April Writing Contests
On April 3, 2012 | 1 Comments

Writing Contests for April


Cave Canem Foundation: Poetry Prize for African American Poet

Entry fee: $15.00
Prizes: $1,000, publication/15 copies
Deadline: April 30, 2012

Established in 1999, this first-book award is dedicated to the discovery of exceptional manuscripts by African-American poets. The participation of distinguished judges and prominent literary presses has made this prize highly competitive. Final Judge: Major Jackson (Judge reserves the right not to select a winner or honorable mentions). Eligibility: African American writers who have not had a full-length book of poetry published by a professional press. Authors of chapbooks and self-published books with a maximum print run of 500 or less may apply. Simultaneous submission to other book awards should be noted; immediate notice upon winning such an award is required. Winner agreed to present in the continental United States at his or her own expense shortly after the book is published in order to participate in promotional readings.

For full submission guidelines, go to www.cavecanempoets.org.

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Chautauqua Flash Contest for short prose poem, short essay or short, short story

Entry fee: $20.00
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Deadline: April 15, 2012

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Chautauqua will be given for a short prose poem, a short short story, or a short essay on the theme of Journeys and Pilgrimages. Luke Whisnant will judge. They prefer you use the online submission system, submit up to 750 words of poetry or prose. For additional information, Website: www.ciweb.org/literary-journal. E-mail address: clj@uncw.edu. If you’re unable to submit online, visit the website for the postal mailing address and full guidelines.

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Copper Nickel Poetry and Fiction Contest

Entry fee: $15.00
Prizes: $1,000
Deadline: April 21, 2012

Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Copper Nickel will be given annually for a poem and a short story. Paisley Rekdal will judge in poetry and Kevin Wilson will judge in fiction. Each submission will get a one year (two issue) subscription of the Copper Nickel. Full details available at http://www.copper-nickel.org/contest/. The contest is open to anyone. Writers may submit either one story (no word limit) or up to three poems with an entry fee. So if you have a good, long story, here’s where to place it.

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Glimmer Train Press: Fiction Contest: Family Matters Theme

Entry fee: $15.00
Prizes: First – $1,500, publication, 20 copies; Second – $500; Third – $300
Deadline: April 30, 2012

Glimmer Train is interested in reading your original, unpublished short stories about family. We do not publish stories for children, I’m sorry. It’s fine to submit more than one story or to submit the same story in different categories; when we accept a story for publication, we are purchasing first-publication rights. (After we’ve published it, you can include it in your own collection.) Submit on-line by going to the website and clicking the yellow submission button. Results will be posted on June 30; Submissions typically run 1,500 to 6,000 words, but can go up to 12,000 words. This category has stimulated lots of questions about fiction/non-fiction/creative non-fiction since many people have significant real-life stories they want to write. It seems to us that a substantial proportion of fiction submissions are heavily rooted in actual experience, which is entirely fine with us, but we want the stories to READ like fiction, and anything we publish is presented as fiction. (Also, sticking too tightly to “truth” can limit the larger truth that fiction is able to reveal). I would certainly recommend changing details that would allow the real-life people to say, “Hey, that character is—without a doubt—me.” For submission info, go to: www.glimmertrain.com/familymatters.hmtl.

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Glimmer Train Press: Fiction Contest: Standard

Entry fee: None
Prizes: $700, publication/10 copies
Deadline: April 30, 2012

Glimmer Train is interested in reading your original, unpublished short stories. We do not publish stories for children, I’m sorry. It’s fine to submit more than one story or to submit the same story in different categories; when we accept a story for publication, we are purchasing first-publication rights. (After we’ve published it, you can include it in your own collection.) Submit on-line by going to the website and clicking the yellow submission button. Open to all writers; stories not to exceed 12,000 words (no minimum, though it’s rare for a piece under 500 words to read as a full story). OK to submit up to three stories per submission month. For submission info, go to: www.glimmertrain.com/standard.html.

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The Ledge Poetry Award

Entry fee: $12.00
Prizes: First – $1,000/first publication; Second – $250 and publication; Third – $100 and publication
Deadline: April 30, 2012

A prize of $1,000 and publication in the Ledge is given annually for a poem. Submit up to three previously unpublished poems of any length with a $12 entry fee ($3 for each additional poem). No restrictions for form or content. Please include your name, mailing address and e-mail address with each submission. Send entries to: The Ledge 2012 Poetry Awards Competition, 40 Maple Avenue, Bellport, NY 11713. See http://www.theledgemagazine.com/Annual%20Contests.html for full guidelines.

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Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Award

Entry fee: $20
Prizes: $1000 and publication
Deadline: April 30, 2012

Submit a manuscript of 48-84 pages of original poetry in any style in English. The manuscript must not have been published previously in book form, although individual poems appearing in print or on the web are permitted. Entries may consist of individual poems, or a book-length poem—or any combination of long or short poems. Collaborations welcome. The contest is judged blindly, so send 2 title pages. Your name and contact information must appear on the first title page only and nowhere else on the manuscript. Mailing address is: Marsh Hawk Press, P.O. Box 206, East Rockaway, N.Y. 11518-0206. For additional information, please go to: http://www.marshhawkpress.org/Contests_and_submissions.htm.

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Nimrod International Journal: Nimrod Literary Awards for poetry and short fiction

Entry fee: $20
Prizes: First – $2000 each and publication; Second – $1000 each and publication (winners to be brought to Tulsa in October for awards ceremony.)
Deadline: April 30, 2012

Rules: Poetry: 3-10 pages of poetry (one long poem or several short poems); Fiction: 7,500 words maximum. No previously published works or works accepted for publication elsewhere. Author’s name must not appear on the manuscript. Include a cover sheet containing major title and subtitles, author’s name, full address, phone and e-mail. “Contest Entry” should be clearly indicated on both the outer envelope and the cover sheet. Submitters must be living in the US by October of 2012 to enter the contest. Winners will also be brought to Tulsa for the Awards Ceremony in October. All finalists will be considered for publication. $20 entry fee includes both fee and a one-year subscription (two issues). Each entry must be accompanied by a $ 20 fee. Make checks payable to Nimrod. Mailing address: Nimrod Journal, Literary Contest-Fiction or Poetry, The University of Tulsa, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK 74104. For additional information, go to: www.utulsa.edu/nimrod/awards.html.

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University of Pittsburgh Press: Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize

Entry fee: $25
Prizes: $5,000 and publication
Deadline: April 30, 2012

The University of Pittsburgh Press announced the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize for a first full-length book of poetry. The prize carries a cash award of $5,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburg Press in the Pitt Poetry Series under the standard royalty contract. The winner will be announced in the fall, no information about the winner will be released before the fall announcement. The Starrett Prize is our only venue for first-book poetry manuscripts; open to any writer in English who has not had a full-length book of poetry published previously. We define “full-length book” as a volume of 48 or more pages (but not more than 100 pages) published in an edition of 750 or more copies. Books whose publication costs have been borne by their authors are excluded from this definition. Please include your curriculum vitae. Mailing address: Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize, University of Pittsburgh Press, Eureka Building, Fifth Floor, 3400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. For additional information, go to: www.upress.pitt.edu/renderHtmlPage.aspx?srcHtml=htmlSourceFiles/starrett.htm.

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Writecorner Press: E. M. Koeppel Short Fiction Award

Entry fee: $15
Prizes: $1,000 and publication list; $100 Editor’s Choice Awards
***If the winning story is by anyone attending a college, university, or a school when the story is submitted, the winner will also receive the $500 P.L. Titus Scholarship

Deadline: April 30, 2012

Previously unpublished fiction in any style with any theme; maximum length: 3,000 words, Stories must be unpublished. Award-winning fiction writers are the judges. No limit on the number of stories entered by any one writer. Simultaneous submissions OK as long as you notify us as soon as your work is accepted elsewhere. The winning short story and editors’ choices are eligible to be published on www.writecorner.com. and for inclusion in the permanent website writecorner.com anthology. Authors retain all rights to their works. Send one (1) typed, double-spaced copy of the story with two (2) title pages. Only the title may appear on the first title page. No other kinds of identification may appear on this title page or on the manuscript which will be used for the judging. On the second title page, write: the title of the story, the author’s name, address, phone number, include a short bio—about 4 lines (required) and the total number of words in the story. E-mail address is optional. No e-mail entries accepted. Mail submissions with a check (no cash) made out to Koeppel Contest. If sent from outside the USA, send a money order in US funds (no cash or foreign funds) to: Koeppel Contest, P.O. Box 140310, Gainesville, FL 32614. For additional information, see www.writecorner.com/award_guidelines.asp.

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