September Competitions – Your Chance to Get Noticed

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Alex Clark, Books and the City Heatseeker Competition, Erewash Open Short Story Competition, Henshaw Competition, Manchester Writing Competition., Mslexia Novel Competition, Philippa Gregory, Retreat West Competition, Sarah Such

September 18 is the deadline for entries to Msexlia’s Women’s Novel Competition 2017. With a first prize of £5,000, the entry fee is £25 and they are asking for 5,000 word extracts of completed, unpublished novels of at least 50,000 words in length for adult or young adult readers. However, you need to be an unpublished female writer. Finalists receive manuscript feedback. Check entry rules at https://mslexia.co.uk/competitions/novel-competition-rules/ Judges are: Philippa Gregory (novelist), Sarah Such (literary agent), Alex Clark (journalist).

NO APOLOGIES for this reminder about our own Flash Fiction Competition (pinned at the head of our blog), with a prize of £100 and a deadline of midnight TOMORROW. We have been fascinated by your entries so far, but would like lots more… 

Erewash Writers’ Group invites entries for its Open Short Story Competition, with prizes of £100, £60, £25 and £15. They are seeking unpublished stories of up to 2,500 words on any theme. Entry fee is £3 for one, £5 for two and £2 per entry thereafter. Details from: http://erewashwriterscompetition.weebly.com/

Writers & Artists has joined forces with Retreat West for a FREE short story competition. Deadline September 17. They are asking for 1,000 words, which must have a beach as the setting, and the winner will receive a place on Retreat West’s Plotting Retreat from 17-21 November. Please check the details at: http://writ.rs/retreatwestcompetition.

Bedford International Writing Competition want short stories of up to 3,000 words, or poems up to 40 lines, on any theme. Prizes: £3000, £150, £100. Entry fee: £6, £12 for three. Deadline September 30. Details: http://www.bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk

Manchester Writing Competition. Poem: three to five poems, max 120 lines total. Story 2,500 words. Fee: £17.50. Prize £10,000. Details: http://www.manchester-writingcompetition.co.uk

Books and the City Heatseeker Competition. 2,500 words. Entry FREE. Prize: mentoring session with Paige Toon and ebook publication of story by Simon & Schuster, with royalties. Details: booksandthecity.co.uk

The Henshaw Competition for a 2,000 word short story. Prizes: £100; £50; £25. Entry fee: £5, with critiques an additional £10. Details: henshawpress.co.uk. This latter competition is do-able. I have in my bookcase their anthology including my own winning story – and much enjoyed spending my £100 prize!

Do remember to check the details on the competition website – just in case.

 

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Competitions to Enter in August

I was nurdling my way through the streets of Bergen recently, after a rather fine seafood meal and a walk across the damp earth of one of the city’s many green spaces, when I saw this displayed in a shop window. Petrichor is apparently a Norwegian manufacturer of men’s raincoats. How appropriate, when the old English word refers to the smell of damp earth before or after rain…

This is an admittedly clumsy way of reminding everyone of ninevoices’ own flash fiction competition, which closes at the end of this month. Details are pinned above, but require a story of between 99 and 199 words using as many as possible of those evocative listed words that are at risk of vanishing for ever. The entry fee is £5 (with all profits going to charity) and the prize is £100 for the one we like best. Plenty of time to create something, as long as we receive it by owl-light on the 31st August.

We have some entries already, but we’re greedy: WE WANT MORE.

Ilkley Literature Festival Competition.  Deadline August 1st. (SOON) Story: 3,000 words. Poem: 30 lines. Fee: £5. Prizes: story £200; poem £200; £100; £75. Details: http://www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk

Costa Short Story Award. Stories up to 4,000 words. Prizes: £3,500; £1,000; £500. FREE ENTRY.  Closing date August 5th. Details: http://www.costabookawards.com

Hysteria Writing Competition. For a poem of 20 lines; short story of 2,000 words; flash fiction of 250 words. Fees are £3 for a poem; £5 for a short story; £3 for Flash fiction. Prizes: poem £75; story £150; flash £75. Open to women only. Deadline: 31 August. Details: http://www.hysteriauk.co.uk

Earlyworks Press Flash Fiction Competition. For 100 words on an open theme. Fee: £3.50, or £15 for up to six entries. Prize: £100. Deadline August 31st. Details. http://www.earlyworkspress.co.uk.

Exeter Flash Fiction Competition. Up to 250 words. Entry fee: £4. Prizes: £150; £100; £50. Deadline August 31st. Details: creativewritingmatters.co.uk

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award. Short fiction entries should be no more than 2,000 words. Poetry should be no more than 40 lines. Works previously published are accepted. Prizes: £1,000 poetry; £1,000 short fiction. Sixty finalists, including a winner from each category, will be selected for publication in Aesthetica Magazine. Entry fees: Poetry £12. Short fiction £18. Deadline August 31st. Check details at: http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/cwa

Come on guys – remember all those resolutions about entering lots of competitions this year… ?

(But PLEASE check all rules and entry details first)

Competitions to Enter in July

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Norwich Writers' Olga Sinclair Competition

There are a surprising number of competitions this month, with the holiday season upon us. But editing a draft, or tinkering with the idea for a new short story is a pretty constructive way of passing a flight if you don’t fancy the movies on offer. So, no excuses accepted.

The Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition closes on July 10. Word count: 1200. Fee: £5. Prizes: £200; £100; £50. Details: wrekinwriters.wordpress.com

H G Wells Short Story Competition. Deadline 16 July. Word count: 1500-5000, The theme is ‘LIGHT in its broadest interpretation’. Prizes: £250 for authors of 22 years of age or over with an entry fee £10. £1,000 for authors 21 years of age and under, with FREE entry. Details: https://hgwellscompetition.com/

Cinnamon Press Debut Novel/Novella Competition. First 10,000 words. Fee: £12. Prize: year’s mentoring, publishing contract and 100 copies of the book. Details: http://www.cinnamon-press.com

HISSAC Short Story And Flash Fictions Competitions. Story: 2000 words. Flash: 500 words. Fee: story £5: £12 for three, £18 for five. Flash: £5, or £12 for three. Prizes: £250; £50; £25. Details: http://www.hissac.co.uk

Norwich Writers Olga Sinclair Competition wants stories on the theme of ‘strangers’. The winner will receive £400, with a second prize of £250 and a third of £100. Ten runners-up will receive a signed copy of Strangers: A History of Norwich’s Incomers, by local historian Frank Meeres. The winner and runners-up will be published in an anthology. Entry fee: £8. Closing date 31 July. Details: https://norwichwriters.wordpress.com/

The Ledbury Poetry Festival is offering a first prize of £1,000 and a course at Ty Newyyd, with runners-up receiving £500 and £250, for unpublished poems up to forty lines in any style and on any subject. There is an entry fee of £5 for the first poem and £3.50 for any subsequent poems. Closing date 13 July. Details: http://www.poetry-festival.co.uk

As usual, I urge you to check all details before entering.

Although the above features competitions happening this month, do please take a look at ninevoices’ own competition for a story using some delightful, but obscure, old English words. You don’t need to use them all! One would be sufficient, if it is used imaginatively. Our prize might be modest, but we are unlikely to get the mass entries that the bigger competitions receive – which gives you better odds… You have until the end of August.

 

 

 

 

Competitions to Enter in June

 

Whether you’re a novice, or more experienced, writing competitions offer a wonderful opportunity to put your work out there. If you can’t win the Bridport, why not try the more modest Henshaw Short Story Competition? This quarterly competition is for stories up to 2,000 words, with an entry fee of £5. Prizes are £100, £50 and £25, with the prospect of publication in one of their anthologies – which raise much-needed cash for Save the Children. The current deadline is 30 June. Details: http://www.henshawpress.co.uk

This is an achievable goal. I had a stab a couple of years ago and have just taken delivery of the anthology containing my winning story – Till Death Us Do Part – featured at the top this blog under ‘Writings’.

Wells Festival of Literature are seeking stories between 1,000-2,000 words on an open theme. Prizes are: £750, £300, £200, with an entry fee of £6. Closing Date is 30 June. Details can be obtained from http://www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk  They organisers are also looking for poems of up to 40 lines. Prizes: £750, £300, £200. Entry fee: £6. Details as above.

National Literary Trust. Do you have a new take on a classic fairy tale? If so, yours could be one of the 10 winning stories that will be published in an ebook anthology by Bloomsbury, publishers of titles by J K Rowling, Neil Gaiman and Louis Sachar. There is also a £200 prize for each winning story, plus the right to use  the ‘Short Story Prize 2017 Winner’ logo on your website, social media and publications. Submit your re-imagining in a 2,000-4,000 word story for 8 to 12-year-olds by midnight on 25 June. Entry is £30. Details from: http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/shortstories

We mustn’t forget the British Czech & Slovak Association Competition which seeks short stories and non-fiction, up to 2,000 words, exploring the links between Britain and the Czech Republics at any time. The suggested, but optional theme for 2017 is Brexit. Prizes are £300, £100, plus publication in the British Czech & Slovak Review. ENTRY IS FREE. Closing date is 30 June. Details: http://www.bcsa.co.uk. Before you dismiss this as too obscure, maybe you’ve had an eventful visit to Prague (a stag or hen ‘do’, or student trip?) that might form the launching pad for a story.

Bath Flash Fiction want 300 words by June 11. They are offering prizes of:  £1,000, £300 and £100, plus two commended at £30. All entries will be considered for publication in and end of year anthology. Details: http://www.flashfictionfestival.com/

WORDS MAGAZINE (sold in aid of the RNLI) are asking for stories of up to 2,000 words on the theme of: Christmas. Prizes: First £50; Second £25, with all entries considered for publication in the magazine. Entry is FREE. Closing date 30 June. Details: http://www.wordsmag.com

Segora International Writing Competitions 2017. Organised by Jocelyn Simms, 1 rue de la Sevre, 79380 St Andre-sur-Sevre, France. (Proceeds donated to Medecins Sans Frontiers) Short stories from 1,500-2,00 words. Entry fees: £6 for 1, £11 for 2, £15 for 3. Prizes: £300, £50, £30. One-act plays: up to 35 minutes running time. Prize £100. Entry fee: £12. Deadline 15 June. Details: http://www.poetryproseandplays.com

Impress Prize for New Writers. Full-length debuts from unpublished fiction and non-fiction writers. Submit book proposal and sample chapter totalling no more than 6,000 words. Prize: Publication by Impress Books. Entry fee: £15. Deadline: 30 June. Details: http://www.impress-books.co.uk

British Fantasy Society Short Story Competition. For any kind of fantasy: magical realism,horror, SF, etc., up to 5,000 words. Prizes: £100, £50, £20, plus a year’s membership of BFS and web publication. Entry fee £5. Deadline 30 June. Details: http://www.britishfantasysociety.co.uk

Do remember to check that the details are correct before entering!

 

 

 

Competitions to Enter in May

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Bath Short Story Peggy Chapman-Andrews, Bridport, Bristol Short Story, Cinnamon Press Short Story, Frome Festival Short Story, New Voices First Novel Competition, Winchester, Yeovil

For those of us slaving into the night on our novels (who groan at also having to produce an enticing agent letter, plus possibly an elevator pitch) competitions for debut novels do at least omit these. You usually need the dreaded synopsis, of course, but that can hardly be avoided. Unless you’re Hilary Mantel: no agent would surely have the nerve to demand one from her…

May is the month for the Bridport’s Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award. Required are the opening chapters of the novel – a minimum of 5,000 words and a maximum of 8,000 words, plus a synopsis of 300 words. First prize is £1,000, plus a written report from the judge, while a runner-up will receive £500, plus a full manuscript appraisal from The Literary Consultancy. The entry fee is £20 and the deadline is midnight on May 31st. Full details from: http://www.bridportprize.org.uk

Next up is the Yeovil Literary Prize.  They’re asking for your opening chapters and a synopsis, up to 15,000 words. Prizes are: £1,000, £250, £100, with a modest entry fee of £12. Closing date is May 31st. Full details: http://www.yeovilprize.co.uk

The Winchester Writers’ Festival 2017 want only the first three pages, plus a 600 word synopsis. Prizes: an editorial meeting with Little Brown, plus £70-worth of books; £30-worth of books. Entry fee is only £6, or £16 with some constructive feedback. This would be perfect for someone embarking on a first or new novel and the feedback offer sounds incredibly good value.  Deadline May 15th. Details: http://www.writersfestival.co.uk

New Voices First Novel Competition. 50 pages of a novel, ready for submission by a first-time writer. Prize: Start-up mentoring package worth £550. Entry fee: £10. Deadline May 31st.  Details: http://www.adventuresinfiction.co.uk

And for the short story writers:

Winchester Writers’ Festival 2017 are also looking for a 1,000-word short story with a MURDER theme. Prizes are books to the value of £60, £40, £20. They also want open-themed short stories between 1,500-3,000 words. Prizes: a telephone consultation with Janklow and Nesbit ‘to receive editorial report’; book prizes for second and third places. Winchester also have competitions for a picture book for children, a memoir, a book for children aged 8-12; flash fiction, and a competition for young writers. Each entry is £6, with the same offer of an included critique for £16. Lots of opportunities on their website: wwwwritersfestival.co.uk

Frome Festival Short Story Festival is seeking stories of 1,000-2,200-words on an open theme. Prizes: £400, £200, £100, with winning entries published on their website – and also possibly sent by them to Women’s Weekly for consideration. Entry fee: £8. Deadline May 31st. Details: http://www.fromeshortstorycompetition.co.uk

Bath Short Story Competition want up to 2,200 words on an open theme. Prizes: £1,000, £200, £50, plus a £50 prize for the best short story by an unpublished writer. Winning and shortlisted stories will be published in an anthology. Entry fee is £8, and the closing date (SOON) is May 1st. Details: http://www.bathshortstory.org.

The Bristol Prize is for a 4,000-word short story. Prizes: £1,000, £799, £400, £100. Fee £8. Deadline (SOON) May 3rd. Details: http://www.bristolprize.co.uk

Bridport also have a short story prize (5,000 words), plus one for a poem (42 lines maximum) and another for flash fiction (250 words). Fee: £10 story; £9 poem; £8 flash. Prizes: story/poem: £5,000, £1,000, £500, 10x£100; flash: £1,000, £500, £250, 3x£100. Deadline May 31st. Details: http://www.bridportprize.org.uk

Yeovil are also offering prizes for a short story, up to 2,000-words and a poem, up to 40 lines. Prizes: £500, £200, £100 for stories/poem. They also have a ‘Writing Without Restriction’ competition (see website for further information on this), with prizes of £200, £100 and £50. Entry fees: £7 for short stories and/or one poem, £10 for two, £12 for three. Writing without restriction: £5. Deadline: May 31st. Details: http://www.yeovilprize.co.uk

Storgy Magazine 2017 Short Story Competition. Stories up to 5,000 words. Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250. Entry fee: £10. Deadline: May 31st. Details: http://stogy.com

Cinnamon Press Short Story Prize: 2,000 to 5,000 words. Prizes: one year’s free mentoring, place on a Ty Newydd course. Publication. Entry fee: £12. Deadline May 31st. Details: http://www.cinnamonpress.com

There are so many opportunities in May that I’m going cross-eyed, so PLEASE check all details carefully. I’ll certainly be entering several of these competitions (ever the optimist), as will other members of ninevoices.

Remember. If you don’t enter, you can’t win.