Ruminate is thrilled to announce our second annual Ruminate Nonfiction Prize. We invite you to enter your work. The finalist judge is the award-winning author and editor, Leslie Leyland Fields.
The 2011 Nonfiction Prize winning story Flexing, Texting, Flying by Josh MacIvor-Andersen, selected by judge Al Haley, appears in Ruminate’s Issue 20: Feasting.
Guidelines:
- The submission deadline for the prize is midnight February 1st, 2012.
- The entry fee is $15 (includes a free copy of the Summer 2012 Issue, which will include the winning piece).
- You may submit one nonfiction piece per entry and it must be 7000 words or less. There is no limit on the number of entries per person.
- $1000 and publication in the Spring 2012 Issue will be awarded to the winner. The runner-up will receive publication in the Spring 2012 Issue.
- A blind reading of all entries will be conducted by a panel of RUMINATE readers, who will select 8 nonfiction finalists.
- Close friends and students (current & former) of the judge, are not eligible to compete, nor are close friends of the RUMINATE staff.
- All submissions must be submitted via our online submission form manager. We will not accept mail or email submissions. We do not accept previously published entries.
- All submissions must be previously unpublished.
- You may enter simultaneously submitted work.
- You will pay the entry fee when you click below.
- Winners will be announced in the Summer Issue, June 2012.
- We will be notifying all entrants of submission status in early April, 2012.
- Please remove your name, bio, and any contact info from the file that you submit.
Please Note: Ruminate adheres to the following Contest Code of Ethics, as adopted by the Council of Literary Presses and Magazines, of which Ruminate is a proud member: “CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines — defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.”
Ruminate Magazine sponsors four annual writing contests: our art contest, poetry contest, short story contest, and nonfiction contest. We are one of the only Christian-minded literary magazines to sponsor short story contests, poetry contests, and nonfiction contests, and art contests. And while our contests–just like our magazine–are not defined as Christian poetry contests or Christian fiction contests or Christian essay contests, we do strive to provide a forum for the conversation between art and faith to exist and continue. Past winners from the Ruminate Magazine writing contests have been recognized by Poets & Writers Magazine and have received notable mention awards in The Best American Short Stories anthology and The Best American Essays anthology. Past finalist judges of our contests include Bret Lott, David James Duncan, Luci Shaw, Vito Aiuto, Greg Wolfe, Al Haley, Stephanie G’Schwind, and Leif Enger. It is our hope that our writing contests provide a significant venue for our talented contributors to receive the support and recognition they deserve.