The Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 2026 is currently open for submission. The contest awards $12,000 in prizes.
About Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 2026
The Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 2026 is currently open for submission. The contest awards $12,000 in prizes.
Prizes for the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 2026
STORY: First Prize, $3,500
ESSAY: First Prize, $3,500
- The top two winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value)
- 10 Honorable Mentions will receive $500 each (any category)
- Top 12 entries published online
Submission Guidelines for the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 2026
- Enter via Submittable
- For this contest, a story is any short work of fiction, and an essay is any short work of nonfiction. Final judge: Tamra Badgett, assisted by Sarah Halper. Please submit as many entries as you like. All themes accepted. Entries may be published or unpublished. Length limit: 6,000 words maximum. No restriction on age of author. All countries eligible except Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, or Belarus (due to US government restrictions). Fee: $25 per entry. Read the winning entries from the 33rd contest.
In general, stories and essays written with the aid of a text-generating AI such as ChatGPT are not eligible. If you quote AI-generated text in your work, please disclose this in your submission.
Deadline
May 1, 2026
The official information page.
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