It’s too damn hot to be outside in most parts of the country, and there won’t be much reprieve until the fall. You’ve been staring at a stack of writing for months, eyes glazed and pours weeping. Let’s turn up the A/C, polish those manuscripts, and get you published and paid.
The Masters Review Short Story Award for New Writers
Fee: $20 | Deadline: July 15th | Word Limit: 6,000
Celebrated as a platform for new and emerging writers, The Masters Review offers contest throughout the year aimed at up-and-coming authors. The top three stories will be selected for publication and receive an agency review. The top prize also includes a $2,000.00 cash award. Writers with novels or book contracts are not eligible. Authors with published short story collections are eligible.
For more information and to submit, visit: https://mastersreview.com/short-story-award-for-new-writers/
H.G. Wells Short Story Competition
Fee: Free; £10.00 | Deadline: July 17th
Founded by Reg and Margaret Turnill to celebrate the life of H.G. Wells and encourage creative writing, this “space” themed competition offers tracks for both senior- and junior-level writers. Authors under the age of 21 may submit work for no application fee, with the top prize listed at £1,000.00. Authors 22 and older incur a £10.00 (£5.00 with a student ID) fee and can receive top prize of £250.00. Both award winners and shortlisted authors are published in an annual paperback anthology, as well. Shortlisted authors are announced in mid-September, and award winners are announced the awards ceremony in Folkestone, England on November 27th.
For more information and to submit, visit: https://hgwellscompetition.com/2016/04/18/hg-wells-short-story-competition-2016/
Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition
Deadline: July 31st | Word Limit: 3,000
The Munster Literature Center’s award is open to all authors. The top award includes a cash award of ~$2,300.00, publication in Southword, a week-long residency at the Anam-Cara Writer’s Retreat. Shortlisted entries can also be selected for publication and receive a publication fee of ~$180.00.
Winners will be announced at the Cork International Short Story Festival in Cork, Ireland, on September 7th.
For more information and to submit, visit: http://www.munsterlit.ie/SOF%20Page.html#guidelines
InkTears Flash Fiction Contest
Fee: £3.50 | Deadline: July 31st | Word Limit: 500
InkTears is an independent print and web publisher that releases monthly free short fiction, in addition to several novels. Pieces may be previously published, and the winner receives a cash award of £250.00 in addition to being published on both of InkTears platforms.
Winners will be announced in mid-October, with print releases following shortly after.
For more information and to submit, visit: http://www.inktears.com/ffentry
Tethered By Letters Fiction Contest
Fee: $15.00 | Deadline: August 1st | Word Limit: 7,500
Tethered By Letters is a publishing company that also serves as resource for writers, releasing journals and hosting a free peer-to-peer editing service. Entries to the short story contest are judged by novelist and essayist Emily St. John Mandel, whose novel “Station Eleven” won the 2015 Arthur C. Clark Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award. The winner will receive a $1,000.00 cash prize in addition to publication in F(r)iction, the publisher’s literary magazine.
For more information and to submit, visit: http://tetheredbyletters.com/submissions/contest/
The Writer Magazine “Lessons Learned” Contest
Deadline: August 1st| Word Limit: 2,000
One of the nation’s oldest literary magazine’s, The Writer has rolling contests throughout the year that are theme-oriented. The “Lessons Learned” contest is looking for coming-of-age stories, tales of lessons learned the hard way, and shorts featuring characters standing on the brink of change. The grand prize offers $1000.00 in cash and includes publication in an upcoming issue.
For more information and to submit, visit: http://www.writermag.com/writing-resources/contests/
Glimmer Train Very Short Fiction Award
Fee: $16 | Deadline: August 31st| Word Limit: 3,000
The Very Short Fiction contest, awarded by Portland, OR-based Glimmer Train, is open to all writers, although stories that have not appeared in a print publication are especially welcome. The top prize offers publication in Glimmer Train Stories, a cash prize of $2,000.00, and 10 copies of that issue.
For more information and to submit, visit: http://www.glimmertrain.com/pages/guidelines/very_short_fiction_guidelines.php
The Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize
Deadline: Summer/Early Fall
While details are still forthcoming, the U.K.-based EFG Short Story Award is the richest prize for a single short story in English language publication. The award is open to any novelist or short story writer from around the world.
With a top prize of ~$44,000.00, the award is both lucrative and prestigious. In addition, 5 shortlist authors will recieve prizes of ~$1,500.00.
For more information and to submit, visit: http://shortstoryaward.co.uk/about
