In conjunction with Black Static Magazine, we are proud to announce the World Horror Convention 2011 Short Story Contest. Writers from around the world will be able to submit their most engaging and terrifying short fiction to our judging panel for the chance to have their story published.

And we do mean published! The winning entry will appear in the collectible WHC 2011 Souvenir Book, alongside work by Sarah Langan, Joe Hill, Steve Niles, Peter Crowther, Joe R. Lansdale, Brian Keene and other top genre names. In addition to appearing in the Souvenir Book, the winning entry will be republished in Black Static Magazine and will be paid industry professional standard of .05 per word.

GUIDELINES:

1. Must have a WHC 2011 full membership or supporting membership at time of story submission to participate. No exceptions.

2. WHC 2011 committee, contest judges, and their families are ineligible.

3. We are seeking stories 500 – 4,000 words. Though this contest is open to international authors, all submissions must be submitted in English.

4. Traditional manuscript format: Double-spaced; 1-inch margins; paragraphs indicated by indent not extra line space; 12-point type presented in a clear, readable font (Times, Times New Roman).

5. On the first page of the story, please include Story Title, Author Name and Contact Information, and Word Count. A cover letter is not necessary and will not be forwarded to the judges.

6. This will be a blind submission, meaning author names and identifiers will be stripped from the document before being presented to judges. Page number and story title should appear in the Header.

7. Open submission dates – August 31st-Oct. 31st, 2010 (Midnight, Central Standard Time). Any submissions that arrive before or after the submission period will be deleted, unread.

8. No reprints. No simultaneous submissions. No multiple submissions. If a story is found to be in violation of any of the above, it will be disqualified from the contest.

9. Authors will receive confirmation that their stories have been received. Due to the nature of the contest, we will not be sending out rejection notices. We understand this is an inconvenience to authors and apologize (The committee is comprised of authors and empathize, but due to the nature of the contest, it just isn’t possible). Please consider your story under consideration until the winner is named. The winner will be announced on Thursday, April 27, 2011.

10. Electronic submissions only! An email address for submissions will be announced the week before the open reading period begins.

11. Confirmed judges – who will pick the 3 finalists from the story submissions:

Nicholas Kaufmann – author of the Bram Stoker Award-nominated General Slocum’s Gold, as well as Chasing the Dragon, Walk In Shadows, and (as Gabriel Hunt) Hunt at World’s End. www.nicholaskaufmann.com

Weston Ochse – won the Bram Stoker Award for First Novel, and has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in Long Fiction, as well as the Pushcart Prize for short fiction. His most recent novel is Empire of Salt. www.westonochse.com

Mary SanGiovanni – author of the Bram Stoker-nominated The Hollower and its sequel, Found You. She has a Masters in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives in NJ with her son. www.marysangiovanni.com

Wrath James White – acclaimed author of Succulent Prey, The Resurrectionist, The Book of a Thousand Sins, His Pain, and Population Zero. http://wordsofwrath.blogspot.com/

12. The winning title will be chosen from the 3 finalists by one of WHC 2011’s Guests of Honor.

13. We ask that you not contact the judges in regard to the contest. They might get grumpy. Please direct all questions to Lee Thomas at info [at] whc2011.org. (And no, that’s not the submission address).

“Our goal with this convention is to highlight the brightest new stars of dark fiction, the writers and artists who are helping the genre grow,” said convention chair Nate Southard. “Joe Hill’s name is at the top of that list.”

Hill burst onto the literary scene with his first book, the limited edition collection 20th Century Ghosts, which showcased fourteen of his short stories and won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection, in addition to the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection and Best Short Story for “Best New Horror.” William Morrow/HarperCollins published Hill’s first novel, Heart-Shaped Box, in 2007. The novel went on to reach number 8 on the New York Times bestseller list and garnered high critical praise. Hill is also the author of Locke & Key, a successful graphic novel series published by IDW Publishing. His next novel, Horns, is due February 2010 from William Morrow.

Hill joins award-winning authors Sarah Langan, Joe R. Lansdale, and Brian Keene on the WHC 2011 guest list. Additional Guests of Honor will be announced in the months to come. A website featuring convention and hotel information, registration, and more is live at www.whc2011.org.

The World Horror Convention is an annual gathering of professionals in the horror industry: publishers, authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, dealers and, of course, horror fans. WHC serves as both an industry insider’s networking event and a chance for fans of the genre to get together, meet some of the creative talents in the field, and generally spend a weekend celebrating All Things Scary.

Visit our guests at:

Joe Hill: www.joehillfiction.com

Sarah Langan: www.sarahlangan.com

Joe R. Lansdale: www.joerlansdale.com

Brian Keene: www.briankeene.com

For more information please contact Nate Southard at registration@whc2011.org or Lee Thomas at info@whc2011.org.