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  WMx Grabber 1250!

Opening Hook Contest

Prizes: Grand Prize (1^st Place) $100

Second place $50 

Third place $25

Winning entries must transcend genres and will be judged primarily on the writer's skill to engage and interest the reader and the ability to follow contest guidelines and standard industry conventions.

·     Important Note: Our top three finalists will be judged by an established editor employed by a major, traditional New York publishing house! 

·     All genres are welcome, including, but not limited to: suspense, thriller, mystery, romance, western, sci-fi, fantasy and mainstream (please, no pornography). 

·     All entries must be original and never published in print or electronically prior to submission deadline.

·     Entries that have placed before in any Writers Matrix contest are not eligible to be entered again.

·     No more than five entries will be permitted per person.  

Deadlines: 

·     Winter 2010 Grabber submissions are now open. Deadline is midnight, November 1^st (as determined by postmark or email date). Winners will be notified, prizes awarded, winners' names posted on Writers Matrix website and entries returned by January 15^th, 2011. 

·     Summer 2011 Grabber submissions will open January 1^st, 2011. Deadline is midnight, May 1^st (as determined by postmark or email date). Winners will be notified, prizes awarded, winners' names posted on Writers Matrix website and entries returned by July 1^st, 2011. 

·    EARLY BIRDS: The first 50 entries (only) will be line edited and critiqued as an early-bird incentive.

·     Late entries may be rolled over to next contest by author’s request and Writers Matrix’s approval.  

Contest Rules for All Entries: 

You may submit up to five (5) entries. A $10 fee will be charged for each individual entry. Your entries:

1.    must not be permanently bound or stapled in any way--paper clips are okay;

2.   must be double-spaced, on bright-white 20 lb bond paper or equivalent;

3.   must have one-inch margins top, bottom and sides;

4.   must be written in an Arial, Courier or Times New Roman, 12-point, black font; 

5.   must have first line of each paragraph indented 1/2", with no extra lines between paragraphs;

6.   must show your novel's title in the header in the upper left corner of each page;

7.   must show page numbers in the upper right corner of each page except the title page.

8.   The story portion of the entry (not including title page and synopsis) must not be more than five pages and no more than 1250 words long.

9. Author's name should not appear on any of the story pages nor on the synopsis. 

10. A one-page synopsis must be included for each entry and may be single-spaced and up to 500 words long (do not include in the page or word count). The author's name should NOT appear anyplace on the synopsis or on the story pages. The synopsis should start with a one to three sentence pitch and include, in some manner: 

a.    a summary of main characters’ and their motivations, 

b.    the primary setting elements, 

c.    the primary external and internal conflicts, 

d.    the climax summary, 

e.    the ending.

11.   Each entry must have a title page (do not include in the page count nor word count)  that gives: 

a.    title of work, 

b.    basic genre (suspense, thriller, mystery, romance, western, sci-fi, fantasy, mainstream, etc.), 

c.    author’s full name,

d.    author’s email address, 

e.    author’s phone number,

f.    author’s mailing address. 

Note: only the first 50 entries will be line edited and critiqued as an early-bird incentive. 

Submission Guidelines: Entries may be either emailed or snail-mailed (US Mail). 

1.    Email instructions: send entry as an MS Word file (.doc) attachment to 

2.   US Mail submission instructions: send submission and fees by check or money order (paid to the order of Writers Matrix) in an envelope large enough for the manuscript to lay flat (unfolded).  Multiple entries may be sent, separated by paper clips, in a single large envelope.  Include an SASE with appropriate postage for manuscript's return after the contest. Mail entries to:

*Caution: Entries not following any of the above rules and guidelines may be disqualified and fees kept for handling charges at the discretion of Writers Matrix.

Ready to submit entry fee for the next WMx Grabber 1250?  Click below: