This contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered! We can't wait to read your stories!
We’re excited to bring back another favorite contest! From July 21 to September 15, 2024, we welcome submissions to the Fractured Lit Elsewhere Prize.
"In a world of diminishing mystery, the unknown persists."
― Jhumpa Lahiri, The Lowland
For this contest, we want writers to show us the forgotten, the hidden, the otherworldly. We want your stories to take us on journeys and adventures in the worlds only you can create; whether you make the familiar strange or the strange familiar, we know you will take us elsewhere. Be our tour guide through reality and beyond.
For this prize, we are accepting micro, flash, and sudden fiction, so we’re inviting submissions of stories from 100-1,500 words.
We're thrilled to partner with Guest Judge Tara Campbell, who will choose three prize winners from a shortlist. We're excited to offer the winner of this prize $3,000 and publication, while the second- and third-place winners will receive publication and $300 and $200, respectively. All entries will be considered for publication.
Good luck and happy writing!
Tara Campbell is an award-winning writer, teacher, Kimbilio Fellow, fiction co-editor at Barrelhouse, and graduate of American University's MFA in Creative Writing. Publication credits include The Masters Review, Wigleaf, Electric Literature, CRAFT, Uncharted, Daily Science Fiction, trampset, Cotton Xenomporh, Flash Frog, Jellyfish Review, and Strange Horizons. She's the author of the eco sci-fi novel TreeVolution, two hybrid collections of poetry and prose, and two short story collections from feminist sci-fi publisher Aqueduct Press. Her sixth book, City of Dancing Gargoyles, is forthcoming from the Santa Fe Writers Project (SFWP) in the fall of 2024. She teaches creative writing at venues such as Johns Hopkins University, Clarion West, The Writer's Center, and Hugo House.
For this contest, Tara is looking for:
When I'm workshopping my own stories, I generally like to start with what I call "free-range feedback" rather than asking specific questions about, say, characters or plot or craft elements. Similarly, when I'm looking for a story that grabs me, I never know exactly how that's going to happen. Maybe it's an intriguing first line or an arresting image or a delightfully subtle, dry wit that runs throughout the piece. Often there's a question (not necessarily a literal question, but a situation or conundrum) that compels me to keep reading to figure out how it's resolved or not. I'm open to all genres, so if your piece has a hint of the speculative, that's fine by me. Send me all your Elsewheres!
guidelines
- Your $20 reading fee allows up to two stories of 1,500 words or fewer each per entry—if submitting two stories, please put them both in a SINGLE document.
- We allow multiple submissions—each set of two flash/sudden stories should have a separate submission accompanied by a reading fee.
- Writers from historically marginalized groups will be able to submit for free (filled) until we reach our cap of 25 free submissions. No additional fee waivers will be granted.
- Please send flash/sudden fiction only—1,500 word count maximum per story.
- We only consider unpublished work for contests—we do not review reprints, including self-published work (even on blogs and social media). Reprints will be automatically disqualified.
- Simultaneous submissions are okay—please notify us and withdraw your entry if you find another home for your writing.
- All entries will also be considered for publication in Fractured Lit.
- Double-space your submission and use Times New Roman 12 (or larger if needed).
- Please include a brief cover letter with your publication history (if applicable). In the cover letter, please include content warnings as well, to safeguard our reading staff.
- We only read work in English, though some code-switching/meshing is warmly welcomed.
- We do not read anonymous submissions. However, shortlisted stories are sent anonymously to the judge.
- Unless specifically requested, we do not accept AI-generated work. For this contest, AI-generated work will be automatically disqualified.
The deadline for entry is September 15, 2024. We will announce the shortlist within twelve to fourteen weeks of the contest's close. All writers will be notified when the results are final.
Some Submittable Hot Tips:
- Please be sure to whitelist/add this address to your contacts, so notifications do not get filtered as spam/junk: notifications@email.submittable.com.
- If you realize you sent the wrong version of your piece: It happens. Please DO NOT withdraw the piece and resubmit. Submittable collects a nonrefundable fee each time. Please DO message us from within the submission to request that we open the entry for editing, which will allow you to fix everything from typos in your cover letter to uploading a new draft. The only time we will not allow a change is if the piece is already under review by a reader.
optional editorial feedback
You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your piece. In your cover letter, please let us know which piece you'd like your editor to focus their review on. We will provide a two-page global letter discussing the strengths of the writing and the recommended focus for revision. Our aim is to make our comments actionable and encouraging. These letters are written by editors and staff readers of Fractured Lit. Should your story win, no feedback will be offered, and your fee will be refunded.