an ordinary contest

Our first contest has wrapped! See the results here:

Or read our three finalists here:

Proudly supported by Chill Subs and their Contest Transparency Partnership program.

Submission period: October 10–October 19, 2025
Entry fee: $5
Word limit: 1,500–3,000 words
Prompts: 3 provided; 2 required in story
The three prompts will only be announced via email to those participating.

How it works

Writers can purchase their entry (up to three per person) any time between now and the end of the contest. Each entry purchased equates to one story that writers can submit; so if you purchase two entries, you can submit two stories. All participants will be sent the prompts and link to submit their story.

All stories should take the ordinary of everyday life and put a twist on it, whether it’s speculative, surreal, magical realism, etc., while adhering to the specific contest prompts.

Three prompts will be sent to participants. Writers will be required to include two in their stories (no bonus points for including all three):

a specific line/quote
a story element
a surprise

Prizes and publication

• First place: 50% of net revenue (minimum of $75) + publication in Foofaraw Press + 5yr Chill Subs membership
• Second place: 30% of net revenue (minimum of $45) + publication in Foofaraw Press + 2yr Chill Subs membership
• Third place: 20% of net revenue (minimum of $30) + publication in Foofaraw Press + 2yr Chill Subs membership
• Five honorable mentions: $10 each + publication consideration (requires a minimum of 100 entries) + 1yr Chill Subs membership

Entry guidelines

• Format: Standard manuscript format, 12pt, 1.5 line spacing
• Submission method: Form link to be sent via email
• Simultaneous submissions: Accepted (withdraw immediately if accepted elsewhere)
• Previously published work: Not accepted
• Multiple entries: Up to three submissions per author (separate entry fee for each)
• Anonymous judging: Remove your name from manuscript pages

Absolutely no AI

Timeline

Entries available for purchase: NOW
Prompts announced and e-mailed to participants: October 10, 2025
Writing/submission period: October 10-19, 2025
Submission deadline: October 19, 2025 (11:59 PM PT)
Judging period: October–November 2025
Winners announced here

Judges

Joel Glover, author and Foofaraw contributor
Casey Aimer, poet and editor of Radon Journal
Charlie Fish, editor-in-chief of Fiction on the Web and creator of the FISH list

Judging process

Round one: Editorial staff screens all entries for adherence to guidelines and basic quality standards
Round two: Stories are divvied up between the three judges to read, with each selecting five finalists
Round three: The judges will deliberate to decide the winners from the fifteen finalists. Foofaraw editorial staff will select honorable mentions from the remaining finalists.

Judging criteria

Stories will be evaluated on:
• Style: Does the story bring a distinct voice?
• Prose: Does the story read clearly without errors or unclear language?
• Originality: How does the story bring something new to the ordinary of everyday life?
• Resonance: How long does it linger with the reader after the final sentence?
• Adherence: Does it include two of the three provided prompts?

Rights and publication

More info can be found about rights and the publication process on our Submissions page

• First serial rights for winning stories
• Non-exclusive anthology rights for one year
• All other rights remain with authors
• Authors retain copyright
• Digital and print publication in Foofaraw Press

Eligibility

• Open to all writers worldwide
• Stories must be written in English
• Authors must be eighteen or older
• Foofaraw Press staff, editors, and guest judges are ineligible

Entry fee breakdown

We believe in transparency. Here’s where your $5 goes:

Questions?

Email us at contest@foofaraw.press

We aim to respond to all inquiries within 48 hours.

Browse by Topics

Table of Contents