Ink of Ages Update #1 🧐 What are judges looking for anyway?

Welcome to the 1st issue of the Ink of Ages Update, a monthly email by me, Joanne Taylor, with a focus on writing, reading, and well ... more writing. Thanks for being here! If this email was forwarded to you, you can sign up here.

01 August 2024

Hello, Writer

We had so much fun last year that we're back! If you entered a story last time, hello again and thanks for signing up. If you're new to Ink of Ages – welcome!

Guidelines

If you write historical or mythology-inspired short fiction set at least 50 years ago, you can enter your story to win some great prizes from World History Encyclopedia and Oxford University Press!

• For adult entrants aged 18+ submissions must be between 1,500 and 2,000 words long.
• For youth entrants aged 13 to 17 submissions must be between 800 and 1,000 words long.

Our contest is free to enter and we accept submissions in English from anywhere in the world. Submissions are open from now until 15 September 2024.

Ink of Ages Fiction Prize is run by World History Encyclopedia and generously sponsored by Oxford University Press, and more details are available on the contest website.

What judges are looking for

We have a range of judges including academics, editors, and authors, and our WHE staff reading team includes a surprising amount of fiction publishing experience, too! Here are our top tips from last year:

1. Start early. Give yourself plenty of time to develop your ideas, write, and polish your story before the submission deadline on 15 September. (Note to self, start emails earlier next year 🙈)
2. Particular strengths last year. Judges and our reading team commented on the many incredibly creative ideas, unique takes on well-known historical events, and writers imaginatively filling in the blanks consistent with little-known historical records.
3. Write over, then condense. It's a good idea to write beyond the word limit at first. Trimming your story down will make it stronger and more impactful. As our own Joshua J. Mark always says of short stories, “Tighten, tighten, tighten!” More on how to achieve this in next month's update!
4. Include historical setting AND action/intrigue. Some stories paint a beautiful historical picture, some stories are filled with happenings that get us invested in a character. The best include both.
5. Consider emotional impact. Think about the emotions you want your readers to feel. Whether it's joy, sadness, awe, or something else. One of our shortlisted stories left me thinking “Get him!” last year. Very effective.
6. Write for an audience. Write what you love, but bear in mind that WHE readers could be anywhere in the world and might not have the same level of expertise as you on your chosen topic. I've noticed not all of our reading team enjoy gore, so going easy on this might improve your chances of being chosen for the longlist and shortlist.
7. Don't take it personally. Reading is subjective. If your story doesn't make the longlist or shortlist, it doesn't mean it's not “good” or that we didn’t enjoy it! It might just not fit this particular contest's vision or the judges' preferences.

We're looking forward to reading this year's entries already. Whether you're a seasoned storyteller or a newcomer to fiction, we hope you enjoy the process.

“Some people view writing about history as very cut-and-dry, but there is so much nuance and perspective and context to consider that in reality it is anything but.” —J.F. Fox, author and judge

Questions or comments? Feel free to hit reply and I'll see what I can do.

Happy writing,

Joanne

Joanne Taylor

Proofreader & Editor

World History Encyclopedia

https://www.worldhistory.org