Contest Information

All dates listed are postmark, deadlines. Enter your own work only. Type your name, address, phone and the contest category on the first page of the manuscript (no cover sheet). Prepare entries using standard manuscript format. Manuscripts will not be returned so there is no need for SASE. You may send multiple entries to any contest but each entry requires an entry fee. Entries should be unpublished when entered. Cash winners only are notified by mail.

A list of winners and HM's in each category will be published on this website three months after deadline. Contest winners may be considered for publication on the Winners Section of the site. Send submissions to to ByLine, PO Box 111, Albion, NY 14411.

August 2008

Poem about a body part— Deadline August 8, 2008. Unrhymed or skillfully rhymed. Under 30 lines. Keep the language contemporary. Entry fee $3. Prizes: $35, $20, $10.

Short article — Deadline August 15, 2008. Any non fiction subject suitable for a magazine or newspaper. Maximum word length 1,500. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $40, $30, $20.

Etheree (suggested by subscriber Helen E. Rilling) — Deadline August 22, 2008. The etheree is a form poem consisting of 10 lines with graduated syllables. The fist line is a monosyllabic word; the second line has two syllables and so on until the tenth line, with ultimately, ten syllables. Poems may be in standard or experimental etheree forms such as the reversed, double, or "scattered" (broken into stanzas or single lines, as in free verse) form. Entry fee $3. Prizes $35, $20, $10.

Humor sketch — Deadline August 29, 2008. Show your sense of humor in 1,000 words or fewer. Put your character in a funny situation and make us laugh. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $40, $30, $20.

September 2008

Dream poem — Deadline September 5, 2008. Poems that are either about a dream or constructed in a dream-like manner, such as those of the surrealists. While it need not be literal or logical, it must move the reader at some level. Entry fee $3.Prizes: $35, $20, $10.

Creative nonfiction — Deadline September 12, 2008. Nonfiction (either essay or article) that reads like a story using fiction techniques to present factual information or events. Maximum word length 2,000. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $40, $30, $20.

Opening line — Deadline September 19, 2008. Story of 3,000 words or fewer, any genre that begins with the line: ""I think you'd better sit down for this..." Entry fee $5. Prizes: $40, $30, $20.

Found poem — Deadline September 26, 2008. Rearrange the words, phrases, or sentences from another source into a found poem by changing spaces and/or lines (thus changing the meaning) or by altering the text with additions and/or deletions. Cite original source of poem and limit length to a single page or less. Entry fee $3. Prizes: $35, $20, $10.

October 2008

New talent short story — Deadline October 3, 2008. Open to any writer who has never won a cash prize in a ByLine fiction contest. Maximum length 3,000 words. Entry fee $5. Prizes $40, $30, $20. This contest also offers a good chance at publication, many past winners have been published.

Unrhymed poetry — Deadline October 10, 2008. Any non-rhyming style (eg free verse, blank verse, haiku, etc.) Any subject. Limit length to no more than two pages. (shorter poems more likely to be published) Entry fee $3. Prizes: $35, $20, $10.

Personal memoir — Deadline October 17, 2008. An incident or reminiscence from your own life that left a lasting impression. Written in first person. 1,000 maximum word length. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $35, $25, $10.

Time to rhyme — Deadline October 31, 2008. Skillfully rhymed poetry. Poems may be a standard form such as sonnet, ballad, etc. or may use rhyme in more unique ways. Rhymes do not all need to be perfect rhyme. Avoid doggerel or poems that "force" overused masculine end rhymes. Entry fee $3. Prizes $35, $20, $10.

November 2008

Open submission/potpourri contest — Deadline is November 1. We are offering an open submission policy in which we will welcome writing submissions in any genre, as well as those pices that might not be specific to our regular monthly contests. Maximum word count is 2,000. Any genre welcome. List "open submission" on piece. Fee $5. Prizes: $35, $20, $10.

New talent poetry — Deadline November 7, 2008. Open to any writer who has never won a cash prize in a ByLine poetry contest, nor has been paid by ByLine for a submission. Poetry may be in any form on any theme, but restrict length to no mor ethan two pages. Entry fee $5 per 2 poems. Prizes: $35, $20, $10. (Cash winners also receive a three-month subscirption or extension on a curent subscription).

Love story/romance — Deadline November 14, 2008. Valentine's day is coming soon. Show us your romantic side with either a happily ever after or an unrequited love story. Maximum word length is 2,000. Entry fee. $5. Prizes: $35, $20, $10.

Minute poem —Deadline November 30, 2008. The Minute Poem is a rhyming verse form consisting of 12 lines of 60 syllables and is usually in iambic meter. The poem is formatted into 3 stanzas of 8, 4,4,4; 8, 4,4,4; 8,4,4,4 syllables. If rhyme is used, the scheme should be as follows: aabb, ccdd, eeff. Entry fee: $3. Prizes: $35, $20, $10.

December 2008

Character sketch — Deadline December 5, 2008. Practice creating believable characters in 500 words or fewer. Show yoru character in a scene doing something typical of him or her. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $30, $15, $10.

Alphabet poem — Deadline December 12, 2008. Poems can be aobut a single letter of the alphabet (ala e.e. cumming's "little l"), or they can use the letters a-z or z-a as the first letter of a 26-line poem or as th efirst letter of an a(n almost) 26-word poem (yes, it's okay to use & or other small words as long as main words are alphabetical). Anothe form of alphabet poem makes every or almost every word in a 26-line poem begin with the same letter. However, use your imagination. If you can come up with an original alphabet poem, go for it. Have fun. Entry fee $3. Prizes: $35, $20, $10.

Filler — Deadline December 19, 2008. Short prose (up to 500 words) on any topic from anecdotes, tips, humor, how-tos, etc. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $30, $15, $10.

Open poetry — Deadline December 31, 2008. Poetry in any style, any form, on any subject. Rhymed or unrhymed. Length should not exceed two pages. Entry fee $3. Prizes: $35, $20, $10.