2026 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers — Judged by Weike Wang | $3,000 Prize (Free for Marginalized or Historically Underrepresented Writers)

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2026 Summer Short Story Award for New Writers

Note: This submission category is for marginalized or historically underrepresented writers ONLY. 

Summer has always been for short stories. For over ten years, our Short Story Award has connected emerging writers with some of the industry’s top literary agents. We’re looking for standout stories—fiction or narrative nonfiction, up to 6,000 words—in a voice that is unmistakably yours. This year’s guest judge is Whiting Award winner Weike Wang, author of Chemistry, the forthcoming Iris, and more. 

Our contest runs from July 1 to August 30, 2026, and is open to any writer who has not published a novel or memoir with a major press. The first-place winner of this contest, selected by our guest judge, will receive a $3,000 grand prize, along with online publication. Second- and third-place finalists will receive $300 and $200 respectively, along with online publication. 

All finalists will receive agency review from our six partnered agencies. Participating agents include Nat Sobel from Sobel Weber, Victoria Cappello from The Bent Agency, Andrea Morrison from Writers House, Sarah Fuentes from United Talent Agency, Heather Schroder from Compass Talent, and Marin Takikawa from The Friedrich Agency. Past winners include Nick Fuller Googins, Sanjena Sathian, Nana Nkweti, Reena Shah, and more, several of whom earned representation from one of our partnered agents as a result of this contest. 

Additionally, every submitter will receive a free three-month trial from our partners at Literistic. Literistic helps writers find, filter, and track submission opportunities without getting overwhelmed by endless lists of deadlines. Each month, the Literistic team curates a focused list of worthwhile contests, publications, residencies, fellowships, and other opportunities, while the new Literistic portal will let you search and personalize results based on your genre and goals. Write more, search less.

What I am looking for: Clean and clear sentences. Surprising storytelling alongside a hard to forget voice. Humor never hurts. Substance over style but style also doesn't hurt. Ask first if it is true then ask if it is beautiful. Write to your smartest friend! 
—Weike Wang, Guest Judge

Submission Guidelines

  • The first-place winner receives $3,000, online publication, and agency review.
  • The second- and third-place finalists receive cash prizes ($300/$200), online publication, and agency review.
  • Submissions of fiction or creative nonfiction must be under 6,000 words.
  • Submitted work must be previously unpublished. This includes personal blogs, social media accounts, and other websites. Previously published work will be automatically disqualified.
  • The entry fee is $20.
  • Simultaneous and multiple submissions are allowed, though each submission requires a $20 entry fee. 
  • Writers from historically marginalized or underrepresented groups are invited to submit for free until we reach fifty submissions in this category. No additional fee waivers will be granted.
  • If your submission is accepted elsewhere, please withdraw your submission on Submittable, or contact us otherwise to let us know the piece is no longer available.
  • We do not require anonymous submissions for this contest, but the guest judge will read the shortlist anonymously. 
  • 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’s deadline is 11:59pm PDT on August 30, 2026.
  • All entries are also considered for publication in New Voices.
  • Every submission will receive a response by the end of December 2026. The winners will be announced by the end of January 2027. 
  • AI-generated or -assisted submissions will be automatically disqualified. This includes using LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or similar) to translate your work.
  • Friends, family, and close associates of the guest judge are not eligible for this award. Consider submitting to the summer contest instead!

About the Judge

Weike Wang is the author of four novels, the most forthcoming Iris (Riverhead 2027). She is the recipient of a PEN/Hemingway, a Whiting Award, and is a National Book Foundation 5 under 35 honoree. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s Magazine, Best American Short Stories and has won two O. Henry Prizes. She earned her MFA from Boston University and her other degrees from Harvard. She currently lives in New York City and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Barnard College, and Boston University. Weike is not on social media. 

Editorial Letter Option

If you’re interested in getting feedback on your writing, utilize our editorial letter add-on option. Our response to 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.

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