Annual Writing CompetitionFor 79 years, the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition has rewarded writers just like you for their finest work. We continue the tradition by giving away more than $30,000 in cash and prizes!
Win a trip to New York City !
GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents. Writer's Digest will fly you and a guest to The Big Apple, where you'll spend three days and two nights in the publishing capital of the world. While you're there, a Writer's Digest editor will escort you to meet and share your work with four editors or agents!
Entry Deadline: May 14, 2010.
Add $5 per manuscript or poem to Entry Fee(s) on all entries submitted after May 14.
Compete and Win in 10 Categories!
- Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
- Memoirs/Personal Essay
- Magazine Feature Article
- Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
- Mainstream/Literary Short Story
- Rhyming Poetry
- Non-rhyming Poetry
- Stage Play
- Television/Movie Script
- Children's/Young Adult Fiction
Entry Fee: Poems are $15 for the first entry; $10 for each additional poem submitted in the same online session. All other entries are $20 for the first manuscript; $15 for each additional manuscript submitted in the same online session.
Add $5 per manuscript to all entries submitted after May 14, 2010. Entries submitted after June 01, 2010, will not be accepted.
PRIZES | RULES | JUDGING & NOTIFICATION | QUESTIONS | PRIVACY PROMISE | FAQs | ENTRY FORM
Grand Prize: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors and agents.
You'll spend three days and two nights in NYC and a Writer's Digest editor will escort you to meet with four editors or agents of your choice! (Includes airfare within the U.S., meals, transportation and related expenses.)
First Place: The First Place Winner in each category receives $1,000 cash and $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.
Second Place: The Second Place Winner in each category receives $500 cash, plus $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.
Third Place: The Third Place Winner in each category receives $250 cash, plus $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.
Fourth Place: The Fourth Place Winner in each category receives $100 cash.
Fifth Place: The Fifth-Place Winner in each category receives $50 cash.
Sixth through Tenth Place: The Sixth- through Tenth-Place winners in each category receive $25 cash.
First through Tenth Place Winners also receive a copy of the 2011 Writer’s Market Deluxe Edition and a one-year subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest Magazine.
11th through 100th Place: All other winners receive distinctive certificates honoring their accomplishment.
We will accept all entries submitted online.
Entry Deadline: May 14, 2010
Late Entry Deadline: June 01, 2010 (Add $5 per manuscript or poem to Entry Fee(s))
79th Annual Writer's Digest WRITING COMPETITION COLLECTIONThe Grand Prize manuscript, the First Place manuscript in each category, and the names of the top 100 winners in each category will be printed in a special competition collection. Purchase a copy online or use the coupon on the printable entry form. (Publication date: November 2010. You are not required to purchase the collection to enter the competition.)
The Categories:
You may enter as many manuscripts as you like in each of the following categories:
- Memoirs/Personal Essay, Magazine Feature Article and Children's/Young Adult Fiction: 2,000 words maximum.
- Mainstream/Literary Short Story and Genre Short Story: 4,000 words maximum.
- Inspirational Writing: 2,500 words maximum.
- Rhyming Poem and Non-rhyming Poem: 32 lines maximum.
- Stage Play Script or Television/Movie Script: Send the first 15 pages in standard script format, plus a one-page synopsis. Complete scripts are not eligible. Scripts—original or written for any series in production on or after January 1, 2010—are eligible; adaptations will not be accepted.
Preparing Your Entry:
- Enter online or you submit your entry via regular mail. Offline entries must be accompanied by an Entry Form, and the required entry fee (credit card information, check or money order made payable to Writer's Digest). If you are entering more than one manuscript, you may mail all entries in the same envelope and write one check for the total entry fee; however, each manuscript must have its category indicated in the upper left-hand corner. You may enter online even if you are paying with a check.
- Your entry must be original, in English, unpublished* and unproduced, not accepted by any other publisher or producer at the time of submission.Writer's Digest retains one-time publication rights to the Grand Prize and First Place winning entries in each category to be published in a Writer's Digest publication.
* Entries in the Magazine Feature Article category may be previously published.
- If you are submitting your entry via regular mail, the entry must be typed on one side of 8-1/2 x 11 or A4 white paper. Scripts and poems may be either double-or single-spaced; all other manuscripts must be double-spaced. Your name, address, phone number and competition category must appear in the upper left-hand corner of the first page—otherwise your entry is disqualified.
- BE SURE OF YOUR WORD COUNT! Entries exceeding the word or page limits will be disqualified. Type the exact word count(counting every single word, except the title and contact information) at the top of the manuscript.
- Mailed entries that are more than one page in length must be stapled.
- Every entry will be read by the judges. Judges' decisions are final. Judges reserve the right to re-categorize entries.
- Entries must be postmarked by June 1, 2010. We cannot return submitted manuscripts so keep a copy for your records. To receive notification of the receipt of your manuscript, send a self-addressed stamped postcard along with your entry. Please note that it may take up to 30 days after the deadline for all entries to be opened and sent to the judges.
- The Grand Prize Winner and a guest must agree to travel (flying from the same city) during March, April or May 2011. The editors or agents who meet with the Grand Prize Winner are under no obligation to read, buy or represent the Grand Prize Winner's work.
- The following are not permitted to enter the contest: employees of F+W Media, Inc., and their immediate family members; Writer's Digest contributing editors and correspondents as listed on our masthead; Writer's Online Workshops instructors; and Grand Prize Winners from the previous three years.
- Top Award Winners will be notified by mail before October 22, 2010. The top 10 winners in each category will be listed in the November/December 2010 issue of Writer's Digest. All 1,001 winners will be listed in the 79th Annual Writer's Digest Competition Collection and at www.writersdigest.com after the December issue is published. Prizes/awards certificates will be mailed by November 15, 2010.
Please review the competitions FAQs. For additional questions, contact Writer's Digest Competitions at (715) 445-4612 x13430 or email writing-competition@fwpubs.com.
PRIVACY PROMISEOccasionally we make portions of our customer list available to other companies so they may contact you about products and services that may be of interest to you. If you prefer we withhold your name, simply send a note with your name, address, and the competition name to: List Manager, F+W Media, Inc., 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.
FAQsQ: Is it okay to have illustration pictures on the cover?
A: Please send the text onlyQ: If there is a word count, how many words per page am I allowed?
No preferenceQ: How large of print is allowed?
No preferenceQ: Are pen names allowed?
Pen names are fine. Write your pen name on all forms etc. so there is no mistakes on credits. Please be advised that we only need your real name if you are chosen as a winner (in order to issue prizes).Q: What if I am not a U.S. resident?
WD writing competitions are open to non-U.S. residents as well. Please refer to the entry form and guidelines. All entry fees are due in U.S. Dollars.Q: Is there an age limit for entrants?
NoQ: What if I wanted to submit only part of my novel into the competition ( to stay with in the maximum number of words)?
If you submit a portion of a novel please understand that it will be judged as a complete story, not part of another work, so it needs to a complete story in and of itself.Q: Can the same title be entered in multiple categories of the WD Annual?
Yes, it canQ: When will winners be notified?
Top Award Winners will be notified by mail before October 22, 2010. The top 10 winners in each category will be listed in the December 2010 issue of Writer's Digest. All 1,001 winners will be listed in the 79th Annual Writer's Digest Competition Collectionand at www.writersdigest.com after the December issue is published. Prizes/awards certificates will be mailed by November 15, 2010.Q: What are the word count requirements for each category?
Memoirs/Personal Essay, Magazine Feature Article and Children's/Young Adult Fiction: 2,000 words maximum.
Mainstream/Literary Short Story and Genre Short Story: 4,000 words maximum.
Inspirational Writing: 2,500 words maximum.
Rhyming Poem and Non-rhyming Poem: 32 lines maximum.
Stage Play Script or Television/Movie Script: Send the first 15 pages in standard script format, plus a one-page synopsis. Complete scripts are not eligible. Scripts—original or written for any series in production on or after January 1, 2010—are eligible; adaptations will not be accepted.Q: What are possible category definitions? Genre Fiction: Stories that fit into a specific classification such as mystery, romance, science fiction, horror or fantasy.
Mainstream/Literary Fiction: Serious, non-formulaic fiction that does not fit into a genre.
Personal Essay: This is an article that is distinguished by and draws its power from its personal viewpoint. In such pieces, the author examines an issue, event, experience, place or idea and offers an opinion or some other reaction to it. The goal of an essay may be to explain, justify or persuade. The last is most often the goal of newspaper op-ed essays. Examples of other types of essays may be found in such magazine columns as Redbook's "A Young Mother's Story" or Writer's Digest's "Chronicle".
Feature Article: This is an article that is "reported"—the writer has researched a topic and explains the topic to readers. Often there is a "service" angle—a clear benefit that readers can take away from the article. There are many types of feature articles: how-to articles, personality profiles, Q&A's, informational pieces, travel articles. They may include events drawn from the author's personal experience, but the focus of the article is on providing readers with information. Features make up the bulk of most magazines' editorial offerings.
Inspirational: An article, essay or story with an explicitly religious, spiritual or otherwise inspirational focus. An article that's suitable for Guideposts or St. Anthony Messenger, for example, would be inspirational. An essay on how the power of Christ, (or Buddha, or Allah or Vashti) touched your life would be inspirational. A story about the power of religion, the power of prayer, or the power of the universe would be inspirational.
Rhyming Poetry: When the last word of some or all lines rhyme with each other. Ask yourself: What is the rhyme scheme of my poem? If you don't understand what that question means, your poem is probably non-rhyming. Most formal poetry is considered rhyming poetry (such as sonnets or ballads).
Non-rhyming poetry: When there is no recognizable or purposeful rhyme scheme or structure. Free verse falls under this category.
*Judges reserve the right to re-categorize entries.
Q: How do I order books published by F+W Media?
www.fwbookstore.com/category/writers-digestQ: How do I subscribe to Writer's Digest?
visit www.writersdigest.com and click on the linkQ: Are there other writing competitions?
Yes! Visit www.writersdigest.com/competitions for other competitions for writers
To submit your entry online, visit our secure online entry form.
To enter via regular mail, use the printable form, and send it with your manuscript and entry fee to:
79th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition
700 E. State Street
Iola, WI 54990
