Poetry Contest 2007-Deadline August 10th

[SelenaT]

CALLING ALL SPECULATIVE POETS!
DRAGONS, KNIGHTS & ANGELS POETRY CONTEST
SEEKS YOUR BEST SHORT POEM

We're happy to announce that DKA is sponsoring its second annual poetry contest, and there is NO ENTRY FEE. That's right. It costs you nothing out of pocket to enter, and you might win one of our cash prizes.

We had excellent entries in last year's contest--and even had a Rhysling nomination for one of our winning poems--and we hope this year that the entries are even finer and bring our readers even greater pleasure.

THEME:
This year we have a double theme.

1. inferno or paradiso

Your poem may relate to the idea of "paradiso", or to the idea of "inferno," or to a conjoined elaboration on the concept of "inferno or paradiso."

What we don't want to see are superficial ideas and imagery on heaven/paradise or hell/damnation. The words/concepts may be taken broadly or narrowly, but they must be taken someplace new. No Dante copycats or rip-offs. (Creative or clever allusions to Dante's work are fine, however.) No predictable treatments.

You may be utterly serious or you may be humorous. You may use formal structure or free verse. Scifaikus and unusual forms are welcome.

Be creative. Avoid clichés. Explore your associations of this wide-open theme. Surprise us. Move us. Enlighten us. Wow us.

While DKA is a "Magazine of Christian Fantasy and Science Fiction," we do not require overt Christian terms or imagery. We do ask that you read our magazine's vision statement and not enter any poem that would violate the principles we espouse. Questing and explorative is good. Mocking of the Godhead or of traditional Christian ideals is not.

Your submitted poem(s) must fit the genre of science fiction or fantasy. If it doesn't have a speculative element, it's not really right for us.

PRIZES:

All winning poems and honorable mentions (if any) will be published in DKA magazine and receive the following prizes:

First. . . . . . $50.00 plus publication at www.dkamagazine.com
Second. . . . $20.00 plus publication
Honorable Mentions. . . . . .$10.00 plus publication


GUIDELINES:

Entries must be original, unpublished works: no reprints.

Poems may be in any form and up to 30 lines. Poems longer than the line limit will be automatically disqualified.

Each poet may enter up to 2 poems, but each poem must be submitted separately.

Poems must contain a science fiction or fantasy element.

All entries should be submitted using our online contest submissions process. Please indicate in your cover letter that your poem is for the contest. 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.

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 DKA staff or judging panel may enter this contest, nor any family member of a DKA staffer or judge.

DEADLINE:

All entries must be received before midnight August 10th (Eastern US Time).

We plan to announce winners by September 10th, 2007, and publish them soon thereafter.


JUDGES:
RV Saunders
Mirta Ana Schultz
Keesa Renee Dupre

The decision of the judging panel is final. Unlike regular DKA procedure, the judging panel will not be offering critique feedback. We will only contact the winners, HM's, and, if applicable, those persons whose poetry interests us for purchase for future issues.

Any questions? Please post them in this thread and we'll respond as soon as we can. Any additional details will be posted here as well.

We hope you'll enter our second annual poetry contest and pass the word to all your poet-friends. We're eager to see the best that Christian and Christian-friendly speculative poets have to offer.

ENTRY:
Click on your Author-Artist Tools link on the forum page, and then hit the Entry Contest button! It is free and easy!

THANK YOU.
THE DKA STAFF
_________________
Selena Thomason
Managing Editor
MindFlights magazine

[SelenaT]

Only a few days left to get those entries in!

Be sure not to put your name or any identifying info in the cover letter.

Thanks.
_________________
Selena Thomason
Managing Editor
MindFlights magazine

[SelenaT]

Just a reminder that the deadline is TOMORROW, August 10th.

Get those poems in.


_________________
Selena Thomason
Managing Editor
MindFlights magazine

[Mirtika]

Thanks to all who entered.

We got some fine entries, and the final judging will be tough.

Unfortunately, we had to disqualify a number of poems for NOT BEING SPECULATIVE, for being just religious/spiritual or philosophical with fantasy/SF metaphors, perhaps, but not actually speculative. Since we emphasized that this was for fantasy/science fiction poetry, we couldn't let even good poems that lacked that element slide. A couple others were disqualified for surpassing the line limit. Sorry.

Winners will be announced on or before September 10th.

Thanks again to those who submitted.

Mir
_________________
"I believe in what I cannot see."
Mir is said like the historic Space Station.
Mirtika=meer-TEE-kah (with an Hispanic accent)
Visit Mirathon

[SelenaT]

Winners have been announced.


_________________
Selena Thomason
Managing Editor
MindFlights magazine

[SelenaT]

Thank you to all who participated in DKA's recent poetry contest. We received so many wonderful entries that we decided to award three honorable mentions instead of two, plus we accepted for publication another seven entries that didn't place.

Even though the announcement and rules posted at DKA specified that "we will only contact the winners, HM's, and, if applicable, those persons whose poetry interests us for purchase for future issues," some poets were concerned or confused when they did not receive a response.

Please accept our apologies for any confusion about the rules and notification process.

All contest entries and submissions have been responded to. Please feel free to contact me at any time, if you have any questions about your submissions to The Sword Review, DKA, or MindFlights.

In addition, I wanted to invite you to submit to The Sword Review, which is currently seeking only seasonal poetry for its December issue, and MindFlights, which begins publication in January. Guidelines for both are available online.

Thank you.
_________________
Selena Thomason
Managing Editor
MindFlights magazine