15 Submission Opportunities for June and July

1) Chicken Soup for the Soul - Crazy, eccentric, wacky, lovable, fun families

The deadline for submissions is June 20, 2022.

We all have them! Those eccentric, goofy, wacky, lovable, and oh so fun family members—the ones we tell all the stories about. They could be a parent or grandparent, an in-law, a brother or sister, an aunt, uncle or cousin. Or grown children. Share your true stories and poems about those family members. With love and appreciation, please. No mean- spirited stories wanted. And don’t worry. You can put a pen name on your story if necessary.

Here are some suggested topics, but we know you will have many more ideas:

• Faux pas, misunderstandings, gaffes of all kinds
• Eccentric to a fault
• Family feuds
• Family traditions that need to end… now!
• Weddings, funerals, and other family events
• Birthdays and gift-giving
• Meeting the family
• Silly family fun
• Childhood hijinks
• Holiday hysterics
• Kooky compulsions and obsessions
• Estate issues – that’s mine and you can’t have it!
• Moving back in with your parents
• Having your children move back in
• Vacationing together
• Marriage! Need we say more?
• Blended families
• Outlandish, amusing and annoying habits

 

2) BLUE MOUNTAIN ARTS POETRY CONTEST https://www.sps.com/contest-3
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2022. Prizes $350, $200, and $100. Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming, although we find that non-rhyming poetry reads better. We suggest that you write about real emotions and feelings and that you have some special person or occasion in mind as you write.


3) PRESERVATION FOUNDATION CONTESTS http://www.storyhouse.org/contest%202022.html
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2022. For purposes of these contests, unpublished writers are defined as those who have never earned over $500 by their writing skills in any single year, whether from a salary, freelance work, editing, royalties, or sale of stories or books. Stories must be between 1,000 and 10,000 words in length. Stories from any country are fine, although they must be written in English. First prize $200. Runners-up $100. Any appropriate nonfiction topic is eligible.  Stories must be true, not semi-fictional accounts.  So-called "creative nonfiction"  will not be considered.


4) UTAH ORIGINAL WRITING CONTEST
http://www.slcc.edu/cwc/utah-original-writing-competition.aspx
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2022. Writers entering categories A through D cannot have a book published (either traditionally published or self-published) or accepted for publication in the category they enter. However, authors can have a book published or accepted for publication in a category other than the one they wish to enter. Submitters must have a 70% physical presence in Utah AND be a legal Utah resident for one year prior to submission and at time of submission. First prize (Categories A-D): $1,000. Second prize (Categories A-D): $500. First prize (Categories E-G): $300. Second prize (Categories E-G): $150. 

5) THE LINDISFARNE PRIZE https://www.ljrossauthor.com/philanthropy/lindisfarne-prize/NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2022. The Lindisfarne Prize for Crime Fiction is a literary prize which recognises outstanding writing in the genre of crime or thriller fiction, sponsored by the author L J Ross through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, in association with the Newcastle Noir Crime Writing Festival and Newcastle Libraries. It is open to all writers who are from, or whose work celebrates the North East of England, and who have not previously had their submission published in any form (though they might have had other stories published before). To be considered, entrants must submit a short story of no more than 10,000 words or the first two chapters and a synopsis of their work in progress. The winning entry will be awarded a prize of £2500 to support the completion of their work and funding towards a year’s membership of both the Society of Authors (SoA) and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and smaller financial awards to shortlisted candidates. 

 6) V.S. PRITCHETT SHORT STORY PRIZE

https://rsliterature.org/award/v-s-pritchett-short-story-prize/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2022. The annual prize of £1,000 goes to the best unpublished short story of the year. The winning entry is also published in Prospect magazine and the RSL Review. Must be in English and between 2,000 and 4,000 words. Must be resident of the UK, Ireland, or the Commonwealth.

 

 7) BROOKLYN CARIBBEAN LITERARY FESTIVAL

https://www.bklyncbeanlitfest.com/2022-short-fiction-story-competition
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2022. Contest will award US$1750 in cash for each of the two prizes for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (3,000 words max). The two prizes are for Caribbean Americans and Caribbeans. 



8) LOVE BOOKS COMPETITION
https://www.marlboroughlitfest.org/love-books-competition/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2022. We want you to tell us why you love your favourite book, poem or play. Your response can be in the form of a piece of text of up to 750 words, or through a video of no more than four minutes. Entrants should explain what they love about their chosen read, highlighting key areas of interest, and why they think others should try it. Age groups: 13-16 years, 17-19 years, 20+ years. Winner for each age group receives £300; the runner-up in each age group receives £100. 

9) Chicken Soup for the Soul -  Dogs - The deadline date for submissions is JULY 31, 2022.

Our dog books are so popular that we do a new one every other year. Our canine friends make us smile every day with their crazy antics, their loving companionship, and their amazing intuition. Here is another chance for you to share your story about the member of your family who just happens to walk on four feet… your dog! We want your true funny stories, your heartwarming stories, and your mindboggling stories about all the simply amazing things that your dog does. What have you learned from your dog? How does your dog improve your life? What crazy things does your dog do? Has your dog ever done anything heroic? How does your dog warm your heart and make you smile? We want to hear all about the absurd antics, funny habits and insightful behavior of your dog. Stories can be serious or humorous. Please do not submit a story about your dog if we have already published that story. We will not republish it.

 

10) Chicken Soup for the Soul - Cats - The deadline date for submissions is JULY 31, 2022.

Our cat books are so popular that we do a new one every other year. Our feline friends make us smile every day with their crazy antics, their loving companionship, and their amazing intuition. Here is another chance for you to share your story about the member of your family who just happens to walk on four feet… your cat! We want your true funny stories, your heartwarming stories, and your mindboggling stories about all the simply amazing things that your cat does. What have you learned from your cat? How does your cat improve your life? What crazy things does your cat do? Has your cat ever done anything heroic? How does your cat warm your heart and make you smile? We want to hear all about the absurd antics, funny habits and insightful behavior of your cat. Please do not submit a story about your cat if we have already published that story. We will not republish it.

 

11) RED HEN PRESS ANN PETRY AWARD https://redhen.org/ann-petry-award/

NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 31, 2022. The award is open to all Black writers. Award $3,000, publication by Red Hen Press, The opening chapter or story of the awarded manuscript will be published in the Peauzxdunque Review. Four-week residency at The Community Library's Ernest and Mary Hemingway House in Ketchum, Idaho. 

 

12) BIOPAGE MINI ESSAY WRITING CONTEST https://www.biopage.com/contest

Deadline July 31, 2022. Biopage is hosting a writing contest to remind people the benefits of writing. Each story (or once chapter of your stories) is limited to 5,000 characters or roughly 1,000 words. We are still in this COVID-19 pandemic. You as a writer should write down this once in a life experience of fighting the deadly virus. Tell your stories in words and pictures: pantry inventories, window views, workout routines, neighbors helping neighbors, homeschooling activities... Or more dramatic: fighting the virus yourself, sick family member at home or hospital, treating patients as a healthcare provider, dealing with pain losing a friend. You can win $300, and five runners-up can win $100 each. (Requires signing up for a free account at Biopage.)

 

13) Chicken Soup for the Soul - How stepping outside my comfort zone changed me. The deadline for submissions is JULY 31, 2022.We all have a tendency to get in a rut. We start to say no to new things, and that can only lead to a narrower and narrower life. When we try new things, we end up feeling energized and pleased with ourselves. There is tremendous power in saying “yes” to new things, new places, and new experiences. It makes you feel more dynamic, younger, and more of a participant in the world. You’re not distancing yourself from change any more. Get ready to step outside your comfort zone! Tell us your own stories about stepping outside your comfort zone and how that changed your life. We know you’ll think of many more topics, but here are some suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:

• Meeting new people
• Wearing different kinds of clothing
• Traveling to new places
• Trying a new sport or activity
• Eating a food you didn’t think you would like
• Doing something that you were afraid of
• Convincing a friend or family member to do something that made them step outside their own comfort zone
• Advice on how to get yourself to step outside your comfort zone
• How doing something new made you feel
• What new things/places/foods/activities you are planning for the future
• What it was like to stay stuck in a rut and not try new things
• Epiphanies and prompts – what caused you to try new things
• Switching careers
• Trying a new volunteer activity
• Watching television channels you never saw before
• Going to a different kind of movie
• Picking up a different kind of book
• Shopping at a different grocery store
• Trying new things on your computer or phone and on the Internet
• Trying new technology/appliances
• How trying new things affected your marriage/your relationship with your children or other family members
• Trying a new church or other place of worship/joining a new congregation
• Overcoming agoraphobia or other fears

 

14) Chicken Soup for the Soul - The advice that changed my life The deadline for submissions is JULY 31, 2022. Have you ever read a Chicken Soup for the Soul story that had a wonderful piece of advice in it that made a difference in your life? Have you ever watched a movie or read an article that really had an impact on you that you haven’t been able to forget? Do you have a friend or family member who gave you some advice that you didn’t necessarily want to hear but really needed to hear that stuck with you and directed you to make positive changes in your life? We are looking for stories that contain a great piece of advice that you were given or advice that you gave to someone else. Whether the advice is about a little thing that improve your everyday life, or major epiphanies that can change a life completely, we want to hear about them and how they made a difference.

Here are some topics we can suggest but there are many more that we know you can think of:

• Career choices or changes
• Personal relationships – family or friends
• Parenting
• School
• Travel
• Moving to a new place
• Buying or selling your house
• Setting priorities
• Health and fitness
• Finances
• Taking chances
• Co-dependence and tough love
• Following your passion
• Taking risks
• Trying new things
• Simplifying your life
• Using gratitude
• Forgiving someone… or yourself

 

15) Chicken Soup for the Soul -The power of positive thinking The deadline for submission is JULY 31, 2022. We know that using the power of positive thinking helps you to achieve your goals and lead a happy, purposeful, and productive life. Almost anything is possible if you think you can. You can dream big, overcome challenges, create the best life possible for yourself, and turn adversity into opportunity. How did you “think positive” and how did it change your life? Tell us your success story about using the power of positive thinking!

Here are some suggested topics but we know you can think of many more:

· How attitude has made a difference for you
· Have you used the fake it till you make it strategy?
· The unexpected benefits of challenges
· Putting things in perspective
· Turning negative thoughts into positive thoughts
· Counting your blessings
· Using humor to improve your life
· Silver linings that you have discovered
· Appreciating the simple pleasures
· What changes you made to create the best possible life for yourself and for your family
· How gratitude helped you achieve your goals
· How you used the power of forgiveness