Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Do Your Titles Need Help?

Writer's thought: A perfectly healthy sentence, it is true, is extremely rare. For the most part we miss the hue and fragrance of the thought; as if we could be satisfied with the dews of the morning or evening without their colors, or the heavens without their azure. ~  Henry David Thoreau   

Headline or Title Helper
http://www.aminstitute.com/headline/

The Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer is a free tool that analyzes and scores the emotional marketing value of a headline. It's handy for finding good fit alternatives for speeches, blogs, newsletters, and articles. Just type in your headline and you receive an "emotional rating" for the title based on your word choices. It takes just a few seconds.

This tool also tells you how your words have the greatest impact:

Intellectual: require reasoning or careful evaluation

Empathetic: bring out strong positive emotional reactions in people

Spiritual: have the strongest potential for influence and often appeal at a deep emotional level.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Crucible Poetry & Fiction Competition

Thought for today:  If you can dream it, you can do it.  Always remember this whole thing was started by a mouse.    ~   Walt Disney 

http://www.barton.edu/academics/english/crucible.htm

Manuscripts will be accepted only through May 1 of each year. Winners will be notified by October of the same year. Crucible will receive first publication rights to winning entries, after which rights will revert back to the author. Winning entries will be published in the fall issue of Crucible published by the Barton College Department of English. Fiction must be limited to 8,000 words or less. Poetry must be limited to five poems.

Prizes and Categories
Poetry:
• $150.00 First Prize
• $100.00 Second Prize

Fiction:
• $150.00 First Prize
• $100.00 Second Prize

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Bevel Summers Prize and Wergle Flomp Poetry

Thought for today: "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."  Sir Richard Steele


The 2011 Bevel Summers Prize for the Short Short Story
http://www.wlu.edu/x32988.xml

This no fee contest is open to all authors of stories of up to 1,000 words. Stories should be sent to Bevel Summers/Shenandoah, Mattingly House, 2 Lee Ave., Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA
24450 and must be received by March 31. Send two copies, one with name and contact information, including e-mail address, and a duplicate with no identifying information, along with an SASE for notification. The winner will receive a $250 prize and be featured prominently on Shenandoah's first online issue.


10th Annual Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/wergle/we_guidelines.php

Who could resist checking out what Wergle Flomp is all about?

There is no fee to enter but you may submit only one humorous poem of any length. Unpublished as well as previously published work is accepted.  The online submission deadline is April 1, 2011.

1st prize: $1,500; 2nd, $800; 3rd $400; 12 honorable mentions receive $75 each. All winners will be published online, but authors retain copyright. You may read previous winning entries on the web site.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest

Today's smile: "Dear Editor: Why do you keep sending my stories back? You're supposed to print them and make me rich and famous. What is it with you?"  This letter to the editor was written by that famous writer and philosopher Snoopy, while sitting atop his doghouse. How many homo sapien authors can relate to this canine author's angst?

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest
www.writersofthefuture.com/contest

Free quarterly contest for new and amateur writers of science fiction and fantasy short stories or novelettes.  Authors retain publication rights. The current quarter ends March 31.

Prizes are awarded each quarter: $1,000, $750, and $500. An annual grand prize of an additional $5,000 will be awarded to one of the four first place winners. The quarters begin on Oct. 1, Jan. 1, Apr. 1, and July 1. The year ends on September 30, but this international contest has been running for years.

Send only one story per quarter, maximum 17,000 words. Entrants may not have professionally published a novel, short novel, novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium.  Professional publication is defined as payment and at least 5,000 copies or 5,000 hits.