2016 NIGHTLIGHT  READING

SHORT STORY CONTEST

Nightlight Reading is requesting submissions for our 2016 Nightlight Reading Short Story Contest.  This contest is geared to encouraging professional and amateur writers to write stories for at-risk boys in the 10- to 12-year-old age group who often stop reading for pleasure because of a lack of engaging literature for their age group.  Nightlight Reading’s goal is to fund and promote literature that appeals to boys and keeps them engaged and reading.

• The 2016 CONTEST THEME is MYSTERY
• The written piece should be considered a SHORT STORY 
• MAXIMUM COUNT of 5,000 WORDS
• Written for 10- to 12-year-old boys

JUDGING
Contest entries will be pre-screened and read by an adult jury panel who may be scholars, librarians, teachers, and other special guests who will decide on 10 semi-finalists.  Then, a jury of young readers selected from our target readers will read all 10 semi-finalist entries and vote on the winners.

PRIZES
Prizes will be awarded for First, Second, and Third Place as follows:

• First Prize: $1,000 award plus certificate and publication of the story.
• Second Prize: $500 award plus certificate and publication of the story.
• Third Prize: $300 award plus certificate and publication of the story.

All award winners will be publicized nationally by Nightlight Reading.

OWNERSHIP
The authors will retain ownership of the stories, but Nightlight Reading will have the right to publish and distribute the story without compensation and in ways consistent with its mission for up to 2 years from the date of the awards are announced.

RULES
The Nightlight Reading Short Story Contest is open to anyone who loves to write stories for boys, and may be a professional writer, budding writer, or student.

Submissions must not have been previously published or won any other writing contest.  However, simultaneous submissions to other contests are acceptable.

DEADLINE
Deadline for submission for the 2016 contest is December 31, 2016.

ELIGIBILITY
Any full-time professional writer, part-time or freelance writers, novices and students who is at least 18 years old.  The submitted story may not be a previously published story.

HOW TO APPLY – SUBMISSIONS
To apply to the Second Annual Nightlight Reading Short Story Contest, please follow these steps:

1. Click the red Enter Here button at the bottom of this page.
2. Fill out the online form.
3. Upload one contest submission in one of these formats: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf or .txt.*
4. No fee is required.

*Note: The contest manager will convert all submissions to PDFs for judging.

MANUSCRIPT  REQUIREMENTS

• One short story in one file as a .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf or .txt.  No other file formats will be accepted
• 5,000 words maximum
• 25 pages maximum
• Double-spaced, 1-inch margin, 12-pt. font
• Manuscript must be previously unpublished and written only by the person entering the contest
• The manuscript must have the title of the entry in the file name

ENTRY FEE
There is no entry fee.

TIPS

• Consider the demographic of our target readers when writing your story: 10- to 12-year-old boys
• Avoid stereotypes
• Try to imagine what boys this age love and what they haven’t imagined…yet