March 16: Bellday Poetry Prize, Poetry Book Contest

THE 2009 BELLDAY POETRY PRIZE
http://www.belldaybooks.com/contest.html

Bellday Books will publish the winning book and award $2,000 and 25 copies of the book to the winning author.

CONTEST FINAL JUDGE: Linda Gregerson
Linda Gregerson has published 4 books of poetry, including Magnetic North, Waterborne, The Woman Who Died in Her Sleep and Fire in the Conservatory, and several books of criticism. She has won fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Institute for Advanced Studies and National Endowment of the Arts. She teaches creative writing and Renaissance literature at the University of Michigan.

Submission Deadline: Postmarked March 16, 2009

Contest Rules:

Submit manuscript of 60-90 pages of original poetry in English. The manuscript must not have been published in book or chapbook, but may contain poems that have appeared in print or on the Internet.

Manuscript must contain 2 title pages: Name and contact information should appear on first title page only. Name should not appear anywhere else in manuscript. Manuscript should be typed, single-spaced, paginated, and bound with spring clip.

Include a table of contents page, but no acknowledgements.

Enclose an SASE for announcement of the winner.

Manuscript cannot be returned.

Check or money order for $25 reading fee, payable to Bellday Books.

Bellday Books reserves the right not to select an award winner, in which case all reading fees will be refunded.

CONTEST MAILING ADDRESS:
Bellday Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 2
03687
Pittsburgh, PA 15230

Questions may be directed to: office@belldaybooks.com

CutBank Contests

Do you have a story that is bold and outside-the-box?

CutBank Literary MagazineUniversity of Montana: CutBank is pleased to announce the second annual Montana Prize in Fiction, the Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction, and the Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry. We are honored to have three talented judges participating in the inaugural year of these contests. The Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry will be judged by Noah Eli Gordon. Joy Williams will select the winner of the Montana Prize in Fiction. The winner of the Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction will be selected by Brian Bouldrey. Submissions are accepted December 1 through February 29. Winners receive $500 and publication in CutBank 71. All submissions will be considered for publication in CutBank. The contests' $13 entry fee includes a one-year, two-issue subscription to CutBank, beginning with the prize issue, CutBank 71. Please send only your best work. With all three of these awards, we are seeking to highlight work that showcases an authentic voice, a boldness of form, and a rejection of functional fixedness. Submissions are accepted December 1 through February 29.

Fiction book contest: OSU Prize in Short Fiction

Do you have a collection of short stories or novellas?

The Ohio State University Prize in Short Fiction 2009: The Ohio State University Press and the M.F.A. Program in Creative Writing at OSU invite submissions for the 2009 Ohio State University. Each year, a readers' committee of OSU fiction writers and a final judge select one manuscript for publication by The Ohio State University Press. The winning author receives publication under a standard book contract, which includes a cash prize of $1,500 as an advance against royalties. Entries must be between 150 and 300 typed pages (approx. 40,000 to 80,000 words) and may include short stories, novellas, or a combination of both. Novellas must not exceed 125 pages (approx. 35,000 words); a single novella is not an eligible submission. Previously published stories may be included, with appropriate acknowledgments.

Manuscripts must be postmarked in the month of January and be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of $20 (U.S. dollars). Send check or money order (no cash) made payable to The Ohio State University.

• The competition is open to all writers in English, published or unpublished.
• No translations unless done entirely by the author.
• Current students and employees of The Ohio State University are not eligible.
• Entries must be postmarked during the month of January 2009. Entries postmarked after January 31, 2009 will not be accepted.
• Manuscripts must be typed. Clear photocopies of typed manuscripts are acceptable.
• Please do NOT send your only copy, illustrations or other irreplaceable material, as MANUSCRIPTS CANNOT BE RETURNED.
• Judging is anonymous, so your name or other identification should only appear on the cover page, and nowhere else in the manuscript. Your submission should include a cover sheet with name, street and email address, and phone numbers and a title page which lists title and approx. word count only (NO name, no other identifying information)
• Please include a nonrefundable handling fee of $20.00 (U.S. dollars)
• with each manuscript (US check or money order payable to The OhioState University). If you wish, include a stamped, self-addressed postcard to confirm receipt of your manuscript, and a stamped, self-addressed business-sized envelope so we can notify you of the results. OSU Press assumes no responsibility for lost or damaged manuscripts. Manuscripts will not be returned.Further details about the prize, eligibility, submission formats and previous winners can be found on the Ohio State University Press website

The winning entry will be announced during May, 2009.
2008 Winner: Paul Eggers' The Departure Lounge.

Mail to:
Fiction Editor
The Ohio State University Press
180 Pressey Hall
1070 Carmack Road
Columbus OH 43210-1002

Were you born between 1960 and 1982?

Anthology seeks work from writers born from '60 to '82:

In Our Own Words: Call for submissions for A Generation Defining Itself: Volume 8. This book series is a platform from which a generation (born 1960 to 1982) is speaking out about its realities, dispelling the narrow, simplified stereotypes created by the mass media and commercial marketing. Beginning to finalize the selection of texts. Will still consider texts sent by December 31st. All genres sought, from poetry and lyrics to prose and essays. Target is 150-200 writers, approx. 300 pages, and release by end of first quarter 2009. Submission Guidelines.

Call for Submissions from Westsiders

Are you a writer who lives on LA's westside?

http://www.forthmagazine.com: FORTH Magazine is the Westside's first and only Arts and Literature magazine for and by local artists and writers. Launching January 2009, FORTH is a free publication and needs the community's support to really make an impact in displaying and uniting the local arts community.

SUBMIT WORK: Forth is seeking submissions from Westside Locals only. Looking for writing and art of all types. Writing pays 10cts/word (500 words max). Almost any genre of poetry or prose, including: Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Creative (Subjective/Gonzo) Journalism, Humor, or Social / Political commentary. NO standard, dry journalism or run-of-the-mill personal memoirs. Most Important: Be creative, insightful, and well-written. PUSH THE LIMITS. We like edgy as well as intellectual. Send us your best.

One for the Kids!

Bill Adler is working on a book called Kids' Letters to President Obama.

They are looking for letters from children ages 5 - 15 to be put into a book Kids' Letters to President Obama, which will be published by Random House in 2009.

Children can write a letter to Barack Obama that is up to a page long. The letter can be about anything he or she would like to say to the new President. Letters could give the President advice, or talk about problems that the President should address, or ask Obama questions about his childhood or why he wanted to be president. Or the letter could be about your own child life and feelings about the future. In short, whatever kids are interested in is fine for a letter.

The letter should begin with "Dear President Obama" and should be emailed to obamakidsletters@gmail.com (obamakidsletters @ gmail.com) or sent by regular mail or fax to:

Bill Adler

Adler & Robin Books, Inc.

3000 Connecticut Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20008

Fax: 202-478-5211