Call for Submissions: Blooming Tree Press

Blooming Tree Press emailed us and asked us to post the following call for submissions:

Because of the many submissions we receive, we ask you to strictly adhere to the requirements that follow:
*Please submit a brief biography, synopsis, and the first three chapters of your manuscript only. All material must be typed and double-spaced.
*Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope for proposal or possible response, but do not send original manuscripts; they will not be returned. Retain copies of all material sent in case originals get lost in the mail.
*Name, address, phone number and e-mail of the author should be on the first page of the manuscript, and a header for subsequent pages should contain the author's name and title.
*Fiction we consider should be approximately 60,000 - 100,000 words.

We are currently acquiring the following categories of Fiction:
MYSTERY/THRILLER – Unique plot twists are certainly welcome to this genre, but don’t forget the basics of good storytelling and characterization; these are the tools of your trade. Fast-paced usually appeals to a wider audience these days, but a well-developed psychological thriller can be just as gripping. An unfamiliar setting, skillfully employed, will help disorient your reader and heighten the overall effect of your story.
SCI-FI/FANTASY – Swords and lasers, robots and magic, aliens and dwarves…these are some of the trappings of this genre, the peripheral characteristics, but not the essential ones. As in the movies, no matter how much special effect you add, if the plot is lacking, the story suffers. To temper this wisdom, worldmaking is not a cardinal sin, and much of the initial appeal to a reader lies in the strange and wonderful places to which you can take them. Finish the job by capturing their hearts as well as their minds. Use the most powerful weapons you have in your arsenal: heroes and villains.
GENERAL FICTION – There is nothing that distinguishes good fiction more than a mastery of the fundamentals of writing: diction, pacing, point of view, characterization, dialogue, conflict. Do violate the edict a little bit; show more and tell less. Have a central conflict, which helps the reader empathize with your protagonist. Have a protagonist. Read your manuscript, and ask yourself if you would like it if it were someone else’s work. Make your story important and relevant to your readers. Raise the stakes, as one writer put it.

N.B. We are not accepting Horror manuscripts at this time.

Send submissions to:

Blooming Tree Press
Adult Division
c/o Justin Parker
PO Box 140934
Austin, Texas 78714

www.bloomingtreepress.com

2007 Army Writing Contest

2007 Writing Contest: "The Center of Military History is pleased to announce its Special Topics Writing Competition, now named for General James Lawton Collins Jr, a visionary Army leader, educator, and historian. The goal of this contest is to obtain firsthand accounts from junior officers describing how their unit responded when facing a particular challenge in the current war. The Center of Military History wants to capture the small-unit-level view of this conflict for inclusion in future publications.

First Place: Award of $500 / Certificate of recognition signed by the Army Chief of Staff / Publication by the Center of Military History.

Second Place : Award of $250 / Certificate of recognition signed by the Army Chief of Staff / Publication by the Center of Military History.

Deadline: 1 April 2007"

Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Narrative - Essay Contest

Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Narrative - Essay Contest: "Essay Contest Guidelines

13th Annual Contest Deadline: February 17, 2007

Tiny Lights invites entries that feature a distinctive voice, discernible conflict and an eventual shift in the narrator's perspective. We are looking for writers who weave the struggle to understand into the fabric of their essays.

This year, we are introducing a special prize of $300 for short essays (no more than 1,000 words).

We can only consider unpublished work, or previously published material for which the author holds rights. Rights revert to author after publication in Tiny Lights.

* Each essay must be accompanied by an entry fee. $15 for first essay, $10 each additional essay."

Word Smitten's Call for Fiction. The award is $1,010.00 and the deadline for this Fiction Contest: July 1.

Word Smitten's Call for Fiction. The award is $1,010.00 and the deadline for this Fiction Contest: July 1.: "The Rule: Write a short story that requires exactly 1,010 words (excludes the title and footnotes). That's it. That's the rule. Excise those adverbs and cut those adjectives. Make us laugh or make us weep. Above all, pay rigorous attention to the word count. It's why we call this unique short story contest The TenTen. It's a challenge to be precise, be witty, be short."
$15 reading fee
Deadline: July 1st

Dylan Days Creative Writing Contest

Dylan Days Creative Writing Contest: "Dylan Days is sending out its annual call for poetry and short fiction entries for the 2007 Dylan Days Creative Writing Contest. The deadline is April 23 and all writers must follow the rules listed below.

First, Second and Third prizes will be awarded to writers in poetry and short fiction categories, in both open and student divisions. First Prize wins $100, Second Prize wins $50 and Third Prize wins $25. Honorable mentions will also be named. All winning entries appear in the Dylan Days literary journal, “Talkin’ Blues,” providing many first-time publication credits for emerging writers and poets.

This year features two key changes from previous years.

1) All entries must be submitted electronically. The deadline is April 23, 2007.

2) The entry fee is being eliminated, but the limit of one short story and two poems per writer remains."

Annual Poetry Contest

Annual Poetry Contest: "Euphoria' has an annual Poetry Contest which offers a prize of $100 for the Winning Entry. There is No entry fee, and nothing that must be purchased if this contest is won."

Submit Your Writings to Survivor's Review

Submit Your Writings to Survivor's Review: "f you have crafted a story, essay or poem that explores the heart of one or more aspects of the cancer journey, we'd like to hear from you. Please complete the online form below and include your work. While we are flexible on the word count, we aim to have most of our submissions at between 10 and 1,000 words."