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To Hull and Back Humorous Short Story Contest
Christopher Fielden
Genres: Fiction, Humor, Non-fiction, and Short Story
July 2022 saw the launch of the 8th To Hull And Back Short Story Competition, a biennial short story contest with a humorous twist that celebrates the most imaginative and amazing short stories from writers all over the world.
Top Prize:
£1,200
Additional prizes:
2nd Prize: £600 | 3rd Prize: £300 | 3 x Highly Commended: £150 | 14 x Shortlisted: £75
💰 Entry fee: $16
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025
The Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition
The Ghost Story
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Short Story, and Thriller
We’re interested in flash fiction pieces of between 250 and 1,000 words. We’re seeking the finest work we can find that incorporates an uncanny element. Ghost stories are welcome, of course—but your submission may involve any paranormal or supernatural theme, as well as magic realism. What we’re looking for is superb writing, fresh perspectives, and maybe a few surprises.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
print and online publication
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)
Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award
Killer Nashville
Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller
The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter.
Top Prize:
$250
💰 Entry fee: $79
📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024
Fiction Potluck
The Writer's Workout
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
Fiction Potluck is free to enter and open to fiction writers of all ages around the world. One entry per person per challenge. Submissions are accepted six weeks at a time, starting in January, April, July, and October. The challenge and guest judge will change each open period. The guest judge picks the challenge—we never know what we'll get!
Top Prize:
Query package reviews to all finalists
📅 Deadline: May 20, 2024
Season Themes
HAVOK Publishing
Genres: Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller
HAVOK is a constant flash fiction contest, with rolling deadlines. Each season is split into monthly competitions with thematically connected prompts in a range of genres.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Publication in an anthology. Potential for larger gift card wins.
📅 Deadline: May 03, 2024 (Expired)
South Warwickshire Literary Festival Writing Competition
South Warwickshire Literary Festival
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction 800 words, Poetry 40 lines, any genre any style. Over 16s only
Top Prize:
£50
Additional prizes:
Read entry at literary festival, September 2024 UK
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: March 29, 2024 (Expired)
The Christy Award
ECPA
Genres: Christian, Fantasy, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult
The Christy Award® was established in 1999 to acknowledge the value and impact of the novel of faith in contemporary culture. Since that time, the Christys have been a focal point for the writers and publishers in our community.
Top Prize:
Award
💰 Entry fee: $175
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)
swamp pink Prizes
crazyhorse
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
From January 1st to January 31st, submit short stories and essays of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems. Winners in each genre will receive $2,000 and publication.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)
Vocal Challenges
Creatd
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story
Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.
Top Prize:
$1,000 — $5,000
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)
Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction
Letter Review
Genres: Flash Fiction, Short Story, and Fiction
This Prize is free to enter. 2-4 Winners are published. We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Seeking stories 0-5000 words. Judges’ feedback available. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind. All entries considered for publication + submission to Pushcart.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication by The Letter Review
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)
Indignor Play House Annual Short Story Competition
Indignor House Publishing
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
Indignor House Publishing is proud to announce that our annual writing competition (INDIGNOR PLAYHOUSE Short Story Annual Competition) is officially open with expected publication in the fall of 2024. Up to 25 submissions will be accepted for inclusion in the annual anthology.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)
Genre Smash Short Story Challenge
Globe Soup
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
For this short story challenge, all participants will be randomly assigned a genre pairing. As soon as you receive your ‘smashed’ genres you'll have until the closing time to write and submit a short story of any length up to 5,000 words, that perfectly and seamlessly combines both genres into one amazing short story.
Top Prize:
£1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $11
📅 Deadline: October 23, 2023 (Expired)
Summer Nanofiction Battle
Writing Battle
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
Two days to write a 250 word short story. The peer-powered quarterly writing contest where every story receives oodles of feedback. Write one. Read ten. Win thousands.
Top Prize:
Genre Winner (x4): $1,500
Additional prizes:
Genre Runner-up (x4): $375 | Feedback by industry professionals
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: August 02, 2024
Anthology Flash Fiction Award
Anthology Magazine
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction
The Anthology Flash Fiction Competition is open to original and previously unpublished flash fiction on any theme in the English language by writers of any nationality. We are looking for writing that is clever and unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling story. Max 250 words.
Top Prize:
€300
💰 Entry fee: $12
📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024
7 Day Story Writing Challenge
Globe Soup
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
Register now for our next 7-day story writing challenge. A secret theme, a randomly assigned genre, and just 7 days to write a story of no more than 2,000 words. Our 7-day story writing challenges take place throughout the year. The challenges are free and you can even get feedback on your story. Take part in one challenge or take part in all of them!
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
Publication on website
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024 (Expired)
The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize
Alpine Fellowship
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story
Awarded for the best piece of writing on the theme of the Alpine Fellowship 2023 - Flourishing. The winner of the Writing Prize will receive a cash prize, and the runners up will receive travel expense support that must be used to attend our 2023 symposium which will be held from 10th-13th August 2023 in Fjällnäs, Sweden
Top Prize:
£3,000 cash grant
Additional prizes:
2nd: £1,000 travel expense | 3rd: £1,000 travel expense
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)
Western Writing Contest
FanStory.com Inc.
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
Share your Western story for this writing contest. Share your story that has a clear western theme. Your old west story can earn you a cash prize.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Winning stories will be features on the FanStory.com welcome page.
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: December 21, 2024
Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers
University of Tulsa
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers. $500 prizes will be awarded in both the fiction and poetry categories, and the winning manuscripts will appear in the spring issue of Nimrod. Winners will have the chance to work with the Nimrod board of editors to refine and edit their manuscripts before publication.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $12
📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The 2024 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize, the fifteenth edition of the prestigious prize, is open from 1 February to 1 July 2024. Exceptionally international in scope, the prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication in Wasafiri magazine.
Top Prize:
£1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024
Horror Writing Contest
FanStory.com Inc.
Genres: Fiction, Horror, and Short Story
Share a horror or thriller story to enter this writing contest. Write about anything but the object is to terrorize or thrill your reader. Cash prize!
Top Prize:
$100
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: November 12, 2024
Annual Flash Fiction Competition
Flash 500
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
This quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of 31st March, 30th June, 30th September and 31st December. The results will be announced about six weeks after each closing date and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on the website.
Top Prize:
£300
Additional prizes:
£200, £100
💰 Entry fee: $7
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024
