Literacy is extremely close to the hearts of EPIC members EPIC, The Electronically Published Internet Connection. We provide a strong voice for electronic publishing with a global membership consisting of published authors, publishers, editors, cover artists and other industry professionals.

EPIC established the New Voices Young Writer's Competition™ in 2005 to encourage reading and writing within our public, private schools and home-based schools. Young writers, ages 11 through 18, are invited to enter their essays, poems, and short stories and the response has grown each year. This competition inspires young writers and poets to spread their wings, to allow their dreams to become reality. Our no-cost global writing competition is open to students attending private, public, or home schools in the hopes of

• encouraging writing by offering young authors the opportunity to showcase their work and receive positive encouragement from industry professionals
• enlightening and educating students and their parents/guardians, as well as the education system, about e-books and the ePublishing industry

Each entry receives commentary from the judges; professionals from both the electronic and print publishing industry; teachers and librarians. These commentaries offer constructive criticism and encouragement, whether it is suggestions to expand a story, modifying a writing style, or more attention to detail (punctuation, grammar, or research). Entries garnering the highest scores, as well as those whom the judges chose as exemplary writers, are recognized by being published in an annual anthology.

EPIC has made some changes through the years: instead of accepting faxes or mail in forms we handle all entries and correspondence through email and an online entry form, keeping everything electronic. We use a very secure storage for entries and scanned signature authorizations, and our Competitions Chair being the only person who sees these files and database information (your confidential personal and school information). We insist on safeguarding YOUR information. Only the most basic information is shared with judges: the entrant's name, the category, the title of the entry, and the entry itself.

Because of the care EPIC takes with all aspects of the New Voices Young Writer's Competition™, both the organization and competition have earned the highest respect from their membership, entrants, and the educational community. Many of these changes have been incorporated due to the pointed questions EPIC has received from concerned parents, teachers, and schools. These questions have ranged from who sponsors our competition to what is the cost of entry to what will winners have to "buy" if they win. EPIC wants to reassure entrants, parents, and schools, that:

• EPIC's membership sponsors the New Voices Young Writer's Competition™, but accepts prize and monetary contributions from outside sources.
• there is never any entry fee.
• EPIC provides any and all prizes, including CDs and printed anthologies to winners and their entry-listed library/school.

Additional printed copies, as available, may be ordered from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a minimal cost, plus shipping and handling. Free downloads of anthologies (2006 through 2010) may be found on the New Voices anthology page.

EPIC is proud of every student who has entered our competition and we look forward to many more years of new and innovative writings from our global artists from all 52 states of the United States, Canada, India, Qatar, Japan, Bulgaria, and South Africa...just to name a few!