PUB: SHORT STORY AWARD - Bethlehem Writers Roundtable

We are now accepting submissions of short fiction or memoir (2000 words or fewer) for the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award. The first place winner's story will be considered for publication in the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC's upcoming anthology, Seasonal Pursuits: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales. Our previous publication, A Christmas Sampler: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Holiday Tales (2009), won two Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Best Anthology and Best Short Fiction.

 

Entry Requirements:
  • Stories must be submitted using the form below
  • Entries must be no more than 2000 words
  • All entries must be previously unpublished, and adhere to our Terms and Conditions set out below
  • Submissions must be received by midnight EST, Jan. 31, 2012
  • Payments are requested within 24 hours of submissions. All payments must be received through PayPal no later than midnight EST on February 2, 2012

 

 

Entry Fee:
  • $10 per story. 
Prizes:
  • First prize: $200 and consideration for inclusion in the upcoming BWG anthology, Seasonal Pursuits: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Talesscheduled for publication in late 2012. If it is not accepted for publication in the print anthology, it will be featured in an upcoming edition of the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. There is no guarantee of print publication
  • Second prize: $100 and publication in the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable.
  • Third prize: $50 and publication in the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable.
  • Honorable Mentions: Stories may be selected for Honorable Mention and offered publication in the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. 

 

Judging:
  • Initial judging will be performed by members of the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC. Finalists will be notified by March 1, 2012. 
  • Final selection of winners will be done by The New York Times best-selling author, Jonathan Maberry. Prize winners will be notified by April 1, 2012. 
  • Contest winners will be announced on the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable website and on the Bethlehem Writers Group website (www.bethlehemwritersgroup.com) by April 30, 2012.

 

Terms and  Conditions:

 

1. Each story (fiction or memoir) must relate to the theme "Seasonal Pursuits," as interpreted by the author.

2. All submissions must be made using the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award Submission Form on this page.

3. Each story must be the original and unpublished work of the author. Work is considered published if it has appeared in whole or in part anywhere in print or online.

4. Authors must be 18 years of age or older. Proof of eligibility will be required for all prize winners.

5. All entries must be in the English language.

6. Submissions are limited to 2000 words or fewer. Submissions of over 2000 words will be disqualified and entry fees will not be refunded. The title and author's name do not count toward the word limit.

7. Stories are judged anonymously. The author's name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript(s). Please include "Submission" and your story's title in the subject line of the submission form. Your name, address, phone and email address must appear in the appropriate blocks on the submission form.

8. Multiple entries by the same author are permitted. There is a $10 fee required for each entry.

9. All entries must be received by midnight (EST) on January 31, 2012. Submissions received after the deadline will not be opened.

10. An entry fee of $10 is required for each entry. This fee is payable in response to our invoice through PayPal only. You do not need a PayPal account to use PayPal for this purpose. Payment must be received by midnight (EST) on February 2, 2012. Payments received after the deadline will be returned minus PayPal fees.

11. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but immediate notification is requred if your work is accepted elsewhere for publication. Entry fees are not refundable.

12. By entering this competition, the author is agreeing to abide by these Terms and Conditions. Any violation of these rules will result in disqualification.

13. Members of the Bethlehem Writers Group, the celebrity judge, and members of any of their immediate families (in the same household) are not eligible to enter. 

14. By submitting to the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, you certify that the work is solely your own, original work, is unpublished in any other electronic or print format, does not encroach on any trademark or copyright, and does not libel or defame any entity living or dead. You will indemnify and hold Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC harmless from any claims, causes of action, damages, or judgments arising out of publishing your submission.

15. Winners will grant Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, first serial publication rights to the winning story. The copyright of the work remains the property of the author, who, one month following publication of the work by the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, is free to publish the work elsewhere. 

16. Awards are as follows: FIRST PLACE AWARD: $200 and consideration for publication in the print anthology, Seasonal Pursuits: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales. Publication is anticipated in late 2012. If the story that wins the First Place Award is not selected for inclusion in that anthology, it will be published in Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, the magazine of the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC.  SECOND PLACE AWARD: $100 and publication in the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. THIRD PLACE AWARD: $50 and publication in the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. HONORABLE MENTIONS (if any) will be listed on the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable website and may be offered publication in the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. 

17. Award winners, including Honorable Mentions, will grant the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, first serial publication rights in your work. The copyright of the work remains the property of the author, who, following publication of the work by the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, is free to publish the work elsewhere. Upon any subsequent publication, the author will ensure that work is accompanied by a statement indicating that the work was originally published by the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable or by the Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, along with the date of such publication. If it was originally published in a print anthology, the name of the anthology will also appear in said statement.

18. The decisions of the judges are final.

19. This offer is void where prohibited by law.

 

Best of luck!