Holiday Writing Contest

CALLING FOR FICTION & NONFICTION STORIES FOR HOLIDAY WRITING CONTEST

» SUBMIT STORIES ABOUT THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS OR OTHER DENOMINATIONAL HOLIDAYS
» E-MAIL UP TO THREE SUBMISSIONS WITH COVER LETTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $500.00
» FREE TO REGISTER & SUBMIT ENTRIES FOR VALID CONSIDERATION BY THE JUDGES
» ACCEPTING FICTION, NONFICTION & OTHER NON-TRADITIONAL PRINT MEDIUMS OF STORYTELLING

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HOW TO ENTER THE HOLIDAY STORY WRITING CONTEST

STEP 1: REGISTRATION
All participants should register at: http://www.wordsofbelief.com/BookWork/UserRegistration.aspx

Becoming a member and registering your personal information with Words of Belief will ensure our team knows how to contact you should you win prizes or become a finalist, all of whom will appear in the first WOB Anthology Series.

STEP 2: SUBMISSION
E-mail your short story entries and cover letter to contests@wordsofbelief.com, both as separate Microsoft Word® file attachments. A maximum of three short stories entries are permitted per entrant. If more than three stories are submitted, all entries by said writer will be disqualified. Please follow these additional instructions below:

» Clearly list your name as a header on each page of your submission.

» Type "Holiday Story Writing Contest" in the subject line of your e-mail.

» Attach a brief cover letter (no longer than a page) as separate Microsoft Word® file attachments a short cover letter that details your previous publishing experience, relisting your contact information as well.

» Send only one e-mail to enter your submission(s). Should our judges receive more than one e-mail from the same individual or same e-mail address, Words of Belief will only accept the first e-mail with submissions, so be certain the one you initially submit is your final draft. All subsequent e-mails from an individual with revisions or additional submissions will be disqualified.

» Include the follow within your e-mail:

Full name:
Pen name (if applicable):
Mailing address*:
Home phone:
E-mail address:
Alternative e-mail (if applicable):
Title(s) of submission:

Note: Any entries that do not include all the necessary information will automatically be disqualified and purges from WOB records, which means all correspondence regarding contest updates and announcements will cease.

*When supplying your mailing address, list the address exactly as it should appear when written on an envelope. PO Boxes are not accepted, neither are they counted as valid mailing addresses.

CONTEST DETAILS: HOLIDAY STORY WRITING CONTEST

Submission Requirements:
Participants can only enter a maximum of three short stories. All entries must be double-spaced, written in Times New Roman font, with a maximum length of 5,000 words.

Number of Submissions:
Participants who enter more than one story should attach each entry of fiction and/or nonfiction as a separate individual Microsoft Word® file. Participants entering more than three stories for the contest will automatically be disqualified, and their contact information purged from our records.

Document Requirements:
All entries must be double-spaced. Each page must be numbered, and the title must be clearly defined within each submission.

Font Requirements:
All entries must be written in Times New Roman font.

Length (minimum and maximum word count):
Each eligible entry must be at least 500 words, but no longer than 5,000 words.

Disclaimer:
Any entry that does not meet the aforementioned contest guidelines will not be considered by our judges, and therefore, will not be eligible for winning prizes. By submitting stories and entering this contest, participants accept and agree to the Terms & Conditions of the contest. All work submitted must be original material written by the contestant. Entrants are entirely responsible for all content submitted. Words of Belief reserves the right to declare any entries ineligible if our team determines said submissions are not in accordance with the terms stated in Words of Belief’s Terms of Use.

CONTEST START: 12:01 AM EST on October 6, 2008

DEADLINE: 11:59 PM EST on November 21, 2008

» Each writer must register online with Words of Belief, and submit electronically as a Microsoft Word document.

» There are no entry fees, no subsidy payments and no purchases required to enter and/or win the contest.

» Participants are not required to have any previous publishing to enter this contest.

» Entries are judged on the basis of originality, creativity, characterization, artistic quality and length.

» All decisions by the judges are final, and our team reserves the right to disqualify an entry at any time.

» Each writer retains the copyright to his or her work.

» Fifteen of the finalists stories will be included in an anthology published through Words of Belief. All non-finalist participants will be eligible to receive a free electronic copy of the finished collection. The finalists with work included in the anthology will receive a printed and bound copy of the finished book at no cost. The contest's winners will be featured on Words of Belief as well.

» Words of Belief is under no obligation to publish every story that is entered.

» The contestant is under no obligation to purchase a copy of the publication in which his or her story may appear.

» Due to formatting restrictions within the finished collection, Words of Belief retains the right to reformat the story for size and placement. Though our design team will make every effort to preserve section breaks and forms, we cannot guarantee retention of format from the original file.

NOTIFICATION:
All prize winners will be notified via e-mail and posted on Words of Belief’s Contest Announcement site. Ensuring e-mail addresses are correct and current is the sole responsibility of the entrant. Participants can only enter a maximum of three short stories. All entries must be double-spaced, written in Times New Roman, between the minimum length of 500 words and the maximum length of 5,000 words.

NOTE: While Words of Belief respects the right of individuals to freely express themselves in literature, we do not accept prose that is explicitly offensive, or conflicts with our mission statement. Therefore, we ask that writers who submit their work to our contests be considerate of this policy.

Read about our finalist judges for more information>>

HOLIDAY STORY WRITING CONTEST PRIZES

Holiday Grand Prize Selection (1)
» $500.00 check
» One printed and bound copy of the published Anthology

Holiday Editor’s Selection (1)
» $250.00 check
» One printed and bound copy of the published Anthology

Holiday Anthology Finalists (13)
» One printed and bound copy of the published Anthology

All non-finalist participants receive:
» One electronic copy (e-book) of the published Anthology