Poetry, Short Fiction, & Flash Fiction:
Contest Submission Requirements
send submissions to administration(at)infinite-pathways(dot)org
Click HERE for contest registration.
Poetry: Up to 3 poems can be included with one fee as long as the total number of lines used does not exceed 40 lines per poem (one single spaced page) using a 12 point standard font. If your poetry consists of a pictogram that does not translate well to a typed interface, scan your poem and save it as a .jpeg image. Images may only span one 8 ½ x 11 inch page and must be printable with minimum margins of ½ an inch.
Flash Fiction: 200 – 500 words in length. Most genres are accepted; please query the contest administrator if you are uncertain about your entry.
Short Stories: 1,500 – 5,000 words in length. Most genres are accepted; please query the contest administrator if you are uncertain about your entry.
1 Act Plays: 20 – 45 minutes in length (approx. 1 min/page). Standard play writing style is required. Use the guidelines attached to the following link to help you http://www.gordonstate.edu/PT_Faculty/lking/CPF_play_formatting2.pdf. The focus is on transition-friendly scenes/setting, minimal costume requirements, and 15 sec. scene changes. All work must be rated PG14 or better. Challenging subjects are welcome but nothing profane.
Contest Fee Schedule
Poetry (up to three/submission), Flash Fiction, & Short Stories – $10 fee/entry (limit of 3 separate submissions)
1 Act Plays – $15 fee/entry (limit of 2 submissions)
Creative Content Critique – $5 (in addition to any entry submitted; be sure to specify which entry you would like to have critiqued on the cover page for that entry)
Rules
1) You must be a citizen of a North American country or have proof of residency for 1 or more years and currently live in North America to be eligible, excluding residents of the province of Quebec.
2) If an entry fee is not received within 24 hrs of sending the writing submission (via pay pal) then an entrant forfeits their submission and must re-submit before the contest deadline. Should any fees be submitted after the deadline a credit for the next contest will be awarded. No refunds. Overpayment of entry fees will not be returned and will only be acknowledge if they coincide with critique fees. See fee schedule below.
3) Winning entries and Honourable Mentions for each year will be published in the Infinite Pathways Press Yearly Anthology. Each author will retain 100% ownership of their work agreeing only to allow Infinite Pathways Press sole printing rights for 1 year after the initial date of publication, with conditional rights thereafter depending on the length of time the anthology remains in print. The copyright of the material remains with the entrant.
4) All entries must be made electronically via the submissions page using a .jpeg, .doc or .rtf file for PC. See contest entry specifications below for more details. Poetry will be judged singly, not as a package. All entries, excepting certain poems, must be word-processed using a standard 8 ½ x 11 inch page with 1 inch margins all around and a standard 12 point font (e.g. Times New Roman, Ariel, or Courier).
5) Judging for the contest is blind. Do not identify yourself on your actual submission. Include a cover page that has on it the entry’s title(s), the division your entry goes in (flash fiction, poetry, short story, or 1 act play), and your name and contact information (mailing address, phone number, and email address).
6) Multiple entries are allowed; however, each entry must be accompanied by its own cover page and entry fee. See the fee schedule above for details.
7) If entries contain the use or suggestion of graphic imagery including but not limited to excessive violence, extreme gore, & explicit sexuality they will be immediately disqualified without refund. If you are concerned that your imagery may be borderline acceptable, please query the contest administrator using the contact tab on the navigation bar above prior to submitting your entry form or paying your fees.
8) Entrants must be at least 16 years old to submit writing to a contest. Should an interested entrant between the ages of 12 – 15 years include a signed guardianship form along with their submission, they will be included in the general contest for consideration.
9) Contest winners, including honourable mentions) will be contacted directly (either by email or telephone). The winners will be published in an Anthology consisting of all the winners of each contest held by Infinite Pathways within one-two years of winning.
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Judging
For each creative writing contest Infinite Pathways holds, a panel of judges will assess the short-listed works and determine the winners and honourable mentions. The panel will comprise of between 2 – 5 judges. Depending on their area of expertise some judges may participate in more than one panel. From year to year the judging panel will vary. Infinite Pathways will aim to make public the roster of judges on or before the end date for the current contest. Please do not try to meet or engage with the participating judges; impartiality is highly important.
Prizes
For each division in a contest (i.e. poetry, flash, shorts, & plays) a prize will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place. Honourable mentions will receive acknowledgement of their achievement on line and in the writing anthology.
The prizes awarded will vary from one contest to the next depending on the number of entrants/participants and the number of valid submissions registered. The more entries received, the higher the prize amounts will be. The standard division of fees related directly to contests (excluding critiques) of this nature is 60:40. Therefore, 40% of the fees collected will be appropriately allotted among the divisions being considered during any single run of a contest. The remaining 60% goes toward administration of the contest.
Final prize amounts/gifts will be made known upon the announcing of the winners, following the contest deadline. Monetary prizes will be awarded via PayPal. Gift prizes will be mailed to the address provided on the submission form/cover page.
The Fine Print
1) All works that have been published in print or on the Internet, including self-published works, as well as works that have been recorded for broadcast, are considered previously published and are therefore not eligible for entry.
2) Entrants agree to provide Infinite Pathways non-exclusive rights to reproduce and publish an excerpt from the work submitted (the total piece for flash fiction & poetry) on the website and affiliated social platforms controlled or authorized by Infinite Pathways.
3) Submissions might not be directly acknowledged (except by PayPal’s e-receipt) unless accompanied by an additional critique fee.
4) Infinite Pathways retains the right to make an audio/video recording by means of any existing or not-yet-invented technology to distribute and broadcast winning and honourably mentioned works in the contest during and after the 1 year publishing rights agreement. The authors of any works used in this manner will be notified of the use of their material.
5) Participants may win only one prize per competition. Prizes shall be accepted as is, and may not be exchanged or transferred. No substitutions are allowed.
6) If a prize cannot be awarded as described in these rules, Infinite Pathways reserves the right to substitute one or more prizes or prize components with another of approximately equivalent value.
7) To be proclaimed winners, participants must meet all the conditions set out in these rules.
8) Any work submitted must be the original work of the entrant. If plagiarism has occurred, the entrant shall be automatically disqualified from the competition and any prizes awarded shall be returned. Such a decision made by the judges shall be final and cannot be appealed.
9) All personal information, such as your name, address, telephone number, email address, year of birth and occupation, is collected solely for the purposes of administering this competition and shall not be used for any other purpose without the entrant’s consent.
10) By entering the competition, participants agree to abide by the competition rules and regulations as stated heretofore.
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