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Submission Guidelines

For technical guidelines, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions and Terms of Use. 

Here are the headlines for how to submit to Prompts and Prompted:

• Sign up for a free Reedsy Prompts account.
• Head to this week’s Contest page.
• Choose the prompt you want to respond to.
• Enter your title and story.
• If you want to enter your story for official consideration for the $250 prize and inclusion in Prompted, you should hit “Submit to contest ($5),” and follow the onscreen instructions to enter your payment details.

Who can submit their story?

Any writer who is over 18 years of age is welcome to submit, regardless of their level of experience. First time authors are very welcome!

What kind of stories can I submit?

Stories must be between 1,000 and 3,000 words in length. Submissions can be of any genre, and do not necessarily need to fall under the category assigned to the prompt selected, but adherence to your chosen prompt in terms of content will be considered as part of the evaluation process. 

Please note that we do not publish erotica, and submission content must not be overly graphic. For more information, consult the guidelines found in the FAQ.

When will I hear back about my story?

Contests close every Friday at 11.59pm EST each week. You’ll hear back about the contest status of your submission within one week. 

Decisions about magazine inclusions are made on a quarterly basis, and you will be notified and asked for permission directly if your story has been chosen for an upcoming issue. Please note that there may be a delay between winning the contest and being approached about publication.

How do publishing rights work?

For information on the publishing rights of stories submitted to the Prompts contest, check the Terms of Use here.