Deadline: Friday, April 4th, 2025 at 11:59 PM

Submission Guidelines:

 The contest is open to all students in grades K-12 who reside in Escambia (FL and AL), Santa Rosa, Bay, Okaloosa, Walton, Baldwin, and Mobile Counties.
 Students may submit their own original unpublished work in 1-4 of the following genres (must be individual work, not collaborative):
-Poetry

-Fiction

-Nonfiction

-Visual Art                                                                                                                                                                                        

The theme for this year is: "Beneath the Surface." Entries must utilize this theme in some way in their piece(s).
 First, second, and third place winners and honorable mentions in each category/grade level group will be notified in April and invited to a ceremony and reading of their work at Books-A-Million. They will receive cash prizes of up to $50. All winners will also receive a copy of an anthology featuring their winning entry. Extra books will be available for purchase through Amazon.
Submissions are read “blind.” Do not place your name on the entry document(s). Other personal information, including teacher's name, and school's name, MUST be removed from submitted works.
Submission file names should include grade, genre, and title. For example: 8thgrade-Fiction-Secrets Underground.
Up to four entries per student (ONE entry per category - up to 3 poems/up to 3 pieces of art per entry).  Students can only win in one category.
 Submissions must be uploaded by 11:59 PM, April 4th, 2025.
All submissions must be in electronic format and uploaded to the appropriate category/categories at Emerald Coast Writers' Submittable page for the Youth Writing and Art Contest.


Poetry Guidelines

Up to 3 poems, not exceeding 3 pages

Place the title(s) at the top of your poem(s)
  Format each poem as you would like it to appear in final publication.
Type double-spaced using black 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
Do not number pages or include poet’s name.
  Electronic submissions must be sent as .doc, docx. or .rtf format. PDF files are NOT accepted.


Fiction and Nonfiction Guidelines

Up to 1,200 words
  Place the title at the top of the first page
Type double-spaced using black 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
Do not number pages or include author’s name.
  Electronic submissions must be sent as .doc, docx. or .rtf format. PDF files are not accepted.
 

Visual Art guidelines

Up to 3 images
Accepted Mediums: digital photography and digital photographs of original works as oil, acrylic, watercolor, collage, mixed media, etchings, silk screen, lithographs, etc.
  Color and black and white images are accepted, however most images will be formatted in grayscale. If your submission is in color, you may be asked to convert it to black and white to ensure quality of reproduction.
  Present graphic elements exactly as they should appear on printed page.
Each image must have a high resolution of at least 300 dpi.
  Electronic submissions must be sent as .jpeg, .png or .tif format. PDF files are NOT accepted.
Include a title of each image in the filename, not on the image. Do not use your name or image numbers in the title. Give the image a unique, descriptive name like a piece of art, such as "Hidden Below."

Judging criteria is as follows:  
 The work is original, a product of the writer's own experience and observations, not generated in whole or in part    by AI.
 The work uses vivid, sensory language and imagery.
 The work uses correct grammar and spelling.

The work adheres to this year's theme.

The work has an overall effectiveness and impact.