2012 Writing Contests

I apologize for the long hiatus. Whether you've also been on a bit of a writing break or are still going full speed ahead (perhaps pumping out one of the infamous NaNoWriMo books for November) check out some writing contests to spark your creativity and perhaps bring some publication and prizes! 

Writing Contests

November Deadlines:

Bacopa Literary Review: Accepts fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Deadline: Nov. 30th

BOA Editions A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize: Accepts books of poetry: Deadline: Nov. 30th

The Caribbean Writer Literary Review: Accepts poetry and fiction. Deadline: Nov. 30th

Fish Publishing Short Story Contest: Deadline: Nov. 30th

Glimmer Train Short Story Award for New Writers: Deadline: Nov. 30th

WOW Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest: Deadline: Nov. 30th

December Deadlines

The Fiddlehead's 22nd Annual Literary Contest: Accepts poetry and short stories: Deadline: Dec 1st

Saints and Sinners Short Fiction Contest: Deadline: Dec. 3rd

Perfume River Poetry Review: Accepts poetry. Deadline: Dec.  15th

Crab Creek Review's 2012 Fiction Contest: Deadline Dec. 15th

Toasted Cheese Literary Journal: Short stories on the theme Heart and Soul: Deadline Dec. 21st

Anderbo RRofihe Trophy Short Story Contest: Deadline Dec. 31st

Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Contest: Deadline: Dec. 31st

Omnidawn Publishing Poetry Contests: Deadline: Dec 31st
 
River Styx 2013 Schlafly Beer Micro-Fiction Contest: Deadline: Dec. 31st

Suspense Magazine 2012 Writing Contest: Deadline: Dec. 31st 

 

 

 

Writing Contests for July and August

Writing contests are less about prizes than they are about learning. When we write and submit to a contest, we're putting our writing on the line and often stretching ourselves to write within a new genre, category or on a topic that is potentially unfamiliar. Admittedly, I can be a tremendous slacker when it comes to writing contests and often veer towards the free ones, but I read an interesting article recently by LinDee Rochelle, the founder of Women Writers Worldwide, who spoke of writing contests as comparable to mini seminars. She cited a variety of perks to entering writing contests from helping to blast writer's block to assisting aspiring writer's with learning to deal with deadlines (read the full article here).

Find out how writing contests help you grow by entering one of the many contests available in July and August...

Deadline: July 31st

Adirondack Review: Fulton Prize for Short Fiction: Reading Fee $10

The Antigonish Review: Sheldon Currie Fiction Prize: Reading Fee  $30

Bright Hill Press: Poetry Chapbook Competition: Reading Fee $15

Creative Nonfiction: True Stories on Topic Southern Sin: Fee $20

Munster Literature Center: Sean O'Faolain Short Story Competition: Reading Fee $20

White Pine Press: Poetry Prize: Reading Fee $20

Deadline : August 1st

Gazing Grain Press: Feminist Poetry Chapbook Contest: $20

Geist: Erasure Poetry Contest: No Fee

Rattle: 2012 Rattle Poetry Prize: Reading Fee $18

Terrain: Poetry, Fiction and Nonfiction Contest: Reading Fee $10

Deadline: August 15th

The Aurorean: Under Graduate/Graduate Haiku: No Fee

Gigiantic Sequins: Poetry and Flash Fiction Contest: Reading Fee $5

Littoral Press: Poetry Prize: Reading Fee $10

Subito Press: Poetry and Fiction Contest: Reading Fee $20

Deadline: August 31st

Black Lawrence Press: Unpublished Collection of Poetry or Short Stories: Reading Fee $25

Bona Fide Books: The Melissa Lanitis Gregory Poetry Prize: Reading Fee $20

Gemini Magazine: Flash Fiction Contest: Reading Fee $4

Glimmer Train: Short Story Award for New Writers: Reading Fee $15

Graywolf Press: Nonfiction Prize: No Fee

NANO Prize: NANO Fiction Prize: Reading Fee $15

WOW Women on Writing: Flash Fiction: Reading Fee $10

A word is a bud attempting to become a twig. How can one not dream while writing? It is the pen which dreams. The blank page gives the right to dream. -Gaston Bachelard

Writing Jobs for Thursday June 21st

Writing Jobs in Michigan

Liberal Arts Grad Writers: Ann Arbor

Medical Copywriter: Ann Arbor

Writer: U of M Ann Arbor

Interview Writers: Detroit Area

Digital Host: Detroit Area

Editorial Assistant: Farmington Hills

Marketing Firm Hiring: Grand Rapids 

Editorial Content Leader: Grand Rapids 

Database Report Writer: Grand Rapids

Editor and Executive Assistant: Grand Rapids

Blogging Writers: Holland

Creative Writer: Houghton

Kent County Star Writers: Kent County

Junior Copywriter: Livonia

Full Time Copywriter: Livonia

Advertising Copywriter: Midland

Service Writer: Monroe

Interactive Marketing Specialist: New Buffalo

Editing and Proofreading Help: Troy

Newsroom Clerk: Saint Joseph

Telecommute - Writing Jobs from Home

Public Relations Freelancer

Golf Writers

Blogger with Home Security Background

Grant Writers

Freelance Writers

Online Content Writer

SEO Copywriter for Law Firm

Site Director for KinderStart

Freelance Journalists

Superstar Business Plan Writer

Freelance Writers for List Website

Professional Editor for Academic Thesis

Unpaid Writing Gigs, Internships and Submissions

Editorial Manager: Ann Arbor

Activist Writers

Travel Show Host Writers

Social Media Interns

The writer has a grudge against society, which he documents with accounts of unsatisfying sex, unrealized ambition, unmitigated loneliness, and a sense of local and global distress. The square, overpopulation, the bourgeois, the bomb and the cocktail party are variously identified as sources of the grudge. There follows a little obscenity here, a dash of philosophy there, considerable whining overall, and a modern satirical novel is born. -Renata Adler

Writing Jobs for Tuesday May15th

Writing jobs are often not easy to come by, but if you get creative, you can make it work. Check out some recent postings for writing jobs in Michigan, home writing gigs and internships. 

Writing Jobs in Michigan 

News Team Analysis: Ann Arbor

Web Editing and Production Assistant: Ann Arbor

Copywriter Needed: Birmingham

Paid Journalism Internship: Detroit

Environmental Reporter: Detroit

Quizzle Copywriter: Detroit

Business Reporter: Detroit

Marketing Writer Wanted: Detroit

Web Content Writer: Keego Harbor

Library Assistant: Manistee

Grant Writer: Muskegon

Marketing Content Specialist: Okemos

Freelance Writers: Saginaw

Telecommute Writing Jobs

Web Research and Summaries

Medical Writer Needed

Search Engine Evaluator

Current Events News Writers

Need Talented Blog Writer

Web Community Needs MacGyver

Web Content Editing

Grant Writer

Freelance Spanish Proofreading

Freelance French Proofreading

Transcribers

Article Writers

Talented Copywriter for Motivational Seminar Co.

Unpaid Writing Jobs and Internships 

Comedy Show Writers: Ann Arbor

Social Media and Marketing Intern: Detroit

Copywriting and Blogging Summer Internship: Keego Harbor

Medical Marijuana Writers

...it will not always happen that the success of a poet is proportionate to his labor.

- Samuel Johnson

Upcoming Writing Contests in 2012

Spring is here -  a time for rebirth and for many writers a spike in motivation. As winter releases her final grappling hold, we begin to see again the life that lays dormant during those barren, chilly months. Of course this year, our usually frozen scape was accentuated by hot sunny days in February and spring-like weekends in December. No less, we move with the rhythms of the earth and today she is telling us that Spring is returning. The rain of the last several days has made everything greener and more vibrant - the perfect sight to induce our creativity and lure us back to our pens, typewriters and keyboards.

Check out some upcoming writing contests below.

Free Writing Contests

AuthorStand Free Writing Contest: Short stories 1,500 to 10,000 words. Deadline May 10th.

The Vocabula Well Written Writing Contest: 200 to 500 words of beautiful writing. Deadline May 31st.

Writing Contests that Include a Reading Fee

Empirical Magazine Spring Writing Contest: Up to three short stories. Fees range. Deadline May 15th.

Abandoned Towers Magazine Writing Contest: Fiction, poetry or flash fiction on the theme Abandoned Towers. Fees vary by category. Deadline May 18th.

Work Magazine Employee of the Year Contest: Work related memoir. Fee $10. Deadline May 18th.

The New Letter Literary Awards: Prizes for poetry, essay and fiction. Deadline May 18th.

Redivider Beacon Street Prize: Best story and poetry. Fee $15. Deadline May 30th.

Pecan Grove Press- The H. Palmer Hall Prize for Short Fiction: Short story manuscripts between 125 and 150 pages. Fee $15. Deadline May 30th.

Writer's Journal Short Story Contest: Short story of 2,000 words or less. Fee $10. Deadline May 30th.

Glimmer Train Short Story Award: Short stories. Fee $15. Deadline is May 31st.

Spilling Ink Short Story Prize: Short story of 1,500 words or less. Fee $10. Deadline May 31st.

The Backwater Prize: Manuscript of original poems. Fee $25. Deadline May 31st.

Calyx- 2012 Lois Cranston Memorial Poetry Prize: Up to 3 unpublished poems. Fee $15. Deadline May 31st.

Crab Creek Review Poetry Contest: Up to 3 unpublished poems. Fee $10. Deadline May 31st.

Pearl- 2012 Pearl Poetry Prize: 48 to 64 pages of original poetry. Fee $25. Deadline May 31st.

WOW Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest: Open prompt fiction of no more than 750 words. Fee $10. Deadline May 31st.

Tiferet Journal Writing Contest: Spiritually focused fiction, poetry and nonfiction. $20 Fee. Deadline June 1st.

Nilsen Prize for a First Novel: Full length fiction manuscript. Fee $25. Postmark by November 1st.

Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.

- Jane Yolen

Writing Jobs for Tuesday April 10th

Writing Jobs in Michigan, From Home and Calls for Submissions!

Michigan Writing Jobs

Copywriter: Ada

Historians Writers: Ann Arbor

Copywriter for Medical Company: Ann Arbor

Reporter: Battle Creek

Technical Writer: Dearborn

Art Director/Creative Manager: Detroit

Copy Editor: Grand Rapids

High School Sports Reporters: Grand Rapids

Marketing Position: Kentwood

Publicity and Editing for Small Author (unique compensation): Northwoods

Creative Ad Writers: Oakland County

Ebay Listing Assistant: Oakland County

Article and Essay Writers: Oakland County


SEO Copywriter: Royal Oak

Book Editing: Royal Oak

News Writer/Producer: Southfield

ConnectCare Report Writer: St. Joseph

Telecommute Writing Gigs

Educational Content

Article Help

Television Transcription

Copy Editor/Writer

Rewrite Travel Articles

Freelance Project

Article and Blog Writers

Blogging Internships

TMT Reporter

Submissions and Unpaid Gigs

Music Website Writers: Paid in Music

Middle Eastern Women's Lit. Journal Seeks Contributions

Call for Fiction and Poetry Submissions

Play Submissions for African American Production

Manuscripts Wanted

It is perfectly okay to write garbage--as long as you edit brilliantly.

- C. J. Cherryh

Writing Happenings in Michigan

Well I have done that passionate writerly pursuit of procrastination and thus have not posted writing events in Michigan for longer than I can remember. I have a myriad of excuses including the publication of my first novel Ula:Born of Shadows, a move down state, a new job doing copy writing and SEO for a local realtor among other things. In truth, I have allowed many of my writing endeavors to slide into the gutter where they've festered with banana peels and coffee grounds.

Since my own 2012 writing goals include attending writing events, book signings and marketing - no matter how much the recluse in me wants merely to draw the curtains and read one of my tattered Stephen King novels, ice cream stained and dog-eared to tatters. So let's do this together, this social writing stuff. Find writing events in Michigan below...

A Rally for Writers: Delta Township (Lansing Area): April 14th

• Day long writing conference with 16 sessions including writers, poets, teachers, editors and publishers discussing writing. Cost: $70 

WSU 7th Annual Made in Michigan Writers Series: Wayne State University: April 17th

• Features new books from Michigan authors, author readings and book signings. 

Mid Michigan Romance Writers 'Retreat from Harsh Reality': April 27-29

• Romance writers retreat featuring guest authors, workshops, critiques and more. 

Peninsula Writers Spring Fling: Grand Rapids: May 5th 

• Day long writing conference at Schuler Books on the topic publishing. 

Grant Writing Class: Detroit: May 3-4 

• Learn to write grants. For beginning and experienced grant writers. Cost: $425 

Bear River Writer's Conference: Camp Michigania: May 31-June 4

• Workshops in fiction, poetry, memoir and essay. 

Author Signings: Since there are so many of these, I have simply linked to a variety of Michigan book stores where you can meet authors and purchase signed books. Check them out and support your writing comrades. 

Nicola's Books: Ann Arbor 

Horizon Books: Traverse City, Petoskey and Cadillac 

Literary Life Bookstore: Grand Rapids 

Kazoo Books: Kalamazoo 

Bestsellers Books and Coffee: Mason 

Mclean & Eakin Bookstore: Petoskey 

The road to ignorance is paved with good editors.

- George Bernard Shaw