2020 Oz Club Contests

Submissions are invited for the 2020 International Wizard of Oz Club Annual Contests. Our goals are to encourage new writers and artists, and to explore a large range of Oz expression. Authors, researchers, and artists are invited to submit their work for consideration. Since the Wizard of Oz Club National Convention has been postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19, the contest winners will be announced at a date to be determined by the Oz Club Board of Directors, along with other awards presented by the club.

There is no entry fee. The three categories that will be judged are Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Art. All work must be related to the world of Oz. This means entries must be about or pertaining to the Land of Oz as originally created by author L. Frank Baum in the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and its sequels, Oz plays, Oz movies, Magic Land, or any other version or aspect of Oz. All work must be original and not previously published or exhibited in any form, including online and digital publication. Items may have already been accepted for publication to be released after the convention, but please send a separate copy to the contest.

NB: By entering the contest, you grant non-exclusive permission to the International Wizard of Oz Club to use your entry in its printed and digital publications and web site for educational or promotional purposes, through December 31, 2021.

Written Submissions (Oz Fiction & Oz Non-Fiction)

Oz Fiction is defined as any fictitious story about or pertaining to the Land of Oz as described above. Poetry and drama about Oz are also included in this category. Submissions must be appropriate for a family audience, like a G or PG rated movie. All stories must be self-contained, and the maximum length is 10,000 words. The Fred Otto Prize will be awarded as follows:

$100 First Prize

$50 Second Prize

No entry can win more than one prize.

Oz Non-Fiction is defined as any non-fiction article or essay about or pertaining to the Land of Oz. All stories must be self-contained, and the maximum length is 10,000 words, excluding notes, bibliographies, and other supplemental material. The C. Warren Hollister prize for Oz Non-Fiction will be awarded as follows:

$100 First Prize

$50 Second Prize

Submission Requirements

Fiction and Non-Fiction submissions should use standard manuscript style: double-spaced, 12-point type, one-inch margins, page numbers at top right. Each submission must include a cover sheet with the following information:

Your name

mailing address

e-mail address

telephone number

Include the TITLE at the top center of the first page and at the top left of every subsequent page.

Work should be submitted electronically in .pdf, .txt, .rtf, or .doc/.docx formats and will be accepted until June 15, 2020 at contests@ozclub.org. Put the words “Oz Fiction” in the e-mail subject line for Oz Fiction submissions, and “Oz Non-Fiction” in the subject line for Oz Non-Fiction submissions.

Hard copy may be submitted if needed, and should be mailed by May 31, 2020, to Jim Vander Noot, 1223 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380.

Oz Visual Arts Submissions

Oz Visual Arts are defined as any two- or three-dimensional original expression that is about or pertaining to the Land of Oz. Art can be in the form of, but is not limited to: drawings, paintings, sculptures, costuming, and crafts.

Artwork will be displayed at the National Convention. Therefore, all art submissions need to be either brought or sent to the convention, or arrangements must be made by the artist to deliver pieces and, if needed, to have them returned. Any portable form of art or craft work is acceptable, but costumes are only eligible for either this art contest or a Convention costume contest (if held), not both.

If you wish to enter art for the contest, please inform us at contests@ozclub.org and provide an electronic version by June 15, 2020. Put the words “Oz Artwork” in the e-mail subject line. Because of the COVID-19 restrictions and the postponement of the convention, all entries MUST be submitted in digital format this year. Hard copy will not be accepted.

The prizes for Oz artwork will be awarded as follows:

$100 First Prize

$50 Second Prize

Automatic Submission to Oziana or The Baum Bugle

All Fiction and two-dimensional Art submissions will be submitted to the editor of Oziana, the Oz Club’s annual fiction anthology, for consideration for publication. Please note that Oziana can only print works directly pertaining to the Oz books of L. Frank Baum and his successors as Royal Historian of Oz, and works in the public domain. Decisions of the editor of Oziana are independent of this contest. Winning a prize will not guarantee publication, nor will non-winning entries be excluded from consideration.

All Non-Fiction submissions will be submitted to the editor of The Baum Bugle, the Oz Club’s journal, for consideration. Decisions of the editor of The Baum Bugle are independent of this contest. Winning a prize will not guarantee publication, nor will non-winning entries be excluded from consideration.

Prize Announcements

Prizes for all categories will be announced at a date to be determined by the Oz Club Board of Directors, along with other awards presented by the club. To enter and win you need not be a member of the Oz Club, although membership is encouraged. Winners will be notified by e-mail concurrently with the announcement, and prizes will be sent to the winners as soon as possible. To keep things fair, each winner will be limited to only one award in a category.

For further inquiries and questions, e-mail contests@ozclub.org.