driftwood

Timeline

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• Submissions will be open from March 1st to July 15th.

• Stories are considered by Driftwood editing staff (no outside readers); guest judge reads finalists.

• Throughout the process, readers will be notified if their story is passed on or reaches the finalist pool. This often results in a quicker response than other contests, where writers often have to wait until everything has been decided.

• The winner will be announced in November 2026.

• The winning short story will be published in the 2028 anthology.

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Guidelines

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• Fiction only.

• 1,000-6,000 word limit.

• A standard, 12-point font is preferred. 

• The work must not have been previously published.

• Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but
  please withdraw the work if the story has been
  accepted elsewhere.

• Submit works written in English only, no translations.

• Please submit your manuscript in a .doc, .docx, or PDF format.

• We read submissions blind, so please do not include your name, email, or any identifying characteristics on the manuscript itself.

• Submission fee is $30.00 USD. Each submitter will receive a free copy of a Driftwood Press fiction title of their choosing in the mail. 

 

Awards

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• The winner will receive $500 dollars and five copies of the anthology in which the story appears. The winner will also have the opportunity to be interviewed about their work; the interview will be published alongside the story.

• If a runner-up is chosen, their work will be offered publication, an accompanying interview, $200, and five copies of the issue in which their work appears.

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Past Contest Winners

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[2025 Contest]

[2024 Contest]

[2023 Contest]

[2022 Contest]

[2021 Contest]

[2020 Contest]

[2019 Contest]

[2018 Contest]

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