Tag Archive for Writing

Where to send your story: Sharing contest links

May 20, 2011 Creative writing, Uncategorized, Writing 2 comments

I’ve been blogging about contests for the past few weeks. I’ve had some success entering, and last week I shared a few tips about my process. This week I thought I’d share three contest markets, including links so you can check them out for yourself.

Glimmer Train: Published four times a year, Glimmer Train offers eight to 12 new short stories by published and emerging writers every issue. Those stories go on to win the Pushcart Prize and be published in anthologies such as the Best American Short Stories. It also hosts writing contests every month – sometimes more than one – and each one has a different set of themes and guidelines. The guidelines are easy to follow and you can enter the contests online. Glimmer Train is high end, pays well, and treats writers with respect (even  when they don’t win the big prize). Here’s the link: http://www.glimmertrain.com/writguid1.html

Pandora’s Collective: This is a Vancouver-based collective offering online contests three times a year. Contests have run since 2004, and include a category for teens and children each time. Pandora’s motto is “Promoting the Arts that Inspire the World to Take Notice of Itself.” Members of the collective give workshops, organize the Summer Dream Literary Arts Festival, and provide a resource for writers. Entry fees are small (as are the prizes), and wait times are short.  Here’s the link: http://www.pandorascollective.com/contest.html

The Canadian Writers Contest Calendar: As I mentioned last week, here’s how it all began for me and other members of my writing group, the Erratics. For a list of contests, try this 80-page book of contests by White Mountain Publications. It hails back to 1995, and is revised each year to include contests listed monthly, according to their deadlines. Here’s a link for more information and ordering: http://www.wmpub.ca/cwcc.htm

Well, that’s a start. What are some of your favorite contests? Click “Read more” to leave a comment.

Honorable Mention – or not?

April 29, 2011 Creative writing, Writing No comments

Entering a writing contest can be rewarding – even when you don’t win.

It feels great to win or place in a writing contest. I’ve even made a little money along the way. Every year I add up the contest entry fees and the winnings, and I’m glad to say that so far I’m receiving back more than I’m spending.

Sometimes my work has received honorable mention, and that feels great – but it’s not placing high enough for publication. For example, I made the honorable mention list in a recent Glimmer Train fiction contest, as you can see on the honorable mention list here. That means I placed in the top five percent of more than 1000 entries. It’s a high-end magazine, and a stiff competition, so it really feels great to get that far.

In the congratulations email, the editor suggests I should mention this placement in my cover letter when I send the story out to other publishers.

Here’s the question: should I mention it in a cover letter, or not? Most publishers don’t want previously published work, but many don’t mention previous contest entries.

What do you think? What do you do about previous contest entries that place, but aren’t published? Have you had experiences with contest placement that helped your poems or stories reach publication? Or has a contest win without publication ever prevented you from submitting that piece to another publisher? (Please click “Read more” to add your comment.)

« Older Entries   Recent Entries »