Two-Sentence Horror Story Contests (2024)

With Halloween creeping up, it's officially Two-Sentence Horror Story Contest season! How quickly can YOU scare a reader?

Contests and their deadlines listed below:

- 10/11/24: Two-Sentence Horror Story Contest (C-VILLE Weekly)

- 10/12/24: Tiny Terrors 2-Sentence Horror Story Contest (Craven-Pamlico Regional Library) - multiple age categories

- 10/13/24: Two-Sentence Horror Story Contest (Frankfort Public Library District) - middle and high school writers only

- 10/18/24: 2-Sentence Horror Story Contest (Laurel County Public Library) - must submit entry in person; open to writers 16+ only

- 10/19/24: Two-Sentence Horror Story Contest (Cromaine Library) - multiple age categories

- 10/22/24: Two Sentence Horror Story Contest (Ypsilanti District Library)

- 10/25/24: Lake Hills Library Spooky Story contest (King County Library System) - 4th-8th grade only

- 10/25/24: Two-Sentence Horror Story Contest (Monroe County Public Library)

- 10/26/24: Teen 2-Sentence Horror Story Contest (Anchorage Public Library) - Anchorage teens (12-18) only

- 10/27/24: Two-Sentence Horror Story Contest (Berlin-Peck Memorial Library) - open to library card holders only, 14+

January haiku contest deadlines, other market news

Haiku poets have plenty of submission options this month. The following contests close in January:

Bloodroot Haiku Award: 1/12
     - $60 and $30 prizes
     - $5 entry fee for non-NCPS members
     - US postmark deadline: 1/6
     - Only 1 poem per category

Annual Betty Drevniok Award: 1/22
     - No cash prizes
     - No entry fee
     - Can read previous winning poems on the contest page
     - Up to 3 poems

UHTS “AHA” Haiku/Senryu Contest: 1/31
     - No cash prizes
     - No entry fee
     - Up to 10 poems

Snapshot Press 2020 Haiku Calendar Competition: 1/31
     - $600 in prize money divided among 12 winners
     - $15 entry fee for up to 4 haiku, or $30 for up to 12
     - Published poems OK

It has a deadline of February 1st, but the Utah State Poetry Society Contest has haiku and tanka categories. The haiku category is members-only, but the tanka category is open to anyone.

The Mamba Journal is reading submissions until January 15th. Skylark stops reading on February 1st.

For speculative writers, Space and Time closes to submissions tomorrow (January 2nd) and Freeze Frame Fiction closes on the 31st.

Approaching haiku and tanka contest deadlines

Contests closing on 5/31/18:

- Tokutomi Haiku Contest
- Sanford Goldstein International Tanka Contest
- Scribophile Member-Sponsored Kigo is King Haiku Contest

Contests closing on 6/1/18:

- Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Award
- VCBF Haiku Invitational

Upcoming haiku contest deadlines

Some haiku contests with upcoming deadlines:

April deadlines:

• 4/15/18 - The Annual Hortensia Anderson Memorial Haiku/Senryu Contest
• 4/17/18 - Hooked on Haiku Contest

June deadlines:

• 6/1/18 - Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Award
• 6/1/18 - VCBF Haiku Invitational

Upcoming haiku deadlines

Haiku contest season seems to be in full swing right now.  If you've got some money burning a hole in your pocket from a recent sale, here are some contests with reading fees that are currently open:

- Bloodroot Haiku Contest: .$8 per poem.  (No fee for NCPS members.)  Deadline: January 19th.

- Snapshot Press Haiku Calendar Competition:  $10 for up to three haiku or $20 for up to 10 haiku.  Deadline: January 31st.

- Hooked on Haiku Contest:  $10 for up to five haiku.  Deadline: April 17th.

For those who can't afford reading fees at the moment, don't despair.  All of the following contests are free to enter:

- Association Santoka International Haiku Contest: Deadline: January 21st.
- Golden Triangle's Golden Haiku Contest: Deadline: February 2nd.
- Wild Plum Haiku Contest: Deadline: February 28th.
- IAFOR Vladimir Devidé Haiku Award: Deadline: March 1st.
- The Annual Hortensia Anderson Memorial  Haiku/Senryu Contest: Deadline: April 15th.

The following journals stop reading submissions for their next issue on February 15th:

- cattails
- Prune Juice
- the Aurorean

Acorn closes shortly thereafter, on February 28th.

Writer's Digest Competitions

Writer's Digest sponsors several annual writing competitions, many of which are open to submissions right now.  These contests have a lot of upside -- large cash prizes, many prizes awarded, and additional prizes such as writing-related books -- but they also have steep entry fees. All of the contests listed below have a $20 entry fee, except for the poetry contest which costs $15 for the first entry and $10 for additional entries submitted together.

- Writer's Digest Poetry Awards: deadline Oct 1st
- Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards, Crime Writing Category: deadline Oct 15th
- Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards, Horror Writing Category: deadline Oct 15th
- Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards, Science Fiction/Fantasy Category: deadline Oct 15th
- Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards, Thriller Suspense Category: deadline Oct 15th
- Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition: early bird deadline Nov 15th

Calls for submissions

Writers Weekly is currently seeking writers to sign up for the Fall 2013 24-Hour Short Story Contest.  The contest starts Sept. 21st at noon and there is a $5 entry fee.  There are three cash prizes of $300, $250, and $200, plus several other prizes as well.

Encircle Publications is open now for submissions to its Annual Chapbook Contest.  There is a $15 entry fee for each 22- to 26-page poetry manuscript, but the winner will receive $100, 50 copies of their chapbook, and royalties on other copies of the book that are sold.  Entry fees must be paid by Sept. 1st.

DailyHaiku is now open to submissions.  There is no payment for this one, but accepted poets will be part of a six-month contributor team, and if any of your poems are chosen for the annual DailyHaiku print anthology, you'll receive a copy.  The current reading period closes Aug. 31st.

Niteblade, Grandmother Earth Contest

Niteblade is currently reading for its December issue, which will have a ghost theme for both fiction and poetry.  The magazine accepts submissions on an ongoing basis, but the deadline for the ghost issue is September 30th.  Standard pay rates ($5 plus a PDF copy of the issue) and standard guidelines apply.

The annual Grandmother Earth/Life Press National Contest is currently underway.  There are several different categories for poetry, including one haiku category and other category for haiku, short form poetry, or free verse.  The cost to enter is $10 for up to 3 poems, and there are different prizes for each category.  (The haiku category has a $100 prize.)  Submissions must be postmarked by July 7th.

IHS International Haiku Competition, new issues of magazines

The Irish Haiku Society's 2013 International Haiku Competition is open for entries.  There are three prizes to be award: Euro 150, Euro 50, and Euro 30.  Unpublished poems, 17 syllables or fewer, are eligible, and all entries must be made by snail mail and postmarked by November 30th.  There is a $4 entry fee per haiku (or $25 for 7 poems).

Speaking of the Irish Haiku Society, Shamrock's new issue is available online for reading.  It has a lot of worthwhile poems, including some really good ones by Graham High and Ignatius Fay.

The new print issue of Scifaikuest (May 2013) is also out now, and it contains some good poems by Ross Balcom, Rebecca L. Brown, Aurelio Rico Lopez III, dan smith, and many more.  There are scifaiku, horroku, and tanka, among other forms.  Milo James Fowler is the featured poet.

The June issue of The Heron's Nest is full of talent, as well.  Curtis Dunlap, George Swede, Mark Forrester, and Jessica Malone Latham all have great poems featured in this issue.

Niteblade #24: Forbidden Island, is available now too.  The title poem, by J.A. Grier, is not to be missed -- a different take on the zombie poem.

Missouri State Poetry Society Contest, Sorcerous Signals

The Missouri State Poetry Society's Summer Contest is currently open for entries.  There are several different categories, and previously published poems (40 lines or less) can be submitted.  The prizes for each category are $25, $15, and $10.  Two copies of each poem entered must be included, along with the $2 per poem entry fee.  The postmark deadline is August 1st.

The online fantasy journal Sorcerous Signals is now open for submissions, through June 15th.  Simultaneous submissions are accepted, as are previously published stories and poems, as long as it's been at least a year since the story or poem was published.  Payment for accepted works is $5 per story and $2 per poem or flash fiction piece, along with the possibility of more money depending on reader donations.

Illya's Honey Poetry Contest, tinywords

The Dallas Poets Community and Illya's Honey poetry journal are sponsoring the 2013 Open Poetry Competition.  There are three hefty prizes -- $300, $100, and $50 -- and an entry fee of $10 for one to three poems ($5 for each poem after that).  All submissions must be made by snail mail, and the postmark deadline is June 15th.

tinywords is open for submissions again, and the editors just extended the deadline to June 1st.  This is an open submission period, with no themes or restrictions.

Balticon Poetry Contest

The Baltimore Science Fiction Society holds a poetry contest every year to coincide with the annual Balticon convention.  Prizes for the Balticon Poetry Contest are $100, $75, and $50, and there is no entry fee.  Each person can submit up to three poems (50 lines or less).  Judging by the recent winners (you can view them on the website) longer poems stand a better chance of winning.  Entries can be mailed, emailed, or submitted via the online form, but they must be in-hand by April 1st.

NFSPS poetry contests

The National Federation of State Poetry Societies holds a big poetry contest every year, with many different categories.  Some of the categories are for different forms and have different prize amounts.  The submission deadline is March 15th.

There are several haiku contests with deadlines in the month of March.  Some of those contests are listed in the sidebar to the right, and others can be found on The Haiku Foundation's March calendar update.

2013 Peggy Lillis Wyles Haiku Award

The Heron's Nest sponsors the Peggy Lillis Wyles Haiku Award for 2013, a haiku contest that commemorates the legacy of haiku poet Peggy Lillis Wyles.  This contest is a great opportunity for any haiku poet; there is no entry fee, and prizes consist of cash awards of $150, $75, and $50, plus some books of poems and a crystal turtle figurine.  Each poet can submit up to 5 unpublished haiku not being considered anywhere else.  The deadline for entries is June 1st, and the winners will be announced July 31st.

Raven Chronicles, some contests

Raven Chronicles is a possibly-overlooked market for writers and poets.  They are currently reading for their Summer 2013 issue, themed "Why we do what we do."  They want submissions of experimental or traditional work, up until the deadline of March 15th.  They offer contributors 2 copies of the issue their work appears in, and "sometimes" payment of $10 to $40, when possible.

If anyone is a member of FanStory.com or considering becoming a member, here are some upcoming contests with prizes (some up to $100) that may be of interest.  As a disclaimer, I don't know much about the site, except that it's free to join.

- Dystopian Future Story Contest: deadline February 19th
- Ghost Story Contest: deadline March 4th
- Tanka Poetry Contest: deadline June 30th
- 5-7-5 Poetry Contest: deadline July 5th
- Horror Story Writing Contest: deadline July 11th

The Haiku Foundation HaikuNow! Contests

The Haiku Foundation has done a lot for haiku and haiku poets since its inception.  Right now, it's sponsoring a three-category haiku contest with cash prizes and no entry fees.

The HaikuNow! Contests consist of three different haiku contests: one for traditional haiku, one for contemporary haiku, and one for innovative haiku.  Each person can enter one haiku in each category, and each of the three category winners will receive $100.  Honorable mentions will get $25 each.

The deadline for these contests is March 31st, and all submitted poems must be unpublished.  Guidelines for each of the different categories are linked to from the contest page.

Deadlines

If you were planning to submit haiku or other short poems to tinywords, today is the last day to do it until their next reading period opens up.

For anyone wanting to enter the 2013 Snapshot Press Haiku Calendar Competition, submissions must be postmarked (or emailed) by the end of the month.

Mu also closes to submissions on the 31st.

If you have haiku that you can't get in to Mu or tinywords in time, you can submit to Acorn through the end of February.

Upcoming deadlines

It's almost 2013, and to start the year off with some good publishing opportunities, here are a couple of upcoming haiku deadlines:

- Mu, An International Haiku Journal, is open to submissions for its fifth issue until January 31st, 2013.  There is no payment for accepted poems, other than the joy of publication.  No simultaneous submissions or previously published poems.

- tinywords is open to submissions of short poems for its next issue (unthemed).  Previously published poems will be considered, but simultaneous submissions won't.  The submission deadline is January 20th, 2013. There is no payment for accepted poems.

- The North Carolina Poetry Society is sponsoring a bunch of poetry contests, including the Griffin-Farlow Haiku Award.  There are three prizes -- $25, $15, and $10 -- and everyone can submit one entry.  There is a $3 entry fee per poem if you're not an NCPS member.  The deadline for submissions is January 12th, 2013.  (Thanks to Haiku Reality for posting this contest notice.)

Pennsylvania Poetry Society Contest

Every year the Pennsylvania Poetry Society sponsors a poetry contest with many categories.  This year's contest includes 17 different categories, each with a first and second prize.  For the Grand Prize Award category, the prizes are $100 and $75; for all other categories, the prizes are $30 and $20.

The different categories are for poems of different styles, subject matters, and forms.  Category #9 is the Haiku, Senryu, Tanka Award, and this is the only category that doesn't require poems to be titled.  The contest's postmark deadline is January 15th, 2013, and entry fees for non-PPS members are $2 per poem.

2 speculative fiction contests with cash prizes

Every month, Darker Times Fiction hosts a horror short story competition.  There is an $8 entry fee per story.  The prize amount will depend on the number of entries, but will be a minimum of $24.  The winning story, as well as the runners-up (and possibly some honorable mentions) will be published in an anthology.  The contest deadline is the last day of each month, so for this month it's Halloween, Oct. 31st.

The C4WE (Center for Writing Excellence) hosts regular genre fiction contests.  This month, the genre is fantasy.  Stories must fall between 1500 and 2000 words.  There is a $10 entry fee, but only 50 entries will be accepted, so at worst you have a 1 in 50 chance of winning.  Three prizes will be awarded: $50, $25, and $15, plus publication.  The deadline for the fantasy contest is November 1st.