Finance Your Dreams

Regional Grants and Awards

The biennial Writing Contest for young and adult writers sponsored by North Country Public Radio and the Adirondack Center for Writing. First-prize winners receive $500.00, publication in Blueline magazine, and read their work on NCPR. Runners-up receive $200.00 and read on air. T he submissions are divided into two age groups: 12-20 and 21 plus for each genre. Contact ACW or NCPR (1-877-388-6277, www.ncpr.org) for submission guidelines. Next deadline is December 2007.

A call for manuscripts and resumes for writers to do readings and to lead writing workshops
The following organizations are interested in receiving vitae from regional authors at any time:
Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts presents readings, presentations, and workshops of all genres and for all skill levels. Send vitae and recorded material if you have it to Darren Miller, Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, PO Box 205, Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812.

Adirondac magazine is always looking for material about the Adirondacks, especially outdoor recreation, but also about history and local issues. Write to Neal Burdick at 35 Woods Drive, Canton, NY 13617 for guidelines.

The Adirondack Review is a quarterly on-line journal accepting submissions from around the world, but we are also interested in publishing quality work from people who have connections to the Adirondack region. They often have a feature called "Adirondack Voices" and publish the work of Adirondack writers. The guidelines can also be found on their website, http://www.adirondackreview.homestead.com

The Lake George Arts Project presents readings, presentations, and workshops of all genres and for all skill levels. Send vitae to John Strong, Lake George Arts Project, 310 Canada Street, Lake George, NY 12845.

The Old Forge Public Library presents readings, presentations, and workshops of all genres and for all skill levels. Send vitae to Isabella Worthen, Old Forge Public Library, PO Box 128, 220 Crosby Blvd., Old Forge, NY 13420.

Saratoga Springs Public Library is looking for writers for their Writers on Reading series. Every month a guest writer gives a reading and leads a book discussion. The honorarium is $250. for the evening plus some traveling expenses. Interested writers should send a letter of interest, bio, and writing sample to Linda Bullard, Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
The Saratoga Publis Library is also looking for poets to lead the Saratoga Poetry Zone. Interested poets should write to Mary Jablonski, Saratoga Poetry Zone, PO Box 231, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

The Writer's Voice of Silver Bay offers a six-week reading series each summer on Thursday evenings during July and August. The Series presents local, regional and national writers reading fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Silver Bay also seeks writers who are interested in teaching in-school writing workshops. Interested persons are encouraged to send materials to Sharon Ofner, The Writer's Voice of the Silver Bay Association, 87 Silver Bay Road, Silver Bay, NY 12874.

National Awards for Emerging Writers
(Many of these awards require reading fees so again, it is crucial that you thoroughly research these contests and organizations to see if there is a good chance that they would be interested in your style of writing before sending in your submission. Also, although some of the contest deadlines listed here are just expired or fast approaching, we decided to include them because often a careful submission can take up to a year to prepare.)

The DANA AWARD is monetary encouragement for work that has not yet been recognized, so all work should be unawarded, unpublished, and not under promise of award or publication AT THE TIME IT'S SUBMITTED TO US. Submissions considered are poetry, short fiction, and the novel. Each category awards $1,000.00 Deadline: October 31, 2001. For submission guidelines, write to Mary Elizabeth Parker, Chair DANA AWARDS in poetry, short fiction, and the novel, 7207 Townsend Forest Court, Browns Summit, NC 27214 9634 danaawards@pipeline.com http://danaawards.home.pipeline.com/.

E literature offers two awards, one for poetry and the other for fiction. The winner in each category will receive $10,000. Submissions must exhibit innovative use of electronic techniques and enhancements. Literary quality, understood as being related to print and electronic traditions of fiction and poetry, respectively; quality and accessibility of interface design. Collections will be accepted if they are intended to be read holistically as a single work. ELO Prizes will be awarded for fiction, poetry, drama, and creative nonfiction electronic literature projects. http://www.eliterature.org/abo/about-x06-Prizes.shtml

Glimmer train is interested in reading your original, unpublished short stories, very short stories, poetry, and fiction. Payment is $500.00 for accepted material. This is not a contest; it is a call for submissions to their publication. Deadlines vary, contact Glimmer Train Press, Inc., 710 SW Madison Street, Suite 504, Portland, Oregon 97205 http://www.glimmertrain.com/ishig.html.

Enter KALLIOPE's Sue Saniel Elkind Poetry Contest: $1,000.00 First Place Award for the Best Poem by a Woman. Deadline: Postmarked by November 1, 2001. Write to:Kalliope, Sue Saniel Elkind Poetry Contest, Florida Community College at Jacksonville, 3939 Roosevelt Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida 32205, Telephone: 904- 381-3511 http://www.fccj.org/kalliope/k-contst.html

The New Issues Poetry Prize: $1,000 and publication for a first book of poems. The postmark deadline for entries is November 30, 2001. Send manuscripts and queries to: New Issues Poetry, Department of English, Western Michigan University , 1903 West Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008 5331. http://www.wmich.edu/newissues/spring2001/firstbookguide.html

New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships. Artists' Fellowships are $7,000 cash awards made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for use in career development. DEADLINE- Application deadlines are in early October. The exact deadline changes each year; please refer to the current application or contact program staff for the current deadline. www.nyfa.org or write New York Foundation for the Arts, 155 Avenue of the Americas, 14Fl, New York, NY 10013-1507. (212) 366-6900. These fellowships are very competitive.

The Walt Whitman Award brings first-book publication, a cash prize of $5,000, and a one-month residency at the Vermont Studio Center to an American who has never before published a book of poetry. The winning manuscript, is published by Louisiana State University Press. The Academy purchases at least 10,000 copies of the book for distribution to its members. Submissions are accepted each year from September 15 to November 15, and an entry form and fee are required. To obtain the guidelines and entry form for the Walt Whitman contest, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to The Walt Whitman Award, The Academy of American Poets, 88 Broadway, Suite 1203, New York, NY 10012-3210. http://www.poets.org/awards/whitman.cfm

Writers at Work offers an annual Fellowship Competition for emerging writers in the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry genres. Winners are honored with cash prizes, publication opportunities, etc, and in many instances, the attention of agents and publishers attending the annual conference in search of new talent. The Fellowship Competition is open to unpublished work only. Send your fellowship competition entry to: Writers at Work Fellowship Competition, c/o (specify manuscript genre), P.O. Box 540370, NSL, UT 84054-0370 http://www.writersatwork.org/fellowship.html

Regional Conferences:
The New York State Summer Young Writers Institute is a statewide creative writing workshop for New York State high school students held at the Silver Bay Association the second week in July. Student participants will immerse themselves in poetry, prose, and critical evaluation of each other's work.. In addition, young writers will attend evening readings and presentations by nationally know writers. Financial assistance based upon individual need is available. Admission and participation will be determined by evaluation of creative writing selections submitted by student applicants. Interested high school students entering the ninth grade in the 2002-2003 school year along with tenth and eleventh grade students are eligible to apply and can call or email us at 518-543-8833 ext. 208, sbaprogram@aol.com and request a application.

Bread Loaf Writers' Conference in Middlebury, VT is one of America's most respected literary institutions. Writing workshops in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction are the core of the curriculum. Each faculty member conducts a small workshop, and meets individually with participants. Early in the Conference, guest editors and agents give overviews of the industry. Acceptance is based on the strength and promise of the writing sample and the admission board's judgment that the applicant will benefit from the Conference. The workshops are designed to accommodate both published writers and those in the early stages of promising careers. If they receive your complete application by April 15, you will hear back from them by May 15. Later applications are considered on a rolling basis. Financial aid applications must be postmarked by March 15. Contact Bread Loaf for submission guidelines: Middlebury College Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, Middlebury, Vt 05753. (802) 443-5286 (all year) http://www.middlebury.edu/~blwc/admissions.html

Middlebury College also hosts the New England Young Writers Conference. Contact NEYW for more information at: New England Young Writers' Conference, Gifford Hall, Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont 05753 (802) 443-3071 http://www.middlebury.edu/%7Ene ywc.html


NOTE: A fantastic resource for writers is Poets &Writers magazine and web site (www.pw.org). Both the magazine and web site list tons of national awards/conferences/retreats as well as gives tips and information on virtually every issue facing emerging writers. You can find copies of Poets & Writers at newsstands that carry literary journals or get a subscription by writing to Poets & Writers, 72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012.