Cat Short Story Contest ~ Got Feline Fiction?

For all of the kitty-loving writers, Fireside Publications of Florida is sponsoring a Cat Short Story Contest. If you have 3,000 words or less dedicated to the furry feline(s) in your life, you may get the chance to see your four-pawed friend immortalized in print. Twenty to twenty-five winning stories will be published after all the stories have been selected, and the winners will receive a complimentary copy of the book. Submit your story, (fiction or non-fiction), and a $2 registration fee, as soon as possible to: Cat Short Story Contest, Fireside Publications, 1004 San Felipe Lane, Suite 200, The Villages, Florida, 32159. The deadline is June 30, 2008. Please go to their website for the rest of the contest guidelines.

Helpful Hints ~

Often writers sabotage their chances of getting published without realizing it. Not utilizing the spell-check feature is one way. Another is by not making sure their work is professional-looking. To help guide your pieces to publication, make sure they look good. Jendi Reiter, editor of Poetry Contest Insider and judge of the Winning Writers poetry contests, has listed several important formatting tips to help guide the writer to success. Along with valuable suggestions regarding fonts & paper, front matter, cover & title pages, table of contents, acknowledgments, text, cover letter, and the famous SASE, she includes links to samples that provide a concrete look at what she means. Take a few minutes to read her Manuscript Tips, and help yourself avoid some of the more typical ways writers can unintentionally stand in their own way.

WordClay Short Story Contest ~

If you have a short story, up to 5,000 words, why not enter it in the Wordclay Short Story Contest? All you need to do is register at www.wordclay.com, and then email your entry and a cover letter to contests(at)wordclay(dot)com before June 1, 2008. Fifteen of the finalists stories will be published in an anthology and the finalists whose work is published will receive a printed, bound copy at no cost. In addition to bound copies, the Grand Prize Winner will receive a check for $500, and the Runner Up will receive one for $250. There's something for everyone at Wordclay: even if you're not a runner up, all non-finalist participants will receive an electronic copy (e-book) of the anthology. You may enter up to three short stories; just be sure they are double-spaced and written in Times New Roman. Go to their website for the rest of the contest guidelines.

Narrative Prize

Narrative Magazine is holding a fabulous writing competition. According to their site:

"The $4,000 Narrative Prize will be awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, or work of literary nonfiction published by a new or emerging writer in Narrative.

The deadline for entries for each year’s award is June 15.

The winner is announced each September, and the prize is awarded in October.

Notices of the award, citing the winner’s name and the title and genre of the winning piece, will be placed in prominent literary periodicals. Each winner will also be cited in an ongoing listing in Narrative. The prize will be given to the best work published each year in Narrative by a new or emerging writer, as judged by the magazine’s editors. In some years, the prize may be divided between winners, when more than one work merits the award.

All submissions are carefully considered for publication. To submit your work for the Narrative Prize, please see the submission form below or visit our Submission Guidelines page.

Submissions by new and emerging writers are eligible for the prize, and we accept submissions year-round. For further information, please read our Submission Guidelines."

$150 Dollars For 50 Words!!

That's the prize for feedback being offered by The Summerset Review. All you have to do is send them your opinion, (at least fifty words worth), of stories and essays appearing in the current issue! In addition, winners will receive a copy of Volume One. They will publish your comments in the following issue, along with your name and home town. Only one entry is allowed per person per quarter, and the entry must pertain to a piece appearing in the current issue. They are particularly interested in how the story or essay affected you; what impact it had, what memory it stirred. Be honest and lucid. The deadline for comments is two weeks before the release date. Issues are released on the 15th of March, June, September and December. Email your entry to editor(at)summersetreview(dot)org, and be sure to include your name, town, state and country (if outside the USA). There's nothing to lose and much to gain: check out their website to read the current stories and essays, and then read some of the previous winning comments to get an idea of what they like.

"I Love Cats" Magazine Accepting Submissions

For those of us with delightful furry companions, Lisa Allmendinger, editer of I Love Cats is now looking at stories for 2009 and beyond. They seldom publish poetry, but are interested in feature stories about cats and their owners, (no talking cats, please), interesting or odd happenings with cats, tips for cat owners, health issues, non-fiction, behavior problems, etc. They ask that you not send pieces about cats that go or live outdoors. She prefers stories with with photos or drawing that are between 500 - 800 words (1,000 words max). Payment upon publication is $50, ($25 for short fillers, which are also welcome). Please send your queries and/or completed stories to ilovecatseditor(at)sbcglobal.net. Check out the I Love Cats website for sample copies and further submission guidelines.

Finding Something "On the Premises"

Nothing beats a contest that provides a writing prompt, and On the Premises has one going on now with a delightful theme: "Found." If words are indeed like suitcases, how much can be packed inside this one, yes? The challenge is to write a creative, compelling, and well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words that clearly uses the premise, to wit: "One or more characters unexpectedly finds one or more physical objects somewhere. Something about the object(s) raises questions the character(s) want answered." Send your entry before midnight, Eastern Time, Saturday, May 31st, 2008, to entries(at)onthepremises(dot)com. Prizes are as follows:

• 1st Prize: $140
• 2nd Prize: $100
• 3rd Prize: $70
• Honorable Mention: $25

On the Premises is published every four months, and the stories published are the winning entries. They also occasionally run mini-contests with smaller prizes. To be eligible to enter these, all that is necessary is to sign up for their free, short, monthly newsletter.
Also delightful: there are no entry fees for any of their contests! Please go to their website to read the current issue and check out the rest of the contest guidelines.

Whose Fawlt Is It?

Nobody's perfect, and now there is a magazine based on that premise: Fawlt Magazine is dedicating each of it's quarterly issues to human flaws. Guess I'll stop procrastinating long enough to tell you about it. ;) They are now taking submissions for their next issue, which will focus on Perfectionism. You have until August 1, 2008 to submit previously unpublished prose, poetry, art and photographs that will examine such issues as: who is affected by it, its impact on individuals, in which circumstances it can be especially bad (or actually good!), and any other aspect of the flaw that may be worth investigating. Please send your submissions to fiction(at)fawltmag.com, poetry(at)fawltmag.com, or artandphoto(at)fawltmag.com, depending on the category (don't forget to attach a cover letter). The Perfectionism issue will be launched online on September 15, 2008. They are also taking submissions for upcoming issues, Apathy and Arrogance. They ask that you do not send more than three prose pieces or five poems at a time, and if you are submitting to more than one issue, please send your submissions separately.

A Cappella Zoo Short-Story Contest ~

If you can think of a beginning, a start, a famous first step, this new magazine may be perfect for you. A Cappella Zoo is looking for short stories with the theme, "origins," to celebrate their first issue. For a mere $5 entry fee, you may submit stories between 1,000 and 10,000 words via email to contest(at)acappellazoo(dot)com, or via snail mail to A Cappella Zoo, 635 1/2 E. Benton, Pocatello, ID, 83201. The first place prize is $250 dollars, publication in their first issue, as well as a complimentary copy of said first issue. The rest of their contest guidelines may be found at this link.
They are also accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, plays, bi-lingual works, translations, photography, art, and "genre-bending" works, up to 10,000 words for prose, or up to 3 poems or visual works of art. They are currently paying $5 per printed page, up to $50. Submissions may be sent via email to submissions(at)acappellazoo(dot)com, or snail mail. For the rest of the submission guidelines, please go to their website.
They are especially looking for work that is unique and experimental in technique, form, language and thought, so if you are a "square peg," who knows better than to try to fit into "round holes," you may find your work very welcome here.

Fireside Publications Contests

Fireside Publications, a brand new independent publisher, while not currently accepting submissions, they do have the following upcoming contests:

Mystery / Suspense / Thriller Novel Contest Deadline May 31, 2008

Short Stories about Cats: Deadline is June 30, 2008

Contemporary Novel Contest: Deadline is June 30th, 2008

Global Short Story Competition

Globalshortstories.net runs a monthly short story competition open to writers from any country, and possibly even every planet? galaxy? Here's what they say on their site:

"We’re up and running - and the monthly Global Short Story Competition is proving a success. The competition is designed to appeal to writers everywhere, from the arid outback of Australia to the baking deserts of Africa, the towering skyscrapers of the United States to the humid cities of Asia, the bustling capitals of Europe to the steamy villages of South America.
What makes this competition different? Well, for a start we will be marketing it in every country in the world and it will happen every month.
Each month, we will select a winning story and a highly commended work to receive a cash prize. Winning stories will also be posted on our website. At the end of twelve months, each winning story will be considered for an annual cash prize."

Jerry Jazz No Fee Fiction Contest

Three times a year, Jerry Jazz Musician, a Web site "...devoted to jazz and American civilization..." awards a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of approximately one - five thousand words. The winner will be announced via a special mailing of our Jerry Jazz Musician newsletter. Publishers, artists, musicians and interested readers are among those who subscribe to the newsletter. Additionally, the work will be published on the home page of Jerry Jazz Musician and featured there for at least four weeks.

The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theatre, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Your writing should appeal to a reader with these characteristics.

Contest details

A prize of $100 will be awarded for the winning story. In addition to the story being published on Jerry Jazz Musician, the author's acceptance of the prize money gives Jerry Jazz Musician the right to include the story in an anthology that will appear in book or magazine form. No entry fee is required. One story entry only.

Submission deadline for the next contest is May 31, 2008. Publishing date will be July 1, 2008.

Cezanne's Carrot Literary Journal ~

Paul Cezanne said, "The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution." At Cezanne's Carrrot, they believe that day has arrived! Published quarterly (on each Solstice and Equinox), they accept submissions of short fiction, creative non-fiction, and visual art that "celebrates the universe and the human experience in uplifting revolutionary ways." They are looking for work that:

• Creates a sense of possibilities
• Looks at the more expansive aspects of human nature, our interactions with the natural world, or our relationships with each other. The prefer works that highlights the connections between us, rather than what divides us.
• Explores the range and depth of our experiences with what lies beyond the five senses. Call it the Universe, God, a different dimension, or simply the great mysterious unknown, but show them how our common reality blends with the next.

The deadline for their Summer Solstice issue (6-21-08), is May 21, 2008. Two $25 Editor's Prizes will be awarded each issue; all fiction and creative non-fiction will be considered. Please check out their website for the rest of their submission guidelines and addresses to send your work.

Interested in Breaking the Rules?

For those of you who appreciate that beauty lies in imperfection or in uneven intervals, the Interstitial Arts Foundation has issued it's 2nd annual call for their Second Anthology of Interstitial Writing called Interfictions II. According to their Web site, they are "a not–for–profit organization dedicated to the study, support, and promotion of interstitial art: literature, music, visual and performance art found in between categories and genres — art that crosses borders."

From their Web site:

Submission Guidelines for
Interfictions II: The Second Anthology of Interstitial Writing

What We’re Looking For
Interstitial Fiction is all about breaking rules, ignoring boundaries, cross-pollinating the fields of literature. It’s about working between, across, through, and at the edges and borders of literary genres, including fiction and non-fiction. It falls between the cracks of other movements, terms, and definitions. If you have a story idea that’s impossible to describe in a couple of sentences, it may be interstitial.

We’re looking for previously unpublished stories that engage us and make us think about literature in new ways. Rather than defining “interstitial” for you, we’d like you to show us what genre-bending fiction looks like. Surprise us; make us see that literature holds possibilities we haven’t yet imagined.

We are also open to graphic stories of about 10 pages.

Who We’re Looking For
Writers in all genres of fiction (contemporary realism, mystery, historical, fantasy, whatever) who have an idea that challenges generic tropes and expectations..

Practical Matters
Our submission period will be from October 1, 2008 to December 2, 2008.

No Fee Poetry Contest - Spiritual Directors International

Spiritual Directors International puts out a publication called Presence, which is ."..a peer-reviewed journal that publishes thought-provoking articles addressing topics of interest to spiritual directors. The goal of Presence is to identify current trends in the field, to provide background and resources for spiritual directors as well as others interested in the ministry of spiritual direction, and to look ahead at what might be developing in the future."

They are currently holding a no-fee Poetry Contest.

Deadline May 15!

Details from their Web site:

"Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction announces its fourth annual juried poetry contest.

The grand prize winner will be awarded a US$100.00 cash prize. Three runners up will receive US $75.00 each. The top four selections will be published in the September, December, March, and June issues of Presence, respectively. A number of honorable mentions will also be selected for future publication. Everyone may enter."

How to Pitch an Idea to Hollywood

This morning's Los Angeles Times Magazine has a very informative story written by none other than Michael Wright himself (V.P. at Turner) about how to pitch show ideas to networks. His main point? Skip the gimmicks, remember you are selling to a buyer who reps a certain brand, go straight for the why-this-works-for-your-brand sell and then back it up with the goods and talent to actually make your project happen. Well, with one caveat. Sometimes gimmicks do work as he reveals at the end of his article. So let's see... follow the rules only to find the right moment to break them? It's so much more fun to just break the rules right out of the gate, though...

Read the article.

LitMatch.net Launches Upgraded Listing Pages

This just in from LitMatch.net:

LitMatch.net, the largest and most complete database of literary agents and agencies on the web, recently launched a major upgrade to their agent and agency listing pages. The new layout was designed with ease of use in mind, and brings key information to the forefront while organizing the rest in a simple, intuitive format.

The new layout features an at-a glance style, with large, friendly icons that indicate an agent or agency’s submission status, if they accept email queries, and if they accept postal queries. Other important information; like response times, comments, and clients & projects; is arranged in a simple, tabbed format on the right side of the page. The tabs keep things organized and allow users to limit their view to only the information that’s of most interest to them. Everything from layout to colors to fonts has been given an update for a fresh, clean look in order to make searching for a literary agent as easy and painless as possible.

“This upgrade represents a big step forward for us, and addresses some issues with the site that have been nagging me since the site launched back in September.” said Christopher Hawkins, creator and lead developer of LitMatch. “We’re excited about the change because it gives our listings a first-class presentation that matches the first-class quality of their content.”

Other features of this upgrade include:

• Clearer division between content areas for faster browsing and increased readability.
• Contact information that’s more prominent and easier to cut and paste into word processing programs.
• A redesigned “Genre Information” section.
• Flag icons that visually identify an agent’s or agency’s country.
• A reformatted user summary area that keeps all queries to a given agent or agency close at hand.
• More prominent hotlist links.
• An updated look to the submission stats table.
• Reformatted comments and comment entry form.

Atlanta Review International Poetry Competition Deadline Looms

The Atlanta Review, despite it's somewhat primitave Web site, is a well-known poetry publication that boasts the poetic publication of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners. Their 2008 International Poetry Competition is open and the deadline is less than a week away. Entries must be postmarked on May 9th, 2008.

GRAND PRIZE: $2,008
(not bad!)
and 30 International Merit Awards that includes Certificate, Honorable Mention in Atlanta Review, and Free Issue

A few extra details from their Web site:

20 International Publication Awards
Winners will be published in Atlanta Review and appear in over 120 countries.
This is the only poetry competition that guarantees you international recognition!
Winners will be announced in August. The Poetry 2008 contest issue will be published in October.

Profit From Mood Swings in Many Ways ~

If you are one of the estimated 5.7 million people with bi-polar disorder, you might be interested to know that there is an online magazine for you: bphope.com, whose aim is to provide "hope and harmony for people with bipolar." It is not a medical journal, but rather a lively and information-rich consumer magazine. The reason I mention it here is that, happily, they accept submissions -- articles and stories -- that relate to this often crippling disorder. They seek features that are:

• Useful to their readers, ie., they can relate the material to their own lives.
• Meaningful to readers on a personal level, through the use of stories, quotes, anecdotes and humor.
• Educational and rich in comments from experts and those living with bipolar.
• Informational and inclusive of resources such as Websites, books, and so on.

Main articles are between 1,500 and 2,500 words, and they also publish short features (650 to 750 words) on such topics as interviews with those living with bipolar; food and nutrition; healthy living; spirituality; parenting with childhood depression; exercise; wellness and so on. Email a query letter to queries (at) bphope (dot) com. Please go to their website for complete writer's guidelines.
Fees are negotiated on a per story basis, based on length, experience, complexity, etc. They pay for North American rights for original material, and for rights to post stories on their website, www.bphope.com.

* Celebrating the Goddess in Every Woman *

SageWoman, a quarterly magazine of women's spirituality, is dedicated to helping women explore their spiritual, emotional and daily lives in a way that respects all persons, creatures, and the Earth. Their readers relate positively with the term "Goddess," and include women from a variety of religious faiths, from Roman Catholic to Lesbian Separatist Witch and everything in-between. Their focus is on issues of concern to Pagan and other Goddess-friendly women, and they are accepting submissions (written by women), of non-fiction prose that relate to women's spiritual experience. They also accept modest amounts of poetry, photographs and graphic artwork. They do not accept fiction, screenplays, long narrative poems, erotica, or press releases. Since their editorial style focuses on personal experiences, please write in the first person!
Your articles should be between 800 and 5000 words in length. All material should be sent to the attention of the Editor to either meditor (at) sagewoman (dot) com, or P.O. Box 687, Forest Grove, OR. 97116. They'll pay $.01 per word for unsolicited material, with a minimum of $10, as well as one copy of the issue in which your work appears. They are often able to pay more for work that is commissioned especially for SageWoman, so please contact them directly if you are interested in working for them on this basis.
The theme of their next issue is "Giving and Receiving." For those of us who are already aware of some of the many instances that life is a plethora of give-and-take and sharings, that we are not as isolated and alone as we may feel, it might be a fun challenge to dip into this awareness and come up with something personal to illustrate this. You have until August 1, 2008 to send them your submission.
Please go to their website for more information and to find samples of articles they have published.