Like leaves before a storm, writing contests mount

 Did we writers imagine a pandemic could stop us? OK, maybe for a minute. But writing contests in particular laugh at shutdowns of in person events. I’ll start with a sample of those coming up in the next month. Write like the wind, my friends! 

These listing include samples from the new to me Kotobee digital publishing blog and other sites. Befitting the times, several of them focus on evil doings. As always, check the sites for details:

 

August 31: Midsummer Mystery Contest is accepting entries in mystery, thriller, crime, and related genres “that keep readers on the edge of their seats.” Ongoing and completed books accepted; 7,500-word minimum. No entry fee, cash prizes.

 

August 31: 2020 University of New Orleans Press Publishing Lab Prize is for book-length work -- novels and short story collections only. Entry fee: $28. Prize: $10,000 and publication.

 

August 31: I’ve mentioned the WOW! Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest in earlier posts but here it is again with a chance to win cash prizes for your best 750 words. Entry fee: $10.

 

September 3: #PitMad is the quarterly Twitter pitch contest aimed at agents and editors. Tweet a 280-character pitch for a completed, polished, but unpublished manuscript between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EDT.

 

September 5: Also a return from previous contest listings – Book Pipeline’s 2020 Unpublished Contest  seeking unpublished manuscripts across several genres of fiction and nonfiction. All entries must meet standard industry lengths – depending on the genre, this may vary from 50,000-120,000 words. Entry fee: $55. Prize: $15,000 and additional perks.

 

September 15: For writers who don’t share my fear of query letters, try TheQueryLetter.com Writing Contest. It’s actually about writing book blurbs (back cover copy) of 100 words or fewer that sets the stage for a novel. No entry fee. Prize €500.

 

September 27-29: Remember that #PitMad contest? Consider it a preview for Pitch Wars, the annual opportunity to gain a writing mentor in the publishing industry. Mentors have already been announced, with their wish lists to come September 12-26.

 

September 30: Writers of the Future welcomes all types of science fiction, fantasy, and dark fantasy. But not too dark, perhaps. Excessive violence or sex, as determined by the judges, will result in disqualification. No entry fee; cash prizes.

 

September 30: Finally, here’s the contest that’s kept me pounding the keyboard for the past month, the Watty Awards. I was wary of Wattpad, since it’s basically a non-paying platform but it’s provided a home for some of my previously published short stories. So why not try for the Watty – a contest for book-length manuscripts? Word count must be at least 50,000, with entries in 10 categories. No entry fee.

 

Since so many of these contests are nearing deadline, I’ll stop for now. For those who need more, check the Kotobee site, as well as old favorites – Ralan.com, New Pages, Publishing and other Forms of Insanity.

Image by Comfort from Pixabay