Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest is created by Winning Writers, the organization finding and creating quality resources for poets and writers. Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2015-2019). For this contest, a story is any short work of fiction, and an essay is any short work of nonfiction. Students can submit as many entries as they prefer. The final judge is Mina Manchester, is an Editor-at-large at Five South and former Assistant Editor for Narrative Magazine.
Interested in the competition?
Competition Overview
No restriction on age of author. All countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions)
Eligibility
$25
Entry fee
October 15, 2025-May 1, 2026
Submission deadline
Competition Details
1. Submission Requirements
All writing genres and styles are acceptable for this writing contest, making it an ideal opportunity for high school students to explore and develop their stylistic skills. Participants may submit multiple entries. All entries, both fiction and nonfiction, may not exceed the strict 6,000-word limit.
Acceptable document types:.doc, .docx, .pdf, .odt
Acceptable fonts: Times New Roman, Arial, or Verdana
To ensure anonymity, remove name/initials, email address, mailing address, phone number, and social media links in your submission.
2. Prizes
Participants compete for an astonishing $12,000 prize pool.
- Story (Any short work of fiction): First Prize, $3,500
- Essay (Any short work of nonfiction): First Prize, $3,500
- The top two winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value)
- 10 Honorable Mentions will receive $500 each (any category)
- Top 12 entries will be published online
