You probably know that fiction can be categorized based on length, with some of the most common formats being novels, novellas, and short stories. But did you know there’s a genre of literature that includes some stories shorter than most sentences?
Flash fiction is generally considered any piece of fiction that falls under 1,000 words. (After 1,000 words, you enter short story territory.)
Flash fiction contests can have much, much lower limits, though, with maximum word counts falling below 50 words. (Ernest Hemingway once won a contest with only six!)
Writing flash fiction stories can be a great way to push your creativity to new boundaries, as you’re forced to be far more selective with your words and plot points.
Flash Fiction Contests
Below is a list of flash fiction contests where you can submit your super short fiction for a chance to win cash and other prizes.
| Contest Name | Submission Guidelines | Entry Fee | First Prize | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Number Magazine 53-Word Story Contest | www.press53.com/53word-story-contest | Free | Publication in Prime Number Magazine + free book from Press 53 | 15th of each month |
| Flash 500 Contest | www.flash500.com/flash-fiction/ | £5 | £300 | Quarterly: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31 |
| Shady Grove Literary | www.shadygroveliterary.com/submissions/ | Free | $100 | Quarterly: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31 |
| Voice.club Flash Fiction Writing Contest | www.voice.club/contest | Free | $50 Amazon gift-card | Open monthly |
| Fish Publishing Flash Fiction Prize | www.fishpublishing.com/flash-fiction-contest/ | $16 | $1,170 | February 28, 2022 |
| Bellingham Review Literary Awards | www.bhreview.org/submissions-guidelines/ | $20 | $1,000 | March 15, 2022 |
| F(r)iction Winter Literary Competition | www.frictioncontests.com/submit | $10–$12 | $300 | April 28, 2022 |
| Tadpole Press 100 Word Writing Contest | www.tadpolepress.com/events | $10 | $1,000 | April 30, 2022 |
| Bridport Flash Fiction Prize | www.bridportprize.org.uk/flash-fiction/ | £9 | £1,000 | May 31, 2022 |
| Farnham Flash Fiction Competition | www.farnhamfringefestival.org/farnham_flash-2022 | £5 | £75 | June 17, 2022 |
| The Lascaux Prize in Flash Fiction | www.lascauxreview.com/contests/ | $15 | $1,000 | June 30, 2022 |
| The TSR Short Short Fiction Prize | www.thesouthamptonreview.com/short-short-fiction-contest | $5 | $500 + publication | September 1, 2022 |
| River Styx Schlafly Beer Micro-Brew Micro-Fiction Contest | www.riverstyx.org/microfiction-contest/ | $15–$20 | $1500 + one case of Schlafly micro-brew) | December 31, 2021 |
| TCK Publishing Flash Fiction Contest | www.tckpublishing.com/2022-flash-fiction-contest/ | $10 | $1,000 | June 30, 2022 |
| The Six Word Wonder Contest | www.dougweller.net/contest/ | Free | $100 | November 30, 2022 |
| WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest | www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest | $10 | $400 | Quarterly: February 28, May 31, August 31, November 30 |
| The Third Word Press | www.third-word.com/ | Free | £20 + publication | second and fourth Mondays of each month |
| Sweek Monthly Flash Fiction Contest | www.blog.sweek.com/flash-fiction-competition/ | Free | $50 | Monthly |
| Cranked Anvil Press Flash Fiction Competition | crankedanvil.co.uk/flashcomp/ | £3 for 1 entry; £5 for 2 entries | £100 | ongoing (quarterly) |
Can You Make Money Writing Flash Fiction?
Believe it or not, there is a market for flash fiction! While you won’t make as much as you would with a novel or short story, there are plenty of places that will pay for your flash fiction.
But even if you don’t manage to sell one of your flash fiction pieces to a paying market, writing these ultra-short stories is still great writing practice, and you can always post them on your blog or social media accounts!
Enter TCK Publishing’s Flash Fiction Contest
TCK Publishing is excited to announce our first annual flash fiction contest! Submissions are open now through June 30, 2022. Read the full guidelines here. The entry fee is $10, and the grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize.
If super short fiction isn’t quite your thing, you’re still in luck, because there are lots of other great writing contests you can enter for a chance to win big prizes.
Try your hand at some nonfiction, short story, or screenwriting contests and see where your skills take you!
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- List of Short Story Contests (Updated for 2021)
- What to Do After Winning a Writing Contest: 5 Ways to Celebrate Your Win
- How to Enter a Writing Contest: 8 Tips for Success
- 2021 Writing Contests: Where and How to Enter Your Work
As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Please could you list the Farnham Flash Fiction competition which is in its fifth year and has 3 princes of GDP £75, £GDP£25, and GDP £25 for flash fiction featuring Farnham, Surrey. Longlisted entries are published in the annual competition booklet Farnham Flash Fiction https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08YXZ4SD8
Thank you Sally, I’ve added it to the list! :)
People who run contests should take a serious look at their sites, especially how many pages you have to print to get the necessary information to enter.
Hi Barbara, sorry if some of these are inconvenient! I think most allow digital entries though, so hopefully you don’t need to print too much :) best of luck if you enter any of these contests!
Hi. I’ve launched a Six Word story contest. It’s free to enter and the winner win $100 and shortlisted stories get the chance to be published in an anthology. It would be great to be included on your site for 2022.
It’s at https://dougweller.net/contest
Thanks for sharing, Doug! I’ve added your contest to the list :)
Hello Doug, I checked out your website and it’s really cool. I want to enter.
You have Sweek listed but I don’t think they’ve updated their site in months and months. Maybe even a full year.
Thanks, Lisa! We’ll take a look at it. :)