:: Mslexia Short Story Competition: a writing competition for short stories written by women

Mslexia, the magazine for women who write | www.mslexia.co.uk

Competition rules

Stories can be up to 2,200 words in length and can be on any subject.
Please submit your work typed, double-spaced on A4 paper, single sided, with pages numbered.
Your entry will be judged anonymously, so do not put your name on the pages of your story. Use a separate cover page with your name, address, telephone number and email address, plus the title of the story you are submitting and a word count. If submitting more than one entry, there is no need for a separate envelope for each entry. Download a cover sheet in .doc format from here.
No alterations may be made to a story once submitted.
Your story will not be returned, so please keep a copy. If you want confirmation that we have received your postal entry, please enclose an SAE, labelled ‘Acknowledgement’. Sorry, but we do not send copies of the result to entrants.
The winners will be contacted by post in May 2012 and the winning stories published in the Jun/Jul/Aug 2012 issue of Mslexia. (No competitor will win more than one prize).
Copyright of any story remains with the author, but Mslexia has the unrestricted right to publish the winning stories in its magazine, on its website, and in any related material for PR purposes.

Stories should be in English (or English dialect) and should not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.
Stories that have won or are under consideration in other short story competitions are not eligible.
Stories should not be a translation of another author’s work.
You do not have to subscribe to Mslexia to be eligible, but you do have to be a woman. We will accept stories from women of any nationality from any country.
Employees of Mslexia are not eligible.

Send your story by post or enter online at www.mslexia.co.uk/shortstory.
If entering by post, mark your envelope ‘Women’s Short Story Competition’ and send it postmarked no later than 19 March 2012 to Mslexia Publications Ltd, PO Box 656, Freepost NEA5566, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1BR. We regret FREEPOST is not available for entries from overseas.
If entering online, be sure to follow the instructions on the website carefully. Stories should be sent as a single attachment.
The entry fee of £10 allows you to enter one story. You may enter as many stories as you like, provided each entry is accompanied by the £10 entry fee.
Entry fees must be in pounds sterling. If you want to use a different currency, please pay online via PayPal, which will convert your fee automatically into pounds sterling.
You can pay by cheque (payable to Mslexia Publications Ltd) or by debit or credit card (phone +44 (0)191 233 3860 with your details). You can also pay online via our website, but in this case you must include with your entry a note of the date on which you paid, and the email address you used, so that we can trace your payment.

The Chawton House Library (CHL) retreat and Virago mentoring session are optional additions to the first prize.
The CHL retreat is accommodation only; dates should be agreed between CHL and the competition winner.
The date of the Virago mentoring session should be agreed between Virago and the competition winner.
The winner is responsible for any other expenses involved with attending the CHL retreat and the day with a Virago editor, i.e. travel, food, etc. The prizes must be taken by 31 May 2013.

Mslexia offers a professional critiquing service for stories entered in to the competition.
The fee is £45 per story in addition to the £10 entry fee. If you would like your story critiqued, you must enter by post. Send THREE copies of each story you are sending for critique, and mark the cover sheet of each story very clearly with CRITIQUING SERVICE.
For more information, and to pay online, visit www.mslexia.co.uk/critiquing