Guidelines & How to Enter

Guidelines

• The deadline is midnight the evening of 23rd Feb 2025
• Our age categories are: 14-16 | 17-19 | 20-30, and we welcome submissions from young people (and groups/classes on behalf of) living, based or with a home (or term) address in Yorkshire and the nearby north/midlands. By this we mean a home or term address in (as defined on this map): Yorkshire and Humber, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottingham & Lincolnshire) and if you’re in North Derbyshire, Manchester and North West Lincolnshire (as far as Scunthorpe) we’re happy to hear from you too!) Students at universities outside of Yorkshire can still apply using their home address
• For group entries from teachers and others, please download the group form here
• This is an online-only competition (no postal entries), but if you are group/school or need to send via post, get in touch via [email protected]
• There is no theme for this competition. The photo gallery, along with the related Get Writing Tips, are intended for those seeking inspiration rather than anything you must stick to
• If you don’t have any ways into writing, we advise downloading the resources, prompts & tips sheet which has loads of great exercises and ways to get started writing
• You can send any work you wish, but we ask you to send your best work and stress the importance of taking the time to polish it.  We recommend reading the Final edit checklist before sending your work
• Submissions must be in English (but use of words and phrases from other languages are very welcome. Please put a note under the piece of the meaning of words not in English)
• You can submit up to 2 pieces of poetry, short story or flash fiction – in any combination, at any time – before midnight the evening of 23rd Feb 2025
• Poems can be up to 50 lines long / flash fiction and short stories from 200 to 2000 words
• Submissions must be the original work of the writer (with no use of AI technology) and not have won or been commended in another competition or have been previously published beyond school/education or personal blogs
• Winning writers who are published will receive a free copy of the anthology and all winners and commended writers will be invited to our anthology launch
• Highly-commented writers will be invited to submit work to our next Hive print anthology.
• The judges’ decisions are final. No correspondence will be entered into concerning their decisions
• Other than for winners, we are unable to give feedback on individual pieces, but we’re keen to welcome young people submitting to join us in the Hive network (if you’re not already in it!), where we offer opportunities for 14 to 30s in South Yorkshire and the nearby north) to develop their writing. Feel free to drop us an email to say hi with your interests in case we can send details of an opportunity that would be of particular interest to you in future. You can also follow us here on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or keep an eye on the Hive website for upcoming opportunities

ENTERING

Entry form downloads:
For individuals entering, click here
For school/college and group entries, click here

• Read the Guidelines (above) to check through eligibility and competition details. And, if you’re new to sending work out, do read the Final Edit Checklist in the Get Writing tab when doing final edits of your work before submitting – polishing your work can be the difference between something good becoming something great!
• You can submit up to 2 pieces of poetry, short story or flash fiction – in any combination, at any time – before the deadline
• For group entries, find details of submission in the group form
• Whether you are sending work together, or at different times, each submission must be pasted under the form you’ll find to download on the How to Enter page.
• Re-title the document with your name and age e.g John Smith 16. If it’s the second piece you’re sending add No2 at the end of your file name. Inside the document, do not put your name anywhere other than in the form info at the top (which will be separated from your work so it can be judged anonymously).
• In summary, if you’re sending all work at once, your document title will be your name and age. The document will start with the entry form and then have your entries pasted underneath clearly titled. If you are sending further entries – use the same format: form at the top, work pasted below, and the file titled with name, age – and this time, No2 at the end, e.g John Smith 16 No2
• Please use the following file types: .doc |.docx. | .rtf (Times New Roman/Ariel, 11pt/12pt is fine) not PDF and note we cannot accept online links via file shared services such as Google docs.
• Ensure before clicking send that you have attached your entry in line with the above
• Send to: [email protected] If you don’t receive an acknowledgment within a week of sending, get in touch.

PRIZES
First Prizes: Kindle Fire HDs, professional feedback on your work & print publication
All 2nd & 3rd Place Winners: Book voucher, professional feedback & print publication
Highly Commended: Voucher & invited to submit to a coming Hive print anthology
Commended: Invited to submit to a coming Hive print anthology

ENTRY FORMS DOWNLOAD:
For individuals entering, click here
For school/college and group entries, click here

DOWNLOADS
1. Resources, prompts & inspiration
2. Final edit checklist

Jump to pages:
About the Competition 
Get Writing Prompts & Tips – for fab writing exercises & tips

Gallery images credited to respective owners, linked here