2024 Youth Awards Book - Preorder Deadline: September 1, 2024
$7.00
Suggested donation $7.00 per book.
Parents and supporters of our youth programs are invited to donate today to reserve additional copies of the 2024 Youth Awards Book. Each student who wins an award (placing and honorable mention) will receive ONE copy of the 2024 Youth Awards Book. If you would like additional copies to share with friends, family, and teachers, we encourage you to donate today. We will have these orders packaged up and ready to deliver at the awards ceremony at the Kansas Book Festival on September 28, 2024.
If you cannot attend the ceremony, these books will be shipped with your youth awards and certificates.
2024 Youth Writing Contest Guidelines
Contest opens April 1, 2024, and closes June 15, 2024
Submit online at kansasauthorsclub.submittable.com
Contest opens April 1, 2024, and closes June 15, 2024
Submit online at kansasauthorsclub.submittable.com
Four Age Divisions: Grades 3-4; Grades 5-6; Grades 7-8; Grades 9-12.
Three Categories (any subject): Category #1 Poetry (to 40 lines; any form, including rhymed verse, free verse, haiku, classical form, song lyric); #2 Fiction (to 800 words; short story, chapter of a novel, drama); #3 Nonfiction (to 800 words; essay, research paper, factual narrative or drama based on real events and people).
Official Rules—categories #1-3:
- Home address, including zip code (Please do NOT use school address.)
- Parent’s home and/or cell phone number, including area code
- Parent’s e-mail address. No school e-mails, please.
- Grade level of the contestant as of April 1, 2024
- Title of the entry
- Optional – teacher or school contact (for notification, if requested)
6. Entries will be accepted April 1 to June 15, 2024, via the online submission tool, Submittable. The direct link is kansasauthorsclub.submittable.com or use the “submit” button at kansasauthorsclub.org
7. By entering contest, youth writers and their parents give KAC permission to use their names and submissions in print form.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENTERING
PRIZES: Medals and certificates for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each age division and each category. Certificates for Honorable Mentions (awarded at discretion of the judges). Publication in book format of entries winning 1st, 2nd, 3rd places, and Honorable Mentions, with each winner receiving a copy of the book. (KAC retains the right to edit the published entries, but the entries themselves will remain the property of the individual authors).
Prizes will be awarded at the 2024 Kansas Authors Club Youth Awards Ceremony at the Kansas Book Festival on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Additional details will be posted on the website: kansasauthorsclub.org. Awards will be mailed if the winner is not present. Those being recognized will be contacted in advance with details.
Note: In addition to the awards of first, second, third place and honorable mentions an overall “Writer of the Year” (aka the Bajaj Award) will be selected. This award is based on a points system that includes total number of entries submitted to the contest and the number of prizes awarded as a percentage of total entries per category. The contest manager will determine these winners, utilizing the three contest managers (adult prose, adult poetry, and youth) in the event of a tie or if consideration by a committee is deemed necessary.
Three Categories (any subject): Category #1 Poetry (to 40 lines; any form, including rhymed verse, free verse, haiku, classical form, song lyric); #2 Fiction (to 800 words; short story, chapter of a novel, drama); #3 Nonfiction (to 800 words; essay, research paper, factual narrative or drama based on real events and people).
Official Rules—categories #1-3:
- Contest open to all youth, grades 3-12, residing in Kansas and to student members of the Kansas Authors Club (KAC) regardless of residence. There is no charge for entering the Youth Writing Contest.
- All entries must be the youth’s original work and unpublished.
- Our goal is to promote personal creativity. We do not accept AI generated stories or poetry.
- No manuscript may be entered in more than one category.
- Only one author per submission (no co-authors allowed).
- A contestant may submit up to two entries per category. The contestant will be required to submit the following:
- Home address, including zip code (Please do NOT use school address.)
- Parent’s home and/or cell phone number, including area code
- Parent’s e-mail address. No school e-mails, please.
- Grade level of the contestant as of April 1, 2024
- Title of the entry
- Optional – teacher or school contact (for notification, if requested)
6. Entries will be accepted April 1 to June 15, 2024, via the online submission tool, Submittable. The direct link is kansasauthorsclub.submittable.com or use the “submit” button at kansasauthorsclub.org
7. By entering contest, youth writers and their parents give KAC permission to use their names and submissions in print form.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENTERING
- Written Entries: Prepare your document as you normally would for print submission. One of the following file formats is preferred: doc, docx, rtf.
- Use a standard font (such as Times New Roman), 12-point size.
- Prose documents should be double spaced with standard margins.
- Your name should NOT appear anywhere on the document.
- Once your file is ready to submit, go to kansasauthorsclub.submittable.com
- Scroll down to view all open contest categories. (They will not appear until the contest open date.) Within category of entry, select submit button.
- Complete required information. (Name, address, etc.)
- Select file and upload for submission.
PRIZES: Medals and certificates for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each age division and each category. Certificates for Honorable Mentions (awarded at discretion of the judges). Publication in book format of entries winning 1st, 2nd, 3rd places, and Honorable Mentions, with each winner receiving a copy of the book. (KAC retains the right to edit the published entries, but the entries themselves will remain the property of the individual authors).
Prizes will be awarded at the 2024 Kansas Authors Club Youth Awards Ceremony at the Kansas Book Festival on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Additional details will be posted on the website: kansasauthorsclub.org. Awards will be mailed if the winner is not present. Those being recognized will be contacted in advance with details.
Note: In addition to the awards of first, second, third place and honorable mentions an overall “Writer of the Year” (aka the Bajaj Award) will be selected. This award is based on a points system that includes total number of entries submitted to the contest and the number of prizes awarded as a percentage of total entries per category. The contest manager will determine these winners, utilizing the three contest managers (adult prose, adult poetry, and youth) in the event of a tie or if consideration by a committee is deemed necessary.
Contact for Contest Questions:
Emilie Moll
Emilie Moll
Adopted by the State Board of Directors, August 2019
CHILD SAFETY POLICY
In all activities of the Kansas Authors Club, including but not limited to, activities of committees, Districts, and sponsored performances or seminars, it is our policy that adult members who are meeting with children under age 18 should only do so while in the company of another adult, or a parent or guardian of the child, and will avoid being behind closed doors or in such close physical contact with that minor as to be possibly shielded from observation by other adults, such as in a swimming pool or sauna or kitchen or elevator or bathroom.
CHILD SAFETY POLICY
In all activities of the Kansas Authors Club, including but not limited to, activities of committees, Districts, and sponsored performances or seminars, it is our policy that adult members who are meeting with children under age 18 should only do so while in the company of another adult, or a parent or guardian of the child, and will avoid being behind closed doors or in such close physical contact with that minor as to be possibly shielded from observation by other adults, such as in a swimming pool or sauna or kitchen or elevator or bathroom.