F(r)iction Short Story Contest — Fall 2026

About this call

F(r)iction positions fiction at the intersection of literary craft and visual culture, treating the written story as an art object within its triannual print collection. The organization regards narrative not merely as content but as a formal achievement, and its contests are conceived as focused curatorial acts rather than open-ended calls for submissions. The Fall 2026 Short Story Contest reflects this approach, with a single judge, Joy Deva Baglio, setting the aesthetic terms, which gives the selection a cohesive and deliberate character. The institutional structure is restrained and clear. Submissions are accepted for short stories between 1,001 and 7,500 words, with a fee of $15.00 USD and a deadline of November 14, 2026. The first-place winner receives $1,000. Up to five finalists are considered for publication in either the print collection or the online blog, F(r)iction Log, a dual pathway that reflects the organization's commitment to both the permanence of print and the immediacy of digital circulation. The contest's value to a practitioner lies less in its prize than in the editorial frame it provides: a defined length range, a named judge whose sensibility is public, and a publication outcome tied to a considered institutional voice. For writers who prize formal rigor and the story as a made object, the call offers a precise context in which to place a work.

How to apply