The
best Our Writing Contests
Forget the blurb and go straight to the >>>>>> Writing Contests
Matthew Sweeney, Seamus Heaney & the winner of the 11th Fish Short
Story Prize Marc Phillips at the West Cork Literary Festival 2005.
Fish Publishing offers several writing contests, and we try to vary them each year to provide an alternative to the main short story competition, The Fish Short Story Prize. On this page there is an outline of our current and recent writing contests. To find the details of each contest, or to keep up to date with the writing contests which have recently closed, click on the appropriate link and go to that competition's page. There you will find full details of the entry requirements and other important information.
The aim of the Fish Writing Competitions is to get new writers into print. Since starting the first Fish Writing Contests in 1994 Fish has published over 200 new authors, many of whom have gone on to further publications and successful writing careers. See the Alumni for past winners of the Fish Writing Contests. The Fish Critique Service is available for writers who require an appraisal of their work prior to entering a writing contest, or at any time. For interesting comments on short story writing from acclaimed authors, go to Writing Short Stories.
The Micro-Fiction Showcase 2008
Opens: 1 May 2008
Closes: 31 July 2008
These are month long competitions, running throughout the Summer for
very, very short fiction.
(Sixty Word Stories and Poems of Eight lines or less!)
Each month the best entries will be displayed in our Micro-Fiction
Showcase, and the top four short stories and the top four Poems this
month will win €25 and a copy of 'Harlem River Blues' this year's
Fish Anthology.
The winning entries will appear in NEXT YEAR's Fish Anthology and will
go forward to the final judging. The overall top Story and top Poem
will win €500 and a free personal web-site each, designed and delivered
for you by the Fish Web-Team at efastnet
Web Design
T hese competitions only cost TWO EUROs per entry! The idea is that
everyone who is interested in writing, can have a go.
Submit a bunch of your own micro-fiction, or some from your family and friends, from schools and colleges, people at work, people in your writing group, people you pass in the street, your worst enemy! ANYONE!
Full details of this competition can be found at Micro-Fiction Showcase
Below here are some of our previous competitions, all of which are now closed. However if you want to take a look at some of the previous competitions we have run and some of the feedback from them, then please feel free to have a browse.
The 2008 One Page Story Prize
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 January 2008
Closes: 31 March 2008
Judge: TBC
This competition requires stories of around 300 words on any subject. €1,000 First Prize + €100 each to the runners-up, all winners to be published in the Fish Anthology 2008. Details of this writing contest can be found at 2008 One Page Story Prize
2008 Fish International Poetry Prize
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 January 2008
Closes:31 March 2008
Judge: TBC
€1,000 First Prize+ €100 each to four runners up. Top 5 published
in Fish Anthology 2008
Requires poems of any length, and in any style written in English. Details
of this, the 3rd Fish Interna tionalPoetry Prize can be found at
2008 Fish International Poetry Prize
14th Fish International Short Story Prize
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 August 2007
Closes: 30 November 2007
Judges:
Carlo Gebler , David
Mitchell, Clem Cairns
Fish Publishing is pleased to announce the launch of the 14th Annual Fish Short Story Prize.
The format of this year's competition is slightly different. We have decided to change the structure of our prize fund to recognise as many as possible of the successful writers who are selected to appear in next year's Fish Anthology. In line with our other competitions, all those authors who appear in the Anthology and who come to next year's book launch to read their stories, will receive part of the prize fund in recognition of their efforts.
Also in line with our other competitions, this year's Fish Short Story Prize will be ON-LINE entry only. This is because the number of postal entries has dwindled away over the last few years and the cost of maintaining the system for managing them has become prohibitive.
Click here to find out all about this year's Fish Short Story Prize. If you have any questions about the new competition format please mail us at info@fishpublishing.com.
The Fish-Knife Award 2007
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 May 2007
Closes: 30 September 2007
Judges: TBC
Fish Publishing, in conjunction with the Crime Writers' Association, is plesed to announce the second Fish-Knife Award, the Short Crime-fiction Award 2007. This competition offers a top prize of €1,500 plus an engraved silver Fish-knife, and publication in the Fish Anthology 2008. Five runners up will each receive an award of €100 and will also be published in the Anthology.
This Award is all about crime. From GBH (Grevious Bodily Harm) to GTA (Grand Theft Auto) what we are looking for is high quality writing with a crime based theme up to a maximum of 5,000 words. This is an On-line only competition. Postal entries will not be accepted.
Full details of this competition can be found at The Fish-Knife Award.
Short Histories III
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 May 2007
Closes: 30 September 2007
Judges: TBC
Fish Publishing, once again in conjunction with the Historical Novel Society, is proud to introduce Short Histories III, the Short Historical Fiction Award 2007. This competition requires stories of up to 5,000 words and offers a top prize of €1,500 plus publication in the Fish Anthology 2008. Five runners up will each receive an award of €100 and will also be published in the Anthology.
This award is of course all about history. From Egyptian Pharoes to English Knights, from Byzantium to Bay of Pigs, what we are looking for is high quality writing with a historical theme. This is an On-line only competitions. Postal entries will not be accepted.
Full details of both these competitions can be found at Historical Short Fiction Prize 2006.
Criminally-Short Short Histories
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 May 2007
Closes: 30 September 2007
Judges: TBC
Fish Publishing is proud to introduce Criminally-Short Short Histories, A One-page Award for very short Historical stories, or Crime based stories, or both! . This competition requires stories of up to 300 words and offers a top prize of €500 plus publication in the Fish Anthology 2008. Five runners up will each receive an award of €100 and will also be published in the Anthology.
THis competition is aimed at allowing our Author's to try their hand at our very popular One-Page competition but this time it is themed. Last years Historical One-page Prize proved very popular, except with our Crime Authors, so this year we are giving everyone an opportunity to write a one page History, or a One-Page thriller or, intriguingly, a One-Page Historical crime story. This year there will be a winner in each category and they, and six runners-up will be published in the Fish anthology 2008. This is an On-line only competitions. Postal entries will not be accepted.
Full details of both these competitions can be found at Criminally-Short Short Histories
The Micro-Fiction Showcase
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 June 2007
Closes: 31 August 2007
These are month long competitions, running throughout the Summer for
very, very short fiction.
(Thirty Word Stories and Poems of Five lines or less! Except!)
Each month the best entries will be displayed in our Micro-Fiction
Showcase, and the top six short stories and the top six Poems this month
will win €25 and a copy of 'A
Paper Heart is Beating, A Paper Boat Sets Sail', this year's Fish
Anthology.
The winning entries will appear in NEXT YEAR's Fish Anthology and will
go forward to the final judging. The overall top Story and top Poem
will win €500 and a free personal web-site each, designed and delivered
for you by the Fish Web-Team at efastnet
Web Design
these competitions only costs ONE EURO per entry! The idea is that everyone
who is interested in writing, can have a go.
Submit a bunch of your own micro-fiction, or some from your family and friends, from schools and colleges, people at work, people in your writing group, people you pass in the street, your worst enemy! ANYONE!
Full details of this competition can be found at Micro-Fiction Showcase
The 2007 One Page Story Prize
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 January 2007
Closes: 31 March 2007
Judge: Robert Shaphard
This competition requires stories of around 250 words on any subject. €1,000 First Prize + €100 each to the runners up, to be published in the Fish Anthology 2007. Details of this writing contest can be found at 2007 One Page Story Prize
2007 Fish International Poetry Prize
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 January 2007
Closes:31 March 2006
Judge: Rita
Anne Higgins
€1,000 First Prize+ €100 each to four runners up. Top 5 published
in Fish Anthology.2007
Requires poems of any length, and in any style written in English. Details
of this, the 2nd Fish Poetry Prize can be found at
2007 Fish International Poetry Prize
13th Fish International Short Story Prize
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 August 2006
Closes: 30 November 2006
Judges: Michael Collins,
Fiona Kidman and a third
Judge is to be confirmed. (Michael Collins will be giving a Workshop
on Novel Writing at the 2007 West
Cork Literary Festival)
Fish Publishing is pleased to announce the launch of the 13th Annual Fish Short Story Prize.
The format of this year's competition is slightly different. We have decided to change the structure of our prize fund to recognise as many as possible of the successful writers who are selected to appear in next year's Fish Anthology. In line with our other competitions, all those authors who appear in the Anthology and who come to next year's book launch to read their stories, will receive part of the prize fund in recognition of their efforts.
Also in line with our other competitions, this year's Fish Short Story Prize will be ON-LINE entry only. This is because the number of postal entries has dwindled away over the last few years and the cost of maintaining the system for managing them has become prohibitive.
Click here to find out all about this year's Fish Short Story Prize. If you have any questions about the new competition format please mail us at info@fishpublishing.com.
The Fish-Knife Award
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 May 2006
Closes: 17 September 2006
Judges: TBC
Fish Publishing, in conjunction with the Crime Writers' Association, is introducing The Fish-Knife Award, the Short Crime-fiction Award 2006. This competition offers a top prize of €1,500 plus an engraved silver Fish-knife, and publication in the Fish Anthology 2007. Five runners up will each receive an award of €100 and will also be published in the Anthology.
This Award is all about crime. From high treason to petty larceny, what we are looking for is high quality writing with a crime based theme up to a maximum of 5,000 words. This is an On-line only competition. Postal entries will not be accepted.
Full details of this competition can be found at The Fish-Knife Award.
Short Histories II and the Historical One Page Prize
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 May 2006
Closes: 17 September 2006
Judges: TBC
Given the success of last year's inaugural Historical Short Fiction Award and the very well received Short Histories Anthology All the King's Horses, Fish Publishing, once again in conjunction with the Historical Novel Society, is proud to introduce Short Histories II, the Short Historical Fiction Award 2006. This competition requires stories of up to 5,000 wrds and offers a top prize of €1,500 plus publication in the Fish Anthology 200. Five runners up will each receive an award of €100 and will also be published in the Anthology.
At the same time, and as part of the same Anthology, Fish is introducing the Historical One Page Prize for historical short fiction gems of around 250 words. This part of the competition offers a first prize of €1,000. The winning One Page Story and four runners-up (who will each receive a €100 prize) will also appear in the Short Histories Anthology 2007.
These Awards are of course all about history. From Egyptian Pharoes to English Knights, from Byzantium to Bay of Pigs, what we are looking for is high quality writing with a historical theme. These are On-line only competitions. Postal entries will not be accepted.
Full details of both these competitions can be found at Historical Short Fiction Prize 2006.
The 2006 One Page Story Prize
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 December 2005
Closes: 4 March 2006 (Now extended. New closing date 31 March 2006)
Judge: Angela Jane Fountas
Because of an error on our part this competition has been entered in
a few databases as closing at the end of March, To be fair to all those
who have been misled by our mistake, we have decided to extend the deadline
to 31st March 2006. The competition still requires stories of around
250 words on any subject. €1,000 First Prize + €100 each to
nine runners up. Top 10 published in Fish 2006 Anthology. Details of
this writing contest can be found at 2006
One Page Story Prize
2006 Fish International Poetry Prize
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 1 January 2006
Closes:31 March 2006
Judge: Leanne O'Sullivan and Michael McCarthy
€1,000 First Prize+ €100 each to four runners up. Top 5 published
in Fish 2006 Anthology.
Requires poems of any length, and in any style written in English. Details
of this, the 1st Fish Poetry Prize can be found at 2006
Fish International Poetry Prize
The 2007 Fish Art-Work Prize
NOW CLOSED
Opens: 17 March 2007
Closes: 23 April 2007
This competition requires Art Images which will provide the cover of the Fish Anthology 2007. €1,000 First Prize + €100 each to the runners up.
The winning entry will appear with full acknowledgement as the front cover of this year's Fish Anthology and the runners-up will be published on the Fish News Page..
12th Fish International Short Story Prize
NOW CLOSED
€10,000 First Prize Requires stories of 5,000 words max. Details of this writing contest can be found at 12th International Short Story Prize
The 2005 Historical Short Fiction Prize
NOW CLOSED
Details of this writing contest can be found at 2005 Historical Short Fiction Prize
Please be aware that some of the contests on this page are now closed, however the page for these contests will still contain details of winners, the short-lists and other relevant information.
We publish regular updates on the Fish News page on the status of competitions: announcement dates, short lists and so forth. We try to avoid sending you too many emails, so we will only send out general emails announcing the latest news with regard to specific contests. We do not send individual messages unless you are one of our published winners, in which case we will contact you to discuss publication. If you still have queries please contact us at info@fishpublishing.com
Short Stories to read online
Read online some of the winning entries from previous Fish Anthologies. These are examples of the calibre that win the Fish Short Story Prize. Short Stories to read online
Writing Short Stories
Our new Writing feature provides some suggestions on the art of story writing. The page is designed to provide writers with on-going, constructive information about how other authors achieved success with writing short fiction. For more information visit our Writing Short Stories page.
Writing Contests - Assistance
Fish Publishing offers an Editorial Consultancy and Critique Service. designed to provide writers thinking of entering writing competitions with constructive feedback on their work, whether it is a complete novel or just the beginnings. The Service is available to writers prior to entering the Fish writing competitions.
Online Book Shop
You can buy Fish Publishing's Anthologies of short stories on-line in our online book shop – The Fish Shop.