A press release from The Garden State Horror Writers:
The Garden State Horror Writers is pleased to announce the 18th Annual Writing Contest and Graversen Award!
The theme of the 2012 contest is “The Terror of Technology.” Technology today can be scary. You now have a digital profile on the internet, Nokia is creating a tattoo ink that will vibrate when your cell phone rings, and social websites have the ability to start revolutions. We are looking for stories that illustrate just how horrific technology can be. Your entry must be no more than 4,000 words. Genres can be Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller.
First place prize is $75, the Graversen Award, and publication in Space and Time Magazine. The second place prize is $40, and third place prize is $20. Each eligible entry will be scored and critiqued by published authors and/or editors and the top five entries will be judged by Hildy Silverman, editor of Space and Time Magazine and the award-winning editor, Ellen Datlow.
Contest opens April 30th and closes July 1st. Winners will be announced at the GSHW’s October meeting.
The Rules:
1. Word limit: Up to 4,000 words.
2. Theme: The Terror of Technology
3. Entries must be unpublished and not accepted by a publisher at the time of contest entry. Entries from previous GSHW contests are ineligible.
4. Entry Fees are $7.50 ($4.50 for GSHW members). Payment can be made via Paypal or by mailing a check (payable to GSHW). Include your name or story title on the memo portion of the check. Send check payments to:
GSHW Writing Contest
C/O Neil Morris, Treasurer
345 Morgan Avenue
Old Bridge, NJ 08857.
You may enter as many times as you like, but you must pay the entry fee for each submission.
5. Email Submissions only. Email Submission Format: Story file must be sent as an attached .RTF (Rich Text Format). Send submissions to contest [at] gshw [dot] net with the subject “GSHW Contest 2012”. Please copy the title page information into the body of the email as well as note whether payment was by check or Paypal.
6. Standard manuscript format: double-spaced, on one side of each page only, and a page number and title (not your name) in the upper right hand corner of each subsequent page. 12pt Courier font.
7. Title page should include: Name, Mailing address and phone number, e-mail address, Title of story, genre, and word count. Do not put your name on the subsequent pages.
8. Critiques will be sent via email to eligible contestants within 30 days after announcement of contest winners.
9. Payment must be received before submission will be judged. If a check is mailed as payment it must be postmarked no later than July 1, 2012.
10. Winners will be announced during the GSHW’s October meeting. Prize money will be issued in the form of a check payable to winner.
Note: Disregarding any of the rules and guidelines will disqualify your entry with no exceptions.
Winners unable to attend the meeting will receive their prizes by mail. Decision of the judges is final. Entries are assigned to the judges solely by the contest committee at random—no requests, no exceptions. Score sheets and critiques will be e-mailed at the end of the contest.
Good Luck!