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TDS CONTESTS

TDS Contests were created to uplift writers, poets, and artists beyond the magazine page. We want to highlight talent in as many ways as we can, and these contests are a way to do just that. In fact, winning the contest makes the writer/poet eligible for HWA Affiliate Membership. Join us in celebrating diverse creatives! You can participate in two very important ways:

SPONSOR a contest

Sponsoring means that you either donate a small amount towards the writing contest winnings OR provide the full contest award. By sponsoring a contest, you would enable a writer/poet to join the professional Horror Writer's Association (horror.org) - a big deal in the literary world.

Each contest awards a total of $30 to the winning entries:
$25 to the winner
$5 to the runner-up

The payment to the winners will be sent through PayPal.

To sponsor a contest, fill-out the PayPal form below.
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ENTER a contest

Entry into the contest is simple - and FREE!
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GENERAL GUIDELINES AND INFORMATION (for all contests)
  • Entry is free to all. Only one entry per person.
  • Original stories, poetry, and art only, no reprints.
  • Short stories: 500-5,000 words
  • Poetry: 1-2 pages
  • Art: Abstract, photography, realism (B&W or color) 
  • ​Submit your story in doc/docx and artwork in jpg.
  • Please format your story, poetry or art according to TDS submission guidelines.
  • Submit via email with subject: “Contest Entry_TitleofWork” to darksiremag@gmail.com.
    (please note that any submission sent outside the submissions window will be deleted unread)

RIGHTS AND PAYMENTS
  • We will choose a winner and a runner-up.
  • The winner will receive $25 (through PayPal) and publication.
  • When offered, the runner-up will receive $5 (through PayPal) and publication.
  • Authors of winning stories will be given the opportunity to self-record an audio version of their story to be included as exclusive Youtube content.

CONTEST THEMES
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July 2022
GOTHIC SUMMER: A Writing Contest IS BACK!

But this time, it's a contest to end the celebration of Halloween in July.
Every year, GOTHIC SUMMER: A Writing Contest is opened for writers, poets, and artists to compete for $25 in prize money and publication in TDS. The winner of the contest is also eligible to join the Horror Writers.

This year, we're doing all that and adding a FREE professional consultation with our EIC, Bre Stephens, a professional editor, publisher, and owner of BSC Publishing Group.

GOTHIC SUMMER examines what traditional gothic and modern gothic-horror looks like, feels like, tastes like in summertime. Think: lake houses, forests, ocean/beaches, hot summer evenings, graveyards, hauntings, and scares. Gothic literature and art are the heart of TDS, so be sure to pull inspiration from the master himself, Edgar Allan Poe. We want to see your best gothic tales, poems, and artworks come to life through your masterful creation. And yes, ghosts, ghouls, werewolves, and vampires are welcomed as staples of the genre, as are all other creatures of the night.

The winner will be selected August 1, 2022 and featured in The Dark Forest (blog) on August 10, 2022. Prize money will be sent via PayPal. All creatives (domestic and international, alike) are eligible to enter. LGBTQ+ and creatives of color are encouraged to submit.

NOTE: This contest is for traditional and modern gothic works only. No other genres will be accepted.

Deadline: June 11, 2022

To enter:
  • Send your work as a .doc/.docx or JPG to darksiremag@gmail.com
  • In the email subject line: GOTHIC SUMMER - Title - Author
  • In the body of your email, give a brief synopsis of the work AND your 3rd-person (professional) bio

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September 2021
     









































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​June 2021

     

May 2021
     

NOVEMBER 2020

The one that started it all
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This contest is now CLOSED. Read the winning works on The Dark Forest blog.

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CONGRATULATIONS to our WINNERS:

                  1st Place ($60) - Rose Biggin
               2nd Place ($25) - Liam Hogan
               3rd Place ($15) - Steven Lombardi
               Honorable Mention - Mary Sloat




​The Jon Meyers Dark Humour Prize for Gothic Literature
(a.k.a. The Jon Meyers Gothic Prize)

This contest specifically centers on traditional Gothic stories that use dark humour. Humour, in this sense, comes from the 18th and 19th centuries when Gothic authors crafted literary works by using aspects of the comedic fool and, in greater extent, the art of wit. It is the latter that will be emphasized in the works submitted for the Jon Meyers Gothic Prize.
The Jon Meyers Dark Humour Prize for Gothic Literature is officially open for submissions throughout September. Winners will be announced in October – just in time for Halloween and The Dark Sire’s 2nd Anniversary celebration.

CASH PRIZES:
1st place – $60
2nd place – $25
3rd place - $15

All three winners will be published in The Dark Forest, TDS' blog.
1st and 2nd place winners will be eligible for HWA membership (horror.org).

GUIDELINES:
     adult short fiction (500-7k words)
     poetry (1-3 pages)
     short screenplays (5-12 pages)

Works must use dark humour and Gothic storytelling devices/elements and can include monsters, creepy crawlers, werewolves, vampires, supernatural phenomenon, ghosts, and castles.
(No witches, sci-fi, or cosmic/weird horror!)

Those who wish to delve deeper into what dark humour in Gothic literature is can read Amanda Drake’s 2011 dissertation for University of Nebraska – Lincoln, which was the inspiration for this contest: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1063&context=englishdiss

TO ENTER:
Send your story in .doc/.docx format as an attachment to:

                                     tdscontests@gmail.com


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This contest is now CLOSED. Read the winning works on The Dark Forest blog.

                   CONGRATULATIONS to our winners:
​
   1st Place:   
            Mario Aliberto III
                   
"Rescue Me"       

                       2nd Place:
                                      Jenni Meade  

                                      "Hang Him High"

                       3rd Place:
                                    James Hancock  

                                      "The Chamber"



We're partnering with SECOND CHANCE LIT to bring you our first 100-word FLASH FICTION writing contest: 

                  
THE DARK CHANCES CONTEST

Contest runs June 1 - June 8.


Dark Chances uses 100-word gothic/horror flash fiction to examine the theme of "second chances." When rejection happens, when a first attempt fails, what will happen next? Can we still succeed if only we had another chance? Think of what second chances there are or could be in GOTHIC and HORROR fiction. Let your imaginations free as you interpret the theme. As long as your creation is written as a gothic or horror story with "second chances" as an incorporated theme, its eligible! And as always, ghosts, ghouls, werewolves, vampires, and the like are welcomed. *SPECIAL RULES BELOW*

​
Contest is open to submissions from June 1 to June 8, 2021.
Winners will be announced June 11, 2021.
Publication of TOP 3 winning stories released June 11 on TDS and Second Chance Lit blogs.

PRIZES:
1st place wins publication plus:
          TDS Merch: TDS paperback issue, skull wax melts, and a bookmark
          Second Chance Merch: Notebook, 15oz mug, and a sticker
2nd place wins publication plus:
          TDS Merch: TDS paperback issue and a bookmark
          Second Chance Merch: 11oz mug and a sticker
3rd place wins publication plus:
          TDS Merch: A Bookmark
          Second Chance Merch: A sticker

To enter:

Write a 100-word gothic/horror story with theme of "second chances." Then email it and a brief bio (both pasted directly into the body - no attachments) to: darkchancescontest@gmail.com.

That's it. GOOD LUCK! 

​This contest is fully sponsored by
THE DARK SIRE and SECOND CHANCE LIT

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Our second contest is now CLOSED. Read the winning works on our Patreon.

                   CONGRATULATIONS to our winners:
​
   1st Place:   
            Krista Canterbury Adams
                   
"Nyx Unnested"       

                        2nd Place:
                                        E. M. Roy  

                                      "HOMETOWNWOTEMOH"


The theme looks ahead at SUMMER and examines what traditional gothic literature and modern gothic-horror looks like, feels like, tastes like in summertime. Since contest winners will be selected in May and published in June, this contest is perfect to kick off summer. Therefore, the official theme is called: GOTHIC SUMMER (think: lake houses, forests, ocean/beaches, hot summer evenings, graveyards, hauntings, and scares). We want to see your best gothic tales come to life through your masterful work. And yes, ghosts, ghouls, werewolves, and VAMPIRES are welcomed, as are all other creatures of the night.
​
Contest is open to submissions from April 8 to May 22, 2021.
Winners will be contacted May 30, 2021.
Publication of winning stories released June 15, 2021.

PRIZES: 1st place wins $25; 2nd place wins $5. Both receive publication.
**1st place winners eligible to join HWA as an Affiliate Member**

​This contest is fully sponsored by
THE DARK SIRE

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Our first contest is now CLOSED!

                  CONGRATULATIONS to our winners:

      1st Place:     JEREMY ZENTNER
                     
"Wicked Inheritance"

      2nd Place:     Kerry E. B. Black
                                       "Secret Santa Helper"



The theme for November was chosen via a poll on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: HOLIDAY LEGENDS & TRADITIONS (think: Yulecat, Krampus, Befana & more). We want to see your holiday legends and traditions come to life through your masterful work.

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Contest is open to submissions from November 8 to November 22, 2020.
Winners will be announced December 15, 2020.

**1st place winners eligible to join HWA as an Affiliate Member**


​This contest is fully sponsored by
An Anonymous Donor

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  • Home
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      • TDS Awards 2020
    • Contests
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