DEADLINE: July 31, 2014 NO ENTRY FEES PRIZES: $3,000 DETAILS: Open to Kentucky residents, or writers whose work is set in or is about Kentucky. Winner must be willing to travel to KY for readings and events. Submissions may include: a collection of poetry (48-100 pages); a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, a short novel, a collection of essays or creative nonfiction (to 250 pages). No history, scholarly works, children’s...

DEADLINE: July 1, 2014 PRIZES: Advance against royalties of $10,000 DETAILS: Open to any professional or non-professional writer who has never been the author of a published “private eye” novel and who is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a “private eye” novel. Must be book-length (approx. 60,000 words) in English. A “private eye” novel is defined as: A novel in which the main character...

Now sponsored by Bowker, the annual competition for independent publishers is accepting entries through October 1, 2014. Book review magazine Shelf Unbound is accepting entries for its third annual competition to crown the best from independent presses, self-published authors and publishers producing five or less titles per year. The winning entry, selected by the editors of Shelf Unbound, will be featured with runners-up in the...

A $800 cash prize can be won for a debut novel in the Writers’ Village International Novel award, Deadline: 30th June 2014 Novels that have previously been self-published are also eligible. The winning author will be assessed by international literary agency A. M. Heath for possible representation. The top eight contestants will receive personal feedback on their novels by the judge, novelist Michelle Spring, Royal Literary Fellow at...

NO ENTRY FEE. Have you ever met an everyday, ordinary guru who helped you break a myth that held you back, sparked insight, or helped you see the world a little differently? If so, tell us your story by entering the Ordinary Guru Contest. You can submit a short story, essay, memoir, photo essay, cartoon, graphic novel or poem. First Prize: $5,000. Second Prize: $2,500. Third Prize: $1,500. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States...

HILLERMAN MYSTERY COMPETITION —————————– DEADLINE: June 1, 2014 GENRE: Books OPEN TO: Authors with no published fiction books DETAILS: Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story, and emphasis is on the solution rather than the details of the crime. The story’ primary setting is the Southwestern United States, including at least one of the following...