Breaking History, Creating New Realities

A project of FewerThan500.com

Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions. We provide the following information as an archive.

About

The rising popularity of television series such as The Man in the High Castle, based on the Philip K. Dick novel, and the upcoming serialization of Stephen King’s 11/22/63 confirm the entertainment value of the thought-provoking alternate history genre. Since medieval writers began recording stories, authors have enjoyed manipulating historical events to create intriguing outcomes and exciting new worlds that thrill, captivate and antagonize our present-centered sensibilities. And now in our first contest ever, FewerThan500 editors are calling on writers around the world to create their own compelling alternate history story. We encourage you to dig into historical facts and upend them, rewriting history in 500 words or less.

No Fees! This contest does not charge mandatory fees.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: One-time contest

Fiction Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Historical
Fantasy Subgenre: Historical

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 500 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.

Topics:

Other: See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word).
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than prize specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

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Go to contest webpage

Report:
Correction/Update

Breaking History, Creating New Realities Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

Your Submissions

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026