MARQUETTE — The Dandelion Cottage Short Story Contest, organized by the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association, is open to short story submissions by students in the Upper Peninsula.

The contest is accepting submissions from fifth- through 12th-grade students who attend or are being homeschooled in an Upper Peninsula school district. The next contest deadline is Jan. 31. Per rules of the contest, submissions are accepted in two categories: fifth to eighth grades and ninth to 12th grades.

Any teacher in an Upper Peninsula school district may nominate up to two short stories per grade segment. Stories entered should not exceed 5,000 words in length. The top prize is $250 cash for first-place senior division winner and $150 cash for junior division winner; there are no entry fees for writers.

Winners and their families are invited as well to a special award ceremony June 3 at the UPPAA Spring Conference.

Interested parents can go to http://www.dandelioncottage.org/ to learn more about the Dandelion Cottage Short Story Contest.