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A Fan-Operated Science Fiction and Fantasy Literary and Filk Convention in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area
FenCon is having a Short Story Contest! FenCon and the Dallas Future Society are proud to announce the launch of our first short fiction contest. We're looking for a science fiction or fantasy story on any topic. The only limits are your imagination, a maximum 5000 word count, and the short list of rules below. The first entry is free for members of FenCon and the Dallas Future Society and just $10 for non-members. Final judging will be conducted by top industry professionals and the winners will be published in our 2005 Program Book! The extended entry deadline has passed. 1st: "Winds of Limbo Roar" by Michael Ashleigh Finn Prizes: The first place winner will be awarded $50 plus a certificate, given a free FenCon 2006 membership, and the story will be printed in the FenCon program book. The first two runners-up will each be awarded $25 plus a certificate, given a free FenCon 2006 membership, and the stories may be printed (space permitting) in the FenCon program book. The other runners-up will receive acknowledgment in the program book.
Rules and Regulations: This contest is open to all amateur writers, defined as anyone who has not sold a story of any length (from short-short to novel) to a professional publication before June 30, 2005. Sale of poetry or non-fiction does not count. "Sold to a professional publication" means being paid at least 3 cents per word. Electronic publications meeting these criteria count. However, some electronic publication involves no promise to pay any definite amount by any definite time; this does not count as a professional sale. Entries must be either science fiction or fantasy, less than 5,000 words long, and the original work of the person submitting them. Entries must conform to the Contest Submission Guidelines and General Manuscript Submission Guidelines detailed below. The author's name must not appear on the manuscript. The author’s name must be placed on a separate cover sheet along with the author's address and the title of the story. (Use the Entry Form available above for this purpose.) This is to ensure the greatest objectivity by the judges, especially in the case of several stories entered by the same person. Any entry that does not conform to these rules will not be entered into the contest, will not be returned, and will not be acknowledged. In all cases, the decisions of the judges are final. The entry fee is $10 per submission. Members of FenCon or the Dallas Future Society may submit one story at no charge. Additional stories may be submitted for an additional $10 per submission. The maximum number of stories any one person may submit is three. All submissions must be sent to: Entries must have been received no later than July 15, 2005. The results of the contest will be announced at FenCon II to be held in or around Dallas, Texas, on September 23-25, 2005. Contest results and first round readers' comments will be available after the convention. These comments may be the most valuable benefit of this contest. They are probably the closest to unbiased critique from knowledgeable readers available anywhere. FenCon may keep an archival copy of finalists' manuscripts, but all other copies may be destroyed. For your own protection, keep a copy of your manuscript. All rights will remain with the authors. Contest Submission Guidelines: The official Entry Form available above serves as a cover sheet for your story that contains your STORY TITLE, NAME, AND CONTACT INFORMATION (including phone numbers, e-mail address, and mailing address). This is VERY IMPORTANT. You can't win if we don't know who you are. On each page of your story, include only the PAGE NUMBER and your STORY TITLE, not your name and contact information, as described in the guidelines below. These special contest procedures allow the contest administrators to anonymously circulate your story without the cover page to the judges, to avoid any appearance of bias (in case your name is known to them). Only the contest administrator will have the entry forms with your name and contact information until judging is completed. Submissions not meeting proper manuscript format may not be included in the contest. In addition to the required paper copy, please include an electronic copy of your contest submission on CD or diskette in RTF (Rich Text Format). All major word processors will allow you to save a document as an RTF file. You must not submit the same story to both the short fiction contest and to the writer's workshop. Any such entries may be disqualified. No "fanfic" or shared-worlds fiction. All work submitted must be the original work of the submitting author. E-mail any questions or comments to storycontest@fencon.org. Absolutely no contest submissions will be accepted at this address. All contest entries must be submitted only to the Post Office box listed in these rules. General Manuscript Submission Guidelines: Proper manuscript format is the format you, as a writer, should use to submit your work to a publisher. The high points include:
These general standards may vary a bit from publisher to publisher, editor to editor, writer to writer, but remain substantially the same. They have evolved over many years, and there's a good reason for them. Editors need room to make comments and proofreading marks (hence, the double-spacing). Editors also need to retain use of their eyes (hence, the restriction of funny-colored papers, difficult-to-read fonts, small type, and double-sided printing). Use proper manuscript format for all of your professional submissions (and, of course, this contest). The extended entry deadline has passed. 1st: "Winds of Limbo Roar" by Michael Ashleigh Finn If you have any questions or comments, please send e-mail to storycontest@fencon.org. Absolutely no contest submissions will be accepted at this address. All contest entries must be submitted only to the Post Office box listed in these rules. Submissions sent via e-mail will be discarded unread and the submitter may be disqualified from the contest. Last updated 26 September 2005 Text and images Copyright 2003-2005 by Dallas Future Society, Dallas, Texas. |
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