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Fish Publishing International Short Story Contest

A project of Fish Publishing (see other related projects).

About

Fish Publishing runs the short story competition each year, the winners of which are published in the annual Fish Anthology. The Anthology is launched during the West Cork Literary Festival, July each year. Roddy Doyle and Colum McCann are honorary patrons.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions.
The fee range is EUR €24 to €89 (above average for contests).
Want more insight into the affiliated editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s) of Fish Publishing.

Country of Publication & Year Established

Ireland
Established in 1996

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Regular Speed
Fish Publishing International Short Story Contest's overall average response time is within a normal range for contests.

Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 30 November 2026* (approx. 76 days from now).

1

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: EUR €3,000 for first prize.

Submissions:

Methods: Submission manager. Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are allowed.
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.

Fish Publishing International Short Story Contest 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 4 reports from 3 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
45 min | 114.3 mean avg | 130.0 median | 152 max days (619.0 std dev)
Pending
2 responses are pending (289 min | 290.5 mean avg | 290.5 median | 292 max days waiting | 836.6 std dev) from 2 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: EUR €20.00.
Most recent response reported was received on 13 Apr 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 31 Jan 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 09:04 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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Your Submissions

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The Fish Poetry Prize  Charges fees for all submissions
Fish Publishing Flash Fiction Prize  Charges fees for all submissions
Fish Publishing Lockdown Prize CLOSED  Charges fees for all submissions
Fish Publishing Short Memoir Prize  Charges fees for all submissions
Fish Publishing Young-Adult Novel Prize CLOSED  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: 09 Sep 2026

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

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