Friday, December 31, 2010

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Writing Competition: The Normal Prize in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry

The Normal Prize in Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry

FINAL JUDGES
Fiction: Susan Straight | Nonfiction: Eula Biss | Poetry: Nick Flynn

Normal Prize IN FICTION, NONFICTION AND POETRY GUIDELINES
1. All fiction and nonfiction submissions must be 10,087 words or less, double-spaced, 12 pt. font. Poetry submissions should not exceed five pages or five poems total. Please submit all poems in a single document.
2. All submissions will be read blind. Author's name must not appear on the manuscript.
3. There is a $20 fee per submission. When you click "Pay and Submit" you will be automatically
redirected to our billing page, after which you will immediately be able to submit your document.
4. All submissions must be previously unpublished (print or electronic media).
5. Please, no previously published works or works accepted for publication elsewhere. Simultaneous submissions are okay as long as you notify editors should your piece be accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are also permitted, but each submission must be accompanied by the $20 fee.
6. Submissions for the second annual contest are accepted online between January 1 and March 4, 2011. Please visit our submission manager to enter.

Questions? Visit us at thenormalschool.com
Or email us at normalprize@thenormalschool.com
Winners will be announced before the Fall 2011 issue via email.
All entrants will receive a complimentary issue of The Normal School.
All entries will be considered for publication.
$1,000 and publication for winner in each genre

Call for Submissions: 2012 Wisconsin Poets' Calendar

2012 WISCONSIN POETS’ CALENDAR Submission Guidelines

Cities and towns are often under-represented when poets write about WI, so we hope you will think about the alleys (urban) and valleys (rural) life /imagery in WI when you send us submissions. Please interpret this
suggestion broadly, however; we will consider all poems with a WI connection. Poets must be 18 or older and live in WI (or have some connection to the state) to submit.

Submission period is from Nov. 1, 2010 to Feb. 1, 2011. Poems received before or after those dates will not be considered. Early submissions are encouraged.

We prefer e-mail submissions; however, we will accept snail-mail submissions if you do not have e-mail. E-mail submissions to:
jjohannes7(at)gmail.com (replace (at) with @ in sending e-mail) with
“Cal sub: (Last nameFirst name)” as the subject line, or snail-mail to:

Wisconsin Poets' Calendar
c/o Jeffrey and Joan Wiese Johannes
800 Ver Bunker Avenue
Port Edwards, WI 54469-1126

Please do not paste poems with unusual formatting in the body of an e-mail; we prefer .doc or .rtf attachments. We will confirm receipt of e-mail submissions by e-mail, and let you know immediately if we cannot open your attachment. Please send a self-addressed stamped postcard if you would like confirmation of snail-mail arrival. We will carefully consider all poems and respond by April 15, 2011.

Please include the following with your submission:

Contact information (name. address, e-mail address, phone number)
Biographical note of fewer than 50 words. (We may need to edit biographies longer than three lines)
Up to 3 typed poems:
Max. of 32 lines/poem, including title and spaces (shorter is better)
Publication information if previously published
Single-spaced, standard font
We prefer poems that are not centered

Monday, December 27, 2010

Fiction Competition: Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize

Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize
Postmark deadline: January 30 (annual)
Submissions Accepted from December 1 – January 30


The Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize honors internationally celebrated North Carolina novelist Thomas Wolfe. The winner receives $1,000 and possible publication in the Thomas Wolfe Review.

Eligibility and Guidelines
The competition is open to all writers without regard to geographical region or previous publication.
Submit two copies of an unpublished fiction manuscript not to exceed 12 double-spaced pages.
Names should not appear on manuscripts but on separate cover sheet along with address, phone number, e-mail address, word count, and manuscript title.
An entry fee must accompany the manuscript: $15 NCWN for members, $25 for nonmembers. You may pay the member entry fee if you join the NCWN with your submission. Checks should be made payable to the North Carolina Writers’ Network.
Entries will not be returned.
The winner is announced in April.

Send submissions, indicating name of competition, to:
Professor Tony Abbott
PO Box 7096
Davidson College
Davidson, NC 28035

Checks should be made payable to the North Carolina Writers’ Network

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Creative Nonfiction Contest: Creative Nonfiction and The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies

CONTEST: The Night
postmark deadline January 31, 2011

Co-sponsored by The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Judged by Susan Orlean

Creative Nonfiction and The Salt Institute are seeking essays about "The Night": It was a dark and stormy night; Strangers in the Night; the night sky; Friday Night Lights; things that go bump in the night; Take Back the Night; night owls; The Night Before Christmas; The Night Watch; The Night Kitchen; The Armies of the Night; The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down; prom night; date night; Good Night, Nurse!

Essays must be vivid and dramatic; they should combine a strong and compelling narrative with a significant element of research or information, and reach for some universal or deeper meaning in personal experiences. We're looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice.

Essays will be judged by Susan Orlean, and Best Essay will be awarded $5,000 plus publication in the Summer 2011 issue of Creative Nonfiction. One runner-up will receive $2,500 plus publication online. For accepted applicants, contest awards can also be used directly toward Salt tuition.

Guidelines: Essays must be unpublished, 4,000 words maximum, postmarked by January 31, 2011, and clearly marked "The Night" on both the essay and the outside of the envelope. Author's name and contact information should appear in a cover letter, but not the manuscript itself. There is a $20 reading fee (or send a reading fee of $25 to include a 4-issue CNF subscription--U.S. submitters only); multiple entries are welcome ($20/essay) as are entries from outside the U.S. (though due to shipping costs, the subscription deal is not valid). Please send manuscript, accompanied by a cover letter with complete contact information including the title of the essay, SASE and payment to:

Creative Nonfiction
Attn: The Night
5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Poetry Competition: New Women's Voices Chapbook Competition

2011 NEW WOMEN'S VOICES CHAPBOOK COMPETITION

A prize of $1,000 and publication for a chapbook-length poetry collection. Open to women who have never before published a full-length poetry collection. Previous chapbook publication does not disqualify. International entries are welcome. Multiple submissions are accepted. Final judge to be announced. All entries will be considered for publication. The top-ten finalists will be offered publication. Submit up to 26 pages of poetry, PLUS bio, acknowledgments, SASE and cover letter with a $15 entry fee (pay by check, money order or pay online.

Deadline: Feb. 15, 2011 

NWV
Finishing Line Press
P O Box 1626
Georgetown, KY 40324

Essay Competition: Oregon Quarterly

2011 Northwest Perspectives Essay Contest

OPEN AND STUDENT CATEGORIES

Oregon Quarterly invites entries to the 2011 Northwest Perspectives Essay Contest in both student and open categories. Entries should address ideas that affect the Northwest. The Oregon Quarterly staff will select finalists and the contest judge will choose the top three winners in each category. Past judges have been Kim Stafford, Barry Lopez, John Daniel, Karen Karbo, Brian Doyle, Lauren Kessler, Craig Lesley, Molly Gloss, Kathleen Dean Moore and Kenny Moore.


PRIZES:

Open Category
First place: $750
Second place: $300
Third place: $100


Student Category
First place: $500
Second place: $200
Third place: $75


In addition:
First place essay in the open category will appear in Oregon Quarterly.
A selection of top essays will be featured in a springtime public reading on the UO campus.
Fifteen finalists (ten in the open category and five students) will be announced in the summer 2011 issue of Oregon Quarterly.
All finalists will be invited to participate in a writing workshop with the contest judge. The contest is open to all nonfiction writers, except: (1) first-place winners from previous years' contests, (2) authors who have written a feature for Oregon Quarterly in the past calendar year, and (3) staff of Oregon Quarterly, University Advancement, or their family members. The student contest is open to any student enrolled and pursuing a graduate or undergraduate degree at a college or university at the time of the deadline. Previously published essays will not be considered.
Manuscript Submission Guidelines

Submit two copies of your manuscript.
Paperclip a cover sheet to the two copies that includes only the essay's title; a word count; and the entrant's name, address, and phone number must be provided. Indicate whether the essay is for the student or open category.
Entrant's name must not appear on any pages of the manuscript other than the cover sheet.
One entry per person.
Manuscripts should be printed double-spaced on 8½-by-11-inch white paper with minimum 1-inch margins.
Word length is 2,000 words maximum for the open category, 1,500 words for the student contest.
Faxed or e-mail entries are not accepted.
Postmark deadline is January 15, 2011.
Entries will not be returned. Those that do not meet these submission guidelines are automatically disqualified. There is no entry fee.

Send entries to:
Oregon Quarterly Essay Contest
5228 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-5228

Sponsored by Oregon Quarterly magazine and the UO Duckstore

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Call for Submissions: The Survivor Chronicles

Online survival focused journal The Survivor Chronicles just got its own website and is inviting submissions in the visual art and written work categories.

The Survivor Chronicles is a small independent publication dedicated to trauma release, healing and survival.

We want to hear from you:

* If you have survived a major trauma, or are in the process of surviving it.
* If someone close to you has survived a major trauma or is in the process of surviving it.
* If you are a social worker or health worker or any other professional and have seen trauma at close range.
* If you are a writer or artist who deeply empathizes with the human condition and can portray trauma and its process and/or effects honestly and sensitively.
* If you are a photographer who has documented trauma and its survival.

Here are some general submission guidelines:

We prefer shorter pieces to longer ones, owing to the attention spanof the average internet reader.

We love poetry, well crafted short fiction, and arealso interested in analytical opinion pieces (non fiction) and musingsabout trauma survival.

In the body of an email, paste 1-5 poems, or short fiction/non fiction within 1500 words.

Artists and photographers can send 1-5 pieces for consideration; email as separate attachments.

We reserve the one time right to publish your work and archive it on our website forever. Publications are online and on a rolling basis.

However, all rights revert to the author once we publish the work. Currently, we are not interested in previously published work.

If it is important for you to remain anonymous, please feel free to use a pseudonym. Otherwise, please send a short bio.

If at any point after you have sent us a submission but before publication, you feel the need to use a pseudonym please contact us at once. We are very protective of your identity and will not post your name if you feel uncomfortable about it.

Where to send your submissions:

In the subject line of your email, write your Name, Type of Submission, Submission and send it to:

thesurvivorchronicles(at)gmail.com (replace (at) with @ in sending e-mail)

Call for Workshop Leaders/Volunteers: Dzanc Day 2011

SUBJECT: Call for Workshop Leaders / Volunteers: Dzanc Day 2011

Last year, Dzanc Books held its first annual Dzanc Day, consisting of forty creative writing workshops held in twenty different states. Thanks to the generous donation of our workshop leaders’ time and talents, Dzanc Day raised thousands of dollars to help support our charitable endeavors, including our Writer in Residence Program, which places professional writers into classrooms to provide creative writing instructions to public school students who could not otherwise afford the opportunity.

This year, Dzanc Day falls on Saturday, April 9, 2011, and we hope you’ll consider leading a workshop in your home city. Some of you participated last year as well, and we hope you’ll accept our thanks for the previous donation of your time and talent, and that you join us again this year, for what promises to be an even better event.

For those unfamiliar with last year’s efforts, we’re looking for volunteers to organize a writing workshop on a topic of their choice. Sessions should last a minimum of two hours (for which participants will be charged $30 each) but longer sessions are certainly possible as well. This workshop can be organized around any creative writing topic you’d like: fiction, poetry, non-fiction, journalism, or memoir. You might wish to run a workshop centered on a particular genre, a more generative session built around writing exercises, or a seminar about topics related to editing or publishing. You can lead a workshop on your own, or team up with friends and fellow writers in putting together your workshop. Just to make sure we don’t
have any miscommunications along the way, one person should be designated to serve as the official contact person for the event.

We’re happy to help you refine your ideas for your workshop, so please feel free to contact us if you’d like to discuss the possibilities. For this year's Dzanc Day, Matt Bell will be our lead contact, with Steven Gillis and Dan Wickett helping coordinate logistics. Feel free to also contact Matt directly at:

matt(at)dzancbooks.org (replace (at) with @ in sending e-mail).

The first step in volunteering to be a Dzanc Day workshop leader is to fill out this online form.

The form will ask for your name and contact information, the location that you propose holding a workshop at, your bio (and the bios of anyone else you’re planning on having as co-leaders), and the type of workshop you propose to run (a short paragraph description would be great). If you're unsure of a suitable venue in your city, just let us know and we'll try to help you find one. In the additional information field, if you could, let us know what type of contacts you have within the area in regard to reaching writers that might be interested in such a workshop.

Once we have an idea of who would like to participate and where these workshops will be held, we’ll be in further contact to begin promotional efforts, including providing whatever help we can in promoting your particular event locally. If you feel it might take you some time to gather the information necessary to fill out the form, feel free to email to let us know you're interested in participating.

Again, we thank you for volunteering your time and helping us to raise funds for efforts such as our Writers in Residence Program, individual workshops, public readings, the Best of the Web series, and the Dzanc Prize, which recognizes a single writer for both literary excellence and community service. Dzanc could not possibly do all the wonderful things we're trying to organize and bring to the public were it not for your ongoing support.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Call for Submissions: Muzzle

Submission Guidelines

MUZZLE publishes poetry, art, interviews, book reviews, and performance reviews. Additionally, MUZZLE is interested in collaborative and multi-media pieces. MUZZLE is currently taking submissions for the third issue, scheduled to come out February 15, 2011. Submissions will close for this issue on January 15, 2011.

Only previously unpublished work will be considered for publication. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please send notification immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

All submissions must be emailed to:
MuzzleMagazine(at)gmail.com (replace (at) with @ when sending e-mail).

All submissions must be accompanied by a cover letter that includes contact information and a brief bio. Only one submission per person will be considered per issue (additional submissions will be held for future issues).

POETRY:
Please send 3-5 poems per submission. All the poems should be sent in one document that should not exceed 10 pages. Each poetry submission must be attached (as a PDF or a DOC file) AND pasted into the body of  the email. In the file name for your submission, please include your last name (ex: Edwards_Submission.doc).

INTERVIEWS:
Interviews should be less than 2000 words. Each interview must be attached (as a PDF or a DOC file) AND pasted into the body of the email.

REVIEWS:
Reviews should be less than 1500 words. Book Reviews should be of books published within the last 2 years. Performance Reviews should be of performances that occurred within the last 6 months. Each review must be attached (as a PDF or a DOC file) AND pasted into the body of the email.

ART:
All art submissions must be attached as JPEG files. Please send no more than 5 pieces in one submission. In the file name for each piece, please include your last name and the title (ex: Herrmann_Alight.jpeg).

AUDIO RECORDINGS:
All audio recordings (which may be sent accompanying poetry, art, interviews, and performance reviews) must be attached as MP3 files.

Terms and Conditions:
* Artists should be paid for their labor. We wish we could pay you. We cannot pay you.
* All published work will be copy-edited.
* MUZZLE does not accept previously published work.
* In order to be published here, an artist must grant MUZZLE one-time publication rights to publish his/her work AND rights to archive the work online in perpetuity.
* If work is published elsewhere (after being published in MUZZLE), artists should note that it first appeared in MUZZLE.

Please take some time to check out previous issues here.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Fiction Contest: Jerry Jazz Musician

Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest

Three times a year, Jerry Jazz Musician awards a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of approximately one - five thousand words. The winner will be announced via a special mailing of our Jerry Jazz Musician newsletter. Publishers, artists, musicians and interested readers are among those who subscribe to the newsletter. Additionally, the work will be published on the home page of Jerry Jazz Musician and featured there for at least four weeks.

The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theatre, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Your writing should appeal to a reader with these characteristics.

Contest details

A prize of $100 will be awarded for the winning story. In addition to the story being published on Jerry Jazz Musician, the author's acceptance of the prize money gives Jerry Jazz Musician the right to include the story in an anthology that will appear in book or magazine form. No entry fee is required. One story entry only.

Submission deadline for the next contest is January 31, 2011.
Publishing date will be on or about March 1, 2011.

Please submit your story by January 31, 2011 via Word or Adobe attachment to:

jm(at)jerryjazz.com (replace (at) with @ in sending e-mail).

Please be sure to include your name, address and phone number with your submission. Please include "Short Fiction Contest Submission" in the subject heading of the email.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Writing Contest: Transitions Abroad

TransitionsAbroad.com invites you to enter its 2011 Expatriate Travel Writing Contest.

Professionals, freelancers and aspiring writers are invited to write articles which describe their experience living abroad. Often your experience abroad may be extended by working or studying in the host country, so living, working, and studying abroad are often inextricable, and we are interested in these aspects as well.

Making the move to live abroad is for many the ultimate transition — often the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, in other cases the result of chance and circumstance. We are seeking inspiring articles which also provide in-depth practical descriptions of your experience moving and living abroad, including discussions of immigration, personal and family life abroad, housing, work, social interactions with the natives, food, culture, study, language learning, and potential prejudices encountered.

Apart from practical considerations what were the most important physical, psychological, and social adjustments necessary to integrate into the local communities? Feel free to include anecdotes about locals who may have aided in your adjustment to the physical conditions and social mores of the host community, as well as the role of expats in providing information and support.

While we welcome a good narrative, a listing, sidebar, and/or reference to the most important websites, publications, and other practical resources which have aided you in the cultural adjustment process or enhanced your life abroad is strongly encouraged to help others who may find themselves in similar situations or even similar locations. The inclusion of useful sidebars will likely help determine the winners of the contest.

In sum, we do not seek diaries, travelogues, or personal blogs, but your own perspective in which the host country remains the primary focus, such that the color and taste of the people and land remain in the foreground.

Please see the Living Abroad section of our site for some examples of the types of articles we are seeking and see our writers' guidelines for a sense of our editorial preferences.

TransitionsAbroad.com will publish the winners' entries and will provide links to the authors' website or blog if so desired.

Contest Prizes
The first-place winner’s entry will receive $500, the second-place winning entry $150, and the third-place winner $100.

Any other articles selected as runners-up for publication on TransitionsAbroad.com will receive a $50 payment.

Who is Eligible
The Contest is open to professional, freelance and aspiring writers from any location around the globe.

How to Enter
Submit an original and unpublished essay of up to 1,500 words relating to your experience living, moving, or working abroad. Focus should be placed on a description of the experience abroad and not primarily on personal feelings, as the descriptions and perceptions of the author should imply the personal impact. Supporting photos in .jpg or .gif format are welcome to illustrate the experience and are considered part of the essay submission. Please read the writers’ guidelines for Transitions Abroad Magazine, previous winners' entries, as well as sample articles on this site for a sense of our editorial focus.

To enter the Contest, attach your essay in Word format or copy and paste it into an e-mail. Please include your full name, complete postal address, phone number, and the bio you wish to display in the body of the email and on the document. Please type "Expatriate Writing Essay Entry" in the subject description of the e-mail and send the e-mail to:
expatriatewritingcontest(at)transitionsabroad.com (replace (at) with @ in sending e-mail).

The Contest begins April 1, 2010, and all entries must be received by February 15, 2011. Transitions Abroad Publishing, Inc. will require first-time North American rights for all submissions which are accepted as contest winners and for publication. In addition, Transitions Abroad Publishing, Inc. will reserve the right to reprint the story in a future publication.

Editors of TransitionsAbroad.com will judge entries based upon the following criteria:
Sensitivity to the people and culture being described
Ability to engage and inspire the reader
Practical information which others can use
Winners will be chosen on or about February 22, 2011 and notified by phone, mail, or e-mail by March 1, 2011 for publication by in early to mid-April, 2011 to allow time for contact, acceptance, and international payment to writers, some of whom live in remote regions of the world.

Contest Terms
There is no entry fee required for submissions.
Decisions of the judges are final.
Transitions Abroad Publishing, Inc. is not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, incomplete, or illegible e-mail or for any computer-related, online, or technical malfunctions that may occur in the submission process.
Submissions are considered void if illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error, or obtained through fraud or theft.
Submissions will be considered made by an authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at time of entry.
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners—along with any other runners-up accepted for publication—will be paid by Transitions Abroad Publishing, Inc. either by check or Paypal as preferred by the author.
All federal, state, and local taxes are the sole responsibility of the Contest winners.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Post-grad Fellowship in Writing

Initiated in 1998, the Stadler Fellowship offers a recent MFA, MA,or PhD graduate in poetry the opportunity to receive professional training in arts administration and literary editing. The Stadler Fellowship is designed to balance the development of professional skills with time to complete a first book of poems. The Stadler Fellow assists for twenty hours each week in the administration of the Stadler Center for Poetry and/or in the editing of West Branch, a nationally distinguished semiannual literary magazine. The Fellow also works as an instructor and staff member in the Bucknell Seminar for Younger Poets in June.  

The Fellowship stipend is $20,000. In addition,the Fellow is provided a furnished apartment on campus, office space in the Stadler Center, and health insurance.

In Fall 2010, the Stadler Center will be accepting applications 2011-12 Stadler Fellowship. The Fellowship will extend from August 2011 to June 2012, with the possibility of renewing for a second year. 

The application deadline is January 10, 2011.

For eligibility and application requirements, and to submit an application, please use the SCP Application Portal, found here.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Creative Nonfiction Prize: The Journal

Annual William Allen Creative Nonfiction Prize

This annual competition honors the work of William Allen, the founding editor of The Journal.

The William Allen Creative Nonfiction Prize offers $500 and publication of the winning essay in the upcoming issue of The Journal.

The Journal will be accepting entries for the competition beginning in September of the previous year.
All styles, subject matter, and forms are welcome.
Deadline for postmark of manuscripts is January 31.
All manuscripts will be considered for publication.
A reading fee of $10 should accompany each manuscript (make checks payable to: The Journal).
The maximum word count is 6500 words.
Please double-space all entries.
For a list of winners, include an SASE.

Submissions can be submitted electronically through The Journal’s SUBMISHMASH Online Submission System

Or submissions may be mailed, along with reading fee, to:
Nonfiction Prize
The Journal
Department of English
The Ohio State University
164 West 17th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210