The Writing District Prize 2023

Short story submissions for the 2023 Contest will be accepted from August 25th, 2022.

The DEADLINE for receipt of entries is 5pm (EST) on May 31st, 2023

Entries will only be accepted through Duosuma.

Short stories can be on any subject.

$15 per entry. You can submit multiple entries as long as each entry is paid for individually and includes a separate entry form.

All entries are judged anonymously. Please do not include your name, address, phone number, email, website, social media details, etc. on the short story document or in the file name as this will result in disqualification. You can enter your name on the application form.

Format the short story as per the following instructions:

Your short story must be written in English. A maximum of 3,000 words. No minimum. Title not included in the word count.

Please submit a typed short story in Arial or Times New Roman, 12pt, black. Double spaced.

Include a front page which details the title of the short story and the word count ONLY. The author’s name should not be included anywhere in the document or the file name.

No illustrations.

Save as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx). We also accept file types .rtf, .pdf, with the Short Story title as the file name. Please do not include the author’s name in the file name or it will be disqualified.

Final Judge: W T Paterson is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee, holds an MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of New Hampshire, and is a graduate of Second City Chicago. His work has appeared in over 80 publications worldwide including The Saturday Evening Post, The Forge Literary Magazine, The Delhousie Review, Brilliant Flash Fiction, and Fresh Ink. A semi-finalist in the Aura Estra short story contest, his work has also received notable accolades from Lycan Valley, North 2 South Press, and Lumberloft.

Full Terms & Conditions here.

FAQ here.

Entries will be accepted through Duosuma only. If you have questions about Duosuma or are having technical difficulties submitting your work, please contact Duosuma Customer Support at https://duotrope.com/contact/customerservice.aspx.