Short Story Contest – August 2010
Dear Writers,
Short Story Book is organizing its first ever online Short Story Writing Contest. So gather up your pens & paper along with your intangible imagination and come up with a fun, little short story. Rules and regulations are simple enough and the criterion to win this contest… is very easy.
How do I participate?
Write a short story of about 550 words and email it at gift@shortstorybook.net . Also, don’t forget to mention something about yourself, in a line or two, within the same mail. This is necessary (As we will add that line below your story) !
What type of short story can I submit?
There is no particular theme as such, you are free to frame any kind of short story you wish. The prominent categories for writing are: ‘Children story, Love story, Horror story, Mystery or Fiction Story.’
Also, along with your story, you are free to send-in a suitable picture(s) that can be related to the story.
To receive an update about your short story and to keep yourself updated about the contest, please use the site subscription option, present on the middle right section of the site -
How do I win this contest?
a) All short stories that we receive will be published on the blog in the same order they are received by us. Your story will then be promoted on Short Story Book Facebook Fan Page and Short Story Book Twitter profile.
b) Each blog post has plugins by which viewers can vote and give star rating to your short story.
c) Readers can also comment on each story.
e) The story with maximum votes along with comments will win this contest. [Democracy Rules]
1. Each story needs a minimum of 30 votes and 15 comments to qualify as a winner.
2. Under each story there is a voting/rating plugin in the form of stars on which a reader can click and cast his/her vote.
3. The criteria for winning is the number of votes and not the ratings of the stars.
4. Each comment too can be star rated but is not a criteria for winning.
5. There is a thumbs up / thumbs down plugin too, that readers can opt for to rate a story but it is not a criteria for winning.
6. The star voting/rating plugin is IP sensitive. Hence one person cannot vote for the second time from the same IP.
7. Number of votes [not the rating] have a higher priority over number of comments.
8. If there are any two stories with equal number of comments, then the story with maximum number of votes will be considered as the winning entry.
9. Example – Story A has 100 votes and 75 comments and Story B has 75 votes and 100 comments. Then Story A will be declared as the winner. [As per point no 7]
10. Number of views for a story is not a criteria for winning.
- TIP – Share the link of your short story on your Facebook, Myspace or Orkut account.
- TIP – Tweet about your short story and let the world know that you need to win this contest.
- TIP – Once your short story is published on Short Story Book, then share the link of the short story with your friends so that they can read, vote and comment on your short story.
What do I win?
Winning short story gets USD $ 100 and the runner-up story gets USD $ 50.
When does the short story contest start and end?
a) Contest starts on 1st August 2010.
b) All entries should reach us by or before 10th August 2010. Any submissions after 10th will be automatically rejected.
c) Writer is free to submit any number of stories.
d) Winners of the Short Story Contest will be announced on 31st August 2010 on Short Story Book.
Please note –
a) Short stories submitted for this contest should be original. Duplicate short stories will not be accepted.
b) Short stories submitted in Short Story Contest 2010 on www.shortstorybook.net should not be / have been submitted on any other online short story contest or published as part of personal blogs, websites or any other online medium.
c) Short stories submitted in this contest can be submitted to any other offline contest.
d) The stories submitted in this contest will be strictly not used by us for our “Gift a Short Story” feature.
e) Short Story Book, plans to convert selected stories present on the site in audio format. If your short story is deemed as appropriate and fit for the audio format, then you shall be informed about it through email and full credit for the story line will be given to the author.
f) Currently we have no plans to use any short story present on Short Story Book in print format. However, in future if your short story is selected and used on any print medium then we will inform you through email and due credit will be given to the author.
I write feature length fiction. I currently have two works in progress. One is a medieval fantasy taking place in a time that never existed, kind of J.R.R. Tolkien meets King Richard the Lion-Heart. My secondary work is a ghost story that begins in the final days of the gunslinger era and then launches forward to a latter day where the family sets out to clear the name of the wrongly accused.
At any rate, I was just wondering if you were seeking “flash-in-the-pan” talent or someone that takes his work seriously and requires a publisher of the same calibre.
Thank you for you time……T.L.III
@Timothy – You can submit any one of those or even both. We are excited to read your story.
We are not a publishing house, but with help of http://www.shortstorybook.net we allow creative writers to showcase their talent to the world. See you soon at the contest…… Remember – The faster you send the story, more chances you have to win the prize money.
Hi. Regarding the short story competition. One of the rules mentions that the story may not be published on any or site or blog. Does this mean previously published or published after the competition (or both)? Does the author retain copyright on material submitted? I’ve just been told about this site and I’m looking forward to becoming a regular vistor here.
So it doesnt matter what country im in then?
@Argent –
1. Yes, previously published short stories on any page on the internet cannot be submitted for this contest.
2. If your short story is published on shortstorybook.net then do not retain the copyrights for it. But we really want the world to know that its your story and hence we have asked for 2-3 lines of description about you which will be added below your story and this could even include a link to your blog.
3. All short stories accepted for the contest and published on shortstorybook.net cannot be re-published on any other page on the internet.
Do let us know if you have any queries. We are waiting for your short story.
Team Short Story Book
@Vuyelwa – Yes, if you win the contest we shall transfer the money to any part of the world. We are waiting for your short story.
Team Short Story Book
hi! I would just like to ask :
is it alright tht the story is longer thn d 400-500 wrd limit??
@ the dreamer – maybe you can stretch upto 550 words, but not more than that, else its no more a short story.
we are waiting for your story.
Can the story be developed from something I’ve already published on another site. I’ve been participating in a 100 words or less story exercise on another blog. Can I develop a short story using that content?
@Kat – Of course you can use that as a base to write a new short story for this contest.
But please make sure that it does not match word to word.
Waiting for your short story.
Sent in my entry this morning (Jealousy) and am looking forward to reading the competition.
@ Jo Linsdell – We have received your Short Story. You will view your story live on 2nd Aug on http://www.shortstorybook.net. Please subscribe to the site to stay updated.
Team – Short Story Book
Can you clarify this, pls
“If your short story is published on shortstorybook.net then do not retain the copyrights for it. ”
Seems a word might be missing.
@Julie – Stories once published on shortstorybook.net cannot be published anywhere else [ the writer does not retain the copyrights].
But below every contest story we ask every writer to give us 2-3 lines of description which could even have a link to their blog. So we dont want the writer to miss out on any credits.
I don’t see where my short story is on the contest? I submitted it 2 or 3 days ago.
Where do we find them> I didn’t give it a category.
THanks!
@Ebeth – Your contest story will be up today 2nd Aug 2010.
Hi,
I have been following this contest for sometime and do hope to send in my story/ies soon. But I have an issue in mind which I hope you can resolve.
One of the rules state:”cannot be published on any other site or personal blog.” Does this mean -
1. If I’m sending multiple entries, none of them can be used anywhere else OR
2. Only the story that wins is not allowed to be used anywhere else.?
Let me know, Thanks, Pooja
@Pooja – Yes you are right. Everything that is published here cannot be published on any other site.
In the same way, anything published on any other page/site on the internet cannot be published here.
But as you know, under each story we allow you to add few lines about yourself, which could even be a link to your blog.
Contest has started, so decide and hurry up !!! Stories will not be accepted after 10th Aug 2010.
Team – Short Story Book.
Hi,
Great stuff-looking forward to sending my entries. I just had a query regarding one of my short stories. It won a ‘Best short story’ competition on radio in South Africa. It is not published on any sites but I have mentioned the fact that I won a competition for it on Linkedin and another site. Can I submit this story (since it is not actually published on any other website)
Please do let me know.
Thanks!
@Anjali – Thats absolutely alright !! You can submit your story for this contest.
But, once its published here, you cannot add it on any other site on the internet.
We shall wait for your story.
I read and voted for a story. I came back later to rate it, and apparently did so incorrectly as it gave the story one star when I had intended to give it eight. Best I can tell, it happened because I clicked on one star (meaning to click on one star at a time until I reached my rating) and I was not allowed to change it again. In hindsight, I guess it should have been clear to me to highlight the number of stars before clicking.
However, this brings up the second point I’d like to make. I am a pretty savvy computer user. But WHAT to do to constitute a vote was not stated, nor was the fact that the rating needed to be highlighted in full before clicking. Or that you couldn’t edit it. So I think the instructions for how to vote and how to rate should be plainly stated, even if it’s a link to a different page.
@Barbara – Don not worry about the number of stars. It is the number of votes which will decide the winner. The star rating is not important. Also, the voting plugin is IP sensitive so it will allow you to vote only once.
Maybe we should have been little more clearer in explaining how to vote.
Hi, I didn’t give my short story entry “Daddys Girl” a category, it should be horror.
Where do I find it and how long does it take to come online?
Thanks,
@ David – Thanks for letting know the category. Infact we read every story before its is published.
Your story will be up on 05-08-2010.
Team – Short Story Book
I’d like to submit a second short story, if only one story can be submitted, I’d like to take back my previous story and replace it with another (it has already been submitted under the title “This Digital Love to the email address for entries”
Thanks for your time!
Hey Christian,
Yeah you surely can submit another story. Do You want us to discard the ‘The Digital Love’ story??
Hi there,
I was actually wondering… since you choose the winner based on the numbers of comments as well, how are you going to tell if comments are real ones and not that one or 2 people are writing them using different names and mail ids? You can’t really check it, can you?
@lena – we have a strong spam filter which places comments from fake email address in spam box. Apart from that we are manually filtering comments that are being registered. Moreover there is a limit to which a person can keep writing fake comments.
For the same reason the second criteria to win this contest is the star rating, which is IP sensitive and allows one machine to vote only once.
@Writer1:
No I’d like to submit “This Digital Love” in addition to my previous entry. Upon reading the relevant rule (an author may submit as many original stories as they like) I’d like to keep both but I notice that “This Digital Love has yet to be posted. Can we get it up there?
Thanks for your time!
Kudos to you for spreading the word about this! If I don’t enter this contest, I’ll be sure to check back later. Good luck writers!
@Christian – Yes, you can submit as many stories as you want. Reading your previous email we thought you want us to replace your previous story with another one. Digital Love will be published today 05-08-2010, you will receive an email for the same.
@Cipherqueen – Its a fun filled contest, where currently the writers are at war
You are most welcome to submit your story too. Also read the stories already submitted, vote for the best story and let the deserving writer win this contest.
@the_dreamer : For voting, your friends can make use of the star rating on SSB site. And for the comments – all they need to do is fill in the desired spaces with name, email-id and their comments. You can also provide them with the story link. Anything else that you need to know?
Thanks for telling me about this on my blog. Something to think about!
@Scobberlotcher – You are most welcome. Unfortunately, you don’t have much time in hand. You need to submit your short story by 10th Aug 2010.
Hey,
Sent in my story *Wedding Blues*. Looking forward to seeing it on your page.
Also, i havent included a pic with the story i sent you. Will it be possible to send you a pic in a few hours (since i didnt want to violate copyright issues by using a random pic) and have that used?
And how high are the risks of people voting for themselves?
Regards,
Avantika A.
@avantika – We have received your story. Send us a pic asap, else we will find a suitable one.
One more question, till what time the voting will go on? Till the 10th or till the 31st?
@lena – you are free to ask as many questions as you want.
The voting will go on till 31st Aug 2010.
Hey,
just wanted to check why i cant see all the comments that have been made on my story? Ditto for votes.
Hi, have been checking everyday for my story “Daddys Girl” can you tell me where I can find it, you messaged above that it would be up on the 5th Aug. I sent my original email on the 3rd. Thanks, David
Hey,
You guys didnt reply to my earlier query. Im still not able to see more than the first 3 comments on my story. And now readers are having trouble commenting also – comments are not being registered in one go.
@Avantika – All the comments received on your story are approved. We receive a lot of comments everyday and every comment is verified by our moderators, so at times it takes a while to get the comments approved.
The voting plugin is IP sensitive, so from one IP address it can accept only 1 single vote. If your friends are from same work place maybe they are not able to vote due to IP constraints. Ideally they should try voting from their personal computers at home or outside the office premises.
The voting plugin is working absolutely fine, as we monitor it on hourly basis. Do let us know if you still have any problem. You can also email us on gift@shortstorybook.net
@David – you will see your story online in a while from now. We will send you an email once the story is up.
Thanks!
Hi, I sent in my story…when can i see it? And… it’s a little longer than 550 words…PLEASE tell me that’s okay
Heya!
Just wanted to check something; will the final winner be decided based on the total number of votes and comments that person got? If so, then what is the point of the rating score? Currently stories are listed in order of rating but the story with the highest rating will not necessarily be the winner (unless that story also has the highest number of comments and votes, right?!)
Thanks!
@Anjali – The rating score on the right, is a plugin. We stick to the rules – Story with maximum votes and comments wins the contest. We shall send an email soon to all the writers clarifying all the rules once again.
Hi, Just going ahead with what Anjali was hinting. So if the final winner is to be decided on the basis of votes, wouldn’t it be better to display the ‘current votes status’ instead of ‘Current Story Rating’ in the lefthand bar.
Just so that everyone who has their story published knows what the highest vote count is and they can then try harder to get people to vote for them.
Thanks, Pooja.
Do comments hold more weight than votes or is the winner the one with the highest number of comments and votes total? Thanks!
@ Anjali, Pooja, Tiffany – We have sent an email to all the participants explaining them about the entire contest in detail.
Hi team,
Just wanted to check something-a lot of my friends have told me that they’ve commented on my story 2-3 days ago and yet, their comments don’t show up. Please could you tell me how the comment moderation process occurs?
Thanks!
@anjali – please check, now we have no comments pending for moderation.
Glad I came 2nd! This was fun! Still thought I had a chance though cos thought the winner would be the one with the highest total (votes + comments) but I guess that wasnt the case…
@Anjali – Congratulations !!! Thanks for participating, it was indeed a tough competition. All the best.
Leave your response!
Our Latest Tweets
Categories
Peep in the past
Calendar
Blogroll
Shortcut
Current Story Rating
Latest Short Stories
Recent Stories
Most Commented
Recent Comments
Most Viewed
Short Story Lovers
Visitors: 27707 Since: June 21, 2003