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HIGHLIGHTS 2015 FICTION CONTEST GUIDELINES

CATEGORY:

Mystery stories

PRIZES:

Three prizes of $1,000 or tuition for any Highlights Foundation Founders Workshop. (For a complete list of workshops, visit http://www.highlightsfoundation.org.)

ENTRY DATES:

All entries must be postmarked between January 1 and January 31, 2015.

RULES:

No entry form or fee is required.

*Entrants must be at least 16 years old at the time of submission.

We welcome work from both published and unpublished authors. All submissions must be previously unpublished and not found online.

Stories may be any length up to 750 words. Indicate the word count in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of your manuscript.

No crime, violence, or derogatory humor.

Entries not accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope will not be returned.

Manuscripts or envelopes should be clearly marked FICTION CONTEST. Those not marked in this way will be considered as regular submissions to Highlights.

SEND ENTRIES TO:

FICTION CONTEST
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431

WINNERS:

The three winning entries will be purchased by Highlights and announced on Highlights.com in June 2015. All other entries will be considered for purchase by Highlights. For details about our purchase policies, please see our contributor guidelines: https://www.highlights.com/contributor-guidelines

Good Luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Real Simple’s Life Lessons Essay Contest

Prize: $3,000.00.
Entry fee: $0.00.
Deadline: 09-18-2014.

WRITING CONTEST WEBSITE

Real Simple magazine is seeking entries for its annual Life Lessons Essay Contest, which awards $3,000 to the writer who has written the best essay of non-fiction. Second-place wins $750, and third-place wins a $500 cash prize.

The theme is on sharing a “Eureka!” moment–a powerful thought that made you suddenly realize that something or someone had contributed to the happiness and/or success in your life.

To enter, submit online a nonfiction essays of no more than 1,500 words. The editors of Real Simple will judge all entries according to the these rules: novelty, creativeness, writing style, and relevance of theme.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Maurice Sendak’s Little-Known and Lovely Posters Celebrating Books and the Joy of Reading

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/09/03/maurice-sendak-posters-reading-books/

Real Simple – Sixth Annual Life Lessons Essay Contest

What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?

Maybe, in the course of your life, you’ve had an Erin Brockovich moment: say, the time you stood up to a bully in second grade, or the day you ended a long-standing friendship that had turned toxic. Or maybe your acts of courage have been less dramatic but no less powerful: moving to a new country. Daring to fall in love a second time around. Leaving a settled career to embark on a risky new venture. Whatever your story, share it with us.

Enter Real Simple’s sixth annual Life Lessons Essay Contest and you could have your essay published in Real Simple and receive a prize of $3,000.

Send your typed, double-spaced submission (1,500 words maximum, preferably in a Microsoft Word document) to [email protected].

Contest runs through 11:50 P.M. EST on  September 19, 2013.

All submitted essays must be nonfiction. Open to legal residents of the United States age 19 or older at time of entry. Void where prohibited by law. (Entries will not be returned.)

Read This Year’s Winning Essays

• And Now, for an Encore by first-place winner Adrienne Star
• Doors by second-place winner Anne Gudger
• The Hard Way by third-place winner Katherine Dykstra

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How should I format my entry? A. Essays should be submitted in English at a maximum of 1,500 words and typed and double-spaced on 8½-by-11-inch paper. Essays exceeding this length or handwritten may not be considered. If submitted by e-mail, we prefer that you send the essay in a Microsoft Word document; however, we will also consider essays that are pasted into the body of the e-mail itself.

Also be sure to include your name, address, and phone numbers (home, work, cell) in the body of the e-mail and on any copies or attachments of the essay itself.

Q. How do I submit my entry? A. You have two options.

1. E-mail your submission to [email protected].
2. Mail your entry to the following address: Essay Contest Real Simple 1271 Avenue of the Americas, 9th floor New York, NY 10020

Each e-mail submission will receive a return message verifying that the essay was received. Please be aware that due to the volume of submissions, we cannot send verification that we have received your specific submission by mail. Additionally, please note that winners and runners-up will be notified in and around January 7, 2014. If you are not contacted, you are free to submit your piece elsewhere.

Q. What happens if I go over the word limit? A. Your essay can be excluded from consideration. And although there is no word minimum, we strongly encourage all contest participants to submit at least 1,000 words to maximize their chances of winning.

Q. Can I choose to remain anonymous? A. Unfortunately, we cannot consider anonymous entries for this contest.

Q. My piece has been previously published. Will you consider it? A. No. All entries must be original pieces of work and not be previously published.

Q. Should I send in photos or other memorabilia that relate to my essay? A. Please don’t. The essays are judged on the following criteria: originality (25 percent), creativity (25 percent), use of language (25 percent), and appropriateness to contest theme (25 percent). No supporting materials will be considered, and they cannot be returned to you.

Q. Is there anything else you can tell me about how to stand out from the crowd? A. Certainly. Here are a few pointers from the Real Simple editors who judge the contest.

• Stick to the theme of the contest. Sounds obvious, right? But every year we get many entries that diverge—sometimes wildly—from the stated topic. You may have an amazing essay in the bottom drawer of your desk, but if it doesn’t cover the contest theme, it’s not going to win.
• But don’t feel the need to parrot back the exact wording of the contest theme in your essay. For example, if the theme is “What was the most important day in your life?” try not to begin the piece with “The most important day of my life was…”
• Check your spelling. Double-duh, or so you’d think. But as many as one in five entries has multiple misspellings.
• Avoid clichés. (And please don’t try to work the phrase ‘real simple’ into your essay. It almost never works.)
• Try writing on a less-expected subject. Many submissions cover similar ground: pregnancies, weddings, divorces, illnesses. Many of these essays are superb. But you automatically stand out if you explore a more unconventional event. In one year’s batch of submissions, memorable writers described the following: a son leaving for his tour of duty; getting one’s braces off; and learning that an ex-wife was remarried.

For more information, see the official contest rules.

What do you have to lose? Fifteen Hundred Words is easy and you only have to email it in. Who knows you could put a little extra cash in your pocket.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Since I know everyone who visits this blog is at heart a very creative person, I thought this contest would interest you.  Not only can you win a large amount of money, but it doesn’t cost anything to enter.

The Looking@Democracy challenge is offering a total of $100,000 in prize money for short, provocative media submissions designed to spark a national conversation about how we can all come together to strengthen American democracy.

Here’s how the competition works:

Create and send us short digital media content that either:

(a) Tells a story about why government is important to our lives, or

(b) Tells how we might together strengthen American democracy.

Your submission can come in many formats such as short videos, audio stories, animation, music videos, public service announcements, infographics, blogs, websites, graphic art, even Facebook and iPhone apps. They all just need to be digital so they can be shared electronically– the rest is up to YOU!

We’re looking to hear from independent media makers, investigative reporters, students, graphic designers, artists – anyone with creative ideas to help engage Americans and shift the political discussion in a fresh and engaging way.

Use your creativity to share your vision of how to make government work to improve our nation, our communities, and our lives.

First Place for Best Entry    $25,000  
Second Place for Best Entry    $20,000  
Third Place for Best Entry    $15,000  
People’s Choice Award    $5,000
Emerging Artists  (7)    $5,000  Intended for students, young people, and nonprofessionals.

Entries must be submitted by 3pm Eastern Time on April 30th, 2013, using the application form on this site.Submissions may consist of a short (generally three minutes or less), creative media piece (video, audio, graphic, animation, photo, data visualization, social media or mobile game). Click HERE for more possible ideas to get you started thinking about your submission.

Questions? Contact [email protected]

GOOD LUCK!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

HarperTeen and figment are partnering to provide YA writers with this contest opportunity to get their story published in an anthology along with other well-known YA authors. 

The contest challenge: Write a story that takes place at night or in the dark. The story can be of any genre: contemporary, paranormal, horror, science fiction, romance, humor, fantasy, etc.

What happens in the dark? Why are things different at night? Maybe it’s magic, or madness or both. A new anthology coming Summer 2013 from HarperTeen, Defy the Dark explores those questions and invites you to try your hand at answering them.

What’s in it for you? A chance to be published in Defy the Dark, alongside some of your favorite YA authors (including Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Hawkins, and Beth Revis). 

The winner will be noted in the book’s table of contents, on the copyright page, and have a byline on their story. They will also have an opportunity to give an acknowledgment and will be featured on the Defy the Dark website. The grand-prize winner will receive a $500 cash prize awarded by HarperCollins and five copies of Defy the Dark.

1. Eligibility

The Defy the Dark New Author Contest (the “Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including District of Columbia and territories, possessions and military bases) or Canada (excluding Quebec) who are thirteen (13) years or older at the time of entry.

2. Sponsors

Figment, LLC, 118 East 64^th Street, New York, NY 10065, and HarperCollins, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, New York 10022.

3. Entry Period

The Promotion begins on August 1, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) and ends on September 1, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET (the “Promotion Entry Period”).

No sun-drenched, thousand-watt fables here—bring us your things that go bump in the night, bring us the things that hide in the shadows. Saundra Mitchell, the anthology’s editor, is excited to read your best YA fiction and choose one writer to be a part of the forces that will Defy the Dark.

4.  Submission Requirements

• Submission must be between 2,000 and 4,000 words.
• Submission must be an original work created solely by you, has not been previously published, and does not infringe upon any third-party copyrights or other intellectual property rights.
• Submission must not contain defamatory statements.
• Submission must not contain any telephone numbers, street addresses or email addresses of any individual.
• Submission must not invade privacy, publicity or other rights of any person, firm or entity.

Click here for more official rules:  http://dailyfig.figment.com/defy-the-dark-official-rules/

Good luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

HarperTeen and figment are partnering to provide YA writers with this contest opportunity to get their story published in an anthology along with other well-known YA authors. 

The contest challenge: Write a story that takes place at night or in the dark. The story can be of any genre: contemporary, paranormal, horror, science fiction, romance, humor, fantasy, etc.

What happens in the dark? Why are things different at night? Maybe it’s magic, or madness or both. A new anthology coming Summer 2013 from HarperTeen, Defy the Dark explores those questions and invites you to try your hand at answering them.

What’s in it for you? A chance to be published in Defy the Dark, alongside some of your favorite YA authors (including Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Hawkins, and Beth Revis). 

The winner will be noted in the book’s table of contents, on the copyright page, and have a byline on their story. They will also have an opportunity to give an acknowledgment and will be featured on the Defy the Dark website. The grand-prize winner will receive a $500 cash prize awarded by HarperCollins and five copies of Defy the Dark.

1. Eligibility

The Defy the Dark New Author Contest (the “Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including District of Columbia and territories, possessions and military bases) or Canada (excluding Quebec) who are thirteen (13) years or older at the time of entry.

2. Sponsors

Figment, LLC, 118 East 64^th Street, New York, NY 10065, and HarperCollins, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, New York 10022.

3. Entry Period

The Promotion begins on August 1, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) and ends on September 1, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET (the “Promotion Entry Period”).

No sun-drenched, thousand-watt fables here—bring us your things that go bump in the night, bring us the things that hide in the shadows. Saundra Mitchell, the anthology’s editor, is excited to read your best YA fiction and choose one writer to be a part of the forces that will Defy the Dark.

4.  Submission Requirements

• Submission must be between 2,000 and 4,000 words.
• Submission must be an original work created solely by you, has not been previously published, and does not infringe upon any third-party copyrights or other intellectual property rights.
• Submission must not contain defamatory statements.
• Submission must not contain any telephone numbers, street addresses or email addresses of any individual.
• Submission must not invade privacy, publicity or other rights of any person, firm or entity.

Click here for more official rules:  http://dailyfig.figment.com/defy-the-dark-official-rules/

Good luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy