Next Generation Short Story Awards

About

The Next Generation Short Story Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional short stories written each year. With 30+ categories, the NG Short Story Awards offers a vast array of opportunities to celebrate a diverse group of short story authors. Winning entrants receive cash prizes, awards and recognition.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions.
The fee range is USD $20 to $25 (average to above average for contests).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2023

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work preferred, but limited AI use may be permitted in some circumstances (see their site for details)

5 members set this contest as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Slower: Next Generation Short Story Awards's overall average response time is slower than most contests.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 28 January 2027* (approx. 139 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General Subgenre: Historical
Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural
Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres
Suspense/Thriller Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Children/Family: General, See guidelines.
Folklore/Mythology: General, Fairy tales, See guidelines.
Health/Medicine: General, See guidelines.
History: General, See guidelines.
Lifestyle: Mind-body-spirit, Pets, See guidelines.
Religion/Spirituality: General, Spirituality, See guidelines.
Seasons/Holidays: General, See guidelines.
Sexuality/Gender: LGBTQ issues, See guidelines.
Society/Culture: Ethnicity/Race, Social issues, See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $500 for first prize.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Open Fee-based

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Review: Up to 5,000 words.
Essay: Up to 5,000 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 5,000 words.
Book Excerpt: Up to 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Critical, Experimental, Humorous, Literary, Mainstream, Personal, Satirical.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Children/Family: General, See guidelines.
Folklore/Mythology: General, Fairy tales, See guidelines.
Health/Medicine: General, See guidelines.
History: General, See guidelines.
Lifestyle: Mind-body-spirit, Pets, See guidelines.
Memoir.
Religion/Spirituality: General, Spirituality, See guidelines.
Seasons/Holidays: General, See guidelines.
Sexuality/Gender: Adult relationships, LGBTQ issues, See guidelines.
Society/Culture: Ethnicity/Race, Social issues, See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $500 for first prize.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Poetry Open Fee-based

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms, including: Experimental poetry, Free verse, Hybrid form, Lyric poetry.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Professional payment. Details: USD $500 for first prize.

Submissions:

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

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For the Editor(s):
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Next Generation Short Story Awards 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:

Group by submission

Accuracy

We have received 3 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

198 min | 386.3 mean avg | 336.0 median | 625 max days (217.9 std dev)

Pending

4 responses are pending (1 min | 156.8 mean avg | 206.5 median | 213 max days waiting | 103.9 std dev) from 3 different members

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $25.00.
Most recent response reported was received on 21 Sep 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 20 Oct 2024.
Date compiled: 11 Sep 2026 23:43 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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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: 28 Jul 2026

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