Contest Submissions

New contest opening June 19, 2025

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George Clayton Johnson Short Fiction Award

In Memoriam, George Clayton Johnson (1929 – 2015)

The George Clayton Johnson Short Fiction Award honors Blueberry Lane Books author George Clayton Johnson. His curriculum vitae reads like a compendium of seminal works.  He was the author of the original rat pack’s Ocean’s Eleven, and consultant for the remake as well as Oceans Twelve and Thirteen. His versatility and originality extended to authoring the first aired episode of Star Trek, “The Man Trap,” and the creation, with William F. Nolan, of Logan’s Run.  With a long history of television writing, he penned eight of the most memorable episodes of the Twilight Zone, including “Kick the Can,” which became one of the four stories presented in ” Twilight Zone: The Movie.” In 2010, Johnson was featured in Blueberry Lane Books’ Drastic Measures Anthology.

Contest Details:

The first year, 2025, we will accept entries from the United States and Canada including those from any students who attend school in these countries. A panel of judges will decide the winners.

Categories:
• Under 14 (Free to enter on Judgify.com, limit 1 entry)
• 14-17 (limit 3 entries)
• 18 and up (limit 3 entries)

Entry Fees and Word Count:
• $15 for ages 14-17 for a story up to 2,500 words.
• $20 for 18-and-over for a story up to 3,500 words.
Venmo payment to @blueberry_Lane_Books

For these categories submit to: gcjaward@blueberrylanebooks.com

Multiple submissions are allowed (up to 3). Each requires its own submission form and fee.

Prizes:
The first-place winners for 2025 in each category will receive $100 plus featured publication in the prize year anthology and one free copy of the print edition.

Runners-up (number to be determined based on total word count) will also be published in the anthology and receive a free copy of the pdf.

Key Dates:
• Submission Acceptance Begins June 19, 2025
• Submission Deadline is September 19, 2025
• Registration will be simultaneous with submission.

2025 Theme: A Little Touch of Strange. Any genre. Present day only. “Sometimes the unexpected consequences are much more dramatic than the intentions.” -George Clayton Johnson

Venmo contest entry payments to: @blueberry_Lane_Books

Manuscript Submissions

Fiction: Women’s fiction, off-beat mysteries, young adult, and new adult (for readers up to 20 years old). We prefer science fiction and fantasy.

How to submit:  By email only, send first 3-4 chapters to

submissions@blueberrylanebooks.com