Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

The Drue Heinz Literature Prize, awarded by the University of Pittsburgh Press, is open to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or at least three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals. The prize carries a cash award of $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. No entry fee, submission period opens May 1st, 2013. See guidelines for more details. Deadline: June 30th, 2013.

The Eric Hoffer Award for Short Prose and Books was "established at the start of the 21st century as a means of opening a door to writing of significant merit. It honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers. The winning stories and essays are published in Best New Writing, and the book awards are covered in the US Review of Books. Two grand prizes are awarded annually: one for short prose (i.e. fiction and creative nonfiction) and one for independent books from small, micro, and academic presses, as well as self-published books. Prizes include a $250 award for short prose and a $2,000 award for best independent book. In addition to the two main grand prize awards, various other honors and distinctions are given for both prose and books, including the Montaigne Medal, the da Vinci Eye, and the First Horizon Award. Submissions are accepted each year by nominating books and prose." Not entry fee, see guidelines for more details. Deadlines: "The book deadline is January 21st. The prose deadline is March 31st."

The 2013 Family Circle Fiction Contest is open to U.S. resident writers who are 21 or older. Submit an original, unpublished short story up to 2.5K. First prize $1000.00 plus online memberships, second prize $500.00 plus online memberships, third prize $250.00 plus online memberships. No entry fee, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: September 16th, 2013.

Fanstory.com holds contests throughout the year in multiple genres. No entry fees, and every entrant will receive feedback from the site's volunteer community, which reads and discusses all of the entries. Various cash prizes for winners. See full contest listing page here for more details and deadlines.

The University of Iowa Press holds an annual short fiction award open to "any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. Previously entered manuscripts that have been revised may be resubmitted. Writers are still eligible if they have published a volume of poetry or any work in a language other than English or if they have self-published a work in a small print run. Writers are still eligible if they are living abroad or are non-US citizens writing in English. Current University of Iowa students are not eligible. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. We do not accept e-mail submissions. The manuscript may include a cover page, contents page, etc., but these are not required. The author's name can be on every page but this is not required. Stories previously published in periodicals are eligible for inclusion." No entry fee, prize is publication by the University of Iowa Press. See guidelines for more details. Deadline: September 30th, 2013.

"Three times a year Jerry Jazz Musician awards a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of approximately one – five thousand words. The winner will be announced via a special mailing of our Jerry Jazz Musician newsletter. Publishers, artists, musicians and interested readers are among those who subscribe to the newsletter. Additionally, the work will be published on the home page of Jerry Jazz Musician and featured there for at least four weeks. The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theatre, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Your writing should appeal to a reader with these characteristics. A prize of $100 will be awarded for the winning story. In addition to the story being published on Jerry Jazz Musician, the author’s acceptance of the prize money gives Jerry Jazz Musician the right to include the story in an anthology that could appear in book or magazine form. No entry fee is required. One story entry only. Submission deadline for the next contest is May 31, 2013. Publishing date will be on or about July 1, 2013."

The Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize is awarded to the best scholarly book in English about Abraham Lincoln, the American Civil War soldier or a subject related to that era. Occasionally an important article, essay, work of fiction, poem, theater project, piece of art or film may also be eligible for the prize. No entry fee, prize: %50,000.00, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: November 1st, 2013.

The annual L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest is open to short fiction submissions of up to 17K by emerging SF, fantasy and horror authors. Open to those writers who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novellete, or more than three short stories, in any medium. No entry fee, first prizes are $1000.00 quarterly, and quarterly winners are eligible for the annual $5,000.00 prize; second prizes are $750.00, and third prize is $300.00. See guidelines for more details. Deadlines: June 30th, September 30th and December 31st, 2013.

The Richard J. Margolis Award is open to nonfiction journalists or essayists "whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. The award was established in honor of Richard J. Margolis, a journalist, essayist and poet who gave eloquent voice to the hardships of the rural poor, migrant farm workers, the elderly, Native Americans and others whose voices are seldom heard. He was also the author of a number of books for children." Submit at least two articles, published or unpublished, up to 30 pages in length. No entry fee, prize is $5,000.00 stipend and a month's residency at the Blue Mountain Center, a writers' and artists' colony in the Adirondacks See guidelines for more details. Deadline: July 1st, 2013.

The St. Francis College Literary Prize is awarded to authors for their third, fourth or fifth published fiction book between the dates of June 2011 and May 2013 (and self-published books are eligible for this one.) No entry fee, prize is $50,000.00. See guidelines for more details. Deadline: May 1st, 2013.