writing contest rules

SISTAHFAITH 2009 WORD PRAIZE CONTEST RULES

Eligibility – The 2009 SF Word Praize contest is open to SistahFaith Network members (join now! it's easy and free at the top right of this page!) unpublished in print or electronic book length works or more in the last seven years.
Authors of academic dissertations are eligible. Contracted authors are not eligible. Manuscripts under consideration by a publishing house are not eligible. Entries may be submitted to other contests. All entrants must be 18 years old or older.

Fees – $20 per entry..

Guidelines – One 3-page entry (the first three pages) per category per person. Entrants may only win one prize. Entries muhttp://sistahfaith.ning.com/page/writing-contest/edit#st be submitted by midnight EST June 10, 2009.
– Highest scoring entry overall, GRAND PRIZE WINNER, receives A BOOK CONTRACT for a 50-100 PAGE MANUSCRIPT WITH AMANI PUBLISHING ($1000 value) and WRITE ON! SISTAH EDITING SERVICES($500 value) for the winning manuscript

Top three (3) scoring entries overall, TOP THREE FINALISTS, receive $100, $50 and $25 respectively. The TOP THREE FINALISTS will be announced June 13, 2009 at the SistahFaith National Conference in Tallahassee, Florida. Finalists do not need to be present to win.

The GRAND PRIZE WINNER will be announced on www.sistahfaith.com, www.amanipublishing.net and on the SistahFaith Network by August 1, 2009.

Categories – Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry.

Judging – During the First round, three judges (published authors or experienced writers) will score each entry. The lowest score will be dropped and the remaining two scores averaged. The top three overall will be named as TOP THREE FINALISTS. TOP THREE FINALISTS will be notified on or before June 15, 2009.

During the Second round, two judges (Marilynn Griffith, Founder of SistahFaith and Barbara Joe Williams, President of Amani Publishing) will score each TOP THREE FINALIST entry.

The highest entry will be named GRAND PRIZE WINNER and offered a publishing contract with Amani Publishing (for a book 50-100 pages) and editing of that book by Marilynn Griffith of SistahFaith, Inc.

Scoresheets will be emailed to each contestant at the email provided on the entry form. If any TOP THREE FINALIST entries are under contract or consideration by a publisher, or if a contestant must withdraw for any reason, the next highest scoring entry will take its place.

All TOP THREE FINALISTS (top 3 entries) will be asked to email a basic proposal (cover letter, two-page single-spaced outline, and the first three chapters of the manuscript in standard manuscript format) to the contest coordinator by June 30, 2009. Proposals will not be judged, but SistahFaith will send the TOP THREE FINALISTS’ proposals to Amani Publishing. TOP THREE FINALISTS may also be asked (but not required) to email a digital headshot (300 dots per inch jpeg) photo for publicity purposes. All contestants are encouraged to complete their manuscripts in case they score in the TOP THREE FINALIST positions.

Submission Instructions
Use 12 point Courier or Courier New font, double-spaced, with one inch margins. Register below and upload the first three pages of your manuscript in a Microsoft Word document.

Your entry will be processed once your entry form and payment have been received. In the file you upload with your entry, include your name, address, phone number, manuscript title and category. Include a header on each manuscript with the title and page numbers. NO entrant’s name or pseudonym should be in the header.

Sign entry form electronically and pay necessary fees. Provide an mail for the return of your manuscript with judging comments and scoresheets.

Do NOT send a synopsis or outlines at this time. (TOP THREE FINALISTS will need one after the first round, but not now). Do send your best work and check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. Do NOT send cash.

Entries not fulfilling the above specifications will be disqualified.