The Winter 2020 Story Contest

Narrative Magazine, an American online literary magazine published since 2003, is open to submissions from the public. They are interested in short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary non-fiction, and excerpts from bigger works of fiction and non-fiction.

They require for their entries to possess a strong narrative drive, with characters that are human and can be related to; and also the effects of language, situation, and insight that are intense and total.

Entries must be unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honourable mention in another contest.

All who submit entries will be notified by email of the judges decision. The winners and finalists will be announced to the public by April 30, 2020.

Deadline for entries is March 31, 2020, at midnight, Pacific daylight time.

The awards for First Prize is $2,500, Second Prize is $1000, Third Prize is $500, and ten finalists will receive $100 each.

All entries for this contest are eligible for the $4000 Narrative Prize for 2020 and for acceptance as a Story of the Week.

See the submission guidelines here.

To submit your work, click here.

There is a $27 fee per entry. Each writer receives a three-month complimentary access to Narrative Backstage upon submission.