Hi Everybody!

The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival is sponsoring a Fiction Writing Contest.

WHO:  Writers who have not yet published a book of fiction

WHAT:  Previously unpublished Fiction Stories.  **Note, if you have previously self-published your fiction stories, you ARE allowed to submit.

WHAT ELSE:  Word limit - 7,000 words or less

DEADLINE:  November 15, 2008

PRIZE(S):  Grand Prize - $1,500 (and more); 2nd Prize - $200, a Public Reading and a Festival Pass; 3rd Prize - $100, a Public Reading and a Festival Pass

FEE:  $20

For complete details, please click on the following link:

http://www.tennesseewilliams.net/article.php/fictioncontest

Best wishes and happy writing!

Rita

Hi Everybody!

The Ann Arbor Book festival is sponsoring a writing competition.

WHO:  Any Writer

WHAT:  Unpublished Manuscript

WHAT ELSE:  Length - 7,000 words or less (double-spaced)

FEE:  $10

DEADLINE:  August 1, 2008

***NOTE - The criteria was a bit vague on first glance.  Make sure you email the sponsors before you submit your work, to be sure you’re eligible to compete.

For complete information, please click on the following page:

http://aabookfestival.org/HTML/shortstoryguidelines.htm

Best wishes and happy writing!

Rita

Hi Everybody!

Maybelline New York is sponsoring its annual Cosmo Girl of the Year contest.

WHO:   This contest is open to all girls ages 11 to 25 years old who are residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, or Canada.

WHAT:  In 300 words or less, tell Cosmo why you deserve to be
CosmoGIRL! of the Year.  For example, have you done something to make your school, community, or the world a better place?  If so, tell them all about it!

LENTH:  300 words or less

PRIZE(S):  CosmoGIRL! of the Year scholarship winner $20,000, plus a trip to New York City

DEADLINE:   July 28, 2008

For complete details, please click on the following link:

http://www.cosmogirl.com/lifeadvice/project-2024/cg-of-the-year

Best wishes and happy writing!

Rita

Hi Everybody,

If you are a girl entering her junior or senior year in high school–or if you know one, don’t miss out on this contest!

WomanTalk Live is sponsoring a 2009 Essay Contest.  WomanTalk Live is a weekly show in Baltimore, focusing on woman stuff.

WHO:  Girls entering junior or senior year in high school

WHAT:  Essay Contest;  Tell them how are you making a difference in your community, why making a difference is important to you, and how your actions support your vision for the future.

LENGTH:  800 words or less

WHEN:  Deadlines October 31, 2008

PRIZE(S):  $1,000 scholarship and more!

For complete details about this opportunity, please click on the following link: 

http://www.womantalklive.com/girlsgonegreat/WTL-GGG2009-ContestGuidelines.pdf

Best wishes and happy writing!

Rita

Hi Everybody!

Just Write Bookstore is sponsoring a writing contest.  Just Write Bookstores identifies itself as an internet-based bookstore and resource site for writers.

WHO:   Writers from all genres.

WHAT:  Short stories, or chapters of a novel from any genre

FEE:  $15/Entry

PRIZE(S):  1st place- $1000.00 in cash, $50.00 in books from our bookstore, considered for publishing.

2nd place- $600.00 in cash, $25.00 in books from our bookstore, considered for publishing.

3rd place- $300.00 in cash, $25.00 in books from our bookstore, considered for publishing.

4th-10th place- $10.00 in books from our bookstore, considered for publishing.

DEADLINE:  July 31, 2008

For complete details, please click on the following link:

http://www.justwrite.citymax.com/page/page/4424767.htm

Best wishes and happy writing!

Rita

Hi Everybody!

This is an update on the Avon “Hello Tomorrow” Fund!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, this contest isn’t exactly about writing, but you have to write to win, so I figure–why-the-heck not?

Avon is sponsoring its ongoing HELLO TOMORROW Fund! 

WHO:  Individual women and men applicants, ages 18 or older. Corporations, companies or organizations are not eligible to apply.

WHAT:  A compelling application that advances the interests of women and ultimately improves society.

NEW DEADLINE(S): September 1, 2008; and December 1, 2008.

PRIZE(S): $5,000 paid via check to the individual winner, not an organization. Award recipients are responsible for all applicable taxes (local, state, federal) as well as any other costs or expenses associated with implementing their request that exceed the award provided.

For complete details, please click on the following link:

http://shop.avon.com/HelloTomorrowFund/about_eligibility.html

Don’t let this new deadline slip through those busy fingers of yours.  Apply!

Best wishes and happy writing!

Rita

Hi Everybody,

HIDDEN RIVER ARTS is sponsoring its annual Fiction and Drama competition.

WHO: All Playwrights and Writers of Fiction

WHAT: (1) to the best unpublished short story or novel excerpt  - LENGTH - 25 pages.  (2) the best unproduced full-length play. 

DEADLINE:  June 20, 2008

PRIZE(S):  $1,000 and publication in The Hidden River Anthology

FEE(S):  $15

For complete details, please click on the folloiwng link:

http://www.hiddenriverarts.com/

Best wishes and happy writing!

Rita

Hi Everybody!

Raving Dove, a nonprofit organization, is sponsoring its first annual “Evolve Beyond Violence Nonfiction Essay Award.”

WHO:  Raving Dove members are eligible to enter. A basic membership costs $15.  Raving Dove encourage submissions from published and unpublished writers, students, educators, members of the international community, past contributors to Raving Dove, and all those who feel strongly about a world without violence.

WHAT:  Nonfiction essays with sentiments that reflect one or more of the following themes: Anti-war, anti-violence, human rights, peace. Your essay can either depict the tragedy of violence and war, or the hope that one day we can evolve beyond it.

LENGTH:  600 to 800 words maximum.

DEADLINE:  September 1, 2008

PRIZE(S): 1st Prize - $1,000 and publication at Raving Dove. Three Honorable Mentions: Publication.

FEE:  $15 (members)

For complete details, please click on the following link:

http://www.ravingdove.org/award

Best wishes and happy writing!

Rita

Hi Everybody,

WORDHARVEST is sponsoring The Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Story Contest.

WHO: Mystery fiction writers

WHAT:  Mystery short stories set in the West or Southwest and feature at least one cowboy or one Native American character.

WHAT ELSE:  2,500 words or less, written in English

DEADLINE:  September 15, 2008

FEE:  $15

PRIZE(S):  $1500 and publication in an upcoming issue of Cowboys & Indians Magazine.

For complete details, please click on the following link:

http://www.wordharvest.com/index.php/contests/shortstory

Best wishes and happy writing!

Rita

Hi Everybody!

WORDHARVEST, an organization interested in the written word and the desire to promote it by assisting budding authors, is sponsoring The Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Novel.

WHO:  Competition is open to any professional or non-professional writer, regardless of nationality, who has never been the author of a published mystery (as defined in subparagraph 2(a) on the website) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a mystery.

WHAT:  a. Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story, and emphasis is on the solution rather than the details of the crime.
b. The story’s primary setting is the Southwestern United States, including at least one of the following states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.

WHAT ELSE:  All manuscripts submitted: a) must be original, previously unpublished works of book length (no less than 220 typewritten pages or approximately 60,000 words) written in the English language by the entrants

DEADLINE:  July 1, 2008

PRIZE(S):  Advance of $10,000 (against future royalties).

For complete details, please click on the following link:

http://www.wordharvest.com/index.php/contests/novelcontest

Best wishes and happy writing,

Rita