Judged by Kirstin Valdez Quade
Open March 1 to May 2
Our signature contest is back for its fourth year! The 2021 CRAFT Short Fiction Prize is now open to unpublished short fiction up to 5,000 words.
Guest judge Kirstin Valdez Quade will select three winning pieces for publication, with $2,800 awarded.
GUIDELINES:
Open March 1, 2021 to May 2, 2021
CRAFT Short Fiction Prize submissions are open to all fiction writers
International submissions are welcome
Short fiction only
Please submit work in English only
5,000 word count maximum
We review literary fiction, but are open to a variety of genres and styles-our only requirement is that you show excellence in your craft
Previously unpublished work only-we do NOT review reprints for contests (previously published includes blogs, personal websites, social media, etc.)
We allow simultaneous submissions-writers, please notify us and withdraw your piece if your work is picked up elsewhere
We allow multiple submissions-please submit each piece as a separate submission accompanied by an entry fee
$20 entry fee per submission
All entries will also be considered for publication in CRAFT
All submissions must be made via Submittable
Please, please, double-space your submission and use Times New Roman 12 pt font
Please include a brief cover letter with your publication history (if applicable)
We do not require anonymous submissions
We do not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, disability, family status, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation, or for any other reason
Additionally, we do not tolerate discrimination in the writing we consider for publication: work we find discriminatory on any of the bases stated here will be declined without complete review (you will be refunded, less fees)
Friends, family, and associates of the judge are not eligible for consideration for the award.
AWARDS:
Winner: $2,000 award and a subscription to Journal of the Month
Runners-up: $500 award and $300 award respectively for the second and third place finalists
Publication of the top three stories in CRAFT, each with an introduction by the guest judge
Publication of an author’s note (craft essay) to accompany the story by each of the writers of the top three entries
All entrants will receive an exclusive digital compilation next fall/winter that includes: the winning pieces with the guest judge’s introductions and the winners’ craft essays; excerpts from the finalist pieces; excerpts from craft essays; and more
ABOUT THE JUDGE
Kirstin Valdez Quade is the author of the story collection Night at the Fiestas, which won the John Leonard Prize from the National Book Critics Circle, the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a “5 Under 35” award from the National Book Foundation. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Best American Short Stories, The O. Henry Prize Stories, and elsewhere. She is an assistant professor at Princeton. Her novel The Five Wounds is forthcoming April 2021.
Find submission details at
