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Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Thursday, March 28

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Book Club

Contest Fri Sep 25 2015

Annual Prose Awards Open Call

guild.jpgThe Guild Literary Complex has announced the open submission period for its Annual Prose Awards for Short Fiction and Non-Fiction. Every fall, The Guild acknowledges emerging and established writers via a judged competition and recognition event at the historic Chopin Theatre in Chicago.

The Guild invites Illinois residents ages 18 and older to submit one work of either fiction or non-fiction, up to 1,000 words. Writers of all backgrounds and experience levels are invited to submit, and all themes and subjects are welcome. Three semi-finalists from each category will read their work at the Prose Awards event, with a cash prize of $500 going to one author in each category.

The deadline to submit is Thursday, October 22 (5:00 pm). A full list of submission guidelines can be found on The Guild's website. The recognition event will be held on Thursday, November 12, 7:30 pm at the Chopin Theater (1543 West Division Street).

Jeremy Owens

Book Club Fri Aug 28 2015

Poetry Center of Chicago Revives Poets Look at Paintings

Poets Look at Paintings.jpg

While the world contemplates whether poetry is relevant or dead, the Poetry Center of Chicago revives an event to celebrate 40 years of history and connect the history of the organization to contemporary Chicago.

In 1974, the Poetry Center hosted its first live event, Poets Look at Paintings, in the Museum of Contemporary Art. Today, the revival of Poets Look at Paintings makes an effort to connect two seemingly disparate art forms and create something new and beautifully intricate.

To assemble a line-up for the event in November, the Poetry Center calls for poems that are "rooted in visual art in some way, whether that be in response to a piece, in narration, in action, in reflection, etc." These art-inspired poems are referred to as "ekphrastic poems," which according to The Poetry Foundation, seek to describe a scene or a work of art. One of the most famous examples of ekphrastic poetry is John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn," but just as art continues to change and evolve, the Poetry Center's event and call for submissions challenges today's poets to match the evolution of art.

The deadline to join the event as a reader is September 21. You can submit in a .doc, .docx, or PDF attachment up to three poems rooted in visual art to danielle@poetrycenter.org with the subject line "Poets Look at Paintings." Title your attachment "LAST NAME_PLAP." You can find more information about submitting on the Poetry Center's website.

The Poets Look at Paintings event will take place on Nov. 18 from 6 to 7pm in the Garland Room at the Chicago Cultural Center. The event is free, so come support the Poetry Center of Chicago and the history of literary Chicago!

Brianna Kratz

Submissions Wed Feb 04 2015

Curbside Splendor Ushers in New Year with New Submissions

Local publisher Curbside Splendor is accepting book submissions from Feb. 1 through March 31.

They are accepting full manuscripts only (don't forget to include a cover letter). Curbside publishes novels as well as short story, essay and poetry collections. Some past titles have included Chris L. Terry's YA novel Zero Fade (Gapers Block's review), Dmitry Samarov's memoir Where to? A Hack Memoir (Gapers Block's review), Megan Stielstra's essay collection Once I Was Cool, and Tim Kinsella's novel Let Go and Go On and On, to name a few.

Submit via Submittable. There is a $10 submission fee. Previously published work will not be considered.

John Wawrzaszek / Comments (1)

Submissions Thu Jan 15 2015

Rated S For "Submissions": Chicago Literati's TV Issue

Call it a mixture of high and low culture: online literary magazine Chicago Literati is looking for your stories about your "stories." Television is the theme for the January issue, so dust off your fan fiction or petition to get Mr. Belvedere in syndication and submit.

The lit community, including CL contributors, has responded with everything from Barney Miller portraits to posts about the comforting nostalgia afforded by sitcoms from the last millennium ('90s TGIF lineup forever). Founder and editor-in-chief Abby Sheaffer even shared an exclusive interview with Wendy Robie, who played Nadine Hurley on cult favorite Twin Peaks.

The deadline for submissions is February 5, and Chicago Literati is looking for "your best art, essays, fiction and photography depicting your love and fascination with TV." And who knows--that just might include your compilation of Arrested Development chicken dance gifs.

Danette Chavez

Submissions Wed Jan 07 2015

Resolve to Get Published

It's a new year, and the beginning of January is the traditional time to make resolutions. If you're an aspiring writer, maybe this is the year you start to get published -- or published more often, if you already have a couple bylines under your belt.

Another Chicago Magazine is calling for submissions for its 52nd issue. Fiction, nonfiction and poetry accepted.

Chicago Literati is calling for submissions for its upcoming TV issue. They're looking for essays and fiction about TV shows, the role of television in culture, or whatever else you might think of. Pieces should be no longer than 2,000 words.

Continue reading this entry »

Andrew Huff

Profiles Wed Aug 13 2014

Uncanny Magazine Wants You To Rethink The Familiar

uncanny_website_banner.jpg
Image courtesy of Uncanny Magazine and Katy Shuttleworth

"Is that a unicorn...in space?" you might ask, staring at the logo (created by Katy Shuttleworth) for Uncanny Magazine, the latest endeavor by geek culture mainstays Lynne Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas. And indeed it is--the drawing symbolizes the close relationship between the science fiction and fantasy (SF/F) genres, a relationship that the Thomases will highlight in their new magazine, along with original artwork and literature. But it also represents the proximity of fandom and art, of passions and professionalism.

Uncanny will feature stories, prose, poetry and cover art in, and inspired by, the realms of science fiction and fantasy. The online magazine will be available as an eBook (.mobi, .pdf, . epub) on a bimonthly basis (first Tuesday of the month) at all major eBook stores. Each issue will be made up of original short stories, reprinted stories, poetry, interviews, and nonfiction essays. Because it will be a professional magazine, non-fiction and art work will be solicited, and paid by direct commission. The editors will publish work that reflects their commitment to diversity and representation, and will even have an open call for submissions (for fiction and poetry).

Continue reading this entry »

Danette Chavez

Book Club Wed Aug 06 2014

A Match Made In Heaven, A Town Doomed to Hell

PleasureTown Founders 1.jpg
Image courtesy of PleasureTown

One man's trash is another man's treasure; one town's failed utopian experiment is a Chicago storyteller's ideal setting for a storytelling experiment. Such is the case for PleasureTown, created by live lit stalwarts Keith Ecker and Erin Kahoa. Originally a live stage production, PleasureTown has evolved into a bi-weekly podcast (in the vein of the radio serials of old), as well as a "national platform" for local writers and performers.

PleasureTown was inspired in part by the Homestead Acts of the late 19th-early 20th centuries, wherein the U.S. government offered as many as 160 acres of land to families of settlers who were willing to "go west." It's set in PleasureTown, Oklahoma, a fictional town whose rise and fall is documented by the vignettes created, and voiced, by members of Chicago's live lit and storytelling communities, such as Ian Belknap, Don Hall, and Willy Nast. But the show isn't resting on the laurels of its established performers: there's an interactive element on the website, and even a call for submissions.

Continue reading this entry »

Danette Chavez

Submissions Thu Jun 05 2014

The Empty Bottle Book Needs Your Stories

You know the Empty Bottle, at 1035 N. Western Ave., right on the corner of Cortez. You probably went there to see any number of bands, readings, arts festivals, or book clubs. You might have walked into their side door that doubles as a chalk board denoting that night's line up. Maybe you played pool, posed in their photo booth or grabbed an Old Style from the bar.

emptybottlebook.jpgIn the Bottle's 20 plus years, they haven't documented their goings-on, until now. Teaming up with local publishers Curbside Splendor, the Empty Bottle is going to put out an oral history in the fall of 2015. Titled, 20-Something Years of Piss, S*#%, and Broken Urinals, the book will include stories, interviews, show posters and photographs from the bands who've played, the staff who've tended bar and anyone who's stepped through the door.

That's where you come in. Curbside Splendor is opening up submissions for anyone to share their stories, memories, photos, hangovers or worse. All submissions will be poured over and those selected will appear in the book or possibly posted on the book's website blog.

If you've got something to say about this notable Chicago venue (the only one I know of with a diagonal stage), then get your work ready and celebrate the Bottle's history.

John Wawrzaszek

Poetry Tue Apr 01 2014

A Poem A Day: National Poetry Writing Month Gets Underway

Rejoice, ye wordsmiths, for National Poetry Writing Month, is upon us! Founded by Maureen Thorson, as an offshoot of National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo), NaProWriMo is an annual project, spanning the month of April, in which participating poets strive to write a poem a day. The site hosts hundreds of participants and their entries, as well as posts prompts for inspiration, and features poems and presses of the day throughout the project's run.

NaPoWriMo, or "30/30", is a challenging exercise for novices and veterans, but one Chicago (by way of Detroit) poet, Stephanie Lane Sutton, is helping to make it a little easier. Sutton created NATIONAL POETRY WRITING MONTH: 30/30, a forum that "offers a private, user-driven space to promote accountability for daily writing. Additionally, this is a place for poets to connect to an online community and support each others' writing." Poets of all levels are welcome, but please note that users must register to view and/or content.

Continue reading this entry »

Danette Chavez

Submissions Mon Mar 31 2014

Goreyesque Wants Your Edward Gorey-Inspired Writing and Artwork

Edward Gorey fans abound in Chicago, the author's hometown, and yet Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey at the Loyola University Museum of Art (from February 15-June 15, 2014) is the first exhibition dedicated to his work. Over 170 of Gorey's collected works (on loan from the author's charitable trust) are on display, including "original pen-and-ink illustrations, preparatory sketches, unpublished drawings, sketchbooks, illustrated envelopes, book-cover ideas, theatrical costume designs, and ephemera."

Goreyesque, the online literary journal that features contemporary work inspired by Gorey, celebrates this "homecoming" with a reading at LUMA on April 29, 2014 at 6pm. Created by Kenneth Gerleve, Todd Summar, and Sam Weller, in collaboration with editors Howard Simmons, Jess Millman, and Corey Klinzing, and co-sponsored by Columbia College Chicago's Department of Creative Writing and Loyola University Chicago, the journal seeks to highlight the author's "cross-disciplinary influence." With two issues under their belts, they are putting together an event that will feature local authors, and Goreyesque alums, Joe Meno and Adam McOmber.

You can help round out this roster by submitting your Gorey-inspired writing and artwork to goreysubmissions@gmail.com. To be considered for participation in the reading event on April 29th, you must submit your work by April 4, as well as be in Chicago on the night of the event. Poems, essays, short stories, photographs, and illustrations will all be considered. Click here for more info. Please note that the literary journal accepts Gorey-inspired submissions on an ongoing basis for future publication, so feel free to mine your macabre side even as the seasons (attempt to) change.

Danette Chavez

Events Thu Mar 20 2014

Editors Speak: Literary Magazine Panel at StoryStudio Chicago

Chicago is home to a thriving independent press scene, and StoryStudio Chicago wants to help you make the most of it with Editors Speak: Literary Magazine Panel. Join publishing insiders at the Chicago Studio this Saturday, March 22 for a free Q&A; you can ask for advice on getting your submissions accepted (or at least an upper-tier rejection letter), or just chat about the literary community.

Three local editors/writers will be on hand to answer all of your "why me?" and "why not me?" questions: Brian Solem of Graze, Sarah Dodson of MAKE Magazine, and Ben Tanzer of Curbside Splendor.

The panel discussion is from 12pm-1pm at 4043 North Ravenswood. Admission is free with a canned good donation (all collections will go to a local food pantry). Please RSVP by email to info@storystudiochicago.com. If you're unable to make the event, but have a burning question, you can tweet it to @storystudio, and the moderator will do his/her best to have it answered for you.

Danette Chavez

Events Mon Jan 13 2014

Call for Submissions: Participate in the Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival!

tumblr_static_nerd-comedy-fest-2014-v02-4x6__2_.jpgIf you're a Chicago nerd who needs a creative outlet, Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival may just be your jam. Stage 773 is currently putting together the second annual Nerdfest, inspired by their popular recurring event Hey, I'm a Big Fan, which showcases readings of original fan fiction.

The festival itself will take place from March 19-22 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont (kicking off on the 19th with Hey, I'm a Big Fan), but applications to perform at the festival are due on Wednesday, January 22. You can download the application from the Chicago Nerdfest Tumblr and follow them on Facebook for even more updates.

Image courtesy of the Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival Tumblr

Eden Robins

Submissions Sun Jan 12 2014

Call for Submissions: Switchback Books' Queer Voices Contest

books.jpgIn 2006, a group of Columbia College students banded together to found Switchback Books, a small, nonprofit press with an precisely targeted mission: publishing poetry by women. They're still tiny--publishing just two volumes a year--but they've accumulated a diverse and adventurous catalog that includes experimental, limited-run formats such as Mónica de la Torre's FOUR. Now, with the inaugural Queer Voices Contest, they're aiming to make their roster even more diverse. Through February 1, queer-identified women are encouraged to submit full-length poetry manuscripts; aside from publication, the prize will include a $1,000 honorarium. Poet and social-justice researcher Dawn Lundy Martin will judge.

Image courtesy of Switchback Books' blog.

Daphne Sidor

Author Mon Aug 26 2013

Breaking into Live Lit: An Amateur's Guide

If you regularly attend live lit events in Chicago, you've probably considered contributing your own work at least once. Maybe you've been lurking in the back of the audience for years, longing to join in. Maybe you're an aspiring writer with no performance experience. Maybe you're a fan of a particular series, but just have no clue how to get involved.

If you fall into any of these categories, this guide is for you. No matter your level of experience or expertise, you can break into Chicago's live lit scene. All it takes is a little persistent effort and an intelligent use of your time. Here are some pointers.

Step #1: Find a "Home"

There are many, many live literary events in Chicago spanning a variety of topics, settings, and audiences. If you're new to the scene, it's tempting to adopt a scatter-shot approach, applying willy-nilly to any and every show you can think of. But if you're a new writer/performer, cool your jets. Focus on shows that are amenable to your own style and topics of interest.

larry kerns this much is true.jpg

Do you like to write personal creative essays? Story Club, Essay Fiesta, or This Much is True might be the place for you. Do you prefer to tell a story off the cuff, free of notes? Go for The Moth or Do Not Submit. Do you prefer nonfiction that covers current events or pop culture? The Paper Machete is your bag. Do you have a gritty, explicit tale to tell? Guts & Glory or The Sunday Night Sex Show are your spots. Choosing an appropriate setting for your work is absolutely essential.


Step #2: Become a Regular

Establish a rapport with the show (or shows) you'd like to submit to. Each show is its own microcosm within the live lit community, and to become a member of that community you must show your face. Hang around and chat with contributors after the show, or send the show's organizers a nice email or Facebook post.

Attend a show multiple times before submitting your work to its hosts. This will improve your chances in two ways. First, it will allow your to learn the show's unique style, and second, it will convince the show's hosts that you are a thoughtful, decent member of the live lit community (and not a foaming psychopath)-- both of which will vastly improve your odds.

Step #3: Learn the House Style

jh palmer story club.jpg

Every live lit series has its own unique style, and the only way to master the style is to attend regularly and pay close attention. Before submitting work to a series, ask yourself the following: How long is the average piece? Do contributions ever contain explicit content? Do contributors use the first person, or is it more journalistic? Do readers use notes or do they speak extemporaneously? Is work laugh-a-minute, or more subdued and serious? How irreverent are the stories? How conversational are they?

Once you have a good sense of a series' style (and what distinguishes it from other shows), you are ready to start writing. As you write your piece, never lose track of the desired tone, length, and style. The ideal submission should be a perfect amalgam of the show's overall sensibility and your own unique voice.

Step #4: Find the Appropriate Submission Channel

Live lit shows accept new work in a variety of ways. Make sure you play by a show's particular rules so you don't irritate the hosts and organizers with emails or in-person queries that don't follow the standard procedure. Usually you can find the appropriate submissions method on the series' website or on their social media pages.

Some shows, like Do Not Submit, Story Club, and The Moth run on an open-mic basis, in which case the only way to participate is to show up early, put your name in, and wait for the opportunity to share. Other shows, like Essay Fiesta, Fictlicious, and Write Club accept online submissions. In some cases, shows have dedicated open mic nights that are distinct from the main show, but give new writers the opportunity to try out material and eventually snag a spot at the main event. For example, The Paper Machete, runs an open-mic writing group the first Wednesday of every month that occasionally feeds new writers into the main show. do not submit.jpg

Step #5: Be Not Afraid!

Even if you carefully study the show you are submitting to, attend it often, schmooze with the hosts, and craft a piece you are utterly happy with, you might face disappointment. Before you swear off live lit entirely, remember that work is rejected for all kinds of reasons. Maybe your story wasn't appropriate for the venue or the event. Maybe the hosts have a big backlog of performers on their schedule. Maybe you're close to the appropriate style or tone, but haven't quite perfected it.

A rejection does not mean that your writing is terrible or that the hosts dislike you. Try again! Almost no one gets a story into a show the first time they try. Learning to respond to criticism or rejection is a crucial stage of development as a writer or a performer.

Anecdote in point: Earlier this summer, I sent a few samples to Karen and Willy at Essay Fiesta. At first they gave me the kindest, most encouraging rejection ever. The pieces I sent just weren't right, but they were close, and I was encouraged to submit again. I spent more time editing some other work and attending Essay Fiesta, then I submitted two more pieces a few months later and got into the show. I'm sure most writers have had similar experiences with live lit shows (or lit mags). Tenacity and sensitivity to criticism can really pay off in both cases!

Step #6: Do it! Now!

There you have it! You now have the tools to begin a foray into live lit. Actually, you probably had all of these tools before you even clicked on this piece. If you're an avid attendee of lit events in Chicago, you already know a great deal about what works and what doesn't in live storytelling. So use your knowledge, write a piece, and take it out on the town.

Photo of Larry Kerns at This Much is True by Jill Howe is courtesy of the This Much is True website.
Photo of JH Palmer at a recent Story Club event by Jill Howe courtesy of Story Club's website.
Do Not Submit postcard image is courtesy of Do Not Submit's website.

Erika Price / Comments (3)

Events Tue Jun 18 2013

Performance Poets: Submit to the Oak Park Poetry Exchange

The Oak Park Regional Housing Center is hosting the first annual Oak Park Poetry Exchange. Twelve poems and three short films will be selected for a culminating performance/viewing at Oak Park's architecturally significant Pleasant Home on Friday, July 19.

Performance poets, submit your work revolving around "Diversity and CommUNITY." From the event press release: "In a society that is divided too often along racial lines, we are requesting expressions of unity. Poems should focus on aspirational or inspirational themes around diversity and integration."

Performances should not exceed five minutes in length, and a video demo is required for submission. Filmmakers are also invited to submit short films that are no longer than ten minutes in length and revolve around the same theme.

Panel judges include Kartemquin Film's Steve James; author, jazz performer and Columbia College professor George Bailey; community human rights activist and artist Abdi "Fuerza" Maya; and lead singer of the jazz fusion group Organic Flow Liam Bird.

Submission deadline is July 5. Click here to learn more about categories, cash prizes and submission guidelines. Click here to submit.

UPDATE: The Pleasant Home Foundation announced that the Poetry Exchange has postponed. The statement read, in part, "The Housing Center remains committed to bringing this dynamic event to Oak Park and the region. However, we have realized that we did not provide enough advance outreach to hold the event this summer. Look for the event to be held next year with an even more exciting format!"

Lara Levitan

Books Mon Jun 10 2013

Anobium Press Seeks Writers for Two New Projects

Anobium, an alternative Chicago-based press, is seeking writers to participate in two upcoming projects that explore the potential of creative collaboration. The first of these projects, based in Chicago though open to writers worldwide, is Middle Ground. The collaborative project is dedicated to the exploration of space, our experience of environments both virtual and actual, and the way in which such spaces inform the written word.

Anobium Editor Benjamin van Loon describes the process in his own words: “So you have a location: Middle Inlet, Wisconsin. Writer 1 will write up to 500 words about Middle Inlet, and then he/she will move onto a different ‘location,’ where 500-some words have already been written by a different writer. At the same time, a different writer will be visiting Middle Inlet, Wisconsin, adding up to 500 more words to Writer 1’s original text. Make sense? So for Middle Ground, we have a target of 15 participants, which means 15 locations. It would be impossible for all writers to visit all places, so each writer will be visiting five places, such that at the end of the project, each text written about each place will be around 2,500 words, compiled by five people. It’s like we’re all taking turns.

“The best analogy I have is this. Let’s say we’re on a tour bus. We stop at a roadside bathroom somewhere, and each of us has a big, fat permanent marker. Bathroom User 1 uses the stall, and in his/her boredom, writes ‘SLAYER RULES’ on the bathroom wall. Bathroom User 2 uses the stall next, and in his/her boredom, adds ‘THE UNDERWORLD’ to BU1’s graffiti. Bathroom User 3 uses the stall next, and he/she is kind of a prude, so he/she strikes through ‘S̶L̶A̶Y̶E̶R̶ ̶R̶U̶L̶E̶S̶ ̶T̶H̶E̶ ̶U̶N̶D̶E̶R̶W̶O̶R̶L̶D̶’ and writes ‘Stop drawing on bathroom walls.’ And so on and so forth.”

The second project, which will be based in New York, is Rescriptions II. A reincarnation of a previous project, Rescriptions is dedicated to the revival of lost stories through the injection of fresh perspectives. The process is simple: each writer brings to the group an old, tired story; one that doesn’t seem to be working. That story is handed to a second writer, whose task is to enhance and embellish the story’s strengths. After Writer 2 has tweaked the piece, it is passed along to Writer 3, Writer 4, Writer 5 and so on. By project’s end, the once-washed-up story is alive with the varied styles of a multi-minded author.

I had the opportunity to ask Mr. van Loon a few questions about both projects, and gain insight on the value of collaboration, the importance of place, and why you should get involved.

Continue reading this entry »

Miden Wood

Submissions Mon Apr 11 2011

Logan Square Literary Review Now Accepting Submissions

For Issue 7: Summer 2011- entries are due May 3, 2011. Send your original work in the body of an email to submissions[at]loganliterary.com. For more information, head here.

Rose Lannin

Miscellaneous Mon Mar 28 2011

Poetry Cram 11

In just a few short days, it will be the beginning of National Poetry Month. Celebrate it right by submitting your poems to Poetry Cram 11 -- they're still accepting submissions! Check out the important guidelines, as well as more information on Poetry Cram, here. Deadline to submit is April 11. Issues of Poetry Cram 11 will be given away for free on April 30, 7-9pm, at the National Poetry Month Cram at Café Ballou (939 N. Western Ave). Cram poets will read, and there will be an open mic -- so those of you who may not get your work accepted, you still have a chance to share it.

Emily Wong

Submissions Mon Jun 07 2010

Ready for Chicago Summer?

Itasca, Illinois, poet Michael Lee Johnson can help you out with his poem, "South Chicago Night and Day." Johnson's latest chapbook, From Which Place the Morning Rises, is available here. Johnson is also the editor and publisher of four poetry Web sites that are open to submissions. Check them out through his personal Web site, and send some of your own poetry his way!


"South Chicago Night and Day"

By Michael Lee Johnson/Short Version


Night is drifters,

sugar rats, street walkers, pick-pockets, pimps,

insects, Lake Michigan perch,

neon signs blinking half the bulbs

burned out.


In the warmth of morning sun, lips grinning,

sidewalks folding open,

the big city drifts, and sailboats

lean against the Lake Michigan sand.


Emily Wong

Submissions Tue Nov 10 2009

Odd Fish Fan Art Call for Submissions

Fans of James Kennedy's The Order of Odd-Fish have not been shy about sharing their ideas of what the intriguing world of Eldritch City looks like. Owing to the great fan art he's received, James is joining forces with Collaboraction to put on an Odd-Fish extravaganza in Spring 2010. The show will feature a gallery of Odd-Fish fan art and a Dome of Doom costumed dance party, which should be quite the sight. To gear up for the show, James is welcoming the work of all Odd-Fish loving artists out there and asking them to send their pieces to him for inclusion in the gallery. The deadline is March 1, so get out your favorite creative medium and show us what you think Eldritch and all of its eccentric inhabitants look like. In need of some inspiration? All of the pieces James has received so far can be seen here.

Veronica Bond

Submissions Mon Oct 12 2009

And the Tribune Wants Your Ghost Stories

Get inspired by your dark side: the Tribune is holding "The Great Chicago Ghost Story Contest" and is accepting submissions from all, non-Tribune-employed writers. All your story has to do is be previously unpublished, mention at least one Chicago location or business, be no more than 700 and be suitable for a family newspaper (keep it clean, people!). Otherwise, let your imagination run wild. Tribune critic Julia Keller will select the winning story which will be published in the paper's Arts & Entertainment section and the writer will receive a CD recording of the story read the by haunting, gravelly tones of Rick Kogan. Submissions are due by midnight on October 25 and, as they are received, the best pieces will be published online where readers can vote on their favorites.

Veronica Bond

Submissions Mon Oct 12 2009

The Reader Wants Your Fiction

chicagoreader-logo.gifEach year the Reader publishes new and great voices in Chicago fiction and they recently posted on their blog that they are currently open to submissions for this year's issue. Past contributors include such recognizable names as Keir Graff, Elizabeth Crane and Adam Langer. Join this panethon of celebrated local fiction by becoming a part of their 9th annual issue, to be published in December, by emailing your submissions to fiction[at]chicagoreader[dot]com.

Veronica Bond

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