NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION BRANCH (NCR)
Bi-Weekly Notices for the two weeks: FEB. 9 to 22, 2015
18 ITEMS, 13 NEW
NOTICE TO ALL READERS: Please send all submissions & event notices to Carol Stephen at cstephen0@gmail.com #Find writing-related services offered by our members at our CAA-NCR website http://www.canauthors-ottawa.org/hire-a-member.shtml
UPCOMING EVENTS
ITEM 1: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS TO CAA-NCR’s BYLINE MAGAZINE
If you have an article of interest to writers contact the Editor, Sharyn Heagle, at sharyn_40@yahoo.com. Member promotional material is included in Byline at no cost. Contact the Editor, Sharyn Heagle for details Sharyn_40@yahoo.com
CAA-NCR Byline Submission Guidelines
Writing-related articles that include information about the process, profession or business of writing, or insights into the writer’s world.
Byline pays 2-1/2 cents per word to a maximum of $25 on publication (minimum, $10); poetry $10 each; photos $5 each. Contact Editor (sharyn_40@yahoo.com) prior to submitting
Deadlines: For non-solicited material, two months prior to publication. Issues published January, March, May, Summer, September, November.
Submission guidelines: English with Canadian spelling. In MS Word or OpenOffice as an attachment. Photos in jpeg, largest available resolution.
Font: Times New Roman 12 point, single space. No formatting, no indents; one extra return between paragraphs. Length: Preferably between 600 – 1200 words.
CAA-NCR MEMBERS NEWS
ITEM 2: CAA-NCR MEMBER KELLY BUELL EDITING SERVICES AVAILABLE NEW!
Professional writer available for editing, manuscript critique, and contracts for smaller assignments. I have a diploma in Journalism-Print and I am expecting my Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing this summer. I have been published since 1997. Please send enquiries to kbuell@live.com and put the word writer somewhere in the subject line.
ITEM 3: CAA MEMBER, EMILY-JANE HILLS ORFORD WORKSHOPS NEW!
Great programs for creative young minds. Especially the creative writing programs – fiction writing and novel writing, with Emily-Jane Hills Orford. Check out ABC Saturday Take-off’s Spring programs: http://www.abcontario.ca/chapters/ottawa/51-take-off
ABC Ottawa Take-off Saturday Morning Enrichment Workshops for Kids Ages 6-14
The ABC Take-off program, hosted by the ABC Ottawa, provides challenging extracurricular educational opportunities for bright and gifted students, ranging in age from 6 – 14 years on, The next session is…
Spring 2015 ABC Ottawa Take-off
March 28 – May 9, 2015, no classes on April 4
St. Paul’s High School
Registration will begin on Registration Night
March 5, 7:30pm, Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre
The 90 minute workshops take place in the morning from 9 AM – 10:30 AM or from 11 AM – 12:30 PM. Some exceptions to this time apply, if so, it is noted in the course description.
All courses take place at St. Paul’s High School, 2675 Draper Ave., Ottawa 
Early Registration: The first opportunity to register for ABC Take-off will be at the ABC Adult Meeting at 7:30 PM on Thursday, March 5 at the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, 102 Greenview Ave., off Pinecrest and Carling Ave.
Continuing Registration: After March 5, registrations are accepted by mail, provided that they are accompanied by cheque or money order payment in full.
Where to Mail Registrations: ABC Take-off Program Manager, 869 Acadian Garden, Orleans, Ontario K1C 2V7
Registrations are first-come, first-served.Register Early to Avoid Disappointment! Many courses are filled quickly. If a course has not reached its minimum enrolment 10 days before Take-off, the course may not be offered. Registering after March 5 -check www.abcontario.ca/ottawa for available courses
Please note, there is no on-line or phone registration/reservation, and spaces are not reserved. After registration night, registrations are received by mail. Registrations are only accepted when received with payment in full – by cash or cheque only.
CAA NEWS FROM OUR OTHER BRANCHES
ITEM 4: THE SAVING BANNISTER 30TH ANNUAL POETRY CONTEST NEW!
English: Niagara Falls, the American Falls, taken from the Canadian side. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Niagara Branch of the Canadian Authors Association is holding its 30th Annual Poetry Anthology contest for residents of Ontario. Entries must be in English, previously unpublished and not submitted for consideration elsewhere. Number of entries is unlimited, but no more than six poems from one poet will be included in the anthology.
Deadline: May 31, 2015
Entry fee: $15 for up to three poems and $4 for each additional poem
Prize: 1st prize: $200; 2nd prize: $100; 3rd prize $50
Details: www.canauthorsniagara.org/poetry-contest/
CAA NEWS FROM NATIONAL
ITEM 5: CANWRITE 2015 UPDATE – SAVE THE DATE!
English: Waterfront of Orillia, Ontario, Canada (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
CanWrite! 2015 writers’ conference is scheduled for June 11 to 14, 2015, once again at Lakehead University’s Orillia campus. (Registration opens early March.) We have a stellar program lined up, with the following guests confirmed:
- Agent Panel: Carly Watters (P.S. Literary Agency); Martha Magor Webb (Anne McDermid & Associates).
- Publisher Panel: Craig Pyette (Senior Editor, Penguin Random House Canada); Patricia Ocampo (Managing Editor, Simon & Shuster); Hazel Millar (Managing Editor, Book Thug)
- Master Class: Anthony De Sa
- Pitch Sessions: All the agents and publishers listed in the Agent and Publisher Panels above
- Interactive Workshops: Anthony De Sa (Marketing and Self-Promotion); Robert Sawyer (Science Fiction); Craig Pyette (Getting Published); Renée Sarojini Saklikar – winner of 2014 CAA Poetry Award (Poetry); Ashley Dunn – Publicity Manager at Random House (Publicity with Purpose); Sue Reynolds (Memoir Writing)
- Writing Circles: Esther Griffin, Sue Reynolds, Ruth Walker, James Dewer
OTHER WORKSHOPS
ITEM 6: THE DIGITAL WRITERS’ FESTIVAL STARTS ON 11 FEBRUARY NEW!
The Digital Writers’ Festival has just announced its full program for 2015. Starting on Wednesday 11 February and running for 12 days, the festival offers over 30 events and features 60 artists.
All events will be live streamed via digitalwritersfestival.com and be available to writers anywhere in the world, provided they have access to the internet. The majority events are free.
SUBMISSION CALLS AND OPPORTUNITIES
ITEM 7: BYWORDS.CA SUBMISSION CALL
DEADLINE: The 15th of every month for the following month’s issue
Bywords.ca considers previously unpublished poetry from emerging and established poets for our online monthly magazine. We consider work by current and former residents, students and workers of Ottawa. We also publish poems by contributors to our predecessor, the Bywords Monthly Magazine. FOR SUBMISSION INFORMATION VISIT www.bywords.ca and click on Guidelines. Amanda Earl, Managing Editor. Check out Bywords.ca’s literary events calendar here: http://www.bywords.ca/calendar/index.php with up-to-date info on NCR readings, book signings, writers’ circles, literary festivals, spoken word showcases & slams. Event submissions can be sent to events@bywords.ca
ITEM 8: PHAFOURS PRESS (OTTAWA, CANADA) DEADLINE THIS WEEK NEW!
seeks poems about cocoa that rhapsodize the holy bean for a chapbook anthology. No couplet rhymes svp unless satire. Payment in copies and/or small honorarium. Send 2 poems max. Deadline EXTENDED TO: February 20, 2015. Guidelines.
ITEM 9: BROWN FOUNDATION FELLOWS PROGRAM IN FRANCE: APPLICATIONS CLOSE 15 FEBRUARY
The Brown Foundation Fellows Program is offered by The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. It offers residencies to mid-career professionals in the arts and humanities, including writers. The residencies last between one and three months and take place at The Dora Maar House in Ménerbes, France. Who Can Apply: The Brown Foundation Fellows Program is open to writers, scholars and other artists. Candidates are expected to have an established career in their field, with the fellowship providing them with time to concentrate on their area of expertise. Candidates can be from around the world. Recent writers who have been accepted into the program include Colombian novelist and short story writer James Cañón, Albanian poet Luljeta Lleshanaku and American playwright Greg Pierotti.
The Fellowship: The program offers residential fellowships lasting for between one and three months. The successful candidates receive:
- travel expenses to and from Dora Maar House
- reimbursement for reasonable shipping costs for materials such as books and research files
- a stipend of approximately US$50 per day for basic living expenses
- a private bedroom, bathroom and studio
- use of all communal facilities
- a cell phone and €30 worth of credit (provided upon request).
Fellows who are not French citizens are required to have their own medical and liability insurance or they must purchase insurance arranged by the program (US$150).
How to Apply: Applications are managed via the Museum of Fine Arts’ Slideroom Portal.
MORE INFORMATION: For further information about the Brown Foundation Fellows Program please visit the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston website.
ITEM 10: MONTREAL POETRY PRIZE 2015 $20,000 PRIZE NEW!
The not-for-profit Montreal International Poetry Prize has launched its 2015 competition. The prize is $20,000. The 2015 judge is Eavan Boland. And the 10 international jurors for this year are Gabeba Baderoon of South Africa, Kate Clanchy of Scotland, Carolyn Forche of the United States, Amanda Jernigan of Canada, Anthony Lawrence of Australia, Niyi Osundare of Nigeria, Jennifer Rahim of Trinidad, K. Satchidanandan of India, Michael Schmidt of the United Kingdom and Bruce Taylor of Canada.
The final deadline is May 15, but we encourage entries before March 31st. Online entries only. Visit www.montrealprize.com. There’s also a poster available for download under News/Downloads for your convenience. Good luck to all participants!
ITEM 11: ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS & SCIENCES FELLOWSHIPS NEW!
Applications for the prestigious and lucrative Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting are now open for 2015.
This international screenwriting competition awards up to five fellowships of US$35,000 each year. Since 1986, 137 fellowships totaling $3,740,000 have been awarded.
Who Can Enter
The competition is open to writers based anywhere in the world, regardless of citizenship. All entrants must be aged over 18. Entry scripts must be the original work of one writer, or of two writers who collaborated equally, and must be written originally in English. Translated scripts are not eligible.
The fellowships are intended for new and/or amateur screenwriters. In order to be eligible, an entrant’s total earnings for motion picture and television writing may not exceed US$25,000 before the end of the competition.
It is a requirement that all fellowship winners complete at least one new feature screenplay in the year of their fellowship (the Academy acquires no rights to the work and will not participate in its marketing or in any other aspects of its commercial future).
The Prizes
Up to five $35,000 fellowships are awarded each year to promising new screenwriters.
In addition to the cash prize, winners of the Nicholl Fellowships will be invited to participate in awards week ceremonies and seminars in November. The successful applications are also expected to receive many networking opportunities to help complete their next script.
How to Enter
Applicants must submit an original feature film screenplay. This screenplay may be no shorter than 70 pages and no longer than 160 pages. The shortest script to earn its writer an Academy Nicholl Fellowship was 80 pages long; the longest was 153 pages.
Screenwriters may enter the 2015 competition up to three times; an entry fee is payable for each separate screenplay. If the script is based on a true story/events, historical or contemporary, the ‘based on true story’ button should be selected within the online application form. Adaptations of any work (other than your own) are not eligible.
DEADLINES:
Early Deadline – March 2 – $40 entry fee
Regular Deadline – April 10 – $55 entry fee
Late and Final Deadline – May 1 – $75 entry fee
MORE INFO: https://nicholl.oscars.org/
ITEM 12: “PASSAGES” A WRITING CONTEST HOSTED BY THE CREATIVE WRITING CONCENTRATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH AT CARLETON UNIVERSITY
This year’s theme: Passages: Transitions Between Worlds DEADLINE FEB. 15, 2015
Two age categories: 18 years and under; 18 years and above
Two writing categories: Poetry and Short Story
Canadian and International Entries Welcome
Winning entries will be featured in a peer-reviewed anthology of prose and poetry published in spring 2015 by In/words Magazine and Press. They will also receive a $300 cash prize. Second-prize winners will receive $100. First and second-place winners will receive books donated by House of Anansi Press.
Winners will be announced March 15th, 2015
Entries must be previously unpublished and original. One poetry or story entry per person.
Include a cover page with your name, contact information, title of your entry, and your age category. Your name should not appear on your manuscript (as judging is blind).
Poetry: 3 poems (maximum 100 lines per poem) Short Story: 1 story (maximum 3000 words)
Postmark Deadline: February 15, 2015
Send postmarked, hard-copy entries to: “Passages” Creative Writing Contest, c/o Department of English, Carleton University, 1812 Dunton Tower, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6
Judges:
Nadia Bozak, novelist, short-story writer, film theorist, and assistant professor of English
Amatoritsero Ede, poet, scholar, publisher and managing editor, Maple Tree Literary Supplement, MTLS, at <www.mtls.ca>
Contact: nadia.bozak@carleton.ca; travis.decook@carleton.ca
For more information about Creative Writing at Carleton: www.carletoncreativewriting.wordpress.com or http://www.carleton.ca/english/undergraduate-program/creative-writing-concentration/
IN THE INTEREST OF WRITERS HELPING WRITERS
ITEM 13: TREE READING SERIES PRESENTS JIM NASON + KIMMY BEACH
NEW! 
DATE: Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015
LOCATION: BLACK SQUIRREL BOOKS, 1073 BANK ST. OTTAWA
6:45 pm Workshop – The Neuroscience of Writers Block with Willow-Marie Power
This workshop provides an explanation of writers block, insights into why it feels the way it does and what to do.
Willow-Marie Power Coach and Workshop leader, her book is “.Real. Coming of Age. Keeping Our Soul.” http://willowmariewrites.com/willow-marie-workshops-coaching/
8:00 p.m. OPEN MIC & FEATURED READERS
Jim Nason has published two novels: The Housekeeping Journals (Turnstone) and I Thought I Would Be Happy (Tightrope), as well as a short story collection, The Girl on the Escalator (Tightrope). His poems, essays and stories have been published in literary journals across the United States and Canada, including The Best Canadian Poetry in English 2008 & 2010. He has recently published his fourth collection of poetry, Music Garden, with Frontenac House. Jim has been a Finalist for the CBC Literary Award in both the fiction and poetry categories. He has been a guest author at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; the Bryant Park, New York, Poet’s Festival; and, the Thin Air Literary Festival, Winnipeg.
Kimmy Beach’s fifth book, The Last Temptation of Bond (The University of Alberta Press, 2013), was chosen as one of the best five poetry books of the year on Quill&Quire’s 2013 Readers’ Poll. The book was longlisted for the 2013 Alberta Readers’ Choice Award, and was featured on CBC Radio One’s The Next Chapter with Shelagh Rogers. Work from her third collection, fake Paul, is anthologized in Newspaper Taxis: Poetry After the Beatles (Seren Press, Wales, 2012). Her second book, Alarum Within: theatre poems, has been adapted as a stage play by both the University of Toronto and Red Deer College. Kimmy has served as Writer-In-Residence for the Parkland Regional Library, The Writers Guild of Alberta, and The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, and has facilitated worshops and retreats for Sage Hill Writing Experience, The Writers’ Guild of Alberta, The Manitoba Writers’ Guild, and The Saskatchewan Writers Guild. She’s currently working on a novella and a collection of prose poems about 1970s romance comics and This is Tom Jones! (1969-1971).
More info at: http://www.treereadingseries.ca/
ITEM 14: POETRY READINGS AROUND TOWN NEW!
Friday, February 13 7:30 pm – 9:30pm The Love Slam, Nepean Museum https://www.facebook.com/events/790907277656237/?source=1
ITEM 15: THE FACTORY READING SERIES PRESENTS: PAIGE, SHEPPY & THOMAS NEW!
DATE: Friday, February 20, 2015; doors 7pm; reading 7:30pm
LOCATION: The Carleton Tavern, 223 Armstrong Street (at Parkdale; upstairs) 
Abby Paige (Ottawa)
Nikki Sheppy (Calgary)
+ Hugh Thomas (Fredericton)
lovingly hosted by rob mclennan 
Abby Paige is a writer and performer whose work has been published in the US and Canada, recently including Room, Ottawater, Arc, and the Montreal Review of Books. Her chapbook, Other Brief Discourses, was published by Ottawa’s above/ground press in 2013. Abby was born and raised in Northern Vermont, and her solo show,Piecework: When We Were French, explores the legacy of French-Canadian immigration to northern New England. She has toured with the show throughout New England, and it is now available on DVD.
Nikki Sheppy is a poet, editor and arts journalist. She has a doctorate in English literature from the University of Calgary. Her book reviews have appeared in Uppercase Magazine, Alberta Views, and Lemon Hound, and her poetry in Event and Matrix. She serves as President of the Board of filling Station, Calgary’s experimental literary and arts magazine, and is the author of the poetry chapbook, Grrrrlhood: a ludic suite (Kalamalka 2014).
Hugh Thomas is a poet and translator living in Fredericton, where he teaches mathematics at the University of New Brunswick. His most recent chapbook, Albanian Suite, was published by above/ground press in 2014. His previous chapbook, Opening the Dictionary, also published by above/ground press, was shortlisted for the 2012 bpNichol chapbook award.
http://www.abovegroundpress.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-factory-reading-series-paige-sheppy.html
ITEM 16: OTTAWA MEMBERS SOCIETY OF CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITERS SCHMOOZE NEW!
Date: Friday February 27 Time: 10:45 for an 11am start
Where: To be arranged (just finding a place that will take all of us!)
Ottawa members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators are organizing another Schmooze–i.e., an opportunity for writers and illustrators to get together over lunch to socialize and talk shop. Whether or not you write or illustrate for children, you are welcome to join us. The venue hasn’t been chosen yet, but if you’d like to reserve the date, here are the details thus far, from our new Schmooze organizer, Katherine Battersby.
Seeing as it’s the start of a new year, our general theme for the meeting will be ‘goals’. I’ll start by letting you know what’s happening within SCBWI (e.g. any conference updates). Then we’ll discuss our goals for our Schmooze events – I’d love to start getting to know you all (what you write and illustrate, your interests) so we can make sure the events cater to our members’ needs. And finally we’ll have a go at setting some personal writing and illustrating goals – I find putting it down on paper really motivates me (and keeps me accountable!). Finally there’ll be lots of free time to talk and meet other creators, and we can all order some lunch too.
Just to note, the meetings will vary between weekdays and weekends (to give everyone a chance to attend) and will run around every three months. Feel free to get in touch (at the email address below) if you have any questions.
Katherine (and the SCBWI team) Children’s Author / Illustrator www.katherinebattersby.com katherinebattersby@gmail.com
ITEM 17: FOR THE MEDIA CLUB OF OTTAWA’S ANNUAL WORKSHOP NEW!
DATE: Saturday February 28, 2015 Time: 9 a.m. – Noon
LOCATION: Algonquin College
Topic: The New Reporter: Digital Skills for Traditional Media
Featuring the journalists who broke the robo calls story in 2012 –
Stephen Maher, author, journalist and columnist, Post Media News and Glen McGregor, journalist, Ottawa Citizen plus Andrew Pinsent, producer/reporter 1310 radio More info contact: mediaclubofottawa1@gmail.com
ITEM 18: FREEDOM TO READ WEEK MARKS 31ST YEAR NEW!
The Book and Periodical Council and its Freedom of Expression Committee are pleased to announce the 31st annual Freedom to Read Week in Canada. A national celebration of freedom of expression that takes place in libraries, schools and arts venues across Canada, this year’s program runs from February 22 to 28, 2015.
“Every week we read of challenges to free expression. Some command international headlines, others involve quiet requests to remove material from local library shelves, and all demand our attention,” said Marg Anne Morrison, chair of the Freedom of Expression Committee. “During Freedom to Read Week, we invite Canadians to celebrate free expression, place challenges to it under scrutiny and join together to debate how censorship in many forms affects us all.”
Freedom to Read Week incorporates public readings and panel discussions, challenged book and magazine displays and a kit for librarians and teachers. Public events take place in locations across the country; speakers include poets, investigative journalists, librarians and readers. Events this year include:
– discussions about investigative journalism in a transformed media landscape
– debates about libel law, self-censorship, defamation and intellectual freedom
– readings from challenged books and magazines
– the presentation of three awards for work in the field of free expression
A complete list of events in locations across Canada is available at freedomtoread.ca; it will be updated as new events are added. Event organizers are encouraged to share their plans with Freedom to Read Week organizers through the same web address.
MAGAZINE SUBMISSION CALLS: 3 NEW CALLS
DEADLINE EVERY SUNDAY: UK MAG Kingston University Creative Writing MA blog Words, Pauses, Noises is looking for submissions of short fiction (up to 1,500 words), poetry (up to three poems), flash fiction, non-fiction, interviews with prominent literary figures, book reviews, and original artwork. New work is published every Sunday. Deadline: rolling. Guidelines.
ONGOING:
NEW! Stained Pages Press is looking for long-form writing about Canadian food, to be published online as part of a weekly feature. Looking for fiction, essays, fully-researched articles and personal essays about food — either by a Canadian or featuring Canadian food items. Payment: 50% of all profits from donations to the site (PayPal tipjar & Patreon) during the week that your work is featured. Guidelines.
NO DEADLINES SPECIFIED:
Collaborative publisher Elephantine Publishing (US) is accepting manuscript submissions for the following genres: YA and NA paranormal urban fantasy, and contemporary. Likes commercial women’s fiction, ecolit, sci-fi, romance, erotica, and particularly, coming of age stories. Query first, following guidelines.
This Dark Matter (US) accepts submissions of short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. Publishes work in all genres for adults or young adults “as long as there is an inherent darkness at the heart of it.” Weird is good, and so is horrifying and heart-pounding and creepy. Deadline: ongoing. Guidelines.
Kingston University Creative Writing MA blog Words, Pauses, Noises (UK) is looking for submissions of short fiction (up to 1,500 words), poetry (up to three poems), flash fiction, non-fiction, interviews with prominent literary figures, book reviews, and original artwork. Deadline: rolling. Guidelines.
Dumas de Demain, The French Literary Magazine is seeking original prose, short fiction, poetry and spoken word submissions from young people up through age 25. All submissions must be in French. Deadline: Open. Guidelines.
Online poetry magazine The Mackinac seeks original work “where the stakes are always high.” Submit up to 5 poems. Prefers work that “bridges the strait between nostalgia and the immediate, the wilds seen and unseen.” Deadline: Ongoing. Guidelines.
Digital short fiction magazine Nonlocal Science Fiction seeks work for its debut issue (2015). Pays via profitsharing.
New quarterly online literary magazine One Throne (Yukon) is accepting poetry, fiction, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction. Deadline: Rolling. Guidelines.
From the Well House, Indiana University Kokomo’s Art and Literary Journal, seek work for the next online publication. Accepting poetry, prose, and academic papers, plus art work and multimedia. Deadline: rolling. Guidelines
Pith Journal: We are currently reading submissions for our first issue. we dig…..Up to five poems attached in one file (.doc, .docx or .pdf) to pithjournal(at)gmail(dot)com. We’re open to different styles, but have an eye for writing that refuses to hold our hands and allows us to get lost in the woods for a while. We’re not the biggest fans of narrative poems. One article of fiction, creative nonfiction or essay up to 2,500 words (.doc, .docx, .pdf) to pithjournal(at)gmail(dot)com. We will publish one prose piece per issue and like with poetry, we’re more inclined toward the unusual. We take our visual art the way we take our writing (see above). If you’re interested in having us showcase your work, please send an email inquiry to pithjournal(at)gmail(dot)com with a link to your website/blog/tumblr, etc. More info here: http://www.pithjournal.com/?page_id=9
Ryga: A Journal of Provocations showcases the work that explores social issues. Seeking short stories, poem suites (of 3-6 poems), and plays. Pays $100. Guidelines.
Mud Season Review, a community-led literary journal in Vermont, invites fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art for upcoming issues. Appreciates work that teaches something about life, and explores new ways of perceiving the world or about the craft of writing or visual art. Deadline: Rolling. Guidelines.
Dark Dragon Publishing Is Taking Submissions If you are wondering what types of novels spark our enjoyment, check out our list of published works. You should also check out our blog post Submissions: How to Submit. We publish horror, dark fantasy, paranormal and some science fiction novels between 75,000 – 150,000 words. Please send your queries to submissions@darkdragonpublishing.com Details: http://darkdragonpublishing.com/submissions.html
Superhero Universe: Tesseracts Nineteen We want to see any and all permutations of the superhero genre. Any genre-mashing goes: alternate history, crime, horror, romance, SF, fantasy, surrealism; we want a variety of tones, approaches, subgenres, cultural perspectives, etc. We’re interested in submissions where Canadian setting (a specific city, region, or province) plays a role, but we’re open to other types of stories, too, set anywhere in the world, the universe, or the multiverse! Details: http://www.shainblum.com/anthologies/superhero-universe/
Journal Wants You to Knock Their Socks Off Shiny new Canadian quarterly The Impressment Gang (Canada) pays $25 for accepted poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and writing in general. Prints four times a year: May, August, November, and February. No word limit for fiction, nonfiction or other writing, but submissions really should knock our socks off. https://theimpressmentgang.squarespace.com/submit/
FJORDS CALL FOR SPRING EDITION: Submissions are open for our spring edition—The issue will be in over 300 bookstores across the U.S. and available for digital download on every e-reader, tablet and in every app store. We’re looking for fiction, poetry, non-fiction, translations and art, so hit us up with your best. http://ow.ly/CLHWV
Smashed Cake Review is seeking poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and dramatic script submissions from emerging and established writers. Wants work that surprises with a focus on consumerism and consumption. No words limits. Deadline: Rolling. Guidelines.
The Sacrificial seeks concise, original, dark, humorous, twisted, and insensitively-sensitive works. Accepts short stories, poetic prose, dialogues, commentaries, etc. Length: 500 words. Deadline: Ongoing. Guidelines.
Shadowgraph Magazine, We are currently open for poetry, fiction, essays, and image portfolios. Shadowgraph Magazine is a bi-annual print journal and an Online Quarterly. We feature interviews with scholars of all kinds: scientists, artists, writers, and others. We seek to publish the highest quality work we can find and have a special interest in unusual or unique stances towards writing. You can submit online here (via submittable): http://www.shadowgraf.com/submissions/. Or you can send your submissions to (please specify genre) P.O. Box 31339, Santa Fe, NM 87594 Thanks!
Animal: A Beast of a Literary Magazine is looking for essays, stories, art, and poems that capture the essence and immediacy of the beast. Animal is a subject-specific lit mag, however loosely we define “animal.” In some form, we want a literal beast as a central character or motif. Render on the page what is both alien and familiar about an animal, animals, or being “animal.” Nonfiction: needs book excerpts, personal essays, experimental, memoir, humor. Does not want anything overtly religious, pornographic, or sentimental. Length: 5,000 words. Fiction: needs literary, adventure, confession, experimental, ethnic, fantasy, horror, humor, mainstream, science fiction. Does not want anything overtly religious, pornographic, or sentimental. Length: 5,000 words. Poetry: needs avant-garde, free verse, traditional. Send up to five poems. Total not to exceed five pages. Art: needs the essence of the beast as you see it–we prefer images that feature other species, filtered through human perception. Photos or other work that can be digitally represented online and in print; any kind of visual art that translates to e-space well, including photographs of installations and sculptures. Please send works that are at least 300 dpi, preferably in .jpg form. To Submit: Put the title and genre of work in your subject line. Please send questions for the literary magazine at the same address to Sarah Cedeno, fiction editor; Danita Berg, non-fiction editor; Stephen Mills, poetry editor, and Marley Andretti, Art Editor. Animal will consider simultaneous submissions, but asks that you notify us immediately if you are accepted elsewhere. We do not reprint work published elsewhere, in any form. Please send submissions pasted into the body of an e-mail, as well as attached to the e-mail as a MS Word-compatible document, to animalliterarymagazineATgmailDOTcom. Put the title and genre of work in your subject line. In the cover-letter portion of your email, include the title and word count. Submissions that do not follow these guidelines may be deleted unread.
Blue Heron Book Works, an e-pub company, is looking for outstanding memoirs–unusual personal tales well told, or awesomely well told ordinary stories to publish as ebook, with an eye to print-on-demand later. We would also like to work with fiction writers who have ideas for series fiction of any sort. All costs are born by BHBW. Check us out on http://www.blueheronbookworks.com/ to see what we like. And query us at infoATblueheronbookworksDOTcom.
Toad is looking for outstanding works of poetry, flash fiction, and art for our upcoming issue due out in October. Please read the submission guidelines and send us your best. Guidelines: http://toadthejournal.com/submit/
Lime Hawk seeks submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art for its third issue, to release this fall. Check out our previous issues at www.limehawk.org. Submit: www.limehawk.submittable.com/submit
Illuminations: An International Magazine of Contemporary Writing will resume publication after a one-year hiatus. The next issue, #30, will appear in May/June 2015. First appearance in Columbia, South Carolina in 1982, featured poems by Seamus Heaney, Stephen Spender, and newcomer Sam Boone. Subsequently edited from England, Japan, and Tanzania, the magazine returned to South Carolina in 1996 until 2011. Illuminations has remained consistently true to its mission statement to publish new writers alongside some of the world’s finest. A number of new poets whose early work appeared in Illuminations have gone on to win prizes and accolades, and we at Illuminations sincerely value the chance to promote the work of emerging writers. Beginning August 1st, 2014, Illuminations is again accepting submissions of poetry. Please send no more than six poems at a time. Devoted primarily to poetry we publish only one or two pieces of short fiction and/or non-fiction in any given year, and sometimes none at all. Please make sure that anything you send us has not been published elsewhere already and is not currently under consideration elsewhere. In the case of a piece translated from a language other than English, please send us the original along with your translation (this is for review purposes only; we generally publish the translation only). Mailed submissions, with an accompanying SASE for response, to Simon Lewis, Editor, Illuminations, Department of English, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424-0001. We also accept e-mailed submissions via Submittable.com–there is a $2.20 fee for e-mail submissions. To submit via e-mail, go to https://illuminations.submittable.com/submit For further information, please contact the editor Simon Lewis at lewissATcofcDOTedu.
Passages North http://passagesnorth.com/submissions/ Passages North is open for submissions! We want to read your fiction, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid essays, short-shorts, spoken-word poetry, and brief essays on the writing life for our online Writers on Writing column. PN, a project of Northern Michigan University, has been publishing poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction since 1979. Read and submit at passagesnorth.com.
2015 DEADLINES:
CLOSING THIS WEEK:
In Fact Books (US) seeks original stories that address — either directly or obliquely — the trials of living with mental illness for an upcoming anthology tentatively titled Beyond Crazy: True Stories of Surviving Mental Illness. Stories should combine a strong and compelling narrative with an informative or reflective element, reaching beyond a strictly personal experience for some universal or deeper meaning. Length: 4500 words max. Deadline: February, 9, 2015. Guidelines
FEBRUARY:
NEW! Concordia University’s undergraduate literary journal, Soliloquies (print/online), welcomes submissions in the following genres: short fiction (3500 words max.); creative non-fiction (3500 words max.); poetry (8 pages max.); drama (8 pages max.); and comics (8 pages max.). Deadline: February 22, 2015. Guidelines.
Upstairs at Duroc Submission Guidelines: Upstairs at Duroc is interested in English language poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and translations. We welcome innovative or cross-genre forms, prose poems and flash fiction. Standalone excerpts from longer works will also be considered. Submit no more than 5 poems, or two prose pieces not exceeding 2000 words each. Include cover sheet with name, address, phone number, email address, word count for prose, and a short Bio. Work is read anonymously by our Editorial Board. Submission dates: We accept submissions from October 1 to February 28. Please submit only previously unpublished material! Poetry submission: Submit up to five poems. Attach them in a single Word document, one poem per page. Prose submissions: For short stories, send one or two pieces of no more than 2000 words each. Send up to five flash fiction pieces, attaching them in a single Word document, one piece per page. Visual Art submissions: We seek drawings, etchings and photographs with good contrast. Mostly black/white, plus one color piece per issue (for the cover). Send artwork in jpeg format. Send submissions to: upstairsatduroc@wice-paris.org For any queries regarding submissions, please write to The Editors at upstairsatduroc@wice-paris.org Snail mail submissions should be sent to: WICE c/o Upstairs at Duroc 10 rue Tiphaine 75015 Paris France http://upstairsatduroc.org/submission/
MARCH AND LATER:
Writing wanted for an international print collection and mix tape dedicated to our universe: Art / Poetry / Sounds From the Milky Way. Seeking sound pieces (4-5 minutes max.), poetry (4 max.) and art (comics/zines/doodles welcome). “Looking for things that are kinda weird; kinda remixed; definitely underground. Collaborations encouraged. Deadline: March 31, 2015. Guidelines.
NEW! Armchair/Shotgun is accepting short fiction, poetry, and visual arts on any topic or theme for issue #6. Printed on “real honest-to-goodness paper.” All submissions judged anonymously. Deadline: March 31, 2015. Guidelines.
GRANTA is accepting unsolicited submissions (from Aerogramme studio.com) http://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2014/10/23/granta-accepting-unsolicited-submissions/ After a long hiatus Granta, one of the world’s most prestigious literary magazines, is again accepting unsolicited submissions. Granta publishes fiction, non-fiction and poetry. There are no strict word limits, though most prose submissions are between 3000 and 6000 words and the editors advise they are unlikely to read more than 10,000 words of any submission. Alongside the print edition, the online New Writing program publishes stories, poems, essays, interviews, animations and more from established Granta alumni as well as new voices. All submissions will be considered for both the print and online editions (unless otherwise stipulated in the cover letter). Selection is extremely competitive and only a very small fraction of submissions will be chosen for publication. Reading recent editions of Granta will help you assess whether your work is likely to be a good match. Writers must submit their work via Submittable and there are no reading fees. For further information visit the Granta website. Submissions are scheduled to remain open until 1 April 2015. http://www.granta.com/
South85 Journal Call for Submissions, http://south85journal.com/ Page for submissions:
https://south85.submittable.com/submit South85 Journal, an online literary journal published semi-annually by the Converse College Low-Residency MFA program, is currently accepting submissions for its 2014-2015 issues. Submissions are open September 1, 2014 until April 30, 2015. visit http://south85journal.com/submission-guidelines/ for submission guidelines.
Speculative fiction submissions (steampunk stories) wanted for anthology Clockwork Canada. Published by Exile Editions (Canada) in Spring 2016. Stories must be set in Canada, written by Canadian authors. Length: 2,000-8,000 words. Payment; $0.05/word. Deadline: April 30, 2015. Guidelines.
Puddles of Sky Press is looking for concrete/visual poems, comic strips, narrativeless comics, speech bubbles, BANGs, WHAMs, KLONKs, squares filled with text, squares filled with punctuation, squares filled with squares, typewriter poems, letraset poems etc. Theme: “illiterature. issue v. the graphic novel.” Deadline: May 1, 2015. Guidelines
Ricky’s Back Yard is an online magazine with four print specials per year. Open to graphic short stories and verbal text entries, flash fiction to longer short stories (12k words). Looking for work that says “Jesus, that gave me a nightmare.” Prefers writing that is strong, punk, dark, humorous, and just strange enough to be true. Theme: Cult. Deadline: May 4, 2015.
Weave Magazine is now open for submissions through May 31, 2015. We are a print publication dedicated to promoting cultural diversity, accepting the best works of literary fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, drama, and visual art that transfix, transport, and inspire. Currently, we are seeking more submissions for the genres listed below. More information about how to submit can be found here: http://www.weavemagazine.net/p/submit.html Deadline: May 31, 2015 Poetry: 3-5 poems
Flash Fiction: 1-3 stories, each 1000 words or less Fiction: 3,000 words or less Nonfiction: 3,000 words or less Drama: less than 4,000 words Reviews: 500-800 words Comics/Illustrations/Visual Essays/Stories/Poems: Black and white only. More about Weave: http://www.weavemagazine.net/p/about.html
Willow Springs is published twice a year, in spring and fall. We accept manuscript submissions between September 1 and May 31. We are happy to announce that we are now paying writers! Starting with Issue 75, Willow Springs will pay contributors $100 per published prose piece and $20 per published poem. There is a $3 reading fee for prose, but no fee for poetry. We publish poetry, fiction, and nonfiction of literary merit. Though Willow Springs has a broad aesthetic, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the magazine before you submit. In most cases, we respond within eight weeks, though we ask that you do not follow up on a submission unless it has been longer than four months since you sent it. We offer two complimentary copies for work we publish. Accepted works will appear in Willow Springs. They may also appear on the Willow Springs website or in promotional material, and, at a later date, in a Willow Springs anthology. Submitted work must be previously unpublished. We accept simultaneous submissions. Translations are welcome if you have acquired publication permission from the author of the original work. However, we don’t accept unsolicited interviews at this time. Willow Springs now accepts all genres online. Unfortunately, we no longer accept hard-copy manuscripts via snail mail. To submit fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, you can submit via our Submittable page.
UPCOMING WRITING CONTESTS: 8 NEW!
2015 DEADLINES:
FEBRUARY DEADLINES:
NEW! The Maine Review’s Writing Prizes in Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction: The Maine Review invites writers to enter the White Pine Writing Contest. Prizes include publication along with $100 for the best prose piece, $100 for the best poem, and a free subscription to the Review for winners of Honorable Mention awards. All writers who enter will receive an electronic copy of the inaugural issue. The entry fee is $10US. All genres are eligible for prizes, and all entries will be considered for publication in the Spring issue and subsequent issues. The maximum word count is 2,000 words for prose and 60 lines for poetry. You may submit up to three poems in one entry. We seek quality writing with a strong point of view. Deadline: February 10th, 2015. Guidelines: http://www.TheMaineReview.com/submit.htm. A Sneak Peek of the Winter issue is available on the website. We’d love to read your writing!
Summer Literary Seminars invites entrIes for their 2015 Literary Contest. Prize: Full fellowship (tuition, airfare, accommodations) to the 2015 DISQUIET International Program in Lisbon, Portugal. Categories: fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Deadline: February 10, 2015. Guidelines.
Griffith University’s Josephine Ulrick Literature Prize is one of Australia’s richest short stories prizes. First prize is AUD$10,000 and second prize is $5000. Stories must be under 2000 words. Griffith University also offers a poetry prize with equal prize money. Entrants must be Australian citizens or residents and entries close 13 February.
The Burt Award for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Literature: Eligible manuscripts and books published between February 15, 2013 and February 14, 2015 must be submitted by publishers no later than February 15, 2015. Established by CODE in collaboration with the Literary Prizes Foundation, the Burt Awards for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Literature is given annually to English-language literary works for Young Adults by First Nations, Metis, or Inuit authors. Deadline: February 15, 2015. Entry fee: none. Prize: First: $12,000; Second: $8,000; Third: $5,000 Details: www.codecan.org/burt-award-canada
Toronto Star Short Story Contest Judges will select the three winners from a first round of finalists selected by Humber School for Writers faculty. Winners will be celebrated and their stories published in the Sunday Star. See website for full contest rules. Deadline: Friday, February 27, 2015
Entry fee: none Prize: 1st Prize: $5000 plus the tuition fee for The Humber School for Writers Correspondence Program in Creative Writing (approx. value $3000) Details: http://thestar.com/contests.html
Spring Pulse Poetry Festival northern Ontario’s largest poetry/arts event is sponsoring the 2015 Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest. Deadline: Friday February 27, 2015. All entrants must be Canadian residents or landed immigrants. In 1970 the first contest began in Cobalt during the Miners festival on French-Canadian Day. It is the oldest non-governmental national poetry contest in Canada. The contest honours Canada’s most popular 19th century poet. Dr. Drummond was the town’s first doctor, a silver mine manager, and world famous poet who died in Cobalt in 1907. Deadline: Friday February 27 2015 Entry fee: $10 Prizes: $1200: $300 first place, $200 second place, $100 third place, 8 honourable mentions of $50 8 judge’s choice of $25 Complimentary anthology of winners, trophy, and award ceremony at Cobalt Public Library on Friday May 29 during the Spring Pulse Poetry Festival. Blind Judging will be done by a League of Canadian Poets member. Details: www.springpulsepoetryfestival.com Enquires: Send to David Brydges mybrydges@yahoo.ca
The Annual Vine Leaves Vignette Collection Award. 2015 Call for Submissions. In late 2011, Jessica Bell and Dawn Ius founded Vine Leaves Literary Journal to offer the vignette, a forgotten literary form, the exposure and credit it deserves. The vignette is a snapshot in words, and differs from flash fiction or a short story in that its aim doesn’t lie within the traditional realms of structure or plot, instead it focuses on one element, mood, character, setting or object. The journal, published quarterly online, is a lush synergy of atmospheric prose, poetry, photography and illustrations, put together with an eye for aesthetics as well as literary merit. The annual print anthology showcases the very best pieces from across the year. We are pleased to announce the second Vine Leaves Vignette Collection Award and would like to invite writers to submit their best manuscript of vignettes. Submissions open: June 1, 2014 – February 28, 2015 Prize: $500 + Publication in early 2016 by Vine Leaves Press + 20 copies Guest Judge: Dan Holloway. For submission guidelines, please go to: http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/contests.html
NEW! TWO CONTESTS: Now through 11:59 p.m. EST on February 28th, Fence is accepting submissions for both the Fence Modern Prize in Prose, and the Fence Modern Poets Series. You can submit your work here, or you can read on for details about each prize. Full guidelines are available at fenceportal.org. You can submit your work here, or you can read on for details about each prize. Full guidelines are available at fenceportal.org.
- Fence Modern Prize in Prose + Electronic submissions only, please. + Submit a novel written in English. + Entry fee of $28, which includes a subscription to FENCE. The winner of the Fence Modern Prize in Prose will receive $1,500 and publication by Fence Books. In 2014, Ottessa Moshfegh was awarded the prize for her novel McGlue. The 2015 FMPP, judged by Lynne Tillman, will be announced this month. More information is available here. http://www.fenceportal.org/?page_id=4191&mc_cid=3d8ea9eb2d&mc_eid=a8acc38d49
- Fence Modern Poets Series + Electronic submissions only, please. + Open to poets of any gender and at any stage in their publishing career. + Submissions must be 48-80 pages, and written in English. + Entry fee of $28, which includes a subscription to FENCE. The winner of the Fence Modern Poets series will receive $1,000 and publication by Fence Books. Past winners include Kevin Holden, Jennifer MacKenzie, Lee Ann Brown, James Shea, Prageeta Sharma, Joyelle McSweeney, and Paul Legault. More information available here. http://www.fenceportal.org/?page_id=42&mc_cid=23432bf78c&mc_eid=a8acc38d49
NEW! The New Quarterly invites entries to the Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest. Submit poems written in response to an occasion (personal or public), poems of gratitude or grief, poems that celebrate or berate, poems that make an occasion of something or simply mark one. Prize: $1000. Entry fee: $40 for up to 2 unpublished poems; $5 each for additional poems. Entrants must be Canadian or reside in Canada. Deadline: February 28, 2015. Guidelines
NEW! 2015 Kenyon Review Short Fiction Contest! The contest is open to all writers who have not yet published a book of fiction. Submissions must be 1200 words or fewer. Ann Patchett, celebrated author of six novels, including Bel Canto and State of Wonder, will be the final judge. The Kenyon Review will publish the winning short story in the Jan/Feb 2016 issue, and the author will be awarded a scholarship to attend the 2015 Writers Workshop, June 13th-20th, in Gambier, Ohio. Additional info on the Writers Workshop is available here. http://www.kenyonreview.org/contests/short-fiction/
MARCH DEADLINES:
CBC Creative Nonfiction Competition This is it! One of your first writing assignments of the New Year! Send us your original, unpublished work of creative nonfiction for a chance to win $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a writing residency at the Banff Centre and publication in Air Canada’s enRoute Magazine. Deadline: March 1, 2015. Details: http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadawrites/literaryprizes/nonfiction/
ON THE PREMISES Short Story Contest #25. This contest’s premise is as follows: LEARNING One or more characters try to learn something. The key word is “try,” so (1) they must expend at least some effort, and (2) they can succeed, fail, or anything in-between–that’s up to you. Your challenge: Write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long that clearly uses this contest premise. One entry per author. No fee for entering. Deadline: Friday, March 6, 2015, 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Hyphenated Words: If the hyphenated word is generally considered a single word, it counts as one word. (Like “twenty-five” or “jack-o-lantern.”) Otherwise each part of the hyphenated word counts separately. Prizes: $220 for first (not $180 anymore), $160 for second (not $140 anymore), $120 for third (not $100 anymore), and $60 for up to three honorable mentions (not $40 anymore). To submit an entry, use this link and follow the instructions. If you don’t already have a (free) Submittable account, you’ll be prompted to make one. Keep reading and writing, www.OnThePremises.com
Room Magazine (Vancouver, BC) invites entries from writers, who identify as women or genderqueer, for their annual creative non-fiction writing contest. First prize: $500 + publication. Entry fee: $35 (includes one-year subscription), and $7 for each additional entry. Deadline: March 8, 2015. Guidelines.
Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction is offered each year by Colorado State University’s Center for Literary Publishing. The winner receives a US$2000 honorarium and the story is published in the fall/winter issue of Colorado Review. There are no theme restrictions, but stories must be under 50 pages. Entries close 14 March.
MSLEXIA WOMEN’S SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2015 CLOSING MAR. 16, 2015 For stories of up to 2,200 words in length on any subject. 1st prize: £2,000 Plus two optional extras: a week’s writing retreat at Tŷ Newydd Writers’ Centre*, and a day with a Virago editor* 2nd prize £500 3rd prize £250 Three other finalists each receive £100 All winning stories will be published in Mslexia magazine. Judge: Alison MacLeod Closing date: 16 March 2015. Please read the competition rules before entering. *The Tŷ Newydd retreat is accommodation only; dates should be agreed between Tŷ Newydd and the competition winner. The date of the Virago mentoring session should be agreed between Virago and the competition winner. The winner is responsible for any other expenses involved with attending the Tŷ Newydd retreat and the day with a Virago editor, i.e. travel, food, etc. The prizes must be taken by 31 May 2016. FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://mslexia.co.uk/shop/scomp_enter.php
The Ontario Poetry Society contests for 2015 are up on their site now. Full information here: http://www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca/Contests.html First up is the Clean as a Whistle Contest, March 31, 2015
Second Story Press Aboriginal Writing Contest. Second Story Press has announced a new writing contest to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The press is looking to build on the diversity of its list – already strongly populated by books and series on social justice for both adults and children – by announcing a call for contemporary writing for a young reader audience that reflects the modern experience of Aboriginal (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit) people. Canadian writers aged 18 and older who identify as Aboriginal are invited to share the stories that reflect their unique lives, experiences, successes, and perspectives. Both fiction and nonfiction will be accepted. Deadline: March 31, 2015
Entry fee: none Prize: Publishing contract with Second Story Press Details: www.secondstorypress.ca/aboriginal-writing-contest
AND LATER:
NEW! Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards. Whether you’re a professional writer, a part-time freelancer or a self-starting student, here’s your chance to enter the premier self-published competition exclusively for self-published books. Writer’s Digest hosts the 23rd annual self-published competition–the Annual Self-Published Book Awards. This self-published competition, co-sponsored by Book Marketing Works, LLC spotlights today’s self-published works and honors self-published authors. Early-Bird Deadline: April 1, 2015. What’s in it for you? $8,000 in cash. National exposure for your work. The attention of prospective editors and publishers. A paid trip to the ever-popular Writer’s Digest Conference! How to enter: Register and pay online or download a printable entry form. ( Early-bird entry fees are $99 for the first entry, and $75 for each additional entry.)
Enter your book into one or more of these categories: Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, Inspirational (Spiritual, New Age), Life Stories (Biographies, Autobiographies, Family Histories, Memoirs), Children’s Picture books, Middle-Grade/Young Adult books, Reference Books (Directories, Encyclopedias, Guide Books) More info: http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/selfpublished?et_mid=719512&rid=239199236
NEW! The Cottage Life Al Purdy Potty Poetry Contest. “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” Cottagers love potty poems! Potty poems tell guests how not to gum up the septic system. Almost every cottage has a potty poem hanging in the bathroom. Write a new classic potty poem for a chance to win! Prizes include cash, signed Purdy first editions, and the winning poem will be posted in the A-frame and published in Cottage Life. Enter as many poems as you like. Poems must be no more than 20 lines in length. Sponsored by Cottage Life and the Al Purdy A-frame Association, which is restoring Al’s iconic cottage as a writers’ retreat. The Purdy cabin is a national literary treasure, where Al wrote and entertained such CanLit giants as Margaret Laurence, Milton Acorn, and Michael Ondaatje. All-star judges: Margaret Atwood (poet, novelist, activist) George Bowering (Canada’s first poet laureate) Jason Collett (singer-songwriter, Broken Social Scene) Prize information:
- First Prize (1): $250 + published in Cottage Life + posted in Al Purdy A-frame cottage + a signed Al Purdy first edition Second Prize (1): $150 Third Prize (1): $100 Early Bird Draw: Enter by April 1, 2015, for a chance to win a signed Al Purdy first edition and a Cottage Life sweatshirt. Contest closes May 1, 2015 Enter Now Rules and regulations »
Sequestrum (US) is accepting entries for the 2015 Editor’s Reprint Award. Open theme and length. Submit previously-published fiction and nonfiction only. One winner receives $200 and publication, and one runner-up receives publication and payment at our usual rates. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: April 30, 2015. Guidelines.
Bristol Short Story Prize is open to stories up to 4000 words. Entries can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-based (crime, science fiction, fantasy, historical, romance, children’s etc). Twenty stories will be shortlisted and published in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 8. Entries close 30 April.
David Nathan Meyerson Prize for Fiction is only open to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction, either a novel or collection of stories. The winner receives US$1000 and publication in Southwest Review. Stories can be up to 8000 words in length and all entries will be considered for publication. The deadline for entries is 1 May.
Conium Review Innovative Short Fiction Contest is for new writing that takes risks. Submission may include any combination of flash fiction or short stories up to 7500 total words.The winner receives US$500 and publication. Entries open 1 February and close 1 May.
NEW! Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition: Writer’s Digest has been shining a spotlight on up and coming writers in all genres through its Annual Writing Competition for more than 80 years. Enter our 84th Annual Writing Competition for your chance to win and have your work be seen by editors and agents! The winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the 84th Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection. Early-Bird Entry Deadline: May 4, 2015. More info: http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/writers-digest-annual-competition?et_mid=721950&rid=239199236
Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition is dedicated to recognising and supporting the work of emerging writers whose fiction has not yet achieved success. Entries must be less than 3500 words and the competition is open to writers based anywhere is the world. The winner receives US$1500 and publication. The Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition first ran in 1981; entries close 15 May.
Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish a book. Fiction entries must be under 6000 words. The winner in each genre will be awarded US$1000 and publication. Entries close 15 May.
Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize offers a total of AUD$8000 (US$7000) in prize money and is open to writers worldwide. Entries must be between 2000 and 5000 words and written in English. The winner will be announced at a special event at the Melbourne Writers Festival in August. Entries open in December 2014 and are expected to close in May.
Vice-Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize, Entry Period, The 2015 prize is open from 1 October 2014 – 29 May 2015. How to enter * 2014 winners and shortlist. About the prize: The University of Canberra has established an international poetry prize. On behalf of the university, this is administered by the International Poetry Studies Institute (IPSI), part of the Centre for Creative and Cultural Research in the Faculty of Arts and Design. The prize celebrates the enduring significance of poetry to cultures everywhere in the world, and its ongoing and often seminal importance to world literatures. It marks the University of Canberra’s commitment to creativity and imagination in all that it does, and builds on the work of the International Poetry Studies Institute in identifying poetry as a highly resilient and sophisticated human activity. It also builds on the activities of the Centre for Creative and Cultural Research, which conducts wide-ranging research into human creativity and culture. The University of Canberra’s Vice-Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize was offered for the first time in 2014. Entries for the 2015 prize may be submitted from 1 October 2014 until 29 May 2015 for this prize. The prize will be announced on or before 30 September 2015 and prize winners will be notified prior to that. Important details are: The winner will receive AUD$15,000 The runner-up (second-placed poem) will receive AUD$5,000 Four additional poems will be short-listed All poems entered for the prize will be single poems that have a maximum length of 50 lines (see the Conditions of Entry for further details) Each entry of a poem will cost AUD$15 if submitted by 31 January 2015 and AUD$20 if submitted between 1 February and 29 May 2015. There are discounts for students. http://www.canberra.edu.au/vcpoetryprize
A Midsummer Tale Narrative Writing Contest is open to both fiction and creative non-fiction. Stories must be between 1000 and 5000 words and there are no entry fees. Entries are accepted between 1 April and 21 June each year.
The Ontario Poetry Society contests for 2015 are up on their site now. Full information here: http://www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca/Contests.html Deadline for The Picture Perfect Poetry Chapbook Anthology Contest _June 30, 2015
The Ontario Poetry Society contests for 2015 are up on their site now. Full information here: http://www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca/Contests.html July contests: Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards Contest – July 1, 2015 and The Golden Grassroots Chapbook Contest July 31 2015
The Sunday Times Short Story Prize is the world’s richest short story competition with the winner receiving £30,000 (US$47,000). In 2014 the prize was won by Adam Johnson for his story ‘Nirvana’. The longlist for the 2015 Sunday Times Short Story Prize will be announced in February and the winner in April. Entries for the 2016 prize are expected to open in July 2015.
Manchester Fiction Prize is a major international literary competition open to anyone aged 16 or over. The winner receives a cash prize of £10,000 (US$15,500). Stories can be up to 2500 words in length. Entries open in April and are expected to close in August.
The Ontario Poetry Society contests for 2015 are up on their site now. Full information here: http://www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca/Contests.html The Ted Plantos Memorial Award – Aug 31 each year
The Ontario Poetry Society contests for 2015 are up on their site now. Full information here: http://www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca/Contests.html Food for Thought Contest Sept. 30, 2015
Zoetrope All-Story’s Annual Fiction Contest
has the aim of seeking out and encouraging talented writers, with the winning and runners-up’s work being forwarded to leading literary agents. A first prize of US$1000 is also offered. Stories can be up to 5000 words. Entries open on 1 July and are expected to close on 1 October.
Aura Estrada Short Story Contest
is one of three contests run each year by Boston Review.The winning author will receive US $1500 and have his or her work published in the summer edition of the magazine. First runner-up will be published in a following issue and second runner-up will be published on the Boston Review website. Entries close 1 October.
Commonwealth Short Story Prize Prize
is an annual award for unpublished short fiction open to citizens of the 53 Commonwealth countries. The prize covers the five Commonwealth regions: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean and Pacific. One winner will be selected from each region, with one regional winner to be selected as the overall winner. The overall winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize will receive £5000 (US$8200) and the remaining four regional winners receive £2500. Entries for the 2016 Commonwealth Short Story Prize are expected to open in October 2015.
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For stories of up to 2,200 words in length on any subject.
Murray Citron’s translations from Yiddish have been published in periodicals in Canada, the USA and the United Kingdom. His bilingual chapbook There is a Tree/ shteyt a boim, was published by Tree Press, Ottawa.
Always interested in how others interpret her work, her ideas and the sources which inspire her, Provost challenged a group of writers and poets from the local literary community to use her ROMAN FEUILLETON text as the basis from which to create literary art of their own.
Ian Ferrier is a founder of the online 
Organized by the St.Brigids Centre for the Arts and sponsored by The Embassy of Ireland and VERSeFest. A celebration of the Life and Works of W. B. Yeats with readings of his poems and music inspired by them. $10: All proceeds to the St. Joe’s Women’s Centre
Dr. Bob Abell, author of the non-fiction book, Salvaging Capitalism/Saving Democracy
Quillfyre 