The Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction Competition welcomes entries of stories and one-act plays of up to five thousand words. A team of professional readers vets the manuscripts, and a guest judge adjudicates the winners; among recent guest judges are Colum McCann, Mary Gaitskill, Karen Russell, Adam Johnson, Yiyun Li, and Joyce Carol Oates. The winning story is ensured publication, whether at the website or in the print edition; the top three stories earn cash prizes; and those stories, along with seven honorable mentions, are forwarded to leading literary agencies for consideration. Of the ten authors so recognized each year, an average of three to six sign with agents as a result; and past such writers include Jonathan Safran Foer and Tommy Orange. The competition opens July 1 and closes the first week of October.
For guidelines, deadlines, and to enter, please visit zoetrope.com/contests.