Forget Emmy, Oscar, Tony, and even Grammy
At Midwest Writers Workshop, it’s all about Manny. That’s what we call our annual manuscript contest, and it’s open-free of charge-to anyone registered for Part 2 of MWW17. We’ve taken a real-world approach to our competition. Editors tell us that they know if a manuscript shows promise after reading the opening 1,000 words. So, we ask contest entrants to submit only the first 1,000 words (or about five pages) of a work in progress. We have four categories: Long fiction (think novels), short fiction (think magazine stories), nonfiction (not fake news), and poetry. We only award one winner in each category because in the competitive world of publishing, sorry, there are no runners-up.
The rules are simple and the payoff is in cash. You’re competing for a $50 prize per category. The four winners then compete for our overall R. Karl Largent Writer of the Year Award and the $150 check that goes with it. Here’s what you need to do:
- Enter only one manuscript.
- Mark whether your submission is long fiction, short fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
- Mail the opening 1,000 words or 5 pages: hard copy, double spaced, 12-point type (about four pages).
- Plan to attend the closing banquet (required) to learn if you are one of our lucky winners.
- Deadline for entries: June 17.
