April 2018: Competition Monthly
23 April 2018
Francesca’s final look at competition rules and why it’s important to follow them
This is my third month of looking at competition rules. Click Part 1 and Part 2 to find the previous posts.
For those of us who submit short stories, articles and novels to magazines and publishers, we’re used to putting our details on the document. If a competition asks for the document to be anonymous, and they usually do, make sure you’ve not overlooked the headers and footers. This would incur an instant disqualification. Sometimes separate cover sheets are requested, or your details will go on an online form or on your email.
If a competition has a theme, stick to it. That may sound obvious, but having judged competitions myself, you’d be surprised how often the theme is ignored. Or it’s so subtle the judge doesn’t realise. Like the time I judged a competition with the theme of ‘Ten’. One story I read was about a football team who lost a player because they were subject to a red card. You might already get it – I didn’t until I told my husband and he pointed out they’d only have ten players left! Yes, too subtle for me, I’m afraid.
The best way I’ve found of making sure I follow all the rules of a competition, is to print them up. I read them several times then underline them if they’re all in one paragraph. As I’m polishing my entry, I go through and tick each off as I’ve achieved it. That way I can be sure I’ve done all I can to prevent my entry being at a disadvantage.
Good luck everyone, and let us know of any competition success
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Rolling Competitions:
Flash 500
Theme: Open
Prize: £300 / £200 / £100
Closing date: Next closing date 30 June 2018
Entry: £5
100 Word Mini-Tales Competition
Theme: Open
Prize: £75 / £25
Closing date: Each round closes when 100 entries have been received
Entry: £3 / £5.50 for 2 / £8 for 3
June Competitions:
Segora Short Story Competition
Theme: Open. 1,500 – 3,000 words
Prize: £300 / £50 / £30
Closing date: 15 June 2018
Entry: £7
Segora Vignette Competition
Theme: Open. 300 words max
Prize: £100
Closing date: 15 June 2018
Entry: £5
Segora One-Act Play Competition
Theme: Open. Running time 35 minutes max
Prize: £100
Closing date: 15 June 2018
Entry: £12
Impress Prize
Theme: For unpublished authors. 6,000 word sample of manuscript
Prize: Publishing contract plus £500 advance
Closing date: 28 June 2018
Entry: £25
Henshaw Short Story Competition
Theme: Open. 2,000 words max
Prize: £100 / £50 / £25
Closing date: 30 June 2018
Entry: £5
Wells Festival of Literature Short Story Competition
Theme: Open. 1,000 – 2,000 words
Prize: £750 / £300 / £200
Closing date: 30 June 2018
Entry: £6
Wells Festival of Literature Book for Children Competition
Theme: For children 8+ or Young Adult
Prize: £750 / £300 / £200
Closing date: 30 June 2018
Entry: £6
The Moth Short Story Prize
Theme: Open. 5,000 words max
Prize: €3,000 / Week long retreat in France plus €250 travel expenses / €1,000
Closing date: 30 June 2018
Entry: €12
British Fantasy Society Short Story Competition
Theme: Any kind of fantastical story
Prize: £100 / £50 / £20. Membership of BFS for 1st and 2nd prize
Closing date: 30 June 2018
Entry: £5
North Street Book Prize (for self-published books)
Theme: Mainstream / Literary / Genre Fic plus others. Published any year. 150,000 word limit.
Prize: $3,000 plus marketing and consultation for grand prize / Top winner in each category $1,000 plus marketing and consultation / Runner up in each category $250
Closing date: 30 June 2018
Entry: $60 per book
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Francesca Capaldi Burgess has been placed or shortlisted in a number of competitions including Winchester Writers’ Conference, Twyford Writers, Chorley & District Writer’s Circle, Retreat West, Cordelia.net, Meridian Writing, Flash a Famous Phrase, Wells Festival and Writing Magazine. She’s had stories and a serial published in magazines worldwide and in three anthologies, including Diamonds and Pearls and 100 Stories for Haiti plus a few articles. She is a member of the RNA New Writers’ Scheme and the Society for Women Writers and Journalists. Francesca runs a writing blog along with RNA member Elaine Roberts called Write Minds.
