IMPORTANT NOTE:

Due to special advertising releasing later than we’d expected, we’ve decided to extend the submission deadline to May 15th.

Why a short story contest?

Evolved Publishing focuses on authors. Period. We’ve gathered editors and artists to help them achieve the next level, to reach that towering cliff of success, and we want to read—and have others read—the best work possible. It’s just not up for debate. Sure, we’re a publisher, but ours is a whole new model—an author-centric one.

To prove that, we hold a semi-annual contest. Trumpets blare and… we publish an anthology. The market (at least the paying market) for short stories is limited. This gives authors a chance to come together and offer readers a collection of high-quality, entertaining stories in the short format.

We’re looking for your most evocative, gripping story. A story that causes old ladies to weep. A story we’re afraid to continue reading, but can’t quite stop because, in the end, your author’s will is stronger than our fear. A story that makes us laugh, or think, or say, “Whoa! I wish I’d written that.”

For each contest, authors of the top six stories—plus four from EP’s own stable of authors—will earn a place in our anthology, and the Grand Prize winner will receive a Kindle Fire*. Yep, their own shiny, sparkly-new Tablet/eReader.

In addition, all authors receive royalties on every copy sold during the term of our contract. That’s the Evolved Publishing way.

Contest Guidelines:

Submission Fee: Zero. Because that’s how we roll.

Word Limit: 2,000-5,000. If you send us 5,001 words, or 1,999, we might mock you until your eyes bleed and hair grows on the bottom of your feet.

Genres: We will accept: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Mystery/Crime, and Suspense/Thriller. Basically, we’ll accept anything except erotica and romance. Sorry, those just don’t do it for us.

Number of Submissions: One previously unpublished piece per person. Send us your best. Previous entrants are welcome.

Language: English only, please.

Rights: Our contracts remain in effect, which means we hold exclusive rights to the stories, through the end of the calendar quarter in which the third anniversary of publication falls. E.g. Anthology publishes June 22, 2012; contract in effect through June 30, 2015. After the contract expires, we maintain anthology rights for the anthology already published (in all its forms), but all remaining rights revert to the authors. Thus, we purchase First World Electronic Rights, First World English Rights, and All Rights through end of 3-year contract. After contract expires, authors are free to sell or publish their work anywhere they please.

Important Dates (NEWLY REVISED/EXTENDED):

May 15, 2012 (Midnight U.S. EST): Submissions no longer accepted.

June 15, 2012: Six Finalists announced. (To be eligible, authors will have returned the signed contracts postdated no later than date indicated in guidelines for the specific semi-annual contest.)

July 6, 2012: Grand Prize Winner announced. (Assumes all contracts received.)

August 7, 2012: Anthology released for the eBook markets.

Payscale: Ah, the part everyone has waited for. We pay quarterly, within 4 weeks of receipt of royalties from all retailers. We pay only for royalties earned through the end of the 3-year contract period. Our royalty split for the anthology works like this.

• We sell the anthology for $4.99.
• Retailers take their cut, and we receive the balance in royalties. As an example, Amazon keeps 30% ($1.50) and pays royalties of 70% ($3.49).
• Evolved Publishing receives 8% of royalties ($0.279 in our example above).
• Editors share 8% of royalties ($0.279 in our example above).
• Cover artist receives 4% of royalties ($0.140 in our example above).
• Each Author (10 in all) receives 8% of royalties ($0.279 in our example above).

If we sell 200 copies, each author earns $55.84. If we sell 2,000 copies, each author earns $558.40. And so on.

Naturally, the name of the game will be “Marketing and Promotion.” We’ll do our part; of that, you can be certain. We’re counting on you to do the same. We’re all in this together—a team.

That is the Evolved Publishing philosophy.

* EP members, as well as previous Grand Prize Winners, are ineligible for the Grand Prize: Kindle Fire.

Submission Guidelines:

• To be eligible for this contest, you must be of the age of Majority in your country, meaning you can enter into legal contracts.
• Winners of our most recent contest are ineligible for this contest, but may participate in future contests. I.e. If you won inclusion in Evolution: Vol. 1, you are ineligible for Volume 2, but will be eligible for Volume 3.
• Attach stories as a .DOC attachment.
• Format manuscript per attachment: Evolved Publishing – Manuscript Formatting Guidelines.
• In the subject line of your email, write your last name, then space/dash/space, and the title of your story. E.g. Diamond – Devane’s Reality.
• In the body of your email, please tell us where you heard of our contest. Also, please include links to your various online social media sites: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.
• Email to contest@evolvedpub.com