With the rising trend of short stories being adapted into films, entering a prose contest is a fantastic way to showcase your talent and explore storytelling in a more focused way. Who knows? Your story could be the next big discovery—just like #KillerAlum Chris Hicks, whose short story I Am Not Alone landed him a record-breaking deal. The world of horror short stories is expanding, and Killer Shorts is just one of many prose competitions waiting for you to explore.
Check out 13 short story contests you can enter below:
1. Killer Shorts Horror Short Story Competition
Can you tell a horror short story in 6000 words or less?
Extended Deadline:
December 31st
Guidelines:
Short stories (Prose) should be 6000 words or less, PDF, and written in modern manuscript format.
Members of the Horror Writers Association can receive an exclusive discount. Details here.
What Are The Prizes?
- Publication on the Killer Shorts website
- Scrivener Writing Software
- 1:1 30 minute zoom meeting with Chris Hicks, professional screenwriter and author of I Am Not Alone
- Increased rank on Coverfly’s The Red List
- Book Brush 1 Year Gold Membership
- A skull-shaped typewriter trophy, hand-sculpted and designed by celebrity FX artist Tyler Green (Syfy’s Face Off).
2. Launchpad Prose Competition
Early Deadline:
January 20th
What Are The Prizes?
2 Grand Prize Winners:
- Each winner will be invited to an exclusive virtual pitch event where they will get the chance to meet with and pitch industry professionals from management companies, agencies and production companies in a 1:1 setting.
- Work will be read, reviewed and voted on by our esteemed Judges.
- One free entry to any future Launch Pad Competition of your choosing.
- One year free membership to the Tracking Board.
- Receive brief written feedback from a competition reader.
- Your project and writer profile will be shared and marketed to our extensive industry network.
3. Screencraft Cinematic Prose Writing Competition
Deadline:
November 30
Guidelines:
Accepting short stories, novels, novellas, true stories, and biographies. Short stories must be 20,000 words or less.
What Are The Prizes?
The Grand Prize winner will be accepted into the Writer Development Program as well as the following prizes:
- Introduction to industry professionals
- $1,000 Cash
- Development Meetings with VIP Grand Prize Mentor Joe Haar
- An invitation to a Finalist+ workshop
4. Ironclad Creative
Deadline:
December 13th
Guidelines:
Any length of story up to 6000 words. All genres that respond to the prompt are welcome. Ironclad Creative is looking to publish piece on February 14th. They are not accepting screenplays, plays or poetry for this competition.
What Are The Prizes?
- 1st Place-£100 and publication in the anthology.
- 2nd Place-£50 and publication in the anthology.
- 3rd Place-£25 each, and publication in the anthology.
- Up to 10 other shortlisted writers will be offered publication in the anthology (depending on the length of the winning, second place and shortlisted stories)
5. Script 2 Comic Contest
Deadline:
Currently Closed
Guidelines:
Short story submissions should be no more than 30 typed pages. Submit a short story, screenplay, teleplay, short script, or comic script for the chance to have your work turned into a comic book series or graphic novel published by a top indie comic publisher.
What Are The Prizes?
Grand Prize Winner:
- Your story will be made into a limited series comic by Kodansha LTD and published by AMP Comics in the US.
- Your comic series will be put into active development for either film or television by manga powerhouse Kodansha, inspiring impossible stories since 1909.
- Winner will have a chance to be made into a manga by Kodansha and published internationally as well as considered for development into an animated series.
- Grand Prize winner receives 30 individual copies of their work.
6. Fiction Factory
Deadline:
November 30th
Guidelines:
All stories are welcome (excluding children and young adult fiction). Entries should be a Word document with a maximum of 1000 words.
What Are The Prizes?
- £350+ publication on the Fiction Factory website
- Free assessment for 2nd and 3rd placed entries.
7. Elegant Literature
Deadline:
November 30th
Guidelines:
This contest invites you to explore the theme “Dear Death”, whatever that means to you. All genres are welcome. Minimum 500 words. Maximum 2000.
How to enter: Sign up for an Elegant+ Membership and visit the Members Area
What Are The Prizes?
1st place: $3,000 USD. Free enrollment in the New Novelist Accelerator.
2nd – 10th: 10c/word and publication.
11th – 35th: $20 USD and an honorable mention in the magazine.
8. Writing Battle
Deadline:
Begins January 12th
Guidelines:
Prompts are given to ensure stories are written for this contest, and not prior. The prompts must appear in the story and an integral element to the story’s plot. Get creative but stick to the genre defined in the prompts.
What Are The Prizes?
- Total Prize Package: $20,000 USD
- Genre Winner (x4): $3,400 USD
- Genre Runner-up (x4): $800 USD
- Genre Semi-Finalists (x8): $400 USD
9. The Ghost Story- Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition
Deadline:
Opens December 1, 2024- January 31, 2025
Guidelines:
Flash Fiction stories between 250 and 1000 words. Submissions may involve any paranormal or supernatural theme.
What Are The Prizes?
- 1st Place-$1,000 and publication
- Two honorable mention winners-$200 each, as well as publication.
10. Not Quite Write
Deadline:
January 26th
Guidelines:
A Flash Fiction Challenge. Participants have 60 hours to write up to 500 words in response to 2 prompts and 1 anti-prompt. You can purchase a ticket to enter a current round of the competition at any time before the deadline.
What Are The Prizes?
- 1st place-AU$1,500 and a trophy
2nd place-AU$1,000
3rd place-AU$500
4th place-AU$350
5th place-AU$250
6th place-AU$200
Wildcard (x2)-AU$100
In addition to the prize money, the winner and all shortlisted entries will be published on the Not Quite Write website and read in full on the Not Quite Write podcast.
11. Story Unlikely
Deadline:
January 31st
Guidelines:
The story cannot exceed 4000 words. Paying Members get a bonus 1000 words added! There are no restrictions on genre, just looking for good stories.
What Are The Prizes?
- Total Prize Package: $3000
- 1st Place: $1500
- 2nd Place: $1000
- 3rd Place: $500
Winning story will be featured on Story Unlikely’s website, will be strongly considered for our annual (print) sample magazine, and may be sent out as the bonus story for signing up. All three placing stories will be published in the monthly issue, and all three will be illustrated.
12. Gotham Writers-2025 Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize
“This long-running series at Symphony Space in New York City celebrates the art of the short story by having stars of stage and screen read aloud the works of established and emerging writers. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally on both the radio and its weekly podcast.”
Deadline:
March 7th
Guidelines:
Entries should be no more than 750 words, any theme. A fee of $25 to enter.
What Are The Prizes?
- The winning story will be performed by an actor in spring 2025, and published on Electric Literature.
- The winning writer will receive $1000 and a free 10-week course with Gotham Writers.
13. Globe Soup
Deadline:
December 16th
Guidelines:
8,000 words max, no minimum. Any genre and style is accepted from literary fiction, sci-fi, historical, or horror.
What Are The Prizes?
£2,000 prize
Globe soup also offers the Primal Fears Horror Short Story Challenge-Currently Closed.
Email us at [email protected]
Killer Shorts on Almond Press
Killer Shorts on Duotrope
Submit your horror short screenplays and short stories to Coverfly or FilmFreeway.
For more information about the contest visit the Killer Shorts site.
