Bring on the Ideas: 2014 PiBoIdMo

It’s that time of year again!

Now that we’ve filled our mouths with Halloween candy, allow that sweet sugar to muse our brains with 30 delicious ideas for picture books. If you haven’t already, please sign-up for the 6th Annual Picture Book Idea Month hosted by the lovely Tara Lazar. On a personal note, for the second year in a row, my 9th grade English honors students will participate for extra credit. I hope to share their creative ideas with you in the future!

2013 PiBoIdMo

While fall is cooling our bodies as winter prepares to visit, allow Tara Lazar’s Picture Book Idea Month to warm your creative soul!

CraveWriting has participated for the past three years and looks forward to awakening from a dormant period of children’s book writing hibernation. We strongly encourage all imaginators to participate by visiting TaraLazar.com and creating 30 original picture book ideas during the month of November.

Happy imagining everyone!

CONTEST: Twas the Night Before Christmas Remix

Twas several nights before Christmas and you have a chance to find an extra gift under the tree this year. All you need is some holiday cheer, a plateful of rhyme, and a stocking full of creativity. Interested? Then enter an online contest asking participants to pen an original version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” To enter or find out more head on over to Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog! But you better hurry up as entries are due no later than Thursday, December 22nd at 11:59pm.

To read the original 1822 poem by Clement Clarke Moore click here.

Special thanks to Erik from “This Kid Reviews Books” for spreading the good word about this festive contest!

Check back soon as I’ll be posting my entry.

Happy holiday contest writing imaginators!

CONTEST: Katherine Paterson Prize

2011 KATHERINE PATERSON PRIZE FOR YOUNG ADULT AND CHILDREN’S WRITING

Official Website: http://www.hungermtn.org/katherine-paterson-prize-for-young-adult-and-childrens-writing/

Deadline: June 30^th (postmarked)

Fee: $20

How: Online or snail mail.

Prize: 1^st: $1K & publication / 3 HMs: $100 (1-YA, 1-MG, 1-PB)

Specifics: Unpublished story or novel excerpt. Maximum: 10,000 words. May include a synopsis if entry is an excerpt.

Be sure to visit the contest site for the complete texts of last year’s winner (young adult fiction), and the runners up in young adult fiction, middle grade, and picture book.

2011 Judge: Kimberly Willis Holt

Info: Anyone can enter. All entries considered for general publication as well as for the Katherine Paterson Prize. Multiple entries permitted. Each one $20. E-mail: hungermtn@vermontcollege.edu w/ questions.

Be sure to search the Hunger Mountain website as they have other contests available throughout the year in various genres.

CONTEST: 2011 Cheerios New Author

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

The chances of winning a writing contest may be as slim as being picked up out of publisher’s ‘slush pile,’ but a competitive nature and a ‘what if’ mentality can give you the confidence to enter.

For those imaginators who are 18 years of age, a legal US citizen/resident and are unpublished (have never been paid or written work), I urge you to enter the 2011 Cheerios New Author Contest.

Since March 22 and until July 15th, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program will be accepting electronic submissions of original picture book manuscripts (text only) of up to 500 words.  Please note that information is available in both english and espanol. It’s nice to see that applicants can enter manuscripts in espanol as well. For more specific rules please consult their website.

There is no entrance fee, and the grand prize s $5,000 with a possible contract with Simon and Schuster, with two runner-up $1,000 prizes. The chance of having a mini-version of your book placed in boxes of Cheerios is too good to pass up. But contestants beware.

The key phrase, “No limit on number of entries per person” may distinguish yours fears, but just keep in mind that each manuscript entered into the contest is a sort-of ‘exclusive submission.’

For example, If I feel one of my stories fits the mold for this contest, can I still send it to an agent or editor? I recommend using caution. For example, if you submit a manuscript to a publisher, typically you’ll wait up to 3 months before it’s understood they aren’t interested. Consequently, if you enter the contest in July, if you are a winner you will have to only wait 3 months (October 15th, 2011).

So should you send all of your manuscripts? I say choose 1 to 3 that you feel fit the needs of the contest, and if you don’t hear anything on October 15th, give the manuscript(s) another round of editing and then send to multiple editors and agents.

Judging from past winners, I would keep it short, cute, poetic, and universal. This has to be a book that all demographics could appreciate and identify with.

Special thanks to fellow imaginator Christine Cassello for reminding CraveWriting about this wonderful contest!

Good luck to all you imaginators out there!

CONTEST – Amazon Breakthrough Novel

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

Deadline: February 6th, 2011 (application window begins January 24th) *Maximum 5,000 entries per category

Fee: Free

Prize: 2 Grand Prizes (1 for General Fiction, 1 for Young Adult): a publishing contract with Penguin with a $15,000 advance  * Additional prizes offered

 Type: Fiction Novel: General/YA 

 Specifics: Please see the official rules.

Special Notes: Applicants must be unpublished or self-published. 

 How: Register at  www.createspace.com/abna

CONTEST: 2011 Highlight’s – Fiction

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”

HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN FICTION CONTEST

Website: http://www.highlights.com/highlights-fiction-contest

Deadline: January 31^st, 2011 (postmarked after January 1^st)

Fee: Free

Prize: $1,000 (3 winners) or tuition for the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua.

Type: Fiction/ Topic: embarrassing moment.

Specifics: Maximum of 750 words (450 words for beginners)

Special Notes: At least 16 years old. Entries not accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope will not be returned. All submissions must be previously unpublished. Manuscripts or envelopes should be clearly marked FICTION CONTEST. Those not marked in this way will be considered as regular submissions to Highlights. *** Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua: July 16-23, 2011, $2,400 ( $1,985 1st-time attendees registering before
February 26, 2010). Includes: full week’s immersion in the world of writers and their words, all meals, conference supplies, gate pass to Chautauqua Institution.

How:

FICTION CONTEST

Highlights for Children

803 Church Street

Honesdale, PA 18431