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1000-Word Short Story Competition Rules, Terms and Conditions

*** The competition is now closed to entries. Thank you to everyone who entered. ***

The New Writers 1000-Word Short Story Competition is up and running. So if you fancy winning a share of the £1,500 prize fund, check out the details below and get writing. Or go straight to the ENTRY FORM and submit your stories.

Competition Details:

  • Deadline: Midnight (UK time) on Tuesday 30th April 2024
  • Entry Fee: £10 (one entry), £19 (two entries), £27 (three entries)
  • Prizes: 1st Place: £1,000; 2nd Place: £300; 3rd Place: £200
  • Head Judge: Cassandra Parkin (Award-winning Author)
  • Publication: The three winning entries will be published on the NewWriters.org.uk website and in the New Writers Anthology 2024
  • Word Limit: Up to 1,000 words (excluding title)
  • Charity: £1 from each entry will be donated to First Story (England’s leading creative writing charity for young people)
  • Please read the full Competition Terms & Conditions before entering

Winners and authors who have made the shortlist will be notified by email no later than Friday 28th June 2024. The public announcement of winners and shortlisted entries will also be made no later than this date.

We want to make the competition accessible to as many writers as possible. We therefore have a limited number of free entries for low-income writers, available on a first-come, first-served basis (up to 15th April 2024). Please see the terms and conditions below for details.

By entering the New Writers 1000-Word Short Story Competition 2024, you agree to adhere to the rules, terms and conditions as detailed on this page.

New Writers 1000-Word Short Story Competition 2024 – SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Go to the Entry Form page and click the PayPal button or the link above the form.
  2. Click the relevant entry fee that corresponds to the number of entries you are going to submit: one, two or three. (Ignore the ‘Other’ option.)
  3. Click the ‘Donate’ button to pay using your PayPal account or click the ‘Donate with Debit or Credit Card’ button to pay using your debit or credit card (preferred option).
  4. Once your payment has gone through, please make a note of the Transaction ID. You will also receive a confirmation email from PayPal.
  5. Complete the the fields in the Entry Form: your PayPal transaction ID (or reference), the amount you have paid, your email address, your first name(s), your last name, and, if applicable, a pen name or alias.
  6. Add the title(s) of your story/stories and upload it/them in one of the following file formats: Microsoft Word Document, OpenDocument Text, or PDF.
  7. Ensure the file names are the same as the story titles. Please DO NOT include your name or other identifying information on the story document or in the file name (as entries are judged anonymously).
  8. Tick the box to confirm you have read, understood and agree to the Terms and Conditions (details below).
  9. Tick the next box if you would like to receive our monthly newsletter (optional) which includes details of upcoming writing competitions including regular free-to-enter competitions from NewWriters.org.uk that are exclusive to newsletter subscribers.
  10. Click the ‘Submit’ box and your entry/entries will be sent to the judges at NewWriters.org.uk. You will receive then a confirmation email from NewWriters.org.uk. If you do not receive this within 24 hours (and it is not in your spam folder), please contact us: david@newwriters.org.uk.
  11. You can submit up to three stories to the competition, and the discounted rates apply only when the entries are submitted at the same time (i.e. after one transaction at PayPal).

New Writers 1000-Word Short Story Competition 2024 – Terms and Conditions

  1. All entries must be received by midnight (UK time) on Tuesday 30th April 2024. Any entries received after this time will not be eligible, so please don’t be late to the party.
  2. The entry fee is £10.00 for one entry, £19 for two entries or £27 for three entries. Note that the discounted rate will only apply if the entries are paid for together and submitted in the same entry form.
  3. £1.00 from each entry will be donated to First Story (England’s leading creative writing charity for young people).
  4. Entrants can submit a maximum of three entries.
  5. The prizes will be allocated based on the head judge’s decision (which is final) as follows: 1st Place: £1,000; 2nd Place: £300; 3rd Place: £200.
  6. The 1000-Word Short Story Competition is open to anyone aged 16 years or older (at the time of entry) from anywhere in the world.
  7. Entries can be on any theme or subject, but they should be fiction rather than non-fiction.
  8. Entries must be written in English and be the original work of the entrant. No AI software or similar will be permitted (checks will be made for plagiarism and AI-generated writing). Obviously, there should be no potentially libellous material contained within any entries.
  9. Entries must be unpublished (including online or social media) and must not have been awarded a prize or won a competition. Any entries that are published, set to be published or that win a prize after the time of entry should be withdrawn as they will become ineligible to win the New Writers 1000-Word Short Story Competition (entry fees will not be refunded in this scenario).
  10. The maximum word count for entries is 1,000 words (excluding the title). Any entries that breach the 1.000-word limit will be disqualified and no refund will be given (so please double-check before submitting!).
  11. Entries must be submitted online using the 1000-Word Short Story Competition Entry Form as an attachment in one of the following file formats: Microsoft Word Document, OpenDocument Text, or PDF. Postal entries will not be accepted (let’s save the trees!).
  12. Your entry file name should be the title of your story. Please do not include your name (or other details about yourself) in the file name or on the story document.
  13. The Head Judge will be Cassandra Parkin, with NewWriters.org.uk editors assisting where necessary. The decision of the judges is final, and no correspondence will be entered into. Any questions or correspondence relating to the competition should be directed to david@newwriters.org.uk (and not the Head Judge), whether before or after the competition deadline or the announcement of the winners.
  14. Entries must be typed in a legible font, ideally one of the more common ones, with a font size of 12pt or 14 pt.
  15. Authors retains full copyright of any submitted story. If your entry makes it into the top three and hence wins a prize, it is assumed the author grants a non-exclusive license to NewWriters.org.uk to publish your work online on our website and in a future anthology.
  16. Winners and authors who have made the shortlist will be notified by email no later than Friday 28th June 2024. The public announcement of winners and shortlisted entries will also be made no later than this date.
  17. Titles and author names (or specified pen name/alias) of the winners, shortlisted and longlisted entries will be published on the website, along with the three winning stories.
  18. Payment to prize winners will be made by bank transfer (for UK residents) or PayPal payment, to be arranged with the winners, within one week of the announcement of winners (subject to receiving the relevant information from the winning authors).
  19. If you would like to use a pen name rather than your real name (i.e. if your story is eligible to be published on our website or in the anthology), please add your chosen pen name to the appropriate box on the entry form. Please also add your real name in the appropriate box.
  20. A limited number of free entries are available to writers from low-income households (less than £16k per year) and/or in receipt of the following benefits (or equivalent): Job Seeker’s Allowance, Working Tax Credit, Universal Credit, Disability Living Allowance, Carer’s Allowance.
  21. If you would like to apply for a free entry, please email david@newwriters.org.uk before midday (UK time) on Monday 15th April 2024. Please use ‘Low-Income Entry’ as the subject of the email. Note that we will not ask for proof or additional information about your financial situation.

Please be aware that failure to follow the submission instructions or the terms and conditions will result in your entry being disqualified and no refund will be issued, so please take care. And good luck!