The Bay Area Writers League

Open Manuscript Competition Guidelines

The 2003 contest is closed. The deadline for entries was March 31.

This competition is open to all writers, both published and unpublished. All forms of literature are eligible, including novels, short stories, essays, poems, illustrated books and songs.

Prizes:

1st place: $1,500
2nd place: $1,000
3rd place: $500
4th place: $250
5th place: $125

One entry per contestant.

Entry must not be published or contracted for publication at time of submission.

Contest entry must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2003. This deadline will not be extended.

Contestant may not be a former winner of this contest.

You must register for the full conference to enter the manuscript contest. See the Conference page for registration information.

Submit one complete copy of the full manuscript (including novels), with cover page.

Cover page must contain your name, address, phone number, title and number of pages. Your name must not appear anywhere else on the manuscript.

Each manuscript page is to have title in upper left corner and page number in upper right corner.

No staples or binders.

Registration and payment are to be submitted with contest entry.

Entry fee of $15 is nonrefundable.

Failure to follow these guidelines will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fee or fees.

Additional Information:

Manuscripts will be returned at the end of the conference.
If you wish to have your manuscripts returned by mail, send a self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage.
Finalists will be notified by mail.
Judges will remain anonymous to prevent bias. Judges may provide comments but they are not required to do so.
All entries are judged on their merits and are not divided into categories. For example, a poem could win first place and a novel second place.
Contest decisions are final.
B.A.W.L. reserves the right to use winning submissions three times for publicity purposes.

To submit: Mail manuscript with cover page, official registration form, contest waiver, and full payment according to the directions on the registration form.

How to get more information

Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to
B.A.W.L. Open Competition
P.O. Box 580007
Houston, Texas 77058

or e-mail con@bawl.org.

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B.A.W.L. is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit corporation chartered by the state of Texas.