Various contests.
The Writers’ Block and its members do not expressly support any contests other than the one(s) given directly by The Writers’ Block. It is advised that any prospective entrant check out any contest before entering.
Contests
*The Writing Show is pleased to announce our first ever New Year’s poetry slam!*
Just announced: $100 prize for the winner!
We are looking for poets, judges, and sponsors for the event, which will be posted online on January 1, 2008.
A poetry slam is, as Poetry Slam, Inc. defines it, the competitive art of performance poetry. Writing and performance both matter!
Most slams take place in auditoriums and other bricks-and-mortar venues, but ours will happen online in audio format.
*Information for Poets*
We want you to participate! Help us ring in the new year in Writing Show style!
We will be following basic poetry slam rules with a few variations:
* Each poem must be of your own construction.
* You must hold the audio rights to your poem. If you haven’t given them away, you own them.
* Each poet or team gets three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to read one poem. No exceptions.
* You may not use props or musical instruments.
* One entry per person or team.
You may contribute any kind of poem, but please write in English! Remember, your performance is as important as the writing.
How to Submit:
Send an email to paula@writingshow.com that includes:
* The name of your poem.
* The text of your poem (this will not be published–it’s just for our information).
* Your contact details, including name, location, email address, and phone number (we will use this only if we have trouble reaching you via email. We will not be giving out any of your personal information without your permission except your name and location, which will be available to our audience as part of your entry).
* A link to your performance in .mp3 or .wav format.
Entries are due by October 31, 2007.
The Writing Show will select 20 contestants from this pool of entries. The 20 final poems will be posted on January 1st. We will ask the finalists for photos to be published on our site(s).
If you can’t record your own performance, email me and I’ll record you over the phone or Skype.
*Information for Potential Judges*
Judges will listen to and score the final 20 entries.
If you would like to be a judge, write to me at paula@writingshow.com no later than October 31, 2007 and tell me why you would be a great judge. The Writing Show will select five judges.
Judges will rate each entry on a scale of 1 to 10. The high and low scores will be dropped and the middle three added together, giving the poet a total score of 3-30. I will break any ties.
Judges must be available to listen to and vote on the performances no later than January 8, 2008. Winners will be announced as soon as possible after that date.
*Information for Potential Sponsors*
We are looking for sponsors for our slam. You don’t have to be a big corporation to participate. You can be an author who wants to publicize a book; a publisher who wants to promote a line; someone who provides services to writers; or anyone else who wants to support writers and reach a vibrant community of intelligent, active people. We’re talking about amounts from $50.00 U.S. up.
Sponsors get their names plastered all over our Web site and in the audio for the slam itself and the awards show. Contact Paula B. at paula@writingshow.com to discuss details.
The better we do with sponsorship, the more likely we’ll be able to hold other slams.
Winners will be announced in mid-January.
The Writing Show, where writing is always the story
http://www.writingshow.com
Sponsors contests ranging from the short story to novel competitions.
Also offers information and links for writers.
*Writing Contest Makes Every Entrant a Winner with a 750-word Critique*
Thousand Oaks, California—March 26, 2007. Want to get published but
don’t know how your novel measures up? Enter The Writing Show First
Chapter Contest and get 750 words of feedback from publishing industry
pros. Each critique will detail the chapter’s positive attributes and
suggest how the work can be improved. All contestants will also receive
a week’s free access to Literary Market Place Online, a searchable
database of the North American book publishing industry.
First prize for this best first chapter of an unpublished novel
competition is $500, the two-volume print version of /Literary Market
Place//, and an interview on the popular podcast The Writing Show. Two
second prizes comprise $100 each. /
The early deadline is May 15, 2007 with a $35 entry fee; the late
deadline is June 15, 2007 with a $45 entry fee. Winners will be
announced on November 15, 2007.
Judges, who will provide the critiques, include publishers, editors,
reviewers, authors, and other industry professionals. The winning
entries will be selected by a celebrity panel that includes best-selling
crime fiction author C.J. Box, who writes the Joe Pickett novels set in
the U.S. mountain west.
Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
1. *Story.* Is it a compelling read with a great hook? Are we engaged?
2. *Style.* Is the writing smooth and tight, without awkward
constructions, extraneous verbiage, and redundancies?
3. *Dialog.* Is the dialog natural and does it move the story along?
4. *Character.* Are the characters interesting? Do we care about them?
5. *Mechanics.* Are grammar, spelling, and punctuation correct?
Rules, instructions for entering, and more detail can be found on The
Writing Show Web site.
The contest is sponsored by The Writing Show and Literary Market Place.
Win US$5000 in the Bookhabit Unpublished Competition
On March 3rd 2008 Bookhabit.com will kick off an international competition for writers with a US$5000 prize for the winning book. The competition is free to enter and open to unpublished books, of any genre, with a minimum of 50,000 words.
You will gain international exposure for your book, and potentially catch the attention of editors and publishers – and you can also earn money from the sales of your book.