YOU FIRST heard of this contest in March, maybe a week after the Manila lockdown.
True to the guidelines, we are opening the submission period today, May 1.
But please don’t rush.
Take time to perfect your stories.
Deadline is May 31.
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But when you are ready, the email to use is: 500tinaga@gmail.com
Be sure to send one entry at a time.
Yes, you may send several entries.
Also, send only once.
I don’t want you to clog my emails, and crash my address.
I really hate that.
So I will probably disqualify entries submitted more than once.
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Here’s the strict procedure: Submit. Wait for my reply of acknowledgment. And wait for 36 hours before you try to send your entry again. The key word is Wait!
You think this is too much?
Some contests do not even acknowledge receipt of entries.
(Because paranoid participants submit them multiple times!)
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If you are a little paranoid like me, you can cc: (carbon copy) or bcc (blind carbon copy): yourself in the email.
That way, if you get back your email, you will be 90% assured I received your submission.
I give the 10% to the fact that your email can fall through the cracks if there was an avalanche of entries.
That’s why I feel responsible to acknowledge receipt within 36 hours.
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Oh, and that resubmission because you misspelled a word, or punctuated it wrong?
Nah. It will not be considered.
The point is, you are given all the time in the world to write your stories flawlessly before you submit them in the competition.
Please dignify this contest by sending only polished, and perfect stories.
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This short story contest is more than just flash stories.
This time around, the word count should be between 5,000 to 7,500.
If you can write stories 10 to 25 pages long, I still would encourage you to submit to the Palanca instead.
Only that they cancelled their contest this year!
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The language of your entry should be Hiligaynon, of course.
You can sprinkle it with foreign, and other languages, but it has to be at least 80% Hiligaynon.
I don’t care if your Hiligaynon is the brand from Carles, or Tigbauan, or South Cotabato, or Riyadh.
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The 2020 Peter’s Prize for Short Story is open-themed.
That means no subject is off-limits.
You can write about your genitals warts for all I care.
You only need to write a good story.
And if you want to win, you need to convince the judges your genital warts deserve the prize.
So write your stories well.
Stylistically.
Grammatically correct.
Observe word limits.
Observe deadlines.
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The contest is open genre.
Meaning, any genre you choose.
I wish I can say, write in the most literary genre.
But that needs a lot of lecture and education.
And who is to say that horror is not a good literary genre?
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The contest prize is modest.
Due to economic difficulty, and obviously the coronavirus pandemic, we keep the cash prizes at P5,000 for first prize; P3,000 for second prize; P2,000 for third prize.
If no work is deserving of a prize (that should not really happen, but I guess it can), consolation prizes of P1,000 will be given to the top two or three entries.
But people should work for the coveted first prize medallion.
It’s a specially crafted medallion (made in the US, not China) with a bronze finish.
It’s really pretty.
Just ask the medalists.
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No promises here.
I’m not sure if I’m up to it.
I mean, I really want to.
But I also have my textbook writing deadlines.
And I’m running tight on time.
But I may write a few writing tips to improve your stories before the May 31 deadline.
I’m just saying, don’t rush.
Take time to perfect your stories. (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)
