By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff
Writers who do well under pressure have an opportunity to shine, with the deadline for the Reader’s fourth annual 208 Fiction contest looming on Friday, Jan. 3.
Submissions will be accepted until 5 p.m., and entering is easy: send submissions to [email protected] with the subject line “208 FICTION.” Each entry costs $5 and writers can submit as many entries as they like. Send payment to paypal.me/sandpointreader, or pay by check or cash at the Sandpoint Reader office, 111 Cedar St. Ste. 9, Sandpoint, ID 83864.
Now comes the hard part: To be considered, entries must be exactly 208 words, not including title and author’s name. They also must be fiction. No autobiography, biography, personal essay, bathroom musings, etc.
They say brevity is the soul of wit; and, in this case, it could win you fame and a modicum of fortune.
The first-, second- and third-place winners will be published in the Thursday, Jan. 9 edition of the Reader, as well as honorable mentions. That’s the fame part.
As for fortune, the top story will earn a cash prize of $150, while second and third place get a $50 and $25 dining gift certificate, respectively.
Entries will be judged by Reader Publisher Ben Olson, Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone and Staff Writer Soncirey Mitchell.
When submitting your story — or stories — make sure to clearly identify your name and the title of the piece(s). In addition, include your full name and “208 Fiction” with your payment information. If we can’t match your submission with the payment, then your story won’t be considered.
Contact [email protected] with any questions.
In the meantime — and time is short — sharpen those pencils and show us what you can do with only 208 words.
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