We Need Diverse Books Short Story Contest!

The We Need Diverse Books Short Story Contest

WNDB is proud to announce that Phoebe Yeh, VP/Publisher of Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House, has acquired publication rights to the Middle Grade WNDB Anthology, working title “Stories For All Of Us.” Ellen Oh, President of WNDB, will edit the anthology, which will have a January 2017 release date. Contributing authors include: Kwame Alexander, Sherman Alexie, Soman Chainani, Matt de la Pena, Tim Federle, Grace Lin, Meg Medina, Walter Dean Myers, Rachel Renee Russell, and Jacqueline Woodson.

The anthology will be in memory of Walter Dean Myers and it will be inspired by his quote: “Once I began to read, I began to exist.” Every new story contribution to this anthology will be by a diverse author.

WNDB is proud to announce that the anthology will have one story reserved for a previously unpublished diverse author. WNDB will fill that slot via a short story contest. The winner of which will be included in the anthology and will receive a payment of $1,000 US.

General Rules

Entries will be accepted after 9:00AM EST on April 27th until 5:00PM EST on May 8th, 2015. Any submission made prior to or after the entry period will not be considered.

Entry is free.

Submissions will not be returned.

All applicants must include a short 75 word bio and headshot.

Winners will be announced on June 15, 2015.

Short Story Rules

All submissions (short story or illustrated story) must be in English and never before published in any medium, print or digital.

Submissions must be no longer than 5.000 words.

All submissions must be electronic and sent to the following email address: contest@diversebooks.org

All submissions must also be appropriate for a middle grade audience, ages 8 to 12.

If your submission is illustrated, it must be in a graphic novel format, but no longer than 10 pages.

Illustrations must be submitted electronically. Do NOT mail hard copy submissions to WNDB. They will not be reviewed, nor will they be returned.

Eligibility

Open to diverse writers from all diverse backgrounds (as defined in FAQs). Applicants must include this information in their bio.

Open to diverse writers who have not been published in a traditional print fiction book format, including self-pubbed, independents, small and medium publishing houses, in all genres whether for the children’s or adult market.

EXCEPTION - Short story publication credit in a magazine, literary journal, or periodical will not make the applicant ineligible.

Prizes

First prize winner will receive an award of $1,000 plus their entry will be published as part of the WNDB Anthology to be released by Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House Children’s Books in January 2017.

Two runner-up winners will receive honorable mentions and awards of $250 each.

For FAQs visit the Short Story Contest page on our website which will be regularly updated once the contest officially begins.