There are four days left to submit to our Winter Contest. (Deadline: December 12th) If you haven’t heard yet, our three judges will be reading submissions and choosing the contest winners. Our judges are Eula Biss, Roxane Gay, and Mary Ruefle; the winners will receive $500 each, and publication in our Print Issue 55. Take a look at previous issues here.
Still on the fence about submitting? Check out what other literary journals and blogs have said about why literary contests make sense. They’re not for everyone, but you should understand why they matter, who they can help, and what the benefits are.
Here’s an article on submitting to literary contests at The Review Review:
Finally, nothing motivates better than a contest deadline. If you know a story has to be out the door by December 15th, and that you’re putting money behind that story, you know you will work as hard as you can to make it your best. Meacham listed “Deadline for work” as her number one reason for entering contests. In “Writing Contests: Why Not You?” Kathy Crowley says, “Can all you writers out there who don’t need deadlines raise your hands?…I thought so.” Crowley adds, “Contests force you to step up your game. Yes, in theory we write to the best of our abilities all the time, but doesn’t it get easier to do that when you know that some Person of Authority is going to be reading what you wrote? It does for me.”
Good luck, and we hope to read your work.
-The Issue 55 editorial staff
