Deadline: September 14, 2018
Submit your best short stories in the 14th Annual Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards for a chance to win $2,500 in cash, a featured interview in Writer’s Digest magazine, and a paid trip to the ever-popular Writer’s Digest Annual Conference in New York City.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your writing career, choose your favorite categories—Romance, Thriller, Crime, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult—and enter your best short stories of 4,000 words or less.
Prizes
One Grand Prize winner will receive:
- $2,500 in cash
- Featured interview in Writer’s Digest’s May/June issue
- Winning story published on writersdigest.com
- Paid trip to the ever-popular Writer’s Digest Conference!
- 2019 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market
- $100 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com
One First Prize winner in each category will receive:
- $500 in cash
- Announcement in the May/June issue of Writer’s Digest
- Winning story published on writersdigest.com
- 2019 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market
- $100 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com
Honorable Mentions will receive:
- Announcement on writersdigest.com
- 2019 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market
- Mystery/Crime: From the classic whodunits and police procedurals, cozies and courtroom dramas, amateur and private detectives, hook us from the start and keep us guessing until the end.
- Horror: Whether psychological, supernatural, or technological, crank up the tension and deliver an unsettling but satisfying conclusion.
- Romance: Historical or contemporary, paranormal or suspenseful, chaste or sexy, no matter the path you take, don’t forget to deliver a satisfying happy ending.
- Science Fiction/Fantasy: Science, magic, or a mash-up of both, introduce us to new worlds, alternate histories, or fantastic ideas that push the boundaries of our own reality.
- Thriller/Suspense: Less whodunit, more how and/or why, with high stakes, compelling conflicts, and ever-increasing tension that keeps us turning pages through the adrenaline-pumping ending.
- Young Adult: Your preferred genre(s), but written specifically for readers age 12-18.
- All entries must be submitted online. During Checkout, entry fees can be paid by credit card/debit card (MC, V, AMEX & DISC) or by selecting the option to pay by ‘CHECK’. Checks are to be mailed (postmarked by the current entry deadline), and should be drawn on a US bank, in US funds (this includes cashier’s checks & money orders). All checks will be cashed within 60 days of the competition final deadline. Entry fees are non-refundable.
- Your entry must be original, in English, unpublished and unproduced, not accepted by any other publisher or producer at the time of submission. Authors retain all ownerships of their work. Upon submitting an entry, Author agrees to grant Writer’s Digest one-time nonexclusive publication rights to the Grand Prize and First Place winning entries in each category to be published in a Writer’s Digest publication. Any piece posted online, anywhere other than a personal blog, is considered published.
- Entries are to be submitted as file uploads (.doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf). Please double space your story (preferred but not mandatory); we suggest an easy to read font style & 12 pt. font size, however this is also not mandatory. Submitter (author) information is collected on the submitter form; please do not include identifying information on the pages of the story.
- BE SURE OF YOUR WORD COUNT! Entries exceeding the word limits will be disqualified. Type the exact word count (counting every single word, except the title and contact information) at the top of the manuscript.
- Due to U.S. Government restrictions we are unable to accept entries from Syria, Iran, North Korea, or Crimea.
- For more information visit our Preparing Your Entry Page or our FAQ page.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
Writing and Illustrating 
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