MindFlights, a magazine of science fiction and fantasy, is happy to announce our first speculative poetry contest.

Entry is free!

THEME:  Exile

Be creative as you explore the theme in your poem(s).  Avoid clichés. Surprise us. Enlighten us. Wow us.

Your submitted poem(s) must fit the genre of science fiction or fantasy. Science or space poems are excluded from the contest.  We need to see a clearly speculative element.

We do ask that you read our magazine's Vision Statement.  Please do not enter any poem that would violate the principles we espouse.

LENGTH CATEGORIES:

We have two length categories—

Short: 1 to 49 lines
Long: 50 to 100 lines.

Each poet may enter up to three poems TOTAL.

PRIZES:

All winning poems and honorable mentions (if any) will be published online in MindFlights and receive the following cash prizes:

First:        $50.00
Second:    $20.00
Honorable Mentions (if any, up to 2 poems): $12.50

First and second place prizes will be awarded for each length category, as will HM's, if any are selected.


TIMELINE/DEADLINE:

Entries may be submitted starting Sunday, June 1, 2008. All entries must be received before midnight on Monday, June 30, 2008. (Eastern US Time).

We plan to announce winners on Tuesday, July 29, 2008, and publish them online in MindFlights soon thereafter.


JUDGES:

Marsheila Rockwell
Mirta Ana Schultz
Marcie Lynn Tentchoff


Poems will be judged on the strength of the poetry itself, and on the way each one features and develops the contest's theme of EXILE. We understand that such qualities can be very subjective, but can say only that we are equally willing to read both traditional and free poetic forms. Rhyme and meter, if used, should be consistent and neither strained nor forced. The judges' decision will be final.

Contest entries will be blind read, meaning that the judges will read and evaluate each piece without knowing the identity of the submitting poet. Winners will be contacted with information regarding their placement and prize status. All non-winning entrants will be contacted within a month after the contest's closing date. There will be no critique or feedback offered for the poems entered.

Any questions? Please post them in this thread of the MindFlights forums.


GUIDELINES:

Entries must be in English.

Only enter original, unpublished works: no reprints.

Poems may be in any form/style as long as they fit the length requirement of  the category (short or long) into which they are entered. Poems longer than the line limit for their category will be automatically disqualified.

Each poet may enter up to 3 poems, but each poem must be submitted separately.

Poems must contain a science fiction or fantasy element. Any poem without such an element will be disqualified.

We ask that you respect the magazine's audience and tone. Please, no profanity, no graphic sexual content, no gore, and no belittling of any person of the Godhead, as the term is understood in traditional Christian theology (ie. Father, Son, Holy Spirit).

No member of the MindFlights staff or judging panel may enter this contest, nor any family member of a MindFlights staffer or judge.


ENTRY:
Click on the Contributor Login link to access Author-Artist Tools, and then hit the Entry Contest button.

All entries should be submitted using our online contest submissions process. Please indicate in your cover letter which length category your poem fits in. No names or identifiers anywhere on the entry itself. Please put the full poem in the intro section.

Instructions on using our online process can be found in our guidelines. Please read them.

THANK YOU!

The MindFlights Staff
www.mindflights.com