Dead of Winter Contests

Looking for a way to stay warm in the dead of winter? How about heating up the keyboard and entering a writing contest or two?

My friend Amy Harke-Moore from The Write Helper has not one, but two, contests going on right now that you might want to check out.

Amy is an award-winning writer and an editor who has won over sixty awards to date. Her work has appeared in The Writer, Chicago Quarterly Review, The MacGuffin, Permafrost, Grit, Writers’ Journal, Spring Hill Review, Echoes of the Ozarks, Cuivre River Anthology, and Bellowing Ark.

Not only is Amy an acclaimed writer and editor, her contests are a bit differnt from most others. How?

Feedback: Amy offers a free critique if entrants request it.

Money--and fame: The winning entry is posted and the winner profiled on Amy's website.

For the Winter Flash Fiction Contest, she is accepting entries of: Short fiction, open theme (no porn or gore) 500 words or fewer. Free critique upon request. Enter online or by mail. Fee: $7 per entry or 3 for $20 (limit 3 entries). Prizes: First - $100, second - $50, and third - $25. Winning entry posted, winner profiled on website. Deadline: postmarked Feb. 10.

For the Dead of Winter Nonfiction Contest, Amy wants memoirs, essays, articles, prose. Must be nonfiction of 2,500 words or fewer. Free critique upon request. Enter online or by mail. Fee: $10 per entry, limit 3 entries. Prizes: First - $150, second - $75, and third - $50. Winning entry posted, winner profiled on website. Deadline: postmarked Feb. 10.

For complete deadlines, check out The Write Helper website.

I have it on good authority that Amy hasn't received a lot of submissions for either contest, so your chance to win could be improved! Hmm. I might enter one myself.

But act fast, the deadline for both contests is Feb 10. Don't be left out in the cold!