The focus of this contest is fictional or true-life short stories that include hope in some way.
All submissions must be sent to: inklingspublishing@gmail.com
Submissions OPEN:
February 1st, 2025 -April 30th, 2025
Be sure to verify your HWG or Wivla member status to verify your entry fee cost.
A collaboration Short Story Contest
Entry Fee:
$40 for nonmembers
$30 for members of HWG or WIVLA (You do not need to be a member of both organizations to get this discount – though we do hope you will consider joining both)
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Prizes:
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First prize -- $100 plus certificate, a medal, and complimentary 3Day pass to Authorpalooza Extravaganza Conference
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Second prize -- $75 plus certificate, a medal, and complimentary 3Day pass to Authorpalooza Extravaganza Conference
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Third prize -- $50 plus certificate, a medal, and complimentary 3-Day pass to Authorpalooza Extravaganza Conference
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Publication in the book as an honorable mention or winner will also mean a complimentary copy of the volume as well as complimentary entry to the book launch party event on Friday, October 3rd, 2025 for themselves and a plus one.
Additional Contributor Author Benefits:
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Each author published in the book will be able to purchase as many copies of the anthology as they wish at 50% off retail price and resell these retaining all profits from said sales.
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Retain all rights to their story for any future or concurrent use. No exclusivity is required or requested.
ALL submissions will receive general constructive feedback from judges.
Contest Logistics
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Submissions will be accepted starting January 8th through April 8th, 2024. Please follow the submission guidelines below.
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Judging will take place between May 1st through May 31st, 2025.
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Winners and Honorable Mentions will be provided revision requests by the volume’s developmental editor by the first week of June, 2025. Authors may choose to have a one-on-one meeting with the editor and gain further insight as well as experience the process of working with a publishing house content editor.
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Revised drafts will be due by Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 for the final version of the story to be included in the anthology.
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Release will be Friday, October 3rd, 2025 at the opening evening of the Authorpalooza Extravaganza Conference.
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Winning authors and honorable mentions whose work is to be included in the final anthology will go through this part of the process so that the final story published is the strongest possible. Word count limit will no longer be important. The focus is on putting the best possible version of the story out to readers.
Submission Guidelines
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Story should be no more than 5,000 words long and must involve the volume’s theme, Journey into Hope, in some way. All genre’s welcome.
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Authors may submit up to 3 stories to the contest.
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A panel of judges will score the submissions and determine the winners and honorable mentions – which stories will be published in the anthology and receive their respective additional prizes as applicable.
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The stories will then move to the publication queue, which consists of two phases:
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Revision Phase – Authors will be given an opportunity to work with an editor in a revision consultation. A deadline will be provided for resubmission based on the revision requests.
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Editing Phase – professional copyediting will ensure the work is ready for the public.
Formatting
Subject Line: HWG/WIVLA Contest Entry
First Word Document should be titled (Your Name) Author Information and contain the following:
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Title of story
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author’s name as you wish it to appear in the publication
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author’s legal name
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contact information for author including: email address, telephone number, and mailing address
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Author Bio of no more than 500 words that has been professionally edited and is ready for inclusion in the book should your story make the cut.
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Send SECOND Word Document should be titled (Your Name) + Story Title and be formatted as follows:
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Typed in 12 pt Garamond Font
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Single-spaced
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Header with title of story and page numbering
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Your name should NOT appear anywhere within the document. Do Not Put Your Name in the header or on the first page of the story proper. Judging is blind, so if your name is within the document, your submission will be disqualified and no refunds will be given. name should NOT appear anywhere in this second word document. Do Not Put Your Name in the header or on the first page of the story file.
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If the submission is not sent using the aforementioned formatting requirements, it will be automatically disqualified – no refund of entry fee will be made in such an event.
Submissions using AI-generated content will be disqualified and no refunds will be issued. Please submit only original stories written by you as a human artist.
No exceptions to the guidelines will be made.
Rachel Connelly is one of Inklings Publishing’s developmental editors. A writer and thespian, Rachel will be working with the winning and honorable mention authors to develop and refine their piece for publication.
She works as a freelance developmental editor, born and raised in Houston. For as long as she can remember, writing and reading and storytelling have been her passions. As an editor, it gives her so much joy to help others bring life to the stories inside their heads.
Outside of work, Rachel is a local community theatre actress, avid painter and crocheter, and mom to four ridiculous cats.
Maer Wilson has always loved stories, especially fantasy, mystery, and sci-fi; so, it is no surprise that after a long career of teaching others, she decided to lean into writing herself. Maer has a BA in Theatre Arts from CSU Fullerton and has given over three thousand performances over eight years as a professional stage actor in Southern California, which helped tremendously with her character creation. She has published numerous fiction titles, including novels, novelettes, a short story, and a critically acclaimed memoir/biography. Maer is also a co-producer and co-host of the literary podcast MythBehaving, is a co-owner of Ellysian Press, and was named 2015 Fantasy Author of the Year by AuthorClassifieds.com.
Alexandria (Lexi) Willbond has always loved the immersive worlds books can provide. So, she became an editor because she not only gets to help develop these stories, but she also gets to aid authors in making their dreams come true! Lexi has a BA in Rhetoric and Writing from UT Austin and an MA in Technical Communication from TTU. Lexi has worked in the publishing industry for over 5 years. She is currently a technical editor for the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), a developmental and acquisitions editor for Inklings Publishing, and the founder and CEO of Transform Editing, which provides developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, and coaching services for aspiring writers.
The Houston Writers Guild is a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization working to create a community of writers of all skill levels. Together we strive to improve our writing craft and help each other build successful careers through education, collaborative marketing efforts, and camaraderie.​
The Guild offers a myriad of programs for both published and unpublished writers. It creates opportunities to build careers through networking, as well as, opportunities for author book sales throughout the Greater Houston area and neighboring communities. The Guild is also a place for hobbyist authors to enjoy writing in a relaxed and fun environment.
WIVLA's mission is to provide an inspiring forum for women to explore and advance their creative development, to promote their work in the marketplace, and to infuse the community with their spirit of cooperation and invention.
Women in the Visual and Literary Arts (WIVLA) is a nurturing place for sharing and growth, where visual artists, writers and other creatives meet in an atmosphere of support and mutual respect.
Each month, dynamic speakers give informative and inspiring presentations. We invite you to join us, whether you are on your way to becoming the writer or artist you want to be or are already a seasoned professional.