Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Writers@Work Competition

I entered this contest many times and never won, so now I’m passing on the torch. I’ve heard this is an excellent conference. So, someone, please win! If it can’t be me, it should be you!

Here’s the announcement:

Writers @ Work offers an annual Fellowship Competition for emerging writers in the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry genres. Winners are honored with cash prizes and publication in Quarterly West, and a consultation with prominent editor or agent.

Go to http://www.writersatwork.org/submission.html for submission guidelines and online entry instructions

2008 Judges
Fiction : Steve Almond
Nonfiction : Abigail Thomas
Poetry : Kim Addonizio

Prizes: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
First Prize in each category: $1,500, publication in Quarterly West (subject to editorial guidelines), a featured reading at the Conference, full Conference tuition - morning workshops and afternoon sessions, a manuscript consultation during the Conference with one of the visiting editors or agents, and free housing.
Honorable Mention in each category: tuition for free afternoon session package (value can be applied towards the full Conference tuition), and a manuscript consultation during the conference with one of the visiting editors or agents.

Eligibility
Writers who have not yet published a book-length volume of original work with a national press in the genre in which they submit a manuscript may submit work for the fellowship competition. Only unpublished work may be submitted. Work will be considered published if it has appeared in any print journal or literary magazine or has appeared in an electronic magazine or journal. Posting work on personal websites is not considered publishing. Please do not submit work from chapbooks or work published by a vanity press. Self-published work (such as a collection of stories, poems, essays, or novel that you print for limited distribution) is acceptable.

Current or former students who have studied with judges in an accredited degree-granting program or institution are not eligible for the competition. Previous winners are not eligible in the genre in which they have won. Board members are prohibited from submitting manuscripts during their tenure on the board.

Judging is done blind. Names are removed from submissions before they are screened so the screeners and judges have no idea of the author and judge on the quality of the manuscript alone.

Deadlines
Entries must be postmarked or e-mailed no later than March 1, 2008. Results will be announced May 1, 2008. Manuscripts will not be returned.

Go to http://www.writersatwork.org/submission.html for submission guidelines and online entry instructions