Third annual holding. See the site for details.
5 Apr 06 - The Guild`s First Annual Short Story Contest: "To enter, send us a fictional story with a maximum length of 1,500 words. Submissions are limited to the first 500 entrants. You must be 21 years of age or older. Stories must be original, and not have been previously published in paper or electronic formats. Entries must be received by July 1, 2006."
Contest Information Rules
Story must Include the name “International Web Development” or “IWDCanada.com”.
The plot must mention that someone bought a website or is going to buy a website from International Web Development (or IWDCanada.com). It does not have to be the base of the story but it must be mentioned somewhere.
IWD will select the 20 finalists who will then be judged by their peers in the final round. Finalists will be judged base on creativity, story's appeal, and their ability to work in “International Web Development” or “IWDCanada.com”.
Maximum word count is 1000 words.
The story can be about anything as long as it is written in these Genres:
Romance (pref. no Erotica)
Sci-Fi
Western
Adventure
Fantasy
Mystery
Thriller
Chick Lit.
Paranormal
Historical
For any others please email us to double check (info@iwdcanada.com)
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Contest Details
All writers must register with IWD to participate in the contest.
All stories will be reviewed by IWD for compliance checks before being accepted into the contest.
IWD will reserve the rights to any story submitted into the contest for promotional use (writer’s credit will be given).
Contest submission will begin on June 4th 2007 and will end on June 30th 2007.
Visit the site for more details.
League of American Poets: While the contest entry is free, the books containing winning poetry are not. In other words, the publisher doesn't provide free copies to the authors whose works are included. Nor do they appear to pay any royalties. Also, P&E could not find a list of contest prizes on their site.
Loella Lamphier Prize for Poetry Contest: a poetry contest.
9 Apr 08 - Mom Writer’s Literary Magazine: Charges fee. Not recommended. "currently accepting submissions for our first-line writing contest, from 3/31 through 5/16/08, with a $10.00 entry fee. It may be creative non-fiction or fiction and should be between 700 - 1,200 words. The first line must be "I knew what I was supposed to be doing, but my desires distracted me..." The work submitted will be judged by MWLM Editors, and we will choose one grand prize winner to receive $100!" See the site for details.
Short Fiction Contest (Semi-Annual Contest) Writing contest introduces today's hottest new fiction writers. Grand Prize Winner: $1,000; publication on website and monthly newsletter. First Place Winner: $100; publication on website and monthly newsletter. Deadline: April 30/October 31 annually Reading fee: $20 per story More Information: http://www.oncewritten.com/Contests/FictionContest.php (Changed entry fee and URL) Poetry Contest (Semi-Annual Contest) Grand Prize Winner: $500; publication on website and monthly newsletter. First Place Winner: $100; publication on website and monthly newsletter. Deadline: March 31/September 30 annually Reading fee: $15 per poem More Information: www.oncewritten.com/Contests/PoetryContest.php (changed entry fee, deadline dates and URL) In the Midnight Hour... (Annual Contest) Halloween-themed, horror writing contest. Winning short stories will be featured in the Halloween newsletter. Grand Prize Winner: $500; publication on website and monthly newsletter. First Place Winner: $100; publication on website and monthly newsletter. Deadline: August 31 annually Reading fee: $15 per story More Information: www.oncewritten.com/Contests/MidnightHour.php (changed entry fee, and URL)
Get your TV script read by the people who matter
The Other Network TV Writing Contest -- Deadline March 1, 2005
Other writing contests offer the winners software or access to low-level agents. The Other Network TV Writing Contest gives you access to the people who actually hire writers -- other writers.
Winning scripts from 2004 are currently being read by top TV showrunners including:
BOB ODENKIRK ("Mr. Show", Saturday Night Live", "The Ben Stiller Show"), ALAN ZWEIBEL ("IT's Garry Shandling's Show", "Saturday Night Live") , JAY KOGEN ("The Simpsons", "Frasier"), JENNY BICKS ("Sex and the City"), JOHN RIGGI ("Larry Sanders"), BILL OAKLEY & JOSH WEINSTEIN ("The Simpsons", "The Mullets"), CINDY CHUPACK ("Sex and the City").
The Other Network TV Comedy Writing Contest is currently accepting comedy scripts in two categories:
- ORIGINAL HALF-HOUR COMEDIES
- SPEC SCRIPTS OF EXISTING HALF-HOUR TV SHOWS
Your Script:
- Can be either an original piece of comedy writing or a spec of an existing
series
- Written in a standard TV script format (50 pages max.)
- Writing teams or groups OK
- Multiple submissions OK
- Any genre OK (sit-com, sketch, animated, single-camera, even
'un-categorizable')
- Scripts from 2004 can be re-written and re-entered
How to enter:
- Print out the entry form at uncabaret.com
- Submitted material must be post-marked no later than
March 1, 2005
- Send script(s), a check for $40 per script made out to "UN-CABARET", and a
signed copy of the entry form to:
UN-CABARET 137 N. Larchmont Blvd. #107 LA, CA 90004
8 Feb 08 - THE PICK-A-PHOTO, SHORT-SHORT STORY CONTEST: Charges fee. Not recommended. Details at the site.
Preditors & Editors Readers Poll, The: See this page for details.
18 Dec 07 - Promising Playwrights 2008 CONTEST: "Playscript writing contest open to high school and college students who are legal residents of Indiana. Winner receives cash prize as well as copyright and production of winning script. Please visit http://committed.to/gaslightppproject for complete rules (A "MUST-READ"!) and prize details. The site offers a lot of helpful information to help you write your script, and you can download the application there as well. The deadline is July 1, 2008... so get started very soon!! We strongly encourage teachers and professors to promote the endeavor among their students, though it's not necessary or student participation. Alternate site link: http://www.angelfire.com/in/LilyNBlue/ppppcontest.html."
10 Dec 05 - RockWay Press 2005 International Writing Competitions: See the web site for full details.
SFReader.com Annual Fiction Contest: Highly recommended. "We have a special interest in stories that feature strong character development and powerful themes. Most of all, we are looking for stories that demonstrate the writer’s serious commitment to craft and imagination. Those looking for a special insight into the kind of fiction that’s likely to excite us should browse through the book reviews, short fiction reviews, fiction selections, and author interview on the SFReader.com site." See the site for details.
12 Nov 05 - Shalom 2006 International Screenwriting Competition: See the web site for full details.
First off, there was a fee. P&E has a long established policy of not recommending any contests with fees. We even post that on the pages where P&E lists contests in case we forget to mention it beside that listing when it's known or we missed finding that information when visiting the contest site when there is one.
Second, the numbers just didn't add up in a positive manner. Sobol's site makes it clear they're a for profit organization. Stating that they would accept up to 50,000 entries and that entries had to be from unpublished writers only accentuated the fact that the contest was aimed largely at those with little to no understanding of publishing and quite possibly math as well. Those two facts alone awakened loud warning bells in P&E's ears.
Third, subtle emails from their lawyer to P&E about discriminating against Sobol because some other listings with fees didn't have "not recommended" beside them within P&E's pages, despite the fact that there were clear warnings at both the top and bottom of the page, didn't give P&E any reason to be enamored of Sobol. One would think that someone in the literary field and someone in the legal profession would recognize that our recommendations which are P&E's opinions are bound to be discriminatory because that is the nature of making recommendations. Besides, the very act of Sobol's competition involves and requires discrimination in order to annoint a winner.
Fourth, P&E was bothered by the fact that Sobol's competition required a signature up front making them the legal representative for all entries reaching Round 2, especially since Sobol has no track record of sales and apparently doesn't represent anyone as yet. In effect, the only way to become a Sobol Literary Agency client is to enter their contest and that means paying a fee which equates to paying a reading fee.
Fifth, P&E is concerned about the fact that the contest doesn't even try to categorize the entries. Does this mean that a manuscript in a genre where average sales are typically lower actually stands an equal chance of winning when it would be to the agency's advantage if an entry in a category with higher sales potential was the winner instead? Most agents select books to represent that are of the type they prefer to read. Otherwise, they'd feel uncomfortable and probably be ineffective trying to sell it to a publisher. Sobol Literary Agency appears to have no preferences which leads P&E to view it as closer in relation to those other agencies with upfront fees and no sales rather than to successful agencies with specific preferences and real track records of sales.
Were there more reasons? Yes, but we're not going to bother going into all the other reasons that P&E took into consideration before issuing its opinion in the form of "not recommended". We don't want to make it too easy for them to clean up a real mess so that it might actually pass the smell test for someone with sinus problems. The ones we've listed are significant enough.
First Place: $100 (U.S.) in cash, plus publication in Rogue Worlds E-zine.
Second Place: $50 (U.S.) in cash, plus publication in Rogue Worlds E-zine.
Third Place: $25 (U.S). in cash, plus publication in Rogue Worlds E-zine.
Note: There will also be an additional cash bonus if entry fees exceed $500 dollars; whatever goes over that mark will be split equally amongst the winners.
Entry Fee: $5, plus $2 for each additional entry. Please make your checks or money-orders (US FUNDS ONLY) out to Doyle Eldon Wilmoth, Jr. 4315 Boulder Hwy #60, Las Vegas, NV 89121-3020. Make sure to fill out and print our Entry Form and send it along with your payment.
Submission Tracking: You can check out and see if your story has been logged in here. I'll list your title and the date sent along with status of your payment once it has arrived.
Deadline: January 15, 2002.
Open to: High Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery fiction. No urban or modern day settings.
Length: Between 1k-20k/words.
Taboos: No Fan Fiction. No porn. No gore. No child abuse stories.
Submit entries to: specficworld@hotmail.com. Put "HIGH FANTASY CONTEST" in the subject line. E-MAIL SUBMISSIONS ONLY.
Format: Send stories in plain text, pasted into the body of the e-mail, or as an attachment. Put your real name, title of story, word count, brief bio, snail-mail and e-mail address somewhere at the top of the first page.
Notification: Only the winners will be notified by e-mail of the results on March 15, 2001. The rest of the contestants can find the winning stories listed on the SpecFicWorld.com website on March 15, 2001.
Note of Publication: I also require that all the winners allow me to publish their stories in Rogue Worlds E-zine for a maximum of 90 days.
Payment: All winners will be paid in cash no later than April 15, 2001.
Copyright: Authors retain all Copyrights to their work.
Prizes: First $500, six more prizes totaling $600
Deadline: December 31, 2007 (tentative)
Contest entries will be published in a book. Half of the profits from the book will be donated to shelters for mothers and children escaping from abusive relationships.
FAMILIA BOOKS • http://www.familiabooks.com • PMB 326 • 1225 E. Sunset Dr. Ste. 145 • Bellingham, WA 98226 • 360-384-1028 • ericjbowen@comcast.net
23 Mar 02 - Voices Anthology: "Poetry, short story, and haiku competition. Submission deadline is June 1 and September 1. Open to writers and poets of all ages. 1st place receives $100, 2nd place gets $50, and 3rd place gets $25."
7 Mar 07 - wiseGEEK Writing Contest:
$7,500 first prize for the winning article for wiseGEEK Writing Contest. wiseGEEK.com provides clear answers to common questions, and to celebrate our 10,000th article, we're seeking submissions from our wise community. ALL appropriate submissions will be published with your byline on wiseGEEK.com. Competition is open to writers over the age of 18, and there is no limit to the number of submissions. Deadline: 31 May 2007 Prizes: $7,500 First Prize, 10 x $250 Honorable Mention Entry Fee: $0.00
8 May 05 - WritersDock's 500 Words competition: "Drinksafetech UK, in conjunction with WritersDock.co.uk, are highlighting the dangers of drink spiking and possible ways to avoid being spiked. The competition is to provide a piece of short fiction of 500 words, addressing these issues. The storyline should include the use of the drugs GHB and/or Ketamine. You can find more information about the effects of these drugs and drink spiking on Drinksafetech UK Ltd's website (www.drinksafetechuk.co.uk)." Details on site.
The first-place prize is $1,000, second-place prize is $500, and third-place prize is $250. The winner and seven finalists will be considered for representation by the William Morris Agency, ICM, Regal Literary, the Elaine Markson Literary Agency, Inkwell Management, Sterling Lord Literistic, and the Georges Borchardt Literary Agency." See the site for details.