The Best Short Story Writing Contests of 2023
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Prism
Winter means one thing around these parts: our annual Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction is now open for submissions! The prize is named for Jacob Zilber, who played a central role founding the University of British Columbia’s department of creative writing, (the very first of its kind in Canada) and PRISM international (us!).
$1,500
$600, $400
💰 Fee: $40
Deadline: January 16, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story
View contestLumiere Review
The Lumiere Review is back with our annual Writing Contest! We accept both poems and prose (fiction, nonfiction) from all writers. That said, we particularly encourage emerging writers, as well as those who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA, disabled, or other marginalized groups to submit to our contest. We will actively promote writers with these backgrounds.
$100
Publication in Lumiere Magazine
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)
LGBTQ, Poetry, Short Story
View contestInstitute for Excellent Writing
We are delighted to present our annual writing contest for all aspiring and accomplished writers, ages eight to eighteen. Whether or not they have experience with IEW's Structure and Style® Writing Method, your students are invited to participate.
$100
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: April 30, 2021 (Expired)
Children's, Short Story
View contestUncharted Magazine
We invite writers to submit to the Uncharted Magazine Science Fiction and Fantasy Prize from August 1 to September 30, 2021. We’re excited to offer the winner of this prize $3000 and publication, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive publication and $300 and $200, respectively along with publication.
$3,000
Publication in Uncharted Magazine
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: September 30, 2021 (Expired)
Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Story
View contestTangent Books
Welcome to the Bristol Short Story Prize – an annual international writing competition open to all published and unpublished, UK and non-UK based writers. Stories can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-based (Crime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Romance, Children’s etc..) .
£1,000
£500, £250, £100
💰 Fee: $12
Deadline: May 04, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Young Adult
View contestHistorical Novel Society
Inaugural Saudi Historical Short Story Award. Entries must have historical Saudi themes or characters. Please read full guidelines.
£10,000
5 runners up prizes of £1,000
💰 Fee: $14
Deadline: November 15, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestDo Wha(TS) Write
Contest entries should be flash fiction or short stories, with an absolute word limit of 1000 words. There is no required prompt or topic. Write whatever you'd like! We want to see you get creative!
$200 (CAD)
💰 Fee: $2
Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story
View contestAccenti Magazine
The Accenti Writing Contest is inviting submissions for original and unpublished prose under 2,000 words. $1000 and publication is awarded to the winner.
$1000 (CDN)
$100 (CDN) for three runners-up
💰 Fee: $30
Deadline: February 07, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story
View contestThe Academy for Teachers
A flash fiction contest sponsored by The Academy for Teachers and Electric Literature. The story’s protagonist, or its narrator, must be a K-12 teacher.
$1,000
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: September 01, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestLunch Ticket
The Gabo Prize is funded by writers, translators, and Antioch University Los Angeles MFA Alumni, who launched the prize to support the work of peer translators. This cycle, we are seeking works dealing with the theme of "yet to emerge." Please send us works of translation less than 3,500 words long, that are fresh, current, and showcasing underrepresented authors, languages, and cultures.
$200
Publication in Lunch Ticket
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: September 01, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestThe Ghost Story
The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award competition for full-length short stories on a supernatural theme is now open for submissions! Twice each year TGS awards $1,500 and both online and print publication to the winner of our short story competition.
$1,500
online and print publication
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: September 30, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestZoetrope
The three prizewinners and seven honorable mentions will be considered for representation by a number of literary agencies. Guest Judge: Daniel Mason, finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
$1,000
2nd $500; 3rd $250
💰 Fee: $30
Deadline: October 01, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestBaton Rouge Area Foundation
The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence honors Louisiana’s revered storyteller, Ernest J. Gaines, and serves to inspire and recognize rising African-American fiction writers of excellence at a national level. Authors may submit a work of fiction (novel or collection of short stories) that will be published in 2021. Galleys for a 2021 publication are also accepted. The cash prize is to support and enable the writer to focus on writing.
$15,000
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: August 15, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Novel, Short Story
View contestHastings LitFest ltd.
A contest for poetry, short stories & life writing based on current events. Up to 12 winners will be invited to an all-day workshop in Hastings on 23/09/21, working with editors to prepare their pieces for publication. Three prizes of £100 will also be given. The resulting anthology Dateline Hastings: 23-09-21 will be published two days later at a launch event with Hastings Literary Festival patron Sir David Hare.
£100
workshop & publication
💰 Fee: $14
Deadline: July 24, 2021 (Expired)
Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestThe Dillydoun Review
International fiction contest open to all genres, themes, and subjects. 8,000 word max / no minimum. Short story, flash fiction, self-contained excerpts from longer works welcome. Entries must be written in English.
$2,000
2nd $1,000, 3rd $500, Honorable Mention $50, Publication in Print Anthology
💰 Fee: $25
Deadline: October 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story
View contestThe Write Contest and Community
The Write Contest and Community is now accepting entries to our Dialogue Only Contest. The Dialogue Only Contest is an opportunity to create a clear and compelling story using nothing but dialogue. Your entry can be up to 250 words.
$200
Cash prizes for top three entries.
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: June 18, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story
View contestSaveAs Writers
2021 marks the centenary of T S Eliot’s visit to Margate, where he wrote part of The Waste Land. To celebrate his work and the views from our coastline, SaveAs Writers launch their annual international creative writing competition, this year asking for poems and short stories on the theme of Horizons. The theme can be literal, figurative, a celebration of views, a reflection on Eliot and his work, or a broader take on the theme.
£200
£100 second place, £50 third place
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: August 31, 2021 (Expired)
Poetry, Short Story
View contestGrindstone Literary
The Grindstone Short Story Prize returns this year, seeking out the best short fiction writers from around the world. Writers are asked to submit a piece of short fiction between 1000 and 3000 words, of any genre, aimed at adult readers.
£500
£200 runner-up, £50 four shortlisters
💰 Fee: $17
Deadline: August 01, 2021 (Expired)
Short Story
View contestFlash 500
We are looking for stories (of any genre) ranging between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used). Make us laugh, make us cry, but most of all, make us feel!
£500
£200 for 2nd place, £100 for 3rd place
💰 Fee: $8
Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestCreatd
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.
$1,000 — $5,000
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Short Story
View contestThe Vancouver Writers Fest
The Vancouver Writers Fest's annual youth writing contest is open to all students enrolled in grades 8-12 in British Columbia. Entries will be accepted for previously unpublished short stories (fiction or non-fiction) and personal essays: 1,500 word limit. The first-prize winner will receive a $200 cash prize and the second-prize winner, a $100 cash prize.
$200
$100
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: May 31, 2021 (Expired)
Short Story, Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction
View contestTypehouse Literary Magazine
We are pleased to announce Typehouse Literary Magazine 's third biennial Open Fiction Contest! All pieces must be between 1000-6000 words, entries must be previously unpublished and all genres are accepted.
$175
$100 for second place and $50 for third place
💰 Fee: $12
Deadline: June 30, 2021 (Expired)
Crime, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestNowhere Magazine
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Nowhere Magazine is given twice yearly for a travel-specific short story, long-form creative nonfiction piece, poem or essay that possesses a powerful sense of place, character or time. Unpublished and published pieces that have not previously been chosen as a contest winner are eligible. Submit your 800- to 5,000-word piece with a $20 entry fee by June 30, 2021.
$1,000
Publication in Nowhere magazine
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: June 30, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestNowhere Magazine
We are looking for never-been-published travel writers from anywhere in the world to send us stories—fiction, nonfiction, essay or poetry—that possess a powerful sense of place, people and time.
$500
Publication in Nowhere Magazine
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: March 31, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestUniversity of Massachusetts Press
The Juniper Prizes for Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction are awarded annually to original manuscripts: two books of poetry, one work of creative nonfiction, one short story collection, and one novel. The University of Massachusetts Press publishes the winning manuscripts and the authors receive a $1,000 award upon publication. Submissions are accepted between August 1 and September 30.
$1,000
Publication by University of Massachusetts Press
💰 Fee: $30
Deadline: September 30, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Short Story
View contestReed Magazine
Awarding one of the richest purses among literary magazines—$1,000 for the winning story—the John Steinbeck Award for Fiction recognizes exceptional works of fiction. Aesthetically, we are open to most styles and approaches. All works should be stand-alone short stories, not chapters of a longer work. Please limit prose submissions to 5,000 words.
$1,000
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: November 01, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestThe Lascaux Review
Stories may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Finalists receive $100. Winner and finalists are published in both the online and annual print editions of The Lascaux Review.
$1,000
Publication in The Lascaux Review
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestThe Darling Axe
Tell us a story in fewer than 1000 words for a chance to win from a growing prize pool, plus publication on the Chopping Blog.
$700
Publication on the Chopping Blog
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: March 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story, Flash Fiction
View contestWomen's National Book Association
Do you want to show the world your writing? Then enter the 2020 WNBA Writing Contest! You can enter your work in four categories: fiction, creative nonfiction, flash prose, and poetry.
$250
Publishication in an anthology
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: December 01, 2020 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestExeter Writers
Exeter Writers runs an annual short story competition. The competition began in 2009 and is very popular, receiving entries from all over the world. The maximum word count is 3,000.
$900
💰 Fee: $9
Deadline: February 28, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestChalk Circle
Whether you are creating a dystopian nightmare, revelling in absurdist humour, or writing stories to celebrate what you love, or have discovered, and fear to lose, we invite you to submit your story to our inaugural short story competition. The word limit is 2,000.
$240
Publication on website or anthology
💰 Fee: $7
Deadline: August 31, 2020 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestAtlantis Short Story Contest
In its seventh year, the Atlantis Short Story Contest accepts entries from unpublished authors around the world who write their short stories in English and do not exceed the length of 2,500 words. They are looking for short stories that create exciting new worlds with dynamic characters.
$300
In-depth feedback
💰 Fee: $9
Deadline: February 25, 2018 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestChicago Tribune
The 2018 Nelson Algren Literary Awards is sponsored by Chicago Tribune. Stories must be written in English, double-spaced, and no longer than 8,000 words. A total of 10 prizes will be made available during Contest: One Grand Prize: $3,500, Four Finalist Prizes: $1,000, Five Runner-up Prizes: $500.
$3,500
Publication in Printers Row
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: February 07, 2018 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contest