Women and Poetry: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing by Successful Women Poets
Contributors needed for articles about: time management, using life experience, women's magazines, critique groups, networking, blogs, unique issues women must overcome, lesbian and bisexual writing, formal education, queries and proposals, conference participation, judging poetry contests, feminist writing, self-publishing, teaching tips--just a few areas women poets are interested.
Practical, concise, how-to articles with bullets/headings have proven the most helpful. Please avoid writing too much about “me” and concentrate on what will most help the reader. No previously published, co-written, or simultaneously submitted material.
The Foreword is by Molly Peacock, the author of six books of poetry, including The Second Blush (W.W. Norton and Company, 2008).
Co-Editor Colleen S. Harris is a 2010 Pushcart Prize nominee. Her book of poetry, God in My Throat: The Lilith Poems (Bellowing Ark Press, 2009), was a finalist for the Black Lawrence Book Award; These Terrible Sacraments, is forthcoming in 2011. Colleen has a MFA degree in writing and has appeared in The Louisville Review, Wisconsin Review, River Styx, and Adirondack Review, among others. She has been included in Library Journal; and Contemporary American Women: Our Defining Passages.
Co-Editor Carol Smallwood is a 2009 National Federation of State Poetry Societies award winner included in Who’s Who of American Women who has appeared in Michigan Feminist Studies, The Writer's Chronicle, The Detroit News. She's included in Best New Writing in Prose 2009. Her 23rd book is Writing and Publishing: The Librarian's Handbook (American Library Association, 2010). The first chapter of newly published Lily’s Odyssey was short listed for the Eric Hoffer Prose Award; a chapbook by Pudding House Publications.
Here are 25 writing contests, careers, calls for submissions, and other opportunities for African writers with submissions or applications due on the 31st of March, 2011:
Call for African American Poets: Enter the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award -03/31/2011
Call for Papers: Co-operative Development in Africa: Prospects and Challenges -03/31/2011
Journalists of Color Invited to Apply for The 2011 Society for Features Journalism Diversity Fellowship (Arizona) -03/31/2011
The SA Writers' College 2011 Annual Short Story Award For Emerging Writers in South Africa -03/31/2011
Call for Books: The 2011 Nigerian Studies Association Book Award -03/31/2011
Call for Submissions: Anthology of Middle Eastern/ Muslim Short Fiction -03/31/2011
Apply for the Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant -03/31/2011
Job Opening: Humanities Editor for Jomo Kenyatta Foundation (Kenya) -03/31/2011
Call for Submissions: January 25 (Revolution) Anthology -03/31/2011
2011 BN Poetry Award for Ugandan Women -03/31/2011
Call for Submissions - Sentinel Nigeria: Online Magazine of Contemporary Nigerian Writing -03/31/2011
World Petroleum Congress Prize for Young Authors -03/31/2011
The R25,000 EU Literary Award 2011 for Unpublished Work of Fiction (South Africa) -03/31/2011
Third Annual South African Wine Writers Award -03/31/2011
Apply for The Foreign Correspondents’ Scholarship Programme in Finland (eligible African countries: Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia) -03/31/2011
Anthony Sampson Foundation Award for a Writing/ Reporting Project Relevant to South Africa -03/31/2011
Forum of Women of the Mediterranean Short Story Competition -03/31/2011
Win a Publication Contract: Whispers Publishing 2011 Explore Our World Fiction Contest (length: 15,000-30,000) -03/31/2011
Siemens Africa Profile Awards for Excellence in Science and Technology Journalism -03/31/2011
Excellence in Journalism Awards - Tanzania Officially Launched -03/31/2011
The $1,300 Mahdiya/ Aga Khan Museum International Essay Writing Contest -03/31/2011
Job Opening: Copy/ Sub Editor for Film Event Publishing (South Africa) -03/31/2011
Call for Entries: 2011 Association of Nigerian Authors Literary Prizes -03/31/2011
Call for Entries: Nigeria Prize for Literature 2011 -03/31/2011
The Beverly Nambozo Poetry Award 2011 (Uganda) Now Open for Submissions -03/31/2011
The total maximum cash amount available for the contest will be $1300.00 ($1000.00 for winning essays, and $300.00 for honourable mentions).
2011 Simerg Essay Writing Contest – $1000.00 in Cash Prizes
The aim of this contest is to encourage everyone to discover the joy and power of writing creative, intelligent, and persuasive essays
FEBRUARY 11, 2011: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
Simerg.com is pleased to make an important announcement regarding the two short essay contests which were launched recently on this page, following the publication of the widely acclaimed photo essay entitled “The Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park.”
The contest will now be known as the “Mahdiya Essay Writing Contest,” and the awards will include US$1,000 in cash prizes for the 4 winners of the two essays. The name Mahdiya has been chosen in recognition of the first capital city of the Fatimids which was founded in North Africa by Imam al-Mahdi, the 11th Ismaili Imam and first Fatimid Caliph.
The prizes, distributed in the form of money order/draft, are in addition to the original prizes of the first edition of “The Memoirs of Aga Khan” written by the late Aga Khan and “Animal Voyage” by Prince Hussain Aga Khan. The exact prize distribution is specified in the contest summary and rules below.
The writing contest will become an annual feature beginning with this 2011 initiative.
The closing date for the two contests has now been extended to March 31, 2011. The winners will be selected by a team of judges from around the world by mid-May, 2011. The winning essays will be announced and published on this Web site soon thereafter. The winners will also be announced on Ismailimail, the highly popular independent Ismaili blog which has become one of the best and most dependable sources for news related to the worldwide Ismaili Muslim community.
Here is a wonderful opportunity for students, the youth as well as adults to develop and write their thoughts about the iconic projects that are being built on Wynford Drive in Toronto, Canada, by the 49th Ismaili Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan.
Please read the guidelines below, and share your grandest aspirations or imagination about this “Gift to Toronto” and, indeed, our world by His Highness the Aga Khan. Participate in this exciting contest where you can contribute meaningfully, simultaneously being recognized for your creative and thoughtful writing skills and talent.
Finally, in addition to the $1000.00 being offered as cash prizes to the winners, a total of upto six entries deemed as honourable mentions by the judging panel will each receive a gift card or cash in the amount of $US 50.00. Canadian and USA honourable mentions will receive a gift card from Chapters and Barnes & Nobles respectively, and overseas entries will receive the amount in the form of a money order.
SUMMARY
1. The first will be a short essay of 300 – 500 words on the topic, “Why I am Excited about The Aga Khan Museum, The Ismaili Centre and Their Park.”
2. The second will be a short description where, in no more than 125 words, the participant will describe “Why I like this photo” for any one photo the participant chooses from the photo essay (see the link below).
3. There will be two age categories for each competition – a youth category (ages 18-24) and an open category (25 years and over).
4. The winner of the youth category for the essay competition, “Why I am Excited…” will receive a cash prize of $400.00 as well as an out of print copy of “The Memoirs of Aga Khan” (UK, 1954, 1st edition). A DVD of the Aga Khan Museum will also be included.
5. The winner of the open category for the essay competition “Why I am Excited…” will receive a cash prize of $300.00 as well as an out of print copy of “The Memoirs of Aga Khan” (UK, 1954, 1st edition). A DVD of the Aga Khan Museum will also be included.
6. The winner of the youth category for “Why I Like this Photo” will receive a cash prize of $175.00 as well Prince Hussain Aga Khan’s enchanting photo book “Animal Voyage.” A DVD of the Aga Khan Museum will also be included.
7. The winner of the open category for “Why I Like this Photo” will receive a cash prize of $125.00 as well as Prince Hussain Aga Khan’s enchanting photo book “Animal Voyage.” A DVD of the Aga Khan Museum will also be included.
RULES
1. The competition is free to enter.
2. Youth (18 to 24) and adults (25 and over) are invited to participate.
3. We encourage the participation of youth and adults from diverse cultural backgrounds and geographical locations.
4. The essay “Why I am excited about the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park,” should be between 300 and 500 words.
5. The Photo description contest, “Why I Like this Photo,” is limited to 125 words. A participant may only select one photo of his/her choice from the entire photo essay, and describe why he/she likes it. The photo slide show may be viewed by clicking any one of the following links:
PHOTO ESSAY: PDF presentation (Recommended)
PHOTO ESSAY: Powerpoint Presentation
PHOTO ESSAY: Regular Web Pages
6. All submissions must be in the English language.
7. Entries should be emailed to simergessay@aol.com or simerg@aol.com in one of the following formats: WordPerfect, Word, PDF, RTF or as an email.
8. Entries should include the following information:
a. A short biographical note (to introduce the applicant – limit it to 75 words). Participant’s age, birth date, school, and (OPTIONAL) a small photo are also required.
b. Participant’s full contact details (email address, telephone number(s), complete postal address, town, country).
9. The e-mail subject should read “Entry for Essay Contest.”
10. Entries should be submitted by March 31, 2011.
11. Winners will be declared on this Web site sometime during the latter half of May 2011.
12. The decisions made by the panel of judges (see list below) will be final.
13. The participants will ensure that their essays do not infringe on anyone’s copyright material when developing the essays.
14. All participants in this contest implicitly accept the rules presented in this document.
AIMS OF THE CONTEST
1. To use Albert Einstein’s quote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world,” one of the primary aims of the essay will be to encourage everyone to discover the joy and power of writing creative, intelligent, and persuasive essays.
2. To promote a culture of writing and reading among youth and the public.
3. To make the viewers at large more engaged in these projects, by both reading the essays and commenting on them.
4. To enhance and enlighten the readers’ views of what other people are thinking about these three projects.
WINNERS
1. The winners will be announced sometime at the end of May, 2011, on this Web site, www.simerg.com.
2. The winning essays will be published on www.simerg.com.
3. Winner of the best essay, “Why I am Excited…” for each of the two age groups (i.e. 18 – 24 and 25 and over) will receive a cash prize as mentioned above, a good used copy of “The Memoirs of Aga Khan”, and a DVD of the Aga Khan Museum.
4. Winner of the photo description, “Why I Like this Photo” for teach of the two age groups (i.e. 18 – 24 and 25 and over) will receive a cash prize as mentioned above, a brand new copy of the photo book “Animal Voyage” by Hussain Aga Khan (2008), and a DVD of the Aga Khan Museum.
Note: To read more about the two books mentioned above, please click Collections.
5. Also, upto six entries deemed as honourable mentions by the judging panel will each receive a gift card or cash in the amount of $US50.00. Canadian and USA honourable mentions will receive a gift card from Chapters and Barnes & Nobles respectively, and overseas entries will receive the amount in the form of a money order.
6. Thus the total maximum cash amount available for the contest will be $1300.00 ($1000.00 for winning essays, and $300.00 for honourable mentions).
The judge’s selection for the essays will be based on the following:
1. Originality and personal vision.
2. Relevance of the essay to the three projects.
3. Quality of language (engaging writing style, good spelling and grammar etc.)
4. Demonstration of a thorough understanding of the three projects.
RESOURCES FOR THE ESSAYS
Aga Khan Museum articles at AKDN The Aga Khan’s speech at the Foundation Ceremony Museum collection article at theIsmaili.org Article in Nomeancity.net The Ismaili Centres special coverage Urban Toronto article
Here are 14 writing contests, careers, calls for submissions, and other opportunities for African writers with submissions or applications due on the 14th / 15th of March, 2011:
Shortlist Announced for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2011 03/14/2011
14th Time of the Writer (South Africa) 03/14/2011
The South Africa Center for Creative Arts International Writers Festival 03/14/2011
Verizon Wireless's Black History Month Essay Contest (USA) 03/15/2011
Call for Submissions: New Media, Public Opinion and Democracy in the Arab and Muslim World 03/15/2011
Call for Filmmaker Application: 4th Talent Campus Durban 03/15/2011
Call for Essays: Go Africa, Go Germany Scholarship Exchange Programme 03/15/2011
Call for Articles on Tunisian and Egyptian Revolutions and the Role of Communication Technologies (IJoC) 03/15/2011
Call for Submissions: The African Women's Journal 03/15/2011
Call for Applicants: ASAUK Writing Workshop for African Scholars (venue: Nigeria) 03/15/2011
Call for Submissions: IJMES Special Issue - Maghribi Histories in the Modern Era 03/15/2011
Call for Poetry: Whispers from Africa Anthology (WordArt Publishers) 03/15/2011
Call for Essays: Go Africa, Go Germany Scholarship Exchange Programme 03/15/2011
New Brew Media Short Story Competition (Nigeria) 03/15/2011
The contest will be known as the “Mahdiya Essay Writing Contest,” and the awards will include US$1,000 in cash prizes for the 4 winners of two short essays. The name Mahdiya has been chosen in recognition of the first capital city of the Fatimids which was founded in North Africa by Imam al-Mahdi, the 11th Ismaili Imam and first Fatimid Caliph.
The prizes, distributed in the form of money order/draft, are in addition to the original prizes of the first edition of “The Memoirs of Aga Khan”, the autobiography of Aga Khan III and “Animal Voyage” by Prince Hussain Aga Khan. The exact prize distribution is specified in the contest summary and rules below.
The writing contest will become an annual feature beginning with this 2011 initiative.
The closing date for the two contests has now been extended to April 30, 2011. No further extensions will be made. The winners will be selected by a team of judges from around the world by mid-May, 2011. The winning essays will be announced and published on this Web site soon thereafter. The winners will also be announced on Ismailimail, the highly popular independent Ismaili blog which has become the best and most dependable reference source for news related to the worldwide Ismaili Muslim community.
This contest provides a wonderful opportunity for students, the youth as well as adults to develop and write their thoughts about the iconic projects that are being built on Wynford Drive in Toronto, Canada, by the 49th Ismaili Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan. Please read the guidelines below, and share your grandest aspirations or imagination about this “Gift to Toronto” and, indeed, our world by His Highness the Aga Khan. Participate in this exciting contest where you can contribute meaningfully, simultaneously being recognized for your creative and thoughtful writing skills and talent.
Finally, in addition to the $1000.00 being offered as cash prizes to the winners, a total of upto six entries deemed as honourable mentions by the judging panel will each receive a gift card or cash in the amount of $US 50.00. Canadian and USA honourable mentions will receive a gift card from Chapters and Barnes & Nobles respectively, and overseas entries will receive the amount in the form of a money order.
We look forward to reading your entries and being part of your thoughtful world to ignite and open our eyes on multiple levels about the historic creation of “The Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and Their Park.” To assist you in this endeavour, we have provided links to numerous articles and speeches.
SUMMARY
1. The first will be a short essay of 300 – 500 words on the topic, “Why I am Excited about The Aga Khan Museum, The Ismaili Centre and Their Park.”
2. The second will be a short description where, in no more than 125 words, the participant will describe “Why I like this photo” for any one photo the participant chooses from the photo essay (see the link below).
3. There will be two age categories for each essay – a youth category (ages 18-24) and an open category (25 years and over).
4. The winner of the youth category for the essay competition, “Why I am Excited…” will receive a cash prize of $400.00 as well as an out of print copy of “The Memoirs of Aga Khan” (UK, 1954, 1st edition). A DVD of the Aga Khan Museum will also be included.
5. The winner of the open category for the essay competition “Why I am Excited…” will receive a cash prize of $300.00 as well as an out of print copy of “The Memoirs of Aga Khan” (UK, 1954, 1st edition). A DVD of the Aga Khan Museum will also be included.
6. The winner of the youth category for “Why I Like this Photo” will receive a cash prize of $175.00 as well Prince Hussain Aga Khan’s enchanting photo book “Animal Voyage.” A DVD of the Aga Khan Museum will also be included.
7. The winner of the open category for “Why I Like this Photo” will receive a cash prize of $125.00 as well as Prince Hussain Aga Khan’s enchanting photo book “Animal Voyage.” A DVD of the Aga Khan Museum will also be included.
RULES
1. The competition is free to enter.
2. Youth (18 to 24) and adults (25 and over) are invited to participate.
3. We encourage the participation of youth and adults from diverse cultural backgrounds and geographical locations.
4. The essay “Why I am excited about the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park,” should be between 300 and 500 words.
5. The photo essay, “Why I Like this Photo,” is limited to 125 words. A participant may only select one photo of his/her choice from the entire photo essay, and describe why he/she likes it. The photo slide show may be viewed by clicking any one of the following links:
PHOTO ESSAY: PDF presentation (Recommended)
PHOTO ESSAY: Powerpoint Presentation
PHOTO ESSAY: Regular Web Pages
6. All submissions must be in the English language.
7. Entries should be emailed to simergessay@aol.com or simerg@aol.com in one of the following formats: WordPerfect, Word, PDF, RTF or as an email.
8. Entries should include the following information:
a. A short biographical note (to introduce the applicant – limit it to 75 words). Participant’s age, birth date, school, and (OPTIONAL) a small photo are also required.
b. Participant’s full contact details (email address, telephone number(s), complete postal address, town, country). This information must be provided in the body of the email
9. The e-mail subject should read “Entry for Essay Contest.”
10. Entries should be submitted by April 30, 2011.
11. Winners will be declared on this Web site sometime during the latter half of May 2011.
12. The decisions made by the panel of judges (see list below) will be final.
13. The participants will ensure that their essays do not infringe on anyone’s copyright material when developing the essays.
14. All participants in this contest implicitly accept the rules presented in this document.
AIMS OF THE CONTEST
1. To use Albert Einstein’s quote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world,” one of the primary aims of the essay will be to encourage everyone to discover the joy and power of writing creative, intelligent, and persuasive essays.
2. To promote a culture of writing and reading among youth and the public.
3. To make the viewers at large more engaged in these projects, by both reading the essays and commenting on them.
4. To enhance and enlighten the readers’ views of what other people are thinking about these three projects.
WINNERS
1. The winners will be announced sometime at the end of May, 2011, on this Web site, www.simerg.com.
2. The winning essays will be published on www.simerg.com.
3. Winner of the best essay, “Why I am Excited…” for each of the two age groups (i.e. 18 – 24 and 25 and over) will receive a cash prize as mentioned above, a good used copy of “The Memoirs of Aga Khan”, and a DVD of the Aga Khan Museum.
4. Winner of the photo description, “Why I Like this Photo” for teach of the two age groups (i.e. 18 – 24 and 25 and over) will receive a cash prize as mentioned above, a brand new copy of the photo book “Animal Voyage” by Hussain Aga Khan (2008), and a DVD of the Aga Khan Museum.
Note: To read more about the two books shown above, please click here.
5. Also, upto six entries deemed as honourable mentions by the judging panel will each receive a gift card or cash in the amount of $US50.00 plus a DVD of the Aga Khan Museum. Canadian and USA honourable mentions will receive a gift card from Chapters and Barnes & Nobles respectively, and overseas entries will receive the amount in the form of a money order.
6. Thus the total maximum cash amount available for the contest will be $1300.00 ($1000.00 for winning essays, and $300.00 for honourable mentions).
SELECTION CRITERIA
The judge’s selection for the essays will be based on the following:
1. Originality and personal vision.
2. Relevance of the essay to the three projects.
3. Quality of language (engaging writing style, good spelling and grammar etc.)
4. Demonstration of a thorough understanding of the three projects.
AN INTERNATIONAL PANEL OF JUDGES
The following individuals have kindly agreed to judge the competition:
1. Mr. Bruni Freschi, O.C. (Order of Canada), Vancouver, Canada – Architect, Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre, Burnaby 2. Dr. Aziz Kurwa, London, UK – Medical Professional 3. Professor Arif Babul, Vancouver, Canada – Astrophysicist 4. Mr. Zulfikar Khoja, Ottawa, Canada – Educator 5. Dr. Navyn Naran, New York, USA- Medical Professional 6. Mr. Jim Bowie, Toronto, Canada – Hobbyst Photographer and Realtor 7. Mr. Iqbal Motani, Ottawa, Canada – Accountant/Auditor 8. Ms. Shellyza Moledina, London, UK – Pharmacy Student, Writer and Singer
DISCLAIMERS AND EXCLUSIONS
Simerg reserves the right to not award the prizes if the number and quality of the entries do not meet the jury’s expectation. This decision will be made by the judges.
Simerg looks forward to a good participation, and interesting responses.
SELECTED RESOURCES
Aga Khan Museum articles at AKDN
The Aga Khan’s speech at the Foundation Ceremony
Aga Khan Museum collection - article at theIsmaili.org
Article in Nomeancity.net
Ismaili Centres – A special coverage at theIsmaili.org
Urban Toronto article
The above list is by no means complete. Numerous other articles are posted on the internet.
Contact Information:
For inquiries: simergessay@aol.com or simerg@aol.com
For submissions: simergessay@aol.com or simerg@aol.com
African Vibes Magazine does not accept unsolicited poetry, fiction or drama. Writers of poetry are encouraged to enter our upcoming poetry contest for Best New African Poet Prize. For updates on these contests, please send an email to contest@africanvibes.com
HOW TO QUERY US
We welcome queries from inexperienced writers, but particular care should be taken with these proposals: much of what is rejected is a result of poor execution and/or inappropriate story ideas.
African Vibes Magazine is not interested in stories that have been widely covered in the mainstream media unless the writer has developed a genuinely original angle—a challenge to the mainstream’s coverage. This Magazine publishes only six issues per year; stories must not be so time-sensitive that they will seem dated six months in the future. Our schedule means that we are best able to provide in-depth analysis of issues and strong people-oriented reportage—as opposed to responses to fast-moving news stories.
Promising queries are discussed by the editorial board. If a proposal is accepted, the writer will be contacted by the editor. Please allow six to eight weeks for a response. Unsolicited manuscripts (completed articles) must be accompanied by a query letter. African Vibes Magazine is not responsible for loss or damage to unsolicited submissions. Please do not send originals.
To submit your ideas, please write a query letter that includes the following:
* Send a well fleshed out proposal with an outline. Be sure to tell us what is new or fresh about your idea * Send writing samples, if you have them * Specify the section of the magazine for which the piece is intended * Convey your specific qualifications to write on this topic * Specify the proposed story length * Include possible experts (if it is a reported piece) and what access you have to them * Provide an explanation of why this idea would appeal to the African Vibes reader.
Query letters for specific features and departments should be no more than one page in length and accompanied by recent writing samples ( Your samples should not include the actual story that you are proposing).
Features and departments cover the following categories:
* Arts and Entertainment: Music, Movies, Books, Theater and the web * Fashion and Beauty: tips, trends and news pieces * Finance: investments, legal matters, and work issues * Health and Fitness: tips, trends, studies and guides * Travel: travel to Africa * Home: tips and guides * Relationship: practical information and advice * General interest: new thinking, research, information on timely topics, trends * Profiles or first-person accounts of people who have made a dramatic change in their lives or the lives of others * Culture: culture essay, trends, studies and guides * Reflection: first person essay on a personal experience
SPECIAL SECTION: The departments below do not require a query or writing sample.
* *We Like Your Style: Submit 4 pictures of yourself that reflect your style * *Cuisine: Submit your recipe with 4 pictures * *Question of the Issue: Submit your response with the Question as your subject
Note: We do not print articles that have been previously published. We also do not accept queries that do not meet our writer’s guidelines. All submissions must be sent via email to editor@africanvibes.com
ACCEPTANCE PROCEDURE
Once your proposal has been accepted and your article written, please keep in mind that there will likely be more work to do. Additional research and editing are normal parts of the editorial process, and every African Vibes Magazine article will undergo several complete edits. For substantial alterations, stories will be returned to writers for revisions or rewrites. If time is short, changes will occur after telephone or face-to-face consultation. However, last-minute cuts without notification may be necessary because of space limitations.
PAYMENT
Our pay depends on a number of varying factors such as length, research involved, etc. Payment will be discussed at time of assignment and upon publication. Payment assumes African Vibes holds non-exclusive first North American rights and electronic rights. Unless otherwise agreed upon the story is exclusive to African Vibes. Checks are mailed to writers along with a copy of the issue in which their article appears. Some writers prefer to write as contributors without a cash compensation. Such writers are listed with a mini bio in our contributors section.
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority's The Mwanamugimu Essay contest's primary goal is to provide an opportunity for students to increase their knowledge of the historical and contemporary development of Africa. Its objectives are to provide the target population with opportunities that (1) allow structured ways to learn about Africa; (2) heighten awareness of African cultural heritage; and (3) improve writing and research skills. The project title, Mwanamugimu, is a proverb form the Republic of Uganda that means "from small acorns come mighty oaks." Chapters sponsor local essay contests that usually include awards programs. Regional and national contests are also held, with winning essays announced at each respective level.
The theme for this year is, “Our International Responsibility: Are We Our Brothers and Sisters' Keepers?.” Please contact your local chapter to participate in the Essay Contest.
Deadline: 1 December 2010 Eligibility: Caroline Wren Press publishes prose and poetry by underrepresented writers such as women, people of color, authors with disabilities, LGBT authors, and experimental writers Reading Fee: $20 Accepts (genre): poetry Prize/Payment: $1,000 (unconfirmed)
Carolina Wren Press is a very small, independent publisher with an interest in voices from beyond the mainstream. We publish prose and poetry by underrepresented writers such as women, people of color, authors with disabilities, LGBT authors, and experimental writers at the rate of 3 books per year. Very occasionally (e.g., once every few years), we publish a children's book that we feel can improve children's lives by helping them deal with disease, difference, gender issues, bullying, etc. We also publish work by North Carolina authors, and this year will inaugurate the Carolina Laureate Series - poetry or fiction chosen for publication by past and present NC Poets Laureate and other esteemed authors.
We do not publish plays, translations, or genre fiction such as detective novels, crime novels, fantasy or science fiction. We do not publish religious tracts, self-help books or academic theses. We do not publish books that have already been self-published or published in their entirety. We do not, at this time, have need of illustrators or employees or interns (though we do love volunteers!).
As of this writing, we are no longer accepting general submissions of poetry and fiction. We welcome submissions to our two contests, which run in alternate years:
* The Doris Bakwin Award for Writing by a Woman - prose fiction (a collection of short stories or a novel) or memoir. Submissions are accepted in odd-numbered autumns, with a final deadline of December 1st, 2011, 2013, 2015, etc. There is a $20 reading fee for this contest. Full guidelines should be followed - check this website in late summer to see the current guidelines.
* The Carolina Wren Press Poetry Series - full-length poetry manuscripts by authors who have not had more than one full-length book published. Submissions are accepted in even-numbered autumns, with a final deadline of December 1st, 2010, 2012, 2014, etc. There is a $20 reading fee for this contest. Full guidelines should be followed - check this website in late summer to see the current guidelines.
Deadline: 1 December 2010 (articles), 15 December 2010 (fiction and poetry)
Start a collective conversation about your work with your social network – and beyond. Build a powerful fan base while eliciting excitement for your self-published book. 21 Black Street is thrilled to host popular literary contests to give authors a platform to showcase their finest shorts, essays and creative writing. Click Participate to get started or email a contest to an author you know.
Authors, publishers and readers are encouraged to vote for their favorite submissions, then re-tweet, like, share or email top picks to other fans to help their favorite authors win the grand prize. Winners receive valuable cash and merchandise.
Best Fiction
Write a African American based. erotic story 5000 words minimum get your friends to vote for your story for a chance to win 1000 gift card from Louis Vuitton. Winner will be determined by the writer with the most votes. Minimum of 20 entries, contest runs for 45 days from time of post.
Best Poetry
Submit your best poetry for a chance to win an apple I-pad! Entries must be at-least 1page in length. Must be erotic in content and of an adult nature. Minimum 100 entries, contest runs for 45 days, from time of post.
Articles on Tricking
Write an article on tricking: Is being nice to a female tricking. What constitutes tricking? And is it really not tricking if you got it.
Prizes: $1000 Louis Vuitton gift card, Apple iPad, $1000 cash
