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
$20
Entry fee
May 1, 2024
Submission deadline
October 15, 2024
Winner Announcement
Competition Details
1. Timeline
Submission deadline May 1, 2024
Next submission window October 15, 2024 to May 1, 2025
Submit online through an online portal called Submittable (link not yet valid for the 2024-2025 season).
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
Submission Requirements
All writing genres and styles are acceptable for this writing contest, making it perfect for high school students to explore and develop stylistically. Participants may submit multiple entries; there is a $25 entry fee per submission. 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.
