Contest Rules

• All submissions must have a Kentucky connection. This means the author must be a current or former resident of Kentucky, or have a family member who is currently a resident of Kentucky, or the story must be set in Kentucky.
• All submissions must be entirely the creative work of the submitting author.
• Only stories that have never been published elsewhere, in print or digital, are eligible.
• Stories written with the assistance of any Artificial Intelligence will not be accepted.
• Each submission must be written as fiction, even if the events described are true.
• The maximum word count (as calculated by Microsoft Word’s counter) is 7,500 words.
• There is no minimum word count. Well-written flash fiction is welcome.
• Multiple submissions (more than one entry per author) will be accepted, but the submission fee must be paid for each entry.
• Simultaneous submissions (stories sent simultaneously to other contests or for publication) will be accepted. Please notify us if the story is accepted for publication before the end of the contest.
• By entering the contest, the author grants Bluegrass Writers Coalition Inc. First Publication Rights if the story is selected as a winner or finalist.
• The author grants Bluegrass Writers Coalition Inc. the right to use their name and likeness on the corporation’s website, social media, and in publicity outlets.
• Each submission must adhere to standard manuscript formatting – 12 point font, double spaced, 1” margins, indent each paragraph, no blank lines between paragraphs. Please see here for an example of a properly formatted entry.
• Entries should be submitted in Word or compatible format, and emailed as a file attachment to contest@bluegrasswriterscoalition@gmail.com. Do not paste your story into the body of the email.
• The author’s name must not appear anywhere on the story.
• Entries that fail to adhere to these rules will be not be accepted.
• Each entry must be accompanied by a $20 entry fee.
• Entry fees are non-refundable.
• Entries must be received by January 31, 2025