Each entry must be original, unpublished fiction or poetry written by the submitting author.
Each entry must be written in English.
Each entry should be submitted on the form on the Minds Shine Bright home page
Each entry should include the theme of confidence in some way.
Each entry must include only one piece of work, for example one poem, or one short story, or one flash fiction or one short script.
Each entry must be entered into one of four categories including short stories, short scripts, poetry and flash fiction. Song lyrics may be entered in the poetry category.
Each entry should be entered as a document file or a PDF in 11 or 12 size standard font. Scripts using industry standard script writing software are acceptable.
The entrant’s name or any identifying information must not be included on the entry anywhere as all entries are blind judged. Names should be entered on the entry form at the time of submission.
There should be no brand references, no references to celebrities and no references to people that are defamatory or could be perceived to be defamatory.
There should be no material submitted that is offensive or objectionable. Any entries which are deemed to be offensive, discriminatory, too graphic or do not meet community standards will be disqualified and ineligible for prizes or publication.
Opening and Closing dates
Minds Shine Bright Writing Competition Confidence 2023 opened on Monday 31 October 2022.
The closing date is midnight Monday 28th February 2023.
Judging
The competition is blind judged. All prizes are awarded on literary merit. Each entry is assessed against a set of criteria. After the initial judging is complete a second judging process occurs to select winners of the gifts and certificates of recognition.
The judge of Minds Shine Bright is Amanda Scotney, founder of Minds Shine Bright. Other arts professionals will assist in judging or moderating as required.
Entry fee
The entry fee is $5 Australian dollars.
Prizes
All prizes are shown in Australian dollars.
$1600 will be awarded to the most outstanding piece of fiction overall. The overall winner is not eligible for any other prizes.
$800 will be awarded to each of the four category winners. Categories include short story, short script, poetry and flash fiction.
$175 will be awarded to each commended entry.
All winning and commended entries will be published in Confidence Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2023, the second in our series of anthologies exploring the confidence theme over time.
All winning and commended entries will receive a copy of Confidence Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2023 as part of their prize.
Fifteen further entries will be awarded gifts and certificates of recognition.
Word Limits
The competition is only open to writers of fiction and includes the following four categories and limits:
Short stories: 1000 to 5000 words
Flash Fiction: up to 1000 words
Poetry: up to 260 lines
Short Scripts: up to 5000 words
Entries that do not meet word limits will be ineligible for prizes or publication.
There is no limit to the number of entries but each entry costs AU$5 and each new entry must be entered on a separate entry form. Only one piece of fiction can be submitted in an entry.
All cash prizes are shown in Australian dollars.
There is no age limit however if you are under 18 years of age parental consent is required.
Copyright
Copyright of the anthology as a collection belongs to Minds Shine Bright and curator Amanda Scotney. Copyright for individual pieces remains with the author and the author grants permission and an ongoing license for their work and their bio to be published in the anthology, on the MindsShineBright.com website and on social media and in other media and communications for current and future promotions of the competition, the anthology and the writers. Australian Copyright Law applies. The author must own the full copyright to their piece.
If writers withdraw their piece from publication they will not be eligible for prizes.
Please consider carefully before submitting your piece to other competitions as entry fees for withdrawn entries won’t be refunded and late withdrawals can adversely impact the publication process. After blind judging, all winning and commended entries are carefully curated and designed so that each Minds Shine Bright anthology has a unique narrative flow.
The judge’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
Minds Shine Bright is not liable for late, lost, incomplete, invalid, incorrectly submitted entries, or illegible, corrupted, or misdirected entries.
Privacy
The personal information requested in the entry form is required primarily so that Minds Shine Bright can provide the winners and commended entries with any prizes or competition updates, invite you to Awards night or Book Launches and/or other online events related to this competition and communicate with you about your entry. Communications may include editing suggestions, publication proofs, contracts or other matters relating to your entry.
By entering the competition, entrants and or their parents/ legal guardians accept these terms and conditions of entry.