Writing Competition: Runaway: An Anthology of Short Stories (Real or Imagined)

For this anthology, Madville Publishing is looking for stories, real or imagined, of up to 5,000 words that explore running away. We’re looking for stories about running away, wanting to run away, and trying to run away. We want stories that involve escaping with someone and stories that involve escaping from someone. We also want stories from the point of view of the ones left behind, about their feelings of loss and loneliness. We want to read stories about kids, teens and adults of all ages who have left, for whatever reason. Take us on their journeys down the road, across town, across the country, and across the world. Tell us about empty closets, longing, and unanswered messages.

Important points to consider:

• We are interested in believable dialogue. We love dialect and regionalisms, but there is an art to writing them well, and we will judge poorly written dialect and slang harshly.

• We’re looking for a sense of time and place, so be careful of anachronisms.

• While we want to see character development, we still want a story. Give us a beginning, a middle, and especially, an end.

• Grammar and mechanics count. Please proofread.

Submission Deadline: August 1, 2019

Submission Guidelines:

• Submissions are open April 1 – August 1, 2019.

• A reading fee of $12 must be paid at the time of submission.

• All submissions must be in English.

• We accept previously published fiction and nonfiction as long as the author discloses the publication history of the work in the cover letter accompanying the submission.

We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify Madville immediately if the story is accepted elsewhere and you wish to withdraw it from consideration. There will be no refunds of the reading fees.

Writers may submit more than one story, but each must be submitted separately.

Formatting:

• Short stories, whether fiction or nonfiction, should have a total word count of no more than 5,000 words.

• Please include page numbers.

• Please double-space and use a 12pt. font.

• Do not include an acknowledgments page.

• Submissions will be judged blind. Please remove any identifying information from the submission.

• Submit as a .pdf, .doc, .rtf, or .txt file format.

• No revisions will be accepted once the submission is uploaded.

All authors chosen for the anthology will receive two free copies of the book.

The two best stories will receive $100 each along with their two copies of the published anthology.

Winners will be announced in November 2019. Projected publication date is March, 2020.

There is a $12 reading fee.

Submission Deadline: August 1, 2019.

Submit your work here.