Winning Writers is now accepting entries for five poetry and prose contests hosted on its website. Over $19,000 in cash prizes will be awarded in 2007. Some contests are open-theme, others seek to reward excellence in 'underserved' areas such as war, humor, and traditional verse forms. Here is a summary of the contests in order of deadline.

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Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest
Postmark Deadline: March 31
15th year. $3,200 in prizes, including a top prize of $1,200. Open theme. Submit any type of short story, essay or other work of prose, up to 5,000 words. Both published and unpublished work welcome. Submit online or by mail. $12 entry fee. Contest sponsored by Tom Howard Books.

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest - No Fee
Online Submission Deadline: April 1
6th year. $3,336.40 in prizes, including a top prize of $1,359. A humor contest with a twist. Submit one poem online. No fee to enter. Contest sponsored by Winning Writers.

War Poetry Contest
Postmark Deadline: May 31
6th year. $5,000 in prizes, including a top prize of $2,000. Submit 1-3 unpublished poems on the theme of war, up to 500 lines in total. Submit online or by mail. $15 entry fee. Contest sponsored by Winning Writers.

Margaret Reid Poetry Contest for Traditional Verse
Postmark Deadline: June 30
4th year. $4,500 in prizes, including a top prize of $1,000. Seeks poetry in traditional verse forms such as sonnets and haiku. Both published and unpublished poems welcome. Submit online or by mail. $6 entry fee for every 25 lines submitted. Contest sponsored by Tom Howard Books.

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest
Postmark Deadline: September 30
5th year. $3,500 in prizes, including a top prize of $1,000. Open theme. Submit poems in any style or genre. Both published and unpublished poems welcome. Submit online or by mail. $6 entry fee for every 25 lines submitted. Contest sponsored by Tom Howard Books.

Winning entries are published on WinningWriters.com, a popular site that served over 1.48 million page views in 2006. Print publication is also a possibility for some entries.

Geoffrey Clay of New Jersey won an Honorable Mention in the first War Poetry Contest (2002). He writes, "I don't recall how I found Winning Writers, but I have shared the web address with all of my friends and colleagues who are enamored with the written word. Winning Writers has been of immeasurable help in my early forays into writing poetry and fiction. The resource has provided expert advice (something difficult to come by in this business of jealously guarded secrets and impervious walls) and insightful commentary on the art, culture, and business of writing. It's not only the resources that the website and newsletters provide the contest reviews, the critiques, the publishing advice. It's also the personal commitment of the two founders, Adam Cohen and especially Jendi Reiter. The willingness to offer advice and go above and beyond all reasonable expectations to help writers astounds me. What the organization has done for me is, despite my having chosen a career in the crafting of language, beyond words."

About Winning Writers, Inc.

Winning Writers is today's leading source for poetry contest information. We have been selected as one of the "101 Best Web Sites for Writers" by Writer's Digest for 2005 and 2006. Our online database, Poetry Contest Insider, includes complete guidelines and rankings for over 750 poetry contests, plus over 300 of the top fiction and essay contests. Our free email newsletter offers news about quality free contests and literary resources.

Jendi Reiter and Adam Cohen founded Winning Writers in 2001 to give expert contest information to writers and stimulate creative thinking about important but neglected subjects. Winning Writers directly sponsors the War Poetry Contest and the Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. It also assists a select group of other contests with promotion and entry administration.