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Last Changed: Wednesday, 1 June 2022 11 Contest Listings
Listings on this page contain fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry contests and are a service to those who enjoy competitions. I do not seek out contests, but will post those that are brought to my attention if they appear legitimate: having a minimum 1-to-10 payout ratio (e.g.: a US $5 fee needs to award a US $50 average prize per winner, including publication only prize winners, so a $5 fee with 10 winners of anything requires a $500 total payout), and do not include fiction written by the publisher(s), editor(s), judge(s), or staff.
Some require an entry fee and I take no responsibility for how those fees are used, or for the management (or lack of it) of these contests. Enter at your own risk!
Read the complete rules and guidelines carefully before entering. Try to read former winners to get a feel for what is required. If in doubt, contact the responsible party(ies). US currency and addresses are used unless otherwise noted.
These listings are provided in good faith with the belief the info is correct, but Ralan.com accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions in them. The fact that a contest is listed here is no guarantee that said entity will carry through with the contest, or ever publish anything. Contact with any editor or publisher is at the contestant's own risk. Ralan.com encourages all potential competitors to do a web search of the contest's, the editor's, and the publisher's name before entering. Each visitor assumes all risk associated with the use or misuse of the information herein.
Please note that all email addresses (printed in italics) on this page are protected to avoid abuse by spammers.
You will need a JavaScript-enabled browser to see the email addresses at Ralan.com.
- THE LISTINGS -
Click on Publication Title for Full Guidelines
Click on E-subs: LINE for Submission Details
The editor's email link is for Info/Queries only if marked (Q),
... and the E-subs address(es) will found in the guidelines.
The e-address is for Info/Queries & E-subs if marked (QS)
APEX MICROFICTION CONTEST (search page for "Apex Micro") - monthly; sf/h/f; theme (micro). Words: <250. Fee: $0. Prize: 2¢/word, or free e-book. Reprints: no. Judge: McKenzie Johnston. E-subs: EMAIL ONLY. Contact: (QS). [Top]
Open Date: 19th of each month Deadline: 26th of each month Results: 8th of each month PubDate: 10th of each month
DREAM QUEST ONE POETRY & WRITING CONTESTS - semiannual; all genres (fic/nonfic/poem). Words: fic/nonfic=<5 pages; poem=<30 lines. Fee: fic/nonfic=$10; poem=$5. Prizes: 3 fic/nonfic=$850; 3 poem=$425. Reprints: yes, if original. E-subs: EMAIL ONLY. Contact: (QS). [Top]
Opens (summer/winter): 1 January/1 August Deadlines (summer/winter): 31 July/31December Results & PubDates (summer/winter): 31 August/31 January
CHRISTOPHER FIELDEN'S TO HULL & BACK - biennial; any style or genre with humor (fic). Words: <2½k. Fees: 1 entry=£11/£13; 2=£18/£21; 3=£22/£26. Prizes (total=£2,750): 1st=£1000; 2nd=£500; 3rd=£250; 3 HCs=£100 each; 14 SLs=£50 each; +pub for all. Reprints: yes. Judge: Christopher Fielden. E-subs: EMAIL ONLY. Contact: (QS). [Top]
Opens: 12.00pm GMT, 31 August 2020 Annual Deadline: 11.59pm GMT, 31 July 2021 Annual Results: 30 September Annual PubDate: 1 October
MARKET NOTE - 01Jan22: OPEN to entries for the Spring contestF(R)ICTION WRITING CONTESTS - biannual; all genres, push boundaries (flash/fic/poem; +creative nonfic in spring only). Words: flash=<1k; fic=1001–7½k; poem=<3 pages; creative nonfic=<6k. Fee: $10-$15. Prizes: $300-$1,000; pro edits, +pub with art. Reprints: no. Judges: Stephen Graham Jones, Damhnait Monaghan, Emma Bolden, & Hannah Grieco. E-subs: OFF SITE FORM ONLY. Contact: Judge for each category (Q). [Top]
Fall Deadline: 28 April 2022 Fall Results: 18 September 2022 PubDates: vary
L. RON HUBBARD'S WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTEST - quarterly; sf/f/h/SpecFic (fic). Words: <17k. Fee: $0. 3 quarterly prizes=$2250 +pub; 1 annual Grand Prize=an additional $5000. Reprints: no. E-subs: ON SITE FORM ONLY. Contact: (Q). [Top]
Quarterly Submission Periods: 01Jan-31Mar; 01Apr-30Jun; 01Jul-30Sep; 01Oct-31Dec Results: 12 weeks <DL PubDate: yearly
N3F AMATEUR SHORT STORY CONTEST - annual; sf/f/h (fic). Words: <8½k. Fee: $0. 3 prizes=$100 & 1 HM ($0). Reprints: no. Name of Judge: Jefferson P. Swycaffer. E-subs: YES. Contact: (QS). [Top]
Annual Open Date: 1 January Annual Deadline: 31 December Results: 15 February (or earlier) Publication: negotiated
POETRY NOOK WEEKLY CONTEST - weekly; any and all genres (poem). Words: no limits. Fee: $0. Annual Prize: $1000. Weekly Prizes: 1st=$50; occasional HM=$20. Reprints: yes. Judges: Editorial Staff. E-subs: ON SITE FORM ONLY. Contact: (Q). [Top]
Opens & Closes: Sundays at midnight EST Results: Wednesdays
SOLARPUNK MAGAZINE'S MONTHLY MICRO FICTION CONTEST - monthly contest; sf/f/h with a solarpunk aesthetic (micro fic), some themes. Words: <250. Fee: $0. 1 Monthly Prize: $25 +pub. Reprints: no. Judges: various Solarpunk Mag team members. E-subs: OFF SITE (Moksha) FORM ONLY. Contact: (Q). [Top]
Reading Periods & Themes: 2022: 21-27 Jan, Afro-Solarpunk Futures (black authors only); 18-24 Feb, Climate Fiction; 18-24 Mar; 15-21 Apr; 20-26 May, Queer Futures (LGBTQIA2S+ authors only); 17-23 Jun; 15-21 Jul; 19-25 Aug; 16-22 Sep, Indigenous Solarpunk Futures (Indigenous authors only); 21-27 Oct; 18-24 Nov; 16-22 Dec
PubDate: each month in 2022 Results: following month
MARKET NOTE - 12Oct21: closed until new contest starts in January 2022TEEN SCIENCE FICTION WRITING CONTEST - CLOSED until January 2022
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING QUARTERLY FLASH FICTION CONTESTS - quarterly; all genres (see judge's perferences) (flash). Words: 250-750. Fee: $10 (with critique=$20). Prizes: 1st ten get split of $900 + $25 Amazon GC, pub, & perks; 10 HMs get $20Amazon GCs. Reprints: yes. E-subs: ONLY. Contact: (Q). [Top]
Annual Open to Entries: 1Mar-31May, 1Jun-31Aug , 1Sep-30Nov, 1Dec-28Feb Annual Results: 1Feb, 1May, 1Aug, 1Nov Annual PubDates: 1Aug, 1Nov, 1Feb, 1May
ZOETROPE: ALL-STORY SHORT FICTION CONTEST - annual; all genres of literary fiction (fic). Words: <5k. Fee: $20. 3 Prizes=$1750 (& 7 HMs), lit agent consideration. Reprints: no. E-subs: ONLINE FORM. (Q). [Top]
Entry Dates: 1 July - 1 October (midnight PDT) Results: 15 December PubDate: Spring following year