WV Writers 2026 Writing Competition Official Rules

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SUBMISSIONS:

• All entries are electronic and MUST be paid via PayPal.
• The entry fee for members is $20 per entry, or $25 for Book Length Prose.
• The entry fee for nonmembers is $50 per entry, or $55 for Book Length Prose.
• AI-generated submissions will be disqualified.
• Entry fees are not refundable.
• Here is the entry page.

DEADLINE:

• Entries are accepted from January 15 through March 31, 2026.
• Entries submitted between March 16 and March 31 incur a $5 late fee per manuscript.

ELIGIBILITY:

• The contest is open to any WV resident and any current paid member of WV Writers. West Virginia residents who are not members of WV Writers must pay a higher entry fee. Out-of-state residents must be or become members of WV Writers, Inc.
• WV Writers Board of Directors members are prohibited from entering.
• Entries must be the entrant's original work and must comply with the category descriptions, limitations, and procedures.
• AI-generated submissions will be disqualified.
• Any work that has won a cash prize in any previous WVW competition is not eligible.
• Published works, or those accepted anywhere for publication before January 1, 2026, are not eligible. A work will be considered published if it has been printed in a publication with a distribution of 1000 or more, published on a webpage, or independently published via print-on-demand or e-book service. If less than 25% of the entry has been published it will be considered unpublished.
• There is no eligibility age limit.

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

• This contest is blindly judged. The author’s name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript.
• Indicate the category and word count in the upper right corner of the first page. Poetry should indicate number of lines, not word count.
• All manuscripts should be titled and typed in a standard 12-point font and double-spaced. Poetry may be single-spaced.
• Manuscripts may be entered in multiple categories provided the same title is used.
• Submit a separate manuscript and fee for each category entered.
• Submissions not following the guidelines may be disqualified with no refund of entry fees.

JUDGING:

• Judges will not critique manuscripts.
• Entrants may not contact judges before or during the contest. This will result in disqualification without a refund.
• Decisions of the judges are final.

WINNERS:

• Winners will be announced at the WVW Awards Banquet on June 13, 2026, at Cedar Lakes, Ripley, WV.
• The list of winners will be posted on the website by June 15, 2026.
• Cash awards of $200, $100, and $50 will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, respectively, for each category along with a ribbon and certificate. Honorable mentions will receive a ribbon and certificate.
• Winners not present at the banquet will receive their awards in the mail. (But please come to the banquet, it's a good time.)

COMPETITION CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS:

Short Poetry – 20 lines or less of poetry in any form

Long Poetry – 21 lines and up to 4 pages in length. Poetry in any form.

Short Story – up to 5,000 words. Fiction.

Nonfiction / Essay – up to 5,000 words. Article, essay, or memoir.

Flash Fiction – up to 1,000 words.

For book categories – please note the entry fee is an additional $5.

Book Length Prose – Up to 7,500 words and a 1-page synopsis. Specify fiction, nonfiction, or memoir.