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Invent a Word Contest

A project of Gotham Writers Workshop (see other related projects).

Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions (June 2025). We provide the following information as an archive.

About

We invite you to invent a word. Not just any word. A word you think will greatly enhance the English language.

Interestingly, there are words that mean “invented words”; the fancy word is neologism (invented by Thomas Jefferson) and the informal word is sniglet (invented by Rich Hall).

The word you invent might be…

Adopted for the times. Such as COVID-19 or doomscrolling.

Sprung from politics. Such as muckraker or Obamacare.

Related to the worlds of science fiction or fantasy. Cyberspace was invented by William Gibson for the novel Neuromancer.

Just a good sound. Such as chortle or persnickety.

Or a word that we need. Such as zonked or neologism.

Nobody invented more words than Shakespeare. To name a few: articulate, bedazzled, clangor, ensnare, eyeball, frugal, incarnadine, lackluster, mimic, moonbeam, obscene, rant, suspicious, swagger, uncomfortable, vulnerable, zany.

Though it’s an honorable practice, we discourage simple morphing (itself a fairly new word). For example, turning a noun into a verb, as in googling, or a noun into an adjective, as in flowery. Those probably won’t wow us enough to win.

So, here’s the deal. Give us your invented word, a one-sentence definition, and use the word in a sentence. The person who concocts the best word gets a free Gotham class of their choosing.

No Fees! This contest does not charge mandatory fees.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Unknown contest frequency

Collapse section Fiction Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 70 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Other: See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 70 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Language/Linguistics: See guidelines.
Other: See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Other: See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
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.

No recent cover image available for Invent a Word Contest

Go to contest webpage

Report:
Correction/Update

Invent a Word 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.

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

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