2023 Annual Contest
Contest will open in August 19 and close September 16, 2023
Contest will open in August 19 and close September 16, 2023
Oklahoma City Writers, Inc. conducts an annual writing contest for its members only. The contest opens the date of the August meeting (Aug. 19) and closes the date of the September meeting (Sept. 16).
NOTE: We are encouraging you to submit 2023 entries online at OklahomaCityWriters@gmail.com.
Printed entries can still be brought to the August and September meetings. If mailed, the postmark deadline is midnight of September 16, 2022.
For all submissions, please follow the general contest rules and submission guidelines below.
NOTE: We are encouraging you to submit 2023 entries online at OklahomaCityWriters@gmail.com.
Printed entries can still be brought to the August and September meetings. If mailed, the postmark deadline is midnight of September 16, 2022.
For all submissions, please follow the general contest rules and submission guidelines below.
2023 Contest Chair: Susan Kite
Email entries: OklahomaCityWriters@gmail.com (recommended method of entering contest)
Mail entries to: Susan Kite
9635 High Noon Rd., Yukon, OK 73099
Email entries: OklahomaCityWriters@gmail.com (recommended method of entering contest)
Mail entries to: Susan Kite
9635 High Noon Rd., Yukon, OK 73099
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2023 Contest Rules
In order to qualify for a cash prize, a category must have at least five (5) entries. A category with fewer than five submissions will still be judged, but no cash prize will be awarded to the winner(s).
Contest winners will be announced at the November meeting. First, second, and third place winners in all categories will receive certificates and a cash prize (if the category qualifies as per stated above). The awards are as follows:
Contest winners will be announced at the November meeting. First, second, and third place winners in all categories will receive certificates and a cash prize (if the category qualifies as per stated above). The awards are as follows:
- First place receives $40
- Second place receives $25
- Third place receives $15
- The Crème-de-la-crème award is given to the best of the best submissions overall. This prize comes accompanied by a $50 cash award.
- Honorable mention awards may be awarded at the judges’ discretion but will not receive a cash award.
Judging: The club will not pay any monetary stipend or payment for services of judging entries in the Oklahoma City Writers Inc. contest. All judging is done on a volunteer basis. We appreciate and thank our judges.
Contest Chair: The Contest Chair is appointed by the President and, at the President’s discretion, a Co-Chair may also be appointed. No one working on the contest, including the chair and the Co-Chair, are permitted to enter the contest.
Cover sheet: The cover sheet will be removed by the chair before the entries are sent to the judges and retained for identifying the winner when the manuscript is returned.
Disqualification: To protect the integrity of the writing contest, any manuscript that is not the original work of the author will be disqualified. The Contest Chair is required to disqualify anyone who is not adhering to the rules and submission guidelines (see below). An ad-hoc committee composed of the Contest Chair and President will convene to resolve any questions that may arise during the contest.
Contest Chair: The Contest Chair is appointed by the President and, at the President’s discretion, a Co-Chair may also be appointed. No one working on the contest, including the chair and the Co-Chair, are permitted to enter the contest.
Cover sheet: The cover sheet will be removed by the chair before the entries are sent to the judges and retained for identifying the winner when the manuscript is returned.
Disqualification: To protect the integrity of the writing contest, any manuscript that is not the original work of the author will be disqualified. The Contest Chair is required to disqualify anyone who is not adhering to the rules and submission guidelines (see below). An ad-hoc committee composed of the Contest Chair and President will convene to resolve any questions that may arise during the contest.
Oklahoma City Writers Inc. Contest Categories:
2023 Entry Deadline: The contest opens on August 19, 2023 and ends on September 16, 2023 (postmark deadline). No entries will be accepted prior to August 19, 2023 or later than September 16, 2023.
Contest Results: OCWI meeting, Saturday, November 18, 2023.
General OCWI Contest Rules and Submission Guidelines:
In order to avoid disqualification, please make sure to follow the rules outlined below before you submit your manuscript(s).
Please Note: Judges will provide a completed score sheet for each entry. They are not required to offer comments on the manuscripts that they judge but are encouraged to do so. Please use this feedback for revision purposes, and please consider submitting your revision to the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. 2024 competition.
- Humor: fiction, non-fiction or poetry. Maximum length 3,000 words.
- Inspirational: fiction, or non-fiction or poetry. Maximum length 5,000 words.
- Juvenile: juvenile fiction, non-fiction, picture books, and book-length fiction and non-fiction for middle-grade and up. Maximum length of any submission that is not book-length should be 3,000 words. If your entry is a book-length project, please send only the first 15 pages plus a synopsis or outline. The synopsis/outline should not exceed 750 words.
- Essay: any subject that informs, entertains, or persuades. Maximum length 1,500 words.
- Poetry: any length, style, or theme, traditional or free-verse. Maximum length 20 pages.
- Short story: any short fiction for adult readers. Maximum length 5,000 words.
- Flash fiction: an extremely short but complete work of fiction for adult readers. Maximum length 500 words.
- Feature article: nonfiction article on any subject. Maximum length 2,000 words.
- Nostalgia: factual story or poem reflecting the past. Maximum length 1,200 words.
- Book (adult): includes fiction and nonfiction for adult readers. Each entry should include only the first 20 pages (or less), and a separate document containing the book synopsis for fiction or outline for nonfiction, not to exceed 750 words.
- Crème-de-la-Crème: All first-place winners (of categories that make) will compete for a $50 best-of-the-best award.
2023 Entry Deadline: The contest opens on August 19, 2023 and ends on September 16, 2023 (postmark deadline). No entries will be accepted prior to August 19, 2023 or later than September 16, 2023.
Contest Results: OCWI meeting, Saturday, November 18, 2023.
General OCWI Contest Rules and Submission Guidelines:
In order to avoid disqualification, please make sure to follow the rules outlined below before you submit your manuscript(s).
- Every entry must contain a cover sheet.
- Only members of the Oklahoma City Writers Inc. can enter the contest. If entries are co-authored, both authors must be OCWI members. Dues must be current at the time of the contest.
- You may enter only one (1) unpublished manuscript per category. The same manuscript cannot be entered in more than one category.
- Any manuscript that has won a cash prize (1st, 2nd, 3rd place or Crème-de-la-crème award) in any previous Oklahoma City Writers Inc. contest may not be entered again. Manuscripts may have been submitted for publication, as long as they have not yet been accepted or published in any format.
- The entry fee for the contest is a one-time payment of $10 dollars. Please make the check or money order ONLY payable to the Oklahoma City Writers, Inc. (No cash will be accepted this year). Fees can be paid at the meeting or mailed to: Nelda Paden, OCWI Treasurer
621 NW 32nd Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73118 - All entries must be “editor ready” in proper manuscript format. This includes proofreading for grammar, spelling, or any other mechanical and stylistic issue that would cause points to be taken from the entry.
- Submitting files in .docx .doc .pdf or .rtf is recommended. Use 8 ½ by 11-inch pages and double-spaced, and printed on one side only. Please use a size 12 font. type all entries using an easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. If you submit printed work on paper, please use a paperclip (no staples) to hold all pages.
- In the upper right header of the first page of each manuscript include:
● the category name and number
● the number of lines for poetry, number of words for fiction or nonfiction, or number of pages for books
All pages must include manuscript name and page number.
Do not include your name, address or any identifying information on the manuscripts - If you are submitting a printed copy, please include in your envelope a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) so that your submission can be returned to you. If you plan to pick up your submission at the November meeting, please note so on the submission envelope. Please use a 9x12 inch envelope for your submission and a similarly large envelope for your SASE.
Please Note: Judges will provide a completed score sheet for each entry. They are not required to offer comments on the manuscripts that they judge but are encouraged to do so. Please use this feedback for revision purposes, and please consider submitting your revision to the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. 2024 competition.
