2012 Travel Writing Contest from 52 Perfect Days

This contest has some fantastic prizes!

Genre: Travel article

Restrictions: All submissions must be original, unpublished work on the theme of Culinary or Wine Tourism. Must be submitted by e-mail, with a maximum of 1000 words. Entrants must be at least 18 years old and legal residents of the United States (excluding territories), Mexico, or Canada. Residents of Arizona and Vermont are not eligible for cash prizes.

Deadline: November 30, 2012

Prizes: 1st Prize is a 5-night stay in California's Napa Valley. This includes accommodations at the Roman Spa Hot Springs in Calistoga, private wine tastings and winery tours, meals, shopping, and more. No actual retail value is given for this prize.

2nd Prize is a 2-night stay in Mexico's Guadalupe Valley. This includes accommodations at the Adobe Guadalupe, horseback riding, and private wine tastings and tours. Retail value: $700.

3rd Prize is a custom Wordpress website from ZD Design. Retail value: $1200.

There will also be ten 4th Prizes consisting of a BottleWise Rollup wine travel case valued at $19.99.

Entry fee: none

Additional information: Please see the contest page and the guidelines page at 52PerfectDays.com for additional rules and terms.

Traveling for Fun, Adventure and Relaxation Blog Contest

Genre: Blog post

Restrictions: Must be posted at TrendyTravelers Travel Blog

Deadline: August 31, 2012

Prizes: Cash prizes total $1000, divided between three categories. $500 for First Place in "Best Travel Blog." $250 for First Place in "My Favorite Trip or Vacation." $250 for First Place in "My Hometown/Destination Business is a Great Travel Destination Because..."

Entry fee: None

Additional information: Please see the contest page at Trendy Travelers for additional rules and terms.

Swanezine Short Story Competition 2012

Genre: Short story

Restrictions: Open to UK residents only. Maximum 2 entries per author, with each having no more than 1000 words. Must be original unpublished work submitted in the text of an e-mail.

Deadline: August 31, 2012

Prizes: First Prize is £30. Second Prize is £20. Third Prize is £10.

Entry fee: None

Additional information: Please see Swanezine Short Story Competition for additional rules and terms.

Backacrehomestead.com Writing Contest

Genre: Non-fiction article

Restrictions: Preferably at least 1000 words, with 750 words as the absolute minimum. Must be original work pertaining to the subjects covered on the website, with articles about homesteading, self sufficiency, farming, gardening, and survival having an advantage over other topics. No limit on number of submissions, which must be e-mail as plain text documents (preferably written in Notepad).

Deadline: August 31, 2012

Prizes: $100 Visa gift card

Entry fee: None

Additional information: Please see Backacrehomestead.com for additional rules and terms.

Past Loves Day Story Contest 2012

Genre: True story

Restrictions: Must be a true story about a past love, with a maximum of 700 words. No restriction on tone. Entries may be submitted by e-mail or regular mail.

Deadline: September 17, 2012

Prizes: First prize is $100. Second prize is $75. Third prize is $50.

Entry fee: None

Additional information: Past Loves Day Story Contest. Includes links to previous winners.

2012 Science Fiction Poetry Association Poetry Contest

Genre: Speculative poetry

Restrictions: Limited to 1 previously unpublished poem per category. E-mail submissions only, with poems in the body of the message or in an attached .rtf file. Entrants who are not members of SFPA should indicate this fact, which makes them eligible for an additional prize.

Deadline: September 15, 2012

Prizes: The poem's length determines its category. A special prize for the best poem by a non-SFPA-member poet will also be awarded. 1st prize in each category will be $50 cash, a one-year SPFA membership, and publications donated by membership. Runners-up will have their choice of one publication donated by SFPA members. Winners and runners-up will be published on both SPFA and Poetry Planet.

Entry Fee: None

Additional information: Science Fiction Poetry Association

Writing Contest for Dog Lovers

Genre: Non-fiction

Restrictions: For dog rescuers 18 and older. Write a compelling story about your dog's rescue in 500-1000 words. A photo of your dog is encouraged but not required. One entry per family. Must include word count and author's name, address, e-mail address, and phone number. All submissions must be submitted via e-mail in a .doc or .rtf format.

Deadline: September 1, 2012

Prizes: A $50 donation will be made to the animal shelter of the winner's choice. Everyone selected for publication in Mighty Tales of Rescue will receive a digital copy of the anthology. In addition, the winner will also receive a digital copy of Beating Cancer, an anthology of cancer survivor stories.

Entry Fee: None

Additional information: Writing Contest for Dog Lovers

Texas Book Festival's 11th Annual Fiction Writing Contest

Genre: Fiction

Restrictions: This contest is limited to students in grades 7-12 in Texas. The story must use the theme "Out of the Blue" and have a maximum of 2000 words. Entries must be double-spaced, formatted as a Microsoft Word document, and submitted online.

Deadline: July 27, 2012

Prizes: Stories will be entered in one of three divisions: Grades 7-8; Grades 9-10; or Grades 11-12. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place in each division. First-place winners will have the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion on writing and the inspiration for their stories at the Texas Book Festival, to be held October 27-28 at the Capitol Building in Austin. There is no information about any prize money that may be awarded.

Entry Fee: None

Additional information: Texas Book Festival's 11th Annual Fiction Writing Contest

Summer Solstice Contest

Genre: Slipstream fiction

Restrictions: Maximum 2500 words. Limited to 1 entry per person. All entrants must be members of Scribophile and allow their work to be visible to the public. Winners will be paid via Paypal and therefore must have a Paypal account.

Deadline: June 30, 2012

Prizes: 1st Prize is $50; 2nd Prize is $25.

Entry Fee: None

Additional information: Scribophile's Summer Solstice Contest