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[ ENTER OUR WRITING CONTESTS ]

2012 Fiction Contest

  • Our Annual Fiction Contest accepts submissions by mail and online from June 1st through November 15th each year.

    Grand Prize:

    1. $1,500
    2. Domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the next Festival in New Orleans
    3. VIP All-Access Festival pass for the next Festival ($500 value)
    4. Public reading at a literary panel at the next Festival
    5. Publication in Louisiana Literature


    Top Ten Finalists Prize

    1. Top ten finalists will receive a panel pass ($75 value) to the next Festival.


    Eligibility:

    1. This contest is open only to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction. Published books include self-published books with ISBN numbers. Those who have published books in other genres besides fiction remain eligible.
    2. Only previously unpublished stories will be accepted.
    3. Stories that won this contest in previous years are ineligible; their authors remain eligible but must submit new work.
    4. Stories submitted to this contest in previous years that did not place are eligible.
    5. Stories that have won and/or placed in any other writing contest are ineligible.
    6. Stories by United States and international writers are accepted.


    Deadline:

    1. The deadline for online and mailed submissions is November 15th (postmark).
    2. Winner will be announced by March 1st.


    Entry Fee:

    1. $25 per entry. Unlimited entries per person.
    2. Online submissions must be paid below.
    3. Submission fees are non-refundable.


    To enter online:     Online submissions are preferred and must be in .doc, .rtf, or PDF formats. If you are using the latest version of Microsoft Word, please save your submission as .doc and not a .docx file before sending it to us. We accept entry fees via Discover, MasterCard, and Visa only.

    To enter by mail: Send your manuscript and check or money order for [fiction-entryfee] (made out to the: Tennessee Williams Literary Festival) to:
    Fiction Contest Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
    938 Lafayette Street, Suite 514
    New Orleans, LA 70113

    Do not send submissions by certified mail or signature required delivery.

    Have a question about one of our writing contests? Please send questions to: contests@tennesseewilliams.net

  • Guidelines:
    1. A submission is one original short story, written in English, up to 7,000 words.
    2. The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript.
    3. Please include a separate cover page with story title and word count as well as the author’s name, address, phone, and email.
    4. Submissions must be typed; pages must be numbered and single-spaced.
    5. Please use standard fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Georgia in 10, 11, or 12 point font size.
    6. Simultaneous submissions accepted; please notify the Festival if your story is accepted elsewhere.
    7. Unlimited entries per person are allowed. You must complete a separate entry payment and submission form for each entry.
    8. Stories can be any theme or genre.
    9. Do not include professional resumes or biographies with your entry. Entries are judged anonymously; the judges only consider manuscript quality.
    10. Manuscripts will not be returned. Please do not send return envelopes with postage.
  • General
    Can I enter if I do not live in the U.S.?
    Yes, you can enter all our contests regardless of your place of residence or nationality.
    Does my story have to have Tennessee Williams or New Orleans-related content to be considered?
    Not at all. To be honest, we’ve read our share of works which aim to be prequels or sequels to Tennessee Williams’ plays. Some even bring together characters from different plays (Blanche and Big Daddy, for example). We’re not discounting the possibility that someone out there might have an innovative reworking of our patron’s works to offer but we do feel Williams’ rendered his characters and stories best. We want to hear about your original characters, stories and settings.As for New Orleans-themed stories, generally we love ‘em, especially if your narrative offers an unexpected view of Crescent City life and times. Most of all, we’re looking for stories with solid narrative substance, energetic prose, engaging characters and a memorable sense of place — no matter if it’s set on the streetcars of New Orleans or the sidewalks of Sydney, Australia.

    Can I submit a poetry collection that was originally written in another language?
    Yes, but only if it has not been previously published in any language. Obviously, we would only accept an English translation of the poems.
    Can I enter more than one contest (i.e. I have a poetry collection and a strong short story)?
    Yes, you may enter any of our writing contests with as many submissions as you wish. Each entry will incur a fee and will be treated separately and anonymously as with all our contest entries.
    Eligibility
    Can I submit a poem that has been:
    1. self-published?
    2. published on a website of a magazine?
    3. published on my (or someone else’s) blog?
    4. published in a magazine that is now defunct?

    No, no, no, and no. To us “published” means published anywhere. No exceptions on this so don’t waste time (yours and ours) by emailing to ask.

    I just noticed a few copy errors in my submission. Can you please, pretty please, substitute my story with another version?
    No and again, please don’t ask. Please understand that we’re a small office and can’t accommodate such requests. Make sure your collection is as ready as it can be before submitting.
    Is there an age limit for entrants?
    No, we welcome submissions from authors of all ages.
    Submission Issues
    How do I submit the title cover page on your online system? Should I submit a separate document?
    No, you do not need to submit a separate document. The title cover page is the first page of the document of your collection. So your submission document will look like this:
    Page 1: all your contact details, story title and word count
    Page 2: Begin your collection.Your name and contact information should not appear anywhere on the collection except for the first cover/title page.
    I just paid my contest entry fee online but it appears that my collection did not upload. Help!
    Not to worry, just email us your story as a DOC or PDF attachment to contests@tennesseewilliams.net. Please include the receipt number and your last name in the subject line of the email.
    Your system is rejecting my credit card. I know it’s good for $25. What’s going on?
    Is it an Amex card? We don’t accept those. If it’s a Mastercard, Visa, and Discover, please try again. If it still does not work, please snail mail your submission in with a cheque for your entry fee.
    I just missed your deadline by a day. Can I still submit?
    No. Get your poems in on time next year!

     

    We hope we’ve covered all possible queries you may have about our fiction contest. Still wondering about something? Email us at contests@tennesseewilliams.net

  • Winners:We’re intensely proud of our contest winners and their achievements. If you’re a past winner and have publications, productions, awards, and other good news to report, please let us know: contests@tennesseewilliams.net

    2012
    Judge: Amy Hempel
    Winner: Kent Wascom, “Extra Credit History: The Civil War by Juju Fandal”

    2011
    Judge: Robert Olen Butler
    Winner: Jim Fairhall, “Pink”

    2010
    Judge: Jill McCorkle
    Winner: Kristen-Paige Madonia, “Polaroid”
    Kristen-Paige Madonia’s debut novel Fingerprints of You will be published August 2012 by Simon & Schuster and recent fiction can be found in Upstreet, New Orleans Review, American Fiction: Best Previously Unpublished Stories by Emerging Writers, and Sycamore Review. She was awarded a 2011 Sewanee Writers’ Conference Tennessee Williams Scholarship and has received fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, the Juniper Summer Writing Institute, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Hedgebrook, and the Millay Colony.
    www.kristenpaigemadonia.com
    Twitter: @KPMadonia

    2009
    Judge: Richard Ford
    Winner: Robin Martin, “1969”

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