Our awesome co-hosts today are Julie Flanders, Murees Dupé, Dolorah at Book Lover, Christine Rains, and Heather Gardner!
Today marks four years since the group began and two years since we opened the website. So what better way to celebrate than offer our members an amazing opportunity! Presenting…
The IWSG Short Story Contest 2015
After the success of last year’s IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond, we decided to create another book. This time it’s a short story competition with the top ten stories getting published in an anthology. (Authors will also receive royalties on sales.)
Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free.
Word count: 5000-6000
Theme: Alternate History/Parallel Universe. That’s right, we’ve decided to go the speculative route. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines, except erotica or graphic violence.
Story deadline: November 1st 2015
How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to TheIWSG at gmail dot com before the deadline passes. Make sure to include your contact details.
Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges:
Laura Maisano - Senior editor at Anaiah Press for their YA/NA Christian fiction
Russell Connor – Author and owner of Dark Filament Publishing Startup
Candace Havens – Editorial Director for the Covet, Select, Select Otherworld, Select Historical, Embrace, Indulgence for Entangled Publishing. She is also a nationally syndicated columnist and award-winning and best-selling author.
Dawn Frederick – Literary agent and the founder of Red Sofa Literary
Alice Speilburg – Founder of the Speilburg Literary Agency
Michelle Johnson – Literary agent and the founder of Inklings Literary Agency
Kendare Blake - Author
Lydia Moëd - Associate agent at The Rights Factory
Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. The winners will also receive an exclusive badge to display on their blog.
We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word!
The #IWSG short story anthology contest is open! For details - http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2015/09/iwsg-post-day-and-special-anniversary.html #contest #shortstory #anthology
Awesome! I knew it was going to be something cool. Love this group! Happy Birthday IWSG!
ReplyDeleteGrea News, Alex, and you've got some fancy judges there :). Wish I wrote this genre and could have participated. All the best with it!
ReplyDeleteHi Alex and IWSG administrators .. this will be an amazing opportunity for many and getting that extra exposure through the anthology will be so stimulating .. for those who write their story, us to read, and for those who win through.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant idea - cheers and good luck to one and all - Hilary
Wow and thank you. This is an amazing opportunity. Just another reason this group is so special.
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome!!! :D
Happy Birthday IWSG!
ReplyDeleteLet the buzz begin... exciting times ahead...
What a fun idea! Should be awesome. :)
ReplyDeleteExciting! What an impressive group of judges.
ReplyDeleteWow - that is an exciting announcement! Can't wait to see the results because this is sure to be a book packed full of awesomeness.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! (Read the surprise over at Alex's already, but forgot to say that.)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great opportunity!
ReplyDeleteAMAZING!!!! What a great way to celebrate FOUR years.... I still can't believe it's that long!!!
ReplyDeleteTime for those short story writers to show their stuff!
ReplyDeleteVery excited! This group has helped me so much.
ReplyDeleteHappy to see something like this taking place in a group. This is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteShalom,
Patricia
Hope many of you can contribute!
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome contest! I love this group. Here's to several more years! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday IWSG! This is a tight schedule but given the small word count I might be able to do it.
ReplyDelete4 years is sure a long time. That is awesome indeed, the cat will have to see if he can spin something, no rhyme of course lol
ReplyDeleteGood luck to all contributors!
ReplyDeleteAn exciting way to celebrate an anniversary!
Happy Anniversary, btw!!!
Alex! and Admins!
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. Happy anniversary/birthday to the IWSG!
It has meant so much to me, just knowing that this group of people is here for support makes each writing day a little more secure.
Thank you for all your hard work!
What an amazing opportunity for the members!
Heather
Hey! That sounds fantastic. Now to go and talk to my muse....
ReplyDeleteThanks so much.
Your hard work pays off, Alex. Congratulations. This is contest is outstanding.
ReplyDeleteWow! This is great. Thanks for the opportunity and Happy Anniversary!!! 😆
ReplyDeleteHow exciting. I've got a feeling judging will be tough since probably all members will be entering:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great opportunity for all the short story writers!
ReplyDeleteHappy 4-years!!
ReplyDeleteI'm SO stoked for this! I've already had an idea swirling around my mind for a while now that will totally fit the bill! :)
Happy Birthday IWSG! Exciting things, great contest. Thanks for starting IWSG. It has been an awesome experience.
ReplyDeleteJuneta Writer's Gambit
Wow! What a great opportunity! Happy Anniversary IWSG :)
ReplyDelete~ AJ
This is quite a wonderful way to celebrate a successful four years. I know this anthology will be packed with super stories.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like great fun!
ReplyDeleteCool! What a great idea to have a short story anthology!! :)
ReplyDeleteDo you know what's absolutely crazy? When I signed up for IWSG, there were less than 70 of us!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea and line-up of judges! :)
ReplyDeleteWe have an amazing list of judges.
ReplyDeleteVery exciting news! I know there are some that think writing short stories is 'easy', because, hey, they are shorter, right? But the challenge is to tell the complete story in fewer words. Quite a challenge for me ... because I love to blather on when I write. ;)
ReplyDeleteWOW. I say WOW. This is so cool it's BODACIOUSLY cool. I always told Alex I would join the group when Christopher was okay enough to let me devote the time. Not there yet. But I am considering joining. And not JUST because of this. It was something Alex said a few weeks ago over at his blog. I'm at a point where I need to grumble (in a clearly productive manner) about writing stuff. And have this shiny, dazzling support that I see you guys give one another. *sigh* I always feel the love here. And my super sweet pal Michelle is a member. That counts for much. And Bish too.
ReplyDeleteAnd Yvette too. :-) And of course, THE CAPTAIN himself.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary and as always thank you so much for everything you do! What a great contest, it will challenge me out of my genre comfort zone for sure.
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary IWSG!! It has been an amazing 4 years already? Wow. And a very cool way to celebrate it!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome group of judges! Great idea and happy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteFour years -- awesome! Fantastic idea for a contest. :)
ReplyDeleteWho thinks up this fun stuff? Thanks for such a plan for the celebration. Now I'm off to figure out what alternate history fiction IS!! LOL..
ReplyDeleteFantastic idea! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great contest. All I could think of was, the admins are going to be working hard. You are an awesome group with your generosity of time. If you need help, let me know. I don't write stories in either area so I will not be entering.
ReplyDeleteGreat contest! And the timing is great since writers/authors can pen something and submit it before the annual NaNoWriMo craze kicks in.
ReplyDeleteWow! That is exciting! Hope I have time to write something and submit :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is exciting. Good luck to everyone who enters.
ReplyDeleteTruly awesome!!!!
ReplyDeleteTruly awesome :)
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary! I'm a newbie to the group and am looking forward to being part of it! Wishing all participants lots of fun with their entries.
ReplyDeleteA writing contest! I'm stoked! And the theme sounds to be right down my alley. Am I good enough? Unsure about that as yet, but I think I should try. If I never try to do something, how will I know if I'm any good? Thanks for this opportunity. I shall start thinking.
ReplyDeleteI think my blog is under attack. I am having trouble getting to it. If anyone else sees this, please email me at adornment(at)live.se.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Anna Nordeman
That is FREAKING awesome! I knew it was worth it :D
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of this! With ten days left, I doubt I can squeeze this into my insanical life. x(
ReplyDelete