The TCK Publishing Flash Fiction Contest is an international writing contest. Each year’s prizewinner receives a $1,000 honorarium (cash prize) and publication of his or her flash fiction story on the TCK Publishing website.
This contest is open to writers from all countries, backgrounds, and levels of experience and we invite you to join the 2022 TCK Publishing Flash Fiction Contest.
How the Contest Works
- Any writer (regardless of who your publisher is or if your work has been previously published) may submit a short story totaling no more than 500 words (less is fine) for an entry fee of $10.
- You must purchase your entry here (you can purchase as many entries as you like if you choose to enter multiple submissions).
- After you purchase your entry, you will be asked to complete a short Google Form to complete your submission so you can submit your short story on that page.
- All entrants will be notified through a confirmation email from TCK Publishing.
- Submissions are now open.
- Submissions will close on June 30, 2022.
- Declaration of winner and awarding of prize will be on July 21, 2022.
- The winner will be notified through an email from the TCK Publishing Short Story Contest committee.
Registration is Now Open
Note: If you would like to purchase multiple submissions, simply click the “+” button on the right side of the registration page to add additional submissions.
FAQ
Can I mail in my submission?
No. We only accept digital submissions. Once you purchase your entry for the contest, you’ll be given clear instructions on how to submit your flash fiction story.
Can I submit my story online?
Yes.
Can I submit a story that has previously been published?
Yes.
What if the writer’s work was published by a literary magazine and the writer doesn’t own the rights?
Yes. Even though the writer no longer has the rights for the short story, she can still submit it as long as she’s the one who wrote the short story.
Should I include acknowledgments or publication credits?
No. Simply submit your story in full without any additional credits.
Which genres of stories are acceptable to submit?
Due to the unique nature of writing a story in 500 words or less, all genres are welcome for this contest. We will pick the winner based on the story we find to be most memorable, meaningful, and impactful.
Can I submit a translation of my short story (in English)?
Yes. Just make sure you have secured the all rights to the translation of your work.
Do I have to live in the United States to enter?
No. You may submit your short story from any country in the world.
Can I enter more than once?
Yes, you may enter as many times as you would like but you will have to pay the $10 entry fee for each submission.
How do I submit multiple entries that I have paid for?
You will be sent to a Google form to fill out in order to enter the contest. You should fill out the form one time for every entry you have purchased so that each of your entries are logged separately and accurately.
Can I send my short story by email?
No. You must submit online through an online form by following the instructions once you purchase your entry.
Are there any additional entry fees?
No! Because we do not use Submittable, we do not have to pass on additional fees to entrants, so you will only have to pay $10 exactly per entry.
Who is the selection judge?
Nicholas Holloway, TCK Publishing’s fiction editor and award-winning author of The Loop and Three Houses on a Hill.
Who are the final judges?
Everyone working at TCK Publishing at the time the winner’s selection is made.
Contest Procedures
When your submission arrives, it will be logged into our Flash Fiction Contest database automatically with Google Forms. Mark Buctuanon will remove all identifying names before forwarding the short stories to the selection judge. In this way, the judges will make their decision based solely on the stories, without any knowledge of who the authors are.
The selection judge will select a winner for each category, and these winners will receive commemorative badges to display on their websites or social media.
Then the final judges (that’s all of our team at TCK Publishing, excluding the team member who removed the names) will review the finalists (the winners of each category) and select the overall winner.
The judges agree not to select any submissions that present any conflict of interest.
Contact
If you have any additional questions, please contact us using the form below with the subject line “Flash Fiction Contest.”
More Great Contests
You can also check out the Reader’s Choice Book Awards Contest if you have a book that you would like to enter into the contest (Note: The Reader’s Choice Book Awards Contest is free to enter for all authors).
The annual TCK Publishing Short Story Contest features a $1,000 honorarium (cash prize) and allows submissions of short stories of up to 4,000 words. The entry fee is $12.
The annual TCK Publishing Poetry Awards Contest is another great opportunity if you have a poem you would like to write or submit. The entry fee is $5, and the honorarium (cash prize) is $1,000 for the winner.
We also host the TCK Publishing Nonfiction Writing Contest each year with an entry fee of $12 and a $1,000 honorarium (cash prize).
If you’re looking to enter more flash fiction contests, you can browse our list of flash fiction contests to find other opportunities.
More About Flash Fiction
If you’re interested in flash fiction, you might love our post on flash fiction tips and our very popular post on places that pay for flash fiction.