Flying South Contest Winston-Salem Writers

Submissions are accepted March 1 to May 31 annually. Entry is $15 to members; $25 for nonmembers. Winston-Salem Writers Board members are ineligible for entry.

What We're Looking For

• Read a past issue or two to get a sense of what we like.
• Each entry must be original and previously unpublished. Any work discovered not to be in compliance with either of these requirements will be ineligible for the monetary prizes and will be excluded from the issue, time permitting. The author of such work will be banned from participation in future Flying South competitions for two years.
• Poetry – 3 poems, 10 pages max.
• Fiction – up to 5000 words; includes flash fiction, short stories, and novel excerpts.
  
• Non-Fiction – up to 3500 words; includes memoir, essay, journal entries, and other creative nonfiction. Use pseudonyms for identifiable names; you will have the opportunity to change those names prior to publication.
• Simultaneous submissions will be accepted, but you must notify us and withdraw from the contest if your work is accepted elsewhere. Submissions may not be withdrawn once contest winners are announced.

We cannot refund submission fees.

How to Submit

Use a standard font (Times New Roman preferred) in 12-pt. type with the title and page number on each page. For prose, double space. For poetry, single space; 3 poems count as one entry. Poems should be submitted in a single file with each poem clearly separated from the others.

In the cover letter for each entry, include your name, address, telephone, email address, category to which you’re submitting, word count, and title(s) of the submitted work. Your name and contact information should appear only in the cover letter — not in the manuscript, the title, or the file name. We disqualify entries that do not follow these instructions since submissions are read blind. (Entry fees are not refunded for disqualified entries.)

Name your file(s) with the title of the work. For example: An_Occurrence_at_Owl_Creek_Bridge.docx.

Long titles may be shortened in the file name.

You can withdraw your submission prior to the announcement of the winners, but we cannot refund your entry fees.

Prizes and Rights

All entries will be considered for publication.

Winning submissions in each of the three categories (Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry) will be awarded prizes of $400 for First Place, $200 for Second Place, and $100 for a total of $2,100 in prizes. All finalists will be accepted for publication and will receive one copy of the current issue of Flying South.

Winners will be announced on or about July 1 and will be notified by email. Cash prizes will be paid no later than August 1.

Authors retain copyright to the work(s) entered and published; Flying South is granted a one-time right to publish the work(s) in the current issue. By entering the contest, writers give Flying South permission to publish the entered work(s) in the current issue and to list the author’s name in the publication, on the Winston-Salem Writers’ website, and in press releases and other attendant publicity. Submissions may not be withdrawn once contest winners are announced.

Judges

Howard Pearre – Fiction Editor

Howard Pearre lives in Winston-Salem, NC. He attended UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State University and retired after a career as a counselor and manager with NC Vocational Rehabilitation and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. His essays and fiction have appeared in Flying South, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Proud To Be, and other publications.

Donna Emmary – Creative Non-Fiction Editor

Donna is working on a collection of true short-short stories destined to become a memoir. Each story is confined to 1,000 words or less, which makes the selection of each description and phrase crucial. She is also the facilitator of the Winston-Salem Writers non-fiction critique group where members work to help each other become better at our craft.

David Winship - Poetry Editor

David Winship is a retired public-school educator. A native of Bristol, Tennessee, he is director of the Sign of the George Letterpress at King University in Bristol. He annually prints a collection of his poetry for family and friends. He has also written for the news media and has had dramatic works staged. He is a board member of Winston-Salem Writers.

Bridget Elam - Flying South Editor

Bridget Elam is a communications professional with a strong background in editorial strategy, engagement, and publishing. Recently, Bridget was the managing editor of a community newspaper and is now the publisher of the Winston-Salem Source. She is also a self-published author who writes Christian fiction and passionate about helping other authors and writers see their works in print.