The 2023 contest will run from January 1 to January 31, 2023.
2023 Pennwriters Annual Writing Contest Information and Rules
Writers will receive an evaluation of their work from professionals within the writing industry when they enter The Pennwriters Annual Writing Contest.
PRIZES
Three winners will be selected in each category.
1st Place – either a full registration fee voucher to the Pennwriters Annual Conference (must be used within 2 yrs) or $50 cash.
2nd Place – a choice of half the registration fee voucher to the annual conference (must be used within 2 yrs) or $30 cash.
3rd Place – A $15 voucher to be used for a free entry in next year's contest.
Winners will be announced at the 2023 Pennwriters Conference, and will be celebrated on social media.
1st Place – either a full registration fee voucher to the Pennwriters Annual Conference (must be used within 2 yrs) or $50 cash.
2nd Place – a choice of half the registration fee voucher to the annual conference (must be used within 2 yrs) or $30 cash.
3rd Place – A $15 voucher to be used for a free entry in next year's contest.
Winners will be announced at the 2023 Pennwriters Conference, and will be celebrated on social media.
SUBMISSIONS
The contest starts on January 1, each year at 12:01 AM and ends January 31 at midnight. Uploads and payment must be complete by 11:59pm, January 31. We recommend you start early. Entries must be uploaded on this website
Please familiarize yourself with the NEW judging criteria before you submit your entry.
Please familiarize yourself with the NEW judging criteria before you submit your entry.
CONTEST CATEGORIES
Please click for updated judge's forms for each category.
Novel Beginnings
Poetry
Nonfiction
Short Story
Novel Beginnings
Poetry
Nonfiction
Short Story
CONTEST RULES
1. The Pennwriters Annual Writing Contest is open to any member of Pennwriters in good standing before the contest opens (i.e., as of December 31 of the previous year).
2. You may enter each category (Novel Introduction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Short Story) as many times as you wish, but an entry fee of $15 must accompany EACH entry, and you need to submit each entry separately. The Poetry entry fee is THREE poems for $15 (see Poetry Submission Guidelines Below).
3. Categories receiving less than five (5) entries will be canceled. Entries and entry fees in that category will be returned.
4. Each entry must not exceed 10 pages, no matter which category members enter.
5. Files must be in .doc .docx or .rtf format and remove ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION. (*Please note: Some programs/computers add this automatically, so check before submitting, and remove it manually. Submissions containing an author's name will be disqualified.)
Name your file as follows:
TitleOfThePiece_Category
Example Entry Title: MurderGoneAwry_NovelBeginning
6. Entry must be submitted in standard manuscript format. What does this mean? See Below:
2. You may enter each category (Novel Introduction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Short Story) as many times as you wish, but an entry fee of $15 must accompany EACH entry, and you need to submit each entry separately. The Poetry entry fee is THREE poems for $15 (see Poetry Submission Guidelines Below).
3. Categories receiving less than five (5) entries will be canceled. Entries and entry fees in that category will be returned.
4. Each entry must not exceed 10 pages, no matter which category members enter.
- Short Stories: Entries should present a complete story within the given page limits. Fewer than 10 pages is acceptable, but nothing greater than 10 will be accepted.
- Creative Nonfiction/Article: Send the first 10 pages of a book length work. If the entry is an article, it should be complete in 10 pages (or less).
- Novel Beginning: Send the first 10 pages of a novel.
- Poetry: Up to three poems per entry, with a 10 page combined limit per poem.
5. Files must be in .doc .docx or .rtf format and remove ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION. (*Please note: Some programs/computers add this automatically, so check before submitting, and remove it manually. Submissions containing an author's name will be disqualified.)
Name your file as follows:
TitleOfThePiece_Category
Example Entry Title: MurderGoneAwry_NovelBeginning
6. Entry must be submitted in standard manuscript format. What does this mean? See Below:
STANDARD MANUSCRIPT FORMAT
- US Standard letter size, 8.5 x 11 inches with 1" margins all the way around.
- 21-26 lines per page
- Fonts (Courier New or Times New Roman ONLY)
- 12 point text size
- Submission title and category should appear in a header in the upper left-hand corner of each page
- Page number should appear in a header in the upper right-hand corner of each page
- Text should be double-spaced, left justified, with the first line of a paragraph indented .5"
- The author’s name MUST NOT appear anywhere on the entry. Author’s name on manuscripts will result in immediate disqualification, and the entry fee will not be returned.
- You may start your entry from the top of the first page. The first page of any chapter should not be started halfway down the page. Just start it on the first line available.
Please Note: Changing the margins to less than 1" or reducing the font below 12 points counts as an automatic disqualification.
POETRY FORMAT
- Each poem should be sent separately, but only one payment per three poems is required
- Fonts (Courier New or Times New Roman required) 12 point text size
SUBMIT
You must be a Pennwriters member in good standing at the time the contest opens.
To enter, you must log into the PW website, and click on the event in the calendar, then choose the category you wish to enter.
To enter, you must log into the PW website, and click on the event in the calendar, then choose the category you wish to enter.