Each Spring, LMNL invites submissions to its annual writing contests, The Patty Friedmann Writing Competition. Ours is a writing competition in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, public high school (all genres), and “Beyond the Bars” (a multi-genre competition for incarcerated juveniles), associated with the Words and Music writers’ conference that takes place in November each year in New Orleans. Winners in the poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction categories receive $1000; Winners in the Public High School and Beyond the Bars categories receive $500. Winners in all categories will be published in an upcoming LMNL Anthology and all runners-up, finalists, and all entrants will be considered for publication.

The Patty Friedmann contest guidelines are as follows:

1. The contest entry fee is $20 for poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction and $10 for high school. Beyond the Bars does not have a fee. If in need of a fee waiver, please email lmnl.lit.nola@gmail.com.
   
2. Poetry submissions should contain 1-3 poems for consideration in a single document. Prose submissions should contain a single short story or essay. High school and Beyond the Bars submissions should contain a prose piece or 5 poems.
   
3. All submissions will be received electronically through Duotrope to ensure anonymity during the selection process. Entrants should not include any identifying information within their submission. Hard copies will not be accepted.
   
4. LMNL’s board will conduct a preliminary review of all submissions and forward a selection of 10 entries to each genre contest judge.
   
5. If the content of any submission provides the judge with any identifying information, that submission will be excluded from the contest.
6. Contest submissions will open on May 15 and close on October 1 (though the submission deadline may be extended).
   
7. We will announce winners in late October.
   
8. We subscribe to the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) Contest Code of Ethics. We take the integrity of our contest very seriously and will conduct the contest as ethically as possible. If any conflict of interest should arise, we will address it as ethically and fairly as we can.

2023 Broadside Competition

Click here to view the full 2023 LMNL Broadside Zine PDF

Winner:
Nicole M. K. Eiden

Finalists:

Cari Oleskewicz
N.A. Gorman
Nat Gove
Alex Sosebee
Madi Zins
Daniel W.K. Lee