Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story ContestWelcome to the 18th annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest sponsored by Tom Howard Books. Any type of original short story, essay or other work of prose is eligible. Prizes totaling $5,550 will be awarded, including a top prize of $3,000. Click here to read winning entries from the past.
Submission Period
Entries accepted July 15, 2009-March 31, 2010 (postmark dates). Early submission is encouraged.The 18th contest is not yet open, and the rules below may change. Please wait until July 15 or later to submit. However, if you are here to complete an entry for the 17th contest submitted before April 1, you may proceed.
--> What to Submit
Short stories, essays or other works of prose, up to 5,000 words each. There are no restrictions on style or theme. Each entry should be your own original work. You may submit the same work simultaneously to this contest and to others, and you may submit works that have been published or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the online publication rights. See our FAQ for additional details.Prizes and Publication
First prize: $3,000. Second prize: $1,000. Third prize: $400. Fourth prize: $250. There will also be six Most Highly Commended Awards of $150 each. The top 10 entries will be published on the Winning Writers website (over one million page views per year) and announced in Tom Howard Contest News and the Winning Writers Newsletter, a combined audience of over 25,000 readers.Entry Fee
The reading fee is $15 per entry. This covers your submission of one short story or prose work of up to 5,000 words. Contestants may submit as many entries as they like. Please note: Generally entry fees are not refundable. However, if you believe you have an exceptional circumstance, please contact us within one year of your entry.Deadline
March 31, 2010. Your entry must be postmarked or submitted online by this date.How To Submit
Click here to submit online (credit card)
Click here to submit by mail (check or money order)
Click here to submit via PayPalAnnouncement of Results
Read the winning entries from the 17th contest here. The winners of the 18th contest will be announced on September 15, 2010. Entrants with valid email addresses will receive an email notification.English Language
Writers of all nations may enter. However, the works you submit should be in English. If you have written a work in another language, you may submit an English translation. You may also submit a translation of a work that is in the public domain.Privacy
Your privacy is assured. Neither Winning Writers nor Tom Howard Books will rent your information to third parties. Winning Writers processes entries and fees for this contest as a service to Tom Howard Books. Winning Writers is not a sponsor and does not judge the entries.Copyright
If your entry wins any cash prize, you agree to give both John H. Reid and Winning Writers a nonexclusive license to publish your work online. From time to time, selected winning entries may also be published in printed collections (for example, Watching Time). If you win a prize, we may ask you for permission to include your entry in one of these books. You may accept or decline this invitation as you choose. Your choice won't affect your prize status. Your entry will not be published in print without your consent, and you retain all other rights. You are free, for example, to publish your work in print or online elsewhere, and to enter it into other contests, whether or not you win a prize in this contest.
Judges
A former journalist and magazine editor, John H. Reid has judged literary contests for over 15 years. He has published several novels, a collection of poetry, a guide to winning literary contests and 24 books of film criticism and movie history. See his work at Lulu. Mr. Reid is assisted by Dee C. Konrad. A leading educator and published author, Ms. Konrad was Associate Professor in the English faculty of Barat College of DePaul University, and served as Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences for the year 2000-2001.About Winning Writers
Winning Writers finds and creates quality resources for poets and writers. Our expert online poetry contest guide, Poetry Contest Insider, profiles over 750 poetry contests. We directly sponsor the Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest and the War Poetry Contest. We also assist the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest, the Margaret Reid Poetry Contest for Traditional Verse and the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest. Winning Writers is proud to be one of "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005-2009) and a recipient of the Truly Useful Site Award (Preditors & Editors, March 2006).Questions about this contest? Please see the Frequently Asked Questions or click here to send a note to the contest administrator.
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