|
// DANA AWARDS /// ANNUALLY SINCE 1996
A NOTE OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO FUTURE ENTRANTS: THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW named as one of the 10 Best Books of the Year in Non-Fiction in 2006 our 2001 winner of the Dana Award in the Novel. To explain: Danielle Trussoni's novel, originally entitled Tunnel Rat, won our 2001 Novel Award, was then re-worked as a memoir of her relationship with her father, a Viet Nam vet, and was published in 2006 as FALLING THROUGH THE EARTH--which was then named by the New York Times Book Review as one of the 10 Best Books of 2006 in Nonfiction.
NEW AWARD: Dana Award in the Essay (See our guidelines)
We offer four $1,000 awards annually in the Novel, Short Fiction, Essay, and Poetry.
We began our awards in 1996. The $3,000 PORTFOLIO AWARD, offered from 2003-2007, HAS BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. OTHER SOURCES WHICH MAY LIST THE PORTFOLIO AWARD ARE NOT CORRECT.
For GUIDELINES and more information about us, click on our LINKS ON THE LEFT BORDER OF THIS PAGE.
WE DO NOT PROMISE PUBLICATION (see below). THE PURPOSE OF THE DANA AWARDS IS MONETARY ENCOURAGEMENT FOR WORK THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN RECOGNIZED.
SO ALL WORK SHOULD BE UNAWARDED (honorable mention and finalist recognition okay, but no monetary awards), unpublished in print or online (except copies for family and friends) and not under promise of award or publication AT THE TIME IT'S SUBMITTED TO US.
SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSION IS FINE WITH US. Because we can’t promise publication, once you submit to us you may then market that work simultaneously to other competitions, journals, and publishers during the time we are considering it and still be eligible for Dana Awards.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Whether
fiction or poetry, it must be work that is original yet not merely
sensational for the sake of sensation. It must contain clear,
well-developed themes and be written in a style that exhibits love
of language and mastery of craft. Furthermore,
a group of words that ‘plays’ with language without attempting
meaning or message is not a poem, it’s an exercise. HOW WE STARTED As a writer who entered competitions myself, I was often mystified when I read winners' work--often I disagreed with the judges' choices. Then I realized that as first reader for my own competition, I could steer toward reward what I deemed good work. I
also knew that by starting my own competition and casting my
editor's net into the wide pool of work out there, I could see how
my own writing measured up to other hopefuls'. Which
is heartening for the sake of literature, but frightening because
of the sheer numbers of good writers looking for recognition--so
much competition for each one of us, and so many people who
deserve notice but aren't getting it. PUBLICATION IS NOT PART OF OUR CONTRACT.
We affiliated with CENTER as our publisher that year as a courtesy to our winners, not as a part of a promised contract. We promise only monetary awards each year. This courtesy arrangement will also be true if/when we find another journal to publish any future winners. Our contract with our winners ends with us paying them the monetary Dana Awards. Any publication or further payment is between the winners and the literary journal. Also, it is our winners’ choice, not a requirement, to publish with any journal with which we form an affiliation. Furthermore, since our contract with winning authors ends when we pay them their award money, we can not be held responsible if a journal promises and then fails to publish. FOR QUESTIONS ONLY, E-MAIL AT THIS ADDRESS danaawards@pipeline.com or |
