May 17, 2013
Writing Contest Seeks Beach Reads
Cat & Mouse Press, a small publishing company based in Lewes, DE, has announced a new contest and invites writers to submit short pieces of fiction or nonfiction that are “entertaining, interesting, humorous, or just plain fun.” The Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Competition features a $500 first prize sponsored by Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach. The theme for the contest is “The Beach House” and each story must incorporate that theme and also have a strong connection to Rehoboth Beach (writers do not have to live in Rehoboth). A panel of judges will select the best entries, which will be published in a professionally designed paperback book. The deadline for entries is July 1, 2013 and there is a $10 fee to enter.
The goal of the Rehoboth Beach Reads contest is to showcase regional writers while creating a great book for summer reading. “We have so many terrific writers in the area,” says contest organizer Nancy Sakaduski of Cat & Mouse Press. “We hope to give unpublished writers a chance to see their names in print and provide additional visibility for our established writers. In the process, we will be creating a great book for summer reading.” While not every entry will be accepted for the book, Sakaduski hopes to showcase quite a few writers and publish a wide variety of stories. “We will include as many of the judges’ highest rated stories as we have space for,” she promises, “and will be looking for many different interpretations on our theme. One of the judges, Ethan Joella, adds: “the contest is an exciting opportunity to put together a high-quality collection that not only pays tribute to the unique Rehoboth Beach area but also highlights the amazing and talented writers that call this area home.”
Writers may choose to write any kind of story (mystery, romance, nature, memoir, humor, etc.) that incorporates the theme “The Beach House” and has a connection to Rehoboth. The only kinds of writing that are off-limits are poetry, erotica, religious material, and children’s literature. Entries must be 500-5,000 words long, written in Microsoft Word, and sent electronically to Nancy at Cat and Mouse Press. There is a $10 per entry fee (which can be paid online via PayPal or by mailing a check), and a maximum of three entries per person. Writers are encouraged to read the guidelines carefully before submitting their work; entries that do not meet the guidelines will not be considered.
“We are delighted to sponsor the $500 first prize award,” says Steve Crane, owner of Browseabout Books, “and we look forward to featuring the Rehoboth Beach Reads book when it is published. Our customers are always looking for great summer stories, and who better to supply them than our local writers?”
Writers do not have to have been previously published in order to submit entries, and the judges who read their work will not know the identities of the authors. In addition to choosing the winner of the top prize, judges will select entries of particular merit to receive merchandise prizes such as books, tee shirts, or gift baskets. Authors whose work is chosen to be published will be able to purchase copies of the book at a 30% discount.
Judges for the contest include:
Rich Barnett, author of The Discreet Charms of a Bourgeois Beach Town: Rehoboth Beach Stories and “CAMP Stories” for Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.
Gail Braune Comorat, award-winning poet, short story writer, and founding member of the Rehoboth Beach Writers’ Guild.
Kristen Gramer, Assistant Director, Lewes Public Library.
Fay Jacobs, journalist and author of As I Lay Frying and other memoir books, and features editor for Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.
Ethan Joella, college writing professor and author of fiction, essays, and poetry, who is a specialist in experimental literature.
Information and guidelines on the Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Competition
