Short Fiction Competitions to Enter in 2024

I’ve been compiling my list of potential competition submissions for 2024, which I thought I’d share in case it’s useful to any other writers. This is not an exhaustive list, and I won’t enter all of them.

I always note the deadline, the competition name, a link to the website, followed by the entry fee, word count limit, and theme (if applicable). I’ve put question marks by any that don’t have the deadline dates confirmed and I’ll undoubtedly add a few more once they open for entries. Bear in mind that I write a lot of flash fiction, so many of them tend towards shorter word counts, but some of the competitions have different categories that you might like to check out – e.g. I’ve put Bridport Flash Fiction, but there are also prizes for short stories, poetry, novels etc.

Please read the guidelines for yourselves and follow the rules to the letter. I always check them nearer the time, too; something might have changed, or I might have made a mistake when I initially noted the competition!

If you’re not a writer, or don’t enter competitions, I hope it’s interesting to see part of my process. If you are a writer and you achieve success in any of these competitions, please let me know. I’d love to hear about it.

Are there any other competitions you think I should add to my 2024 list?

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Jan 31^st 2024 Fiction Factory: https://fiction-factory.biz/flash-fiction-competition/ (£6, 1000)

Jan 31^st 2024 Lancashire Authors Association: http://www.lancashireauthorsassociation.co.uk/Open_Comp.html (£2, £5 for up to three entries, 100 words exactly, no simultaneous submissions)

Jan 31^st 2024 Cranked Anvil Short Story: https://crankedanvil.co.uk/shortstory/ (£5 for one, £8 for two, 1500)

Feb 4^th 2024 Bath Flash Fiction: https://www.bathflashfictionaward.com/ (£9 for one, £15 for two, £18 for three, 300)  

Feb 12^th 2024 Writers and Artists: https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/competitions/writers-artists-short-story-competition-2024 (£0, 2000, Theme: Risk)

Feb 15^th 2024 National Flash Fiction Day: https://www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/index.php/competition/competition-submission-guidelines/ (£2 for one, £3.75 for two, £5.25 for three, exactly 100, no simultaneous submissions)

Feb 15^th 2024 Rhys Davies: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/cultural-institute/rhys-davies-short-story-competition/ (£8, 5000)

Feb 23^rd 2024 Free Flash Fiction: https://freeflashfiction.com/current-competition/ (£3.50, 100-300)

Feb 28^th 2024 Fish Flash Fiction: https://www.fishpublishing.com/competition/flash-fiction-contest/ (£14, £9 for subsequent entries, 300)

Feb 28^th 2024 Wow Flash Fiction: https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#FlashFictionContest ($10, 250-750)

Feb 29^th 2024 Bridge House Publishing: https://www.bridgehousepublishing.co.uk/index.php/call-for-new-submissions(£0, 1000-5000, Theme: Good News…?)

Feb 29^th 2024 Exeter Writers: https://www.exeterwriters.org.uk/p/short-story-competition-2021.html (£7, 3000)

Feb 29^th 2024 Anansi Archive Flash Fiction: https://www.anansiarchive.co.uk/competitions/ (£1, 500)

Feb 29^th 2024 Cranked Anvil Flash Fiction: https://crankedanvil.co.uk/shortstory/ (£5 for one, £8 for two, 500)

Feb 29^th 2024 Bournemouth Writing Festival: https://www.bournemouthwritingfestival.co.uk/writing-competition (£5, 400, Theme: Lines in the Sand)

Mar 1^st 2024 Alpine Fellowship: https://alpinefellowship.com/writing-prize (£0, 2500, Theme: Language)

Mar 31^st 2024 Plaza Microfiction: https://theplazaprizes.com/competition/the-plaza-microfiction-prize-300-words/ (£9, £4.50 for subsequent entries, 300)

Mar 31^st 2024 Plaza Flash Fiction: https://theplazaprizes.com/competition/the-plaza-flash-fiction-prize-1000-words/ (£11, subsequent entry £5.50, 1000)

Mar 31^st 2024 Flash 500: https://flash500.com/flash-fiction/ (£5, 500)

Mar 31^st 2024 Henshaw: https://www.henshawpress.co.uk (£6, 2000)

Apr 7^th 2024 Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize: https://bricklanebookshop.org/2023-short-story-prize/ (£10, 1000-5000)

Apr 15^th 2024 Bath Short Story: https://www.bathshortstoryaward.org/2023/12/14/bssa-2024-now-open-for-entries/ (£9, 2200)

Apr 23^rd 2024 Free Flash Fiction: https://freeflashfiction.com/current-competition/ (£3.50, 100-300)

Apr 28^th 2024 ChipLitFest Short Story Competition: https://www.chiplitfest.com/chiplitfest-short-story-competition-2024?fbclid=IwAR3PRNfPSq_6xTDChrwMsK6vGi-r8X9vH2tYk4JiJeun-jHX80BBfs8sX5M (£5 for stories up to 2500, £8 for stories up to 8000)

Apr 30^th 2024 Cranked Anvil Short Story: https://crankedanvil.co.uk/shortstory/ (£5 for one, £8 for two, 1500)

May 31^st 2024 Bridport Flash Fiction: https://bridportprize.org.uk/the-competition/flash-fiction/ (£11, 250)

? May 31^st 2024 Frome Festival Short Story: https://www.fromeshortstorycompetition.co.uk/apply/ (£8, 1000-2200)

May 31^st 2024 Anansi Archive Flash Fiction: https://www.anansiarchive.co.uk/competitions/ (£1, 500)

May 31^st 2024 Wow Flash Fiction: https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#FlashFictionContest ($10, 250-750)

May 31^st 2024 Cranked Anvil Flash Fiction: https://crankedanvil.co.uk/shortstory/ (£5 for one, £8 for two, 500)

? Jun 2024 Bath Flash Fiction: https://www.bathflashfictionaward.com/ (£9 for one, £15 for two, £18 for three, 300)  

Jun 23^rd 2024 Free Flash Fiction: https://freeflashfiction.com/current-competition/ (£3.50, 100-300)

Jun 30^th 2024 Flash 500: https://flash500.com/flash-fiction/ (£5, 500)

Jun 30^th 2024 Henshaw: https://www.henshawpress.co.uk (£6, 2000)

Jul 12^th 2024: https://wrekinwriters.wordpress.com/doris-gooderson-short-story-competition/ (£5, 1200)

Jul 31^st 2024 Cranked Anvil Short Story: https://crankedanvil.co.uk/shortstory/ (£5 for one, £8 for two, 1500)

Aug 23^rd 2024 Free Flash Fiction: https://freeflashfiction.com/current-competition/ (£3.50, 100-300)

Aug 31^st 2024 Anansi Archive Flash Fiction: https://www.anansiarchive.co.uk/competitions/ (£1, 500)

Aug 31^st 2024 Wow Flash Fiction: https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#FlashFictionContest ($10, 250-750)

Aug 31^st 2024 Cranked Anvil Flash Fiction: https://crankedanvil.co.uk/shortstory/ (£5 for one, £8 for two, 500)

Aug 31^st 2024 Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction: https://www.scottishartstrust.org/flash (£7, 250)

Sep 14^th 2024 (or when they reach their Submittable limit) The Forge Literary Magazine Flash Fiction/Non-Fiction: https://forgelitmag.com/competition/ ($5, 1000)

? Sep 2024 Mslexia Flash Fiction: https://mslexia.co.uk/competitions/flash-fiction/womens-fiction-competition-flash-fiction/ (£6, 300)

Sep 30^th 2024 Flash 500: https://flash500.com/flash-fiction/ (£5, 500)

Sep 30^th 2024 Henshaw: https://www.henshawpress.co.uk (£6, 2000)

? Oct 2024 Bath Flash Fiction: https://www.bathflashfictionaward.com/ (£9 for one, £15 for two, £18 for three, 300)  

Oct 23^rd 2024 Free Flash Fiction: https://freeflashfiction.com/current-competition/ (£3.50, 100-300)

Oct 31^st 2024 Cranked Anvil Short Story: https://crankedanvil.co.uk/shortstory/ (£5 for one, £8 for two, 1500)

Oct 31^st 2024 Southport Writers’ Circle: http://www.swconline.co.uk/category/competitions/ (£3, £10 for four, 2000)

Nov 30^th 2024 Anansi Archive Flash Fiction: https://www.anansiarchive.co.uk/competitions/ (£1, 500)

Nov 30^th 2024 Wow Flash Fiction: https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#FlashFictionContest ($10, 250-750)

Nov 30^th 2024 Cranked Anvil Flash Fiction: https://crankedanvil.co.uk/shortstory/ (£5 for one, £8 for two, 500)

Dec 23^rd 2024 Free Flash Fiction: https://freeflashfiction.com/current-competition/ (£3.50, 100-300)

Dec 31^st 2024 Flash 500: https://flash500.com/flash-fiction/ (£5, 500)

Dec 31^st 2024 Henshaw: https://www.henshawpress.co.uk (£6, 2000)