2017 Anthology Contest

Turning Points: Stories about Choice and Change

Our third annual anthology contest is open for submissions. This year, we’re looking for stories — fiction, nonfiction, and everything in between — about those moments that present a fork in the road and an opportunity to go left or right, choose A or B, follow your gut or follow someone else’s direction.  You know the kind: Even when it’s not clear at the time, the moment is a turning point for you, your characters, your country.

And this year, we will be donating 10% of the profits from the sale of the anthology to the ACLU.

The submission period ends July 15, 2017. The anthology will be released in October 2017.

This year we’re excited to welcome writer, storyteller and CEO of Better Said Than Done, Jessica Piscitelli Robinson as our guest judge. 

What wins:
We’re looking for well-written stories with good structure (beginning, middle, end, tension, climax, resolution), interesting characters, and compelling narratives. We love words, and we love writers who show that they do, too.

Feel free to take some risks, but we’re kind of traditionalists when it comes to the basics of story structure. This isn’t the place for experimental fiction or post-modernist poetry, and we don’t want you to waste your time here if that’s your jam.

Make us laugh. Make us cry. Make us think. Make us do all three and you’re definitely headed for the winner’s circle.

(Not so) fine print:
The submission fee is $15. The goal isn’t to line our pockets as much as it is to cover basic costs and act as a bit of a deterrent for people who aren’t serious. We’ve found that a small submission fee cuts down on the impulsive 2 a.m. submissions of unedited or unfinished pieces. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Also:

  • Submissions must be your original work and no longer than 4,000 words.
  • We will accept previously published work as long as the piece is eligible to be republished. Include information about previous publications at the end of the document.
  • Please submit your story as a Word document (.doc or .docx).
  • Include all contact information on the first page in the upper left corner. Names will be removed before going to the judges.
  • Include the story name  in a header on each page.
  • The $15 submission fee must be paid through PayPal.
  • You may submit more than one piece, but the submission fee must be paid each time.
  • If you are simultaneously submitting a story to other publications, you must let us know. And if it’s accepted elsewhere, please withdraw the piece immediately.

What’s in it for you:
This year we’re going to choose first place, second place, third place and honorable mention winners. Prizes are awarded as follows:
1st Place: $50 + a copy of the book
2nd Place: $30 + a copy of the book
3rd Place: $20 + a copy of the book
Honorable Mentions: 2 copies of the book.

And there’s the obvious benefit of a publishing credit and the opportunity to put your name into Amazon and return a result — or additional results if you’re already on that track.

Once winners have been notified we will send out press releases and social media announcements of the winning writers and book release and purchase information.

In addition, we’re always on the lookout for talented writers we want to publish, so your submission could lead to an opportunity to discuss a full-length book or your own anthology of short stories.

What’s in it for us:
We’re a small, independent press, and contests are an efficient way for us to meet and support new and emerging authors. We can only publish three to four books a year, which makes for a small universe of writers, but anthology contests open that universe a little more in a way that’s manageable and productive for everyone.

Possibilities Publishing is founded and run by writers, and we know how satisfying — and difficult — it can be for your words to see the light of day. Helping even a handful of talented writers get their words into the world makes our day.

Ready? Click here to submit your story!