Historic House Short Story Writing Competition

Today I'm sharing details of a short story writing competition...

Historic House Short Story competition Max 2,500 word story inspired by or set in a historic house (real or imagined). Run by Corazon Books in partnership with the Historic Houses Association (HHA). Free entry. First prize: £150, private tour and afternoon tea with owners of Levens Hall, Cumbria. Double Friends Membership to the HHA. Two runners-up prizes of Double Friends Membership to the HHA. Deadline: September 26th 2014. Full details and entry at: www.catherinegaskin.com

Full details:

Historic House Short Story Competition

Publisher Corazon Books has partnered with the Historic Houses Association to launch a special short story competition with fantastic prizes. Writers are invited to submit a short story which is either inspired by or set in a historic house.

Ian Skillicorn, publisher of Corazon Books, says: "We are looking for a compelling tale with lots of atmosphere. It can take place in the past or present, in either a real or fictional setting, so writers can let their imaginations take them, and us, whenever and wherever they wish!"

The competition is being run to celebrate the publication of The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin. This modern classic by the bestselling "Queen of Storytellers" has recently been reissued by Corazon Books in ebook format, in time to celebrate its 40th anniversary. It is the first of Gaskin's novels to be published digitally. The Property of a Gentleman is a tale of intrigue, mystery and romance, set in a fictional earl's ancestral home, in the dramatic landscape of England's Lake District.

The competition's unique prizes are in keeping with its theme. The winning writer and a guest will be treated to a private tour and afternoon tea with the owners of Levens Hall in Cumbria. The winner will also receive a cash prize of £150, and a double Friends membership for the Historic Houses Association. Two runners up will each receive a double Friends membership to the Historic Houses Association. Corazon Books also plans to publish an ebook anthology of the best entries, with each writer receiving royalties for their published story.

Richard Compton, President of the HHA, says: "A HHA Member property will offer great inspiration for budding writers and will make a fantastic setting for a short story. We look forward to partnering with Corazon Books and reading the entries in this unique competition."

Catherine Gaskin

Susie Bagot of Levens Hall says: “The Bagot family is very pleased to be associated with the Historic House Short Story Competition and looks forward to welcoming the winner to Levens Hall and telling them the story of this fascinating ancient house and garden.”

The competition will run from March 10th to September 26th 2014, and the winner will be announced during National Short Story Week (17th to 23rd November 2014). There is no fee to enter the competition.

Enter the competition at: www.catherinegaskin.com

Introducing Pixel Hall Press

I was recently contacted by Cynthia at Pixel Hall Press about 'Annabelle' by Nancy Christie, a short story they are publishing as an ebook. I asked Cynthia to provide some more information about the ebook and the Press itself, and I am sharing the publisher's words here with you, in case what they have to offer is of interest for other book reviewers and also for any writers out there. Please note this is the publisher's piece and not mine and I have not received anything for posting this information, I am merely sharing it out of bookish interest!

In this era of digital technology, Wall Street involvement and merger mania, mainstream publishers seem to have lost sight of the core principles and purpose of publishing. At the other end of the spectrum is an avalanche of self-published books that are notoriously uneven in quality. Small boutique imprints, such as Pixel Hall Press, are reclaiming the heart and soul of publishing by reviving the idea that a publisher's “raison d'être” is to find and nurture great writers, and to provide readers with beautiful, meaningful, truly enjoyable books.

Pixel Hall Press is a relatively new, old-fashioned small publishing house whose focus is on discovering literary gems and great stories that might have otherwise been overlooked. Their stated mission is “To publish books that energize the imagination and intrigue the mind, and to be a conduit between readers and provocative, stimulating, talented authors.” Determined to remain small, Pixel Hall Press has announced that they will be moving forward slowly and deliberately. They plan to add only one or two new book authors a year, giving them more creative control, the opportunity for greater dialogs with readers, and a higher percentage of the profits.

Though Pixel Hall Press has been in existence for less than a year, they are already gaining a reputation for finding and publishing books and stories of significant literary merit, such as “Jo Joe” by Sally Wiener Grotta.

In addition to more traditional printed books, Pixel Hall Press has recently rolled out its new PHP Shorts imprint. PHP Shorts is carefully selecting a few short stories, to publish as stand-alone eBooks. For instance, on September 8, 2013, PHP Shorts will publish “Annabelle” by Nancy Christie, a hauntingly lyrical short story about the price exacted by the passion for creating art from an artist, his wife/model and his daughter.

While Pixel Hall Press will publish only a few authors, they are quite open to queries from writers, and respond to all emails. Writers should first read PHP’s published Writers Guidelines, before submitting anything. Reviewers who want to be on the list to receive information about upcoming titles and the availability of review copies should contact Cynthia Dadson - Cynthia AT PixelHallPress DOT com.