Kinsman Quarterly’s Iridescence Award is currently accepting submissions for short stories and poetry from BIPOC authors. The encouraged themes revolve around the supernatural, extraterrestrial, or paranormal. Successful entries stand a chance to be published in the Iridescence anthology and receive cash awards of up to $500 USD. There is no submission fee, and the deadline has been extended to January 31, 2024.
Eligibility Criteria: Kinsman Quarterly’s Iridescence Award
Those who qualify must submit a unique, unpublished piece written in English. Fantasy, science fiction, folklore, and the paranormal are just a few examples of these genres. Additionally, winning submissions will be highlighted in print advertisements, social media platforms, and the Kinsman Quarterly. The writers and artists of each submission are still the owners of its copyrights. However, Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc. is the owner of the copyrights for the anthology as a whole.
- individuals 18 years of age or older
- literary or visual artists of the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color Community
- must be able to receive cash prizes through Paypal or runner-up finalist prizes through Amazon gift cards.
- must allow winning submissions to be published in the Kinsman Quarterly, in promotional announcements, and in social media outlets
Benefit
- First Place: $500 cash prize and publication in the Kinsman Quarterly and Iridescence Award
- Second Place: $250 cash prize and publication in the Kinsman Quarterly and Iridescence Award
- Third Place: $100 cash prize and publication in the Kinsman Quarterly and Iridescence Award
- Six Finalists receive a $25 Amazon gift card and publication and six honorable mention will receive publication in the Kinsman Quarterly and Iridescence Award
Submission Guidelines
- Each entry should be an original, unpublished work by the submitting author that does not infringe upon the copyrights of another individual or entity. Works published solely on the blog or social media outlets of the submitting author are eligible.
- Submissions must be received by January 31st at 11:59 p.m. EST.
- Submissions should feature themes of the supernatural, extraterrestrial, or paranormal, preferably by authors of the BIPOC community.
- Participants may enter more than one submission.
- Changes to the competition entry cannot be made once a work is submitted. However, a revised version may be uploaded and indicated as such in the file name.
Genre Guidelines:
- short stories (1000–5000)
- flash fiction (up to 1000 words)
- poetry (1 to 5 poems)
Formatting Guidelines
- All text entries must be in Times New Roman, font size 12, double-spaced.
- Be sure to remove all track changes from the edited text.
- Entries that do not adhere to guidelines, unfortunately, will not be considered.
Kindly note that non-transferable rewards will be awarded within 30 days of the announcement. Kinsman Quarterly retains the right to extend the competition deadline and announcement dates by up to 45 days. (Note: the contest has been extended from December 31, 2023, to January 31, 2024.)
For more information, visit Kinsman Quarterly’s Iridescence Award