Journey into Hope

Submission Guidelines:

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• Story should be no more than 5,000 words long and must involve the volume’s theme, Journey into Hope, in some way. All genre’s welcome.

• Authors may submit up to 3 stories to the contest.

• A panel of judges will score the submissions and determine the winners and honorable mentions – which stories will be published in the anthology and receive their respective additional prizes as applicable.

• The stories will then move to the publication queue, which consists of two phases:

  • Revision Phase — Authors will be given an opportunity to work with an editor in a revision consultation.  A deadline will be provided for resubmission based on the revision requests.

  • Editing Phase — professional copyediting will ensure the work is ready for the public.

 

Prizes:

• First prize — $100, plus certificate and a medal

• Second prize — $75, plus certificate and a medal

• Third prize — $50, plus certificate and a medal

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All prize winners will receive complimentary 3-Day Pass registration to the AuthorPalooza Conference hosted by Houston Writers Guild September 27–28, 2025.

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Publication in the book will also mean each author will receive a complimentary copy of the volume as well as complimentary entry to the gala night celebration at which the book will be launched.

• Each author will be able to purchase as many copies of the anthology as they wish at 50% off retail price and resell these retaining all profits from said sales.

• Each author will retain all rights to their story for any future or concurrent use.  No exclusivity is required or requested.

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Submission Format:

• Send your submissions as 2 Word Documents to inklingspublishing@gmail.com

  • Subject Line: HWG/WIVLA Contest Entry

  • First Word Document should be titled (Your Name) Author Information and contain the following:

    • Title of story

    • Author’s name as you wish it to appear in publication

    • Author’s legal name

    • Contact information for author, including:

      • Email address, telephone number, and mailing address

    • Author Bio of no more than 500 words that has been professionally edited and is ready for inclusion in the book should your story make the cut.

  • Second Word Document should be titled (Your Name) + Story Title and be formatted as follows:

    • Typed in 12 pt Garamond font

    • Single-spaced

    • Header with title of story and page numbering

    • Your name should NOT appear anywhere within the document. Do Not Put Your Name in the header or on the first page of the story proper. Judging is blind, so if your name is within the document, your submission will be disqualified and no refunds will be given.

 

If the submission is not sent using the aforementioned formatting requirements, it will be automatically disqualified – no refund of entry fee will be made in such an event.

 

Submissions using AI-generated content will be disqualified and no refunds will be issued. Please submit only original stories written by you as a human artist.

 

Entry Fee and Contest Window for Submissions:

• $40 for nonmembers

• $30 for members

 

Entries may be submitted starting in February 2025.

Submission window closes on April 30 at 11:59 pm.

 

Judging and Production Window:

• Judging will take place during the month of May 2025.

• Results will be sent to participants the first week of June 2025.

• Revision work with an editor for those whose stories make the cut will take place from June 1 to June 30, 2025.

• Final story for those working with editor will be due July 1, 2025, at which point the final anthology file will be compiled and sent to copyediting and formatting.

 

Book Launch Party will be Friday, October 3, 2025; details will be sent closer to the event and posted here as well.