Women at work and their tips, challenges, advice, complaints, and experiences

Okay ladies, we women writers have a handful of contest deadlines coming up that you need to know about.  There are some pretty serious cash and publication opportunities out there lately and I'm sure you're going to want to take advantage of as many of them as possible.  Don't forget, for those of you who are making a go at a serious writing career, contest entry fees are usually tax deductible as a business expense.  So keep a copy of those checks you send in with your entries; your accountant will want to see them!

Now, sharpen those pencils and fire up those laptops and get to submitting!

• FanStory.com: Poem contest deadline June 25, 2007; flash fiction story contest deadline June 30, 2007.  Other contests are open with cash prizes as well.  Visit their website for all the details.
• The Writer Short-Story Contest: Deadline June 30, 2007.  Entry fee: $10 per story.  Works must be original and previously unpublished in a book, natrionally distributed periodical, or Web-based magazine.  Visit their website for guidelines and entry form.  Prizes range from $200 to $1,000 with publication in the publication for the first place piece and online for all three winners.
• Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award: Deadline July 1, 2007.  Entry fee: $3 per poem.  Work must be original, unpublished poetry with a maximum length of 40 lines per poem.  See website for complete rules and tips (in the guidelines section).  Prizes range from subscriptions to $1,000.
• Baltimore Review Poetry Contest: Deadline July 1, 2007.  Entry fee: $10.  Work must be an original, unpublished essay with a maximum 6,000 word count.  Poems will be considered for publication.  Detailed guidelines are available at the website.  Prizes range from $50 to $300 and publication.
• Bard Fiction Prize: Deadline July 15, 2007.  Entry fee: None (woohoo!)  The prize is awarded annually to "a promising, emerging young writer of fiction."  Your entry must be previously published.  Prize is $30,000 and appointment as the writer in residence for one semester.  (Now how 'bout THAT on your resume, eh?)