Month: May 2015

Flash Fiction Challenge: Portal

New Hampshire Stream writing prompt photo copyright K. S. Brooks
New Hampshire Stream photo copyright K. S. Brooks. Do not use without attribution.

Whatever the things were that had been coming to McAllister’s farm and eating his chickens had been coming down this creek bed.

The little creek, if that’s what you could call it, had not been here a year ago. It formed after the quake. McAllister thought it had been the result of the quake. Now he suspected the quake had been a mere side effect of whatever had happened.

Those things – whatever they were – were not of this world; not of this time, anyway. It was as if some sort of portal had opened up. Now something was getting through from the other side.

From the shadows ahead, he could hear them, scurrying and trilling. Gooseflesh formed on his arms. McAllister took the safety off and stepped forward…

Welcome to the Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. In 250 words or less, write a story incorporating the elements in the picture and the written prompt above. Do not include the prompt in your entry. The 250 word limit will be strictly enforced.

Please keep language and subject matter to a PG-13 level.

Use the comment section below to submit your entry. Entries will be accepted until Tuesday at 5:00 PM Pacific Time. No political or religious entries, please.

On Tuesday night, judges will select the strongest entries, and on Wednesday afternoon, we will open voting to the public with an online poll so they may choose the winner. Voting will be open until 5:00 PM Thursday.

On Saturday morning, the winner will be recognized as we post the winning entry along with the picture as a feature. Then, at year end, the winners will be featured in an anthology like this one. Best of luck to you all in your writing!

Entries only in the comment section. Other comments will be deleted. See HERE for additional information and terms. Please note the rule changes for 2015.

Hillerman Prize Mystery Contest

Hillerman PrizeThe Tony Hillerman Prize competition is open to any professional or non-professional writer who has never been the author of a published mystery. Murder or another serious crime or crimes must be at the heart of the story, with the emphasis on the solution rather than the details of the crime. Stories must take place in the Southwest.

Entry Fee: None noted.

Deadline: All entries must be received or postmarked no later than June 1.

Prizes: The prize winner is awarded a contract with St. Martin’s Press for publication of the novel and $10,000.

For more information, please visit their website.

Indies Unlimited is pleased to provide this contest information for the convenience of our readers. We do not, however, endorse this or any contest/competition. Entrants should always research a competition prior to entering.

Byron Wade Is This Week’s Flash Fiction Winner

Congratulations to Byron Wade whose entry won this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge.

The voter-selected story is recognized with a special feature here today and wins a place in our 2015 Flash Fiction Anthology, which will be published as an eBook when this year’s challenges are completed.

Without further ado, here’s the winning story:

Continue reading “Byron Wade Is This Week’s Flash Fiction Winner”

Indies Unlimited Resource Pages

graduation capHere at Indies Unlimited, we are constantly trying to identify the needs of authors at all levels of the publishing spectrum. In an effort to provide useful information in a sea of internet data, we’ve recently introduced some Author Resource Pages. Some of our new resource pages include:.

I’ve Written a Book, How Do I Publish It?
This resource page includes articles on the entire process from proofreading to how to find an editor to the anatomy of a copyright page, all the way to pushing the publish button. It’s a great resource for newbies and experienced authors alike.

 

Glossary for Authors
Sometimes it’s just not obvious what abbreviations mean, and sometimes it’s just a wee little bit embarrassing to have to ask what someone’s talking about. This glossary will help.

 

How to Spot a Scam
Scammers change their company names all the time. The best way to protect yourself is to know what to look for. This resource page will teach you what you need to know, so you don’t become a victim. (And don’t forget out #PublishingFoul resource page.)

 

Reviews and Review Sites
As you hopefully know by now, IU does not review books. This handy resource page will help you figure out how to find the right reviewers for your book(s).

 

Book Promotion Sites
Martin Crosbie has been generous enough to share his list of book promotion sites with all of us. It is updated as new sites come to our attention. All those sites are checked by Martin before being added to the list.

 

KnowledgeBase
This page contains all the useful IU articles arranged by tag. Know what you need? Just click on the subject which interests you and all the articles associated with it will magically appear. Yes, we did this just for you.

 

We’re adding new resource pages all the time. Please feel free to share these pages if you know someone in need, and please use the contact form if there’s a resource page subject you’d like us to research.