The Flash Challenge | $1,500 Awarded!

The Flash Challenge

We couldn’t let a whole year pass without a dedicated call for flash submissions, not when so many of our flash publications have been recognized in both Best Small Fictions and Best Microfiction in recent years. We’re proud of our legacy and hope to remain a home for excellent flash fiction and CNF for years to come. 

For two weeks in November, The Masters Review is challenging you to submit your fantastic flash. Can you rise to the occasion? Please keep your stories to under 1,000 words, but each submission may include two stories in one document. Both fiction and CNF submissions will be considered. As always, we’re interested in character- and voice-driven submissions that surprise us, particularly those that experiment with style and form. Dazzle us—take chances, and be bold. This prize will be judged by our editorial staff, who will select three finalists to publish in 2026.

The winner of The Flash Challenge will receive $1,000, while two runners-up will each receive $250.

Guidelines:

• The winner receives $1,000 and online publication.
• Two runners-up will receive $250 and online publication.
• Your $15 entry fee allows up to two pieces per submission. If submitting two pieces, please include both in one document. Each piece must be under 1,000 words.
• Simultaneous and multiple submissions are allowed, though each submission requires a $15 entry fee. 
• Submitted work must be previously unpublished. This includes personal blogs, social media accounts, and other websites. Previously published work will be automatically disqualified.
• This contest is for emerging writers only. Writers with single-author book-length work published or under contract with a major press are ineligible. We are interested in providing a platform to new writers; authors with books published by indie presses are welcome to submit unpublished work, as are self-published authors.
• International submissions are allowed, provided the work is written primarily in English.
• No translations, please.
• All submissions must be double-spaced with one-inch page margins and use 12pt Times New Roman or Garamond font. 
• The contest deadline is 11:59pm PDT on November 23, 2025.
• All entries are considered for general publication in New Voices. 
• We do not require blind submissions for this contest. The winner will be selected by The Masters Review’s editorial staff.
• All submissions will receive a response by the end of March, and the winner will be announced by the end of April. If we are unable to meet this timeline, we will notify all submitters of the extension.
• AI-generated or -assisted submissions will be automatically disqualified.
• Friends, family, and associates of The Masters Review’s editorial staff are not eligible to submit.

Editorial Letter Option

If you’re interested in getting feedback on your writing, utilize our editorial letter add-on option. Our response to one story in your submission will be accompanied by a one- to two-page letter from an experienced guest editor, who will offer observations on the strengths of the piece as well as opportunities for revision. Your editor may also offer further submission and reading suggestions, or other comments on craft. A significant portion of the additional fee is paid directly to your feedback editor. See a sample editorial letter.