Cheerios is searching for the next great children’s book author. It could be you! Just enter your original children’s book story by July 15, 2011. Write and submit an original story for a book for children ages 3 to 8.
One Grand Prize of $5,000 cash will be awarded and the winning story submission offered to Simon & Schuster, Inc. for possible future publication. You are eligible if you are 18 years of age or older as of the date you enter and are a legal United States resident residing in one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia during the competition. You are not eligible to enter if you are a professional writer, such as a novelist, magazine, blogger or newspaper writer who writes books or articles for pay, or you have authored any work of fiction that has been published or is about to be published in exchange for payment. Two First Runner-Up Prizes of $1,000 each will be awarded. The stories of the First Runner-Up Prize winners will appear on www.SpoonfulsofStories.com.
NOTE: This is a bummer for those who have published and received compensation. In other words, you must still be a rank amateur. Gives those newbies a chance. And of course it's a stable contest. It's sponsored by Cheerios and Simon & Schuster. Meets my criteria for credible.
DOUBLE NOTE: While attending a social the night before the Blue Ridge Writers' Conference in Blue Ridge, GA last weekend, I was asked to read from something of mine. Hmmm...didn't want to tap anything from what I'd teach the next day, so I asked if I could read from my novel coming out next winter. I got the nod, prepared an excerpt from Chapter One, climbed up on the podium in front of a mike . . . and read. Talk about a rush! People were honestly listening. The most they listened, the more I got into the reading. Of cource, reading to a biweekly critique group for almost six years has helped, but this was different. They were strangers. And they loved it, asked when it would be released, complimented the descriptions. I'm on a high, people. A serious high that just might carry me into another couple of weeks. That was just plain, friggin' cool.
3 comments:
On the one hand, I'm bummed out that I'm ineligible because I've received (a little) compensation publication (for one newspaper essay, one national mag short story). I certainly still consider myself a newbie! On the other hand they don't consider me a rank amateur so WOOHOO!! :) Still, I would've liked to apply! Thanks for the post!
Endorphin highs are for wallowing ...there's NOTHING like the rush of a live performance!
I'm not used to live performances, Widdershins - other than as a teacher in a conference setting. This was just...different.
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