TXTLIT.CO.UK

Monthly Writing Competitions by Text Message

Can you write a compelling story within the confines of a single mobile phone text message?

 

MONTHLY WRITING COMPETITIONS

A New Competition Every Month

Each month we run a new competition. We can't offer prizes at the moment but winners and runners up will appear on the website

 

EASY TO ENTER

Text Your Entry Directly From Your Mobile Phone

Simpy text your story to 07537 432 432 from a UK mobile phone. Entries will only cost you a standard network text message.

 

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TIPS AND GUIDANCE

General guidance and advice for submitting your stories to our competitions

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COMPETITION RULES

Pease read the rules by which we run Txtlit competitions. Entering a competition indicates your acceptance of the rules

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TXTLIT AND GDPR


Dear Writer

The General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) is a new law affecting how organisations collect and use data which came into effect on May 25, 2018 in the European Union. The new legislation places an onus on every organisation to abide by additional obligations. Consumers are gaining extra rights regarding their data.

From May 25th, we will only be able to publish information about competition winners and runners-up if we have their explicit consent to do so. We are currently investigating methods to collect and record consent that fits with the unique way that Txtlit.co.uk operates. We hope to be able to contact former winners and runners-up under the "Legitimate Interest" basis of GDPR but we need to be confident that this would not in itself would be a breach of the regulations. We hope to find a solution in the very near future.

The Txtlit Team

 

WELCOME TO TXTLIT

Txtlit is a unique literary genre of creative writing using the confines of the mobile phone texting system, SMS (Short Message System).

A single mobile phone text message contains just 160 characters, including spaces and punctuation. That’s not a lot of room to write, but as you’ll see on this website it can make for some awesome results.

At txtlit.co.uk we provide a writing competition platform that tests your writing skills whilst giving you a chance to gain financially. We believe Txtlit.co.uk writing competitions to be the easiest to enter writing competitions in the UK. But being easy to enter doesn't make our competitions easy to win.

It takes skill to write a Txtlit story, especially one that is well constructed, grammatically correct and entertaining. If you’re a writer you’ll know that every single word must count to move a story forward. This is never truer than when writing a Txtlit Story. Every word must work especially hard and bear relevance to the overall piece. There is no room for waffle or words that don’t have a place.

What makes a Txtlit story so challenging to write is what makes it so appealing to read. A raft of complex thoughts and ideas crammed into just a few lines of text. Subtle messages, clever twists and delicious manipulation of the English language to make you smile, weep or both.

In a world in which we have become increasingly time-poor and demands are made upon every second of our existence, how better to be entertained by the written word than in the few seconds it takes to read a Txtlit story.

Incidentally, we love the English language and believe that it is so rich and dynamic that micro stories need never be written in “text-speak” the abbreviated language associated with mobile phones. Therefore, stories which contain phrases such as “wud b gr8 2CU B4 satrdy” (Would be great to see you before Saturday) will stand little chance of winning, unless its use is intrinsic to the story.

 

Entering a Txtlit Competition is Easy

Check Out What the Month's Competition Theme is Before You Enter

To enter a competition simply text your story in no more than 160 characters including spaces and punctuation to our inbound SMS number 07537 432 432. You'll receive a text message in reply confirming your entry has been received. You'll be charged for one standard network text message by your mobile operator.

 

sample story entry

COMPETITION RESULTS

CONTACT

 

Operated by O-Corp
39 Heathville Road
Gloucester
GL1 3DS
UK

e-mail: admin@txtlit.co.uk

ABOUT

 

Txtlit.co.uk runs monthly writing competitions for users of UK mobile phones only. To enter a competition text your story to 07537 432 432 from a UK mobile phone. The competition theme changes each month so check what the latest competition theme is before you enter.

Entry costs a standard network text message fee as charged by your mobile operator.

PHONE PAY PLUS

 

Txtlit.co.uk is registered with and conforms to the code of practice set out by Phone Pay Plus; the organisation that regulates phone-paid services in the UK.

Find out more at http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/

 

We're not running competitions at the moment

Changes in regulations to both Data Protection and how premium rate SMS numbers are charged came in quick succession and have made it difficult for us to continue with Txtlit.

We would like to think that we will be able to resurrect Txtlit at some stage but running the competitions calls for the commitment of a lot of time and without being able to charge for entries means that we would be doing so at a loss.

We’re passionate about the concept of Txtlit but it’s difficult to justify operating it at present.

We hope to find a workable solution at some stage and bring Txtlit back.