The Fiction Desk Ghost Story Competition 2014

Closing date: 30th May 2014.

Prizes: First prize £500, plus five finalist prizes of £100 each.

Entry fee:  £7 per story.

The competition is for ghost stories from 2,000 – 5,000 words.

For more details, see: http://www.thefictiondesk.com/submissions/ghost-story-competition.php

Read last year’s in our anthology ‘New Ghost Stories’: http://www.thefictiondesk.com/anthologies/new-ghost-stories.php

Jean Toomer Literary Prize for Short Fiction

Open to new, emerging and established writers.

$300 Prize and online publication. 

No theme restriction.

Send your best unpublished work.

Blind judging.

Entry fee $5.

Full guidelines available online.

Postmark deadline: June 30, 2014.

Visit the website for details on how to enter:

http://cathleenbailey.weebly.com/jean-toomer-literary-prize-for-short-fiction.html

The Suptopian Magazine – 2113: An Oral History of the Future (Fiction Contest)

About

As a genre, Dystopian fiction has a remarkable track record – 1984, Brave New World, Farenheit 451, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Phillip K. Dick, Neuromancer by William Gibson, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells…the list could go on and on. These are visions of our darkest possible future as a species, but they are the vision of a single individual. Our collective fate will be decided by many, not just one, and that is why The Subtopian is innovating a collective, collaborative project to tell the story of our possible downfall as a civilization.

Competition

Authors will create short, first person narratives that tell a personal story for a particular character. These stories must paint a picture of what it was like when civilization fell, what it is like trying to survive in the aftermath, causes of the apocalypse, or how people are trying to rebuild. It is important to keep in mind that these are the stories of the survivors, told and retold so that history, in the absence of other media, will not be lost.

The stories selected will be presented in a theatrical reading in the style of an oral history. Characters in the future will tell an audience their story, their memory, or their perspective about how and why the world as we know it came to an end. Imagine a ruined city, the homeless survivors gathered around a fire, sharing with one another where they were, or where their families were, when it all happened. The different stories will be read and evaluated for quality, original thought, and for thematic elements as they will all be part of a larger narrative and must not contradict. No vision of how these events transpired will be prepared ahead of time, it is up to the writer to decide and the editors to select pieces that create one vision.

Selected stories will be performed live by Serendipity Players, a theater troupe in the Portland area, and will be filmed for those that are unable to attend. The stories will also be published in a creative anthology by The Subtopian Press and will be made available both online and at the theater event.

Awards

Twenty stories will be selected from the submissions. All of the winners will be given a copy of the printed anthology and a copy of the performance as a hard disc or digital download. The winning story will be the focal point of the show and will receive $100 as compensation. The shortlisted stories will be published on Subtopian.com.

Submission Guidelines

• Above all, variety is key, we don’t want the performance to feel like many people talking in one voice. We want various ethnicities, ages, etc.
• 500-1000 words, excluding the title, but closer to 500 words is best. Exceeding the word limit will result in disqualification, however, the winning story may be offered the opportunity for expansion, provided the author is interested.
• The Deadline is May 30th, 2014.
• Any style, voice, or genre is accepted provided it suits the topic of a Dystopian future. In other words, it can be romantic, humorous, dramatic, or action-packed, but it must weave itself into the overall narrative in a way that makes sense.
• There is a submission fee of $10 to cover production expenses.
• Stories can only be in English.
• There is no limit to how many stories an author may submit.
• Stories must be submitted in Times New Roman, 12-point font, in .doc or PDF format.
• Submissions are accepted via Submittable or at submissions@subtopian.com
• Publishing rights of the winning and the shortlisted stories remain with the author. Subtopian publishes First North American Serial Rights. You can use your story anywhere you like, but you have to let other publishers know that it was published with us first.
• Please note that our editors may require small changes to be implemented in stories, in order to maintain the consistency throughout the project. We will always ask for authors’ approval in such cases.
• Follow us on Facebook for competition tips and updates about shortlisted stories.

VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO ENTER:  https://subtopian.submittable.com/submit/28831

Salamander 2014 Fiction Prize

$1,500 Honorarium and Publication
Final Judge: Jennifer Haigh

SUBMIT: Online or by mail from May 15 through June 15, 2014; on-​​line submission available at end of day on May 15th.

Reading fee: $15.00

• All entries will be considered for publication. All entries will be considered anonymously.
• Send no more than one story per entry. Each story must not exceed 30 double-​​spaced pages in 12 point font. Multiple entries are acceptable, provided that a separate reading fee is included with each entry.
• Please submit two separate cover sheets with each entry, one with the title of the story only, and the other with the title of the story and your name, address, phone number, and email. Your name should not appear anywhere on the story itself.
• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but the contest fee is non-​​refundable if the submission is withdrawn. Please notify the editors as soon as possible if a submitted story is accepted elsewhere.
• Previously published works and works accepted for publication elsewhere cannot be considered. Salamander’s definition of publishing includes electronic publication.
• No handwritten, faxed, emailed, or poorly copied/​printed manuscripts will be considered.
• Salamander will not consider work from anyone currently or recently (within the past 4 years) affiliated with Suffolk University or the prize judge.
• If you wish to be notified of the arrival of your manuscript, please enclose a self-​​addressed stamped postcard. Please also include a self-​​addressed stamped business-​​sized envelope for notification of contest results. Manuscripts cannot be returned. Contest results will be posted on salamandermag​.org
• Contest reading fee includes a one-​​year subscription. Checks should be made out to Salamander. We will send your subscription to the address on your cover sheet unless instructed otherwise. Overseas addresses, please add $10 for subscription postage ($5 for addresses in Canada). Please note that we cannot accept money orders or checks from foreign banks.
• Online contest submissions and payment will be available starting May 15, 2014.

Jennifer Haigh is the author of the short story collection News From Heaven and four critically acclaimed novels: Faith, The Condition, Baker Towers and Mrs. Kimble. Her books have won both the PEN/​Hemingway Award (for debut fiction) and the PEN/L.L. Winship award (for outstanding book by a New England author), and have been published in nineteen languages. Her short stories have been published widely, in the Atlantic, Ploughshares, The Best American Short Stories and many other places. She lives in Boston.

Visit the website for CONTEST details:  http://salamandermag.org/

2014 Mind Magazine INSIGHT Poetry Prize Competition

 $300 for first prize, $150 for second prize, and $50 each for three honorable mentions. 

Winners will be published in Mind Magazine’s top talent showcase section. 

All poems submitted will be considered for standard publication. 

Submit 1–3 unpublished poems, up to three pages each. 

Entry fee $10, check or money order to:

Mind Magazine, PO Box 387, O’Brien, OR 97534;

or via PayPal to mindmagazinestore@gmail.com

Deadline for all entries is August 15th, 2014. 

Winner will be announced in September, 2014. 

The Mind Magazine 2014 INSIGHT Poetry Prize Competition

will be judged by award winning poet Michael Spring and Editor-in-chief Rich Norman. 

For more information visit http://www.mindmagazine.net/

Practical tips to promote your book on Twitter in less than 10 minutes a day.

Promoting your book on Twitter: a sane strategy for busy writers.
Between updating your website and your Facebook, Tumblr, and Pinterest pages – not to mention writing your next book – the idea of spending time and creative energy on another endeavor may be daunting for writers. But, as this handy guide shows, you can do your book and your brand a world of good in just 10 minutes a day on Twitter.

“Twitter for Authors in 10 Minutes a Day,” is a free guide that will help you use Twitter to connect with readers, book reviewers, fellow writers, and your literary heroes all over the world — without spending your entire life online.

Inside you will learn:
Why Twitter is better than Facebook
How to compose effective tweets
Scheduling tweets in advance
Using Bit.ly and Google Analytics to track interactions
Monitoring Twitter conversations about your books with HootSuite and TweetDeck
And much more!
Ready to own Twitter? Download your free copy, visit: http://www.bookbaby.com/free-guide/twitter-guide?Source=BBP1412B&Dest=https://www.pages04.net/discmakers-cdbaby/Web_Leads_Masterlist/Twitter_Guide&utm_campaign=BBP1412B&utm_source=Prospect&utm_medium=Email

 

Tarcher/Penguin hosts the NYC Publishing & Creativity Conference for Writers

The New York City Publishing & Creativity Conference for Writers is the first ever conference of its kind hosted by the largest book publisher in the world—Penguin Random House.
Whether you’ve written a book and are looking to get it published, or you are just starting your writing journey, The New York City Publishing & Creativity Conference for Writers is for you!
You will:
Be inspired by JULIA CAMERON, the author of the best-selling creativity guide The Artist’s Way.
Meet with editors and other publishing veterans from Penguin Random House.
Learn from our creativity and publishing experts, including Tama Kieves, Barbara Diane Barry, Mari Mancusi, and others.
Network with other writers.
Register before April 1st, 2014 with the promo code TarcherLiveMar and receive $20 off!
Get inspired. Get published. April 11 & 12, 2014 at the Penguin Random House offices (345 Hudson Street).
More details and itinerary at:  http://www.tarcherbooks.net/tarcherpenguin-hosts-the-nyc-publishing-creativity-conference-for-writers/

Last call for entries! Able Muse Book Award (for Poetry) — 2014

$1000 prize plus publication of the winning manuscript by Able Muse Press.

Finalists will also be considered for publication.

Entry deadline: March 31, 2014

Final Judge: Molly Peacock

Guidelines:

Blind Judging by the Final Judge Molly Peacock.

Initial screening by the Able Muse Editors.

Entries may not be previously published, but individual poems and chapbook-length sections may have been if the previous publisher gives reprint permission. (Still, more than half of the manuscript. may not have been previously published as a collection.)

Simultaneous submissions accepted as long as we’re immediately notified if your work is accepted elsewhere.

Unlimited entries per person.

All poetry styles are welcome (metrical or free verse).

A poetry manuscript of 50 to 120 pages

Acknowledgments may be included in the manuscript but are not required.

We prefer online entries, however, paper/snail mail entry is available for those who insist on the traditional submission method.

If you wish to enter more than once, then a separate entry fee and submission form must be completed for each entry.

If you’re entering by paper/snail mail, the manuscripts cannot be returned so, do not send us your only copies.

For paper/snail mail entries, include an SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) to receive the announcement of the winner.

The contests will be judged blind by the final judge, so:

Author’s name should only appear on cover page/cover letter and nowhere else.

Initial screening will be done by the editors of Able Muse.

The final judge will received anonymized manuscripts (five to ten depending and the number of total entries and their quality).

The final judge will be instructed to disqualify any work that he recognizes. The entry fee the work thus disqualified will be refunded.

Include on your cover page ONLY:

the title of your manuscript

a brief bio

the poet’s/writer’s name

address

phone number, and

email address.

Entry Methods:

Preferred method is our online entry form—

DO NOT type or copy and paste your manuscript in the poem text box. Rather, upload your submission file from the upload field (accepted formats are: Text, RTF, Word, Wordperfect, PDF, HTML).

Only send one file attachment with everything (50 to 120 pages), with the cover page prepared as described in the blind judging section above (do NOT attach a separate file for each poem!)

There should be no identification in the manuscript file itself as described in the blind judging section above.

Enter at http://www.ablemuse.com/enter-contest online.

Second favorite entry method is via e-mail—

Again, do not type your submission in the body of the email. Rather, attach your submission file to the email (accepted formats are: Text, RTF, Word, Wordperfect, PDF, HTML).

The subject of the email should be: “<Your Name>: Book Award (poetry)”

Email your entry to submission@ablemuse.com without any identification in the manuscript file itself as described in the blind judging section above.

Least favorite entry method is paper by snail mail—

The manuscript should be without any identification as explained in the blind judging section above.

The cover page should be prepared as explained in the blind judging section above.

Duplicates not required, so do NOT send duplicate of the manuscript.

Send your entry to:

Able Muse Review
Book Award for poetry Contest
467 Saratoga Avenue #602
San Jose, CA 95129
USA

Entry Fees:

$25 for a manuscript of 50 to 120 pages.

No matter how you choose to enter (online or email or snail mail) you may choose to pay:

Online ( right below!), OR,

By check: Able Muse Review, and sent to the contest address indicated above.

In the event of a withdrawal, entry fees are non-refundable.

To enable us to match your payment to your entry, be sure to indicate the name you entered with in your manuscript (i.e. your pen name, etc), if it’s different from the one under which payment was made, and this applies for online or check payment by snail mail.

For details on how to enter: http://www.ablemusepress.com/ablemuse-book-award

Katherine Paterson Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing

What is the Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing?

An annual prize for Young Adult and Children’s Literature. A chance for your YA and Children’s Lit to be read by Hunger Mountain editors and guest judges!

What will the winner receive?

One overall first place winner receives $1,000 and publication!
Three category winners receive $100 each and publication. The categories are

Young Adult (YA)

 Middle Grade (MG)

Picture Book or Writing for Young Children

Who can enter the contest?

Anyone! Everyone!

Who is this year’s judge?

The 2014  judge is Katherine Applegate, the Newbery Award winning author of The One and Only Ivan.

When is the deadline?

The postmark deadline is June 30th, 2014

Does Hunger Mountain accept electronic entries?

Yes! Please enter your original, unpublished piece under 10,000 words. Your entry may be a short story or a novel excerpt, but if it’s a novel excerpt it should really stand alone. Feel free to include a brief synopsis if your entry is a novel excerpt. Your name and address should not appear on the story; we read contest entries blind. Click the link below to access our online submission system. Once in the submission manager, you’ll need to choose “Katherine Paterson Prize” (scroll all the way to the bottom to find it!) Pay the $20.00 entry fee and upload your entry. Please include a cover letter in the comments section, letting us know what age group your piece is intended for: Enter the Katherine Paterson Prize

Does Hunger Mountain still accept Snail Mail entries?

Yes! Please send one original, unpublished piece under 10,000 words. Your entry may be a short story or a novel excerpt, but if it’s a novel excerpt it should stand on its own. Feel free to include a brief synopsis along with your novel excerpt. Include a $20 entry fee. Make checks payable to “Vermont College of Fine Arts.” Entries should be postmarked by June 30th, 2014. Your name or address should not appear anywhere on the story itself (we read entries blind.) Instead, enclose an index card with story title, intended age group (YA? MG?), your name, address, phone number, and email address. You may also enclose an SASE (self addressed stamped envelope)  for notification of winners. Entries should be typed, and on one side of the paper only. No staples please! Send entries to:

KPP
Hunger Mountain
Vermont College of Fine Arts
36 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602

May I include illustrations with my Picture Book manuscript?

Yes. We do accept (but we don’t require) illustrations along with picture book manuscripts. These should be copies/pdfs only. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL ART! We’ll consider illustrated and text-only picture book entries.

If you submit by mail, send copies of art only. If you submit through Submittable, your illustrated entry should be a pdf.

Will my entry be considered for general publication as  as well as for the Katherine Paterson Prize?

Yes, it will. Several stories we publish have come from the Katherine Paterson Prize entries.

May I enter more than one story in this prize?

Yes. Enter as many as you like! But each entry needs its own entry fee.

Are simultaneous submissions okay?

Yes,  but please let us know right away if your work is accepted elsewhere. And unfortunately we can’t refund entry fees, if the work is accepted somewhere else.

I’m a child or a teenager. May I enter this prize?

You may. But your work will be evaluated alongside adult work. If you’re a serious writer, it’s okay with us if you enter the prize, just know this prize isn’t intended for teenagers or for children.

What if I have questions that aren’t answered here?

Email us at: hungermtn@vcfa.edu

How to enter, visit: http://www.hungermtn.org/katherine-paterson-prize-for-young-adult-and-childrens-writing/

Sports Fiction and Essay Contest

Now in its third year, this contest, sponsored by Winning Writers, seeks the best in original sports-themed fiction and essays. Published or unpublished welcome. Up to 6000 words.

Sports Fiction and Essay Contest

Entry Fee: $16 per story

Deadline: May 31, 2014

Prizes: FICTION: First Prize, $1,000; Honorable Mentions, 5 awards of $100 each.

ESSAYS: First Prize, $1,000; Honorable Mentions, 5 awards of $100 each.

Visit https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/sports-fiction-essay-contest for more information.

Free books: 100 legal sites to download literature

The Classics

Browse works by Mark Twain, Joseph Conrad and other famous authors here.

1. Classic Bookshelf: This site has put classic novels online, from Charles Dickens to Charlotte Bronte.
2. The Online Books Page: The University of Pennsylvania hosts this book search and database.
3. Project Gutenberg: This famous site has over 27,000 free books online.
4. Page by Page Books: Find books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H.G. Wells, as well as speeches from George W. Bush on this site.
5. Classic Book Library: Genres here include historical fiction, history, science fiction, mystery, romance and children’s literature, but they’re all classics.
6. Classic Reader: Here you can read Shakespeare, young adult fiction and more.
7. Read Print: From George Orwell to Alexandre Dumas to George Eliot to Charles Darwin, this online library is stocked with the best classics.
8. Planet eBook: Download free classic literature titles here, from Dostoevsky to D.H. Lawrence to Joseph Conrad.
9. The Spectator Project: Montclair State University’s project features full-text, online versions of The Spectator and The Tatler.
10. Bibliomania: This site has more than 2,000 classic texts, plus study guides and reference books.
11. Online Library of Literature: Find full and unabridged texts of classic literature, including the Bronte sisters, Mark Twain and more.
12. Bartleby: Bartleby has much more than just the classics, but its collection of anthologies and other important novels made it famous.
13. Fiction.us: Fiction.us has a huge selection of novels, including works by Lewis Carroll, Willa Cather, Sherwood Anderson, Flaubert, George Eliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald and others.
14. Free Classic Literature: Find British authors like Shakespeare and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, plus other authors like Jules Verne, Mark Twain, and more.

Textbooks

If you don’t absolutely need to pay for your textbooks, save yourself a few hundred dollars by reviewing these sites.

15. Textbook Revolution: Find biology, business, engineering, mathematics and world history textbooks here.
16. Wikibooks: From cookbooks to the computing department, find instructional and educational materials here.
17. KnowThis Free Online Textbooks: Get directed to stats textbooks and more.
18. Online Medical Textbooks: Find books about plastic surgery, anatomy and more here.
19. Online Science and Math Textbooks: Access biochemistry, chemistry, aeronautics, medical manuals and other textbooks here.
20. MIT Open Courseware Supplemental Resources: Find free videos, textbooks and more on the subjects of mechanical engineering, mathematics, chemistry and more.
21. Flat World Knowledge: This innovative site has created an open college textbooks platform that will launch in January 2009.
22. Free Business Textbooks: Find free books to go along with accounting, economics and other business classes.
23. Light and Matter: Here you can access open source physics textbooks.
24. eMedicine: This project from WebMD is continuously updated and has articles and references on surgery, pediatrics and more.

Math and Science

Turn to this list to find books about math, science, engineering and technology.

25. FullBooks.com: This site has “thousands of full-text free books,” including a large amount of scientific essays and books.
26. Free online textbooks, lecture notes, tutorials and videos on mathematics: NYU links to several free resources for math students.
27. Online Mathematics Texts: Here you can find online textbooks like Elementary Linear Algebra and Complex Variables.
28. Science and Engineering Books for free download: These books range in topics from nanotechnology to compressible flow.
29. FreeScience.info: Find over 1800 math, engineering and science books here.
30. Free Tech Books: Computer programmers and computer science enthusiasts can find helpful books here.

Children’s Books

Even children’s books are now available online. Find illustrated books, chapter books and more.

31. byGosh: Find free illustrated children’s books and stories here.
32. Munseys: Munseys has nearly 2,000 children’s titles, plus books about religion, biographies and more.
33. International Children’s Digital Library: Find award-winning books and search by categories like age group, make believe books, true books or picture books.
34. Lookybook: Access children’s picture books here.

Philosophy and Religion

For books about philosophy and religion, check out these websites.

35. Bored.com: Bored.com has music ebooks, cooking ebooks, and over 150 philosophy titles and over 1,000 religion titles.
36. Ideology.us: Here you’ll find works by Rene Descartes, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, David Hume and others.
37. Free Books on Yoga, Religion and Philosophy: Recent uploads to this site include Practical Lessons in Yoga and Philosophy of Dreams.
38. The Sociology of Religion: Read this book by Max Weber, here.
39. Religion eBooks: Read books about the Bible, Christian books, and more.

Plays

From Shakespeare to George Bernard Shaw to more contemporary playwrights, visit these sites.

40. ReadBookOnline.net: Here you can read plays by Chekhov, Thomas Hardy, Ben Jonson, Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe and others.
41. Plays: Read Pygmalion, Uncle Vanya or The Playboy of the Western World here.
42. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: MIT has made available all of Shakespeare’s comedies, tragedies, and histories.
43. Plays Online: This site catalogs “all the plays [they] know about that are available in full text versions online for free.”
44. ProPlay: This site has children’s plays, comedies, dramas and musicals.

Modern Fiction, Fantasy and Romance

These websites boast collections of graphic novels, romance novels, fantasy books and more.

45. Public Bookshelf: Find romance novels, mysteries and more.
46. The Internet Book Database of Fiction: This forum features fantasy and graphic novels, anime, J.K. Rowling and more.
47. Free Online Novels: Here you can find Christian novels, fantasy and graphic novels, adventure books, horror books and more.
48. Foxglove: This British site has free novels, satire and short stories.
49. Baen Free Library: Find books by Scott Gier, Keith Laumer and others.
50. The Road to Romance: This website has books by Patricia Cornwell and other romance novelists.
51. Get Free Ebooks: This site’s largest collection includes fiction books.
52. John T. Cullen: Read short stories from John T. Cullen here.
53. SF and Fantasy Books Online: Books here include Arabian Nights, Aesop’s Fables and more.
54. Free Novels Online and Free Online Cyber-Books: This list contains mostly fantasy books.

Foreign Language

For books in a foreign language like French, Spanish and even Romanian, look here.

55. Project Laurens Jz Coster: Find Dutch literature here.
56. ATHENA Textes Francais: Search by author’s name, French books, or books written by other authors but translated into French.
57. Liber Liber: Download Italian books here. Browse by author, title, or subject.
58. Biblioteca romaneasca: Find Romanian books on this site.
59. Bibliolteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes: Look up authors to find a catalog of their available works on this Spanish site.
60. KEIMENA: This page is entirely in Greek, but if you’re looking for modern Greek literature, this is the place to access books online.
61. Proyecto Cervantes: Texas A&M’s Proyecto Cervantes has cataloged Cervantes’ work online.
62. Corpus Scriptorum Latinorum: Access many Latin texts here.
63. Project Runeberg: Find Scandinavian literature online here.
64. Italian Women Writers: This site provides information about Italian women authors and features full-text titles too.
65. Biblioteca Valenciana: Register to use this database of Catalan and Valencian books.
66. Ketab Farsi: Access literature and publications in Farsi from this site.
67. Afghanistan Digital Library: Powered by NYU, the Afghanistan Digital Library has works published between 1870 and 1930.
68. CELT: CELT stands for “the Corpus of Electronic Texts” features important historical literature and documents.
69. Projekt Gutenberg-DE: This easy-to-use database of German language texts lets you search by genres and author.

History and Culture

Refresh your memory of world history, the classics and U.S. history here.

70. LibriVox: LibriVox has a good selection of historical fiction.
71. The Perseus Project: Tufts’ Perseus Digital Library features titles from Ancient Rome and Greece, published in English and original languages.
72. Access Genealogy: Find literature about Native American history, the Scotch-Irish immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, and more.
73. Free History Books: This collection features U.S. history books, including works by Paul Jennings, Sarah Morgan Dawson, Josiah Quincy and others.
74. Most Popular History Books: Free titles include Seven Days and Seven Nights by Alexander Szegedy and Autobiography of a Female Slave by Martha G. Browne.

Rare Books

Look for rare books online here.

75. Questia: Questia has 5,000 books available for free, including rare books and classics.
76. …

Arts and Entertainment

This list features books about celebrities, movies, fashion and more.

77. Books-On-Line: This large collection includes movie scripts, newer works, cookbooks and more.
78. Chest of Books: This site has a wide range of free books, including gardening and cooking books, home improvement books, craft and hobby books, art books and more.
79. Free e-Books: Find titles related to beauty and fashion, games, health, drama and more.
80. 2020ok: Categories here include art, graphic design, performing arts, ethnic and national, careers, business and a lot more.
81. Free Art Books: Find artist books and art books in PDF format here.
82. Free Web design books: OnlineComputerBooks.com directs you to free web design books.
83. Free Music Books: Find sheet music, lyrics and books about music here.
84. Free Fashion Books: Costume and fashion books are linked to the Google Books page.

Mystery

Here you can find mystery books from Sherlock Holmes to more contemporary authors.

85. MysteryNet: Read free short mystery stories on this site.
86. TopMystery.com: Read books by Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, GK Chesterton and other mystery writers here.
87. Mystery Books: Read books by Sue Grafton and others.

Poetry

These poetry sites have works by Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe and others.

88. The Literature Network: This site features forums, a copy of The King James Bible, and over 3,000 short stories and poems.
89. Poetry: This list includes “The Raven,” “O Captain! My Captain!” and “The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde.”
90. Poem Hunter: Find free poems, lyrics and quotations on this site.
91. Famous Poetry Online: Read limericks, love poetry, and poems by Robert Browning, Emily Dickinson, John Donne, Lord Byron and others.
92. Google Poetry: Google Books has a large selection of poetry, from The Canterbury Tales to Beowulf to Walt Whitman.
93. QuotesandPoem.com: Read poems by Maya Angelou, William Blake, Sylvia Plath and more.
94. CompleteClassics.com: Rudyard Kipling, Allen Ginsberg and Alfred Lord Tennyson are all featured here.
95. PinkPoem.com: On this site, you can download free poetry ebooks.

Miscellaneous

For even more free book sites, check out this list.

96. Banned Books: Here you can follow links of banned books to their full text online.
97. World eBook Library: This monstrous collection includes classics, encyclopedias, children’s books and a lot more.
98. DailyLit: DailyLit has everything from Moby Dick to the more recent phenomenon, Skinny Bitch.
99. A Celebration of Women Writers: The University of Pennsylvania’s page for women writers includes Newbery winners.
100. Free Online Novels: These novels are fully online and range from romance to religious fiction to historical fiction.
101. ManyBooks.net: Download mysteries and other books for your iPhone or eBook reader here.
102. Authorama: Books here are pulled from Google Books and more. You’ll find history books, novels and more.
103. Prize-winning books online: Use this directory to connect to full-text copies of Newbery winners, Nobel Prize winners and Pulitzer winners.

Lush Triumphant Literary Awards

Our Annual Lush Triumphant Literary Awards competition is now open for submissions.

DEADLINE for entries: May 15, 2014 (postmarked)

The Competition awards cash prizes & publication:

3 categories

3 cash prizes

one deadline

$3,000 in cash prizes, plus publication

The skinny . . .

FICTION MAXIMUM 3,000 WORDS (no specific theme, we simply want to be amazed!)

POETRY A SUITE OF 5 RELATED POEMS (MAXIMUM 15 PAGES)

CREATIVE NON-FICTION (Based on fact, adorned w/fiction) MAXIMUM 4,000 WORDS

ENTRY FEE: $27.50 PER ENTRY. You may send a cheque or money order along with your submission (cheque/money order made payable to subTerrain Magazine) or submit your entry and payment online at the link below.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: MAY 15th annually (POSTMARKED — Or submit online at the link below)

You may submit as many entries in as many categories as you like!

The winning entries in each category will receive a $750 cash prize (plus payment for publication) and will be published in our Winter issue. First runner-up in each category will receive a $250 cash prize and be published in our Spring issue of the following year.

All entries MUST be previously unpublished material and not currently under consideration in any other contest or competition. Entries will NOT be returned (so keep a copy for yourself). Results of the competition are posted here in the fall, prior to publication in our Winter issue.

ALL ENTRANTS RECEIVE A ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO SUBTERRAIN!

 SUBMIT ONLINE HERE: Submit to Subterrain Magazine

Or …

SEND ENTRIES & PAYMENT TO:

Lush Triumphant Literary Awards

c/o subTerrain Magazine

PO Box 3008, Main Post Office

Vancouver, BC V6B 3X5

Visit the website: http://subterrain.ca/about/103/lush-2013-awards-open+for+entries

32nd Annual SouthWest Writers International Competition

Visit swwcontest.com for complete rules and entry form. Entries are open from February 1 to May 1, 2014 and may be submitted after May 1 until May 15 with payment of a late fee.

Deadline: Thursday, May 15, 2014

Categories:

Fiction, Non-fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Poetry

Entry Fees:

Poetry: $10 for SouthWest Writers members, $20 for all other entrants.
All entries except poetry: $20 for SouthWest Writers members, $30 for all other entrants.

For an additional $20 for poetry entries or $25 for all other entries, you’ll be entered in the contest but also receive a critique of your entry.

Late entries through May 15th accepted with a late fee.

Prizes:

A 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winner will be judged in each of the 10 categories.

1st Place: $300
2nd Place: $200
3rd Place: $150

Winners will be notified in August 2014. Winners’ names will be posted on the Southwest Writer website at or about the same time.

Description:

The 32nd Annual SouthWest Writers International Competition is open to all original, unpublished work by English-language writers in 10 categories for novels, creative nonfiction, essay, short stories, children’s picture books, and poetry.

Winners are selected by agents or editors unaffiliated with SouthWest Writers. First place winning entries in prior SWW contests may not be resubmitted for judging in 2014.

Contact Information:

Email: swwcontest@gmail.com

SouthWest Writers
Carlisle Executive Offices
3200 Carlisle Blvd NE, Suite 114
Albuquerque, NM 87110

Website: http://www.southwestwriters.com/contest/sww-annual-international-writing-contest/

William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition

Deadline Thursday, May 1, 2014 

Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry Entry

Fees: Between $10 and $200 depending on category and manuscript length.

Prizes: Between $750 and $7,500 depending on category

Description: Accepting entries in eight categories: novel, novella, book-length narrative nonfiction, novel-in-progress, short story, essay, poetry and short story by a high school student. Only unpublished work accepted. No self-published or web-published material. See website for category details. Submit by regular mail.

Contact Information: Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society, 624 Pirate’s Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116.

Email: faulkhouse@aol.com

Website:  http://www.wordsandmusic.org/competition.html

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Deadline: Apr 30, 2014

Results Announced: Sep 15, 2014

Theme: All themes accepted

Word Limit: 6,000 words

Entry Fee: $16.00 per entry. You may submit multiple entries.

Prefer to pay via PayPal?

Prizes: FICTION: First Prize, $1,000; Honorable Mentions, 5 awards of $100 each | ESSAYS: First Prize, $1,000; Honorable Mentions, 5 awards of $100 each

Full Guidelines

The Wolfe Pack Black Orchid Award Celebrating the Novella Format

An important part of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe’s opus are novellas. To celebrate this format, the Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine have partnered to sponsor the Black Orchid Novella Award.

Want to submit an entry for the this year’s contest? It’s important that you read the rules and follow the procedures carefully. Click here to read this year’s contest flyer.

The initial announcement in 2006 was greeted with enthusiasm by the mystery community. Jane Cleland, long-term Wolfe Pack member, is the chair of the event. “At every mystery conference and event I attend, people are excited about the opportunity to write a novella—and they’re excited about the great prize—$1,000 from Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine—plus, of course, publication in the magazine!”

Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine editor, Linda Landrigan, explains, “We’re delighted to be associated with the Wolfe Pack. And we’re thrilled to participate in this award.” (Read the announcement to the media!)

Heed the words of Linda Landrigan, editor-in-chief of AHMM. She says, “We need to stress that a novella is not a padded short story. A novella needs to be as tight and fast-paced as a short story or a novel. Authors need to ensure that the story they want to tell is properly sized for whatever format they choose.”

 

Postmark deadline: May 31, 2014

For additional Information, see:

• Rules, Procedures, & Frequently Asked Questions
• Flyer
• Previous Years’ Winners

Visit the website for details: http://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/literary_awards/black_orchid_award/Black_Orchid_award_proc.htm

For questions regarding the Black Orchid Novella Award, please email the Chair, Jane K. Cleland.

* If no acceptable candidates are received, AHMM and The Wolfe Pack reserve the right to declare no winner in any given year.

Write an article on the theme of “Generation-Y” and receive a cash prize of $200

Generation-Y, also known as Millennials, or the YOLO Generation. The generation that are into selfies, swag, drunken snapchats, instagramming your food and #hashtaging#everything#you#say. Every generation has its own set of aspirations and challenges, and these are both exciting and uncertain times to be living in.

What are your thoughts on Generation-Y?

We’re calling all bloggers, writers, thinkers, part-time philosophers and aspiring journalists to write an 800 word article on the theme of Generation-Y. Enter it into our Gen-Y competition on ReadWave and the article that receives the most ‘likes’ will win a cash prize of $200 (or equivalent value in your local currency).

We accept entrants from all over the world. Articles that are over 800 words will not be considered. The deadline for submissions is 14th April 2014. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/OobECW.

A Very Short Story Contest

It may be apocryphal, but the story goes that Ernest Hemingway won a bet by writing a short story that ran fewer than ten words. One version of the story places the bet at the famed Algonquin round table. Whether true or not, there is an actual bet-winning short story attributed to Hemingway:

For sale. Baby Shoes. Never worn.

You have to admit its pretty good. It builds, and there’s a whole world of background and emotion lurking beneath those words.

We would like to make a similar bet with you. Write a great short story in ten words or fewer. (You may use a title, but that goes into the word count.) Submit it to our contest. Entry is free. Winner of the bet gets a free Gotham ten-week workshop. (For any Gotham class except select premium classes.)

We did this contest last year and here’s the winner:

The city burned. Alice lit up, watched. She’d quit later.

Ingrid Bohnenkamp 
Springfield, Missouri

To see the finalists, click here. 

> CLICK HERE TO ENTER <

The Details:

Submit an original, unpublished 10-word short story.

• Entries must be submitted online by May 5, 2014. Only online entries will be accepted. Entry is free. Limit one entry per person.
• Entry must consist of no more than ten words. You may use a title but that goes into the word count. Longer entries will be disregarded.
• Entry must be original and unpublished.
• Entries will be judged on writing originality, spelling, and grammar.
• Gotham will post the winning entry at GothamWriters.com
• The winner will be notified by June 3, 2014.

Visit the website:  http://www.writingclasses.com/ContestPages/10W.php

Arch Street Press’ Annual Prize for America’s Best College Writer

Arch Street Press is pleased to announce its annual prize chosen from America’s top undergraduate and graduate student writers in the nonfiction category. The Arch Street Prize is designed to stimulate interest in writing across the country and to promote today’s extraordinary young writers. Arch Street Press offers each winner a standard contract, together with a mentoring program and $1,000 cash prize.

ELIGIBILITY 

Any writer between the ages of 18 and 30 who has not previously published a volume of nonfiction prose is eligible to enter the competition. Writers must submit proof of enrollment (a transcript or letter from a school official confirming his/her status as an undergraduate/graduate student) from an accredited U.S. institution. Writers are still eligible if they are living abroad while enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program in the U.S. 

 MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS 

The manuscript must be a word-processed work of nonfiction that does not exceed 5,000 words. We accept both email (preferred) and postal mail submissions. Please include a cover sheet with your name, address, phone number and the title of your manuscript. Put your name on the cover sheet only; to ensure that every manuscript finalist is evaluated with the utmost fairness, all manuscripts are submitted to the judges without any identifying material. Enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope for mail submissions, for notification of the title and author of the winning manuscript, and for the return of your submitted manuscript. There is no reading fee; please do not include checks or cash with your manuscript submission. Reasonable care will be taken, but Arch Street Press cannot be held responsible for manuscripts lost in the mail, or for the return of those unaccompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Please do not send your only copy of the manuscript.

CONTRACT AND MENTORING PROGRAM

Details will be sent to all finalists.  

SUBMISSION VIA EMAIL OR POSTAL MAIL

Manuscripts may be mailed to: 

Arch Street Press • 1485 Valley Forge Road • Valley Forge, PA 19481

Email submissions (preferred) should be sent to Robert Rimm, Managing Editor of Arch Street Press.  

Submissions for this year’s competition must be postmarked by April 30, 2014; announcement of the winner will be made on this page and by press release on June 2, 2014.

You can read the full rules and submission guidelines for the Arch Street Prize on our website, http://archstreetpress.org/arch-street-prize/

2014 Writing Contest Competion $1000 in prizes (for students and authors)

Writing Contest Theme

For high school and university students

Writing prompt: “Good Writing is_________”

Suggested Topics: writing tips, strategies, how to write more, better, how to get creative, writing inspiration, etc. We want articles that are useful + informative + interesting. We like the use of quotes by famous writers. We like anecdotes, either historical or personal.

First prize: $250 cash + $250 in free editing (for your papers, applications, etc).

Second Prize: $100 cash + $100 in free editing (essays, etc.)

For published or aspiring authors

Writing prompt: “How to write a book.”

Suggested Topics: writing a book, literature, story and character development, your personal strategies for productivity, dealing with writer’s block, etc.

First Prize: Up to 50,000 words free editing ($900 value)

Second Prize: eBook Cover Design and Formatting from Creativindie ($679 value)

Third Prize: 1 Week Writer’s Vacation ($500 value)

Essay length 500~1500 words

Bonuses

We will post all the articles on this website as they come in (We will edit them for free, just to remove any typos, spelling or grammar issues, but leave the basic content and style as is.) If you’d like a link back to your personal site, so readers can find you, just tell us (may be useful for book promotion, or if you’re a freelance copy writer).

We’d also like to choose 10 to 20 of the best submissions and put them together in a book, which will be made available in print and ebook formats. If we pick yours we’ll give you bragging rights as a published author and an Amazon gift card.

Contest Deadline:

The contest will be open until May 31st, 2014. That’s a nice long period of time for you to think about and write your essays. Please copy and paste them into an email (rather than attaching a file), with your full name, city/country, age and category (author/student).

PS) We’re really flexible on the prizes – let us know what you hope to win and we’ll make sure you’re in the right category; switching from one prize to another will most likely be possible as well.

Send your submissions to: editor@paper-perfect-editing.com  (make sure you put “writing contest” in the subject field).

website : http://www.paper-perfect-editing.com/writing-contest-competion-1000-in-prizes/

THE WRITER’S HOTEL THE WRITER’S HOTEL MASTER CLASS IN FICTION & NONFICTION, JUNE 12-17, 2014: NEW YORK CITY

The Writer’s Hotel & The New Guard literary review are hosting a Writer’s Workshop Master Class in Fiction & Nonfiction in the NYC Midtown area from June 12-17, 2014. Our workshops are getting full. If you are interested in being a part of this upcoming event, please contact us soon. All applications begin with an email inquiry to us at: TheWritersHotel@outlook.com

*** Please us at thewritershotel@outlook.com and begin your application process. **

Workshop Leaders are Scott Wolven, Elyssa East and Shanna McNair teaching Fiction, and Richard Hoffman, teaching Nonfiction.

The June, 2014 events of The Writer’s Hotel Master Class in Fiction & Nonfiction will be held between three writer’s hotels, The Algonquin Hotel, The Library Hotel and The Bryant Park Hotel. Workshops, lectures and seminars will take place at The Library Hotel Writer’s Den and Poetry Garden and at The Bryant Park Hotel Terrace Loft and The Loft.

TWH editors Scott Wolven and Shanna McNair are working with writers right away upon acceptance to the Master Class, to polish manuscripts in anticipation of meeting agents on site in June. Scott and Shanna will also be working with accepted writers for a full month after the workshops in NYC. The sooner a writer has the chance to focus and begin work with TWH editors, the better. This offering is unique; writers are normally charged for TWH writing services. At TWH, we aim to help our fellow writers where possible, and this is our way to help bridge the gap between a writer’s desk and an agent’s desk.

The Master Class event is centered on craft and the publishing industry. Each writer will participate in an intensive workshop with a TWH instructor. There will be several lectures and seminars on craft in both Fiction and Nonfiction. Agents and editors will be in attendance for two seminar spots. Writers have the opportunity to interact with those agents and editors face-to-face, and to present their best work for consideration. Each writer will also have the chance to read their own original work at an NYC venue on one of our reading nights.

We are working in cooperation with the wonderful NYC nonprofit, Literary Manhattan, to give the Master Class its proper backdrop, and to honor writers and a city so steeped in literary history. There are literary walking tours and literary events on the docket, including a guided game of “Wink, Murder” at The Algonquin Hotel. Wink, Murder is a parlor game made famous by NYC’s so-called “Vicious Circle.” New York Distilling Company has generously donated bottles of Dorothy Parker Gin for this evening event.

Many Master Class seats have been reserved. The process is selective. There is no application fee; we’ll read your work, free of charge. Should you be accepted, you would be part of an exclusive group of writers. Our Master Class is very small, at only 44 writers total. A limited number of rooms have been reserved for attendees at The Bryant Park Hotel and at The Algonquin. **Rooms at The Library Hotel are now sold out. 

The Writer’s Hotel Master Class in Fiction & Nonfiction, 2014 is sponsored in part by The Kirby Family Foundation in cooperation with Creative Portland Corporation.

Visit the website: http://www.newguardreview.com/#tabTHEWRITERSHOTEL

Please inquire at TheWritersHotel@outlook.com for more details and rates. We hope to see you there!

The New Guard IV contests in fiction and poetry are open

THE NEW GUARD VOLUME IV contest submission period runs from February 10 to July 14, 2014. The entry fee is $15. Guidelines are below. Click the link below to submit via Submittable’s online submission manager. We are looking forward to reading your work!

MACHIGONNE FICTION CONTEST: $1,000 for an exceptional fiction in any genre. Submit up to 5,000 words: anything from flash to the long story. Novel excerpts are welcome if the excerpt functions as a stand-alone story. We do not publish illustrations.

Judged by Letters to Wendy’s author Joe Wenderoth.

KNIGHTVILLE POETRY CONTEST: $1,000 for an exceptional poem in any form. Three poems per entry. Up to 150 lines per poem.

Judged by National Book Award Finalist and author of Fast Animal, Tim Seibles.

We accept .doc or similar files–no PDFs, please. We do pay strict attention to word and line count. We accept previously unpublished work only. Any size print run or online publication (including blogs and/or social networking) disqualify an entry. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, provided we’re notified upon publication elsewhere. If we accept your story or poem for publication, we trust you will remove that story or poem from all other contests upon our acceptance of your work.

Deadline: July 14, 2014

Contest winners and all finalists get one free copy of The New Guard, and each submission will be carefully considered for publication. Final judging is blind.

TNG retains standard first publication rights; all rights immediately revert to the writer upon publication. We are presently accepting contest submissions only. Please note that we no longer accept submissions via postal mail.

Visit the website: http://www.newguardreview.com/

Please direct all submission questions: info@newguardreview.com.

Wedding-Themed Writing Contest

Deadline:

Monday, May 19, 2014

Categories:

Nonfiction, Personal Journals

Entry Fees:

Free. No entry fee.

Prizes:

Cash prize.

Description:

Looking for short stories for our wedding-themed contest. Your own true story of your wedding or any wedding or preparations of a wedding. This themed contest is subject to the same rules and guidelines as our regular weekly contests. See our Submissions page for the guidelines and enter your story. The deadline is May 19, 2014.

Contact Information

Enter your questions on our Contact Us page.

Website:

http://www.MidlifeCollage.com

 

KEEP THE RODEO ALIVE! SUBMIT TO THE ROUND UP!

Howdy Partners!

The Round Up Writer’s Zine is currently courting fresh, new and relatively unpublished writers to submit short stories, poetry, or essays/musings for the 3rd installment. The Round Up Writer’s Zine is an online literary magazine devoted to transgressive pieces, dark humor and works laced in sarcasm. In fact we are partisan to works that are edgy and/or possibly offensive. If this sounds like the type of literature that you secretly (or not so secretly) dabble in, this is the place for you! 

We are not a paying gig, but if we choose your work we can showcase it in a way that will make you look like the amazing writer that you are! REPEAT OFFENDERS WELCOME!

For more info. go to www.roundupzine.com/submit

Mother’s Day Contest

Deadline:

Monday, April 21, 2014

Categories

Nonfiction, Personal Journals

Entry Fees

Free. No entry fee.

Prizes

Cash Prize

Description

Looking for short stories for our Mother’s Day contest. Your own true story of your mother or being a mother. This themed contest is subject to the same rules and guidelines as our regular weekly contests. See submission page for the guidelines and to enter your story.

Contact Information

Please enter your questions on our Contact Us page.

Website:

http://www.midlifecollage.com