2008 Fall Fiction Contest

Narrative’s Fall Fiction Contest is open to all fiction writers. For this contest we accept short shorts, short stories, and excerpts from longer works of fiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 10,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.

As always, we look for works that have a strong narrative drive, with characters we can respond to as human beings—works in which the effects of language, situation, and insight are intense and total, and whose authors have the ambition of enlarging our view of ourselves and the world.

Click here to submit your work.

Awards: First Prize is $3,000, Second Prize is $1,500, and Third Prize is $750. The prize winners will be announced in Narrative and will be eligible for publication. Additionally, ten finalists will receive $100 each. We’ll announce finalists in the magazine as well. All entries will be considered for publication.

Submission Fee: There is a $20 fee for each entry. And with your entry, you’ll receive three months of complimentary access to Narrative Backstage.

Timing: Entries will be accepted between September 1 and November 30, 2008. (The contest will close to entries at midnight Pacific Standard Time on November 30.)

Judging: The contest will be judged by the editors of the magazine. Winners and finalists will be announced to the public by December 30, 2008. All writers who enter will be notified by email of the judges’ decisions.

Submission Guidelines: Please read our Submission Guidelines for manuscript formatting and other information.

Other Submission Categories: In addition to our contest, please review our other Submission Categories for areas that may interest you.