The Kepler Award

A project of Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores

About

The mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler wrote “Somnium” (The Dream), a science fiction/fantasy story to present his research and thoughts on astronomy and lunar geography in a way he hoped religious and scientific authorities of the day would find acceptable. Through his science fiction/fantasy filter he put forth ideas on moon-based astronomical observation, likely lunar life forms, and space travel.
The purpose of the Kepler Award is to recognize and encourage writers of excellent science fiction and fantasy stories that creatively extrapolate on known science in constructive and exciting ways. Fantasy elements that don’t contradict established scientific fact may used.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions, except for those with dire economic circumstances.
The fee is USD $20 (average for contests).

Want more insight into the affiliated editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s) of Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2019

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

4 members set this contest as a Favorite.

Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 October 2026 12:00 AM EDT (in 15 days) through 02 October 2026.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Fantasy Subgenre: Science Fantasy
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Short Story: No specific word count limits known (our definition: 1000 to 7500 words).

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.

Topics:

Other: May vary.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Provides free copy/copies Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $300 for for first place for a long story; $100 for first place for a "short short." Winners are also paid $0.08/word for publication.

Submissions:

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

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

No recent cover image available for The Kepler Award

Go to contest webpage

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

Social:
Bluesky @cosmicrootsonline.bsky.social
X (Twitter) @cosmicrootszine

Support this Publisher:
Subscribe

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

The Kepler 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.

We have not received any submission reports for this listing in the past 12 months.

Your Submissions

This section is available to subscribers only. Join today!

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: 02 Sep 2026

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