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Dear Sentence/Firewheel Supporters:

Please share this announcement with your friends, colleagues, listservs, blog readers, students, departments, and anyone else you think might be interested.

Firewheel Editions announces the second Sentence Book Award and the fourth Firewheel Chapbook Award.

The Firewheel Chapbook Award is given to a collection of no more than 20 manuscript pages in any genre. Preference is for innovative work (liberally interpreted), work that crosses genres, work that combines images and text, work in formats other than the traditionally bound book, or work that may have difficulty finding publication elsewhere due to the nature, typography, or format of the work. The recipient of the award will receive 50 copies out of a limited edition. Entry fee: $15 by check to Firewheel Editions or by PayPal at http://firewheel-editions.org. Checks and submissions may be mailed to Firewheel Chapbook Award, Box 7, WCSU, 181 White St., Danbury, CT 06810. Electronic submissions may be sent to chapbook@firewheel-editions.org. Postmark/Timestamp Deadline for submissions and fees: November 17, 2009, 11:59 pm PST.

The Sentence Book Award will be given to a book-length manuscript of prose poems or a book-length manuscript consisting substantially of prose poems (for example, a book that is half prose poems and half free-verse, or a book-length sequence that mixes passages of prose poetry with other modes). The recipient of the award will receive publication in a trade paper edition with a standard royalty contract and 50 copies of the book. All entrants will receive Sentence #7 (entrants who are already subscribers will have their subscription extended by one issue). Entry fee: $25 by check to Firewheel Editions or by PayPal at http://firewheel-editions.org. Checks and submissions may be mailed to Sentence Book Award, Box 7, WCSU, 181 White St., Danbury, CT 06810. Electronic submissions may be sent to sentence@firewheel-editions.org. Postmark/Timestamp Deadline for submissions and fees: November 17, 2009, 11:59 pm PST.

Firewheel Editions subscribes to the CLMP Code of Ethics: “CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.”

The recipient of the Sentence Award will be selected by Brian Clements, Editor of Sentence and Firewheel Editions; the recipient of the Firewheel Chapbook Award will be selected by Brian Clements and Tom Nackid, Design Manager for Firewheel Editions. In the event that no recipient is chosen for either award, entry fees will be returned to all of the award’s entrants. Authors who have published a chapbook or book with Firewheel Editions, authors who have served on the Board of Contributing Editors of Sentence, graduate or undergraduate students and relatives of Brian Clements and Tom Nackid, and all past and current staff members of Sentence and Firewheel Editions are ineligible. All manuscripts will come to the editors anonymously after screening and preparation by Firewheel staff.

Submission guidelines:

Chapbook Award entrants must explain any special production requirements for their projects in the cover letter.
All entrants must provide email address or SASE for Award results.
Unless SASE with sufficient postage for return is included, manuscripts will be recycled.
Multiple submissions are acceptable with an entry fee for each submission.
Translations are acceptable with proof of permission to publish translations.
Electronic submissions must be sent as a single attachment in .rtf (preferred for text-only submissions), .doc, or .pdf format.
All submitted manuscripts must include a one-page cover with author’s name, title, author’s email address, and name of Award (Chapbook or Sentence); also include a second title page with title only.
The author’s name should be recognizable nowhere in the manuscript other than on the cover page.

For more information on Sentence and Firewheel Editions, visit http://firewheel-editions.org or email info@firewheel-editions.org