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Accentuate Writers Third Short Story Anthology Contest
I'm going to do a little something different for the next contest and merge July and August together - and up the prize to $100 for the winner, $25 for second place and $15 for third. The rules are different too - read them closely!
If you want to see the finalists from the second contest click here.
To see the winners of the first contest, go here.
Ready for #3? Okay, here we go.....
Accentuate Writers is pleased to announce its third short story contest!
With not only cash prizes, but also a publishing contract for the Accentuate Writers Anthology - to be published in February of 2009.
Each of the top three writers from the contests between now and December of this year will be included in the anthology if they so choose.
In order to be considered for the contest, you must follow these rules 100%... the judging will be done in three rounds, and if you have not followed these rules to the letter, the first round judges will not move your entry on to the second round of judging!
1.) All entries must be written in MS Word as a .doc or .RTF format if you do not have Word. (I can accept .docx files, but prefer .doc files - this won't affect your chances of winning.)
2.) Please use the following standards to submit your entry:
[list=a][*]12 pt. font
[*]Times New Roman (Absolutely no fancy fonts - all winners will have the proper font changed before publication.)
[*]1" margins, all sides
[*]Double Spacing, set as double spaced, no line breaks
[*]Auto-indent, using the auto-indent feature, not tabs - the use of tabs will automatically disqualify you and make Michy fume about people who can't read the submission guidelines and she might post about you on her blog! Auto-indent at .3.
[*]Left Justified
[*]Do NOT double enter after paragraph. That's why you indent.
[*]Use a centered * * * between scene breaks, not a double enter.
[*]Do NOT tell us 'THE END' - when the words run out, we generally stop reading and assume the story is over, though sometimes, understandably, that might be hard to tell.
[/list=a]
More to come below...
2.) All entries must be UPLOADED to this thread:
http://www.accentuateservices.com/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=1467
If you are not a member of the forum, you will have to sign up for a free membership to be able to participate! No entries will be accepted this time from anyone NOT a member of this forum!
The password to get into the thread is: password
I put it in the password protected thread so that your stories are not indexed and even though they win or are entered in a contest, they won't eliminate you from selling the story to someone else! Yes, you will retain all rights to your story, although I am asking for first publication rights, North American, print - if you win.
3.) You have until the 20th day of August at midnight central time to upload your entry and pay your entry fee.
4.) Entry fee? Yeah... You see, there is no limit on the number of short stories you can enter, but to ensure writers do not just throw anything they write up and actually put a little bit of themselves into the contest, we are charging a small entry fee to ensure your sincerity in entering and to help offset some of the cost of the prizes and publishing the book!
The fee is only $5.00 per story. You can send it one story at a time or you can add it all up and send it together, BUT you must pay the fee first BEFORE you post your entry.
You can send it to PayPal: michelle@accentuateservices.com
If you do not have a PayPal account, we also take credit cards, debit cards or bank account transfers through PayPal without you having to sign up for an account. Just go to the bottom of the post here and pick a button!
However, doing something a little different this time, Michy will now provide a short critique and assessment of your story if you would like one for an additional $5. Critiques and assessments for short stories are usually anywhere from $25-75 dollars on average, and Michy is offering a critique and assessment to everyone who enters this contest for just $5 additional bucks!
So, $5 to enter without critique and $10 to enter with it! This way, even if you don't win, you will know how to improve your story and can tweak it and submit it to another market for pay!
5.) After your entry fee payment is received, you will be emailed an ENTRY NUMBER. This entry number is what you will use in the title of your post in the entry thread where you upload your document and at the top of your document too.
This will help us keep the entries separate, and will be used by the judges. You will also need to put that number on the first page of your document.
ENTRY GUIDELINES:
1.) (again) MS Word or RTF file, double spaced, left justified, 1" margins all around, using the auto-indent feature at .3. DO NOT use tabs or spaces for indenting new paragraphs. PLEASE use the auto-indent feature - if unsure how to do this, ask!
2.) DO NOT put your name on your entry. Instead, wait until you receive your entry number and put only your entry number on the top of the document you upload as well as in the title of the thread you post.
3.) Entries must be between 1500 - 7000 words, give or take a few hundred either way, as long the entry tells a full story with an intriguing storyline - if your entry is outside of these limits, you'd better have a darned good story to tell and email me first before you submit it.
4.) Use proper grammar, spelling and style when writing the story that complements the story - sometimes, grammar does take a backseat to the story, but you'd better know why it does if you're gonna break the rules! (yes, the gonna was intentional)
5.) All entries must use the theme: Winds of Change
Two things here... show us windy weather of some sort as a plot device. Broken tree limbs, tornadoes, hurricanes, the wind whipping someone's hair or skirt - use it as a plot device, make it mean something or stand for something.
Also, show us change... show how a character changed, a town changed, an old high school changed after years away, how parents changed with old age - how life changed because of something that happened. Hey, perhaps you can even show how life changed because of wind!
I dunno, use YOUR imagination and take the theme Winds of Change and give us your best!
6.) Oh, did I mention to: Give us your best work!
Keep in mind, one of Michy's goals with this forum is to help aspiring writers - if you think our guidelines are strict with the contest here, it's nothing compared to what a publisher is going to require - so consider this practice!
PRIZES:
FIRST PLACE:
* A publishing contract for inclusion in the Accentuate Writers anthology, with your name on the cover!
* $100.00 cash! (payable via PayPal or Money Order)
* A FREE professional edit and critique of your short story prior to inclusion in the anthology and you can use the edited version to sell later to someplace else!
* 5 free author copies of the anthology paperback
* Announcement of winning and one link of your choice posted on the Accentuate Services website, Michy's freelance blog, the Accentuate Writer's forum, and in the Accentuate Writers Newsletter, among other place Michy promos things!
* HTML winner's banner for posting on your blog or website
Second Place:
Second place winners will receive the following:
* A publishing contract for inclusion in the Accentuate Writers Anthology
* $25 cash!
* Three free author copies of the anthology paperback
* Announcement of winning and one link of your choice posted on the Accentuate Services website, Michy's freelance blog, the Accentuate Writer's forum, and in the Accentuate Writers Newsletter
* HTML winner's banner for posting on your blog or website
Third Place:
Third place winners will receive the following:
* Inclusion in the Accentuate Writers anthology
* $15 cash!
* Two free copies of the anthology paperback
* Announcement of winning and one link of your choice posted on the Accentuate Services website, Michy's freelance blog, the Accentuate Writer's forum, and in the Accentuate Writers Newsletter
* HTML winner's banner for posting on your blog or website
LEGAL STUFF
YOU will maintain ALL copyrights to your short story, but if you choose to accept the publishing contract and include your winning short story in the Accentuate Writers anthology, we do ask for non-exclusive, first print publication rights.
After the story publishes in the print anthology trade paperback book and they have received their free copies they won in the contest, all winners will be allowed to buy the book at a 50% discount off the retail price. ALL registered forum members can buy the books at 10% off the retail price and any contest entries who did not win can buy the book at 20% off retail price!
Some Notes:
Contests will be held approximately every month between now and December, when all winning entries that have returned the release forms back to us will be compiled for preparing for print.
The same person can win more than one contest. It is possible for one person to place in every contest between now and December and have up to six of their stories published in one book. No author will have more than six stories in one book, so after the sixth story, they will be ineligible for future contests until the next anthology compilation begins.
Only first place winners will have their names listed on the cover of the anthology. All authors will be listed on the interior title page, the LOC page, and will have author bios included in the back of the book, with photo and contact information if they so choose.
Winners will get author copies for the prizes they win, even if they win more than one. That is, if a person wins first place in June's contest and then wins second place in July's contest, then that person will get 5 free books for June and 3 free books for July, for a total of 8 books.
You must be an ACTIVE member of the forum in order to participate in the contest. This simply means you must register for a free membership on the forum and post your introduction. While we would prefer you continue to stay and chat with us all, this is all that is required for the contest.
Any contest discussion should be held in this thread:
http://www.accentuateservices.com/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=1468
Password: password
Any questions?
Good luck!
PS: Password to the threads on the forum that you can't access is: password
It's set up this way so the entries are not indexed by search engines!
To enter without Crit
To enter with Crit fee
If you want to see the finalists from the second contest click here.
To see the winners of the first contest, go here.
Ready for #3? Okay, here we go.....
Accentuate Writers is pleased to announce its third short story contest!
With not only cash prizes, but also a publishing contract for the Accentuate Writers Anthology - to be published in February of 2009.
Each of the top three writers from the contests between now and December of this year will be included in the anthology if they so choose.
In order to be considered for the contest, you must follow these rules 100%... the judging will be done in three rounds, and if you have not followed these rules to the letter, the first round judges will not move your entry on to the second round of judging!
1.) All entries must be written in MS Word as a .doc or .RTF format if you do not have Word. (I can accept .docx files, but prefer .doc files - this won't affect your chances of winning.)
2.) Please use the following standards to submit your entry:
[list=a][*]12 pt. font
[*]Times New Roman (Absolutely no fancy fonts - all winners will have the proper font changed before publication.)
[*]1" margins, all sides
[*]Double Spacing, set as double spaced, no line breaks
[*]Auto-indent, using the auto-indent feature, not tabs - the use of tabs will automatically disqualify you and make Michy fume about people who can't read the submission guidelines and she might post about you on her blog! Auto-indent at .3.
[*]Left Justified
[*]Do NOT double enter after paragraph. That's why you indent.
[*]Use a centered * * * between scene breaks, not a double enter.
[*]Do NOT tell us 'THE END' - when the words run out, we generally stop reading and assume the story is over, though sometimes, understandably, that might be hard to tell.
[/list=a]
More to come below...
2.) All entries must be UPLOADED to this thread:
http://www.accentuateservices.com/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=1467
If you are not a member of the forum, you will have to sign up for a free membership to be able to participate! No entries will be accepted this time from anyone NOT a member of this forum!
The password to get into the thread is: password
I put it in the password protected thread so that your stories are not indexed and even though they win or are entered in a contest, they won't eliminate you from selling the story to someone else! Yes, you will retain all rights to your story, although I am asking for first publication rights, North American, print - if you win.
3.) You have until the 20th day of August at midnight central time to upload your entry and pay your entry fee.
4.) Entry fee? Yeah... You see, there is no limit on the number of short stories you can enter, but to ensure writers do not just throw anything they write up and actually put a little bit of themselves into the contest, we are charging a small entry fee to ensure your sincerity in entering and to help offset some of the cost of the prizes and publishing the book!
The fee is only $5.00 per story. You can send it one story at a time or you can add it all up and send it together, BUT you must pay the fee first BEFORE you post your entry.
You can send it to PayPal: michelle@accentuateservices.com
If you do not have a PayPal account, we also take credit cards, debit cards or bank account transfers through PayPal without you having to sign up for an account. Just go to the bottom of the post here and pick a button!
However, doing something a little different this time, Michy will now provide a short critique and assessment of your story if you would like one for an additional $5. Critiques and assessments for short stories are usually anywhere from $25-75 dollars on average, and Michy is offering a critique and assessment to everyone who enters this contest for just $5 additional bucks!
So, $5 to enter without critique and $10 to enter with it! This way, even if you don't win, you will know how to improve your story and can tweak it and submit it to another market for pay!
5.) After your entry fee payment is received, you will be emailed an ENTRY NUMBER. This entry number is what you will use in the title of your post in the entry thread where you upload your document and at the top of your document too.
This will help us keep the entries separate, and will be used by the judges. You will also need to put that number on the first page of your document.
ENTRY GUIDELINES:
1.) (again) MS Word or RTF file, double spaced, left justified, 1" margins all around, using the auto-indent feature at .3. DO NOT use tabs or spaces for indenting new paragraphs. PLEASE use the auto-indent feature - if unsure how to do this, ask!
2.) DO NOT put your name on your entry. Instead, wait until you receive your entry number and put only your entry number on the top of the document you upload as well as in the title of the thread you post.
3.) Entries must be between 1500 - 7000 words, give or take a few hundred either way, as long the entry tells a full story with an intriguing storyline - if your entry is outside of these limits, you'd better have a darned good story to tell and email me first before you submit it.
4.) Use proper grammar, spelling and style when writing the story that complements the story - sometimes, grammar does take a backseat to the story, but you'd better know why it does if you're gonna break the rules! (yes, the gonna was intentional)
5.) All entries must use the theme: Winds of Change
Two things here... show us windy weather of some sort as a plot device. Broken tree limbs, tornadoes, hurricanes, the wind whipping someone's hair or skirt - use it as a plot device, make it mean something or stand for something.
Also, show us change... show how a character changed, a town changed, an old high school changed after years away, how parents changed with old age - how life changed because of something that happened. Hey, perhaps you can even show how life changed because of wind!
I dunno, use YOUR imagination and take the theme Winds of Change and give us your best!
6.) Oh, did I mention to: Give us your best work!
Keep in mind, one of Michy's goals with this forum is to help aspiring writers - if you think our guidelines are strict with the contest here, it's nothing compared to what a publisher is going to require - so consider this practice!
PRIZES:
FIRST PLACE:
* A publishing contract for inclusion in the Accentuate Writers anthology, with your name on the cover!
* $100.00 cash! (payable via PayPal or Money Order)
* A FREE professional edit and critique of your short story prior to inclusion in the anthology and you can use the edited version to sell later to someplace else!
* 5 free author copies of the anthology paperback
* Announcement of winning and one link of your choice posted on the Accentuate Services website, Michy's freelance blog, the Accentuate Writer's forum, and in the Accentuate Writers Newsletter, among other place Michy promos things!
* HTML winner's banner for posting on your blog or website
Second Place:
Second place winners will receive the following:
* A publishing contract for inclusion in the Accentuate Writers Anthology
* $25 cash!
* Three free author copies of the anthology paperback
* Announcement of winning and one link of your choice posted on the Accentuate Services website, Michy's freelance blog, the Accentuate Writer's forum, and in the Accentuate Writers Newsletter
* HTML winner's banner for posting on your blog or website
Third Place:
Third place winners will receive the following:
* Inclusion in the Accentuate Writers anthology
* $15 cash!
* Two free copies of the anthology paperback
* Announcement of winning and one link of your choice posted on the Accentuate Services website, Michy's freelance blog, the Accentuate Writer's forum, and in the Accentuate Writers Newsletter
* HTML winner's banner for posting on your blog or website
LEGAL STUFF
YOU will maintain ALL copyrights to your short story, but if you choose to accept the publishing contract and include your winning short story in the Accentuate Writers anthology, we do ask for non-exclusive, first print publication rights.
After the story publishes in the print anthology trade paperback book and they have received their free copies they won in the contest, all winners will be allowed to buy the book at a 50% discount off the retail price. ALL registered forum members can buy the books at 10% off the retail price and any contest entries who did not win can buy the book at 20% off retail price!
Some Notes:
Contests will be held approximately every month between now and December, when all winning entries that have returned the release forms back to us will be compiled for preparing for print.
The same person can win more than one contest. It is possible for one person to place in every contest between now and December and have up to six of their stories published in one book. No author will have more than six stories in one book, so after the sixth story, they will be ineligible for future contests until the next anthology compilation begins.
Only first place winners will have their names listed on the cover of the anthology. All authors will be listed on the interior title page, the LOC page, and will have author bios included in the back of the book, with photo and contact information if they so choose.
Winners will get author copies for the prizes they win, even if they win more than one. That is, if a person wins first place in June's contest and then wins second place in July's contest, then that person will get 5 free books for June and 3 free books for July, for a total of 8 books.
You must be an ACTIVE member of the forum in order to participate in the contest. This simply means you must register for a free membership on the forum and post your introduction. While we would prefer you continue to stay and chat with us all, this is all that is required for the contest.
Any contest discussion should be held in this thread:
http://www.accentuateservices.com/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=1468
Password: password
Any questions?
Good luck!
PS: Password to the threads on the forum that you can't access is: password
It's set up this way so the entries are not indexed by search engines!
To enter without Crit
To enter with Crit fee
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