ENTRY REQUIREMENTS/GUIDELINES

1. Novel length manuscript (min. of 60,000 words) that has not been previously published and is not slated for publication either under contract or under an option clause.
2. Novel must be for and about lesbians.
3. Novel must fall within general fiction, mystery, or romance genres.
4. The manuscript may be submitted to other publishers while it is under consideration but if it is accepted by another press, it is no longer eligible for the contest. Please notify Bywater Books as soon as possible.
5. Manuscript must be double-spaced in 12 point, and in an easily readable font, such as New Times Roman, with 1 inch margin all around.
6. Manuscript pages must be consecutively numbered and include the title only. The author’s name must not appear anywhere except on the cover page.
7. Include a cover page with author’s name, address, phone, title, and this statement: “This is an original work of which I am the sole author” (followed by the entrant’s signature).
8. Include a title page with the manuscript title only.
9. Include the entrance fee in the form of a check or money order for $20 made payable to Bywater Books.
10. Submit the manuscript unbound and without a cover in an envelope. No boxes please. No manuscripts will be returned.
11. Initial judging will be done by the publisher and published authors. The final judging will be done by a celebrity author. The decision of the judges will be final.
12. Results of the contest will be announced at the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans each May, and subsequently posted here on our web site BywaterBooks.com. Winning authors will be notified individually at this time.
13. All entries for each year’s contest must be received by midnight of October 31st. Entries received after October 31 will be moved forward to the next years’ contest.
14. Bywater Book reserves the right to withhold awarding of the prizes.

Send entries to:

Bywater Writing Contest
Bywater Books
P.O. Box 3671
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-3671

Katherine V. Forrest’s classic love story, Curious Wine, has been chosen as the most important lesbian novel of the 20th century by popular vote during Bywater Books’ Celebration of Reading at Provincetown’s Women’s Week

First published in 1983, Curious Wine immediately claimed a place in the heart of its readers. Amazon.com describes it thus: "The intimacy of a cabin at Lake Tahoe provides the combustible setting that brings Diana Holland and Lane Christianson together in this passionate novel of first discovery. Candid in its eroticism, intensely romantic, and remarkably beautiful, Katherine V. Forrest’s Curious Wine is a love story that will remain in your memory."

The Top Ten

1. Curious Wine
   by Katherine V. Forrest

2. Oranges are not the Only Fruit
   by Jeanette Winterson

3. The Price of Salt
   by Patricia Highsmith

4. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name
   by Audre Lorde

5. Desert of the Heart
   by Jane Rule

6. Rubyfruit Jungle
   by Rita Mae Brown

7. Patience and Sarah
   by Isabel Miller

8. The Sea of Light
   by Jenifer Levin

9. Beyond the Pale
   by Elana Dykewomon

10. Trouble and Her Friends
    by Melissa Scott

How the books were selected:

The Big Lesbian Read, a summer-long online poll at Bywater’s website, produced a shortlist of ten titles and, in a caucus-style vote during Provincetown’s Women’s Week, Bywater authors championed the top five titles.

After a vigorous debate, Marianne K. Martin’s advocacy helped Curious Wine across the finishing line ahead of Jeanette Winterson’s Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, supported by fellow Brit Val McDermid

Martin said, "Beyond the strong story, this book validated the lives of thousands of readers who were searching for their place in the world. It’s a worthy winner.

The other three shortlisted titles were: The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, supported by Jill Malone; Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde, supported by Cynn Chadwick; and Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule, supported by Mari SanGiovanni

Bywater publisher Kelly Smith said, "It’s been fascinating to see the range of titles our readers nominated for this poll. It reminded me how many fine novels there are in our heritage. The audience obviously found it hard to choose between the finalists, but Curious Wine has a devoted readership who love this book, and that’s what won the day."