You're very welcome to join in my challenge if you'd like to, or to help me by finding interesting competitions for me to try.
Free entry competition news
(Some of these may have been mentioned in previous posts, but the challenge hadn't been issued then.)
Thank you to Fiona for telling me about this competition with a £1.000 prize. It's for unpublished and emerging authors over the age of 25, and open to fiction and non fiction. They want writers to 'grapple with the spirit of adventure'. We all do that, don't we?
I do have an excuse not to enter that one, as I'm not eligible. Obviously I would if I could...
One I have entered is the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. You have to be a Commonwealth citizen to take part. My chances of landing the £5,000 are extremely low, but sending something in will have raised them just a little.
The Happiful Poetry Prize is for "poems that explore the topic of mental health and wellbeing in unique, engaging, and empowering ways." That will be a real challenge for me as poetry isn't a strong point, but I will at least try. First prize is £100 with book tokens for runners up.
Debut crime novelists could try this competition with a publishing contract with a $10,000 advance as the prize. I've previously had a novel published after winning a crime novel writing competition (even though it's a romance with just a hint of crime and now self published) so I'm not eligible.
This competition is for science fiction short stories and offers a prize package including paid publication. They want the stories to be realistic - my grasp of science isn't up to that!
Here's another one for crime novelists, (British, Irish and Channel Islandish) Sadly I don't think I'm eligible for that one.
25 comments:
Not sure I can enter any of these competitions, either, Patsy, but thanks for posting them. Someone might be able to enter!
I too am entering more competitions at the moment as the womag market seems slow (dead?) - so sad...
Alyson
Participated in NaNo before, but not this year. No ideas were calling.
I've done NaNo four times but not this time. I had a vague notion I might concentrate on writing a batch of short stories (as if!) but I currently lack stamina... hence the word count of most of these is beyond my natural. THAT will be my challenge - exceed 1800 words! But thank you, anyway, Patsy, as it gives a focus.
Thanks Patsy, never heard of NaNo til now 😀. Everyday is a school day as the say! Anyway I'm hoping to start writing something a bit longer (you & me, Marguerite) so I'll save my energy for that endeavour
I’m not doing NaNo either, but I am using the month to try to really make some progress on my first attempt at a pocket novel.
I’m also going to keep trying competitions. I don’t get anywhere, but it’s nice to have something else ‘out’ there!
I'm not doing NaNo, though I have done it in the past.
I'll be doing my ALCS stuff soon. Back when DC Thomson put out the controversial digital editions of previous TPF long reads/pocket novels, there was mention online that they could be added to ALCS. Is this correct? They have an ISBN on platforms like Storytel but an ASIN for Amazon, so I'm assuming we can claim ALCS where it's sold with an ISBN. Anyone know? Liz
LIz, I've put my pocket novels on ALCS using the ISBN from Storytel. We claim when our stories are in the magazine so I see no difference. Just looked on Amazon and find one of my books has a review so DC Thomson might have even sold a copy! Alyson
Thanks Alyson and Liz for mentioning about the digital publications of our former magazine stories and ALCS - I hadn't thought of this. I've had a really worthwhile and welcome sum from ALCS in recent years, but I'm managing my expectations this time, after what has been a much quieter year for acceptances, for me. Like Patsy, I am not attempting NaNoWriMo because it doesn't fit with the way I work, but I hope to spend the month making significant progress with a new novel (not made easy when I have been unable so far to find a publisher for the last one). In other news, I would like to share that our household is getting a new family member - my husband has been matched with a suitable guide-dog for the first time and is mid-way through some intensive, residential training. All being well, Elva the golden Labrador comes to live with us permanently next Friday. This has nothing to do with writing, but it's very exciting! Wishing everyone a productive November.
Thanks, Alyson! I'll add my three long crime reads to ALCS, and also my story from The Magic of Christmas anthology they published, with stories culled from a couple of years of the bookazine. Eirin, I hope everything goes well with your new addition to the family. Liz
PS @Alyson - you have a story in the above-mentioned antho too, in case you weren't aware. Liz
Do I! Can you send me the details, Liz?
@Alison - I'll message you. If anyone else wants to see whether they have a story in this anthology, you can find the contents page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Christmas-anthology-best-selling-authors-ebook/dp/B0DCKXLXWG
Apologies to Alyson for misspelling her name! Liz
Thanks for the competitions. I think I'm eligible for the emerging writers one in that I've not had a major work published but I do wish criteria for 'unpublished' was more specific.
I'm hearing about DCT issuing all rights contracts for some writers. If this is brought in across the board and it includes PN's, then writers will lose their rights to those and won't be able to sell on to the large print publishers.
@Alyson - Luckily there are a huge number of competitions , with a wide range of genres and requirements.
@ Alex - You need to have an idea at the right stage to get the most from it.
@ Marguerite – I think we get into the habit of writing a certain length and it takes a while to think differently.
@Sheelagh - Sorry, I'd made the daft assumption everyone knew what it was - still, you do now!
@ Marian - I totally agree with your feelings on having something out there.
@ Liz - I think you've got your answer now, but from what I understand it doesn't matter whether we've claimed for that same story before. All that's important is that it's published somewhere covered by ALCS and we have the right to claim for the piece in question.
@ Anonymous - great news about Elva! Maybe you can work her into your writing? I'm sure lots of womag readers would enjoy such a story.
@ Lindsay - It can sometimes be really hard to tell whether we qualify for certain competitions, can't it?
@ Sharon – I'd not heard about that! I really hope that doesn't happen.
Well, it has happened to some writers already. Just thought I'd give us the heads up as it may be rolled out to everyone later.
@ Sharon – I can't think why they'd have different contracts for different people, so perhaps that is the plan.
For more about TPF contracts, please see my latest post!
I'm sorry to have caused any trouble. I honestly didn't mean to. Sorry.
@ Sharon - You really haven't caused trouble! Thanks to your comments we've got a definite answer from Lucy. Clearly some people genuinely believed such contracts had been issued and were concerned. Now instead of worrying speculation, we know the truth.
Sorry - again I have somehow missed inputting my name. The Anonymous guide dog poster above was me, Eirin.
That's fantastic news Eirin, I'm sure she'll be an amazing addition to the family & make all the difference
Thanks, Sheelagh! And Patsy, too, who didn't know it was me posting. You both always have such encouraging words for everyone.
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