Creative Writing Contest

Creative Writing Contest

The Drexel Publishing Group Creative Writing Contest is now OPEN.

Categories and Prizes:  

There are four categories:  

  1. Creative Nonfiction  
  1. Fiction  
  1. Humor  
  1. Poetry  

Prizes:  
Prizes for each category will be announced on the DPG site. Winner will be notified by e-mail  

Note: All work recognized in the contest will be considered for publication in The 33rd, the anthology produced by the Drexel Publishing Group.  

Be sure to follow all below category instructions and the “General Guidelines” and “General Rules” further below.  

Creative Nonfiction Guidelines: Entry must be a complete work of what is sometimes called creative nonfiction, which includes personal narrative, literary journalism, memoir, and similar prose narrative that is based on real events, people, and places. Submission must not exceed 1,200 words. There is no minimum word count.  

Fiction Guidelines: Entry must be a complete fictional short story. Submission must not exceed 1,200 words. There is no minimum word count.  

Humor Guidelines: Entry must be a complete work of humor/comedy writing. This could include such forms as personal narrative, essay, fictional short story, comedy sketch, or other written forms with the primary purpose of being humorous. Submission must not exceed 1,000 words. There is no minimum word count.  

Poetry Guidelines: Students may not submit more than three poems. Each poem submitted is a separate entry. Title and page number must appear in the header of every page on entries that are longer than one page. Although students may enter up to three poems in the Poetry category, the same student may not win first and  second place.  

Note on categories: Categories are imperfect. For example, works of humor might overlap with other categories. A humor work can also be a work of fiction or poetry.   

Purpose:  

To encourage and recognize the best writing by students from across Drexel University, with an emphasis on creative writing and expression.  

All writing submitted to the contest will be considered for publication in The 33rd, an anthology produced by the Drexel Publishing Group that is used in first-year writing courses. This is an opportunity for students to see their work in print.  

Writers of winning pieces may be invited to read during the Drexel Writing Festival.  

Prizes will be awarded in each category.  

Deadline: Submissions must be received by the end of the day on Monday, December 9, 2024.  

Submission Guidelines:  

  1. Any style or topic is permitted, within the subject area of each category.  
  1. For all categories, entry must be a complete essay (a standard 12-point font, 1-inch margins, double-spaced) and follow all category guidelines.  
  1. All submissions must be submitted as a WORD DOCUMENT (.docx file). PDFs will not be accepted.  
  1. Cover Sheet: The first page of the manuscript must be a separate cover sheet with student name, e-mail address, phone number, student ID number, your major, essay title, category (Creative Nonfiction; Fiction; Humor; Poetry). On the cover sheet, entrants should also state how they would prefer for their name/pseudonym to appear if their manuscript is chosen for publication.  
  1. Email your submission under the following subject line: DPG Creative Writing Contest (CATEGORY) Submission.   
  1. Student name must not appear anywhere on the submission itself; place name on the cover sheet only.  
  1. Title and page number must appear in the header of every page.  
  1. Manuscript must not exceed the word limit listed for the category.  
  1. There is no minimum word count.  
  1. Only one entry in each category per student (except for poetry, as noted).  
  1. Students may enter (and win in) more than one category with separate works. The same work may not be entered in multiple categories, but a student could submit a work to fiction and a different work to humor and so on.  
  1. All submissions will receive a confirmation e-mail. If you have not received one upon submission, inquire about your piece.  

General Rules:  

  1. Only current undergraduate Drexel University students (in all majors) are eligible.  
  1. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not plagiarize or violate standards of academic integrity.  
  1. All guidelines must be followed.  
  1. Student name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript.  
  1. The judges or administrators of the contest reserve the right to re-categorize an entry and to disqualify an entry that does not follow the guidelines.  
  1. The decision of the judges and administrators is final. The DPG reserves the right not to award any prizes in a category if the submissions are of insufficient quantity or quality, at their sole discretion.  
  1. Judges will be developing their own criteria for evaluating entries but assume that they will all be looking for excellence within the category.  
  1. Where necessary, cite sources using an appropriate, recognized style, such as MLA.  
  1. There is no entry fee.  
  1. Winners must respond promptly when notified about prizes and provide all requested information so prizes can be processed. Students must check Drexel e-mail addresses to be informed about status. Prizes must be collected within the same academic/fiscal year as the contest or the prize cannot be collected. The Drexel Publishing Group and the Department of English and Philosophy are not responsible for notifications not received by contest winners due to e-mail mailboxes being full or technical problems.  
  1. Each submission must be the work on an individual student. Team or group writing pieces are not accepted.  

Note about Publication:  

All work submitted to the contest will be considered for publication in The 33rd, the anthology produced by the College of Arts and Sciences. Winning the contest does not guarantee inclusion in this anthology. By submitting writing to the contest, entrants grant permission for the work to be used in the anthology (whether in print or online). Manuscripts may be edited for publication. Entrants may be asked to revise the piece prior to publication.  

Note about Judges:  

Judges will be drawn from the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences.  

Contact:  

Direct questions about the contest to pg@drexel.edu