1. Open to written contributions from people aged 10 to adult who live, work, or play in and around St. Margaret’s Bay or Mahone Bay.
2. Submissions must be written by a human.
3. All submissions should be previously unpublished.
4. Writing categories are:
– First-person essays, maximum 800 words
– Short stories, maximum 2,500 words
– Poetry and song lyrics
– Reviews of books by local authors, maximum 300 words
Each submission may include one clear, high-resolution image (photogaph or art). Permission of the photographer or artist must be included with the submission.
5. Writing in the Bay News accepts brief announcements about:
– New books in print and book launches and readings by from local writers, publishers (including self-publishing), and bookshops
– Writing conferences, courses, and workshops taking place anywhere in Nova Scotia
– Bookshop special events
– People looking for a writing group and writing groups looking for people
What we're looking for in essays
See examples of essays, short stories, poems, and song lyrics in the 2021-2024 Winter in the Bay art show and writing contest. Essays may be about a personal experience, a key moment in history, a profile of a notable community member (ensure you have their permission), or another topic. While essays may be about a topic of current interest, personal attacks, rants, or content more suitable for a letter to the editor will not be accepted. Not sure whether your essay topic fits the guidelines? Email us at submissions@witb.ca
Young writers are welcome
Writing in the Bay is also open to young writers, aged 10 and up. Writers aged 10 to 15 must provide permission from a parent or guardian for their work to be pubished. We are grateful to teachers who let their students know about this opportunity, but we ask that submissions come from individual writers and not be part of a classroom assignment. Writers under 16 may choose to have their full name or use just a first name and last initial.
Writing nuts and bolts
Submissions should follow standard writing, punctuation, and paragraphing style and use Canadian spellings. Please proofread carefully before submitting. Writing pieces will be reviewed and are subject to minor corrections before being posted. Submissions that don’t fit submission guidelines will not be posted. All submissions must be posted as a Word or Pages document, and include a title, the author’s first and last name and, for office use only, their community and telephone number. Anonymous submissions will not be accepted. We do not accept submissions in the body of an email, or in a non-editable format, including a PDF.
Timeline
This website is run by volunteers. We will do our best to acknowledge submissions within 72 hours and post them within 10 days of receipt. If your submission is time-sensitive, please include that information in the email subject line. Submissions to the Writing in the Bay News section can be uploaded directly here.
Spread the word
A writing website also needs readers! Please let the readers in your life know about us and encourage them to check out Writing in the Bay.