Submissions are invited for The Preservation Foundation Writing Contests for Unpublished Writers. Submit your entries by June 30, 2023!
About the Writing Contests
For purposes of these contests, unpublished writers are defined as those who have never earned over $500 for their writing skills in any single year, whether from a salary, freelance work, editing, royalties, or sale of stories or books. or any combination of these.
The Preservation Foundation has sole authority to rule on any writer’s eligibility, the appropriateness of stories for entry, contest rules, and all other matters relating to the contest.
Regular Story Submissions
While there is a limit of two entries in each open contest, writers should continue to submit stories not meant for the contests, both nonfiction and fiction, for posting on their site. There is no limit. Their purpose is to publish your works and you don’t have to enter any contests for them to do that.
Guidelines for the 2023 Contests
- This year there are four nonfiction story contests with cash prizes.
- These are open to all.
- Entry and closing dates are below.
- There is also a contest for previous winners.
- Stories must be between 1,000-5,000 words in length.
- There are no international limitations.
- Stories from any country are fine, although they must be written in English.
- Language in the stories should be free of words or scenes not suitable for children, since many children read the stories and some actually post their stories.
- Be sure your stories are ready for publication.
- They do not provide copy editing services. If your stories aren’t ready to go up on the site, please don’t send them until they are.
- A short author’s introduction to the beginning of each story is nice but optional.
- A brief biography of the author at the end with writing credits and city and country is required. This helps them determine if you are truly an unpublished writer.
- Just to be clear, they claim no rights to your stories.
- They are published with your name as the copyright holder.
- However, since their object is to preserve these stories for future generations, not to put them up one year and take them down the next, all contest entries will be posted on their website and they expect winners and finalists to remain on the site for as long as the Preservation Foundation exists.
- They will, however, have no objection to the stories being published elsewhere. If you anticipate submitting your story to a publisher that would object to previous publication on our site do not send it.
- Contact them if you need further clarification.
- Stories may be submitted as text in the body of an email or as electronic text files such as Word or Open Office. PDF files will not work for them. No paper manuscripts will be considered.
- See how to submit a story.
Contest for entries between March 1, 2023, and February 28, 2024: Winners Circle Contest
- This contest is only open to first-prize winners of previous contests.
- While ineligible for prizes in regular contests, previous winners can compete in this one.
- This gives newer writers a better chance of winning one of the open contests.
- Most rules for regular contests apply.
- Stories may be on any nonfiction subject.
- There is a limit of four contest submissions.
- There is no limit for submissions not meant for the contest.
- Stories posted after March 1, 2022, and not entered in a previous contest can be entered in this one.
- For a list of previous first-prize contest winners click here.
- Contest for entries between May 1, 2022, and May 7, 2023.
Nonfiction Animal Stories
- Stories should be factual and true accounts of an encounter or encounter by the author with a wild animal or animals.
- These include, but are not limited to, birds, fish, butterflies, snails, lions, bears, turtles, wombats, etc., as long as it is not a domesticated animal or a pet.
- Stories posted after May 1, 2022, and not entered in a previous contest can be entered.
- Open contest for entries between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
General Nonfiction
- Any appropriate nonfiction topic is eligible.
- Stories must be true, not semi-fictional accounts.
- So-called “creative nonfiction” will not be considered.
- Stories posted after July 1, 2022, and not entered in a previous contest can be entered.
- Contests for entries between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023.
Biographical Nonfiction Contest
- A biographical entry must be a true story of an individual(s) known to the author personally – not a fictional or historical character.
- An autobiography, of course, must be a true story about the author’s life, the whole or an episode.
- Biographical stories, especially those from older people, or about them by children and grandchildren, are especially appropriate for their mission to “preserve the extraordinary stories of ‘ordinary’ people.”
- Stories posted after September 1, 2022, and not entered in a previous contest can be entered.
Contests for entries between November 1, 2022 and October 30, 2023: Travel Nonfiction Contest
- Stories should be factual and true accounts of a trip taken by the author or a person or persons known by the author.
- Stories posted after November 1, 2022, and not entered in a previous contest can be entered.
- Judging will be as they have done for the last several years. Click here to find out how.
Fiction
- They will continue to accept new fictional stories of all types for posting on the site.
- However, they haven’t had a fiction contest since the year 2000.
- This decision is based on their belief that many internet sites now offer programs for writers of fiction, while very few encourage nonfiction.
- They believe too that writers of fiction are also capable of writing about real events in their own lives and the lives of those they know. So get busy and prove them right!
They love to read and post your non-contest stories, both fiction and nonfiction. So send them in. After all, their primary purpose is to preserve those stories for your children and grandchildren and maybe even for your grandchildren’s children.
Prizes
For all contests, there will be one prize of $200 (Rs. 16k+) for the winner, $100 (Rs. 8k+) for the runner-up, and certificates of achievement for all finalists.
First-prize winners in previous contests are not eligible for prizes in current contests. However, there is a separate contest for them, the Winners Circle contest.
They hope this will encourage newer writers and increase their chances of winning.
How to Submit Your Entries?
Click how to submit a story to read on.
Click here to read the official guidelines of the The Preservation Foundation Writing Contests for Unpublished Writers [Total Prizes of Rs. 25k].
Image taken from here.
