This winter, Short Fiction Break is partnering with The Write Practice to host a writing contest in which everyone gets published.
Writing Contest Guidelines
We invite all writers to write a new story inspired by the theme of our contest; workshop it in Becoming Writer, our partner writing community; and submit it for publication here at Short Fiction Break. We believe good stories are meant to be shared, and so all writers who participate may be published if they choose.
Maximum length: 1,500 words.
Genre: In this contest, we will accept both Fiction and Narrative Nonfiction. Prizes will be awarded to both.
Contest theme: Two Worlds. Ordinary vs. Extraordinary. Normal vs. Adventurous. Real vs. Fantastical. Rich vs. Poor. Write a story in which two worlds come together in exciting (and maybe uncomfortable) ways.
Deadlines and dates:
- Monday, December 5: Enrollment deadline. You must enroll for the contest by this date to participate.
- Monday, December 12: Your story is due for workshopping in Becoming Writer.
- Monday, December 19: Your final submission is due.
Ready to join the contest? Enter the contest here.
Writing Contest Sponsors
The prizes for this contest are provided by the following sponsors:
BookBaby makes self-publishing easy with a suite of publishing and promotion services. Download their free ebook, The End. Now What?!, for a step-by-step strategy to promote and sell your book.
Tribe Writers teaches writers to discover their unique writing voice, find the audience waiting for their words, and build a platform that will get them paid and published.
Productive Writer helps writers find the time to write, overcome their fear, and finish their books.
Writing Contest Prizes
The panel of judges will select 10 winning stories. These winners will receive:
ONE GRAND PRIZE: The grand prize winning story will be featured on the front page of Short Fiction Break. The winner will be invited to become a monthly contributor to the literary magazine.
They’ll receive one year of free membership to Becoming Writer, normally $180, as well as a cash prize of $400.
They will also get to choose one of our sponsor prizes: Jeff Goins’ Tribe Writers course, Tim Grahl’s Productive Writer course, or a $500 credit to book publishing at BookBaby.
All together, this prize is valued at $1577.
ONE NARRATIVE NONFICTION WINNER: The narrative nonfiction winner will have their stories featured on the front page of Short Fiction Break.
They’ll also receive one year of free membership to Becoming Writer, normally $180, as well as a $150 cash prize.
They will also get one of our sponsor prizes: the Tribe Writers course, the Productive Writer course, or a book publishing package at BookBaby.
ONE FICTION WINNER: The fiction winner will have their stories featured on the front page of Short Fiction Break.
They’ll also receive one year of free membership to Becoming Writer, normally $180, as well as a $150 cash prize.
They will also get one of our sponsor prizes: the Tribe Writers course, the Productive Writer course, or a book publishing package at BookBaby.
TEN HONORARY MENTIONS: The honorary mentions will have their stories featured on the front page of Short Fiction Break.
ALL SUBMISSIONS: All writers who submit a story to this contest will be published here at Short Fiction Break.*
Winners will be announced mid to late January.
*Authors who do not wish to be published may opt out.
Entry Fee
We offer two entry options for this contest:
Standard Entry: $20. This includes entry to the contest, story workshopping, and six weeks of premium access to Becoming Writer, our partner writing community (normally $25).
As a bonus, you will also receive the following story writing resources:
- The #1 Amazon bestselling reference book Let’s Write a Short Story
- The companion workbook 15 Days to Write and Submit a Short Story. Together, these two books are normally $20.
- The Write Practice’s book How to Win a Writing Contest, normally $10.
The total value is over $55, but entrants pay $20.
Premium Entry: $30. This includes all of the above, as well as personalized feedback from the judges on your story. With this entry, you’ll learn what drew the judges to your story or why it was not selected.
Full Contest Rules
- Write a new story based on the contest theme: Two Worlds. Ordinary vs. Extraordinary. Normal vs. Adventurous. Real vs. Fantastical. Rich vs. Poor. Write a story in which two worlds come together in exciting (and maybe uncomfortable) ways.
- Join the Becoming Writer community. For six weeks, you’ll have access to Becoming Writer, a supportive, encouraging community of writers who will help you workshop your story.
- Finish your story. This isn’t just a writing contest. We want to give you accountability to write something new. We’ll give you the support you need to write a new story of up to 1,500 words.
- Workshop your story. After you finish your story, share it in Becoming Writer and receive valuable feedback from other writers. Then, edit your story so that it’s the best it can be.
- Submit your story to the judges. After your story is workshopped, you can submit the final draft to the judges.
- Get published! We know you’ve worked hard to write a great story, and we want to share it with the world. Every writer who enters has the option of getting published here at Short Fiction Break. Whether the judges select your piece or not, you’ll get the exposure your writing deserves.
- Get feedback from the judges! If you choose the premium entry, you’ll also get personalized feedback about why your story was or wasn’t selected by the judges.
- The winners. The judges will choose a winning story and five runners-up. These top six stories will receive featured spots on Short Fiction Break. They will also publicized to The Write Practice’s community of readers.
Enter now! Enrollment for participation in the contest is only open until Monday, December 5 at 11:59 pm PT. Your story is due for workshopping Monday, December 12, and your final submission is due Monday, December 19. The sooner you enroll, the more time you have to write a better story. Sign up below!
Join the Contest
Would you like to enter the Winter Writing Contest? Enroll in the contest here.
We look forward to reading your stories.