Nearly two decades ago, the largest membership-based nonprofit organization Academy of American Poets founded April as the National Poetry Month. The celebration is considered the world’s largest, with “schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry’s vital place in culture.”
The 1996-inaugurated event was inspired by other national celebrations, including Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March.
The National Poetry Month is aimed at highlighting the legacy and achievements of American poets, advocating poetry reading in and outside the classrooms, promoting poetry to the national and local media, and encouraging publication and distribution of poetry books.
Xlibris Publishing celebrates Poetry Month with a bang as the leader in supported self-publishing marks its 18th year in the industry this April 2015. Since 1997, only a year after the founding of the National Poetry Month, Xlibris has helped more than 40,000 writers publish over 60,000 books. Many of these are poetry books.
And to inspire writers of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and other genres, Xlibris presents its 18th Anniversary Flash Fiction Contest.
Xlibris Turns 18 and We Want YOU To Celebrate with Us!
You are invited to join the party by sharing with us your story in exactly 18 words! Write down your original flash fiction story on the Xlbris Facebook page link here, and we’ll pick the entry that says a lot in just a few words.
Show us your writing chops and get the chance to be a published Xlibris author or be featured on the Xlibris Blog. The first 18 stories submitted will be posted on our FB page as Finalists; and from the group of Finalists, a Grand Prize winner and a Second Place winner will be chosen by a team of judges. The Grand Prize winner wins a publishing package; and the Second Place winner wins a special feature page on the Xlibris Blog. Deadline for submission of entries is on April 19, 2015. Contest and judging runs from April 10, 2015 through April 30, 2015
Read the contest mechanics/guidelines here.
You Saw My Tears
And Allowed Yours Flow…
I Smiled Sweetly
And You Laughed Heartily…
Friendship Is It!