Upcoming Writing Competitions

Some competitions for the coming months. Confession: I now believe in multiple submissions. Send them everywhere!

Strokestown
Poetry
Deadline 24th Jan

Mslexia
Stories: Max wordcount 2,200.
Deadline 24th Jan

Cuirt New Writing Prize
Poetry: 3 poems, each under 50 lines
Fiction: up to 2000 words
Non Fiction/Memoir: up to 2000 words
Deadline: 4th Feb

Bryan Mc Mahon
Short Stories of up to 3,000 words
Deadline 25th Feb

Fish
One Page
300 words or less
Deadline 20 March

Fish
Poetry
Under 200 words
Deadline 30 March

Molly Keane Writing Award
Short story competition.
Up to 2,000 words.
Deadline 24^th Mar

Bridport
SHORT STORIES: 1st prize = £ 5000 (approx. 8000 US$, 5900 € )
POEMS: 1st Prize = £ 5000 (approx. 8000 US$, 5900 €)
FLASH FICTION: 1st Prize =£ 1000 (approx. 1600 US$, 1180 €)
Deadline 30th June

Aesthetica
Up to 2 poems/ max 40 lines.
Stories - max word count 2000 words.
Deadline 31 Aug.

A few things I've learnt about submitting to competitions...

1. If you've just finished your story and it moves you to tears, laughter and/or awe - don't send it. You're not objective yet. Wait at least three to four days to correct errors that you were too misty eyed with genius to notice at first.
2. Before you email your work to the competition, email it to yourself. And edit it again. Then print it out again. And edit it again. Then send.
3. The process of submitting stories and poems is useful even if you don't win or get short listed - it brings your work up to a better standard. It improves your editing skills.
4. Only winners are contacted. You'll have to trawl the net to find out who won. Don't worry, you'll get used to it.
5. Don't just send your brilliant story to one competition and wait for half a year for the results. Send it to a few competitions of equal merit...whats the worst that can happen? If the story wins one you can email the others (if you're lucky enough to be shortlisted more than once)
6. Aways save the first unedited draft, it gives you the freedom to play around with subsequent drafts.
7. Don't spend too much money on competitions or you'll feel like a sucker and you'll be poor. Be selective. Give yourself a limit. Don't overlook a free entry!
8. If you've never heard of the competition, if you've never heard of the judge, if the entry fee is ten euro and the prize is a book token... restrain yourself!
9. We all have blindspots. If a story keeps coming back - get someone else to read it.
10. Switch off from competitions for long periods and just concentrate on your writing.
11. Don't forget why you started writing in the first place!