Tartts: Incisive Fiction by Emerging Writers
Look for it this coming Fall!
This will be a compilation of stories from all twenty-three finalists in our
fourth annual Tartts Fiction Award Contest.
The winner of the fifth contest will be announced in early May.
Tartts Fiction Award, rules 2008
1. Winning short story collection will be published by Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama, in simultaneous library binding and trade paper editions. Winning entry will receive $1000, plus our standard royalty contract, which includes 100 copies of the book.
2. Author must not have book of short fiction published at time of entry, though novels are okay. In keeping with Tartt’s biography, we are looking for an author who has yet to publish a fiction collection.
3. Stories may have been previously published by magazines or in anthologies, though the author should have all rights. Magazines will be acknowledged. Include a list of publications, if so desired.
4. Manuscripts must be typewritten, and we will ask for a computer file in Windows/Mac Word from the winning author and from the finalists for our anthology.
5. Manuscript length: 160-275 pages.
6. Deadline for postmark: December 31, 2008.
7. Entry fee: fifteen dollars. Our apology for the fee, but handling makes it necessary.
8. No manuscripts will be returned. Please send only a copy. You may include an SASE for acknowledgement of receipt, or simply use your cancelled check to indicate such. We notify contestants of receipt as soon as the contest entry date has passed. We also notify all entrants of the winner and those picked for the anthology.
9. Winner announced in late spring, with publication in next spring.
10. Winner must be an American citizen; work must be in English.
11. Style and content of manuscripts are completely open.
12. Finalists will be considered for our regular publication schedule and for our Tartt Anthology.
13. Send manuscripts and check to :
Livingston Press
The University of West Alabama
Station 22
Livingston, Alabama 35470
Winner of last year’s award will be announced in April. Fourteen finalists will have stories published in Tartts: Incisive writing from Emerging Writers, which will be available this early Fall.
PAST WINNERS: first Melissa Fraterrigo The Longest Pregnancy
second Philip Cioffari A History of Things Lost or Broken
third Xujun Eberlein Apologies Forthcoming
fourth Stacia Saint Owens Auto-Erotica
Past Runner ups: third Carol Manley Church Booty,
PAST TARTTS STORIES: For a complete list, see the Tartt books, under fiction.
Purpose: Though Ruby Pickens Tartt worked for the Works Project Association in collecting slave narratives in Alabama, and though she was published in several literary magazines, her work was only collected under her name and published posthumously. Accordingly, we are hoping to give a beginning fiction writer a chance for publication. All styles considered: we are in the South, not particularly of it.