ProForma Contest

A project of Grist

About

Every spring, Grist welcomes submissions of unpublished creative work for our ProForma contest in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and/or hybrids that explore the relationship between content and form. Our contest is open to all forms of literary expression.
“Pro forma” often means an established way of doing things. For the contest, we look for work that makes the most of its form, whether that’s an essay that breaks from traditional expectations, a set of poems from a sonnet sequence, a short story that blends or bends its genre, a hybrid text or a genre-less piece. However you define the relationship with form in your writing, we want to see your best work.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions.
The fee is USD $22.50 (above average for contests).

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Media & Contest Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Awarded 1 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

30 members set this contest as a Favorite.

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 June 2027* (approx. 262 days from now) through 15 July 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

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

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $1,000 for winner.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 June 2027* (approx. 262 days from now) through 15 July 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 5,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $1,000 for winner.

Submissions:

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 June 2027* (approx. 262 days from now) through 15 July 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 5 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms, including: Experimental poetry, Formal verse, Free verse.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Professional payment. Details: USD $1,000 for winner.

Submissions:

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.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for Grist

Go to contest webpage

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

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Link to Duotrope

ProForma 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.

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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

5 responses are pending (40 min | 55.2 mean avg | 58.0 median | 62 max days waiting | 8.7 std dev) from 5 different members

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $22.50.
Most recent response reported was received on 25 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 15 Jul 2026.
Date compiled: 11 Sep 2026 23:41 UTC (less than a minute ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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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: 23 Aug 2026

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