Competitions worth entering - even if you get rejected
Entering Competitions isn't about getting lost in a forest of entries. It's about finding your path to becoming better at your craft.
From these submissions, I learned - know your audience and become familiar with the journals. I started to read the Winners' submissions and to understand what stories appealed to the Judges. Reading Judges' profiles helped gather information on the genres and styles they favoured.
I have a folder filled with the classic short stories. Now I have a folder of the Winners' stories that show the calibre of the up-and-coming writers. And these are my go-to-stories for inspiration.
In these short story competitions, the form is being broken.
Speaking of exploring a genre's boundaries, Lee Gutkind's Creative Nonfiction publication encourages writers to do just that. And I grabbed the opportunity to explore another genre and another way to tell a story when submitting to CNF's Exploring the Boundaries comp.
So, to all those willing to enter these competitions:
Learn and understand the evolution of the short story from these competitions.
Pitch your story to the competition that best resonates with your style.
Keep editing and re-submitting. Some competitions take entries several times a year.
Use the editorial services some competitions offer.
Word limits help cull or expand your stories.
Competition deadlines are also a great motivator to get a story finished.
Follow the Submissions Guidelines.
Below is a list of my Short Story and Creative Nonfiction entries (mostly international competitions open to writers from around the world) and what I learned once I entered.
Good luck!
2020
January
The Masters Review - US - comp. I opted for the editorial service and received a gracious, constructive review - highly recommend. Cole Meyer's emails are informative and great with the updates on the competition and editorial process.
Stringybark Short Story Award - Australian-based comp. Story must have a link to Australia and suitable for readers over the age of sixteen. You need to submit a Cover Sheet. 1500-word (max) story.
Henshaw Press - UK-based with quarterly comps due in March, June, September and December. Graham Jennings writes a very welcoming email. 2000-word limit. Results are published a month later. Highly recommend using Henshaw's Critique service. The Critique is promptly sent two weeks after results of competition, is done by winning authors, and offers insights into all the crucial aspects of the story (structure, pace, plot, POV, characters, technique, dialogue, language, and audience).
Overland - AUS-based. New Summer Writing Challenge to start the writing year requesting stories where the characters are put under pressure. Allan Drew is the Guest Editor. 4000-word limit and winners appear in the First Special Edition of 2020.
February
Newcastle Award Comp part of The Hunters Writers Centre - homegrown competition with automated/informative emails from the Director Karen Crofts. Lists 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Highly Commended Entries.
March
Nelligan Prize - US-based open internationally with informative/automated email from the Colorado Review Team. Unpublished submissions and 2500-word limit.
Henshaw Press - UK-based with quarterly comps due in March, June, September and December.
April
Tethered By Letters - F(r)iction - US-based. 1000-7500 word for short fiction, flash fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction submissions held three-times a year. TBL offer a free editing program and Literary Contests and winners get published in F(r)iction.
Tom Howard/ John H Reid Fiction and Essay - US-based with a 6000-word limit. Short story and Nonfiction entries from around the world are accepted. Winning Writers team handle the emails.
Bath Short Story Award - UK-based and accept any themed story with a 2200-word limit. Use PayPal receipt to send entry via email.
May
Lorian Hemingway - US-based comp listing the number of entrants in its Results section. Includes a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Honorable Mention List. 3,500-word limit. I entered a Short Story I happen to mention her grandfather. Editorial Assistant Eva Eliot chased me up after I'd paid and hadn't submitted a second story. That's impressive.
Creative Nonfiction - Lee Gutkind's (my Nonfiction hero) Exploring the Boundaries Submission with a 4,500 word count. You get an automated email from The Editors that includes your story's title.
June
Fields of Words - AUS-based with 1000-2500 word limit open to international entrants of unpublished works and for a fee offers a Critique/Edit.
Stuart Hadow Prize - AUS-based. 3000 word limit and open themed.
Victoria University Prize - AUS-based. 3000-word limit and open to entrants form around the world. Winner gets $6000 and published in Overland.
Audio Arcadia's General Fiction Comp - UK-based. 5000-word limit.
Society of Women Writers NSW Inc - AUS-based and open to Australian residents only. 3000-word limit for Fiction and Non Fiction. Winning entry presented at The State Library of NSW. Mail entry only.
The Moth International Prize - UK-based comp. 5000-word limit.
Wells Festival of Literature - UK-based. 1000-2000 words.
Henshaw Press - UK-based with quarterly comps due in March, June, September and December.
July
The S.D. Harvey Short Crime Story Award - AUS-based. 3000-5000 words in fiction and nonfiction (creative nonfiction or long-form journalism).
The Seán O'Faoláin International SS Prize - IRISH-based comp. 3000-word limit.
Brighton Prize - UK-based to be relaunched in 2020. Entries 1000-2000 words. Open to a Broad Audience. Unpublished works only. They recommend being Professional, Patient and Persistent.
August
Marjorie Barnard SS Award -AUS-based and open to permanent residents of Australia only. 3000-word limit.
September
Sydney Hammond Memorial SS Writing Comp - AUS-based and residents of Australia only. 1000 words. Theme: Together in Diversity, Australia in 2019.
Henshaw Press - UK-based with quarterly comps due in March, June, September and December.
October
Kenyon Review - US- based. it can take up to six months for a response because of the high volume of submissions. When entering the competition, writers are offered a discount on print subscription. All winning stories are available on their website.
November
Overland Literary Journal (Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize) - AUS-based. Winners will be advised in February 2021. Subscription to the magazine is encouraged and subscribers are offered a discount to the Writing Prizes.
Black Horse Review - US-based. Offers the opportunity to have short story workshopped for US$12 and emerging writers may re-submit edited story. Workshopped stories are done within a couple of months and are in the form of brief handwritten notes on the original story. 1000-2500 word range.
December
The Lascaux Review - US-based open to all and accepts published/unpublished works with a 10,000 word limit. I missed out on the gorgeous bronze medal, but was graced by an informative email from Stephen Parrish and a free download of their Review. Will be entering their Creative Nonfiction Prize in Sept 2020.
Henshaw Press - UK-based with quarterly comps due in March, June, September and December.
Hal Porter Comp - AUS-based for Australian writers and accepts only postmarked entries, but entry fee can be made online.
Comentarios