Contest Rules

  • The decisions of the judges, readers, and staff of the Federation of BC Writers are final.
  • All submissions must be made online through our portal.
  • The name of the entrant must NOT appear anywhere in the entry document. Entrants that do not meet this crucial criteria will not be submitted to readers for evaluation. (Please double check filenames by-lines, and headers/footers)
  • The use of AI to create entries is prohibited. AI editors such as spell check, Pro Writing Aid, Grammarly, and similar tools are permissible for use with your entry, but ChatGPT and other generative tools are not.
  • Winners and Judges from the past 2 years cannot enter the contest. (2023 and 2022)
  • Work must be original and not previously published.
  • If a work is published after submission, it must we withdrawn from the contest.
  • All Short Listed, Bonus Category, Runner Up, and 1st Place entries will be published in the anthology. By entering a submission, the author is granting the Federation the right of first publication. The author retains all other rights.
  • Entrants are asked to be cognizant of cultural appropriation. An article outlining best practices can be found here
  • Submissions are only accepted in DOC, DOCX, PDF, or RTF format. Please use a simple, readable font such as Times New Roman or Arial at 12pt.
  • Staff and Board members of the FBCW and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.
  • Word counts will be verified using Microsoft Word.
  • Entries must be submitted in English.
  • One written piece per entry. You can submit as many entries as you wish.
  • Given the complexities of publishing rights with the anthology, simultaneous submissions with other contests for the same piece is prohibited.
  • Entrants must be Canadian residents.
  • Contest fees are non-refundable except in extenuating circumstances and are at the sole discretion of FBCW staff.
  • The contest does not provide reader feedback, but aims for transparency wherever possible.

Contest Information

  • While the contest is called the Literary contests and this can mean different things to different people, we welcome and encourage submissions across all genres and work to ensure that all entries have an equitable chance at winning based on the quality of the entry.
  • Anthology entries will receive a minimal copyedit. Significant edits are not permitted after submission and through the publication process.
  • We do not guarantee that formatting can be precisely reproduced in the anthology. Please take that into consideration with any entries and consider if meaning is lost in such instances.
  • 72.41% of disqualifications in the 2023 contest resulted from entries including their name in the filename or body/by-line/header/footer of the document.
  • The results of the contest will be announced in November 2024.
  • All entries that meet the rules validation will be readand evaluated by a reader. This information is kept confidential and helps us to generate the long list.
  • All of our readers and judges are paid. A careful calculation has been made that reflects time involved, words read, and administrative work in their compensation. Entry fees are used to ensure fair compensation and a fair and transparent vetting process.

First-Time Writer, or Seasoned-Pro, you Have a Home at the Federation of BC Writers

This contest is administered by the Federation of BC Writers and is governed by our bylaws and constitution as a Not-For-Profit Society in the Province of British Columbia

The Federation of British Columbia Writers (FBCW) is a provincial writing organization and charity for writers, about writing. Built upon the need to support emerging and established writers on a grassroots level, the FBCW has grown to include over 1,700 members of British Columbia’s literary community since its inception in 1976.

The role of our organization has evolved over its forty-eight-year history, with an increased focus on education, collaboration, advocacy, and addressing the current challenges facing writers in every genre. With an aim to promote excellence and professionalism in the literary arts, the FBCW supports BC and Yukon writers and poets at every stage of their creative journeys, through programs, services, and publications that target craft, connection, and career.

www.bcwriters.ca

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