Fast & Foolish Fiction Writing Contest

Fast and Foolish Fiction Writing Contest
People are funny...at least most of them think so. Today is April Fool's Day and in honor of all the practical jokes and lies that will be inflicted today, we want you to give us your best humorous story. The only "rule" is that the catalyst for the story must be a lie or practical joke. It can't be that hard, after all you are a brilliant writer who will be paid ONE MILLION DOLLARS if you win...aren't you? Remember, Echelon is all about escaping, so think outside the box and give readers the readers what they want.

Every author at every level should be committed to keeping their name in front of readers. Are you looking for your first publishing credit? Are you between books? Looking for a way to revive characters from books that have been out for a while? Want to introduce new characters for upcoming books? Looking for a way to build your readership? Have we got a promotional opportunity for you!

Echelon Press would like to publish your "Fast and Foolish" April story. The fast part means you have until April 12, 2007 to submit your story of 3000-6000 words. The winner will be notified by April 14, 2007 and have 5 days to edit/revise the story. Echelon Press will publish your story in its e-book division on April 19, 2007. Simple!

Send your submissions as a Word (doc) attachment to contest@echelonpress.com. Your professional cover letter should be in the body of an e-mail. Cover letters that do not adhere to professional standards will disqualify the submission from further consideration. All submissions must include an active author/writer website to be considered. This is your most valuable source of marketing and is a requirement for consideration.

Submissions must adhere to the following guidelines.

Standard Manuscript format

• File saved in Word format (.doc) or (.rtf)
• 8 ½ x 11 page
• Times New Roman 12pt font/black
• 1-inch margin on all sides/ 1.5 line spacing
• Align text left, do not justify (aligning text both left and right)
• Header containing title, author name and page number
• Capital letters at the beginning of sentences and proper nouns
• Show new paragraphs by indenting first line of new paragraph .3. Do not add blank line between paragraphs.
• Show scene breaks with * * * * centered in the appropriate line.

All cover letters must include

• Name (and pseudonym if applicable)
• Mailing address
• Phone number
• E-mail address (if available)
• Web address (if available)

*Winners under 18 years of age must show parent's permission prior to contract.

Previous Winners:

March 2007 -- Janelle Dakota -- Hear the Wind Blow (Fanciful)
February 2007 -- Yvonne Walus -- Small Price to Pay (Frisky)
January 2007 -- Elysabeth Eldering -- The Tulip Kiss (Frigid)
December 2006 -- Dan Strohschien -- The Naughty List (Festive)
November 2006 -- Jamie Summers -- A True Friend (Fatal)
October 2006 -- C.A. Verstraete -- The Witch Tree (Freaky)


Please note that contests posts are made on Echelon Press' website on the designated dates. To get the announcements in a timely manner, please visit www.echelonpress.com/fast.htm