Curious Curls Fiction Contest 2025
Curious Curls is excited to announce our fiction short story contest for 2025!
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We are looking for fiction short stories of all sorts, though we have a soft spot for works that embrace the idea of curiosity. This could be in the form of a curious perpective, a curious or observant character, or writing that takes us somewhere curiously new.
You are welcome to float around the website to get a better idea of our goals and the works we tend to lean towards. You can also read read short stories from our previous contest winners here!
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The contest officially ends at 12:00 PM EST on November 15th, 2025! There is a $2.00 submission fee. Winners will be announced in January 2026!
Winning Prizes
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$125 Prize
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Story published on Curious Curls website
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Video promotion with Curious Curls
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A book of your choice from the Curious Curls collection
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$250 Prize
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Story published on Curious Curls website
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Video promotion with Curious Curls
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A book of your choice from the Curious Curls collection
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$100 Prize
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Story published on Curious Curls website
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Video promotion with Curious Curls
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A book of your choice from the Curious Curls collection
General Submission Guidlines
General Submission Requirements:
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Send your manuscript via the submission form at the bottom of this page.
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We are only accepting fiction short stories under 10,000 words.
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Include a cover letter containing a short biographical statement
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Make sure all files are in DOC, DOCX, or PDF format.
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Submission fee is $2.50
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If your project is a simultaneous submission, please notify us if your work gets accepted elsewhere.
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Keep us curious!
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If you have questions about the submission, please refer to our Contact page. Please read the FAQ section below before reaching out to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility?
Anyone is eligible to submit! We encourage both emerging writers and established writers to submit work, especially if they have a curious mind or soul!​
When do you accept submissions?
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We accept submissions year-round! No waiting for the next submission period here! Submissions for the new year start early on November 15th at 12:01 PM EST and end on November 15th at 12:00 PM EST. For example, the 2024 Fiction Contest ends at 12:00 PM EST on November 15th and the 2025 Fiction Contest begins at 12:01 PM EST the same day. The best way to keep up-to-date with deadlines is by subscribing to our newsletter from the home page and by following us on social media!
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When are winners anounced?
Winners for the previous year's contest will be publically announced in January!
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Do you read every submission?
Yes we do! We also make sure to read work for the content and not for the author.
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Who judges submissions?
Our editorial staff at Curious Curls will take the time to read through and judge submissions. Depending on submission numbers, we may also pull in impartial readers to aid the process.
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Word Count?
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We ask that submissions are a maximum of 10,000 words, but this is no indication of how long a story need be. For example, a 500 word story can have just as much strength as a 2,000 word story; there is no magic number for which we are looking. We are interested in quality, not any specific quantity.
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Previously Published Works?
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We do not accept previously published works for our fiction contest.
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Rights?
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We ask for First Rights and the ability to show your work indefinitely on the website and through other means. You are absolutely welcome to submit to other venues, use your story in a collection, etc. We just want to be the first place to show it off and to be able to show it off in the future! If any other questions arise on this subject, we can approach it when relevant.
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Submission Form Alternatives?
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Unfortunately, we cannot take submissions via email or other means. Managing payments and the sheer amount of submission information would be a bit too hectic on our end. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to provide more submission options in the future.
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Submission Fee?
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We do ask for a submission fee of $2.00. This allows us to offer prizes and helps us as we continue to grow; it also helps prevent spam submissions. Be assured that your information is safe and payments are processed with Wix Ascend. If you would like to support Curious Curls with an additional gift, please visit the Support Us page; this has no impact on your submission status.
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Promo Code?
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We do occasionally have promo codes for free submissions that we offer via our newsletter, via our social media, to colleges, etc. If you have received a promo code and would like to use it, please visit our Special Submit page!
Submission Form
