Call for Submissions: Good Housekeeping Contest (USA Only)

So, here's one I'm not eligible for (being all Canadian and stuff) but you might be. "Your story should reflect an aspect of women's lives today." Oh, I dare you to write queer fiction for this one, my friends. If you do and win, I'll eat my hat. Well, I don't have a hat, but you can buy me one with your $3,000:

Good Housekeeping Short Story Contest

Deadline: 1 September 2011

Submit a short story, no longer than 3,500 words, to fictioncontest@goodhousekeeping.com. Your story should reflect an aspect of women's lives today. Please include the title of your story in the subject line. Submissions must be an original work of fiction, not previously published or a finalist for any other prize or award. Please include your full name, address, daytime phone number, and email address.

Eligibility:

Contest is open to anyone, age 21 or older, who is a legal resident of the United States or the District of Columbia.

Deadlines:

Manuscripts will be accepted beginning July 1, 2011. All entries must be received by September 1, 2011. Only one entry per person allowed. Submitted material cannot be returned or acknowledged. Winners will be notified by February 15, 2012. Decisions of the judging panel are final.

Prizes:

One grand-prize winner will receive $3,000 and possible publication of the winning story in the May 2012 issue. Two runners-up will each receive $750 and may have their stories published on goodhousekeeping.com.

Guest Judge: Elizabeth Berg, best-selling author of Once Upon a Time, There Was You and many other novels.

Official Contest Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING

How to Enter:

Beginning July 1, 2011 at 12:01 AM (ET) through September 1, 2011 at 11:59 PM (ET) go to goodhousekeeping.com/fictioncontest and submit your entry pursuant to the onscreen instructions. Applicants must submit an original short story, 3,500 words or less, on a theme that reflects an aspect of women’s lives today. Winner Selection: One (1) grand-prize winner and two (2) runners-up will be chosen at the sole discretion of Good Housekeeping’s judges panel. All entries will be judged on artistic merit and originality. In the event of a tie, whichever story the judges deem most suitable for publication in Good Housekeeping will be the winner. By participating in the contest, entrant certifies that his/her entry is original, has not been previously published or won any award, and does not contain any material that would violate or infringe upon the rights of any third party, including copyrights, trademarks or rights or privacy or publicity. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole and unfettered discretion to disqualify any entry that it believes contains obscene, offensive or inappropriate content, that does not comply with these official rules or that is not consistent with the spirit or theme of the contest. The decision of the Sponsor and judges is final and binding on all matters relating to the Contest. All entries become the property of Good Housekeeping and can be used to promote Sponsor in all media. The Winner also agrees to participate in all PR efforts surrounding the contest, including but not limited to an editorial photo shoot for Good Housekeeping, local and national television tapings and interviews, print and online interviews, and Good Housekeeping-approved photo distribution to all press outlets. Prizes and Approximate Retail Values: One (1) Grand-prize winner will receive $3,000 and possible publication in the May 2012 issue of Good Housekeeping. Two (2) runners-up will each receive $750 and possible publication on goodhousekeeping.com. Winners will be notified via phone, e-mail or postal mail, at Sponsor’s discretion on or about February 15, 2012 Winner’s List: For winners’ names, send a separate self-addressed, stamped envelope to Short Story Contest, 300 w. 57th Street, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10019 by April 15, 2012. Winners’ names will also be posted online on goodhousekeeping.com. Incomplete entry forms or entry forms that have been tampered with will be disqualified.

ENTRIES:

Limit (1) one entry per person and per e-mail address for THE 2011 Good Housekeeping Short Story CONTEST (referred to as the “Promotion”). Entries using macro, robotic, script or other forms of automatic entry will be disqualified. Entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned. Proof of submission does not constitute proof of receipt. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, incomplete, or inaccurate entries. If there is a dispute as to the identity of an online entrant, the prize will be awarded to the authorized account holder of the email address. The “authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person to whom the email address is assigned by an internet service provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.

ELIGIBILITY:

Open to legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia who have reached the age of 21 years or older at time of entry. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. Employees of Sponsor, its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, the independent judging organization and prize suppliers (and members of their immediate family and/or those living in the same of household of each such employee) are not eligible.

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION:

Online entrants must have valid e-mail address and it is entrant’s responsibility to update Sponsor of any change in e-mail address. Expenses not specifically included in prize description and all taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner. Each prize is awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied outside of manufacturer's limited warranty. No transfer, assignment or substitution of a prize permitted, except Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize for an item of equal or greater value in the event an advertised prize is unavailable. All federal, state, provincial and local laws and regulations apply. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Promotion. Winners may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release and where legally permissible a Publicity Release within 7 days following the date of first attempted notification. Failure to comply with this deadline may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate winner. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Winner hereby further agrees that it will sign any documents necessary to transfer copyright of the entry to Sponsor within 7 days following the date of first attempted notification. Acceptance of the prize constitutes permission for Sponsor and its agencies to use winner’s name and/or likeness, biographical material and/or entry (including an altered form of the entry) for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law. By accepting prize, winner agrees to hold Sponsor, its advertising and promotion agencies and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representative agents, successors, assigns, officers, directors, and employees harmless for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the Promotion or acceptance or use of the prize. Sponsor is not responsible for any printing, typographical, mechanical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Promotion or in the announcement of the prize.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: fictioncontest@goodhousekeeping.com

For submissions: fictioncontest@goodhousekeeping.com