Contests
Contest Announcement
Contest submissions are now
CLOSED
A collaboration Short Story Contest
Journey into Hope
Journey into Hope has been released!
We are excited to see the volume reaching new fans!
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Please consider purchasing some of our books for your gift-giving. This will help us bring new opportunities to writers, as well as introduce these amazing authors to new readers!
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Click back here in January for the 2026 contest information!
Buy Your Copy Today!
Thank You
for hosting this year's event!
Our Books
Journey Into Hope
Embark on a journey into hope as ten talented authors invite us into their worlds, and give us their unique takes on how hope can change everything. Tasked with writing a short story in any genre that incorporates hope in some way, our authors present to you this collection as a testament to the power of healing, courage, and transformation. These powerful tales illuminate the many paths we take toward renewal. Whether grounded in gritty realism or tinged with the surreal, each story pulses with emotional truth and the promise of change.
Journey Into Time
Embark on a journey into time as thirteen talented authors invite us into their worlds, and give us their unique takes on how time can be a powerful agent for change. Tasked with writing a short story in any genre that incorporates the idea of time in some way, our authors present to you this collection of stories each with a unique take on time and spanning a vast array of genres.
Out of Many One
Collected from the winning entries of the Houston Writers Guilds’ Out of Many, One: Celebrating Diversity contest, these short stories and poems capture the vulnerable truth of what it means to be human and celebrate the beauty of being unique.
We hope you have a laugh or even shed a tear while reading them, but we especially hope that they provide some food for thought to help bring positive changes and acceptance to the world we live in.
Waves of Passion
The tide is high…
Passion and uncontrollable lust flow endlessly in this collection of ten erotic tales: rekindled flames; new found love in the unlikeliest of places; romance in the digital age; a torrid love triangle; forbidden relationships exposed; sinful secrets found; pillow talk on a Sunday afternoon; one last tango in Paris with a mysterious stranger; one woman’s reclaiming of her body and spirit; the art of seduction and the cat and mouse game that ensues. This exclusive collection contains the top winning entries of the Houston Writers Guild Press Waves Anthology Series.
Journey Into Art
Embark on a journey into art as thirteen talented authors invite us into their worlds, and give us their unique takes on how a piece of art can change everything. Tasked with writing a short story in any genre that incorporates a work of art in some way, our authors present to you this collection spanning from gritty noir to heartfelt tales of love and loss. Soul-search at the Taj Mahal, solve the grisly murder of an eccentric abstract artist, and attend the liveliest all-ghost theatre performance there ever was.
Riding the Waves
Sinful passion and uncontrollable lust flow endlessly in this collection of ten erotic LGBTQ tales: revenge of a seductive nature; the secret life of the girl next door; a torrid love triangle; stolen kisses on the high seas; dirty little secrets exposed; the dangers of a family affair; when the teacher becomes the student; tumultuous storms bring the unlikeliest of lovers; the sexy seductive escapades of one woman; the art of seduction and the cat and mouse game that ensues.
Waves of Suspense
Mysteries ebb and flow in this collection of ten suspenseful stories: a dilapidated mansion with an ominous presence; an illicit love affair gone horribly wrong; four young men faced with the deadly consequences of their actions; a wall mural purposely hidden under layers of wallpaper; an employee gone missing at a farm harvest; a murder tied to domestic abuse; a series of unexplained deaths, all fashion models; a fatal car accident welcomed by a small town; a terrible storm and the cat that comes to visit and a hypnotic painting of a cherry bowl.
This exclusive collection contains the top winning entries of the Houston Writers Guild’s annual Fall writing contest.
HWG Press
The HWG Press is the arm of the Guild that focuses on the Houston Writers Guild’s mission to help authors build successful careers.
The Houston Writers Guild offers opportunities for members to enter contests judged by agents, publishers, editors, and other prominent members of the writing community. Winners and honorable mentions are compiled into our anthologies which are produced by our in-house small press, HWG Press.
The HWG Press is a 501c3 small publisher. HWG Press compiles anthologies of award-winning work from the Guild’s annual Fall contest. It actively sells these books by purchasing table space at various selling events and via online social media and other marketing venues. It also provides opportunities for published Guilders to sell their own works at these venues at reduced costs.
The Guild seeks to help all authors be successful by modeling excellence in the quality of book production. From the work with revision editors to make the already wonderful stories even more so to the cover, formatting, and copy editing, the Guild’s books exceed industry standards.
All proceeds from the sale of the HWG Press’ books go to support the programs of the Houston Writers Guild.
Check out our books below.
