(1907-1988)

The Robert A. Heinlein Centennial Short Story Contest   Three prizes will be given for the best original short stories reflecting the spirit, ideas, and philosophies of Robert Anson Heinlein.   $5,000 first prize $2,000 second prize $1,000 third prize

1. The winning entries will be short stories (not to exceed 15,000 words) judged best in terms of

2. All entries must be in English.

3. All entries must use an original (i.e. not Heinlein’s nor any other author's) universe of characters and settings.

4. Plagiarism will result in disqualification.

5. Entries shall not include stories that have been previously commercially published. Simultaneous submissions to commercial publishers or other contests are not allowed.

6. Rights of first publication for entered stories and the right to use contestant's name and image for publicity purposes shall be granted to The Heinlein Society for duration of one year following the contest, i.e., until July 7, 2009.

7. Each entry will be judged so that the identity of the author is anonymous to the judges.

8. Entries will be judged by professional authors and editors. The decisions of the judges are entirely their own, and are final.

9. All stories submitted for the contest may be considered for publication in an anthology.

10. If an anthology is published:

    • The First, Second, and Third prize winning entries shall be included.

    • All authors to be published will be required to sign a publishing contract.

    • Non-prize winning entries may be selected in any order, at the sole discretion of the Heinlein Society or its agents.

    • Authors shall be compensated at standard SFWA professional rates.

     

Eligibility

1. Anyone published or unpublished is eligible except individuals involved in judging the entries, members of the Society's committee concerned with this contest, board members of The Heinlein Society, and their immediate families.

2. No entry fee is required.

3. By entering, all entrants expressly agree to be bound by all the terms of the Contest Rules.

All entries must be received before 12:01 AM Pacific Daylight Time on June 1, 2008.

 

Submitting your entry

1. Entries must be submitted as an attachment to an email sent to the email address HeinleinContest@heinleinsociety.org The entry so attached must be in .txt, .rtf, .pdf, or .doc format.

2. Entries shall be acknowledged by return email.

3. Each entry file must begin with the following header. Header information must only appear one time, and at the beginning of the file. Do not repeat on each "page".

• Title

• Author's name

• Email address

• Mailing address

• Telephone number

• Word count

Miscellaneous

This contest is void where prohibited by law. Any taxes due on contest winnings, levied by any taxing agency or jurisdiction are the sole responsibility of the prize winners.