Fabula Press Short Story Competitions

Closes on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 11:59 PM UTC (in 28 days)

PAID section submission rules:

• Eligibility: The Contest is open to all writers worldwide, 18 years old or above, except for the employees of Fabula Press, their immediate families and anyone living with any employee of the Sponsor or its corporate affiliates, advertising or promotional agencies. There is no limit to the number of entries per person, but this is not bingo, and more submissions do not necessarily translate into higher chances of winning
• Submission Period: Paid submission window opens at 12:00 Midnight on February 21, 2024, and end at 11:59 PM of June 11, 2024. Any extension of the contest window will be at the sole discretion of the organisers, and will be notified on the website if extended.
• Theme: There is no theme to the contest. We are not picky about genre either. What we are looking for is exceptional writing, so a Chekovian piece of truth and drama, a Poesque tale of horror, or a work of science fiction in the nature of Connie Willis’ Firewatch hold a similar appeal for us. Chick Lit, Young Adult, and Hard Science Fiction do not work for us, though, given the nature of the anthology.
• Entry fee: We have a free section, and a tiered paid submissions section. For the free section, no entry fee will be charged, but submissions must be limited to one (1) work of fiction per submitter. For the paid section, early bird submissions will be accepted till April 20, 2024. Submissions made between April 21, 2024 and June 11, 2024 will entail an entry fee of US$15 per submission. There is no limit on the number of entries in the paid section. Please note that contest awards will be paid through PayPal, so if PayPal is not operational in your country, please get in touch with us before submitting your story, at [email protected].
• Format: Stories must be double-spaced, in a standard font (Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond or similar). They must be in English, original and unpublished up to the time the winners are declared on or about September 30, 2024.The front page of the story should include the name of the story, and the word count.
• Submission: All submissions should be through the Duosuma Submissions Manager tool on the website. Since the contest will be blind judged, the author’s name should not appear anywhere in the story, and should only be entered in the submission manager.
• Word Count: Not less than 2500 words, and not more than 7000 words. Longer stories of exceptional merit may be considered at the sole discretion of the judges.
• Pseudonyms: Pseudonyms are not permitted at the time of submission. However, if the story is selected for publication, the author can specify a pseudonym for the anthology.
• Simultaneous Submissions: Allowed, but the story should be immediately withdrawn if selected elsewhere prior to declaration of the results of Fabula Press’ contest.
• Queries: Queries before submission are welcome, but must relate to the contest rules or if there are difficulties in submission.