Quick Poll: How Do You Feel When a Contest Deadline is Extended?

Last year I was asked to serve as contest chair for a conference occurring this fall.

In the past I've enjoyed attending this conference, have paid to sponsor contests, have been a guest speaker, and have served as a volunteer judge. So, I agreed to volunteer for the conference chair job, as well as help with registration.

One of the benefits of attending this conference is that anyone registered (except of course the board members and conference chair) has the opportunity to enter the dozens of contests -- at no additional cost.

The contest entries (two copies each) began to arrive in July. I was excited when they appeared in my mailbox and started sorting and organizing them right away.

Dozens of people entered multiple contests. (There were 31 categories in all.)

One person who entered several contests sent each entry in a separate envelope, which made a lot of extra work for me, and added expense for her. I wrote and suggested she bundle her entries together to save money but did not receive a response. Some folks included notes thanking me for being conference chair, which made me feel good.

The original deadline for entering fell a few days before the Labor Day weekend, so I suggested to board members that the deadline be extended until the day after Labor Day.

The only drawback I could see was the judges would have a few days less time to complete their judging. All but one judge was fine with the shortened time for judging, and that was because he was leaving for vacation the day the entries arrived at his house.

The biggest (and most hurtful) complaint about the deadline extension came from someone who felt cheated because other writers would have extra time to submit their entries and thus more opportunities to win contests she might've won. (Although she also had the additional days to submit more entries if she chose.)

I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, so I won't go into all the ugly details, but I would like to take a quick poll of my writer friends out there:

How do you feel when a contest deadline is extended?

Do you feel relieved to have a few extra days to submit?

Do you get angry if a deadline is extended?

Do you feel cheated that it's unfair to those who entered at the original deadline?

Have you ever been a contest chair and had to deal with an issue like this?

October Delight: 50th Annual Ozark Creative Writers Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

The very first writers' conference I ever attended was the Ozark Creative Writers Conference in beautiful Eureka Springs, Arkansas. That was twenty years ago. And the conference is still going strong. In fact, this year is the 50th anniversary of the conference! The friendly atmosphere, top-notch speakers, networking opportunities, and dozens of writing contests keep writers coming back each year.

This year's conference will be held October 6-8 at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks in scenic Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

This year's faculty includes agents, editors, publishers, and writers, some of whom you might have seen on the History Channel or other television programs.

One of the most attractive features of the conference is that registrants can enter more than 30 writing contests.

There is no additional fee for conference registrants to enter the contests, and there is a contest for everyone, with thousands of dollars in total prize money. The awards are presented on Saturday evening, with a lot of hoots and hollers and applause.

In the past I've served as a judge for a few contests, but this year I'm excited and honored to serve as the contest chair. The entries have begun to arrive, with some folks entering more than a dozen contests, so that gives you a hint at how treasured winning one of these contests is for writers.

But wait. There's more: The Ozark Mountain fall foliage is eye-popping in October, and the drive from St. Charles County goes quickly. So, if you're looking for a fun, informative, and rewarding conference, I hope you will join me at the OCW 50th Anniversary Contest in Eureka Springs.

Got Flash in a Flash? MWG Semi-Flash Fiction Contest Deadline September 1

The Missouri Writers' Guild, which was established in 1915, is looking for original, unpublished works of fiction for their semi-flash writing contest. Semi-flash is a new term to me, but according to the guidelines, the length should be no longer than 1,000 words.

 

Writers do not have to belong to MWG to enter the contest. In fact, they don't even have to live in Missouri or the United States, but all entries must be in English.

Deadline: September 1, 2015

 

Entry fee is $10

 

First prize is $100. Additional cash prizes and other awards are detailed in the official guidelines. 

 

List of winners will be posted on the MWG website after November 1.



 



The general guidelines are listed below, and her is a link to the MWG contest site.

 

If you have questions, you can e-mail Judy Stock contest@missouriwritersguild.org

 

Good luck if you enter! But act quickly, the deadline is September 1. 

 

General Submission Rules
1. Entries are open to all writers; there is no requirement to be a member of MWG.
2. Entries will be online and must be in English.
3. Entries must be original work of entrant and unpublished at the time of submission.
4. Each work must be treated as a separate entry. For each entry, use a separate cover
sheet/online entry form available at www.missouriwritersguild.org. The cover
sheet includes the entrant’s name, address, telephone number, email address, and
a statement that entrant has read and signed the Terms of Agreement.
5. The deadline for all entries is midnight, September 1, 2015.
6. Entry should be double spaced, with a 1000 word limit, not including title.
7. Entries containing pornography, graphic violence, explicit or gratuitous sex, and
scatological content will not be accepted, nor will entry fee be returned.
8. Fees: Entry fee is $10 per entry. Payment may be made online through PayPal.
If entrants prefer, a check payable to MWG may be mailed to:
Missouri Writers Guild
Attn: Donna Essner, Treasurer
PO Box 2093
Saint Peters, Missouri 63376
9. MWG assumes no responsibility for misdirected entries.
10. May address any subject (except as noted in General Rule 7).
11. If you have questions, email Judy Stock contest@missouriwritersguild.org

Terms of Agreement: Signing states the entrant agrees guidelines have been read and followed.
Judging
1. All submissions are judged by independent judges, whose decisions are final.
2. Judges may award up to three places, at their discretion, but will select at least one “Judge’s Pick.”
Entrants whose work the judges submit for Honorable Mention will receive certificates.
For a list of winners, check MWG website http://www.missouriwritersguild.org after November 1, 2015. Winners will also be announced in the MWG newsletter.

ENTER FLASH FICTION CONTEST HERE!

 

 

Don't Miss This: Fiction and Nonfiction Contest Announcements from Dappled Things

Earlier this month, Denise Montgomery , from Catholic Writers of St. Louis, forwarded an e-mail with some exciting contest announcements from Dappled Things, a quarterly of ideas, art, & faith. 

It's taken me a while to pass this information along, but it's worth reading and sharing!

Here's what I like about these contests:

The contest prizes are generous. 

The processing fee for fiction is only $2.

There's no processing for nonfiction entries.

So, here's the scoop:

Last year, Dappled Things debuted the J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction. The contest drew about 400 entries, from which a winner and nine honorable mentions were selected by a panel of independent judges. 

This year the magazine is introducing a nonfiction category, the Jacques Maritain Prize for Nonfiction.

Here’s what you need to know if you are interested in making a submission to either prize:

What are the prize amounts?

For the J. F. Powers Prize for short fiction: 
1st place: $500
2nd place: $250

8 honorable mentions: publication in the journal and a one-year subscription.

What is the deadline for the fiction prize?

You can submit your story until November 28, 2014.

For the JacquesMaritain Prize for Nonfiction, the prizes are:

1st place: $500
2nd place: $300
3rd place: $200

What is the deadline for the nonfiction prize?

Since all nonfiction submissions will be eligible for the prize (selected from among all the essays published in Dappled Things during a given year), then submissions for the prize are accepted year-round. To participate in the current prize, your piece should appear at the latest in the Mary, Queen of Angels 2015 edition, which means you would have to make a submission by June 2015. The issues could all be filled before then, however, so don’t delay. The editors publish about two to three essays per issue, and all published essays will be finalists for the prize. The earlier you submit, the likelier the chances your essay will appear among a given year’s finalists.

What kind of submissions are you looking for?
For the J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction, please review the submission guidelines. If you have a story to submit that doesn't fit those guidelines, please consider making a submission under the general fiction category.

With regards to the Jacques Maritain Prize for Nonfiction, the editors are not limiting submissions to a particular theme (this being in keeping with Maritain’s own broad interests), other than what would fit within the context of a Catholic cultural and literary journal. In other words, please follow the nonfiction submission guidelines and look at the nonfiction pieces that appear in previous issues. 

When will winners be announced?
Winners of the J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction will be announced in February 2015. Winners of the Jacques Maritain Prize for Nonfiction will be announced in December 2015 (with the finalists being announced as each issue is published, starting with the Christmas 2014 edition).

Is there a reading fee?
No. 

However, given the costs imposed on us by the huge number of entries last the winner will be year, we are instituting a nominal $2 processing fee for the fiction prize to help us run it as efficiently as possible. Think of it as the equivalent of paying for postage if submissions were being accepted through the mail. 

There will be no processing fee for the nonfiction prize this year.

Make your submissions soon! 

Further information will be posted on the Contests page as well as Submittable. 

Special Announcement: Compass Flower Press Uncertain Promise Anthology Deadline Extended

Have you ever wanted to be published in a professional, theme-driven anthology?

Have you ever wanted to win a big prize for your writing?

Here's a chance to do both.

How? AKA Publishing and Compass Flower Press are actively seeking submissions for their Uncertain Promise anthology contest, and they have extended the deadline until June 9.

What are the editors looking for in submissions? Fiction and Creative non-fiction, but not poetry. 

How big are the prizes?

First place is $1,000; Second place is $500; and third place is $200.

What is the word limit? 3,000 words.

What does the theme Uncertain Promise mean?

Here are some examples from the AKA website: an unexpected outcome (joy, satisfaction, renewal, despair, emotional growth, etc.) from an otherwise routine or mundane circumstance. The uncertain promise might be an unspoken commitment from a friend or lover falls through due to misunderstanding or unforeseen happening, a career failure or future crashes--or ascends--depending on the outcome of a single event. These are some of the editor's ideas, but writers are welcome to use their imaginations and interpret the theme broadly. 

May I submit something that's already been published? No. Unpublished submissions only.

How about simultaneous submissions? Yes, but please note that on the entry form and give immediate notification if your entry is accepted elsewhere.

How are the entries judged?

Fiction and creative nonfiction submissions are read and evaluated anonymously by two editorial boards. Submission does not guarantee acceptance; acceptances that make the final cut are forwarded to independent judges for possible award of cash prizes. 

Each published contributor receives one free copy of the anthology.

How much does it cost to enter? 
Non-refundable entry fees ($US) for each category are $18 for electronic submission (paid on website) or $15 for mailed submission (paid by check or on website.) Compass Flower Press and AKA-Publishing are imprints of the independent and self-supporting publisher, AKA:yola, LLC.

How many times may I enter? No limit on submissions, but each entry requires a separate entry fee.

Where is AKA Publishing located?

315 Bernadette Drive, Ste 3; Columbia, Missouri 65203

Where can I find more details? Visit the AKA website for complete details and entry instructions.

Who can I contact for more information? 
E-mail: compassflowerpress@gmail.com OR click through the contact email on the website (be sure to note “Anthology Submission” in the subject line.)

What else do I need to know?
All submissions—both snail mail and e-mail—will be notified via e-mail upon receipt.

Prize winners and entries selected for publication will be posted on CompassFlowerPress.com.

Note: As a board member of AKA Publishing, I get to help spread the word about this opportunity to fellow writers.

10 Writing Contest Tips and Strategies

Talk about timing.

As it turns out I'm judging two writing contests this month, and this past Saturday I gave a seminar at UMSL on tips and strategies writers can use to help them do better in writing contests.

Before I gave the seminar I solicited input from some of my writing friends (you know who you are) because they are so smart, plus I figured the students wouldn't want to hear only my opinions. 

While I shared 25 tips with the students during the seminar on Saturday, according to the KISS principle I've decided to pare the 25 tips down and combine them into ten.

1. Do your research. Understand the contest category you are entering. Know yourself and your target. Know who is sponsoring the contest. Know what rights you are giving away when you enter. Avoid scams. Invest wisely. Find out the name of the judge, if possible, and see what type of writing the judge prefers.

2. READ CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES PRECISELY. Just about everyone I asked for comments mentioned this. That's why I put it in bold and all caps.This should be tip #1 because it is so important, but I wanted to list the tips in chronological order. Anyway, if you're uncertain about the guidelines, contact the Contest Chair.  As part of the guidelines: DO NOT EXCEED THE WORD LIMIT-- not even by one word (titles don't count). Know which category you are entering. (If the category is fiction, don't send an essay or a memoir. It's frustrating for the judge to pick a winner when more than half of the entries are well written, but they're nonfiction and the category is fiction.) Print out a copy of the guidelines and keep it handy.

3.  Just write it. Get your thoughts on paper and edit later. One prize-winning writer suggested, "write what you want and find a contest for it." If the word count is 1000, it's okay to write twice as much in your first draft. That gives you room to edit out weak or unnecessary words and keep in the best when you revise.

4. Use proper manuscript format. This gets back to #2. If the guidelines state double-spaced on plain white bond one side of the paper, be sure to do that.  Beyond that, proper manuscript format calls for the way your story or essay is laid out on paper. If you're unclear about proper manuscript format, check with the Contest Chair, or do some research. Here's a site one of my experts suggested: www.shunn.net/format/  Writers Digest online also has helpful information about formatting.

5. It's all about the writing. The above tips will get you started, but it's the writing is what will win the prize. Keep in mind the following: Titles matter, so always include one (unless it's a haiku). Unusual titles can catch a judge's attention and get them to take a closer look. The first line should be an attention grabber to get the judge to read more. Don't load up the beginning with backstory or too much description. Word choices are important. Nouns and verbs should be the workhorses of your manuscript. Eliminate passive or weak verbs (is, are, was, were, would, have). Ease up on adjectives and adverbs. Eliminate filler words (just, very, only, little, so, that). Watch out for clichés. Use vivid writing, including using the five senses (but not too much). Use concrete nouns (e.g. ox-eyed daisy is more concrete than flower.) Don't let description slow down the action. Take a unique approach. Judges get tired of reading the same type of story. Dare to be different, as long as you follow the guidelines. Use dialogue to make scenes come alive. Dialogue should sound natural. Dialogue is for conflict, not for meet and greet or agreement and not as an info dump. Orient your reader to time and setting. Character, voice, action, and conflict are important. A memorable character or a unique voice will stand out among other entries. In fiction: no conflict, no story. Watch out for tense shifts (from present to past and back again). Don't confuse your reader -- or the judge.

6. Pay attention to grammar and technique. Everyone makes mistakes, but take some time to correct spelling, punctuation and the like during editing and revision. Avoid using exclamation points. They're like screaming on paper, or as F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own joke." One of my writing friends despises semicolons and suggests writers "never use semicolons in dialogue."

7. Endings are important. Endings should be satisfying, yet surprising. Know when to stop. Too often stories go on too long and become repetitive or preachy. Read some short stories by famous writers. See how they end their stories. Here's a famous ending from The Great Gatsby. "so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." According to Pat Carr, "The last line of a story should be an action, a piece of dialogue, or an image."

8.  Edit, re-edit, revise, repeat. Print out a hard copy and proofread away from the PC. Read it out loud. Sure, your dog might think you're crazy, but you'll be amazed at the mistakes you'll pick up. Read it backwards (from the end to beginning--not sitting backwards in a chair) to catch double words and even more missteps. Don't rely on spell check. Set it aside for at least a week. Read it out loud again and edit and revise as needed. Truman Capote wrote, "Editing is as important as the writing. I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil." So cut, cut, cut to make your work shine, shine, shine.

9. Re-read the guidelines. Catch anything you might have overlooked. Don't wait till the last minute to submit. Send in early to give the judge more time to consider your work. Be sure to include the contest fee and sufficient postage. Mail to the correct address. Keep track of your submissions. Before you submit, check the contest website in case there's a change to the guidelines--it happens. One of my experts mentioned that if a deadline is extended it might mean there aren't a lot of entries, which could increase your chances of winning. Submit and move to your next project.

10. Attitude matters.  You can't always win, so be a gracious loser. Accept the fact that judging is subjective. You didn't win this time, but there's always the next one. Accept a loss, be grateful for an honorable mention. Learn from your near misses. Be a gracious winner. Celebrate, but don't gloat. Celebrate when your writing buddies win too. Send a thank you to the contest sponsor, especially if you win. If you get an opportunity to judge, jump at the chance, even if you don't get paid. You'll learn a lot about writing by being a judge, plus it's a good feeling to give something back, especially to small organizations that don't have a budget to pay judges. Never quit! (Okay, I used an exclamation point, but I think it's appropriate here.)

But wait, there's more . . .

If you want to read about how winning a literary prize can change your life, Alan Rinzler's blog, "The Book Deal," has an insightful interview with several prize-winning writers.

The Write Stuff Program at the University of Missouri at St. Louis

Are you searching for the "write stuff?"

The University of Missouri at St. Louis is offering a "Write Stuff" program for students desiring to take courses and receive a Chancellor's Certificate in Writing.

The program requires completion of 50 contact hours, which includes two core courses (one fiction and one nonfiction) as well as choosing from seminars covering a wide range of writing-related topics.

I'm scheduled to give a seminar on "Write to Win: Writing Tips from a Contest Judge" at the J.C. Penney auditorium on the UMSL campus on Sep 14 from 1-4 p.m.

During the three-hour seminar I'll share tips and strategies I've learned over years of entering and judging writing competitions. I'll also conduct an exercise where participants judge contest entries to determine if their picks match those selected as winners in a national writing competition.

UMSL Write Stuff Program seminar topics given by other instructors -- including Margo Dill, Dianna Graveman, Bobbi Smith and others -- will cover: research, marketing, publishing and more.

Writers who aren't interested in completing the entire program for a certificate may take individual classes and seminars.

Cost for individual seminars is $65.

To register, phone 314-561-6590.

Here's a link to the UMSL Write Stuff Program site, where you can find more details.

Contest and Anthology Submission Opportunity from Warriors Arts Alliance

"Home from the War" by Winslow Homer (1863)

Image, courtesy of National Gallery of Art

 

Quick, grab a pen! Better yet, power up your laptop!

If you're a fast writer -- or if you happen to have a military-themed poem, short story, or essay already written and are looking for a place to submit -- here is an opportunity you might want to check out.

Warriors Arts Alliance has a no-fee contest and call for submissions for Volume 2 of Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors.

The editors are looking for poetry, fiction, essays, photographs, and interviews from military personnel, veterans, and their families.

Created by the Missouri Humanities Council, the Warrior Arts Alliance, and Southeast Missouri State University Press, this series of anthologies preserves and shares the perspectives of our military and veterans of all conflicts and of their families. It is not only an outlet for artistic expression but also a document of the unique aspects of wartime in our nation’s history.

Two types of entries:  1) anthology only;  2) contest and anthology

• 1.  Anthology-only entry: mail your previously unpublished work with self-addressed, stamped envelope for notification to Warriors Anthology, Southeast Missouri State University Press, MS 2650, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.
• 2. Contest and Anthology entry: email previously unpublished work to upress@semo.edu

Contest: ($250 first prize in each category; all entries also considered for anthology)

• Entries must be sent electronically as Microsoft Word docs (or docx).
• Keep poems in one document (with 1^st poem as title).
• Put your name and contact info on 1^st page and nowhere else on the manuscript.

For both mailed and electronic submissions:

• Limit one submission in each category per person.
• Poetry: up to 3 poems (5 pages maximum).
• Fiction, essay, or interview: 5,000-word limit.
• Photography: up to 3 good-quality photos (will be printed in the book as b&w).
• Submissions exceeding the limits will be disqualified.
• Include a bio of 75 words or less with your submission.
• Winners & contributors will be notified by Nov. 1, 2013

Submission deadline is July 1 (postmark).

Visit the Warriors Arts Alliance website for more information.

Be Beautiful, Be You . . . And the Winner Is . . .

Thanks to all the beautiful souls who dropped by last week and left a comment on my Easter giveaway post about the two inspiring books from Liguori Press.

I'm so encouraged by visitors to my blog who continue to support me and leave comments. I'm always learning something new from you all!

The name of the winner selected to receive a copy of the inspiring book, Be Beatiful, Be You by Lizzie Velasquez is . . .

 

REBECA

 

So, Rebeca, if you would please e-mail me at dvolkenannt (at) charter (dot) net, I will make arrangements to get the book to you. 

 

Happy Easter, everyone. You are all beautiful--inside and out!

 

I'll be back next week with some submission call outs. Hope to see you then. 

 





Spring into Action: Enter Writing Contests from Saturday Writers and the Arkansas Writers' Conference

The past few days have been gray and dreary, but I don't need to look at the calendar to know that spring is just around the corner. Daylight comes earlier and lasts longer; daffodils are sprouting green leaves out of the brown earth; robins, cardinals, and mourning doves are busy building nests.

What better way to spring into the new season than by entering these writing contests?

The first group of colorful contests is from Saturday Writers.

 

Full disclosure: Although I'm no longer on the board, I am a founding member of SW. The current board has boundless energy and is full of fresh ideas, like their 2013 contests. Each month has a specific theme related to one or more colors. 



Saturday Writers 2013 Contests

Besides being colorful, here's what I like about the Saturday Writers' contests:

Anyone can enter
You don't have to belong to Saturday Writers to submit
The entry fees are modest ($5 for members $7 for non-members)
Although most contests are for short stories, others are for poetry and nonfiction
Judging is blind
Judges are from outside Saturday Writers (so everyone gets a fair shake.)
If you are a winner and want to be published, your work can be published in the Saturday Writers anthology. (Note: I'm not sure what happens if you win and don't want your work published, but I'm sure you can inquire about that.)
Deadlines are monthly
If you miss one month, you can plan ahead and enter another

To learn more about these colorful contests, visit the Saturday Writers website.

The second group of contests are part of the 69th Annual Arkansas Writers' Conference.

 

Several years ago I attended this conference with a friend. The organizers were welcoming and friendly, and the conference was informative, entertaining, and a lot of fun. I even won a few contests--woo hoo! What I like most about this group of contests is the variety of contest categories. Here's what else I like:

Anyone can enter
You don't have to attend the conference to win (although more categories are open to attendees)
One entry fee of $15 allows you to enter more than 20 contests (you can enter as many as 40 if you attend and are from Arkansas)
There are lots of generous prizes
Categories include poetry, essays, articles, and stories (mystery, children, humor, romance)
Categories are judged by sponsors or groups (Variety of judges makes for better chances for winning.)
Deadline is April 25, so there's still time to gather some entries
All entries are to be mailed to one address, so there's no confusion as to where to mail each entry. (Unlike some organizations that require separate checks and entries to be mailed to several different locations.)

To find out more, visit the AWC contest website.

Good luck if you enter. I'm thinking of entering a few contests myself.

Good News: Missouri Writers’ Guild Chapter and Sponsor Contest Deadlines Extended

Friends, writers, Missourians, warm up your pens (or keyboards as the case may be).

Unless your name is Julius Caesar, I have some good news.

You don’t need to "beware of the ides of March," but to prepare for the ides of March. And in this case, being ambitious is not a grievous fault.

The entry deadlines for the Chapter and Sponsor contests for the MissouriWriters’ Guild Annual Conference have been extended to the March 15 (The Ides of March).

Contests are open to members of MWG and its state chapters, as well as anyone attending the annual conference in April.

Happy day; the extension gives me extra time to enter my favorite chapter’s contests. Saturday Writers is sponsoring two categories: #7 Flash Fiction and #9 Inspirational Essay.

On the topic of being given second chances, the Writer’s Society of Jefferson County is sponsoring an additional contest not listed on the MWG website. Category #17 is an essay contest on "Second Chances" with a limit of 1500 words. Send your essays for that category to entry coordinator

Anna Wells

10632 St. Andrew's Court
Festus, MO 63028

For a full list of all chapter and sponsor contests, including where to send entries for other categories, visit http://missouriwritersguild.org/2013AnnualContestRules.pdf

All contests have a $5 entry fee.

Note: This extension only applies to the Chapter and Sponsor contests, not the President's contests. (Woops! I already missed that deadline.)

Personal note: If you are eligible to enter, please consider the Saturday Writer’s Flash Fiction and Inspirational Essay contests.

Final note: Apologies to Will Shakespeare for my attempt at humor with Julius Caesar. My granddaughter and I visited the campus of Mizzou this weekend. While we were in Columbia, we ate at Shakespeare’s Pizza. Quick restaurant review: Long wait, great pizza!

Good luck, and happy writing!

Call for Submissions: Panera Bread and Chicken Soup

How appropriate that on Labor Day I'd planned to get some work done on my blog, visit some of my favorite blogs--and do some writing.

I decided that sharing some markets I've been wanting to submit to would be a good way to start the week.

Here are two calls for submission that go together--bread and soup:

St. Louis Bread Company, aka Panera Bread, is one of my favorite places to stop for a breakfast bagel (cinnamon crunch, bread sliced) or a nutritious lunch (1/2 Sierra Turkey or 1/2 Tuna Salad and 1/2 Greek Salad or Broccoli Cheddar Soup)--depending on the weather. So, I was happy to receive an e-mail from Panera Bread announcing a contest to win one of ten $25 gift cards just for telling them what I'm thankful for. Winning stories might also appear on TV. To read about the Panera Bread What I'm Thankful for Contest, click on this link. 

Many of my visitors have been published in one or more Chicken Soup for the Soul books. If you're wanting to join them, or you have been in a Chicken Soup book and want to be in another issue, check out the possible book topics the editors have in mind. I especially like the call out for Holiday Stories. And did you notice that Chicken Soup for the Soul is going to start selling chicken soup soon?

Because both call for submissions today have to do with food, I thought I'd sign off, not only with Good Luck!, but also with: 

Good Appetite! Guten Appetit! Bon Appetit! Buon Appetito!

P.S. If you have any markets to share, please do so in the Comments. Thanks!

Hey Writers, What Time is It? It's Contest Time!

Back-to-school season brings back childhood memories of my early school days, evoking the smell of crayons, sharpened pencils, glue, and clean sheets of paper in my Big Chief Tablet.

This sense of nostalgia also reminds me of the excitement of watching favorite TV shows after school with my brothers and sisters on our black-and-white TV. One favorite was the "Howdy Doody Show," which started out with "Hey, Kids, what time is it?"  Sitting at the foot of the TV, we shouted back, "It's Howdy Doody time." The show was sponsored by Rice Krispies, with their cereal's "snap, crackle, and pop."

It might not be Howdy Doody time, but with my grandkiddos back in school, for me it's writing time--and time to enter contests.

For the next two months, I've decided to "snap, crackle, and pop" into action. Here are a couple of contests I hope to enter. Both have late September deadlines and low fees .

* The first contest is the Springfield (Missouri) Writers' Guild 19th Annual Literary Awards. There are eleven contest categories including poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Entry fees range from $2 to $3. Prizes range from $100 to certificates. Deadline is Sep 30. Here's a link to the submission guidelines.

* The Green River Writers Writing Contest, with fifteen categories, is sponsored by Green River Writers in Louisville, KY. Entry fees are modest, but the top two category prizes are generous. The original deadline was Aug 31, but the deadline has been extended until Sep 29. Here's a link to their site.

How about you? Do you know of any contests coming up that you'd like to share?

Happy Mother's Day - Win Free Books From Bookreporter

Happy Mother's Day!

Bookreporter has some amazing giveaways going on this month, especially for women who love to read.

While I can't enter (darn it) because I'm a Bookreporter reviewer already, I thought I'd share a link and some details with my blog visitors who love to read, write, and get free books!

Here's a sampling of what they're giving away this month:

The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santo - 200 specially formatted early reader editions to give away to readers who would like to preview the book.

Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon - 25 copies to readers who would like to preview the book and comment on it.

The Book of Summers by Emylia Hall - 25 copies to readers who would like to preview the book and comment on it.

Visit the Bookreporter Contests page to find details on how to enter and even more chances to win!

Good Luck, and Happy Mother's Day!

Bookreporter Launches Twentysomethingreads and Hunger Games Contest

Last week I received an e-mail from Carol Fitzgerald, President of Bookreporter, announcing the launch of their new Twentysomethingreads site.

Twentysomethingreads is a website created for readers in their twenties, defined as, “A decade. A state of mind. An age. A lifestyle. A time for self-discovery. A new perspective. An attitude. A philosophy. Independence. Freedom. A time to re-discover reading for pleasure - and FINALLY - read what you want.”

Disclosure: I have been a book reviewer for Bookreporter for more than five years, and I'm thrilled to share this information with my blog visitors.

Here are some of features of the new Twentysomethingreads site: 

• Curated Bookshelf Collections --- 20 themed titles perfect for twentysomethings. Now Live: Great International Mysteries, Spring Break Suggested Titles, Cookbooks to Get You Started and Book Club Suggestions. Themed bookshelves will be part of each update.

• Contests : right now a chance to win all the Spring Break Bookshelf titles in a contest valued at more than $450 and a Hunger Games Contest with movie tie-in titles from The Hunger Games including a collector’s edition, The Official Illustrated Movie Companion, The Tributes Guide, and The Hunger Games movie tie-in edition.

• 20 Days of The Hunger Games --- in anticipation of the upcoming film release, there will be a special blog series starting on March 3rd , with 20 blogs to countdown to til this highly anticipated movie’s release.

• Booksellers’ Picks --- featuring reading recommendations for readers in their 20s, booksellers from around the country will be making suggestions as to what books to read.

* A featured author on the site is Lisa Lutz, whose latest novel, TRAIL OF THE SPELLMANS, I reviewed on Bookreporter. You can read my interview with Lisa Lutz here.

* Librarian Picks --- featuring reading recommendations for readers in their 20s, librarians from around the country will be making suggestions as to what books to read.

• Bookstore Tour --- this article series will highlight indie bookstores in the United States, from coast-to-coast, beginning with Bookstores in New York City.

• 20 Over 30 --- authors over the age of 30 will make reading recommendations, suggesting which book of theirs to start with, what book they would recommend to readers in their 20s, and what book they’re reading.

• 20 Questions: A Day in the Life of… --- This blog series will follow the writing --- and living --- habits of authors, as they answer a questionnaire about what it’s like to be them for a day.

Hope you'll check out the new Twentysomethingreads site. Even if you're WAY over 20, as I am, you're never too old to enjoy some of the books you'll find there.

Happy reading!

Cinema St. Louis - Call for Entries from St. Louis-area Filmmakers

Lights, Camera, Action!

For all you local filmmakers, here's an e-mail I recently received announcing a juried filmmaking competition:

Dear donna,

The second edition of Cinema at Citygarden - a co-presentation of Cinema St. Louis (CSL) and Gateway Foundation - invites St. Louis-area filmmakers to let their imaginations blossom by creating short works that incorporate Nature as a key element.

Cinema at Citygarden (on left)

This juried competition will award cash prizes - $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 for third place - to the top three entries. The winning shorts will then be featured as part of a looped program that will screen on Citygarden's video wall starting May 25, 2012. In addition to the three cash-prize winners, up to seven other works will be chosen to be part of the video-wall program this summer. For programming listings, please visit www.citygardenstl.org.

A three-person jury comprising a filmmaker, film scholar, and film critic will select the video-wall program, including both the three cash-prize winners and the additional films. Jury members will be announced on CSL's Web site.

Cinema St. Louis will also screen the video-wall program - as well as additional Cinema at Citygarden competition entries chosen by CSL - as part of the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, held in August 2012. Those films will then be eligible for consideration by the St. Louis International Film Festival, held Nov. 8-18, 2012.

The cash-prize winners and additional works in the video-wall program will be announced on Friday, May 25, 2012. No entry fee is required. Submission deadline is April 2, 2012. For full competition details and a downloadable call-for-entries form, visit the CSL Web site: www.cinemastlouis.org.

For more information about Cinema at Citygarden, contact Cinema St. Louis at 314-289-4150 or visit http://www.cinemastlouis.org/.

Sincerely,

Brian Spath
Cinema St. Louis

Well Versed Acceptances and An Announcement

Earlier this week I received official notification that two of my essays won in the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild contest for non-fiction. Both submissions will appear in the 2012 edition of Well Versed, the anthology of the CCMWG.

In addition to placing in the contest, I was excited for a few reasons.

Well Versed is a well regarded anthology. The 2011 edition won best book award in the 2011 MWG President's Contests.

Contest judges for the 2012 issue are esteemed writers and editors: Evelyn Somers Rogers, the Fiction judge,  has been associate editor of The Missouri Review since 1990. Poetry judge, Harvey Stanbrough, has had work nominated for the National Book Award. Non-fiction judge Becky Carr Imhauser, is a former newspaper and magazine editor who has written six non-fiction books and has had more than 900 articles published in national periodicals.

Even more exciting, two members of my critique group, Marcia Gaye and Alice Muschany, had works which placed in the contests and will have poems and essays included in the Well Versed anthology. Here's a link to the CCMWG site, with a list of the winners, bios for the judges, and the names of writers and poets whose work will appear in the anthology. If your name is among those listed, Congratulations!

Now for my announcement: Hope you will visit Donna's Book Pub next on Monday, January 23, when I will have a special guest as part of the WOW! Women on Writing author's blog tour.

Pesi Dinnerstein, author of A Cluttered Life: Searching for God, Serenity, and my Missing Keys, will post about "Trying to Find that Small, Still Voice."

I'm always happy to read advice from other writers, so I'm looking forward to read what Pesi has to say.

Until next time . . . Happy writing!

My Article on "Writing Tips from a Contest Judge" is Posted on the Walrus Publishing Site

If you write short stories and one of your goals for the new year is to submit to contests, check out Walrus Publishing's recent posts.

The post from Lisa Miller, publisher and editor of Walrus Publishing. announces  "Twelve Months with Walrus, Monthly Short Story Contests Begins in 2012."   Lisa's publishing company is sponsoring monthly contests with cash prizes and opportunities to have your work included in an anthology which will be published in 2013. There is a small fee to enter the contests. Be sure to read the details and guidelines on the Walrus site.

While you're there, check out my article on "Writing tips from a Contest Judge."  I wrote the article shortly after I judged a short story contest, so the topic was fresh on my mind. I've included specific suggestions on how to catch a judge's eye and the one thing you should always include in your story.

Hope you find my article helpful, and if you enter the Walrus contests or any others listed on their website, good luck!