The Missouri Review’s 6th Annual Audio Contest
Now closed to submissions. Check back in mid-May to find out about our winners!
$1,000 first prize in each category
Now–you decide your entry fee!
Winners and select runners up will be featured on our website and on our iTunes podcast. Select runners up also receive cash prizes. All entrants receive a one-year, digital subscription to The Missouri Review.
Listen to the winners of our 2012 Audio Competition here.
Update: Deadline extended to March 20th, 2013!
Categories
Poetry
Poets are encouraged to enter an original poem or collection of poems for this category.
Judging will be based on the following criteria: literary merit, technical proficiency, and how the author uses audio media to further the literary strength of his or her piece.
Time: 15 minutes or less.
First Prize: $1,000
Prose
Writers may enter a short story, narrative essay, or other form of literary prose. For this category we are not interested in academic essays or purely journalistic writing/reportage. Entries may be solely author-read or contain other voices, tracks of sound, or music.
Judging will be based on the following criteria: literary merit, technical proficiency, and how the author uses audio media to further the literary strength of his or her piece.
Time: 15 minutes or less.
First Prize: $1,000
Audio Documentary
Entries should be audio only (no video). We are interested in short documentaries on any subject. Documentaries can be presented in a variety of forms, including narrative, interview, or documentary play. Entries will be judged on strength of the script and subject, ability to meet their objective (stated or unstated, i.e. a comedic short that’s funny, or an artist interview that is informative, fresh and insightful), and technical facility (including sound, reporting, presenting and/or acting).
Time: 15 minutes or less.
First Prize: $1,000
Contest Guidelines
Entry Fee: In an effort to expand our contest, entry fees (previously $20) are now payable by donation. We ask only that you contribute what you feel is fair, keeping in mind that literary journals, and contests, cost money to run and that your contribution includes a one-year, digital subscription to The Missouri Review. All of your donation money goes directly to support the continued production of The Missouri Review and its programs.
Previous first-place winners are not eligible to win again.
Postmark Deadline: March 15th, 2013
Multiple entries are welcome, accompanied by a separate donation for each title you wish to have considered. We are happy to accept previously published or aired pieces as submissions, so long as you, the entrant, hold the rights.
Technical Requirements: Entries may be submitted electronically or sent by postal mail. Emailed submissions should be in MP3 format only. Mailed entries should be sent on CD only. CDs should not contain any audio other than entry material. Include a brief program synopsis and bio of the writer/producer. For poetry submissions, please record each poem as a separate track.
Mailed Submissions Must Include
- a completed entry form for each entry (download the entry form)
- a copy of the entry on a CD, labeled with writer/ producer, title and length
- a brief program synopsis and short writer/producer bio
- a donation as entry fee (make checks out to The Missouri Review)
Send Entries To
The Missouri Review Audio Competition
357 McReynolds Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
Emailed Submissions Must Include
- a subject line with author last name, category, title of entry
- a completed entry form as an email attachment (download the form, and save it to your computer).
- an attached MP3 file, containing your contest entry. File should be saved in this format:
author last name_entry title
- a brief program synopsis and short writer/producer bio in body of email
- a donation as entry fee. Click here to make online payment.
- Type the amount (in U.S. dollars) that you wish to donate in the “Cost” field and then click update to confirm the amount. Once the amount has been updated, click submit to pay via credit card.
- Please send a separate email for each entry submitted.
Send Entries To: TMR.Contest.Editor@gmail.com
Questions? Please visit our FAQ. If your questions isn’t answered there, email us: MUTMRcontestquestion@missouri.edu
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I just want to be completely clear on the submission guidelines for the audio poetry competition.
By the way the rules read it seems to be that I can either submit 1 poem that is 10 minutes or less or I can send a number of poems that combined equal 10 minutes or less. Am I understanding this correctly?
Yes, that’s right. Either one poem or several–as long as the total time does not exceed 10 min.
I see that the guidelines above say that there is a 15-minute limit, but here, you both say 10 minutes. Please advise.
Are translations accepted for the audio/poetry category?
If they are your own, original translations, yes.
“Technical proficiency”? What if we don’t have a professional recording studio?
Hi Debbie! We used to have separate categories for “professionally recorded” and “home recorded” entries, but we got rid of that distinction after a while because we couldn’t tell a significant difference between entries in the two categories. A simple microphone and home recording software can produce results that are just as good, especially when that recording is paired with a great script or piece of writing. Here’s a link to some basic techniques anyone can use to enhance home recordings: http://soundportraits.org/education/how_to_record/
are three short pieces considered appropriate for the fiction category?
Yes, so long as the total time does not exceed 10 minutes. Please direct further questions to MUTMRcontestquestion@missouri.edu
Thanks!
I can’t get the online form to accept the length of my poem. It is 2 mins and 8 secs and when I type it as 02:08 as per the instructions in the error message, it keeps giving me the error message saying that it is incorrect. Can I leave it blank?
Yes, that’s fine. I apologize for that–the form is a little buggy.
Hello! I have a question about the signature. I’m thinking about filling in all the information online (except signature) and then printing out and signing and then scanning it back in as a pdf. Would that work? Thanks!
Hi Bren,
Simply entering your name and the date will count as a signature if you’re submitting electronically. thanks!
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I tried sending four poems which are 9minutes 15seconds and for some reason it said it was too much. If I break them into 2 emails would that still constitute one entry sense the total time is still under 10minutes? Also, I’ve already sent my prose entry but have not received confirmation. This is I believe my third email sense Saturday. I’m not trying to annoy anyone I just want to make sure these transmissions are being received.
Thanks,
Keith
Hi Keith,
I wasn’t able to find your entry in our Gmail account. Could you please try resending? As for your other question, yes, it would be just fine to break the poems into two email. Just indicate in the body of the message that they are part of one entry. Thanks! If you have further questions, please direct them here: MUTMRcontestquestion@missouri.edu
Hello,
What is the maximum file size we can send you, for an emailed MP3 file? I don’t want it to bounce back.
Thank you, Valerie
Hi Valerie,
I believe that depends on your own email account. We will send you a confirmation once your submission has been logged, so if you don’t receive confirmation from us within several days, feel free to get in touch to inquire about your entry.
Thanks! If you have further questions, please direct them here: MUTMRcontestquestion@missouri.edu
best,
Claire
Hi Claire,
I have an original audio piece I’m adapting from a radio show where I’m able to incorporate BMI and ASCAP licensed music (basically any musician’s works as the station has paid for these licenses). It just occurred to me to ask: does TMR have BMI and/or ASCAP licenses? Have entrants used music from other catalogs in the past or is it always original?
Thanks for your help!
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
No, we don’t have those licenses. However, I checked with folks here, and it sounds like if the piece was already aired and the licenses were in place at that time, then we’re able to accept it and simply credit the place where the piece was aired originally.
Thanks!
Hey there. I completed my entry form and sent it to you all but when I clicked on the attachment it was blank. How do I rectify this situation?
Hi Roger,
If you’re having trouble with the form, the easiest thing to do is probably to re-create the content of the form in a Word document. We just need the essential info: name, address, payment method, entry category, etc. (The document doesn’t actually have to look like our form.) Thanks!
Claire
I tried to download the entry form for the audio contest, but it is completely blacked out. Would you be able to e-mail it to me directly?
Thank you.
Hi Nicholas,
If you’re unable to download the entry form, please just send us a word document attachment with the following information: Title of piece, length of piece, category. Your name, mailing address, email address, and brief bio. Payment method (check, credit, or paid online).
Thanks!
Thank you.
When is the winner announced and the prize distributed?
Winners will be announced by late April or early May.
Where is the list for 2012 winners?
When will the 2012 winners be announced?
Two questions:
1) This page says audio pieces can be up to 15 mins., but the FAQ says 10 mins. max. What is the maximum running time for submissions?
2) Can one submit more than one piece (provided there are separate entry donations included)?
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You actually created several outstanding tips throughout your posting, “Audio Submission
Guidelines | The Missouri Review Audio”. I will
end up coming to ur page in the near future. Thank you
-Corey
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Hi,
I am having trouble adding my bio. How do I create another page?
Please advise.
Thank you.
Is the time period for prose 15 minutes or 10 minutes? I also am unabloe to download the entry form.
Thanks.
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Hello,
Is speculative fiction okay to submit?
Please let me know.
Thank you!
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Can the pieces include copyrighted music?
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Sorry, I’m confused about the correct method of emailing a poetry submission. Your guidelines ask for separate tracks for each poem. Do I email a number of mp3 files up to 15 minutes total and just one entry form? Thank you!
Hi, I have a question. I have a piece I’d like to submit, but its a little over the limit. 16 minutes long. Is that limit the be all and end all (meaning should I try to cut it down further), or would it be possible to submit it as is?
Thanks!
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