Writing Contest for 2012 Writers Conference

Sponsored by the Utah Christian Writers Fellowship

(a downloadable copy of these rules is available on the Downloads page in pdf format)

Utah Christian Writers Fellowship is pleased to announce an addition to the 2012 Writers Conference schedule: a writing contest! The contest is open to all conference attendees. (Please note that entries must be received via U.S. Mail by March 31, 2012 to allow time for judging. Those wishing to enter the writing contest must have registered by this date.)

Prizes will be awarded in the last general session of the conference. First Place winners in each category will receive $50. Second and Third place winners will be recognized with a Certificate of Accomplishment.

Writing Contest Rules:

• This contest is open to conference registrants only. Entries will not be accepted from a writer who has not registered for the conference.
• Members of the conference faculty are not eligible to enter. Members of UCWF are eligible to enter, as long as they are conference registrants and not on this year’s conference faculty.
• Conference registrants may submit one entry in each of the following four categories:

Nonfiction: One article or essay, not to exceed 1500 words

Fiction: One short story or novel excerpt, not to exceed 3,000 words

Poetry: One poem, not to exceed 50 lines

Devotional: One devotional, not to exceed 300 words

• A category must receive at least three entries, or prizes will not be awarded in that category.
• All entries must be unpublished.
• The content of an entry need not be targeted to a Christian audience, but must not contain anything that would be considered offensive to a Christian reader. Any entry containing offensive language, sensuality, or graphic violence will be disqualified.
• The writer may not have been professionally published in the same category for which he or she is entering. For example, a writer who has professionally published a nonfiction article may not enter the Nonfiction category, but is free to enter the Fiction and Poetry categories. For the purposes of this contest, ‘professionally published’ is defined as any publication for which the writer has been paid more than $20.
• Entries must be double-spaced and printed using Times New Roman or Courier 12 point font.
• The entry should be printed on white paper. A page number and title should appear at the top of each page. The writer’s name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript.
• Each entry should have an accompanying cover page specifying: (1) the title of the entry, (2) the writer’s name, address, and phone number, (3) the category, i.e. Nonfiction, Fiction, or Poetry.
• Two copies of each entry should be mailed to: UCWF Writing Contest, P.O. Box 70271, West Valley City, UT  84170
• Entries must be received no later than March 31, 2012.
• All rights to the entry are retained by the writer. This is not a publication contest, so no rights are being forfeited.
• Winners need not be present when the awards are announced to win.
• Entries, with judges’ comments, will be returned at the conclusion of the conference after the awards have been presented. If a writer cannot be present, he or she should provide a self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage to cover the cost of mailing the entry. Unclaimed entries with no self-addressed, stamped envelope will be discarded.
• Failure to follow these rules will disqualify an entry
• Tax liability for prizes is the sole responsibility of the winner.