Random House's online literary magazine, BoldType, is once again holding their annual short story contest. "One story will be selected for publication in Bold Type. In addition, the winning writer will have the opportunity to submit a manuscript for review by editors at Random House, Inc. One or more honorable mentions may also be selected. " This is a chance for any Deviant aspiring to be a writer to have thier work given an exclusive reading by one of the world's most influential publishing houses, don't pass this up! Read on for details and rules.

The Theme of this year's Contest, From BoldType:

" 'Fish: (fish), n. 1. any of various cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrates having gills, commonly fins, and typically an elongated body covered with scales: includes three unrelated classes . 2. the subject of the 2002 Bold Type Short Story contest.'
"Your assignment: to write a short story, maximum of 1000 words, in which the concept of fish plays a thematic role. The details are up to you—your fish may be an iridescent snapper gliding through the murky ocean; a lone goldfish longing to be rescued from an elementary school fair; a fleshy filet served at a 5-star restaurant. It may adorn a bagel at a Sunday brunch; be wrapped in the Sunday Times and left as a nefarious calling card; elude the baited lines cast lazily upon a lake.

'And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and tree nights.'
--Jonah1:17

"In keeping with the literary traditions of the Old Testament and Herman Melville, you may broaden the definition of "fish" to include other ocean dwellers, large and small. Benchley fans take note: sharks are fish, too.

'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
--attributed to Lao Tzu'

"Be creative—comb the "recesses of your imagination for every Cousteau-inspired idea you've had; think fondly on the coquille St. Jacques you shared with a loved one in Normandy; pay tribute to your pet guppy. The one caveat is this: the word "fish" must appear somewhere in your story; the rest is up to you.

"Please refer to the official contest rules; any entries that do not adhere to these rules will be automatically disqualified.

"Let the games begin.


And here are the rules:

Bold Type invites you to participate in its fourth annual short story contest, by writing and submitting a short work of fiction for online publication.
Winners/Prizes: One story will be selected for publication in Bold Type. In addition, the winning writer will have the opportunity to submit a manuscript for review by editors at Random House, Inc. One or more honorable mentions may also be selected.

Official Rules:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID IN PUERTO RICO AND CANADA AND WHEREVER PROHIBITED BY LAW

1. To enter, send your story of a maximum of 1000 words in length via e-mail to boldtype@randomhouse.com with the subject line "Bold Type Short Story Contest." Your story must be sent as an attached Microsoft Word file. Be sure to include your name, address and daytime telephone number on every page of your story, and please indicate your age and occupation in the body of the e-mail.

2. This contest is open to United States residents of all ages. Employees of Random House, Inc. and its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers and agencies and their immediate family members and persons living in their household are not eligible. One entry per person.

3. Entries must be received by December 1, 2002. Random House, Inc. is not responsible for late, lost, stolen, incomplete, illegible or misdirected mail or submissions.

4. Stories will be judged by the editors of Bold Type in their sole discretion, on the basis of originality, writing style, quality of work, and adherence to contest guidelines. To be eligible to win, a story must feature fish prominently. The decision of the judges will be final. Stories must be original and not previously published.

5. The winner and any honorable mention award winners will be selected on or about January 15, 2003, and notified by telephone.

6. The winner (or his/her parent or legal guardian, if the winner is a minor) must sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and Consent and Release form within 7 days of notification to receive the prize and permit publication of the winning story on Bold Type. Random House, Inc. reserves the right to designate an alternative winner in the event the affidavit and consent and release form is not received within 7 days of notification. All publishing details with respect to the winning story will be determined by the Bold Type editors, who reserve the right to edit the story as they deem appropriate prior to publication. Proper credit, as Bold Type deems appropriate, will be given to the Winner for online publication.

7. Submissions will not be returned or acknowledged. Entry in the contest constitutes permission to use the submitted stories and the name, identity and likenesses of all participants for promotional purposes on behalf of the authors and Bold Type and Random House, Inc. Random House shall have the exclusive right to publish the winning submission(s) in any and all media for a period of six (6) months after publication in Bold Type. Thereafter, the authors may submit the winning stories for publication elsewhere, provided that the source of original publication in Bold Type is cited.

8. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. The name of the winner will be published on Bold Type in the issue in which the story is published.

Get Writing!