Short Stories

Annual Short-Story Contest
Seeks Science-Fiction/Fantasy stories. Deadline: May 31, 2004. Entry Fee: $10. Cash prizes total $850.
http://www.gompublishing.com/contest

Author Mania Writing Contest
A cash prize of $1,000 plus publication is offered for a short story on any topic. Maximum length: 5,000 words. Entry fee: $20. Closing date: March 31, 2005. Open to U.S. residents only.
http://www.authormania.com/contests.html

Cadenza Magazine Short Story Competition
Seeks original, unpublished stories, not exceeding 4,000 words. Open theme (but no children's stories). Cash prizes total 350 English pounds. Entry fee: 5 pounds (or equivalent). Deadline: March 31.
http://www.cadenza-magazine.co.uk

Fish Publishing
Provides information on the international annual short story contest which every year offers a significant cash prize and publishes an anthology of the winning stories.
http://www.fishpublishing.com

Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine Contest
Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine seeks short stories in the mystery genre of 5,000 words or less. Prizes total $450 cash plus free subscriptions and possible publication. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: October 31.
http://www.fmam.biz

Glimmer Train Awards for Fiction
Glimmer Train Press offers a number of awards for literary short fiction each year. The prize money for short stories less than 2,000 words, for example, totals $2,000. A reading fee of $10 is required. The Press is also open for submissions where no upfront fees are charged.
http://www.glimmertrain.com

Intergeneration Foundation's Annual Storytelling Contest
Open to all ages, this short story contest is designed to promote intergenerational understanding. Maximum length: 750 words. Cash prizes total $700. No entry fees. Deadline: June 30, 2004.
http://www.intergenerationday.org/contest.html

$5000 Literati Short Story Competition
A short story contest for original, unpublished manuscripts of less than 3,000 words, offering significant cash, publication and publishing prizes. Closes September 15, 2004. Entry fee: $10.
http://www.scribendi.com/contest.htm

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition
An annual contest for original, unpublished stories up to 3,000 words in length, open to writers who have not yet achieved major market success. Cash prizes total $2,000. Entry fee: $10. Deadline mid-May.
http://www.shortstorycompetition.com

Mixed: Stories About Being Biracial or Multiracial in America
The stories must not exceed 8,000 words and must speak either directly or indirectly about what it is to be biracial or multiracial in the United States. Prize money will be awarded to the winner ($500) and each author published in an Anthology ($200). Deadline: December 31, 2003. Free entry.
http://www.mixedstories.com

Momaya Press
The Momaya Annual Review seeks original short stories on any theme. Limit: 2,500 words. Deadline July 1. Prizes total $300. Entry fee: $10
http://www.momayapress.com

The Munster Literature Centre
Details the Sean O'Faolain Short Story Competition with two thousand Euros in prizes. Limit: 3,000 words. Deadline: July 31.
http://www.munsterlit.ie

SpecFicWorld's Annual Speculative Fiction Contest
Science Fiction, Fantasy and/or Horror stories up to 10,000 words are required. Entry fee: $6. Cash prizes total $325. Deadline: March 15.
http://www.specficworld.com/contest.html

Springtime Writers
If judged entertaining and well-written, publishes short stories or excerpts on-line. No entry fees or royalties.
http://springtimewriters.com/s-publ.htm

Toasted Cheese Fiction Contests
Toasted Cheese Literary Journal currently offers three short story contests on given themes, each year. No entry fees. Modest prizes. Deadlines vary.
http://www.toasted-cheese.com/contest.htm

Tom Howard Short Story Contest
Seeks original stories and essays, up to 8,000 words, either published or unpublished. Winning and commended works will be published in an anthology. Cash prizes total $2,575. Entry fee: $10. Deadline: March 31, 2005.
http://shortstorycontest.0catch.com

True Life Story Contest
A short story contest looking for true life stories in the categories of friendships, animals, Christmas, and amazing coincidences. Prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250 (Canadian) will be awarded for winning submissions received on or before August 30, 2004. Word limit: 3,000. No entry fees.
http://www.truelifestorycontest.com

Word Smitten Flash Fiction Competition
Word Smitten offers a Flash Fiction Contest of 500 words or less. Prize: $150. Contest re-opens: February, 2004. Deadline: May 1.
http://www.wordsmitten.com/storycove2r.html

Words Magazine
Seeks original short stories for various themed contests throughout the year. Limit: 2,000 words. Accepts IRCs for entry fees.
http://www.wordsmag.com

WritersWeekly 24-Hour Short Story Contest
Ongoing quarterly contests require entrants to submit a short story within 24 hours of the topic's notification. $5 entry fee. Cash prizes total $750 for first, second and third places.
http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.html

Zoetrope: Literary Short Fiction Contest
All entries must be unpublished; no longer than 5,000 words; postmarked by October 1; accompanied by a $15 entry fee per story. 1st Prize: $1,000. 2nd Prize: $500. 3rd Prize: $250.
http://www.all-story.com/contests.cgi