Tina Haapala, Excuse Editor

Since the last Scoop , I've come across a few more places you may want to submit your writing. Good Luck! They are sorted chronologically by deadline. September 30, 2011 Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest Entry Fee: $7/every 25 lines 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. October 1, 2011 Mighty River Short Story Contest Entry Fee: $15 30 page max Prize: $500 and publication Consequence Prize in Poetry NO ENTRY FEE No More than 3 poems of any length (theme: consequence of war or social injustice) Prize: $200 Prolitzer Prize for Prose Writing Entry Fee:  £4 1500 word max Top Prize:  £130 and publication. Two runners up receive  £30 each. Do you have a book you are looking to publish? Coffee House Press is seeking submissions now through October 31. Please take a look at...

 I try to include 20 or so new listings in the monthly "Scoop", including those with deadlines that are close (in case you have something collecting dust that would be perfect to submit). It never fails, once the list is complete, and the email's been blasted, I come across one or two more. Sometimes I share them on the Facebook and Twitter pages (so like and follow , if you don't already!), but today I'll share a few with July 31 deadlines  (where is this year going?!). If you are not a subscriber, this gives you a taste of what you get every month from the Excuse Editor. Enjoy. Deadline: July 31 Glimmer Train Very Short Fiction Award  3000 word max $15 entry fee  1st place wins $1,200, publication in  Glimmer Train Stories , and 20 copies of that issue; 2nd-place: $500;3rd-place:$300 Standard Submissions 12,000 word max NO ENTRY FEE $700 payment for accepted stories (and 10 copies of that issue) Journal of Experimental Fiction Kenn...

Start Checking off Your List Every month, I send a list of writing contest and market announcements to my newsletter subscribers. It's called "The Scoop." It usually contains more than 30 different places looking for submissions. People seem pretty interested in this list, as it gets way above the average "opens" every month; last month's list received an 83% open rate. (According to aweber , the average open rate is 20-40%, depending on the day that it's sent). While I'd like to think that I've mastered the art of the e-mail subject line, making my list irresistible, I know the truth. My readers love to discover different places to send their writing, and why not use the somebody else's research to give them some ideas? Of course there's a few who unsubscribe, and a few of those who were nice enough to tell me why. "I'm overwhelmed," said one. Another: "I have no need for this." So, in the spirit of making...

The Newest Scoop is blasting through cyberspace and into your inbox right now if you are subscribed to the Excuse Editor Newsletter (if you are not, sign up here ).  There are some unique opportunities, including a chance to get your photograph taken by a famous photographer, a no-fee novel contest  with a self-publishing package prize, and  a contest with over 50 CATegories (the entires all have a 'cat' theme). A few ideas on using the Scoop: Determine if you have something already complete that meets the guidelines, or comes close. If it meets all guidelines (genre, word count, etc.) and has no entry fee, SUBMIT! You have nothing to lose. If if meets all guidelines and has an entry fee, SUBMIT ONLY IF you feel confident in your work and you can afford the fee (see this post for more thoughts). If you have a work that is ALMOST PERFECT for one of the markets, spend some time getting it closer (always adhere to word count and genre guidelines). You may be ab...

I'm sure you are working away on all sorts of writing for the contests and markets from the last Scoop , but you may have something for one of these. (Not signed up for the free Excuse Editor newsletter yet? Sign up and get the Scoop, a list of  at least 35 writing contests and markets, starting today!) Deadline: 3/16/10 Essay Contest (Write an original essay describing creative ways in which you are helping (or supporting) the environment) 250 words max Adams peanut butter Cause a Stir contest NO ENTRY FEE Grand Prize: 5-day/4-night trip for winner and up to 3 guests to Yosemite National Park, CA. Four First Prizes: $100 REI Gift Cards Deadline: 3/31/10 Short Story Contest No restrictions on content, style, genre or length Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest $4 entry fee Grand Prize: $1000, 2nd place: $100, Three Honorable Mentions (all 5 winners published in Gemini Magazine in June) Deadline: 4/15/10 Creative Nonfiction Contest 5000 word max EVENT 2010...

Whew. For those of you who already have signed up for the newsletter, you should see The Scoop in your inbox. Not signed up yet? Don't worry, just sign up with the form on the right column of my blog  (or on the one that materializes before your eyes sometimes;) This month's Scoop not only includes opportunities to see your work in print, and get paid, it has some exciting prizes as well. Some contest winners could get a chance to study in Kenya. Or Canada. One even has a grand prize of $10,000-- given to a writer of a work in progress! Good Luck! 

I know how it is, you see a contest in The Scoop or somewhere on the internet that is Perfect for your story, poem, essay, song... whatever. And then you see the Dreaded Entry Fee. Forget it...Why should I risk my hard earned cash? Why can't they just read it for free? The Risk   Submit your Best Work...and the Best Fit You should feel your writing warrants a cash prize, not just your wallet. Otherwise, spend the 10 bucks on some lottery tickets instead. Your submission should be typo and spelling error free. Of course, it should follow their guidelines (word count, genre). Take a look at their past contest winners. Is your writing comparable in style? Return on your Investment Determine your tolerance. You've already spent the time and energy writing the piece, now you are also spending money. Combined, this is your investment. Are all the prizes offered--money, recognition, etc-- enough of a return for you? A common guideline: On...

Now that I have your attention... I just finished up the latest version of The Scoop, a listing of more than 45 writing contests and markets. One of the contests has a prize of $15,000 (hint: it's for a finished book) and has NO ENTRY FEE. If you are already signed up, you probably noticed that the deadline was coming up quickly. There are many other contests for completed books, short story  or poetry collections, nonfiction books, screenplays, flash fiction, novellas-- even slogans-- and more. I started maintaining this running list last year. I can usually find a market to submit something I've already written--often, more than one (always good to keep send to your top three markets first, as long as the market accepts simultaneous submissions. Always read guidelines carefully.) It's also been a great place to discover new markets to try out. They are often looking for something written to a theme-- it's a great writing prompt! I keep the listing in t...

Here's a jumpstart on your resolution to submit your writing this year. You may have some writing ready to go, or you may be inspired enough to prepare something in time. These are examples of what comes in The Scoop, the monthly guide of 30-50 current paying writing markets and contests you get for FREE with your subscription the the Excuse Editor Newsletter. The new edition of The Scoop will arrive in a few weeks. Until then, enjoy the current one (or sign up if you haven't yet) and Keep Writing! Deadline: 1/7/10 Novellas/short story collection contest 26 to 150 double spaced pages Carpe Articulum Novella Contest $25 entry fee Prize range--$200-$1000 Deadline: 1/15/10 Poetry (Group of Poems) 10 pages "Discovery"/Boston Review Poetry Prizes $10 Entry Fee Snail Mail Entry-- DEADLINE IS RECEIPT DATE, SEND EARLY Prizes: Four prizes of $500 each and publication; winners also receive one night hotel stay in and transportation to and from New York City...

From the desk of the Excuse Editor: First, I decided I wanted to write. That was easy enough. I'd kept a diary since I was a little girl. As a grown up, I attended a few journaling, fiction and poetry workshops. Great, my interest was peaked, my pen desperate to start moving. But, what kinds of writing should I start with? How long should it be? My workshops focused on self-expression, and I was rightly told: write whatever you want to, write what's in your heart, write what's on your mind. Write until it's done. OK. I agree. But... What if I want to share my writing? ...if I want to get published? ...and of course, what if I want to make some money? I started to research writing markets and writing contests. Sure, I could focus on writing the Great American Novel and send it off to Oprah and hope for the best. Or Ellen. Or maybe I could get the "Colbert Bump". Instead, I kept my head out of the clouds and put my butt in the chair. Using the...

The deadlines are coming up super-quick, but you may have something that fits the bill for one of these contests or submission requests. All of these are paying markets. Isn't a chance to collect a few dollars (or more!) for your work better than your work collecting dust? Here's the format for this list, Good Luck! Deadline date Quick Description of Contest or Market Word count or page requirements Link to site for more information on how to submit Entry Fee Payment or Contest Prize Range 10/29/09 Under 30 Contest for writers between 18-30 years old 15000 word max http://www.narrativemagazine.com/node/915  $20 fee $100-$1500, eligible for $5000 prize in 2010 10/30/09 Short short story; dark/macabre fiction 1000 word max http://leapfrogpress.com/contest.htm $8 fee $50-100 10/31/09 Unusual Essay 10000 word max http://www.thediagram.com/contest.html#2009essayguidelines $15 fee  $1000 + publication 10/31/09 scary short stories in a ...

Excuse Editor Tip: Start with 100 words. That's not much. You could write a whole story. People wrap up their days with 140 characters on Twitter . You'll probably find that it is more difficult to ONLY write 100 words. That's great, because then you will know the joy of shaping your story; you'll be cutting away anything unnecessary to get at the essence of your art, just like a sculptor. In this case, you'll have to be as precise as those calligraphers who write on the grains of rice. 100 words is short. This post has already gone WAY over. There's a reason behind this tip: A Contest Deadline! You only have a few more days, but that just be enough for you to write a short, short story and submit it! Click here for more information. There is a $15 entry fee, but the top prize is $400! Good Luck. Let me know how it goes!   (Use market information at your own risk. Excuse Editor recommends researching any market you decide to submit to. Excuse Edi...