Hi Community,
Writing contests. There’s a lot of them.
First of all: Why do we enter them? To win prize money of course. But also, more importantly, to advance our writing careers. To gain recognition, publication, and to connect with a reading audience.
Before we embark on any endeavor we want as much info as possible, right? As quickly as possible.
Hopefully this article can help you with that. Below are some things to consider, when considering entering a fiction contest. If you’d like anything added to the resource please reach us at mail@letterreview.com
1. How to Find Fiction Contests
First of all, The Letter Review Prize is awarded every three months in the categories of Short Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Unpublished Books. We offer a total Prize pool of $4000 USD and publication for our winners.
Submission managers like Chillsubs, Duotrope, and Submittable are an excellent place to start. Publications list their contests on these managers and you can easily search through them.
Websites such as Poets & Writers maintain up to date lists of contests. See also Christopher Fielden.
There are excellent spaces on Reddit such as r/writingcontests.
Facebook groups such as Writers, Writing Contests, and Readers.
Additionally, websites of literary magazines, universities, and publishing houses may post about their ongoing contests. Remember to sign up for newsletters of organizations and websites that focus on writing and publishing as they often announce contest information. It’s about staying connected and keeping your ear to the ground in the literary world.
2. When Should I Enter a Contest?
Write the best story you can. Then leave it for a while, until you feel you can view it again with fresh eyes.
Contests have different word limits. Flash contests can be less than 1000 words. Normal short story contests vary in length from 2000-5000 words. Find a length that is best suited to you and then seek contests which allow for this length.
Bring the story you have written up to the highest quality that you are capable of in the time that you have available, then submit it.
Remember, if you’ve made it as good as you can, then you have already won. You’ve used the contest as an excuse to develop new work. Hopefully you will learn more in the near future that will allow you to improve the story further – and so the cycle continues (that is unless you win the contest and then no further work may be needed!)
3. How to Find Reputable Contests
Reputable contests are typically organized by established literary magazines, publishing houses, universities, or literary organizations.
Look for a clear set of rules, a transparent judging process, and a history of previous contests with recognizable winners.
Be wary of contests with disproportionately high entry fees relative to the prize, contests that offer all entrants publication for a fee (often a sign of a vanity anthology), or contests that claim exclusive rights to your work regardless of whether you win or not.
It’s your work and your entry fee, so do your homework before you decide to submit.
4. The Importance of Following the Contest Guidelines
So. You’ve spent countless hours crafting a story that you’re proud of, and you’re ready to submit it to a contest.
You quickly glance over the guidelines. Your story is close enough to what they’re asking for, and you hit ‘submit’.
What could go wrong?
Guidelines aren’t just a suggestion; they’re the rule book. Sometimes, a submission is disqualified because it has breached the guidelines, which is heartbreaking.
Whether it’s word count, formatting, or theme, each specification is there for a reason. So, if you want your story to stand a fighting chance, following the guidelines isn’t just important, it’s a must.
5. Are Free Contests Better Than Paid Ones?
Free contests are free.
However, paid contests often have higher prize money.
In practice, both can offer similar levels of exposure, prestige, prize money etc.
At the end of the day, writers should probably submit to magazines and journals that they like, and are familiar with.
Knowing what the journal is looking for comes from spending time reading that publication, which is probably the most important consideration.
Free contests are great if you don’t have spare money though, right?
The key is to do your research, know what you’re getting into, and choose what aligns best with your goals and budget.
6. Rejection: Ouch. What Next?
Oh, the dreaded ‘R’ word.
Rejection is tough, no two ways about it. It stings, especially when you’ve poured your heart into a story.
But here’s the thing: every writer faces rejection. Even the greats like Tolkien and Stephen King have been turned down more times than they can count.
The trick is not to take it personally. A rejection doesn’t mean your story is bad; it just means it wasn’t the right fit for that particular contest or judge.
Winston Churchill famously said that success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. Beckett wrote: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”
Get back in there, soldier.
7. Contests and Rights
Winning a contest is great, but it’s crucial to know what happens to your story after you win.
Most contests will specify this in their guidelines. Some might claim first publication rights, which means they have the right to publish your story first, after which the rights revert back to you.
Others might request exclusive rights for a certain period.
The key is to read and understand these terms before you enter.
Unfortunately, sometimes contests do feature terms that are not in the best interest of writers. If in doubt, don’t submit.
Don’t hesitate to ask the contest organizers for clarification. After all, your story is your intellectual property, and you should know where and how it’s being used.
8. Which Story to Submit
Submit your best work. Don’t hold back the good stuff. Get it out there.
It can be tempting to save your best work for The New Yorker, but you might be at a stage in your career when any publication would help you. Don’t worry, you’ll write another story soon. A better one.
Also, look at what has won the contest in the past, and see if you have any stories like that. Consider theme, characters, plotting, pacing etc. Consider who is judging: You can make a guess as to what they might enjoy the most (but who can say, right?)
9. How to Edit a Short Story for a Contest
Write your story to the best of your ability in the time you have available.
Set it aside.
Return to it with fresh eyes. Rewrite.
Set it aside.
Send it to some friends, a teacher, an editor: Anyone. Get advice. The more the better. Send it to your writers’ group.
Set it aside.
Rewrite again to the best of your ability.
Pat self on back.
Submit.
10. Challenging or Controversial Topics
Challenging and controversial topics should not be avoided simply because they fall into these categories. Especially if they are topical. Judges are usually mature and can handle most things (content warnings are appreciated).
Topicality is a big consideration for publications.
There are one or two spots available for publication. There are thousands of entries.
Craft is a huge part of the criteria, but so is topicality.
Does this story need to be published right now? If yes, that’s good.
Your story should explore the topic with sensitivity and respect. Be aware of the potential to unintentionally offend or hurt readers.
11. Helpful Resources
There are so many.
The Letter Review has published hundreds of articles (you can find these under Writing Advice in the menu at the top of the page).
Books on craft, like Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ or ‘Bird by Bird’ by Anne Lamott, offer invaluable advice.
Websites like Writer’s Digest or The Write Practice provide tips and exercises.
Writing software like Scrivener can help organize your thoughts, and grammar tools like Grammarly can help polish your prose.
Reading widely, especially winning stories from past contests, can also be educational.
Consider studying at school or university.
If your favourite author has published a book on writing, that is the number one place to start.
12. Simultaneous Submissions
Submitting the same story to multiple contests, known as simultaneous submissions, is a tricky territory.
Some contests strictly prohibit it, stating that the story cannot be under consideration elsewhere.
Others are okay with it as long as you let them know if your story is accepted somewhere else.
Always, always read the contest rules. If simultaneous submissions are allowed, go for it but be diligent in withdrawing your submission if it’s accepted elsewhere. Remember, a little courtesy goes a long way in the literary world.
13. Most Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Proofreading: Ask someone to proofread your story for you if this is not a strong area.
- Blind Marking: Don’t leave your name on the manuscript if it’s marked blind.
- Don’t use a double space after a full stop. That was for typewriters.
- Make your opening line / paragraph strong. As strong as you can.
- Reduce cliches.
- Include beginning, middle, and end.
- Write the best descriptions you can.
- Be polite / professional in your cover letter.
14. How to Make a Story Stand Out in a Contest?
Make it ‘enjoyable’ to read: This is often overlooked. What makes fiction enjoyable? Your answer to this defines you as a writer.
Excellent descriptions. Detailed, beautiful.
High stakes / tension.
Humour.
Make the judges feel.
Take the judges on a pleasurable journey.
Go for something unique. Something without cliche. Something fresh.
Choose a topic you have very detailed knowledge about. More knowledge than other people have. Tell the judges something they don’t know.
Experiment with generating interesting effects / affect in the reader: e.g. Alienation.
15. Writing Good Characters
Even within a limited word count, your characters need to feel real, rounded, and relatable.
Start by giving them clear motivations – what do they want? What’s stopping them? Throw in some quirks or traits that make them unique.
Let their actions and decisions drive the plot. Dialogue can also reveal a lot about a character.
Showing is often better than telling. Show your character’s personality through their actions, decisions, or how they interact with others.
16. The Importance of Setting
Setting can play a vital role in your short story, and it can do much more than simply tell the reader where the story takes place.
A well-developed setting can set the mood, and reveal character. But just like with any element of your story, be judicious.
A short story doesn’t give you much room to elaborate, so ensure every detail about the setting serves a purpose, be it driving the plot forward or revealing something about the characters.
When I write, I often ask myself, “How does this detail further the story?” If it doesn’t, I leave it out.
17. Tragedy or Comedy?
Make the judges laugh, make them cry. That’s it.
18. How Can I Effectively End My Story?
Effective endings often feel satisfying.
It doesn’t necessarily have to tie up all loose ends—some of the best short stories leave you wondering—but it should bring your narrative arc to a close.
It could be a resolution, a revelation, or a reflection. Surprise endings can be effective, but avoid them if they feel forced or out of sync with the rest of the story.
The best endings echo or resonate with the beginning in some way, giving the story a sense of completion and wholeness.
When the central source of tension or threat is resolved the story is usually over.
When the central question the story poses is resolved, or the central question the characters are wrestling with is answered the story is usually over.
19. Can I submit a short story that has already been published to a contest?
Again, this depends on the contest rules.
Many contests require that the submission be an unpublished work, while others may allow previously published stories. Always check the guidelines carefully. If you submit a previously published story to a contest that requires unpublished works, it could result in disqualification.
Always err on the side of caution and respect the rules of the contest.
20. Genre Versus Literary
Write genre stories. Absolutely!
‘Literary fiction’ is hard to define. Stories which feature genre elements, like aliens, can be literary if the quality is there: According to most people. However, some define literary more narrowly, in a way that excludes genre elements.
The key is familiarity with the publication: Read until you know what they want.
Genre stories—whether sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, or horror—can make fantastic entries in short story contests.
Keep in mind, though, to always check the contest guidelines. Some contests may specifically ask for literary fiction or restrict certain genres.
21. Should I Write What I Know?
Yes, write what you know.
Sometimes write what you don’t know.
But genreally write what you know best.
Try to tell the reader something they don’t know.
22. Morals and Worthy Messages
Stories don’t always need these things.
Imagine a magazine asking this question, ‘Why should we publish this and why now?’
Along with creating your best art, that’s the key consideration.
The craft might be sublime. The subject matter might be timely.
Don’t be didactic. Avoid teaching. Or explaining. Research techniques for delivering exposition artfully.
23. What If I Can’t Win a Contest?
Traditional publishing offers lots of benefits. Other people do the non-writing work for you. They have pipelines to readers. Many reasons.
If you think traditional publishing is the route for you, keep going until you can’t stomach it anymore (or you have success!).
If you can’t get anyone else to publish your work, publish it yourself. Many of the world’s greatest writers started by self-publishing. No shame in it. You also get more creative control.
24. Final Advice
Enjoy the process.
Writing for contests can be an exciting creative challenge—embrace it. Make sure you’re writing stories you’re passionate about, not just what you think judges want to read. Every word you write is progress, and every story you finish is an achievement in itself.
Most importantly, back yourself. Be your biggest supporter. Until you decide you’ve had enough of the fiction writing game, then enjoy something else.
The Letter Review Prize is awarded every three months in the categories of Short Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Unpublished Books. We offer a total Prize pool of $4000 USD and publication for our winners.