Manuscript Preparation and Submission

Not meeting these requirements will result in disqualification. Entry fee check will be shredded or a refund sent to those who paid by PayPal.

Spring contests open January 1 and close March 1. Fall contests open March 15 and close June 15.

Members will be notified of details for electronic submissions provided you have given us your email address when you registered as a member. Instructions will also be posted on the WWA website and an announcement will be posted on our Facebook page. Fees for electronic submissions may be paid by PayPal or submitted by mail to the contest manager.

Entries by mail must be postmarked no later than the closing date of the contest. Do not staple pages together. If you are submitting multiple entries in a single envelope, use paper clips to separate entries. Manila envelopes (9 by 12 inch size) preferred. Do not fold entries.

If you are requesting judges’ feedback, those entries must be sent via postal mail along with the $5 fee and an SASE of suitable size. Entries should be mailed to the Contest Registrar.

Instructions will also be posted on the WWA website and an announcement will be posted on our Facebook page.

Entries must be typed, double-spaced, on one side only of white paper. Leave margins of at least 1 inch. (See the WWA website for a sample.) Use a readable font and size (12 point Courier or Times New Roman recommended).

Word Count: Each number and word – yes, every “and,” “a,” “I,” “an,” “the,” etc. – does count as a word. Hyphenated words count as one word.

Do not submit your only copy of your entry. In the event a contest category is canceled entries received will be destroyed.

Cover Sheet

Each entry must contain its own cover sheet. Your name must appear only on the cover sheet. Subsequent pages should include only the work’s title and page numbers, but no other identifying information. The WAA Contest Registrar keeps the cover sheet, “blinds” the entry by replacing cover sheets with an identifying numbers, and then sends all entries to the judges.

A form and example cover sheet are available on the main contest page. Please include a brief biography of your writing background, and any other information about yourself you feel appropriate. Winners’ biographies help us publicize the contests.

Additional requirement for Jade Ring entries: Include on the entry cover sheet your ring size. If you have won a jade ring previously, please note that fact instead of including your ring size.