Announcing ZORI3’s first annual poetry and prose contest! Poetry, prose, illustration, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, prose poem…I want it all. ZORI3 is looking for something so original, unusual, creative, and mind-popping that I can’t wait to tell all my friends about it. In other words: send that thing that everyone else has rejected but that you know (know!) is good. Submit up to 3,000 words or up to 2 poems by December 13th.  Entry fee is $5 per submission (simultaneous submissions okay, of course), made through Paypal to contest@zori3.org or via money order. Entry fee will be waived to any individual who lists ZORI3 as a link on their website! Must provide URL in cover letter of contest submission in order to qualify for the freebie! If you prefer to send a submission snail mail, send an email to contest@zori3.org and I’ll send you the address. To submit via email (preferred, for the sake of saving trees and money on postage) send submissions as either a word attachment or pasted text to (you guessed it) contest@zori3.org.   Winner will be announced and published on January 17th! The two winners will enjoy a permanent online presence at ZORI3! First prize is $50. Honorable mention receives $25. ZORI3 welcomes with hysterical passion candy-sweet submissions from any author or artist relatively non-famous. Simultaneous submissions welcome, and I'll let you know whether or not you've been accepted in roughly 1 week. Send all submissions and queries to submit@zori3.org. Here's what we're looking for: Announcements: If you have a contest, festival, conference, critical mass, call for submissions, new book or CD hitting the shelves, online t-shirt collection, 4-star URL, new baby, good reason for laughing, send the information to gasp@zori3.org with announcement in the subject line. I get the privilege of picking what is appropriate. (Note: I think just about everything is appropriate.)    The Lecture You've Always Wanted to Give: If you've been on pins and needles to share your step-by-step knowledge of how to do build a straw bale house, why staring at the ceiling for 8+ hours a day is a good idea, or how to make a 4-star apple pie--really anything you can think of that educates a reader in some way, I'd love to read it. Just make sure its well written, and if you've got pictures or visual aids, let me know and make them yours. Between 750 and 1000 words sounds lovely, with much preference given to topics that haven't been beaten into submission. Ranting/raving editorials (views): This is where you can let your opinions hang out, in ignorant or well-informed glory. It's generally a good idea to cite sources (and to have sources) but either way be prepared for reader feedback. Each week will feature a new personal implosion. Sarcasm encouraged, bitterness and blind optimism equally embraced, only the most well-written will be printed. Try to limit yourself to about 1,000 words, in order to avoid rambling (which is different from ranting/raving) and reader attention deficit. Short Reviews: if you want to toss in your 2 cents about a recently released movie or CD, or about a book that deserves a standing ovation or to be thrown against the wall, send it! Around 750 words, reviewers of little known or small press books will be given preference. Thunderclap Creative Work: Quality fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, graphic novels, art, photographs. Please limit words to around 3500, and let me know if, in order to maintain the integrity of the piece, I need to do something special with regards to layout. If sending a graphic novel excerpt, please limit the submission to about 5 pages. If sending art, please connect me to a URL, or send a Winzip file of JPEG images, or a couple of JPEGs in an email; no monster-sized emails, please!  For extra gold stars include a brief bio, including URL of your website if you have one. Travel Essays: All of us want to be travel writers. I can't think of a better gig. This might be a good place to start building your portfolio. Please query before sending travel essay, and no cultural imperialism, please. Letters: If you feel strongly (positively or negatively) about something you see here, please, write to us! Send all letters to gasp@zori3.org Your book, CD, DVD, etc: Send me your book (published by a wee small little known press) and I'll review it with honesty and clarity. I cannot guarantee a good review, because that would be really tacky. Email for information on how to mail things to ZORI3.

Kneel...kneel, I say!