"Make Ready" Short Story Competition

Contest Winners

Aussiecon 4 is proud to announce the winners of our "Make Ready" short story competition.

WINNER

"The Perforation"
by Helen Stubbs
The Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

1st Runner Up

"The Rise & Fall of a Fair Dinkum Superhero"
by Aidan Doyle
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Highly Commended

"The Promotion"
by Brooke Maggs
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Highly Commended

"The Bicycle Rebellion"
By Laura E Goodin
Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

We thank all those who have submitted stories for consideration.

Help celebrate the return of the Worldcon to Australia!

Aussiecon 4, the 68th World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”), is so named because it's the fourth Worldcon to be held in Australia.  Previous Australian conventions (1975, 1985, 1999) were widely acclaimed.  The Worldcon annual convention brings together professionals and fans from all over the world who have an interest in the science fiction and fantasy genres.  To celebrate its return, we're holding a short short story competition!

All entries must meet the following requirements:

• Includes an Australian landmark or town
• Uses the words “make ready”
• Qualifies as science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, or horror
• Total of 1,500 words or less (including the story title)
• Has not been previously published

Otherwise, the sky's the limit! Entries close at midnight (AEST) on 21 May 2010.  (We reserve the right to close the competition earlier if we receive an excessive number of entries.)

Prizes! We Have Prizes!

First prize: $200; Runner-up: $100.

The prizes have been generously provided by the Australian Science Fiction Foundation.

Aussiecon 4  reserves the right to decide against awarding a prize if no stories of a reasonable quality are received.

Submitting Your Entry

• Email your entry to shortstory@aussiecon4.org.au.
• Entries must be in RTF format, double-spaced, 12-point type, A4 page size. Please use a common font.
• On a separate first page (or with a significant white space separator), include your full name (pen names permitted), address, telephone number, and email address, and the word count. Include your Aussiecon 4 membership status.
• Put the title of your story and a page count in the footer (but not your name).

Eligibility To Enter

• Attending, supporting and child members of Aussiecon 4 are all eligible to enter.
• Non-members of Aussiecon 4 must pay an A$10 entry fee through PayPal. See our PayPal instuctions. The subject and message should say “Aussiecon 4 Short Story Competition Entry Fee.” Attach the PayPal email receipt when you submit your entry.

Judging Process

The judging panel is inclusive of independent industry professionals in the fields of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.  Stories will be presented to the judges without any author identification.  The judges’ decision is final and cannot be appealed.The

Fine Print

• All entries must be in English, original, unpublished, and not submitted or accepted elsewhere at the time of submission to this competition.  Aussiecon 4 reserves one-time publication rights to the winning story.  The winning and runner-up stories might be published in an Aussiecon 4 publication, which might include the web site or the convention souvenir book.  The winning and runner-up author may be invited to read or have their work read at an Aussiecon 4 event.  No rights are claimed for other entries.
• Winners will be notified by 6 July 2010.  If you have not been contacted by this date, you may assume that your entry is not a finalist and you may market it elsewhere.
• The names and story titles of the winner and runner-up will appear here on the Aussiecon 4 web site.
• Current Division Heads of Aussiecon 4 and the contest administrator and judges are not permitted to enter.

FAQ

Q: Is it okay to have illustrations in the story?
Please send the text only
Q: Do I need to be a paid member of Aussiecon 4 to enter?
No, but non-members must pay an A$10 entry fee.
Q: Are pen names allowed?
Pen names are fine. We need your real name only if you are chosen as a winner (in order to issue prizes).
Q: What if I am not an Australian resident?
This competition is open to non-Australian residents.
Q: Is there an age limit for entrants?
No.
Q: Can I submit only part of a larger work in order to stay within the word limit?
If you submit a portion of a novel or larger work please understand that it will be judged as a complete story, not part of another work, so it needs to a complete story in and of itself.
Q:Will I get an email saying that my story was received?
Yes. It will be sent out within 72 hours of Aussiecon 4 receiving your entry. If you do NOT get an email receipt, please email shortstory@aussiecon4.org.au