We're a new startup, which is why you won't find
any back story on the site. As a member of four state writers groups,and many organizations including the Association
of Writers and Writing Programs, I began scratch as an attempt to find quality new short fiction.
If you're like me, you study the rules,
check for scams, then polish off a piece and enter a writing contest, only to later wonder who won and why, but rarely remember
to check or have access to the finalists or judges. Quarterly contests allow for revolving judges with differing opinions
and more chances at publication. New writers often suffer from the Catch-22 of wanting to be published, but needing "clips"
to get published. It can be daunting to some.
With scratch, We're able to pool resources
from years of freelance writing, classes, conferences and networking. The contest judges are NY Times Best Selling Authors,
well-known, respected agents and editors, mid-list authors, up and comers in the fiction arena, international publishers,
literature and English teachers. My goal and that of the collective is to eventually produce a fine online literary journal
and beginning 2008, a high profile annual anthology to be distributed internationally.
The judges are announced
and introduced after each competition. The winner of each contest will have their name, likeness and bio posted on the site
as well as their story. This is first rights only, with all rights reverting back to author immediately after website publication
(though you should know that if you do win and are published online you may not be able to use the story elsewhere if the
other publication wants "previously unpublished" pieces. The good thing is, you may get your work read more if they
know you have been published... Again the Catch-22.) Of course, the winners who agree to also appear in the anthology will
be giving us a one-time print anthology right. This will be a professionally edited publication.
scratch aims to support and encourage
writers. We'll be adding pages of links to literary magazines and reputable onsite journals where our writers can submit
their work. I have editors signed up to do one on one story edits if a writer chooses. We're here to help.
If you've got the itch... scratch it.
