The Short Story Contest That Answers Every Writer Back
Quick answer: US writers can enter Writory's monthly short story contest for $8 a story, against the $25 to $40 typical of Writer's Digest competitions or $50 and up at NYC Midnight. Stories run 100 to 2,000 words, judging is blind, and every entrant receives a certificate plus a score out of 100 with all five marks shown. Results by the 30th.
Most US contests run once a year and reply only to winners. Writory runs every month, judges blind against a published rubric, and sends every single entrant their five scores and a certificate by the 30th.
The published rubric, 100 points
- Storytelling & Structure (25 points): Does every scene cause the next, and does the ending pay off the opening?
- Character & Emotional Impact (25 points): Do we want something with your character, and does the story make us feel it?
- Language & Craft (20 points): Clean, deliberate prose: rhythm, precision, and nothing wasted.
- Originality & Voice (20 points): The angle only you could write, told in a voice that sounds like nobody else.
- Theme & Resonance (10 points): What the story leaves behind after the last line.
How it works
Submit an original story of 100 to 2,000 words by the 25th of the month, 11:59 PM IST. Every story is judged blind against the rubric above, and results arrive by the 30th: every entrant receives a certificate with their name and a score out of 100. Writers keep all rights. Monthly winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
Can I keep the story on submission at literary magazines?
Entering is not publication: your story appears nowhere public and no rights change hands, so simultaneous submissions to magazines carry on exactly as before.
What is the deadline in US time?
The 25th at 11:59 PM IST works out to 2:29 PM Eastern and 11:29 AM Pacific during daylight saving time. In practice US writers get an afternoon deadline on the 25th, not a midnight scramble.
What would disqualify my entry?
The list is short: a story that is not your own original work, or one outside the 100 to 2,000 word range. Copied and AI-generated text is not scored; it is rejected. Genre, subject and style are open, and there is no house taste to guess at; the rubric is the whole standard.
Why is the fee $8 when US contests charge $25 and up?
Different model. Annual contests fund one large purse and a long judging season. A monthly contest with a $50 top prize can price the entry at the cost of the judging itself. You are paying for the read and the scorecard, not a ticket to a big purse.
How is the $50 prize paid to a US winner?
Internationally, in dollars, after results post on the 30th; you will be contacted for payout details. The certificate and the five rubric scores arrive digitally, so nothing waits on the mail.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 31 countries have entered, readers come from over 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and theme. Every entrant receives a certificate; winners receive cash prizes and are published by name. Entries close on the 25th of each month and results are announced on the 30th. Writory is listed by Duotrope, Poetry Kit, Christopher Fielden's competition list and Creative Writing NZ, among other organisations. Past results are public at past winners and the leaderboard.