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Cai Emmons Fiction Award

A project of Red Hen Press (see other related projects).

About

To honor the life and enduring legacy of beloved novelist Cai Emmons, who published three novels through Red Hen Press (Weather Woman, Sinking Islands, and Livid) and who passed away with dignity on January 2, 2023 after a hard-fought battle with ALS, Red Hen Press is proud to announce the Cai Emmons Fiction Award. We are so grateful to Cai and her family for choosing to endow this award to keep Cai’s spirit and love of life-changing fiction alive.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions.
The fee is USD $25 (above average for contests).
Limited Demographic: Submissions are restricted to those who have not had a full length book published by Red Hen Press.
Want more insight into the affiliated editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s) of Red Hen Press.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2023

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 15 January 2027* (approx. 128 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Novella: 25,000 to 40,000 words.
Novel: More than 40,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Professional advance (US$2000 or more) + Unknown royalties Professional advance. Unknown royalties. Details: USD $5,000.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

Cai Emmons Fiction Award 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.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 1 report within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Pending
8 responses are pending (239 min | 274.9 mean avg | 261.0 median | 363 max days waiting | 57.6 std dev) from 8 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $25.00.
Date compiled: 10 Sep 2026 00:46 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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Your Submissions

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Ann Petry Award DNQ
Arktoi Books BELIEVED DEFUNCT
Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award  Charges fees for all submissions
The Los Angeles Review Awards DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
The Los Angeles Review  Charges fees for all submissions
Quill Prose Award DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Red Hen Press  Charges fees for all submissions
Red Hen Press Fiction Award CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Red Hen Press Nonfiction Award CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Red Hen Press Novella Award CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Red Hen Press Poetry Award DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Red Hen Press Short Story Award DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions
Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Wild Light Poetry Contest DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions

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: 23 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.

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