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UPDATE:
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR UPDATES ON NEXT YEAR'S CONTEST.
Deadline EXTENDED to April 30, 2024 @ 11:59 pm!
Welcome to our 2024 short story contest!
Inspired by the popular National Novel Writing Month short story anthology series started ten years ago by WriMos passionate about turning writers into published authors, Dreambridge Publishing's debut anthology Trouble in Paradise will feature a host of new stories focused on utopias.
Fifteen to twenty lucky writers will have their short stories published in our anthology, for sale worldwide through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers.
Chosen writers will work with our team of dedicated editors to primp and polish their stories to perfection, offering a unique opportunity to experience the world of indie publishing.
Please note: this is an unpaid opportunity to showcase your writing. You will retain the rights to your story should you choose to publish it elsewhere, and all book sales will go towards the printing costs for the anthology and to fund future Dreambridge short story contests.
So, without further ado, here are the details for this year's anthology contest!
Our contest theme is: Utopia – or is it?
The prompt is: You must include something/someone that gets stuck
The title and theme is not meant to solicit or favor sci-fi; all genres are welcome! We encourage you to imagine your version of a “perfect” world, and all the imperfections that, inevitably, come along with it. In terms of the prompt, "stuck” is relative. Get creative!
If you want to see what we’ve accepted in the past, check out our previous anthologies.
Story submission guidelines:
This year's short stories must fit the theme of utopia – or is it? The story must include something/someone that gets stuck (this does not have to be a key plot point).
Maximum length: 4000 words. Shorter is sometimes better—make each word count!
We’re looking for compelling characters who struggle to achieve their goals. All genres are welcome, so long as the stories are original works of fiction.
Your story should be a stand-alone work of prose, not a chapter from a novel, a play, a screenplay, etc. Short poetry may be considered but is not the focus of the anthology. Works requiring specific typesetting, such as words that form shapes, cannot be accommodated due to publishing limitations.
One entry per author. No previously published stories or simultaneous submissions.
Please proofread your story before you submit. Grammar check using the Chicago Manual of Style, Grammarly, or Grammar Girl.
All submissions will receive a decision two to three weeks after the contest deadline.
We do not accept re-submissions for edits. If we select your story, our editors will work with you to polish it.
Formatting instructions:
Do center your title on the first page of the manuscript.
Do use one-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, no extra spaces between paragraphs.
Do use your title or first few words of the title as your file name.
Do save your manuscript in .doc, .docx, .odt, .rtf, or plain-text file format.
DO NOT put your name or contact info in the manuscript itself, or as part of the file name.
DO NOT submit a PDF.
DO NOT use single-space or 1.5-space line formatting.
DO NOT insert headers or footers, or page numbers.
DO NOT make a title page or use unusual title fonts.
Send in your story now!
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