1) The contest is open to Alaska residents. College students who maintain Alaska residency may enter. All judges, editorial or administrative employees of Anchorage Daily News, faculty or administrative employees of the University of Alaska and board members of the Alaska Center for the Book, and their immediate family are ineligible.

2) Work published previously in any copyrighted newspaper, magazine, book or other medium is ineligible. Writing for school publications may be entered. Entries must be original.

3) Contestants may enter one work of fiction (not to exceed 5,000 words), one work of nonfiction (not to exceed 5,000 words), and up to three poems. A contestant may enter all categories in his or her age group.

4) Each submission requires a separate completed entry form.

5) Entries should be entered through the website at adn.com/creativewritingcontest no later than 5:00 p.m., Thursday, February 13, 2025. Only entries in digital format will be accepted.

6) No submissions will be returned.

7) Panels of Alaska judges, recruited among writers, teachers, librarians, and booksellers, judge entries for each category. (Teachers will not judge their own students’ entries.) A separate panel of judges will select the Grand Prize winner and Editor's Choice winners. Judging and winner notification will be completed no later than May 5, followed by an announcement in Anchorage Daily News.

8) The author retains the copyright to the submitted work, and agrees to publication in Anchorage Daily News, print and online editions, and on the University of Alaska Anchorage’s LitSite Alaska website. Winners may be asked to provide a photo to appear with their entries.

9) The decisions of the judges are final. Submission indicates acceptance of all contest rules.

Questions about the Creative Writing Contest should be e-mailed to creativewritingcontest@adn.com.