Winning Writers runs this annual contest for short fiction and essays written in English. Entries may contain up to 6,000 words, excluding the title and footnotes, and are submitted online. The contest is currently between cycles.
The official site displays May 1, 2027 as the next deadline, but the submission portal does not yet list this contest and no exact reopening date is published there. Current country restrictions should be checked when the portal reopens.
Benefits & funding
- The official contest page lists $12,000 in total prizes.
- This is a fee-based contest; confirm the next-cycle entry fee when submissions reopen.
Eligibility
- Writers of all ages may enter under Winning Writers’ general submission guidelines.
- Each entry must be an English-language short story or essay of no more than 6,000 words, excluding the title and footnotes.
- Work previously recognized in a Winning Writers contest must not be resubmitted.
- The fetched official pages do not publish current country restrictions while this contest is closed.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Review the contest page and wait for the Tom Howard/John H. Reid submission form to reopen.
- 2Prepare each English short story or essay within the 6,000-word limit.
- 3Remove identifying details and tracked changes, then upload a .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .odt file through the official form.
Program timeline
Most recent cycle’s application deadline.
May 1, 2026
Deadline displayed for the next cycle.
May 1, 2027