Blank Spaces and Chicken House Press presents

THE 50/50 BLANK SPACES FICTION ANTHOLOGY CONTEST

Deadline to enter is September 30, 2024 | Open on July 1, 2024

OUR 4th CASH PRIZE CONTEST!

The contest will pay 50% of entry fee proceeds* to the top story as well as publication within the short story anthology**, automatic Pushcart prize nomination, and an offer for a manuscript critique with potential to publish a personal full length work/collection***. If entries exceed our expectations, cash prizes may also be awarded to second and third place. If submission numbers are low, we may extend the deadline to invite more stories. Watch this page for updates.

Each entry is subject to the $10 entrance fee - learn why below.

THEME: STICKS & STONES

We are looking for a wide variety of approaches to this theme and are open to stories that are light or dark, humorous or sad, romantic or mysterious. Ideally, we’d love to see you pull us in every direction possible! Are you up for the challenge?

These numbers will be updated as entries and funds are processed. Would you like to become a sponsor?)

 


A longlist will be released in October. A shortlist (8) will be announced in November.

Winner will be announced in December, 2024.

The longlist will be selected by Chicken House Press owner, Alanna Rusnak through a process of blind reading. Excerpts of the longlisted stories will be published to the Blank Spaces website. The community will be invited to comment on their favourites and make pitches for their selection, but the shortlist will ultimately be decided by a blind jury of seven.

All shortlisted authors (selected by jury) will be anthologized in (and receive a free copy of) the publication which will release in April 2025. The grand-prize winner will receive a cash prize, the amount of which will be determined by the number of entries received.

We are looking for exceptional fiction by Canadians!

  • You must be Canadian

  • Your story cannot be published anywhere else and must be between 1000 and 3000 words

  • Multiple entries are accepted, but each is subject to an individual submission form and fee

THE SHORTLIST JURY

AND INTRODUCING OUR GRAND PRIZE JUDGE,

E. YVONNE PELLETIER

E. Yvonne Pelletier moved to the Grey-Bruce area in 2018 after several years in academia. A specialist in transatlantic literature, she has taught poetry, the novel, creative writing, and film and literary theory at universities in the US and Canada. Yvonne has published articles and presented papers on a variety of topics, including travel narratives, culinary aesthetics, road trips and confidence games. She received her PhD in English from the University of Toronto; prior to that, she worked in advertising in Chicago and Toronto. She is the Coordinating Director of the Words Aloud Poetry Festival and is currently working as a marketing content writer, as well as an editor of both non-fiction and fiction. She is currently learning the art of beekeeping. Always seeking to become more active in local arts and literary communities, Yvonne also serves on the boards of the West Grey Public library and the Durham Art Gallery. She has always been an avid reader of every kind of fiction, both on the job and off, and so is delighted to participate as judge in the 2024 Fiction Anthology Contest.

  • All entrants must be Canadian - by birth or by legal citizenship proceedings.

  • All entrants are subject to the contest entry fee.

  • A person may enter more than one story but each will be subject to a submission fee and separate form.

  • Previous winners/finalists of this contest are more than welcome to participate again.

  • Contest entries must be original, non-published works, and the submitter must be the sole author. Previously published works are not eligible - including publication on a personal website or blog. Authors who are not selected for the longlist are welcome to publish their story online or submit to other publications immediately following the longlist announcement in October. Longlist authors who are not selected for the shortlist are welcome to publish their story in full online or submit to other publications immediately following the shortlist announcement in November.

  • Entries found to be plagiarized will be immediately withdrawn from the contest. Submission fee will not be returned.

  • Upon submission you are giving non-exclusive rights to publish your story. Stories may appear on our website and in possible future printed or digital collections either by Blank Spaces or by Chicken House Press.

  • Work must be suitable for a general audience and in line with Blank Spaces’ values: no gratuitous sex, violence, hate, or explicit language.

  • Abide by the word count limit and keep your submission between 1000 and 3000 words. Entries that don’t comply will be disqualified. Submission fee will not be returned.

  • Blank Spaces and Chicken House Press employees, volunteers, and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter this contest.

  • Submit your story file through the contest submission portal. You will be asked to upload a PDF. Please ensure your PDF does not contain identifying markers, including your name, website, or social media handle - DO ensure the title of your PDF matches the title you put in the submission form.

  • If you would like to withdraw your piece from the contest you may do so by contacting us at info@blankspaces.ca. Your fee will not be refunded.

Why is there a fee to enter the contest?

You deserve to know where your money is going!

Your fee of $10 will help us award the winner, honour our grand prize judge’s time with a small honorarium, and fund the publication of the winning collection. If we haven’t gained sufficient entries to fund the publication by the posted deadline, we reserve the right to extend the deadline to encourage more entries.

ARE YOU READY?


Would you like to be a sponsor? Sponsorship will be recognized with a logo placement and direct link below, a listing within the publication, and mentions in posts and press releases related to this contest. Available in Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels. Sponsorship totals will be split between the prize pool and the publication expenses.

Click the ‘Become a Sponsor’ button and complete the form, then go to your cart to complete your donation payment.

Sponsor the Fiction Anthology Contest
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Cover art from last year Final 2024 cover art will be determined by the mood of the 2024 winning stories.

 *Proceeds are entrance fees minus transaction fees - (50% is approximately $4.70 per entry that gets added to the prize pool)

**Anthology publication will split royalties between publisher (50%) and contributors (50%) once publishing costs are covered in accordance with Chicken House Press policy.

***Potential publishing offer from Chicken House Press which will entail a discount on the publishing service of your choice or a full length work/collection published with a 50/50 royalty share.

Our Contest Partners

Gold Sponsors

 

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Silver Sponsors

 

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Bronze Sponsors

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