Writing Contests

CZP/RANNU FUND FOR WRITERS OF SPECULATIVE LITERATURE

These links and many others were found at Hope Clark’s Fundsforwriters.
The Fund, brought to you in collaboration with ChiZine Publications, 
offers two awards per year of $500 CDN each, one for fiction, 
one for poetry, granted to two writers of speculative literature 
(i.e., science fiction, fantasy, horror, magic realism, surrealism, 
etc.), of any nationality/place of residence, at any stage of their 
career. The next round of submissions for this award will be 
accepted between November 15, 2010 and January 15, 2011. The 
winners will be announced May 15, 2011. Submit up to 5 poems 
(unpublished work), not to exceed 10 pages -single-spaced. 
Submit one short story or a novel excerpt (unpublished work) 
of no more than 7,000 words-double-spaced. If submitting a 
novel excerpt, include a brief synopsis. All entries in both 
fiction and poetry MUST be “speculative literature” in content; 
in other words: science fiction, fantasy, horror, magic realism, 
alternate history, steampunk, etc. Two Honourable Mentions in 
each category will win $50.
THE NATIONAL CREATIVE SOCIETY 
BARNES & NOBLE CHRISTMAS FUNDRAISER
FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
This is an organization whose goal is to encourage students’ 
creativity as well as their participation in the creative arts.  
This year among our other outreaches we will be funding seven 
separate scholarships for college-bound high school seniors.
 
As part of our annual fund drive, we are having a book fair 
from Dec. 2 through Dec. 5. IF you were going Christmas shopping 
during those dates anyway, and IF you were planning on buying
some books as gifts, and IF you were going to make those 
purchases at any Barnes and Noble Bookstore or online at BN.com, 
THEN please consider using one of our coupons when you make your 
purchase.
 
The National Creative Society will receive a donation from 
Barnes and Noble equal to 10% of your purchase. You will 
receive a warm feeling deep down inside because you did the 
right thing, and it won’t cost you a penny more than you were 
going to spend, anyway. It’s a win-win situation, and you 
don’t even have to print out the coupons in color.
http://www.nationalcreativesociety.com/homepage.html 
Click on “2010 Barnes and Noble Book Fair”
 
Thanks.
 
PS: If you get to the store and have forgotten your coupon, 
just mention the National Creative Society book fair and 
the salesperson can take it from there.

Cultural Exchange Fund Grant and Other Markets

In an effort to make my life more organized (or organized at all), I am going to attempt to post on a schedule. For now, I’ll try to post blogs, news, etc every Monday and post book reviews on Wednesdays. Here’s hoping!

For today’s news, I received the following information from Hope Clark’s Funds For Writers. If you haven’t signed up to receive free copies of Hope’s newsletters, you’re missing out on an important guide to current markets, supporters, and more. A tip on this particular gem: the deadline may be soon. Don’t delay if you’re interested.


Arts Presenters will fund individual travel subsidies and
group travel subsidies. The maximum amount awarded per
individual organization, inclusive of travel costs and per
diem, is $2,000. Group travel subsidies will be awarded only
to groups of three or more presenters from different member
presenting organizations. The maximum award for a group is
$10,000, with no more than $2,000 awarded per organization.
In promoting cross-cultural arts programming, Arts Presenters
strongly encourages travel to the following locations,
including but not limited to: the Middle East, Asia, Latin
America and Africa.Arts Presenters will award travel subsidies
to individual presenters, presenting organizations and to
groups of presenters traveling to see the work of artists,
companies and/or to develop and advance projects with
international artists and their collaborators. All applicants
must be active members of the Association of Performing Arts
Presenters.




And yet another contest:





SCN ANNUAL NOVEL PITCH & FIRST 5 PAGES CONTEST 
Sponsored by Smoke City Narrators 
http://www.janicewiley-dorn.com/smokecitynarrators.html 

ENTRY FEE – $8.50 
DEADLINE – Postmarked or Emailed by November 15, 2010. 

First prize – $150. Second prize – $75. Third prize – $40. 6 HM. Feedback posted on website.

JUDGE – 
Agent Jeff Kleinman, Folio Literary Management, NY, NY. Email/Snail Mail: 1. First 5 pages of a novel, 1,500 words max. 
2. O
ne-sentence synopsis of the novel, 25 words or less. 
(
Novel does not have to be complete.) 

Entry pages not published. Authors keep all rights. 
Open Internationally. Checks (US bank), Money Orders or PayPal. 
Please see website for complete rules.



Good luck, all ye competitors!

Contests, Publishing Links and Auctions of Interest

Here’s a site with lots of contests for you romance writers. Just so you know, some of the links are dysfunctional.

The magazines listed at this site are open to submissions from new or experienced fantasy writers, and offer payment for publication.

Here’s an altruistic and unique way to get writing help: bid on a writing mentor in this online auction for diabetes research. Author Brenda Novak has an auction for Diabetes every May. Her son has the disease and as of today, she has raised over $770,000 this year. Make a bid, find a mentor, help save lives.

Here are just some of the auction items:

NYTimes bestselling authors Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, and Mary Buckham once again offer their Extravaganza for readers and writers alike. From autographed books, to critiques, to packages for writing organizations, these ladies never let us down!

NYTimes bestselling author Susan Mallery offers a double whammy critique (one from her and one from her editor Tara Parsons of HQN) along with a book dedicated to you in 2011!

NYTimes bestselling author Susan Andersen is donating a weekend stay in her wonderful cabin in the Cascade Mountains! What a wonderful romantic or family getaway!

NYTimes bestselling author Allison Brennan is donating some of her late grandmother’s collectible porcelain dolls to the cause! Thank you, Allison!

Bestselling and Award Winning Author Anna DeStefano

One of Anna’s loves is shopping, and finding treasures at great prices—so she can share them with friends. Especially purses.

Okay, I was going to make this a blog award page, too, but that would make the post WAY too long, so I’ll put that off until later this week. Until then, zai jian!

Strongest Start Novel Competition


Over $3,300 in Prizes, Feedback, and Exposure.

Submit the first three chapters of your novel. Grand prize award of:

$500 cash.
$2,500 self-publishing solution from CreateSpace.
Feedback on every chapter you submit.
The chance to meet other authors, get motivated, and get noticed.
$100 cash awards for the following sub-categories:

Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
Romance
Memoir and Non-fiction
Everyone who enters receives feedback, motivation, and advice.

Keep Us Reading

We know that writing a compelling start isn’t easy. So, for the fourth year we’ve put together a motivational competition to help you hone your first three chapters to perfection (if you haven’t already). We’re looking for opening chapters that will create a burning need to find out what happens, how the characters turn out, how the novel resolves itself. The kind of start that gets an agent to call back, a publisher to show interest, and a reader to plunk down their hard earned money. Above all, give us three opening chapters that will keep us reading.

Submission deadline: June 8, 2010

Learn more about the Strongest Start Novel Competition

Virginia Romance Writers Fool for Love Contest

I just received this from an historical romance writer friend. Apparently the contest has received an unusually low number of entrants this year. If your novel has a hint of romance and you’ve got the entry fee stuck in your couch, go for it and good luck!

Contest TImeline:
April 30, 2010 – Electronic entries must be received by midnight EST
June 20, 2010 – First-Round Finalists Notification
July 31, 2010 – Final-Round Winners Announced

Awards:
1st Place in each category – $50

Entries:
First chapter (up to 20 pages maximum) and optional synopsis (5 pages maximum). A prologue may be included with the first chapter as long as the entry does not exceed 20 pages.

ENTRIES SHOULD BE E-MAILED TO THE APPROPRIATE CATEGORY COORDINATOR:

Long Contemporary / Romantic Suspense
General Questions
Alleyne Dickens, Contest Coordinator
foolforlove2010@verizon.net

Historical
Beth Trissel
bctrissel@yahoo.com

Inspirational
Judith Kohnen
jgkwriter@verizon.ne

tParanormal
Pam Roller
paranormalpam2010@gmail.com

Short Contemporary
Judy Butler
jb24lion@verizon.net

ENTRY FEE:
Payment for electronic entries may be received either through PayPal or by check made payable to Virginia Romance Writers. Again, all payments must be received by April 30, 2010.

$20 for all current VRW members; $25 for non-members. (Entrants do not have to be members of Romance Writers of America.)

CATEGORIES AND FINAL ROUND JUDGES:

Short Contemporary – Jonathan Clements, Agent, Wheelhouse Literary Group

Long Contemporary – Katelynn Lacopo, Literary Assistant, BookEnds, LLC

Historical – Lucy Gilmour, Harlequin Editor

Paranormal/Futuristic/Fantasy/Time Travel – Amanda Barnett, Senior Editor, The Wild Rose Press

Inspirational – Elizabeth Mazer, Assistant Editor, Steeple Hill

Romantic Suspense – Keyren Gerlach, Associate Editor, Harlequin

For more information, visit www.virginiaromancewriters.com