Anyone know about Neoverse writing competition?

[Randy Hulshizer]

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this. Anyone hear of this contest before?

http://www.neoglyphic.com/neoverse-writing-competition

No entry fee makes it attractive, of course, but I wonder if it's legit.

[alpha]

I hadn't heard of it. It looks good, though. Even if the video does look and sound like I'm getting recruited for a cult.

[s_c_baker]

Not familiar with them, but I would not submit to this.

I don't feel comfortable saying why here due to the fact that they sound like they have aggressive lawyers but would be happy to mention why in a PM.

[Randy Hulshizer]

There is also something strange about their numbers. They say they award up to 10 cash awards, but they choose up to 20 stories for publication. That means they are publishing up to 10 stories in their anthology without paying anything.

[disgruntledpeony]

Yeaaaaaah, I think I'll pass. The weirdness plus what is essentially a firm G rating makes me less than thrilled.

[amoskalik]

Hmmm, I agree the pitch seems a little off to me, plus I can never manage to write a story in the 1000-5000 word range. They all end up under 1000 or over 6000

[s_c_baker]

Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware says the contest is "on her radar," by the way, and will be posting about it next week.

I'll put a link to that here when it goes up.

[Randy Hulshizer]

Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware says the contest is "on her radar," by the way, and will be posting about it next week.

I'll put a link to that here when it goes up.

Thanks, Stewart!

[emilymccosh]

For what it's worth, I receive emails from Author's Publish Magazine with places to submit to and they recommended this contest. I don't know if that necessarily makes it legitimate, but they usually research their material before they send it out to their writers.

Just something to chew on.

[s_c_baker]

I had serious reservations about the terms of this contest, so I'm happy to see that they've updated their rules and taken out all the things I found troubling.

Authors now retain all rights to unpublished stories, and the right of first refusal clause is gone too. As a bonus, the top twenty stories ALL get a cash reward now.

With these changes, I think this is as excellent contest, and well worth entering!

Rule updates are here: http://www.neoglyphic.com/announcements

[LawrenceVanHoof]

I agree, the terms of the contest are much improved now. The old ones left a bad taste in my mouth.

[storysinger]

Me likey, must submit something.

[Martin L. Shoemaker]

Man... 5,000 words...

[MattDovey]

Man... 5,000 words...

Maybe submit some plot notes? Claim it's experimental.

Assuming you can get plot notes down under 5k, of course... ;)

[Ishmael]

Hm. Another one confined to US and Canadian writers. Never mind. I think I might at last have qualified to enter the Sunday Times competition next year.

So has Stewart of course.

There ain't no justice.

[MattDovey]

Hm. Another one confined to US and Canadian writers. Never mind.

Hadn't noticd that. Arse!

Oh well, one less market-decision to make. Currently prevaricating over whether to submit an ex-HM to the James White award (published in Interzone, good home exposure, but a wash on the money front if I get shortlisted and go to the con) or start subbing it round the mags instead. It has the same eligibility requirements as WoTF, with a less spectacular prize but commensurately fewer entrants as a result. Reckon I've got a decent shot at it, but I don't know if it'll be more or less exposure than a pro-market.

Then again, I'll be competing with the pros at the pro-markets, so probably a much better chance here. Hmm. I may have just decided. (Plus two awards ceremonies in the space of a fortnight would be fun, if I did get shortlisted.)

[alpha]

I'm in for this one. Took the plunge. It was easy choosing which story to submit: the only one I've ever written under 5,000 words. (Well, the only spec fic under 5,000, anyway).

[s_c_baker]

Currently prevaricating over whether to submit an ex-HM to the James White award (published in Interzone, good home exposure, but a wash on the money front if I get shortlisted and go to the con) or start subbing it round the mags instead. It has the same eligibility requirements as WoTF, with a less spectacular prize but commensurately fewer entrants as a result. Reckon I've got a decent shot at it, but I don't know if it'll be more or less exposure than a pro-market.

Then again, I'll be competing with the pros at the pro-markets, so probably a much better chance here. Hmm. I may have just decided. (Plus two awards ceremonies in the space of a fortnight would be fun, if I did get shortlisted.)

Definitely go for the James White award! That's time-sensitive, after all--you're not going to be eligible for it forever. :)

[s_c_baker]

Hm. Another one confined to US and Canadian writers. Never mind. I think I might at last have qualified to enter the Sunday Times competition next year.

So has Stewart of course.

There ain't no justice.

Ha! I haven't got a snowball's chance in a volcano. (Also I am not quite sure I do qualify. Their rules confuse me. But thank you for pointing it out to me!)

[emilymccosh]

Ha! I haven't got a snowball's chance in a volcano. (Also I am not quite sure I do qualify. Their rules confuse me. But thank you for pointing it out to me!)

You won Writers of the Future! WON in (so jealous)...you pretty much have a chance at any fiction competition on the planet, do you not?

(Does that make you an ultra-heat-proof snowball? )

[s_c_baker]

Ha! I haven't got a snowball's chance in a volcano. (Also I am not quite sure I do qualify. Their rules confuse me. But thank you for pointing it out to me!)

You won Writers of the Future! WON in (so jealous)...you pretty much have a chance at any fiction competition on the planet, do you not?

(Does that make you an ultra-heat-proof snowball? )

Assuming Ishmael is talking about the Sunday Times EFG Short Story competition, here's a little blurb from their page.

Last year's recipient of the award was the award-winning author Yiyun Li for her masterful story 'A Sheltered Woman'. Three of the authors who have won the Award have also won the Pulitzer Prize.

Emphasis added.

[Ishmael]

Assuming Ishmael is talking about the Sunday Times EFG Short Story competition, here's a little blurb from their page.

Last year's recipient of the award was the award-winning author Yiyun Li for her masterful story 'A Sheltered Woman'. Three of the authors who have won the Award have also won the Pulitzer Prize.

Emphasis added.

And the reason we dare not tread upon this sacred ground is?

I believe someone once mentioned the undesirability of practising self-rejection? How are we going to win if we don't enter? Afterwards, maybe the Nobel Prize for Literature.

I mean, why aim low? What have you got to lose? At worst it's only one more added to the pile of form rejections that already (in my case) reaches the stratosphere.

[s_c_baker]

I didn't say I wouldn't try! Just that I highly doubt I'll place.

Just because I don't self-reject doesn't mean I can't be a pessimist.

(Also, the entry period seems to have closed already anyway. Bah!)

[emilymccosh]

I didn't say I wouldn't try! Just that I highly doubt I'll place.

Says every person who enters WotF

[s_c_baker]

I didn't say I wouldn't try! Just that I highly doubt I'll place.

Says every person who enters WotF

Hey, that was always my line when entering WotF...

But I still think this and "Pulitzer Prize" are very different beasts.

[emilymccosh]

I didn't say I wouldn't try! Just that I highly doubt I'll place.

Says every person who enters WotF

Hey, that was always my line when entering WotF...

But I still think this and "Pulitzer Prize" are very different beasts.

Okay fine, you've got a point there. But we're trying to give you a complement...take it.

[s_c_baker]

I'm immune to compliments.

[emilymccosh]

I'm immune to compliments.

And now I realize I cannot spell "compliment" right...I guess we're both messed up.

[Ishmael]

I think the Sunday Times Competition complements WotF wonderfully.

Yes I know it's closed for this year. I was watching the race between the deadline and Flame Tree's Italian printers. Sadly my money was always on the deadline.

But next year? Ah, that is another country. They do things differently there.