The William Gay Memorial Prize in Short Story

A project of Porchlight (see other related projects).

About

No about statement available.

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

Want more insight into the affiliated editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s) of Porchlight.

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

Fiction Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 31 October 2026* (approx. 46 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

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

Submissions:

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

Recent cover image or website screenshot for Porchlight

Go to contest webpage

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

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

The William Gay Memorial Prize in Short Story 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

1 response is pending (8 days waiting).

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $20.00.
Most recent response reported was received on 01 Jan 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 18 Nov 2025.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 06:29 UTC (2 hours, 34 minutes ago).

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Porchlight

Porchlight Prize in Poetry

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: 31 Aug 2026

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