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Press 53 Award for Short Fiction
Press 53 is proud to announce the Press 53 Award for Short Fiction, to be awarded annually to an outstanding, unpublished collection of short stories. This contest is open to any writer, regardless of his or her publication history, provided the manuscript is written in English and the author lives in the United States. The winner of this contest will receive publication, a $1,000 cash advance, travel expenses and lodging for a special reading and book signing party at Press 53 headquarters at the Community Arts Café in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina, attendance to the 2014 Press 53/Prime Number Magazine Gathering of Writers, and ten copies of the book; all prizes will be awarded upon publication.
Dates for submission: September 1, 2013—December 31, 2013.
Shortlist: A shortlist of finalists will be announced March 1, 2014.
Winner: The winner of the Press 53 Award for Short Fiction will be announced on May 3, 2014 (National Press 53 Day) on the Press 53 website, Press 53 blog, via email, Facebook, and Twitter.
Award: The author of the winning manuscript will receive a cash advance of $1,000, publication of the manuscript in October 2014 under a standard Press 53 book contract, and 10 copies of the completed book with an option to purchase unlimited copies at a discount for as long as the book is in print. The prize also includes round-trip airline tickets to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for a book launch party and reading on Friday, October 17, 2014, and attendance as our special guest to the Press 53/Prime Number Magazine Gathering of Writers on Saturday, October 18, 2014.
How to submit: Press 53 will take electronic submissions via Submittable, your free, online submissions manager; we will not accept paper submissions.
Reading fee: A reading fee of $30 must be paid for each entry. Reading fees are nonrefundable.
Selection process: Press 53 founding editor Kevin Morgan Watson and fiction editor Christine Norris will be the only judges of the contest; the contest will be judged solely on the strength of the stories as a collection.
Eligibility: The competition is open to manuscripts written in the English language from writers at all levels who live in the United States. Authors who have published a book with Press 53 are not eligible to enter.
Manuscript Guidelines:
1.
Manuscripts should be 250 pages or fewer.
Manuscripts should be 250 pages or fewer.2.The award recognizes an outstanding collection of short fiction. Collections may include flash fiction, short stories, long stories, and may include a single novella (est. length of a novella is 50-100 pages). Novels or single novellas alone will not be considered.
The award recognizes an outstanding collection of short fiction. Collections may include flash fiction, short stories, long stories, and may include a single novella (est. length of a novella is 50-100 pages). Novels or single novellas alone will not be considered.3.Manuscript pages should be numbered.
Manuscript pages should be numbered.4.Include a table of contents.
Include a table of contents.5.Use a standard, easy-to-read font such as 12-point Times New Roman.
Use a standard, easy-to-read font such as 12-point Times New Roman.6.Stories previously published in journals, magazines or anthologies, and stories that have won awards, may be included in the manuscript but may not have been previously published in a collection written by the author.
Stories previously published in journals, magazines or anthologies, and stories that have won awards, may be included in the manuscript but may not have been previously published in a collection written by the author.7.Previously published collections are not eligible, including self-published collections available as ebooks or in print.
Previously published collections are not eligible, including self-published collections available as ebooks or in print.8.Authors may submit more than one manuscript to the competition for consideration. Each submission will require a separate reading fee.
Authors may submit more than one manuscript to the competition for consideration. Each submission will require a separate reading fee.9.Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but please withdraw your manuscript if it is accepted by another publisher. Withdrawal can be completed via Submittable. Reading fees are not refundable.
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but please withdraw your manuscript if it is accepted by another publisher. Withdrawal can be completed via Submittable. Reading fees are not refundable.10.Confirmation of receipt will be sent via e-mail by Submittable immediately after submission. An announcement of our shortlist and winner will be sent to all entrants via email, and posted on the Press 53 website, blog, Facebook and Twitter on the dates indicated above.
Confirmation of receipt will be sent via e-mail by Submittable immediately after submission. An announcement of our shortlist and winner will be sent to all entrants via email, and posted on the Press 53 website, blog, Facebook and Twitter on the dates indicated above.If you have any questions or concerns other than technical issues with the submissions manager, please contact Press 53 fiction editor Christine Norris.
