International Annual Fish Short Story Prize - Original, unpublished short stories, less than 5,000 words, on any theme, are sought. Deadline: November 30, each year. Entry fees: $16 for one, $11 each additional. First Prize: $2,500. The best eighteen short-listed stories will be published in an anthology, read by leading literary agents. For 2004, a contest for very short stories of only 250 words, is also offered.
Annual Short-Story Contest - Seeks Science-Fiction/Fantasy stories. Deadline: May 31, 2004. Entry Fee: $10. Cash prizes total $850.
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.
Bomb Magazine Fiction Prize - Seeks short stories (maximum 20 pages). Offers a First Prize of $1,000. Postmark deadline: April 1, 2005. Reading fee: $20, which includes a year's subscription to the magazine.
Boulevard Emerging Writers Contest - Leading U.S. literary magazine offers $1,500 plus publication for original short fiction by an unpublished author. Entry fee: $15. Deadline: December 15, 2004.
Cadenza Magazine Short Story Competition - Seeks original, unpublished stories, not exceeding 4,000 words.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.
Carve Magazine Short Story Contest - The Raymond Carver Short Story Award at Carve Magazine is one of the world's premier fiction awards for original, unpublished short stories. Maximum length: 10,000 words. Prize money totals $2,000. All submissions are considered for publication. International entries welcome. Entry fees: $15 (one), $25 (two), $30 (three). Only three entries per author are permitted. Closes: February 1.
Donard Short Story Competition - A free-to-enter contest offering a modest cash prize for a 5,000 word (or less) story in any category or theme.
"Dont Get Mad - Get Evil" International Writing Competition - Open for original, unpublished short stories on a given theme. Maximum length: 5,000 words. Prize money totals Canadian$850. Deadline: June 1, 2004. Free entry.
Dragonfly Spirit Writing for Children Short Story Contest - Seeks original short stories in the children and young adult genres. Limit: 2,000 words. Unpublished authors only. Entry fee: $7. Deadline: September 30.
EM Koeppel Short Story Contest - Annual contest offers $1,100 first prize for original, unpublished stories. Maximum length: 3,000 words. International English entries welcome. Fee: $15 (one), $25 (two). Submissions: Oct. 1 - Apr. 30 annually.
Fantasist Enterprises - Annual fantasy fiction contest, open to all manner of fantastical stories between 2,000 and 10,000 words, closes November 15, 2004. Winners and runners-up will be printed in an anthology. Cash prizes total $300, plus wordage royalties.
Fire By Nite Awards for Christian Fiction - Seeks short fiction stories with Christian themes. Over $1,000 in prizes plus opportunity for publication. $15 entry fee.
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.
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.
Haunted Newport Short Story Contest - Original, unpublished stories up to 5,000 words are sought on a paranormal theme, and incorporating at least two Newport, Rhode Island, landmarks. First prize is $500. Closes May 1. Entry fee: $10.
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.
$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.
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.
Memphis Magazine Fiction Contest - Open only to writers living within 150 miles of Memphis, this annual competition seeks original short stories of 3,000 to 5,000 words. Reading fee: $10. Deadline: August 1.
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.
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
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.
South Carolina Fiction Project - Previously unpublished short stories up to 2,500 words are sought in this annual competition sponsored by "The Post and Courier" and the South Carolina Arts Commission. Entry fees: None. Deadline: January 15. Prizes: Twelve cash awards of $500. Open only to residents of South Carolina.
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.
Springtime Writers - If judged entertaining and well-written, publishes short stories or excerpts on-line. No entry fees or royalties.
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.
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.
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.
Whisper Stories Contests - Promotes writing contests in which authors are asked to complete a story from a set opening sentence. Current deadlines: January 31 and April 30. Prize money: $500 and $5,500 respectively. Entry fees: $5 and $15 respectively.
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.
Words Magazine - Seeks original short stories for various themed contests throughout the year. Limit: 2,000 words. Accepts IRCs for entry fees.
WriteCraft Quarterly Short Story Contest - No fee. Length 1,500-5,000 words. Winner receives $25 and publication. Next deadline: September 15.
Writer Works - Contest re-opens November 1, 2003 for travel-related fiction and non-fiction.
Writer's Reward Short Story Contest - A cash prize of $500.00 is offered for an original short story up to 7,500 words. Minimum entry fee: $10. Deadline: July 1.
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.
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.