77th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition

For 77 years, the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition has rewarded writers just like you for their finest work. We continue the tradition by giving away more than $30,000 in cash and prizes!

Win a trip to New York City !

GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents. Writer's Digest will fly you and a guest to The Big Apple, where you'll spend three days and two nights in the publishing capital of the world. While you're there, a Writer's Digest editor will escort you to meet and share your work with four editors or agents! Plus, you'll receive a free Diamond Publishing Package from Outskirts Press.


Entry Deadline: Thursday, May 15, 2008.

For entrants paying with a credit card, we will accept manuscripts submitted online. Manuscripts in the script categories must be submitted via regular mail.

Compete and Win in 10 Categories!

Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
Memoirs/Personal Essay
Magazine Feature Article
Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
Mainstream/Literary Short Story
Rhyming Poetry
Non-rhyming Poetry
Stage Play (* submission by mail only)
Television/Movie Script (* submission by mail only)
Children's/Young Adult Fiction

Entry Fee: Poems are $10 for the first entry; $5 for each additional poem submitted in the same online session. All other entries are $15 for the first manuscript; $10 for each additional manuscript submitted in the same online session.

Add $2 per manuscript to all entries postmarked after Thursday, May 15, 2008. Entries postmarked after Monday, June 02, 2008, will not be accepted.

Prizes

Grand Prize: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors and agents.

You'll spend three days and two nights in NYC and a Writer's Digest editor will escort you to meet with four editors or agents of your choice! (Includes airfare within the U.S., meals, transportation and related expenses.)

First Place: The First Place Winner in each category receives $1,000 cash, a manuscript critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor or advisory board member, and $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.

Second Place: The Second Place Winner in each category receives $500 cash, plus $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.

Third Place: The Third Place Winner in each category receives $250 cash, plus $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.

Fourth Place: The Fourth Place Winner in each category receives $100 cash.

Fifth Place: The Fifth-Place Winner in each category receives $50 cash.

Sixth through Tenth Place: The Sixth- through Tenth-Place winners in each category receive $25 cash.

First through Tenth Place Winners also receive a copy of the 2009 Writer’s Market Deluxe Edition and a one-year subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest Magazine.

11th through 100th Place: All other winners receive distinctive certificates honoring their accomplishment.

PLUS—Especially for Writer's Digest subscribers: Writer's Digest subscribers who enter the competition and provide a valid subscription number are eligible to win a special prize package featuring a one-year subscription renewal to Writer's Digest, the 2009 Writer's Market Deluxe Edition, and $100 worth of free Writer's Digest Books. You have five chances to win.

For entrants paying with a credit card, we will accept manuscripts submitted online. Manuscripts in the script categories must be submitted via regular mail.

Entry Deadline: Thursday, May 15, 2008

Late Entry Deadline: Monday, June 02, 2008 (Add $2 to Entry Fee(s) )

Competition Rules

The Categories:

You may enter as many manuscripts as you like in each of the following categories:

Memoirs/Personal Essay, Magazine Feature Article and Children's/Young Adult Fiction: 2,000 words maximum.

Mainstream/Literary Short Story and Genre Short Story: 4,000 words maximum.
Inspirational Writing: 2,500 words maximum.

Rhyming Poem and Non-rhyming Poem: 32 lines maximum.

Stage Play Script or Television/Movie Script: Send the first 15 pages in standard script format, plus a one-page synopsis. Complete scripts are not eligible. Scripts—original or written for any series in production on or after January 1, 2008—are eligible; adaptations will not be accepted.

Remember, scripts can not be submitted online. If you would like to enter a script, use this printable form and send the script via regular mail.

Preparing Your Entry:

If you are submitting your entry via regular mail, the entry must be accompanied by an Entry Form, and the required entry fee (credit card information, check or money order made payable to Writer's Digest). If you are entering more than one manuscript, you may mail all entries in the same envelope and write one check for the total entry fee; however, each manuscript must have its category indicated in the upper left-hand corner.

Your entry must be original, in English, unpublished* and unproduced, not accepted by any other publisher or producer at the time of submission. Writer's Digest retains one-time publication rights to the Grand Prize and First Place winning entries in each category to be published in a Writer's Digest publication.

* Entries in the Magazine Feature Article category may be previously published.

If you are submitting your entry via regular mail, the entry must be typed on one side of 8-1/2 x 11 or A4 white paper. Scripts and poems may be either double-or single-spaced; all other manuscripts must be double-spaced. Online entries may lose double-spacing. This WILL NOT result in disqualification. Your name, address, phone number and competition category must appear in the upper left-hand corner of the first page—otherwise your entry is disqualified.

BE SURE OF YOUR WORD COUNT! Entries exceeding the word or page 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.
Mailed entries must be stapled

Judging and Notification

Every entry will be read by the judges. Judges' decisions are final. Judges reserve the right to re-categorize entries.

Entries must be postmarked by Monday, June 02, 2008. We cannot return submitted manuscripts so keep a copy for your records. To receive notification of the receipt of your manuscript, send a self-addressed stamped postcard along with your entry. Please note that it may take up to 30 days after the deadline for all entries to be opened and sent to the judges.

The Grand Prize Winner and a guest must agree to travel (flying from the same city) during March, April or May 2009. The editors or agents who meet with the Grand Prize Winner are under no obligation to read, buy or represent the Grand Prize Winner's work. For more information of the free Diamond Publishing package from Outskirts Press, visit http://www.outskirtspress.com/diamondpublishing.php.

The following are not permitted to enter the contest: employees of F+W Publications, Inc., and their immediate family members; Writer's Digest contributing editors and correspondents as listed on our masthead; Writer's Online Workshops instructors; and Grand Prize Winners from the previous three years.

Top Award Winners will be notified by mail before October 20, 2008. The top 10 winners in each category will be listed in the December 2008 issue of Writer's Digest. All 1,001 winners will be listed in the 77th Annual Writer's Digest Competition Collection (published by Outskirts Press) and at www.writersdigest.com after the December issue is published. Prizes/awards certificates will be mailed by November 6, 2008.

Questions?

For questions, contact Writer's Digest Competitions at (513) 531-2690 ext. 1328 or email writing-competition@fwpubs.com.

Entry Form

To submit your entry online, visit our secure online entry form.

To enter via regular mail, use the printable form, and send it with your manuscript and entry fee to:

77th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition
700 E. State Street
Iola, WI 54990