Below are tables listing various short story competitions. Some are based in the UK, some are global. Some contests are of high renown (like the BBC Short Story Award or the Bridport Prize), offering huge prizes, and some are lesser known, but offer great opportunities for new writers to become published authors. I will try and keep this list up to date, but please read and make sure you fully understand the rules and the terms & conditions of each competition listed before entering.
PLEASE NOTE: Most of the competitions listed on this page accept entries from writers living anywhere in the world. The country each competition is run from is listed so you know which global market you are submitting to.
I’ve kept the information on the writing competition calendar brief, only detailing the important bits, like genre, approximate opening dates, approximate closing dates, word count and, of course, the amount of prize money you can win. You can learn lots more about the rules for each individual competition by visiting the different websites. I have provided links to make this resource as easy to use as possible :)
If you run a short story competition and would like me to add it to the lists below, please contact me and provide the following information:
Three months ago, we did a review of our publicity, part of which was asking entrants how they found our competition. About a third of them found us through your website.
So thanks again for your support.
I will also try and add to this list regularly as I hear about more competitions.
Please contact me if there is any other information you would like to see on this page, or for any ideas on improvements. Not long after its launch, I updated the page into sections as detailed in the quick links at the top of the page, and put the competitions in alphabetical order. Discontinued competitions now appear in their own list at the bottom of the page for reference only. I hope this makes the lists easier to use.
Also, as the page is getting larger and the lists are getting longer, it is becoming harder for me to maintain. I'll do my best to check all the links regularly, but if you spot any mistakes, outdated information or broken links, please let me know.
I'm fortunate enough to have been published through some of the competitions in the lists below. In these instances, there will be links to the published stories and more detailed information about my direct experiences with the competition in question. See Devil's Crush as an example. There are also similar posts written by other competition winning short story writers.
If you have been published through a short story competition and would be willing to write about your experiences for my website, please see my submission guidelines.
UPDATE: Very short story (flash fiction) competitions previously listed on this page have been moved here onto a dedicated page to improve usability.
UPDATE 2: The list of competitions for young writers has also been moved onto its own dedicated page, again to aid usability.
Do you run a short story competition? Do you want it featured at the top of this page? If so, get in touch.
Elegant Literature is a digital fiction magazine whose mission is to help new talent go pro, award life-changing prize money, and promote fiction writers worldwide. Our short story contest offers thousands of dollars of prizes every month. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors above-professional rates, and publish them in our magazine. You can learn how it works here.
Instead of paying per submission, you pay a $10 monthly membership which gives you unlimited entries to the contest and includes over $400 in exclusive discounts from our partners like Scrivener, ProWritingAid, Novel Factory, and more. The prize value rises as our membership grows, as does our ability to buy more work from talented new authors. We will also be opening genre-specific competitions based on feedback from the community, so you have a direct say in next month's contest!
In addition to monthly competitions, our members can access the Community Workshop, a private critique group to receive feedback on your work from fellow writers.
This is (we think) one of the best fiction competitions for aspiring writers out there! Head on over to ElegantLiterature.com for your chance to win the thousands of dollars. Learn how to register here.
AtFanStorynew writing contests with cash prizes are announced weekly.
Globe Soup run a variety of writing competitions throughout the year.
Entering one of their competitions gives you lifelong membership to Globe Soup and access to their free mini contests and challenges.
As a member, you can also get extensive feedback on all competition entries by taking part in their feedback exchanges and you can join their online writing groups, take part in writing workshops and even get free publicity for your published/self published books, both on their website and in their email newsletters.
Globe Soup also run 7 Day Story Writing Challenges. These are free events that take place throughout the year, anyone can participate and each challenge has a £500 prize for the winning story. At the start of each challenge Globe Soup organises participants into 12 groups, each group corresponding to a different literary genre. Participants have 7 days to write a story of no more than 2,000 words inspired by the challenge theme and their randomly assigned genre.
To Hull And Back is a biennial humorous short story competition that offers 'the greatest literary prize in the known macrocosm'. You can decide for yourself whether that's true or not...
There are 40 prizes (the top prize is £1,200 - total prize pot is £3,860) and all the shortlisted entrants are published in an anthology. In addition to this, the winner's face is featured on the front cover of the book, which is created by a different artist each year. The book is then strapped to the handlebars of a Harley Davidson FLSTFi Fatboy and filmed being ridden to Hull and back.
To my knowledge, To Hull And Back is the only regular short story competition that celebrates humorous writing. If I'm wrong and you know of another contest specifically for comedy writing, please let me know.
I bang on about the To Hull And Back humorous short story competition a lot. That's because it's awesome. (Admittedly, I am biased, but it is – ask anyone.) The top prize is the greatest literary accolade ever offered in the field of literature. (See previous note regarding bias.)
From 2014 to 2019, the competition was run annually. Since 2021 it has been run biennially (every other year): 2023, 2025, 2027 etc.
The 8th To Hull And Back Competition is currently open. It closes on 30th June 2023.
To Hull And Back was listed by Reedsy as one of their best writing contests of 2021 and 2022.
The first table lists weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly and bi-annual short story competitions.
As mentioned above, details of very short story (flash fiction) competitions have now been moved to a dedicated resource. I mention it again here because there were a lot listed in the regular competition lists.
The second table lists well renowned and prestigious competitions which offer big cash prizes. Any short story competition with a prize of more than £1,000 ($, € or other currency) is listed here. There are a couple of other big prize awards listed in the Regular Short Story Competitions (it seems pointless to list them twice).
The third table lists yearly competitions of different genres offering a wide variety of prizes, some cash, some not. The majority offer publication to the winning writers and runners up.
The fourth table on this page used to list writing contests for young writers and children. This list has now been moved to its own dedicated page to improve usability. You can see the new young writer competitions page here.
The fifth table lists one-off short story competitions, which are usually held to commemorate or celebrate a landmark event. As the list grows, I will add current competitions alphabetically at the top.
Contests that have already taken place will be moved to the History of Closed Short Story Competitions below - I think it's nice to keep a history, so I won't delete them.
There are a few other websites that offer useful short story competition information. They are listed below:
If you run a list on your website and would like it included here, please get in touch.
I've launched pages listing many other publishing opportunities for short stories, flash fiction, poetry, novels and more.
Inkitt's Writing Contest offers a fantastic opportunity for stories that are 20,000 words or more in length. So it's perfect for longer short stories, novellas, novelettes and novels.
It's free to sign up to Inkitt. You can then submit your stories, making them available to their extensive readership.
The winning stories are selected based on their popularity with Inkitt's readers. You can learn more on my novel and book competition lists.
For reference, when you're spending hours trying to find a competition doesn't exist anymore, I thought I'd keep this handy history of short story competitions that have closed and writing websites that no longer exist. I hope it's useful.
Notes on 87 Bedford Contest: Any style / genre - winners published on website and in 87 Bedford Literary Journal - honorary mentions considered for publication in journal and receive payment - prizes increase by $3 an entry after 20 submissions have been received, so potential for higher prizes - CLOSED, not run since 2016
Notes on 1,000 Prompts Competition: Any style or genre, but themed from 10 prompts, see website for more info - open to US and UK writers only - prize money paid as Amazon gift card - CLOSED
Notes on Almond Press Competition: Any style or genre, but must be about or include a mention of the 1st World War - prize is 50/50 split of proceeds; half of the money from entries will be split between the prose and the poetry categories, and the other half will go to funding ABCtales - judged by Francisco Vilhena who is on Granta Magazine editorial team - CLOSED
Notes on Ageless Authors Contest: Any style / genre but sometimes themed, so check website for current contest details - entrants must be aged 50 years or older - winning stories published in anthology - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing in 2021 update
Notes on Allen Raine Competition: Any style / genre - entries can be written in Welsh or English - winners maybe published on the website - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on Almond Press Competition: Themed, so check website for current details - winners and shortlisted entries published in a collection - CLOSED, not run since 2015 so removed from lists
Notes on Almond Press Competition: Fiction, dystopia, dark humour, post-apocalyptic minds - CLOSED
Notes on Anderbo Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on website - CONTEST NOT RUN SINCE 2015, so removed listing in 2017
Notes on Fiction Fast-Track Competition: Any genre - novels and collections of short stories (fiction only) - winners voted for by readers - winner published as an eBook and sold through 130 digital retailers by Apostrophe Books - all profits split 50/50 with the author - this competition offers a unique prize which is perfect for any writer with a completed novel or short story collection - as the competition is run by writers, winners are treated very fairly CLOSED IN 2014
Notes on Arkbound Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - LISTING MOVED TO FLASH COMPS LIST
Notes on Artificium Short Story Competition: Any style / genre - entry fee £5 for UK residents, £6 for non-UK - winners published in Artificium journal - competition usually run twice a year, but sometimes more often - WEBSITE disappeared 2018
Notes on Arts Quarter Prize: Any style or genre - winners published in anthology - second prize £250 and additional prizes (up to 5) of professional critiques from Christopher Fielden's writing services - formerly known as the Teignmouth Prize, name changed to avoid confusion with the Teignmouth Poetry Festival - CLOSED 2020
Notes on the Asham Award: Any style / genre - the competition is only open to women who live in the UK - run every other year - attracts up to 950 entries, so competition is tough - winners published alongside well known female writers in a collection - WEBSITE disappeared in 2018, so removed from lists
Notes on Askance Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in digital eBook - COMPETITION NOT RUN SINCE 2015, so listing removed in 2017
Notes on Atlantis Competition: Any style / genre - every entry receives insightful feedback which is excellent - winners receive full critiques in addition to prize money - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing during 2021 update
Notes on AAWP Prize: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for details - winner receives ticket to the Australian Short Story Festival (ASSF), accommodation and economy airfares - winner invited to read at AAWP conference - Meniscus consider winner's work for publication - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2020
Notes on Barbara Pym Competition: Stories written in the style and manner of English novelist Barbara Pym - winning stories published on the Barbara Pym Society website - CLOSED
Notes on Bare Fiction Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in Bare Fiction Magazine and on their website - they also run a flash fiction competition - subscribers to the magazine have reduced entry fees - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing 2020
Notes on Bartleby Snopes Competition: Any style / genre, but dialogue only, so no narration at all - if more than 50 people enter, prize pot goes up by $3 per entry (last top prize awarded was over $1,000) - winners published on website and in the Bartleby Snopes literary magazine - CLOSED 2016, magazine no longer being published
Notes on Being Feminist Competition: Any style / genre, but themed around motherhood - no cash prize, but winners published in book - CLOSED 2015
Notes on Benjamin Franklin Prize: Fiction or non-fiction interpretations of a Benjamin Franklin quote, check the website for the current quote - go to the 'education' section of the site - entrants must be between 18 and 25 years of age - winners published on The Telegraph website - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing 2020
Notes on Ben's Heroes Trust Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for current theme - 2 categories: 7 to 9 year olds and 10 to 11 year olds - winning stories published in news letter - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing in 2017
Notes on Big Issue in the North Competition: The Big Issue in the North Magazine. Winner also Invited to read story at The Short Issue reading in Manchester in September. Winner also interviewed - a news item on the story and you will appear on the Dead Ink website. And finally, the winner will receive career planning and tuition from Wes Brown, a novelist, critic and co-ordinator of the National Association of Writers in Education - NO LONGER RUNNING
Notes on Biscuit Publishing Competition: Any style / genre - top 10 stories published in anthology. Over 400 entries in 2011 - closed in 2013
Notes on Bloody Scotland Competition: Crime - winner receives cash prize, free entry to Bloody Scotland's Crime Writing Festival and a bottle of Deanston whisky - winners published in an eBook anthology - CLOSED, last run in 2015
Notes on Book Box Competition: Themed around food, family and gratitude - for child writers, check website for more details - winning story will be made into an animated video with same language subtitles CLOSED
Notes on Bookers Corner Competition: Any style / genre but sometimes themed, so check website for current details - free entry, subject to change - winners published on website and possibly in anthology - CLOSED, website disappeared, removed from lists 2018
Notes on Bridgend Writers' Circle Competition: Any style / genre, but themed around 'bridges' - winner receives a 4 day writing course at Ty Newydd worth £500 - winners published in anthology and on website - CLOSED, was a one-off, but now run regular comp so see annual comps list above
Notes on Brighton COW Competition: Any style / genre - top 10 stories published on website + recorded for radio (I've been published through this competition in the past, so you can read a lot more about it here) - unfortunately the website was removed from the internet early in 2012
Notes on Brighton Prize: Any style / genre - 2 runner up prizes of £100 - winners invited to read their stories at an event - winners published by Rattle Tales - usually closes around June / July - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2019
Notes on Brisk Publishing Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in print and eBook - website disappeared 2015
Notes on Brit Writers Awards: Any style / genre - competition for short stories, novels, music, pretty much anything - you have to join (£10.95) and then enter stuff - unfortunately I've received a couple messages from other writers raising concerns about the Brit Writers Awards, for more details see the comments section on this page - THE WEBSITE DISAPPEARED IN 2015
Brittle Star Short Story Competition
Notes on Brittle Star Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in Brittle Star Magazine - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Caladria Competition: Fantasy - £25 prize in Amazon vouchers - winners published in Fab Fables ezine - CLOSED
Notes on Calderdale Competition: Any style / genre - winning stories published on website, winners announced at the Calderdale Word of Mouth Festival - CLOSED 2015
Notes on NCWC Competition: Any style / genre - only open to open to members of CAA-NCR and/or residents of the National Capital Region - at the bottom of the page that this entry links to there are links to many other writing contests - CONTEST NO LONGER RUNNING
Notes on Candy Jar Books Competition: Any style / genre - open to unpublished authors in the UK only - winners published in an anthology - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Cardiff Review Award: Any style / genre - winners published in the Cardiff Review - CLOSED, not run since 2016 so removed from lists Jan 2018
Notes on CBC Books Competition: Any style / genre - you have to be Canadian to enter - 4 x runner up prizes of $1,000 - winner published in Air Canada's enRoute Magazine and on website - DETAILS DISAPPEARED FROM WEBSITE 2016
Notes on Chapter Checkers Competition: Any style / genre - winner is published on the website and receives a free short story critique for a story up to a max of 1,000 words - all writers that enter receive some brief feedback on their work CLOSED June 2015
Notes on Chapter One annual Competition: Any style / genre - winners and runners up all published in an anthology - lots of different types of competitions run every year, so check the website - I was a runner up in this competition in 2012 and they were supposed to release an anthology called 'Primed' with my story in it at the beginning of 2013, but they've stopped responding to my emails and letters - the lack of professionalism I've encountered from Chapter One Promotions is very disappointing - I don't like to bad mouth anyone in the writing community, but feel I have to warn others of this before they enter the competition, as I've found it very frustrating - I'm still hopeful that they will release the anthology, but research shows this is an ongoing problem - you can read more on Dan Purdoe's blog (Dan won the 2010 competition) - Recently, one of my website users got in touch with me and said this: "I was published in an anthology a few years ago, and it took two years to receive the book. The quality of the publication is abysmal. (Don't get me started on the font, print quality etc) I feel it's a book which will only be purchased by the families of the authors who are published in it and, at £10 a pop, only if their families love them very much.I am just gutted as I consider this to be a good story I have utterly wasted." - If you have encountered problems with Chapter One Promotions, please let me know - In September 2013 I received a proof of my story to OK, 1 YEAR after they said they'd send it, so maybe the anthology will eventually be released... In 2014 the website disappeared - I've heard nothing from them since
Website disappeared in 2014
Notes on Chapter One Children's Competition: Any style / genre - four different age group categories: 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18 - winners and runners up published in anthology - please see the notes in the main listing for Chapter One Promotions before entering their competition!!
Notes on Child Writes Competition: Story suitable for a child's picture book - competition only open to Australian primary-school aged child writers and illustrators - the competition administrators are looking for the best story and the best illustrator, the two are then paired up to produce a picture book which will be published by Boogie Books and the writer and illustrator will receive royalties on all sales - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2017
Notes on Chilling Tales for Dark Nights Competition: Horror - maximum word count usually 5,000, but can vary - winners have their stories produced by professional audio/narration team and are made available on the website - all entries are considered for publication in our print/eBook anthologies, they're hoping to introduce cash prizes in addition to this in the future - CLOSED 2016
Notes on Choc Lit Competition: Theme is chocolate related but check the website for more details - choccy treats in addition to prize money - winner published on website - CLOSED
Notes on Chudley Phoenix Competition: Any style / genre - winning stories published on website - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Church of Ireland Competition: Any style / genre, but stories must be about the impact of WW1 in any part of Ireland, see website for full details - entrants must be between 15 and 21 years old - top 8 stories might be published - CLOSED
Notes on Corncott Writing Competition: Has a 'What do you love about Cornwall' theme - really a micro-fiction competition due to low maximum word count. Winner receives a free holiday in a Cornish cottage plus the possibility of being published in a local Cornish Magazine CLOSED
Notes on Costa Short Story Award: Any style / genre - runners-up also receive high cash prizes - open to residents of UK and Ireland only - to find competition details, look in the 'Behind the Beans' section of their website - CLOSED during 2022 after 50 years :(
Cowley Literary Award & Short Story Competition
Notes on the Cowley Literary Award: Any style / genre - 1 runner up prize of A$1,000 - award takes fiction AND non-fiction submissions, the best entry of either type could win - winners might be published on the website - WEBSITE CONTAINS NO CONTENT 2016
Notes on Creative Competitor Competitions: These guys run, on average, 2 different writing competitions a month. Comps include short stories, poetry and more. I can't really keep on top of listing all the changes, so the best bet is to visit the website and see what they have running which might appeal to you - WEBSITE NOT updated for a year, so removed listing 2019
Notes on Credition Competition: Any style / genre, but themed, so check website for current details - prizes paid in cash of book tokens - winners published on the website - for under 18s or 18 year olds that are still in fulltime education - NOT RUN SINCE 2017, so removed listing 2020
Notes on Crediton Competition: Any style / genre, but themed, so check website - winner also receives a night's stay in an award winning pub - winners published in Riptide - (2015 winner, Shirley Muir, has written about her experiences on my site - read Shirley's post and her winning story) - NOT RUN SINCE 2017, so removed link 2020
Notes on Cro Magnon Competition: Themed around primitive humanity, see website for details - winning story and 'best of the rest' published on website CLOSED
Notes on Curry Mallet Children's Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check the website for current details - 2 categories: under 11s and 12-16 - 3 winning stories receive feedback from a published author - NOT RUN SINCE 2015, so removed listing in 2017
Notes on the Curry Mallet Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check website for current theme - winning story published on the website
Notes on Cwrtnewydd Scribblers' Competition: Any style / genre - entry is £3 but for an extra 3 quid you can get a critique - CLOSED 2015
Notes on Dark Places Competition: Sci-Fi & Fantasy - free critique for all entrants - winners published in e-magazine through Amazon - first prize varies, second prize is a subscription to Grammarly - also available free in PDF format on the Dark Places website - you can read the first issue here - CLOSED 2015
Notes on Darker Times Competition: 'Darker times' theme - while they focus the competition on horror stories, they also accept entries linked to the theme of 'darker times' in other ways, encouraging writers to be as creative as possible - the winner receives a percentage of the money raised by entry fees (minimum of £15) plus their short story will be published in one of the Darker Times Horror Anthologies, released as an ebook through Amazon - runners up and honourable mentions also published - CLOSED 2014
Notes on the Davey Byrnes Award: Any style / genre - 5 runner up prizes of €1,000 - runs every 5 years (last run 2014) - open to Irish citizens and to writers who are resident or were born in the thirty-two counties - winners published in anthology by The Stinging Fly - HASN'T RUN FOR 6 YEARS, so removed listing during 2020 update
Notes on Deddington Writing Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website - 3 categories: 3 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 13 - winners receive professional feedback about their work and 'prizes' (the website does not state what the prizes are) - you can also find out more on their separate competition website - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2020
Notes on the DWL Competition: Any style / genre - top prize is 50,000 Pakistani Rupee which is approximately $475 USD or £350 GBP - winners published on website and may also be published in Desi Writers' magazine 'Papercuts' - NOT RUN SINCE 2017, so removed from lists 2019
Notes on the Deux-Sèvres Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on This French Life, Deux-Sevres Life, Galgo News and Podenco Post - DOESN'T SEEM TO BE RUNNING ANYMORE
Notes on Dragon & Owl Publishing Competition: Any style / genre - entry fees, up to a maximum of $5000, will be shared between winners as cash prizes in the following way: First Prize receives 50%, Second Prize 15%, Third Prize 10%, Honourable Mention five prizes of 5% - so the top prize could be $2,500 - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Early Works Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in anthology containing 10 to 20 stories, depending on length - £5 entry fee for stories up to 4,000 words in length, £10 over 4,000 and up to 8,000 words in length - they also run other writing competitions, so it's worth checking the site to see what's currently running - DID NOT RUN IN 2021, plus 2020 comp was cancelled and entrants refunded, so removed listing during 2022 update
Notes on Eco Arts Award: Any style / genre - winners published on website - LAST RUN 2014, removed listing 2017 as website has not been updated since 2014
Egyptian Writers International Writing Competition
Notes on Egyptian Writers Competition: Any style / genre - no monetary prize, but winners are announced on MarwaRakha.com, receive certificates, have their stories reviewed in magazines, and have their work translated into Arabic to be published in a book in Egypt - CLOSED
e-Literate-World ‘Cut A Long Story Short’ Competition
Notes on EllenorLions Competition: Any style / genre - theme is 'survival' in support of the hospice staff undertaking the Arctic Survival Challenge next year - link above takes you to The Write Place where the competition is hosted, but you can learn more about the charity here - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Enchanted Forest Publishing Competition: Horror - winners published in anthology - prize is an eBook copy of the anthology - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing duing 2022 update
Notes on England's Future History Competition: Any style / genre but set in England's future - all accepted (winning) stories become part of the website's timeline, so are published on the site - AT START OF 2019, note on site said 'We’re on a bit of a break but will be back later in 2017' so removed from lists
Notes on EFF Competition: themed, so check website to see current theme - the 3 winners are published on the website - Hasn't been running since August 2012
Notes on Essay Mama Competition: Any style / genre, but themed around Christmas - to enter, you must like their Facebook page and share the competition link - 15 winning stories published in a printed book - CLOSED 2015
Notes on Ether Books Competitions: Associated with Raging Aardvark Publishing - they run a variety of contests throughout the year, so check the website for current competitions and themes - winners published in anthology - all entries have the possibility of being published by Ether Books - CLOSED 2016
Notes on Eyelands Competition: Any style / genre, but check website for current theme - first prize is a holiday in Crete - winners are published in anthology - NOT RUN SINCE 2020, so removed listing during 2022 update (they now run book / novel awards instead, so see my book / novel comps list
Notes on Fantasy Book Review Competition: Fantasy theme - winning stories possibly published. Every entry receives a free ebook - no longer running
Notes on Ferry Tale Awards: Any style or genre - entry fee is either £10, or you can buy a copy of the Ferrytaleawards on Amazon, write a short review and gain entry that way instead - 10 winning stories published in Ferrytaleawards book - CLOSED in 2014
Notes on FLY Competition: Any style or genre - open to 11-18 year olds and judged in two age categories: 11-14 and 15-18 - top prize in each category is a Kindle Fire - winners published on the FLY and Ink Sweat & Tears websites - run by the University of East Anglia - CLOSED 2016
Notes on Fiction Desk Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in the Fiction Desk anthology - CLOSED 2016 and reopened 2017, now listed on the flash fiction comps page
Notes on Fiction Desk Ghost Story Competition: Ghost stories - winners published in the Fiction Desk anthology - second prize £250, third prize £100 - CLOSED, they stopped running competitions late in 2018
Notes on Fiction Desk Newcomer's Prize Competition: Any style / genre - open to writers who have not been published on Fiction Desk and have not published a novel or short story collection in printed form - (author Mike Scott Thomson has been written about being published by The Fiction Desk - read Mike's advice and story here) - CLOSED, they stopped running competitions late in 2018
Notes on Fictuary Competition: Any style / genre - in addition to the cash prize, winner receives paid social media promotion, bio page and is featured in Fictuary email newsletter - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on Field of Words Competitions: Any style / genre - now open to Australian AND international residents over 18 only - they run a variety of competitions throughout the year, including short story, flash fiction, memoir and ghost story, so check website for current details - winners published on Field of Words website - top prizes up to A$750 - CLOSED, website disappeared 2019
Notes on Finchley Literary Festival Competition: Any style or genre - winners published on the Greenacre Writers website - CLOSED 2016
Notes on First Writer Contest: Any style / genre - winners published in First Writer Magazine - CLOSED in 2017, after running for 13 years from 2004
Notes on 5 Minute Fiction Competition: Christmas theme - winners published on the website - prizes range from a visit to a writer's retreat to Amazon vouchers - visit the website for full details of prizes as there are all sorts - you can also submit stories up to 2,000 words in length of any genre (except erotica) for consideration for publication on the website - CLOSED 2013
Notes on Five Stop Story Competition: Any style / genre - top 20 stories published on website every quarter, and on the Five Stop Story iPhone and iPad application. £150 for annual winner - changed from a monthly competition to a quarterly competition at the beginning of 2013 - CLOSED in 2014
Notes on Frank O'Connor Competition: Any style / genre - this is for published short story collections ONLY, so not a competition for the newer writer - you have to have had your collection of short stories published by a publisher, NOT self published - still I thought it worth listing so that when your amazing collection of short stories is snapped up and published in the very near future, you know to enter the comp! Prize money seems to increase each year, so keep an eye on the current prize offered -DISCONTINUED 2015
Notes on Freeditorial’s Competition: Any style / genre - all entrants published on website and stories with the greatest number of downloads win - runs twice a year - CLOSED, disappeared from website so removed listing 2018
Friends of Manning's Pit Saki Short Story Competition
Notes on Galtellì Prize : A novel is selected to inspire and stimulate writers and a different genre is used every year, so check website for current details - 1st to 6th place winners all receive up to €1,000 in travel costs to Sardinia (1st place receives an additional €1,000 in prize money) - winners published in anthology - NOT RUN SINCE 2015, so removed listing 2017
Notes on Galtellì Prize : A novel is selected to inspire and stimulate writers and a different genre is used every time the prize is run, so check website for current details - winners receive up to €1,000 in travel costs to Sardinia to attend awards ceremony (1st place receives an additional €1,000 in prize money) - winners published in anthology - runs every other year: 2015, 2017, 2019 etc. NEW WEBSITE disappeared during 2018
Notes on GKBCinc Short Story Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check website for current theme - the winner and 9 runners up from each comp published in an annual anthology (so each anthology contains 20 stories) - winners also published on the website - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Glimmer Train Competition: Any style / genre - Glimmer Train run various competitions throughout the year, with prizes varying from around $600 to about $3,000 - entry fees range from FREE to around the $20 mark, depending on the competition - winners are published in the Glimmer Train Literary Journal, which is a highly respected US publication read by many literary agents and publishers - sadly, Glimmer Train will be closing in 2019, submissions are open until mid-May and the final issue will be published towards the end of the year - CLOSED 2019
Notes on Global Short Stories Competition: Any style / genre - winning stories published on the website - competition supported by Bill Bryson - CLOSED in 2014
Notes on Golfwell's Competition: Any style / genre but themed around golf - winners published on the website - they accept fiction and non-fiction entries - prize paid in USD - CLOSED 2016, now running regular flash fiction comp, see flash fiction lists
Notes on Grace Dieu Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on website - CLOSED 2015 DUE TO LACK OF ENTRIES
Notes on Grain Writing Contest: Any style / genre - entry for Canadians is C$35, international entries are C$40, but every entrant receives a 1 year (4 issue) subscription to the magazine - CONTEST NO LONGER RUNNING, BUT THEY DO STILL ACCEPT GENERAL FICTION SUBMISSIONS
Notes on Green Lady Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check the website for the current theme - winners published in anthology - WEBSITE NO LONGERR EXISTS
Notes on Greenwich Writers Competition: Ghost stories - top prize is 'something spooky' plus the winner is published in an anthology and the Greenwich Writers' newsletter - CLOSED
Notes on gritLIT Writing Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in the gritLIT literary chapbook - winner invited to read their story at LiT LiVe Reading Series and the gritLIT literary festival - WEBSITE APPEARS TO BE BROKEN, so removed listing 2017
Happy London Press Hi2020 Short Story Competition
Notes on Harry Bowling Flash Fiction Prize: Any style / genre, but entries must have an urban setting - winners published on the Harry Bowling Prize and MBA websites - sponsored by Headline and administered by MBA Literary Agents - runs every two years - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on Hay-on-Wye Competition: Any style / genre - old site seems to be down (http://hayshortstory.com/Hay-Short-Story-Home.html) but there is some info on the new link I've provided. Unsure if this is still running, hence it appears on this list...
Notes on Headway Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - prize paid in Waterstone's vouchers - winning story will be published in the Kent & Sussex Courier - run in support of Headway charity, which helps people with brain injuries CLOSED
Historic House Short Story Competition
Notes on Historic House Competition: Any style / genre, but stories must be set in a historic house - winner also receives a tour and afternoon tea with the owners ofLevens Hall in Cumbria and membership to the Historic Houses Association - winners published in eBook anthology - CLOSED
Holland House Books / Lost World Press Flash Fiction Competition
Notes on Holland House / Lost World Press Competition: Speculative (lost worlds, sci-fi, parallel/alternative, parody, steam/clockpunk, Atlantis re-found, things that go bump in the night, alternative universes, timeslip, parodies and parallels) - prizes paid in Amazon vouchers - CLOSED
Notes on Homestart-Bridgwater Prize: Any style / genre - winning stories read out at a prize giving event and published on the website - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on Hourglass Contest: Any style / genre - winners published in Hourglass Literary Magazine - NOT RUN since 2017, so removed listing 2019
Notes on Hour of Writes Competition: Any style / genre, but themed, so check website for current theme - prize money based on number of entry fees, minimum usually £50 - winners published on website
I removed this listing in 2018 after I started receiving complaints about the website, EG:
Hour of Writes is listed on your website as a weekly competition but it appears to have stopped without announcement and some competition results are nearly three months in arrears. This website has never been well run but over the last few months it's been getting ever more erratic without the owner having the courtesy to properly inform anybody of what's going on and ignoring users' questions. If you look at the HOW web page you can see a new competition hasn't been posted since about April. Anyway, as you run a great website I often use I thought I'd give you a heads up.
Humanaagerie Anthology from Eibonvale Press
Notes on Iceland Writers' Retreat Competition: Any style / genre, but themed so see website - winner receives writing retreat package at Iceland writers' retreat in April including hotel, tours and food, but you have to pay for your own airfare - CLOSED, was a one-off
Notes on Ifanca Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on the website - CLOSED 2015
Notes on Inclusive Works Competition: Children's - entrants must be resident in the Netherlands - winners published as illustrated books in English and Dutch by Clavis publishers - stories can be written in English or Dutch - 2 categories; stories for 1 to 3 year olds with a 600 word limit; stories for 4 to 6 year olds with a 900 word limit - Not run since 2016 so removed from lists Jan 2018
Notes on Indelible Chaos Competition: Different competitions with different styles and themes run on a bi-monthly basis - prize is publication in a bi-annual anthology - CLOSED 2016
Notes on The Exiles Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in The Lost Country Journal - sometimes run bi-annually - 5,000 words is a soft limit, the editors don't want to receive novels, if they receive an excellent 6,000 word story they will consider publishing it - it is recommended that entrants read their manifesto prior to submitting - WEBSITE NOT UPDATED SINCE 2015, so removed listing 2017
Notes on Inkhead Competition: Any style / genre - five story titles given on the site for you to choose from - four different age group categories: 7-9, 10-12, 13-14, 15-16 - winners published in anthology which is released in the October following the competition - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on InkTears Competition: Any style / genre - winners and runners up published on website and also offered the possibility of having a collection of their short stories published through Ink Tears (I've been published through this competition and you can read more about my experiences here) - on occasion they also run a flash fiction contest with a £250 prize - CLOSED 2019
Notes on IBW Competition: Any style / genre - early entry fee of £7, then it goes up to £12 - stories published on website and in anthology - REMOVED FROM LISTS 2017
WARNING: I've received a few queries about this competition as users are experiencing some issues. The Inspired by Writing website has now disappeared. They have taken money from entrants and not refunded them without seeing the competition through to completion. If this business resurfaces, be very wary of entering the competition - it seems to be run in an unprofessional manner.
Here is an update I received from Inspired By Writing in March 2017 (about a month before the website disappeared):
We have had an extremely hectic period over the Christmas break on the run up to the February 28th. Unfortunately our original date got pushed back due to our judging panel being changed and not finding the right people to fill these positions prior to their professional calendars being altered and then after having to compensate for suitable replacements.
As most of you should know we have now had our original investors back out of the competition, leaving us in a somewhat sticky position on the run up to February. This is no fault of our own but our ambitions for back to back competitions is now going to have to be put on hold and more importantly, you need to be our first priority.
In saying this we have two alternatives we had to think about. Either give all the entrants a full refund or we stick at our search to get other suitable members to fulfil an agreement which was unfortunately not filled by our previous investors.
After long deliberating with other colleagues we have decided to move it one last date to the April 30th 2017. If we do not achieve our winner's announcements by then all entries will receive a full refund into their paypal account that they originally entered with.
I will finish with a full apology from everybody here at Inspired by Writing for the delay in the announcements. We wasn't anticipating this on our run up to our first competition but it has educated us in a situation which will not happen again in the future.
Notes on Irish Imbas Books Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for details - winners published in Irish Imbas Celtic Mythology Collection - 2nd prize $250; 3rd prize $100 - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing during 2020 update
Notes on the James White Award: Science Fiction - the winner will be published in Interzone, the UK's leading sci-fi magazine - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing during 2022 update
Notes on DI Lyle Competition: Crime - winner receives signed copy of DI Lyle book of their choice - winners published on website - every entry (provided there aren't too many) will be included in an ebook anthology to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support - CLOSED, was a one-off
Notes on Junior Authors Competition: Any style / genre - winning story in each category is published on the website - 6 age groups: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, 19-21 (you must be a student to enter) - CLOSED 2015
Notes on Just 100 Words Competition: Any style / genre - winners announced within 24 hours and published on the website - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on KalliKids Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current theme - open to 4 age categories (school years 3,4,5 and 6) - winner in each age category will have their story published in a printed book and e-book - schools with the highest number of entrants per category receive a creative writing class - all entries published on the KalliKids website - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so listing removed 2017
Notes on Katie, Inc. Contest: Any style / genre - run as often as once a month (a winner is selected each time 10 entries are received) - winners published in a yearly anthology - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on King Author Competition: Any style / genre - winning entries published in an anthology - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Kingston Writing School Competition: Style genre varies, sometimes it's fiction, sometimes it's non-fiction - check website for current details - CLOSED 2017
Notes on Kite Journal Competition: Any style / genre - all entrants receive a one-year digitalsubscriptionto The Kite Journal and a digital copy of the Special Edition issue - entrants receive free critiques of submitted work - website taken down in 2013 so no longer running
Kristell Ink Flash Fiction Competition
Notes on Kristell Ink Competition: Fantasy/science fiction/steampunk - a subgenre story involving something with a feline feel - prizes paid in Amazon vouchers - judged by Adam Dalton (Gollancz author) and Mark Lawrence (Harper Voyager author) as well as Alex Shepherd, a well respected reviewer from the website Fantasy Faction - winners published on the website - CLOSED
Notes on Labello Press Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in anthology - particularly interested in stories from anyone who feels marginalised, ostracised and discriminated against due to the way of the world today - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed from lists Jan 2018
Notes on Lady in the Loft Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check website for current theme - prize money is awarded in WHSmith vouchers, 1st prize £10, 2nd and 3rd prizes £5 - winners published on the website and in an anthology - you can learn more about the anthology and see the cover art on the Lady in the Loft Blog - CLOSED 2015
Notes on Leaf Books Competitions: Various competitions, from diary competitions to horror competitions to the infamous Tiny Weeny writing comp - prizes and entry fees vary - best to visit the website and see what comps they are currently running -Leaf ceased trading in 2014
Legendary Women, Inc. Literary Contest
Notes on Legendary Women Inc Contest: Any style / genre - themed, so check website for current theme - all stories must feature a female protagonist - winner will have an author interview published - winner and 2 runners up will be published on the website - NOT RUN SINCE 2016, so removed from lists Jan 2018
Notes on Less Than 100 Words Competition: Any style / genre, but different prompt each week, so check website for current prompt - winners published on the website - entry free, but a £1 or £2 entry fee to be introduced soon - small cash prize given, but amount not stated - CLOSED APRIL 2016
Notes on the Lightship Publishing Competition: Any style / genre - winning story and 9 runners up published in anthology - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on Literary Juice Contest: Any style / genre - winner and runner up published in Literary Juice magazine - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, SO ASSUME IT'S NOT RUNNING ANYMORE
Notes on Little House Competition: Any style / genre - the 5 runners up receive a 400 word critique, winner receives full critique (I've won this competition in the past, so you can read a lot more about it here) - they also run a 200 word micro fiction contest with a £50 pound prize - no longer running
Notes on The Longworth Editors Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check the LE website for current theme - every entrant receives a small amount of feedback from the judges - winning stories published on the website - SITE NO LONGER THERE
Notes on Love on the Road Competition: Themed around travel and love - 12 winning stories published in an anthology - CLOSED
Notes on Love on the Road Competition: Themed around travel and love - 12 winning stories published in an anthology - CLOSED
Notes on the Magic Oxygen Competition: Any style / genre - winners and shortlisted entries published in anthology - Tracey and Simon, the competition organisers, plant a tree for every entry received (each entrant receives GPS coordinates to their tree so they can go and visit it if they wish!) and are also funding the build of a classroom at a school in Kenya - (short story author Christie Cluett was shortlisted and published by Magic Oxygen - readChristie's story and learn about her experiences here) - CLOSED 2019
Notes on Mane Chance Competition: Any style / genre themed around animals - winners will be published on Mane Chance website, in Surrey Occasions and a newspaper, the title of which is TBC - 3 categories: under 10 (£2 entry), 11 to 14 (£5 entry) and 15 to 18 (£5 entry) - there is also an adult category which you can find in the annual competition list above - CLOSED 2016
Notes on Mane Chance Competition: Any style / genre but themed around animals - winners will be published on Mane Chance website, in Surrey Occasions and a newspaper, the title of which is TBC - this competition is for adults, you can find details of the Mane Chance children's competition below - CLOSED 2016
Notes on MBS Publishing Competitions: Style / genre / theme vary - flash fiction, short story and competitions for students run regularly (sometimes monthly) - entry from £2 to £5 - top prizes from £50 to £300 - all winners published in anthology - check website for current details - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on Meridian Writing Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on the website - unfortunately, after 4 years of running their quarterly competition, the Meridian Writing Competition closed in 2013
Notes on Milton Keynes Speakeasy Competition: Any style / genre - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Mo-Joe Competition: For children aged 4 to 11 years - write a story about Grandma Mo and Siamese Joe (see website for full details) - prize is a framed print of Grandma Mo and Siamese Joe and publication on the website - NO WINNER ANNOUNCED IN 2019, so removed listing 2020
Notes on Momaya Press Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check website for current theme - 3 winners, 7 runners up and some short listed entries published in the Momaya Press Review - CLOSED IN 2020, after running for 17 years
Notes on Multi Story Competition: Any style / genre - length of entry varies, so check the website - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on My Daily Story Competition: Any style / genre - also accept non-fiction and will consider poetry and blog posts - entry fee includes full edit and critique of your story AND you can submit up to 3 stories for the 1 fee, so that's a really good offer! - winners published on the website - website disappeared in 2014
Notes on National Association of Writers' Group Competition: Stories for adults - link also contains details of lots of other short story competitions - website disappeared in 2014
Notes on National Galleries of Scotland Competition: Any style / genre - write a poem or piece of prose inspired by one of the works in the collections of the National Galleries of Scotland - winners published in the Scotsman newspaper, runners-up and winners receive free entry into National Gallery of Scotland exhibitions and highly commended, runners-up and winners have work read at public reading and are all published in an anthology - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Needle in the Hay Competitions: Any style / genre - LOADS of different competitions, run weekly and monthly all year round for different story lengths with varying prize amounts - best to check the website and see what is currently running - short listed stories published on the website and then a rotating panel of judges vote for winner - prizes vary from cash (up to A$400) to critiques - WEBSITE NOT UPDATED FOR MONTHS, so removed listing in 2020 update
Notes on New Writer Competition: Any style / genre (not children's) - winners published in the magazine - website disappeared in 2014
Notes on Ninevoices' Competition: Any style / genre but theme is 'summer' - entrants must have earned less than £300 from their fiction writing during 2018 - winner published on website - runner up prize £50 - CLOSED, was a one-off but may run again
Notes on Nine Voices Competition: Any style / genre - proceeds from the competition go to Polymyalgia Rheumatica & Giant Cell Arteritis charity CLOSED, was a one-off but may run again
Notes on Nottingham Short Story Competition: Any style / genre - 3 winners and 15 short listed stories published in anthology. 3 winners also receive critiques - website taken down in 2013
Notes on Nottingham Writers' Club Competition: Themed, so check website for current theme - winners published on the NWC website - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing during 2021 update
Notes on Pere Lachaise Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in English and French in Nouvelles Magazine - if enough entries are received, a book maybe published too - CLOSED 2016
Notes on Offside Stories Competition: Themed around football - accept short stories, flash fiction, poetry and football chants as entries - you can enter 3 stories for the £8 fee - winners in each category receive a minimum prize of £100 - winners and shortlisted entrants published in anthology - CLOSED
Notes on One Teen Story Competition: Any style / genre - winner published in One Teen Story magazine - in addition to the cash prize, the winner receives 25 copies of the magazine and a 28" x 20" poster of the OTS magazine's front cover - honourable mentions in 3 categories: 14-15, 16-17, and 18-19-year-olds - CLOSED 2014, but still accepting general submissions
Notes on Oval Magazine Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on website and in magazine - magazine is published in October - CLOSED 2016
Notes on Oxford Festival of Arts Competition: Any style or genre, but entries must be by or for children - winners invited to read their stories during an event at Oxford Festival of the Arts in June 2016 - CLOSED 2016
Notes on Pen & Ink Designs Competition: Any style / genre - winner and 10 best entries published in a short story collection - CLOSED 2014 due to lack of entries
Notes on Pink Pen Competition: Doesn't seem to be running anymore. Any style / genre - winners published on website and in ebook anthology - maximum of 100 entries, so competition might close early if 100 entries are received
Notes on Playboy Contest: Any style / genre - entrants must be a college student over 18 years of age - no entry fee for Playboy subscribers - winner published in Playboy, 2nd prize $300, 3rd prize $150, 2nd and 3rd receive free subscription to Playboy for a year - CLOSED 2015
Notes on the Bingo Competition: Any style / genre, but theme is about Bingo. Winners and short listed stories published on the site and in an anthology - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Play With Death Competition: Any style / genre, but must be REALLY scary - winners published in eBook
Notes on the PWG Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in anthology and on website - HASN'T RUN for a year, so removed from lists 2019
Notes on Poetic Republic Prize: Any style / genre - winners and shortlisted entries published in eBook - participants read each other's work and effectively judge the competition, see link for details - SITE NOT UPDATED SINCE 2015, so removed listing 2017
Notes on PSS Competition: Any style / genre - top prize is $250 or 75% of submission fees (whichever is greater) and winning story professionally recorded (valued at $5500) and made available on the website as a free download - each contest supports 3 charitable organisations - NOT RUN SINCE 2017, so removed listing 2019
Notes on Prarie Fire Contest: Any style / genre - entry includes 1 year subscription to Prarie Fire magazine - winners published in the magazine and paid for publication - CLOSED THEIR CONTESTS IN 2019 :-(
Notes on Print Express Competition: Any style or genre - prize paid in Amazon vouchers - winner published on website - ONE-OFF CLOSED 2016
Notes on Prole Books Prolitzer Competition: Any style / genre (I think - guide says 'writing that is accessible to all while not sacrificing quality') - winner published on website and possible publication through Prole - CLOSED, not run since 2016 so removed from lists 2018
Notes on Reader's Digest Competition: Any style / genre but entries must be exactly 100 words in length - the full details of this contest have been moved to a dedicated resource for very short story competitions - DISAPPEARED during 2018
Notes on Reader's Digest Competition: Any style / genre but entries must be exactly 100 words in length - 2 age groups: under 12s and 12-18 year olds - winner in each group wins a Samsung Galaxy S2 Tablet, a Samsung Gear S watch and money for their school - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2019
Notes on Red Tuque Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in anthology - CLOSED 2017
Rejected Manuscripts Short Fiction Competition
Notes on Renay Allen's Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check website for current theme - all proceeds go to charity MS Queensland - NOT RUN SINCE 2014
Notes on Rochdale Literature Festival Competition: Any style / genre - winners get to perform their story alongside acclaimed flash fiction writer, David Gaffney CLOSED
Notes on Rubery Competition: Any style / genre - winners and shortlisted stories published in an anthology - 2nd prize £150, 3rd prize £50 - STOPPED RUNNING 2015
Notes on Sash Writing Competition: Any genre, but theme is 'Homeless' - prize is an Arvon 5 day residential writing course - entry is free, but donations to the charity running the competition would be welcomed - winners might be published in an anthology - CLOSED, was a one off
Notes on SaveAs Writers Competition: Themed around the first world war - winners published in pamphlet - CLOSED
Notes on Scare the Dickens Out of Us Competition: Ghost stories only - nice cash prizes and trophies, but no publication for winners - the competition is run as a fundraiser for the Dr. Eugene Clark Library in Lockhart, Texas - sadly, this comp closed in 2013
Notes on Scriggler Britain's Next Best Seller Competition: Crime thriller - 10 to 12 winning entries published in an anthology - no monetary prize - proceeds of anthology go to charity
Notes on SEAM Competition: Any style / genre - choice of themes, see website for more details - CLOSED 2015
Secant Publishing 'The Year’s Best Dog Stories'
Secret Attic Short Story Competition
Notes on Segora Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on the Poetry Prose & Plays website and they publish an anthology every couple of years - they also run a variety of other writing competitions, so check the website for details - CLOSED 2022 after 15 years of running competitions
Notes on Selfpublsihing.ie Competition: Any style / genre - themed, check website for current theme - winner receives a place at Listowel Writers’ Week Workshop, 2nd and 3rd place receive Amazon vouchers - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on Sentinel Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in Sentinel Literary Magazine - their short story competition is currently under review, but the poetry competition they run is still operating - SHORT STORY COMP NO LONGER RUNNING, so removed listing in 2020 update
Notes on Severance Publications Competition: Any style / genre but each competition has a different theme, so check website for current details - winners published in anthologies - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2019
Notes on Far From the Madding Crowd Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check website for current theme - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Slingink Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in Slingink Magazine - RETIRED LISTING 2022
NOTE: I received a message from one of my email list subscribers telling me the slingink email address had stopped working in July 2022. I tested it and my email bounced. I tried contacting Eva (who runs Slingink) via Twitter but the account does not accept messages. As there is no other way of contacting them, I have had to retire the listing.
Notes on Small but Mighty Writers Competition: Any style / genre but sometimes themed so check website for current details - entrants must be 7 to 11 years old - winner receives a bundle of writing goodies and is published on the website, along with runners up - NOT RUN since 2017, so deleted listing 2019
Notes on Small but Mighty Writers Competition: Any style / genre but sometimes themed so check website for current details - entrants must be 12 to 15 years old - winner receives a bundle of writing goodies and is published on the website, along with runners up - deadlines are 1st of January, April, July, October - results on 14th of each month - NOT RUN since 2017, so deleted listing 2019
Notes on Solopress Competition: Any style / genre - 500 word minimum, no maximum - the £500 prize is paid in Amazon vouchers, not cash - rather than an entry fee, you have to like them on Facebook, subscribe to their blog and link to their site from your blog (where you also have to publish your story) - CLOSED
Notes on Solution Loans Competition: Any style / genre, but themed, so check website for current details - winners published on the Solution Loans website - started off as an annual competition, but due to the success of the inaugural contest, is now running twice a year
When this competition launched, I received a few concerns on Twitter. Some writers were worried that Solution Loans were exploiting writers for free content. I wrote to Solution Loans about these concerns and received this response:
The idea to sponsor a Short Story competition actually came from one of our employees who is a keen writer, and regularly enters competitions in her spare time. We thought it was a great idea, so offered to support it.
Finance can be a pretty dull area so we’re always looking for new ideas and ways to link to our Solution Loans brand. It’s just a form of sponsorship really – a bit like Costa and Bailey’s sponsoring book awards!
Yes, there are prizes - £200 for the winner and 3 x £50 for runners up. Only the four winning entries will be published on the website, and if a writer has a concern about that then I’m sure we could have a separate discussion. There’s no question about us gaining free content. We already employ a number of freelance writers to produce our blog and social media posts.
Hopefully aspiring writers will see it as an opportunity to have their work recognised and published and win a cash prize.
Alex Silverman, Competition Co-Ordinator
I understand the concerns of the writers who queried the legitimacy of this contest. However, having worked in digital marketing, I also understand what Solution Loans are doing. I've done the same things for clients in the past. As the competition is legitimate, and Solution Loans were good enough to prepare the response above, I will be continuing to list the contest on my website. Winning writers receive cash prizes, so I don't believe they are being exploited - they are being paid for their stories.
I hope this resolves any concerns, but if not, please feel free to contact me
NOT RUN FOR A YEAR, so removed listing during 2020 update
Notes on The Sophie King Competition: Romantic fiction only - the winning story will be recorded professionally and broadcast via an audio player on the Sophie King website - the winner also receives a £50 voucher for an online shop called the Handpicked Collection and a silver plated jug - no longer running
Notes on Sons of Joy Competition:Any style / genre - themed about food, check website for current theme - prize paid as Visa giftcard - winners published on the website - CLOSED
Notes on SPR's Competition: Any style / genre - entries accepted in English or Spanish - winning entries published in the Southern Pacific Review - CLOSED 2017 after 6 years of publication
Notes on SouthWestFest Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for current theme - winners published on website, recorded for radio/podcast and included in a curated art exhibition at Abbey Centre, London - shortlisted entries will be invited to exhibit at the art exhibition and may be chosen for recording opportunities - also accept poetry and scripts - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2017
Notes on Speakando Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for current theme - prize is dependent on number of entries, so might be less - winners published on website - NOT RUN SINCE 2015, so removed listing 2017
Notes on Spinetinglers Competition: Themed, so check website for current theme - 2nd prize £50, 3rd, 4th and 5th prizes of £25 - each monthly winner published in yearly anthology - NOT RUN SINCE 2015, so removed from site 2017
Notes on Stirling Health Food Competition: Any style / genre - 3 age groups: 7 – 10 years old 500 words max; 11 – 14 years old 750 words max; 15 – 18 years old 1,000 words max - winners receive an animal themed prize that supports the RSPB and the SSPCA CLOSED, was a one-off
Notes on Storgy Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on the website and in the Storgy Competition Anthology - prizes vary but have been up to £1,000 in the past - CONTEST NOT RUN FOR YEARS, so removed listing during 2022 update
Notes on Story Planner Competition: Any style / genre but for a novel or short story outline or summary - winners receive writing books and free subscription to the site - CLOSED MAY 2016
Notes on Subtopian Competition: Any style / genre, but stories must be written in the first person and be on the topic of a Dystopian future - 20 winning stories published in anthology and performed live on stage in Portland - winners will receive a digital copy of the performance - if successful, this will become a regular short story competition CLOSED
Notes on Swansea & District Writers' Circle Competition: Any style or genre but themed, so check website for current details - winners published in eAnthology - top prize includes 1 year’s free membership of Swansea Writers’ Circle - NO MENTION OF COMPETITION ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2017
Notes on Swazine Competition: Any style or genre - UK residents only, 2 entries per author. This is a new competition, launched in 2012. Shortlisted stories will be published on the website - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Swansea Writers WW1 Competition: Stories must be about the first world war - winners published in an anthology CLOSED
Notes on Swazine Competition: Any style or genre but themed, so check website for current theme (humour is not essential, but will probably help!) - winners maybe published - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2016
Notes on Tacchi-Morris Competition: Any style or genre - see the 'what's on' section of the website - short stories, poetry, or any type of creative writing but entries must be no longer than 1 side of A4 - entry fee includes a ticket to the evening event - lots of cash prizes in addition to winner - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing in 2021 update
Notes on Talent River Competition: Any style or genre - winner receives a £250 Amazon voucher - winner selected by public vote - winners published on website - look in the 'About' section of the website under 'Writing' to find the details - SITE ABANDONED 2014
Notes on Tales of Eltham Competition: Any style / genre but stories must be set in Eltham, London SE9, UK - winners published on the website CLOSED
Notes on Tarbert Book Festival Competition: Any style or genre, but theme is 'West Coast Wonders' - top prize is a week's course at Moniack Mhor - all shortlisted entrants receive a critique and a festival pass - may become an annual competition in the future - ONE-OFF CLOSED 2016
Notes on Tartan Treasures Competition: Themed, see website for details - 2 categories; under 16's, max words 400, prize Kindle Fire HD Tablet; over 16's, max words 800, prize Dinner and B&B for 2 at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel
Notes on The Cult Of Me Contest: Any style / genre but inspired by a different image each month, so check website for current picture - prizes paid via PayPal or as an Amazon voucher - winners published on the website - CLOSED MAY 2016
The Once and Future Moon Anthology from Eibonvale Press
Notes on The Maine Review Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in The Maine Review and all submissions also considered for publication - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2017
Notes on Missing Slate Competition: Any style / genre - winner and runners up published in print anthology - if enough people enter, the prize money will increase - although the magazine originated in Pakistan, the editorial staff are sprawled across five continents and have published poetry and fiction from over 50 countries including work from Pulitzer winner (and Booker Prize 2013 shortlisted writer) Jhumpa Lahiri, Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Mohsin Hamid, Moniza Alvi, Kamila Shamsie, Anis Shivani, Luke Kennard, S.J. Fowler, Jeet Thayil, Sidin Vadukut, Tishani Doshi, Shikha Malaviya, Anuradha Roy, Ravi Shankar, among others CLOSED
The Print Express Haiku Competition
Notes on Print Express Competition: Family friendly haikus - top prize is £100 Amazon voucher - CLOSED, was a one-off competition
Notes on The Short Story Competition: Any style / genre except sci-fi, fantasy or stories for children - winner published on the website - NOT RUN SINCE 2019, so removed listing during 2022 update
Notes on The Woolf Competition: Any style / genre but themed, so check website for current details - 3 winning entries win a cash prize and publication in The Woolf- sometimes run a poetry competition instead of short story - NOT RUN SINCE 2017, so removed listing 2019
Notes on TWGWC Competition: Any style / genre - re the prize, I'm told all entrants will be able to gain some benefit either in the form of financialbenefit and/or exposure to TWGWC's global audience - may become a regular comp - CLOSED
Notes on The Write Place Competition: Any style / genre - winning stories published on website
Notes on The Writing Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on the website - website disappeared 2015
The Writing District Competition
Notes on Thinkerbeat Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in anthology at the end of the year - entry includes a free copy of the previous year's anthology - 2nd prize $50; 3rd prize $25 - if enough people enter, prizes will be given to runners up CLOSED 2016
Notes on This Very Breath Competition: Any style or genre - competition closes after 100 entries have been received - winners published in This Very Breath Journal - may become regular if first one is a success - Website disappeared 2016
ThresholdsInternational Short StoryForum
Notes on Thresholds Competition: Any style / genre - CLOSED
Notes on Tenby Arts Festival Competition: Any style / genre - NO MENTION OF COMPETITION ON WEBSITE ANYMORE, so removed listing 2017
Notes on T4S Competition: Any style / genre - themed, so check website for current theme - men and women are welcome to enter - winners published on the website - WEBSITE NOW REDIRECTS TO HENPICKED.NET (??)
UK Short Story Competition
Notes on UK Short Story Competition: Any style / genre except children's or erotica - 2nd prize £500, 3rd prize £250, 27 x runner-up prizes £50 - top 30 stories published in a book which has 10,000 copies distributed throughout the UK - CLOSED, website disappeared 2017
Notes on Umm Kulthum Competition: Any style or genre - winners published in a book - entries in Arabic only - CLOSED, was a one-off
Notes on UCL Competition: Themed: the brain - more details to follow - CLOSED
Notes on Valentine's Day Ideas Competition: Romance and love stories - 9 runner's up prizes - winning stories published on the website and in an eBook - NO LONGER RUNNING
Notes on Waiheke Island Literary Festival Collinson’s Competition: Themed, so check website for current details - the top prize (worth NZ$475) is a place on a creative writing course by The Creative Hub, Auckland’s waterfront writing centre, either in class or online - NOT RUN SINCE 2015, so removed listing 2017
Notes on Webook Competition: Themes, lengths, styles, genres and prizes vary - check website for current requirements - CLOSED, now a novel competition, so see novel comps lists for details, might reopen short story contest in future, will update if that happens
Notes WCWA Competition: Any style / genre - entrants must have had no more than 2 short stories professionally published, or read on the radio - the winning story will be published on the WCWA website - CLOSED
Notes West Sussex Writers Competition: Any style / genre (not children's) - NOT RUN SINCE 2015, so removed listing 2017
Notes Willesden Herald Competition: Any style / genre - winner receives the Willesden Herald Mug and a bottle of champagne - after 150 entries have been received, all fees go into a prize fund that will be divided among the ten winning authors - winners published in an anthology - NOT RUN since 2017, so removed listing 2019
Notes on Willesden Herald Competition: Any style / genre - the ten short-listed stories will be published in "New Short Stories #" - an anthology by Pretend Genius Press - CLOSED 2014 and REOPENED 2016, so see lists above
Notes on Wimbledon Bookfest Competition: Themed, so check website for current details - winners published in 'Bookfest Book of Stories' anthology - various categories for different age groups - NOT RUN since 2017, so removed listing 2019
Notes on Winchester Writers' Competitions: Style and genre vary - Winchester Writers', associated with the University of Winchester, run 10 (yep, you read that right - ten) different writing contests - check the website for full details - did not run in 2019, planning to run again in 2020 - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing during 2021 update
Notes on Winning Writers Competition: Any style / genre, but must have a sporting theme - winners published on the Winning Writers website - CLOSED 2014
Notes on Word Hut Competition: Any style / genre - winners published on the Word Hut website - also see the meet the writer and writers' showcase sections of the website as these can offer great exposure to new authors (I've been published by Word Hut, you can read more about the competition here) - CLOSED 2016
Notes on Words & Women Competition: Any style or genre, but only open to women living in East England - story must explore the life of women and their relationship to place in East England - prize is worth £950 - £1,400, paying authors to write and be mentored by Words & Women - writers submit a proposal, a CV and a writing sample, best to check website for more details - CLOSED
Notes on Words & Women Competition: Any style / genre - 2 categories; 1st is women living or working in East England with a top prize of £600; 2nd is for women living in the UK aged over 40 and has a top prize of £1,000 - winners and shortlisted entries published in an anthology, published in partnership with Unthank Books in Norwich - currently on a break, but hoping to get funding to continue - NOT RUN SINCE 2018, so removed listing in 2020
Notes on W4W Competition: Any style / genre - their writing competitions vary every year, so check the website for current details - CLOSED 2021
Notes on Words Just Words Competition: Science Fiction - winners published in printed anthology - CLOSED 2013
Notes on Words Mag Competition: Any style / genre - all winning and commended short stories are published in Words Magazine and online anthologies - entry fee varies, but is often free - prizes up to £75 - WEBSITE HACKED, so removed listing 2020
Notes on WOW! Competition: Any style / genre - winners published in WOW! anthology - Words on the Waves is affiliated with Words on the Street publishers - LAST RUN 2015, so removed listing 2017
Notes on Words with Jam Competition: Any style / genre - run by Triskele Books - they also run other writing competitions, so check the website for full details - NOT RUN SINCE 2017, so removed listing in 2020 update
World City Stories Short Story Competition
Ireland
30th Sept 2015
Oct 2015
3,500
FREE
€100
Notes on Write a Story for Children Competition: Children's - CLOSED 2015
Notes on Vancouver Writers Fest Competition: Any style / genre - sometimes for adults, sometimes for younger writers - prizes up $300 - check website for current details - COMPETITION NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing 2022
Notes on Writer's Notebook Competition: Themed, check website for current theme - winners published in an anthology at the end of the year - CLOSED, website has not been updated since 2015 so removed from lists
Notes on Writers' Reign Competition: Themed, so check their website for current theme - winning stories published on Writers' Reign website - 2 entries for £6 - NO LONGER MENTIONED ON WEBSITE, so removed listing Jan 2018
Notes on Writers Type Competition: Any style / genre - prize awarded as an electronic gift card - each monthly winner and runner up is automatically entered into the yearly part of the competition which has a prize of a $225 gift card - winners published on the website - they also run a 'flash fiction' and 'first chapter' competition, check the website for more details - CLOSED 2016
Notes on Writer's Games Competition: Any style / genre, but themed, so check website for current prompts - winner receives free social media consultation ($75 value), free copy of Games Anthology and an interview on Writer’s Workout website - all entrants receive critiques - winners are published in the Games Anthology, all proceeds go to charity - WEBSITE NOT UPDATED FOR OVER A YEAR, so removed from lists Jan 2018
Notes on WriterWriter's Competition: Alternates genres between sci-fi, fantasy, and horror so check website for current details - winner author interview published on personalised author page on website - winners published on our website - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED IN 2019, so removed listing in 2020 update
3rd January 2016
February 2016
Notes on Writing Times Children's Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for current details - prize is any book up to £10 in value - winners published in the Writing Times - also a prize for drawing - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED, so removed from lists Jan 2018
Notes on Writing Times Competition: Any style / genre but check website for current theme - winner published in the Writing Times along with a feature about the author - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED, so removed listing Jan 2018
Notes on Writing Times Senior's Competition: Any style / genre but themed so check website for current details - prize is any book up to £10 in value - winners published in the Writing Times - CLOSED, website disappeared 2017
Notes on Yoga Tribe Competition: Any style / genre, but themed around yoga - prize is either cash or a yoga teacher training scholarship - CLOSED 2015
Notes on Youth 4 Tomorrow Competition: Horror - open to people aged up to 35 living in Portugal - you can submit in English or Portuguese - winners receive an award and are published in English and Portuguese in a digital anthology - CLOSED, was a one-off
FAQs
What is the most prestigious short story contest? ›
The Writer's Digest Short Story Contest is one of the most prestigious competitions for unpublished short fiction in the world. Each year, we receive more than 7,000 entries from writers across the globe who are seeking to be published by Writer's Digest Books.
What are the best writing competitions to enter? ›- Young Lions Fiction Award.
- 53 Word Story Contest.
- W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction.
- The Gabo Prize.
- Willie Morris Awards for Southern Poetry & Fiction.
- Pen/Heim Translation Fund Grants.
- Newfound Prose Prize.
- Bumblebee Flash Fiction Contest.
- Exisle Academy Short Story Competition 2022. ...
- Anthology Magazine Short Story Award. ...
- Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction. ...
- Grindstone International Novel Prize. ...
- EYELANDS BOOK AWARDS 2022. ...
- The Bedford Competition – Short Story and Poetry Competition. ...
- Anthology Magazine Poetry Award.
- Apparition Lit. Apparition Lit is a themed quarterly journal. ...
- LampLight Magazine. LampLight Magazine is a quarterly journal of dark fiction and horror. ...
- SmokeLong Quarterly. ...
- Write City Magazine. ...
- Genuine Gold. ...
- Dark Magazine. ...
- Typishly. ...
- SAND Journal.
They give you experience. They help you hone your craft. They teach you to meet deadlines and pay attention to guidelines. It's worth your time and a few dollars to try a few.
How do you win a short story competition? ›- Write something unique. ...
- Follow the rules. ...
- Show don't tell. ...
- Keep a consistent perspective (point of view). ...
- A good story is better than perfect grammar.
At around 10 to 25 pages, that makes short stories much shorter than novels, with only a few approaching novella length.
What makes a good short story? ›They need to be coherent, grammatically correct, and have proper spelling. And, no matter the length, they need to tell a story. That means they both need to have these elements: inciting incident, rising action (progressive complications), climax, and falling action.
How can I make money writing? ›- Guest Post on High-Paying Publications and Magazines. ...
- Become a Copywriter. ...
- Do Freelance Content Writing for Businesses. ...
- Ghostwrite Stories. ...
- Get Paid to Write on Medium. ...
- Self-Publish on Kindle. ...
- Blog and Make Money through Affiliate Marketing. ...
- Find Paid Writing Internships.
- Ambit.
- Gutter.
- Mslexia.
- New Welsh Review.
- The People's Friend.
- Shooter Literary Magazine.
- Shoreline of Infinity.
Where can I submit a short story UK? ›
| Magazine | Country | Submissions Address |
|---|---|---|
| Shoreline of Infinity | UK | online submissions only - see link |
| Short Fiction Literary Journal | UK | email submissions only |
| Storgy | UK | online submissions only - see link |
| Structo Literary Magazine | UK | online submissions only - see link |
Getting a short story published is surprisingly not that difficult—as long as you have a good story and put some effort into your submission process. Even mediocre stories have a decent chance of getting published with the right submission strategy.
How many words is a short story? ›The average short story should run anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 words, but they can be anything above 1,000 words. Flash fiction is a short story that is 500 words or less.
Is write the world free? ›Sign up for a free account on Write the World as a young writer. Respond to our prompts and/or enter our monthly writing competitions—any prompt response or competition entry will be automatically considered for publication.
What are the 5 types of writing? ›Learn about the major writing styles: narrative, descriptive, persuasive, expository, and creative, and read examples of each.
Can you submit the same short story to different contests? ›A: Unless the contest guidelines specifically state that you can't, you can submit away. There's no need to notify contest officials if your piece has been selected by more than one.
Which is the highest literary award of the world? ›The Booker Prize for Fiction promotes the finest in literary fiction by rewarding the very best novel of the year. The prize is the world's most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and publishers.
What judges look for in a short story? ›- Characterization. Does the author create believable, memorable characters with the uniqueness, complexity, and individuality of real people? ...
- Plot. ...
- Theme. ...
- Setting and Atmosphere. ...
- Mechanics. ...
- Writing Quality. ...
- Passion.
- Tip 1: A balance between vivid descriptions and “cut to the chase.”
- Tip 2: To stand out in a writing competition, students should write a strong opening that hooks the right audience.
- Tip 3: Create a clear goal or purpose for your character and your story.
- Tip 4: A turning point, the moment of crisis, where is it?
- Novel writing.
- Short stories.
- Flash fiction.
- Poetry.
- Song lyrics.
- Plays.
- TV or film scripts.
- Memoirs.
What are the 5 types of short stories? ›
- Novella. A work of fiction between 20,000 and 49,999 words is considered a novella. ...
- Novelette. A novelette falls in the range of 7,500 to 19,999 words. ...
- Short story. ...
- Flash fiction. ...
- Short Fiction Challenge.
While there are many different short story styles, here we will consider three popular short story types: lyrical, flash fiction, and vignette.
What are the 5 basic elements of a short story? ›- Exposition.
- Rising Action.
- Climax.
- Falling Action.
- Conclusion.
Many writers spend too much time developing characters that get killed off early in the story. They also show good luck charms, objects, or places we never see again. These factors, along with an interesting but ultimately irrelevant history, all make appearances in boring stories.
What are the 4 P's of storytelling? ›As Patrick said, before his team takes on a project, they make sure they have a firm understanding of what they call the Four P's: People, Place, Plot, and Purpose.
What is the most important element of a short story? ›Character development is one of the most important literary elements. Developing a main character and secondary characters is a core part of a writer's narrative process. Character affects the point of view of your story, especially if you decide to tell it in first-person as opposed to third-person.
Where can I post my writing and earn money? ›- Contena. ...
- Blasting News. ...
- Listverse. ...
- InstantShift. ...
- FreelancerCareers. ...
- Metro Parent. ...
- HubPages. ...
- The Dollar Stretcher.
1: Book Ghostwriting
This one comes top for me because it is a more lucrative writing job–the highest paying freelance writing work than all the other writing gigs.
Pay: $25 flat fee per published story, plus one copy of the magazine. There are many, many more paying short story venues out there—no matter what, there's a home for your work. Or you could always consider self-publishing your stories.
Can I make money writing short stories? ›Getting paid to write short stories takes a lot of legwork and dedication, but it is possible. By submitting your stories to online and print publications, considering self-publication of some stories and developing your craft as a storyteller, you can start making money with your fiction writing.
Where can I submit short stories 2022? ›
- Chicken Soup for the Soul: Holiday stories.
- december: 2022 Curt Johnson Prose Awards.
- The Malahat Review: Far Horizons Award for Poetry.
- New Lit Salon Press: Stories about menswear and male identity.
- the other side of hope: Refugee and immigrant literature.
- Fairlight Books. ...
- Bridge House Publishing. ...
- The Fiction Desk. ...
- Seren Books. ...
- Penguin Random House UK. ...
- Valley Press. ...
- Fox Spirit. ...
- Luna Press Publishing.
- Duotrope.
- Poets & Writers.
- The Grinder.
- Readers Digest.
- One Story.
- Vestal Review.
- The BBC.
- Flash Fiction Online.
- Allure. ...
- Glamour. ...
- The Guardian. ...
- Marie Claire. ...
- SELF. ...
- VOX. ...
- News.com.au.
For many writers, short stories provide entrance into the publishing world, as well as a path to representation by a literary agent. Although a short story collection is unlikely to be a big commercial hit, it can help you get on the publishing map, garnering reviews and solidifying you as a “writer to watch.”
Do you need an agent to publish a short story? ›Short Story Collections, Essay Collections, and Poetry Chapbooks: Yes and No. Most collections sell to small publishers and literary presses, which do not require the aid of an agent. Many other collections are published as a result of a literary contest.
How much does it cost to publish a short story? ›How much does it cost to publish a book in the United States? It usually costs between $500 and $5,000 to publish a book in the United States. A lot of that cost comes from hiring an editor, book designer services, and marketing. The average self-published book costs about $2,000 to publish and market.
What is the prize for winning the story Contest? ›The Story Prize is a $20,000 book prize. awarded to the author of the short story collection. named best of the year by three independent judges.
Can short stories win awards? ›Today, the Sunday Times named Susan Choi the winner of the 2021 Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award, which honors the best short story of the year. With a prize of £30,000, the award is the world's richest prize for a single short story.
What is an example of a short story? ›"The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter tells the story of a mischievous little rabbit who doesn't listen to his mother and goes through a heart-pounding chase with Mr. McGregor.
How do I write a short story? ›
- Understand that a short story is not the same as a novel. ...
- Start as close to the end as possible. ...
- Keep up the pace. ...
- Keep the number of characters small. ...
- Give the reader someone to root for. ...
- Create conflict! ...
- Suggest a backstory but don't elaborate. ...
- Appeal to the five senses.
- Characterization. Does the author create believable, memorable characters with the uniqueness, complexity, and individuality of real people? ...
- Plot. ...
- Theme. ...
- Setting and Atmosphere. ...
- Mechanics. ...
- Writing Quality. ...
- Passion.
At around 10 to 25 pages, that makes short stories much shorter than novels, with only a few approaching novella length.
How do I apply for award writing? ›There are three options to apply to the London Writers Awards 2022: Online Application Form via Submittable. Online Application Form for Audio or Video Submissions via Submittable. Paper Form for Postal Entry (large print)