Short stories aren’t my forte, but I want Halloween Spooktacular to be huge this year. That’s why I’m looking for something that makes my skin crawl, like when that dude watched me piss in a cup when I was on probation in 2007.
2015 Spooky Short Story Contest
DEADLINE: 11:59 pm (CST) August 15th, 2015
By entering this contest, all entrants acknowledge their submission is an original work not previously published elsewhere, and no copyright laws are in violation.
PRIZES*
- One (1) First Place** Winner: $20 gift card (Visa or Amazon.com), plus one-time publication on Dark Randomosity website, mini-bio, and interview.
- One (1) Second Place Winner: $10 Amazon.com gift card, plus a story summary/review and mini-bio.
- One (1) Third Place Winner: Story summary and mini-bio.
* First and Second Place payments are postmarked or sent electronically on acceptance.
**First Place winner grants one-time electronic rights upon acceptance.
GUIDELINES
- Failure to adhere to these guidelines results in automatic rejection.
- CONTENT: Pretty much any horror/Halloween theme will do, so long as the final outcome keeps me from sleeping. The darker, the better. All manners of monsters—real, imagined, or human—are acceptable. Explicit language and graphic violence are encouraged (if they fit the story). Mild sexual content accepted. Please, no erotica or children’s stories.
- WORD COUNT: 3,000 words or less.
- MANUSCRIPT FORMAT:
–FIRST PAGE: Name, email address, and word count must appear at the top, either side. Title should be capitalized and centered about halfway down the page. The story can start 4-5 lines down from there.
–HEADER/FOOTER: Please number each page and include your last name with it, as such: ROGERS/2
–FONT/SIZE/ETC: 12-pt, Times New Roman font or similar (nothing fancy). Double-spaced lines. Single spaces between sentences preferred (or you can live in the 70s, whatevs). Standard paragraph format (indent/auto-indent new ones).
–FILE TYPE: MS Word document (.doc or .docx).
- SEND AS: Email attachment.
- SUBJECT LINE: 2015 Spooky Short Story Submission
- SUBMIT TO: jonathanondrashek@yahoo.com
NOTE: You may include a short introduction in the body of the email. This should not exceed one paragraph (not to be confused with a one-page paragraph, jackass).
No Purchase Necessary (And All That Other Fine-Print BS)
- This contest is open to published and unpublished authors alike.
- All entrants will be notified of acceptance/rejection on or before October 1st, 2015.
- Winning story, interview, and all mini-bios are to be posted Friday, October 30th,
- I will not comment on rejected manuscripts unless the author specifically asks for feedback in the submission email introduction. If you request feedback, know that I aim to be blunt and honest, and sometimes that is hard to swallow. It’s often subjective, too, so don’t take it personal.
- Content is first and foremost. In a bind, deciding factors will include punctuation, grammar, and style.
- The winning manuscript will be edited in entirety and sent to the winner for final approval before it is posted.
- Story summaries/reviews will be created and sent to Second and Third Place winners for final approval before they are posted.
- Biographies are to be provided by the authors after acceptance, and will only be edited for grammar and punctuation.
- I am not a professional editor, but I like to think I am.
- This is not a hoax.
- Enter at your own risk.
***
Questions? Email jonathanondrashek@yahoo.com with “2015 Contest Question” in the subject line.
Join the cool crowd: Official Halloween Spooktacular Facebook Page
Don’t trust me because I’m a stranger? Visit me at:
jondrashek.com 