New short story contest announced

It’s no secret that writers find Paris inspiring (Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Joyce would agree). And now, with the advent of the Paris Writers News Short Story Contest, City of Light-inspired tales are ready to be recognized. Want to know more? Organizer Laurel Zuckerman answers a few questions:

Who can enter?
Anyone who has written a story with some connection to Paris may submit. Stories must be in English, but writers can be of any age or nationality and live anywhere in the world. All lengths, from short-short up to 5,000 words are eligible.

What kind of stories are you looking for?
I personally am hoping for beautifully written stories full of energy, humor and heart. Stories with depth that are fun to read. This said, the final decision is the judge’s alone.

Who selects the stories to be published?
The Editorial Committee evaluates submissions and selects the short list. Short-listed stories are then grouped by theme and sent to one of our twelve Judges. Each Judge will choose one story to appear in The Best and Most Delightful Stories About Paris.

We hope that this two-step process will ensure high quality while allowing for original, exciting, and ultimately personal choices by our distinguished judges.

Who are the twelve Judges?
Nicola Keegan, Janet Skeslien Charles, Elizabeth Bard, Charles Trueheart, Brian Spence, Charles and Clydette De Groot, Cara Black, Anne Korkeakivi, Heather Stimmler Hall, Penelope Fletcher, Robert Stewart, and Diane Johnson. Each of these award-winning writers, editors, bookstore owners and Paris literary figures will be responsible for choosing one story for publication–and telling what they liked about it. For more on the Judges and Editorial Committee members, please see the Paris Writers News website.

In addition to publication, there is a 200 Euro prize. How is this attributed?
The Editorial Committee will award the 200 euro prize to the story receiving the highest evaluations overall.

Doesn’t that make thirteen stories to be published?
Yes.

Why is there an entry fee?
Our original idea was no entry fee, but with the ease of email transmissions, there was a real risk of being inundated with submissions. We really want writers to send us their best stories. Another factor was the cost of producing and distributing a high quality book, and frankly, every little bit helps. We are actively seeking sponsors in the Anglophone community.

Will the book be available for purchase?
Yes! The Best and Most Delightful Stories About Paris will be available in paperback and on all e-book readers, in Fall 2011.  We will be launching a contest for the design of the cover in the next few months.

Where can we learn more about the contest?
For now, The Paris Writers News website. A dedicated website will be announced soon.

PARIS WRITERS NEWS SHORT STORY CONTEST
Genre: Short fiction (story must have some link to Paris)
Closing date: 30 November 2010
Prize: 200 euros for first prize, plus publication of twelve best stories
Entry fee: 10 euros
Restrictions: Maximum 5,000 words. Submission in the body of the email only.
Further information: 12 stories will be selected to appear in the book: “BEST AND MOST DELIGHTFUL STORIES ABOUT PARIS” to be published fall 2011