Fiction

The Memphis magazine Fiction Contest is back ... with a lean and hungry new look!

The Very Short Story Contest welcomes entries of up to 750 words, maximum. Winning stories are published in Memphis and archived on memphismagazine.com. Whereas the fiction contest was in the past a once-a-year event, the Very Short Story Contest will recognize ten winning entries annually, every month except February and August. The Very Short Story contest is presented by Novel, Memphis' newest independent bookstore. Winning authors will be honored with a $200 gift certificate at Novel. To read past winners and find contest rules, scroll down!

Contest Rules

1. Authors are strongly encouraged to bring Memphis or the Mid-South into their stories. How to do this? Well, that's up to your interpretation. 

2. Entries will be accepted throughout the year. The winning entry in any given month must have been received by the end of the second month prior (i.e. October's winner must be received by the end of August). 

3. Each story should be typed, doubled-spaced, and should not exceed 750 words. 

4. With each story should be a cover letter providing your name, a brief author bio, address, phone number, and the title of your story. Please do NOT put your name anywhere on the manuscript itself. 

5. Manuscripts may not have been previously published. 

6. Manuscripts should be sent to fiction@memphismagazine.com as .doc, .rtf, or .pdf files. 

With thanks to Novel, Memphis' newest independent bookstore and the sponsor of Memphis magazine's Very Short Story Contest. 

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