42 | The Writer • May 2020
MARKETS
COMPILED BY TONI FITZGERALD
Information in this section is provided to
The Writer by the individual markets and
events; for more information, contact
those entities directly.
F = Fiction N = Nonfiction P = Poetry
C = Children’s Y = Young adult O = Other
F THE WRITER SHORT STORY CON-
TEST Regularly hosted by The Writer mag-
azine. Max 2,000 words. Submit via online
portal only. Deadline: Check website. Entry
fee: $25 for first entry, $15 for every addi-
tional entry on the same transaction. Prizes:
First place receives $1,000 and publication
in The Writer magazine. Second place
receives $500 and publication on The Writer
website. Third place receives $250 and pub-
lication on The Writer website. Contact: The
Writer. writermag.com/contests
F N P AMERICAN LITERARY REVIEW
AMERICAN LITERARY AWARDS Offers
three prizes for short fiction, creative non-
fiction, and poetry. Submit via online sub-
mission manager only. Opens June 1.
Deadline: Oct. 1. Entry fee: $15 for one
work of fiction under 8,000 words, one work
of nonfiction under 4,000 words, or up to
three poems. Prizes: The winner in each
category will receive $1,000 and publication
online. Contact: American Literary Review.
[email protected]
americanliteraryreview.com/contestO AMERICAN ZOETROPE SCREEN-
PLAY CONTEST Aims to find new cre-
ative and compelling film narratives and
introduce the next generation of screenwrit-
ers to the leading production companies.
The winner and top nine finalists will be
considered for representation by various
agencies and for film option by big-name
studios. Deadline: Check website for exact
date. Entry fee: Check website for fees.
Prizes: Grand prize winner receives $5,000;
the winner and finalists are considered forBy the rules
Some rules are made to be broken, but in the world of writing contests,
that’s not the case. Here are common elements to double check before
you submit your work. You don’t want to be disqualified for a clerical
error. - Blind submissions are called such for a reason. If the contest you
enter is one of them, make sure your name and other vital details
don’t appear anywhere in the submission file. This includes: cover
page, title line, and header/footer. Online submission managers
have their own ways of identifying you – trust that they will work. - Be sure your submission is within the specified word count. Judges
may be willing to let 10 or 20 extra words slide, but if you’re more
than that, definitely make cuts. - Stick with the theme of the contest you are entering, if there is one.
If you are on the fence over whether your story can be interpreted
in just the right way to fit the theme, rethink the submission. Others
will write a story with the details in mind, so your stretch of a tale
could get knocked out immediately.
The following contests are a sampling of what the industry has to of-
fer. You’ll find even more listings at writermag.com, including our own
short fiction contests.representation. Contact: American Zoe-
trope. Email from website.
zoetrope.com/contestsP ANHINGA-ROBERT DANA PRIZE
FOR POETRY Open to all poets regardless
of experience or past publications. Submit a
48- to 100-page collection of poems via reg-
ular mail or online submission manager.
Deadline: May 31. Entry fee: $25 for hard
copy entries, $28 for electronic submissions.
Prizes: $2,000 and publication by Anhinga
Press. Contact: Anhinga Prize for Poetry,
P.O. Box 3665, Tallahassee, FL 32315.
[email protected] anhinga-robertdanaprize-
forpoetry.submittable.com/submitF AURA ESTRADA SHORT STORY
CONTEST Seeks previously unpublished
short stories up to 5,000 words. Submit
using online submission manager. Deadline:
April 15. Entry fee: $20 per submission.
Prizes: Winner receives $1,000 and publica-
tion in Boston Review. Runners up may also
be published. Contact: Short Story Contest,
Boston Review, P.O. Box 425786, Cam-
bridge, MA 02142. Email via online form.
bostonreview.net/contestsF N P AUTUMN HOUSE PRESS
POETRY, FICTION AND NONFICTION
CONTESTS Open to full-length collections
of poetry of 50-80 pages and fiction and
nonfiction submissions of 200-300 pages.
Deadline: June 30. Entry fee: $30. Prizes:
Winners in each category receive book pub-
lication, $1,000 advance, and a $1,500 travel
grant to promote his or her book. Contact:
Autumn House Press, 5530 Penn Ave., Pitts-
burgh, PA 15206. 412-362-BOOK.
[email protected] autumnhouse.orgF N P BELLEVUE LITERARY REVIEW
PRIZES Honors outstanding writing in the
themes of health, healing, illness, the mind,
and the body. Fiction and nonfiction up to
5,000 words, and up to three poems. Dead-
line: Entries opened March 1; check website
for deadline. Entry fee: $20 per submission,
max four submissions. Prizes: First prize in
each genre is $1,000 and publication. Hon-
orable mentions receive $250 and publica-