Missouri Writers Guild ~ 2018
AUTUMN “Flash” CONTEST

Theme: “Tell Me a Story”

Submission Guidelines

Missouri Writers’ Guild (MWG) invites writers to submit original, unpublished works of
“flash poetry” and “flash prose,” both fiction and nonfiction, to the MWG 2018 Autumn Flash
Contest. Judges, who are professionals in the field, rate and select the manuscripts for awards.
Do read and apply the guidelines. They will be followed.
General Submission Rules

1. Entries must be:
   a. in English,
   b. unpublished at the time of submission, and
   c. the original work of the author.
   d. Start each entry with the title, centered, on a new page, 500 to 1000 words for
   prose, 200 to 500 words for poetry.
2. Provide a cover sheet as the first page. Cover sheet to include author’s name;
   address; telephone number; email address; designation of each piece as fiction,
   nonfiction, or poetry; title and first line of each entry. Use additional page if
   necessary. Information on several entries may be included on one cover sheet.
   Cover sheet and entries may be mailed in one e-file or mailing envelope.
3. All submissions must be in 12-point Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier font
   with 1-inch margins top and bottom, and 1 1⁄2-half inch margins left and right.
4. The deadline for all entries is September 30, 2018, 11:59 p.m.
5. Entries containing pornography, graphic violence, explicit or gratuitous sex, and
   scatological content will not be accepted. However, “There are times when,” and I
   quote Supreme Court Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, “the only thing to say
   is ‘Well, I’ll be damned!’” Be judicious; he was.
6. Submissions: Online, as attachment to an email, to MWGFlash2018@gmail.com,
   with Contest Entry and author’s name on subject line, or snail mail to Judy Stock,
   MWGFlash Contest, P.O. Box 484, Boonville, MO 65233.
7. No author’s name or contact information on the manuscript, personal information
   goes on cover sheet only.
8. Contest is open to all writers. You may enter as many times as you wish.
9. Fees: $10 per entry of one work of poetry or prose, may be paid in one transaction
   through paypal-alert@missouriwritersguild.org via the PayPal website, or one
   check made out to Missouri Writers Guild, PO Box 190235, St. Louis, MO 63119.
10. Adding check number to cover sheet would be helpful.
11. Send us your best. Somebody has to win. They did last year.
12. Please address questions to Judy Stock, MWGFlash2018@gmail.com, with
    “MWG Contest Question” in the subject line.

Additional Guidelines
Poetry
1. Poetry may be any form, 200 to 500 words. Over 500 will be deleted. No more than
one entry per page.
2. Poetry may address any subject (except as noted in General Rule #5, above).
3. Lines should be single-spaced, with a double-space between verses.

Prose
1. Prose, fiction or nonfiction, 500 to 1000 words; over 1000 words will be deleted.
2. Stories may be on any subject (except as noted in General Rule #5, above).
3. Paragraphs should have a three-space indent, with one space after periods.
4. Entries must be double-spaced; title is not included in word count.
5. Put word count at top of first page of each entry.

Judging
All submissions for publication are rated and selected by independent judges, whose decisions
are final. Judges may award up to three places, at their discretion, but will select at least one in
each category. Honorable mentions will be awarded if indicated. (The Contest Facilitator is not a
judge and does not select the winners. The facilitator receives, sorts, and forwards entries.)

Awards – Each Category:
1st Place $50
2nd Place $30
3rd Place $20
Honorable Mention Certificates