Disclaimer: This website owner
is not responsible for misinformation, and the listing of these contests is not an edorsement on the part of this website owner!! Please do your own homework.
Categories abbreviations used: Contemp (Contemporary), ER (Erotic Romance),
FFTP (Futuristic / Time-Travel, Fantasy, Paranormal), HF (Historical Fiction),
HR (Historical Romance), MS (Mainstream), Mys-Sus (Mystery / Suspense), Para (Paranormal), RC (Romantic
Comedy), RE (Romantic Elements), RS (Romantic Suspense), ST (Single Title),
Sci-Fi (Science Fiction), YA (Young Adult).
Contests for published works show "Type" in this color. |
| If you use this chart, please consider buying my debut Regency-set historical romance, DUKE OF DECEPTION :-) |  |
Current Contests Click here for contests with deadlines that have passed
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If you use this chart, please consider buying my debut Regency-set historical romance, DUKE OF DECEPTION :-) |
| Sponsor / Org | Contest | Type | Eligibility | Dates | Entry | Fee | Submission | Categories / Judges | Awards / Other Info |
| Work Literary Magazine | Employee of the Year | Interview / Memoir | Anyone. Entry must be original work, unpublished (traditional, self-pub, or e-pub) and not contracted at deadline. No simultaneous submissions. | e-deadline May 18, 2012; grand prize winner announced June 11 | Interview or memoir with the theme of WORK. | $15 via Paypal | .doc or .rtf via email | Two published authors judging each category. Finalists in each category are winners who contend for prize title Employee of the Year. | Winner receives $50. Entry will be ranked with winning entries from the Memoir / Interview and Fiction categories and grand prize winner will receive an additional $50 plus limited edition WORK team t-shirt and honorary title "Employee of the Year" |
| Central Ohio Fiction Writers | Ignite the Flame | Romance | Unpublished in book length fiction, including e-books and POD | Postmark / e-deadline 11:59 pm EST May 20, 2012. Winners notifed ~July 5. | hero and heroine's first meeting, 15 pp max; optional one page set-up for necessary background (will not be judged) | $25, $30 by check, money order, or PayPal. | mail or email | Two judges per entry, at least one a published author. If a 20-point variance occurs and one of the scores is 80 or higher, a third judge will score the entry and the 2 closest scores will be averaged to determine the final score. All unpublished judges are RWA PRO. 3 finalists in each category: RS (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency); HR (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Category Contemp (Rhonda Penders, Wild Rose Press); YA (Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger, Inc.); ST (Katherine Pelz, Berkley Publishing Group); ER (Alicia Rasley, Red Sage); Para (Lindsey Faber, Samhain Publishing) | First place winner in each category receives $25. |
| Charter Oak Romance Writers of America | Golden Acorn | Romance | Unpublished / uncontracted by RWA publisher at time of deadline | Submitted by 11:59 EST May 20, 2012; finalists notified by Aug 1 | 1st 20 pp plus optional synopsis (3 pp max; synopsis will not be judged). Finalists must include a symopsis of up to 1,500 words. | $25 | electronic only, pay via check or PayPal | Limited to 95 entries. A minimum of 3 judges read and score each entry; lowest score dropped. 5 finalists per categpry. Para (Jita Fumich, Folio Literary Management); HR - short or long and Regencies (Ally Robertson, The Wild Rose Press); Contemp (Deborah Smith, Bell Bridge Books); MS (Jennifer Lawler, Crimson Romance); YA (Mandy Hubbard, D4EO Literary Agency) | Five finalists in each round will receive certificates. The first place winner will receive $25.00 and their certificate. Results will be publicized. |
| Heart of Denver Romance Writers of America | The Molly | Romance | unpublished or not published in past 3 yrs | Received by 11:59 PM MDT, May 25, 2012; 1st round semi-finalists notified ~July 14; 2nd round finalists notified ~Aug 25; winners notified ~Oct 20. | 1st 30 pp plus synopsis, 5 pp max | $30 - HODRW members, $35 - other RWA members; $40 non-RWA members. $5 early bird discount by May 1; money order, check, or Paypal | 1st Round has 2 qualified judges. Top 30% in each category moves to 2nd round. Re-judging will occur in the 1st round only, and only w/ diff of at least 20 points between judges and if higher judge gave score of 85 or more. When re-judging occurs, lowest score is discarded. 2nd Round judged by 2 pubbed authors. After the 4 scores from 1st and 2nd round are received, the lowest of the 4 scores is dropped. The 3 entries with highest total of the 3 remaining scores advances to finals. All entries are judged for the Unsinkable Heroine award. Categories: Contemp (Brenda Chin, Harlequin); HR (Elaine English, Elaine P. English, PLLC); Para / TT / F (Elaine Spencer, The Knight Literary Agency); Para YA (Emily Keyes, The L. Perkins Agency); YA (Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency); ST / MS (Deborah Smith, Bell Bridge Books); RS (Lois Winston, Ashley Grayson Literary Agency); Unsinkable Heroine (Becky Vinter, FinePrint Literary Mgmt); Heart of Molly Member-Only Award (Laura Baumbach, Passion in Print) | The 1st Place winner in each category will receive the "Molly Award Plaque." All other finalists will receive certificates. Results will be in the RWR. | |
| Waterstones / The Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre | The Page is Printed | All genres | Anyone | Deadline May 29, 2012; winners announced June 29 | Poetry, prose, script, confession, love letter, short story, any entry, any style, as long as it fits on one side of one A4 page. | £4 for adults (up to 3 submissions); pay online at website. Under 16: Free (up to 3 submissions). Pay by cheque or call to pay by credit card. | Mail or email. Entry form is online for download. | Two categories: Adult, Under 16. | £275 of prizes. Adults: 1st prize £100 Waterstones Vouchers, 2nd Prize £50 Waterstones Vouchers, 3rd Prize £25 Waterstones Vouchers. Under 16: 5 prizes of £25 Waterstones Vouchers to be won. |
| The Flaneur | The Flaneur Short Story contest | Fiction | Anyone; short story must be unpublished | May 31, 2012 | 6,000 word max short story with Urban theme | $10 | Submit online | no categories (theme is Urban) | As we don’t know how this endeavour will go we’re not offering millions, but the best story, as chosen by The Flaneur (all decisions are final, etc, etc) will be awarded a cash prize, paid via Paypal of 50% of all entry fees. That could be a lot or might be a little, we’ve got absolutely no idea. |
| Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America | Emerald City Opener | Romance | Unpublished writers (RWA and non-RWA) who have not accepted a publishing offer from a non-subsidy, non-vanity publisher for a novel or novella by contest entry deadline. Previous finalists of this contest may not re-enter finalist entries, even in an edited format. | Postmark by midnight PDT, May 31, 2012; winners announced at Emerald City Writers' conference Oct 26-28 | first 7 pp of ms in MS Word format only | $12, $20 | Electronic entry. Pay by check, MO, or PayPal | Judges will be: PRO members, published authors, or Golden Heart finalist / winners. Final judges: Category Series (Kelli Martin, Amazon / Montlake & more ); Contemp (Liz Pelletier, Entangled Publishing); HR: (Amanda Bergeron, Avon Books / HarperCollins Publishing); Para (Carrie Jackson, Ellora's Cave); Novel with Strong RE (Holly Root,Waxman Literary Agency); RS (Alexandra Machinist, Janklow & Nesbit Associates); YA (Nicole Resciniti, The Seymour Agency) | 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winners in each category will receive an award certificate and an individual editor or agent appointment at the Emerald City Writers' Conference. In addition, the 1st Place winner in each category receives a $25 gift card. |
| Killer Nashville | Killer Nashville Claymore Award | Mystery / Thriller | Anyone. Entry must not be under contract. | Postmark by May 31, 2012. Winner announced at Killer Nashville Awards Banquet Aug 25, 2012 | First 50 pages | $35 by check or PayPal | 10 finalists will be judged by Five Star Press / Tekno Books. Any subgenre of mystery or thriller, incl political thriller, cozy, police procedural, private eye, romantic suspense, paranormal, and historical. | Winner receives engraved replica of a Claymore dagger. Winner / top 3 finalists receive free admission to Killer Nashville and Awards Dinner. All Finalists will be considered for a publishing contract. | |
| Scribophile | Two Ways Contest | Fiction + Poetry | Anyone | May 31, 2012; winners announced June 16 | 2,500 wd max entry consisting of both fiction and poety, addressing the same core story. | Free | online thru their website | Any category / theme | 1st prize: $50 2nd prize: $25 |
| Women On Writing (WOW) | Flash Fiction Contest | Fiction | Anyone, any age. Entry must be in English. | Midnight PST May 31, 2012. Capped at 300 entries. | 250 words min to 750 words max (title not included in count) | $10 (extra $10 if you want a critique) | Online submission. Pay via PayPal | 25 winners. 1st Place: $250.00 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate, entry published on WOW! Women On Writing, plus more. 2nd Place: $150 cash, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate (see website for further awards) | |
| Writers Type | Writers Type Competition | Fiction (flash, short story, novel excerpts) | anyone; unpublished work in English | May 31, 2012 | Dependent on contest entered, i.e., First Chapter, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Poetry. Please see website for further details. | $10 via payPal | electronic via WritersType.com | WritersType.com sponsors three annual contests in the categories of First Chapter, Flash Fiction, and Short Story. | In each category, the monthly winner receives $25 honorarium, comments from our readers, and publication on our site. Each month, the top two submissions in each category advance to the annual competition. Annual Prize: a total of $250, reader comments, and publication on our site. |
| Music City Romance Writers | Minuet of Love | Novella | Authors may have previously been published but manuscript entered must not have been published in any format as of entry deadline. Enty projected length must be between 15,000 and 40,000 words and have a HEA or HFN ending.. | Midnight June 1, 2012 | First 10 pp. Optional: a 250-wd max synopsis OR a sample query letter (will not be judged). | $15 via PayPal or check | Two first-round judges. A third judge for discrepency / tiebreaker. Top scorers in each category have 2 wks to revise. HR (Linda Ingmanson, Samhain Publishing); Contemp (Deborah Nemeth, Carina Press); Para (Adrien-Luc Sanders, Entangled Publishing) | The top scorer in each category will receive $25, a snazzy certificate, and will be announced in RWR | |
| Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers | Colorado Gold | Fiction | Unpublished, uncontracted in book length fiction at time of entry. Entries capped at 200. | E-deadline 11:59 PM June 1, 2012. | first 20 pp of ms; synopsis, 8 pp max; courier 12 pt font and either 24 or 25 lines per page (must be consistent). First pp of chapter and synopsis must start 1/3 down page. | $30; critique is add'l $25. | 2 judges evaluate each entry. 5 highest-scoring entries in each category will final. MS (Women's Fiction, Chick Lit, Western, Historical Action, Historical Character); Action / Thriller ( Action / Adventure, All Thrillers), Mystery (Amateur Detective, Suspense, Cozy, Private Eye, Historical, Police Procedural); Romance (Traditional, Long, Short, ST, RS, Para, HR, Regency, TT / F / F); Speculative Fiction (Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, New Age, Supernatural, Alternative History, Tie-in). Final judge will be an acquiring literary agent or editor who is attending conference. | 1st Place winner: $100 and certificate. Remaining finalists receive $30 and certificate. Winners will be announced at Colorado Gold Conference September 10. | |
| Toronto Romance Writers of America | The Catherine | Romance | Open to all unpublished writers (whether or not a member of RWA) and any member of RWA who is not eligible to join RWA-PAN. Entry must be uncontracted, unpublished as of entry date. | Received by 11:59 PM, June 1, 2012; finalistgs notified mid-August. | beginning of ms plus synopsis (30 pp max) | $30 by PayPal (preferred) or check | email as rtf document | Finalists have a week to revise entry. Contemp Series (Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin); Contemp ST (Leonore Waldrip, HQN); HR (Katherine Pelz, Berkley); RS (Leis Pederson, Berkley); Strong RE (Kathleen Gilligan, St. Martin's); Para / F / F (Esi Sogah, Avon); YA (Karen Chaplin, HarperCollins Children's Books). | Category winners receive certificates and are entered into the Gold Ticket competition judged by Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency. The Gold Ticket winner receives a three-chapter critique by NYT bestselling author Kelley Armstrong. |
| Work Literary Magazine | Employee of the Year | Fiction | Anyone. Entry must be original work, unpublished (traditional, self-pub, or e-pub) and not contracted at deadline. No simultaneous submissions. | e-deadline June 1, 2012; grand prize winner announced June 11 | Fiction with the theme of WORK. | $15 via PayPal | .doc or .rtf via email | Two published authors judging each category. Finalists in each category are winners who contend for prize title Employee of the Year. | Winner receives $50. Entry will be ranked with winning entries from the Memoir / Interview and Fiction categories and grand prize winner will receive an additional $50 plus limited edition WORK team t-shirt and honorary title "Employee of the Year" |
| Georgia Romance Writers of America | Maggie Unpublished | Romance | Unpublished RWA member not receiving full-time writing income in fiction writing, Golden Heart eligibility rules. Entries limited to first 70 received in each category. | Received by 10 PM EST, June 10, 2012; finalists notified by Aug 20; winners notified Oct 6 at M&M conference | synopsis, prologue and first chapter, 35 pp max plus SASE. | $25, $30 | electronic | 2 published authors judge each entry, giving score of 1 to 10. No scoresheets, scores not released to entrants. Judges write on ms. Final judges: ST (Latoya Smith, Grand Central); Series Contemp (Stacy Boyd, Harlequin); Inspirational (Emily Rodmel, Harlequin Love Inspired); HR (Parisa Zolfaghari, Pocket); Para (Lindsey Faber, Samhain); YA (Martin Biro, Kensington) | 1st Place winner in each category receives Maggie Medallion. All finalists receive certificates. |
| Ancient City Romance Authors | Heart of Excellence | Romance Book | RWA members with books having original copyright date or first US print date of 2011 | Postmark by June 15, 2012; finalists announced by end of Aug; winners announced at October Boot Camp | 3 signed copies of book; ebooks accepted in bound, hard copy. | $20 via PayPal or check. | Judges are RWA members, non-RWA members, romance readers, booksellers, and librarians. Categories: Short & Long Series Contemp; Contemp ST; RS; HR (includes Regency); Inspirational / Traditional; Para; Strong RE; ER | 1st Place winners in each category will receive a trophy, certificate, and a winner’s graphic to include on their website. 2nd and 3rd Place winners will receive a certificate and a graphic for their website. Announcement will be sent to RWR. | |
| Final Draft | Big Break | Screenplay | Anyone 18 years or older at date of entry. | Received by extended deadline of June 15, 2012 (standard deadline ofMay 31; additional fee applies) | Full-length screenplay, 80 -120 pp; screenplays under 80 or over 135 pp will be disqualified. Must submit in Final Draft or pdf format. | $50 for standard entries; $65 for extended deadline entries. | online entry system | Final judges: industry experts. | 1st Place: $15,000 cash plus finalist prizes, airfare to Los Angeles, and 3-night hotel stay (unless winner resides in or around Los Angeles). 2nd Place: $4,000 cash plus finalist prizes, airfare to Los Angeles, and 3-night hotel stay (unless winner resides in or around Los Angeles). 3rd Place: $2,000 cash plus finalist prizes, airfare to Los Angeles, and 3-night hotel stay (unless winner resides in or around Los Angeles). Top 10 Finalist Prizes - Final Draft software - Script read by top industry companies - Gotham Writers’ Workshop 10-week class - Pitch Perfect video pitching from StoryLink.com - One-year Script magazine subscription - $150 gift certificate from The Writers Store and more... |
| Heart of Denver Romance Writers of America | Aspen Gold Reader's Choice | Romance Book / Novella | book length romantic fiction with ISBN first published in 2011. | Received by June 15, 2012; finalists notified ~July 23; add'l two books must be received from finalists by Aug 6; winners announced at awards luncheon in Oct. | 3 copies of book; -books must be submitted in print format. | $20, $25, $30 | by mail | YA, Contemp, ST, HR, Para / TT / F, RS, Erotica, Novella. First round judged by romance readers. Top 3 books in each category advance to final round. Final judges: Booksellers or librarians. | 1st Place winner receives Aspen Gold award. |
| Room Magazine | Room Magazine's Annual Fiction, Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction Contest | Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-Fiction | Women writers | Postmark / edeadline June 15, 2012 | Poetry: 3 poems or 150 lines max; Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction: 3,500 words max | $30 (Canadian entries), $42 (non-Canadian); includes 1-yr subscription to Room | mail or email | Judges: Fiction: Amber Dawn; Poetry: Elizabeth Bachinsky; Creative Non-Fiction: Susan Juby | 1st prize in each category – $500, 2nd prize – $250. Winners will be published in a 2012 issue of Room. Other manuscripts may be published. |
| New Jersey Romance Writers of America | Golden Leaf | Romance Book, Novella | All NJRW members and RWA members in Region One published in novel-length fiction who are eligible for RWA PAN or NJRW PAN. Books with copyright of July 2011 - June 2012 | Postmark by June 20, 2012 and received by June 25; finalists notified early Sept; winners announced Oct 12 | Romance novels with a first copyright date or first NA printing date of July 2011 through June 2012 are eligible. Includes E-books in print book format, with copyright page produced by publisher, with perfect or case binding and print on both sides of the page. See rule about erotic or sexually explicit scenes. | $15, $25 taken thru MyRWA. See website. | mail in entry | Three finalists per category: Best First Book; Contemp Series, Contemp ST, HR, Novella, Para, RS, RE, YA | Winners announced at Golden Leaf Ceremony at "Put Your Heart In A Book" Confrerence |
| Hollywood Book Festival | Hollywood Book Festival | All | Published, self-published, independently published works | Received by COB on June 25, 2012 | one copy of book, any relevant marketing material | $75 | Mail. Payment by check, money order or online with credit card or thru PayPal | Categories: General Non-fiction, General Fiction, Children’s book, E-book, Comics / Zines, How-To, Fan Fiction, Wild Card, Unpublished Stories, Teenage, Biography / Autobiography, Audio / spoken word, Screenplays, Genre-based. Also Author of the Year, Design of the Year and Publisher of the Year. | Grand prize for the 2012 Hollywood Book Festival Author of the Year is $1,500 and a flight to Hollywood, CA, for awards ceremony. |
| New York Television Festival | NYTVF Independent Pilot Compeition | Pilot with running time of between 4 and 22 minutes. | Any legal resident of the U.S., 18 yrs and older | 11:59 PM June 29, 2012 | submit 5 copies of pilot on playable DVD | $30 - $100 depending on date of upload (e.g., early submissin ends May 11 final is June 15, procastinator is June 29) | The judging panel, selected by the NYTVF in its sole discretion, will determine 25 finalists, based on the following criteria, weighted equally: originality; creativity; humor; overall impression. In event of tie, entries will be re-judged based solely on the criteria of overall impression. | Guaranteed development deals. See website for details. | |
| CJM Books | Colonnade Writing Contest | Fiction, Non-fiction | Contestants must be 18 yrs or older. Stories must be written primarily in English and be previously unpublished. | June 30, 2012; winners notifed 15 days after deadline; yearly winners announced upon release of anthology in early February. | Submit complete essay or story (10,000 words max). | $12 | mail or electronic | Fiction and Non-fiction judges change quarterly. | Prizes: $125 to one quarterly winner in each category; $600 to yearly winner in each category. 24 total winners and runners up will be published in yearly anthology. |
| First Coast Romance Writers of America | Published Beacon Award | Romance Book, Novella | Books with first copyright of 2011. Any publishing venue (Traditional, POD, self-pubbed, ebook, etc.) | Postmark by June 30, 2012; finalists winners announced Sept 15 | 3 copies of book per category (book may be entered in multiple categories; no add'l books required for 1st book category); ebooks accepted in hard copy. | $25 (no add'l fee for 1st book category) | Mail. Pay by check or Paypal. | Final Judges: Booksellers. Categories: Contemp Series (all except Suspense / Adventure); Contemp ST; HR / Regency; Inspirational; F / F / Para; RS / Contemp Series; Novel with Strong RE; YA; Novella; ER; Best First Book. | First place per category - Beacon Lapel Pin, and .gif for website. All finalists will receive a certificate. Winners announced in RWR. |
| Land of Enchantment Romance Writers of America | The Rebecca | Romance | Published or unpublished authors with unpublished, uncontracted entry. | Postmark / e-deadline June 30, 2012; finalists notified Sept 1; winners announced Oct 13. | First 5,000 words in 12 pt TNR double-spaced | $20 members, $25 non-members | electronic, pay via PayPal | Top 3 entries in each category final. Contemp (Deb Nemeth, Carina Press); HR (Suzie Townsend, Nancy Coffey Literary Agency); Para / SFR / UF (Adam Wilson, Pocket Books); Category Romance (Allison Lyons, Harlequin) YA (Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s Press) | 1st Place winners in each category: $50 gift certificate and silver feather;. 2nd Place $30 gift certificate. 3rd Place $20 gift certificate. |
| Maryland Writers' Association | Great Beginnings (Website not updated as of April 30) | Fiction | ? | June 30, 2012 | First 7,000 words of ms and a 300-500 word synopsis | ? | upload entry thru website. | MS / Literary; YA; Sci-Fi / Fantasy; Historical | ? |
| Science Thrillers | ScienceThrillers Creative Science Writing Contest | Theme-related hort story, poetry, graphic story | Anyone. Entry must be original and unpublished. | June 30, 2012; winners announced by Aug 1 | Any work of less than 4000 words that (1) has accurate science in it; (2) is entertaining but secretly educational; (3) is suitable for a youth audience | $5 | Word attachment to email | Just one category, with a minimum of three awards | $100, $50, and $25 |
| Writers of the Future | Writers of the Future | Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy | Open to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than 3 short stories in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment and at least 5,000 copies or 5,000 hits. | Postmark by midnight June 30, 2012 | Works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. | Free and writer retains all rights. | All types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy. No poetry or works for children. No excessive violence or sex. | Cash prizes of $500, $750, $1,000 every quarter. Annual cash prize of $5,000. | |
| Writers Type | Writers Type Competition | Fiction (flash, short story, novel excerpts) | anyone; unpublished work in English | June 30, 2012 | Dependent on contest entered, i.e., First Chapter, Short Story, Flash Fiction. Please see website for further details. | $10 via payPal | electronic via WritersType.com | WritersType.com sponsors three annual contests in the categories of First Chapter, Flash Fiction, and Short Story. | In each category, the monthly winner receives $25 honorarium, comments from our readers, and publication on our site. Each month, the top two submissions in each category advance to the annual competition. Annual Prize: a total of $250, reader comments, and publication on our site. |
| New Jersey Romance Writers of America | Put Your Heart In A Book | Romance | RWA member, unpublished / not contracted in book-length romantic fiction at the contest deadline by any publisher and in any format within the last five years. | Received by 11:59 EST July 1, 2012; winners announced October 13 at NJRW Conference. | synopsis, prologue, first chapter, 30 pp max. | $20 NJRW members, $35 all others. Check, MO or PayPal | electronic only | 2 judges for 1st round; 3rd judge if difference of 45 points or more. Score is averaged of 2 highest scores. The 3 top entries in each category final. Short Contemp (Michelle Grajkowski, Three Seas Literary Agency; Patience Smith Bloom, Silhouette Special Edition; Author Leanne Banks); ST Contemp (Jessica Alvarez, Bookends; LaToya Smith, Grand Central Publishing; Author Susan Wiggs); HR (Courtney Miller- Callihan Sandford, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates; Tessa Woodward, Avon Books; Author Sabrina Jeffries); Para (Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency; Junessa Viloria, Ballantine / Ivy; Author Heather Graham); RE (Agent TBD; Aubrey Poole, Sourcebooks; Author Lisa Verge Higgins); YA (Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency; Liz Pelletier, Entangled Publishing; Author May McGoldrick); RS (Jill Marsal, Marsal-Lyons Agency; Elizabeth Bass, Carina Press; Author Mary Burton) | 1st Place: $50 + plaque; 2nd Place: $35 + certificate; 3rd Place: $25 + certificate |
| Chick Lit Writers of the World | Get Your Stiletto in the Door | Chick Lit | Any writer unpublished / uncontracted by RWA approved publisher in novel-length fiction. Entry must have a projected minimum of 75k (35k for YA) | e-deadline Midnight EDT July 6, 2012; winners announced ~Sept 30. | Beginning of ms (5,000 words max) plus synopsis (500 words max, will not be judged) | $15, $25 | electronic. Pay via PayPal, check on US bank or money order in US funds. | Final Judges: ST (Chelsea M. Gilmore ,Maria Carvainis Agency; Laura Fazio, Penguin; Jennifer Miller, Samhain); Women’s Fiction (Victoria Sanders, Victoria Sanders & Associates; Emily Beth Rapoport, Berkley; Kimberlee Williams, Vanilla Heart Publishing); Mystery / Suspense (Bernadette Baker-Baughman, Victoria Sanders & Associates; Kathleen Gilligan, St. Martin’s Press; Raelene Gorlinsky, Ellora’s Cave); Para (Amy Boggs, Donald Maass Literary Agency; Ann Leslie Tuttle, Harlequin; Abby Rose, Lyrical Press); YA (Mary Kole, Andrea Brown Literary Agency; Aubrey Poole, SourceBooks; Nicole Langan, Tribute Books); Louboutin Stiletto Award (Lois Winston, Ashley Grayson Literary Agency) | 1st place winner in each category will receive a $50 Amazon gift card. Results will be published in the RWR. |
| Indiana Romance Writers of America | Golden Opportunity | Romance (YA entry does not have to be romance) | Anyone unpublished (according to Romance Writers of America PAN guidelines) in past 5 yrs. Need not be a member of RWA. Members of the Indiana RWA chapter are not eligible. Limited to first 40 entries in each category. | Received by July 8, 2012. | beginning of ms and synopsis, 55 pp max | $25. MO, Check or PayPal. | electronic entry. Pay by check, MO or PayPal. | 1st round: 2 experienced judges who MUST provide constructive critiques. If the 2 scores are 75 or more points apart, a 3rd judge is used and the 2 scores closest to each other prevail. 3 finalists per category. Final judges: HR (Jesse Feldman, NAL); MS w/ Strong RE (Angela James. Carina Press); Para (Suzie Townsend, FinePrint Literary); RS (Aubrey Poole); ST (Latoya Smith, Grand Central Publishing); YA (Anna Webman, Curtis Brown, Ltd); ER (Michelle Paulin); Best-of-the-Best (Meredith Giordan, Berkley Publishing) | 1st Place: $50.00 and certificate; Best of the Best Award: $100 cash and certificate. |
| Southern Louisiana Romance Writers of America | Dixie Kane Memorial Contest | Romance | unpublished or not published in book length fiction by RWA approved published in last 5 yrs; do not need to be RWA member to enter | Postmark byJuly 16, 2012; winners announced Sept 30. | first 5 pp of ms, 1 pp synopsis (synopsis will not be not judged) | $15 | Mail. Pay by check or MO. | Final Round Judges: Short / long series contemp (Stacy Holmes, Yellow Rose Line); ST contemp (Rhonda Penders, The Wild Rose Press); Para (CallieLynn Wolfe, Black Rose Line); Inspirational (Nicola Martinez, Pelican Book Group / White Rose Publishing); RE (Rhonda Penders, The Wild Rose Press); RS (Lori Graham, The Wild Rose Press); HR (Allison Byers, Historical Line); ER (Diana Carlile, Scarlet Rose Line) | The top prize for the highest overall score among all entries receives $50 cash and special certificate. Certificates for 1st through 3rd Places and honorable mentions. Names published in RWR, the New Orleans Times Picayune, and on SOLA's website. |
| Maryland Writers' Association | MWA Short Works Contest | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | Entry must be original, unpublished and in English. | Postmark by July 30, 2012; prizes awarded at MWA Awards Dinner in April. | Fiction or creative nonfiction up to 3,000 wds max, poetry 50 lines max; plus cover page | $10, $15 | Email. Pay PayPal. | Each entry receives 2 judges' critiques. Judges' names will be posted after contest is over. Categories: Poetry; Short Fiction; Creative Nonfiction | 1st Place receives $150 and complimentary Annual conference attendance. 2nd Place receives $100. 3rd Place receives $75. All receive certificate to be awarded at April Awards Dinner and complimentary Awards Dinner reservations for winner and one guest. |
| Dream Quest One | Poetry & Writing Contest | Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry | Unpublished or published. All entries must be original to entrants. | Postmark by July 31, 2012; winners announced Aug 31, 2012 | Poem (30 lines or fewer) on any subject and / or short story (5 pp max, single or double spacing) on any theme | $5 per poem; $10 per short story | mail, can pay via PayPal | All categories welcome. Judges: Dare to Dream Master Selection Committee | Prizes: Writing First Prize: $500, Second: $250, Third: $100; Poetry First Prize: $250, Second: $125, Third: $50. All winning entries will be published online in the Dare to Dream pages |
| Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival | Poetry Contest | Poetry | Poem must be unpublished. Open to writers who have not published a book of poetry (may have published in other genres). Authors who have self-published or have published chapbooks are eligible provided poetry collection does not have an ISBN number. | Postmark / e-deadline Aug 15, 2012. Winner announced by January 15, 2013. | 2-4 unpublished poems of any theme with combined length of up to 400 lines | $20 | electronic preferred;. pay via Discover, MC, Visa. If by mail, pay via check or MO. | Judge: Louisiana Poet Laureate Julie Kane | Prize: $1000; public reading and VIP All Access Pass ($500 value) for next festival, public reading at next festival, and publication in Louisiana Cultural Vistas. Top 10 finalists receive a panel pass ($75 value) to attend the next festival, and their names will be published on www.tennesseewilliams.net. |
| The Golden Network Romance Writers of America | Golden Pen | Romance | RWA member unpublished and uncontracted by Aug 15, 2012 (or not published in last 5 yrs) by a non-vanity, non-subsidy publisher | e-deadline Aug 15, 2012; early bird submission deadline is July 15; finalists notified Oct 1; finalists must submit revised entry by Oct 10; winners announced mid December | beginning of ms, synopsis (55 pp max, including the synopsis, which can't exceed 10 pp) | $35 until July 15, then $40. PayPal, check, MO | electronic entry | Preliminary round: 3 judges, incl. at least one published author, one Golden Heart finalist, and one PRO. Lowest score is dropped. The 3 top-scoring entries in each category proceed to final round. Final judges: Contemp ST (Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks); Inspirational (Melissa Endlich, Steeple Hill); Novel with Strong RE (Valerie Gray, MIRA Books and SPICE Books); Para (Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group); RS (Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s Press); Series Romance (Susan Litman, Harlequin Enterprises); HR (Katherine Pelz, Berkley Publishing Group); YA (Regina Griffin, Egmont USA) | 1st Place in each category: Engraved gold pen, a certificate and a check for $30. 2nd Place: Certificate and a check for $20. 3rd Place: Certificate. Final placements will be announced in the RWR. |
| Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival | One Act Play Contest | One-act play | Students and faculty of the University of New Orleans FTCA and Creative Writing Workshop are ineligible. Plays that have won any other playwriting contest are ineligible. | Postmark / e-deadline Nov 1, 2012. Winner announced by March 1, 2013. | Submit unpublished, never publicly performed one-act play up to one hour in length. See guidelines for more info. | $25 | electronic preferred;. pay via Discover, MC, Visa. If by mail, pay via check or MO. | Grand Prize: $1,500; staged reading at the 2012 Festival (25th anniversary; full production at the next Festival; VIP All-Access Festival pass for next two years ($1,000 value); publication in Bayou. Top Ten Finalists will also receive a panel pass to attend the Festival. | |
| Tennessee Williams / New Orleans Literary Festival | Fiction Contest | Short Story | Open to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction. Includes self-published books with ISBN. Story cannot have won any other writing contest. | Postmark / e-deadline Nov 15, 2012. Winner announced by March 1, 2013. | Original short story, written in English, up to 7,000 words. | $25 | electronic preferred;. pay via Discover, MC, Visa. If by mail, pay via check or MO. | Judge Amy Hempel | Grand Prize: $1500; Domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the next festival in New Orleans; VIP All-Access Festival Pass ($500 value); Public reading at the Festival; Top Ten Finalists' names will appear on website. |
| Dunes & Dreams Romance Writers of America | Picture Perfect | Romance Book | Covers of full-length romance from non-vanity, non-subsidy publishers with original copyright date of 2010-2011. Dreams & Dunes members not eligible. | Midnight EST Dec 1, 2012 for entry forms; midnight EST Dec 8 for covers. Finalists announced by Jan 15, 2013; winners announced by Feb 14. | Submit book cover and blurb | $10 per cover | Email. Pay by PayPal or check. | 5 finalists per category: Judges include PAN and PRO members, trained and unpublished members. Final judge TBA. Categories: HR, Contemp, Para / Sci-Fi | Winners receive plaque, button for website, a similar button for their publisher and cover artist (if requested), and the winning cover art (with link to author website) on prominent display on the Dunes & Dreams RWA website for one year. |