Gig Book Story Writing Contest
I just want to share a ‘real world’ writing contest that I stumbled upon the other week. Winners in this contest will be publish in a book, of course with other prizes too.
This the Gig Book Story Writing Contest which is organized and sponsored by Gig and the Amazing Sampaguita Foundation Inc. with business address at Suite 600 The Gregorian, 2178 Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila, Philippines.
Details of the contest are as follows:
– The contest started on March 9, 2009 and will end on May 31, 2009
– Anyone who is 17 years old and above can join
– Stories must be written in English and intended for children 6-12 years old
– Stories must be something that seaferers family, especially their children can relate to
– Should promote positive human values (e.g. love, respect, honesty, compassion, care, humility, responsibility, understanding, strength, courage, resilience, etc.)
– The word count must be 1,000 words or less, and the plot and sequence must be capable of sustaining a 24-page illustrated book
– By entering the Contest, entrants warrant that: (a) their entry is their original creation; (b) it has not been previously published; (c) it has not been entered in another contest where it won First, Second or Third prize
Entries can be submitted to gigbookcontest@gmail.com, and the subject heading must the word “Entry” followed a space, dash, another space and the title of the story. (e.g. Entry – My Dad is a Sailor and I am a Mermaid).
The entry must be sent as a Microsoft Word attachment to the e-mail, written in 12 points Times Roman, no boldface, no underlines and no italics. Double-spaced without any insertion of image, artworks or any identifying marks.
The deadline for the submission of entries will be on May 31, 2009, 5:3oPM Manila Time.
Five (5) to ten (10) winners will be selected. Each one will receive a cash prize of Php 20,000, a Winner’s Certificate, and an opportunity to have their winning story published as a full-color, fully illustrated storybook.
For more information on the contest, and some other stuff I missed, please visit the Gig Book Contest blog.
I really would love to join this contest, but the ’seaferer’s theme’ somewhat intimidates as I might not be able to come up with a realistic story about the subject.
So, I’m posting it here instead, so my talented blogger friends my become aware of the contest and perhaps write their entries.
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That’s pretty generous of you Roy, I would like to, but I also don’t know anything about the sea..lol..I ‘ll try to conceptualize.
There is also one contest an international one…Commonwealth Short Story Competition.
The Commonwealth Short Story Competition exists to increase understanding between and appreciation of different Commonwealth cultures, to showcase the rich diversity of the Commonwealth and to support rising literary talents.
Enter the 2009 Commonwealth Short Story Competition
First prize £2,000
“Here, in India, publishers don’t readily accept short story collections. What tilted the scale in my favour is surely the hat of trick prizes in a prestigious competition like yours! I am hopeful that this recognition will influence the sales of the book too.”
Usha Rajagopalan, Bangalore, India
“Following my win in the Commonwealth Short Story Competition a few years ago, I just want to inform you that my first novel has just been accepted for publication by Farafina Publishers”
Anietie Isong, Lagos, Nigeria.
About the competition
The Commonwealth Short Story Competition is an annual scheme to promote new creative writing. It was established in 1996. It is funded by the Commonwealth Foundation and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, who work together to administer the scheme.
The scheme exists to increase understanding and appreciation of Commonwealth cultures and to promote rising literary talents. Each year 26 winning and highly commended stories from the different regions of the Commonwealth are recorded on to CDs and broadcast on radio stations across the Commonwealth. The winner receives a prize of £2,000 and there are regional prizes of £500.
How to enter
The competition is open to all people who are citizens of a Commonwealth member country.
There is no age limit or requirement to write about a particular theme. Entries may be made by both amateur and professional writers.
The deadline for entries is 11 May 2009.
The following are the rules of the competition.
• All entries must clearly state the author’s name, date of birth, full contact details and country of citizenship.
• The stories must not exceed 600 words. Entries over 600 words in length will be disqualified. The word count should be stated on the entry.
• The stories must be original and should not have been previously published anywhere in full or part. Entrants must confirm this in writing as part of the application.
• All entries must be in English.
• A maximum of three stories may be entered per person.
• Entries must be made by email to e.dcosta@commonwealth.int, either as an attachment in a mainstream software format or in the body of the email. All entries must use the subject line ‘Commonwealth Short Story Competition’.
• The competition administrators reserve the right to disqualify any competition entry which does not meet the conditions outlined above. No correspondence will be entered into in this regard.
• Entries will not be returned or acknowledged.
• Only winners and highly commended entrants will be notified. The names of the winners will be published in the magazines and websites of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and the Commonwealth Foundation.
• Winners will retain the copyright but assign broadcasting rights (including audio on demand and sale on audio media), publication rights and rights to use the stories for press and promotional purposes, including via the internet, for ten years to the programme partners (Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and its members, and the Commonwealth Foundation). These rights are non-exclusive.
Culture programme
The Commonwealth Short Story Competition is part of the Culture Programme of the Commonwealth Foundation, along with other schemes such as the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and Commonwealth Connections arts residency scheme. The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation supporting the work of charities, not for profit and non-governmental organisations, culture practitioners and other parts of civil society in the areas of human development, culture, communities and livelihoods and governance and democracy. The Foundation is supported by Commonwealth governments, and raises additional funds from institutions, corporate donors and individuals to support its growing work programme.
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Gee, that’s good enough for a post, hehe…
May 9, only a week and a day. Does it says any theme? Wow! That’s liberty! hehe…
tempting, can I? should I?
thanks for the info Jena
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Hmm! Thanks Roy
fatherlyours’s last blog post..Weekly Chores
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Roy Reply:
May 1st, 2009 at 12:25 pm
uy! sali ka Sir Mon?
good luck!
(cheering squad ako…) go! go! go!
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… gud luck…….
ikogsakanding’s last blog post..Looking HOT and COOL this SUMMER!!!
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Wooo- that’s a one-two punch. Your tip and Jena’s. I’d be cheering you guys from the sideline. Good luck. “,)
jan geronimo’s last blog post..30 Blogging Tips, Links and Social Media Resources
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@ ikogsakanding
Thanks! I really need that… if I do get the guts to join
@ Jan
I really wish I can join
thanks for the tweet
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wow, galing naman nito.. para sa mga kids. kakatuwa. ^^v
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wow! this is one great contest roy. are you in for this one?
wow, this would take alot of punishing on my neurons for me to submit an entry…and i am quite scared of seas ehehe
elmot’s last blog post..Don’t Tell Me I Don’t Value My Family!
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I wish I could join elmot… I really wish I could come up with one good story
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nice contest but I am never good in wiritng that
Sherry’s last blog post..Dahlia Handbags Giveaway
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Roy Reply:
May 9th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
well, it’s not really that hard Sherry… you just have to be in dire need just like me
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i will enter this contest. fiction or non-fiction? my uncle is a seafarer and i have seen his family’s struggle. i can also narrate the story of my colleague who’s family was left broken because his seafarer dad did not think about their future.
ceblogger’s last blog post..The iBlog5 Experience
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Roy Reply:
May 12th, 2009 at 8:49 am
that’s great ceblogger!
there is still time… goodluck!
just remember to make it child-friendly, as I believe they will be for children’s books
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Thanks Roy
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wow… did you already submit an entry sir? good luck
Ceejay’s last blog post..Davao Region – A zipline region!!!
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secret!
hahaha!
i did, just now, hehe…
i’m crossing my fingers, although i’m not really expecting.
baka lang makadisgrasya, hehe…
Roy’s last blog post..The Struggling Blogger’s biggest quest
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mei Reply:
May 1st, 2010 at 7:25 am
Hi Roy,
I need a story writer (like you) who can contribute some original stories that would be published for an ESL book. If you are interested please send an email. Keep in touch..
cybelle_21@yahoo.com
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whatever happened to the gigbook story writing contest? how come there are still no winners when they said winners will be announced on or before the 4th of August 2009?
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Roy Reply:
August 20th, 2009 at 3:13 am
Hi Grace,
I’ve been asking that myself since I was able to submit an entry too. Unfortunately, there are no announcement yet as of now
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uhm…sayang naman entries don…writers could have submitted them to other contests na lang sana…
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Roy Reply:
August 21st, 2009 at 12:38 am
Hi balot! I would love to know if there are other contests too
thanks!
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nakakaloko nman ang gigbook na yan.actually i sent an entry to the contest din and ’til now la pa rin daw winners.they sent emails saying na they’re in the process of selecting winners, yet they don’t know when they can actually announce it.may ganon pala?andami nila instructions and restrictions sa contest, yet sila walang maibigay na finality regarding the contest?pwede mo bang sabihin un sa participants na hindi mo alam kung kelan maiaanounce ang winners, kung may winners nga?parang lokohan lang yata ang contest na un…
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[...] from Gig Book Story Writing Contest Many have been asking about what happened to the Gig Book Story Writing Contest, this blogger [...]
Hi Grace!
Finally, they have sent an email with a date. We just have to wait until September 7. Hopefully, that will the final date.
Good luck!
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[...] they will announce the winners on September 7, 2009 (a day earlier even), the organizers of the Gig Book Story Writing Contest has released the winners of the writing [...]