If you're a writer and looking to establish yourself as an author in the industry, entering a competition might be one of the best things you can do! With prizes like cash, opportunities for traditional publishing and free promotions, it is definitely something to consider. Now, whilst some competitions are highly competitive, you can enter your story into many different competitions, as many times as you like!
In this article, we will cover;
What is Considered a Short Story?
A short story is typically defined as a brief work of fiction, usually ranging between 300 words to 7,500 words, though this can vary depending on the competition or publisher’s guidelines. In the realm of short story competitions, these narratives must encapsulate a complete plot with a clear beginning, middle, and end within the limited word count. Crafting dynamic characters and compelling conflicts in such brevity is key. The genre or theme can vary widely, but the story should resonate emotionally or intellectually with readers, leaving a lasting impact in just a few pages.
Why You Should Enter Writing Competitions
As a new or aspiring author, there are lots of good reasons for entering story writing competitions!
Winning
So for a start, if you are the winner of the competition, this comes with a great deal of promotional opportunities. As a story writing winner, your readers are far more likely to purchase your books!
Prizes
Prizes vary between competitions but most offer a very nice cash prize. Others also offer mentoring sessions or the opportunity to meet agents. Of course the more prestigious the competition, the higher the cash prize and the more opportunity presented.
Exposure
Since self-publishing became more popular, its becoming harder than ever to become a known author. Winning a competition however is like a fast track to the front. You're name can very quickly become established.
Feedback
I think this is actually one of the best reasons to enter a story writing competition. Some competition organisations actually provide feedback to every entry they receive. So even if you don't win, this is a fantastic opportunity to get feedback on your work from judges and even fellow writers.
Experimentation
Writing for a competition allows you to be a little more experimental than perhaps you would be if you were looking to get published. This means experimenting with new styles and even genres to really test your writing skills and push you outside your comfort zone! You might learn a thing or two about yourself.
What Short Story Competitions Are There?
Fortunately there are hundreds of competitions out there available to you, however it is important to do your research. The number of scams out there targeting aspiring authors has increased drastically.
Here are some of the best international short story competitions:
The Bridport Prize (UK): This is open to writers worldwide, one of the most prestigious literary competitions you will find with a first prize of £5000!
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize: (FREE) A competition for unpublished stories from Commonwealth countries, focusing on new voices. First prize is £5000!
The Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition (US): Offers multiple categories, including short stories, and is a great opportunity for recognition. First prize is $5000!
Bath Short Story Award (UK): Open to all, with strong support for emerging writers. There are first, second and third prizes of £1,200, £300 and £100
BBC National Short Story Award (UK): (FREE) Prestigious, often showcasing established and upcoming British writers.
The Reedsy Writing Prompts Contest: (FREE) Submit your short story for a chance to win a cash prize of $250. This takes place every Friday, Reedsy sends out five writing prompts. Enter your response within the week.
The NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge: (FREE) Free to enter for certain rounds. First prize is $7,500. What is special about this competition is that they offer feedback for every writer who enters. And you can submit your story for review by fellow writers!
Bath Flash Fiction Award: (FREE) For very short stories (300 words) free to enter with chances to win a cash prize and publication. They host two international flash fiction writing competitions; the Bath Flash Fiction Award, and the Bath Novella-in-Flash Award.
Globe Soup: 7 Day Story Writing Challenges You are given a random theme and 7 days to write 2000 words. This is recurring competition, free to enter with a cash prize of £500. And every entry receives feedback!
These competitions offer significant exposure and often feature cash prizes or publishing opportunities.
How Do You Enter Short Story Competitions?
Entering short story competitions requires careful attention to detail. First, check the competition guidelines thoroughly to ensure your story fits within the theme or genre they’re asking for. Some will be specific to fantasy, others romance etc. You will also find that some competitions are specifically for stories aimed at children. Make sure you have understood all the guidelines before entering.
The word count is usually specified by the organisers and so it is important you stick within the specified limits. If you do not stick to this, you risk your entry being withdrawn from the running. Next, confirm the age group of the writers (Some competitions are just for children writers!) and location eligibility. Many competitions are restricted to specific regions, others are global!
Competitions will likely specify the format of your story with very specific guidelines you must follow e.g. font type, line spacing, file format.
Remember every competitions has a deadline. Double-check these entry deadlines and it is important to find out whether there are entry fees. Always submit your best work, make sure you have re-read your work and had it looked over by friends or family. Be sure to keep a copy for your records also!
How To Spot A Scam Writing Competition
Unfortunately on your search for short story competitions, you will come across competitions which are in fact scams. These are on the rise and whilst story writing competitions scams are getting harder to spot, there are a few signs to look out for;
Entry Fees
Some writing competitions present excessive entry fees without clear explanation of what this covers. This is the biggest red flag when identifying a scam.
Unclear or Unrealistic Prizes
Scam competitions may provide little information as to what the prize actually is and may only provide a vague description of their promise to the winner. This is a red flag! Should the winner take legal action, the scammer can avoid prosecution as they did not clearly specify what the prize would be. Legitimate competitions usually specify clear rewards.
Poor Online Presence
Scam competitions usually pop up fairly quickly and disappear. Not long enough to establish a large and loyal following. So if you discover a social media account with a small following, it is important to conduct further research into the organisers. You can do this by visiting their website. Does the website look unprofessional? Do they provide contact details? If anything does not appear genuine, its another red flag.
Unclear Judging Process
Scam competitions usually fail to explain their judging process. You have a right to know how the competition will be judged and how the winner will be selected. Reputable contests are always transparent about these areas, and so without this, this is another red flag.
Rights Grab
This is possibly the biggest scam red flag to look out for. Some scam competitions actually attempt to claim full rights to your work. This is something you must look out for! Legit competitions do not take ownership of your work.
How To Win A Story Writing Competition
Now before I start offering tips on how to win a story writing competition, know that this is not at all guaranteed, but in fact a useful guide to help boost your chances of winning!
Check the rules
This is my first tip, after speaking with people who have judged competitions before, you would be amazed by the number of entries they receive that do not follow the rules, resulting in disqualification. You must read all the rules in front of you, of you will be wasting valuable time and potentially money.
Check Submission Guidelines
After completing you written piece, this is the next part you do not want to get wrong. Submitting your entry is a process that will come with instructions, read them carefully. This will for example, tell you what format to submit your entry in, the word count and other specifics to avoid errors in your submission.
Be Unique
It is important to present a written piece that is unique and really demonstrates your ability. Remember you want to stand out! However be sure to stick with the theme they are asking for, or prompt they present you with.
Edit
Read your entry, then read it again. Then ask friends and family to read it. It is so important to submit a piece that is of the highest quality and doesn't contain 'typos' or misses out a word. Your piece could be fantastic but then is let down by small errors you failed to spot!
Previous Winners
It is a great tip to check out who won last years competition. You should be able to locate the previous winner on the website together with their entry. This can offer you great insight into what the judges will be expecting, in terms of style, tone and level of originality.
All the best!