Writing Contest 2020!

“The hottest queer writing contest this side of the decade!” — Volunteer Robyn

Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room is proud to present our first annual writing contest. You know us as the oldest LGBTQ+ and feminist bookstore in the country, and now you can be part of our fabulous history! We are publishing an anthology of writing, bringing the community together in one book.

The grand prize winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room. All winners will be collected in an anthology released just in time for Pride 2020! We will celebrate the release with a reading from the published works in June 2020.

The contest opens January 1, 2020 and closes at midnight (EST) April 17th, 2020. Send us your best poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. We cannot wait to read your writing!

Contest Rules:

  1. We accept fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The word limit for fiction and nonfiction is 3,000. Please submit up to three poems on separate pages in the same PDF.   
  2. To submit your work, there is an entry fee of $10 per submission. Your entry fee is a donation to Philly AIDS Thrift and will support people living with HIV/AIDS.
  3. To send your entry electronically, visit the submission page and pay the entry fee. Keep your receipt number for proof of purchase. Entries must be submitted digitally to writingcontest@queerbooks.com with your receipt number in the body of the email. Please send your submission as an attachment in PDF format. All other formats will be returned unread. We will not accept any entries submitted via mail or in person.   
  4. Multiple submissions are allowed, as well as simultaneous submissions. Please let us know as soon as possible if the submission is accepted elsewhere. We will only consider previously unpublished work.
  5. All entries must be original works by the entrant. Plagiarism will result in disqualification. Excessive violence or sex, as determined by the judges, will result in disqualification.
  6. Each entry must have a cover page with the title of the work, the author’s name, pen name (if applicable), pronouns, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and a word count. Authors must include a brief bio statement of no more than 300 words. Every subsequent page, after the title page, must include the title and page number.
  7. The contest starts on Jan 1, 2020 and all work must be submitted by midnight (EST) on April 17, 2020.
  8. All entries are final. No revisions will be accepted after the submission has been entered.
  9. Entries will be evaluated by booksellers and volunteers at Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room.
  10. Winners selected for publication will be individually notified of the results by phone or e-mail.
  11. The grand prize winner of the contest will receive a $100 gift card to Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room as well as publication in the anthology. The best entries will be selected for publication in the anthology.
  12. All rights remain the property of the author.
  13. This Contest is void where prohibited by law.
  14. By submitting to the Contest, the entrant agrees to abide by all Contest rules.