Microcosms MC 100micro1 – Submissions

Rules and Requirements

• •Submissions are open from 1 July 2023 – 30 September 2023, midnight to midnight, PT. Entries must be received within this timeframe using the form below.
• •Entries may be purchased in advance, and entries need not be submitted the same day. PURCHASE ENTRY TICKET(S). There is no limit to the number of entries per person. The PayPal Transaction ID, provided in the order receipt email from PayPal, will be requested on the entry form.
• •Word Count: 90-110 (excluding the title and other header info).
• •Story must include the required elements. See elements below.
• •Story must be submitted as a .docx file and must not include any identifiable information. Entries should include title, word count, elements, and the story only. See entry format tab for more info. Entries that do not adhere to this rule will not be read.
• •We enjoy fan fiction! Just not for this contest. NO FAN-FICTION, please, and NO USE of COPYRIGHT CHARACTERS for this contest.
• •Absolutely no AI submissions.
• •You retain all rights to your story, except otherwise noted and unless otherwise agreed upon in advance (e.g., if selected for inclusion in an anthology, a contract will be sent with details). By submitting your story to this contest, you are granting us worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free rights to display it on our website (and store it, as needed).
• •We reserve the right to disqualify any entry or entrant for any reason, at our sole discretion. (If you want to use your story as a platform to promote racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, antisemitism, etc., this is not the contest for you.)
• •Decisions of judge(s) are final.

Feel free to copy/paste and edit or save a copy of the Google Doc (linked below).

Story Title
XXX words
Element / Element / Element

***

(story

We have prepared a free and easy-to-use, pre-formatted document in Google Docs to help simplify things. Just save your own copy, replace the content with your own, and save it as a .docx file in order to be able to upload via the form.

Details

• •Judge’s Pick wins $100 (USD). This is a new contest – a microcosmic experiment, if you will. If we get more entries than expected, we may add additional prizes and/or increase the main prize amount. But this is the minimum guaranteed prize.
• •Single entry fee is $5 (USD). Social media share discounts and multiple entry discounts may be available. Entries include commemorative ticket download (PDF and PNG). You do not need to do anything with these tickets. They are just for fun! PURCHASE ENTRY TICKET(S). Please contact us if cost is genuinely prohibitive.
• •Judge: KM Zafari. (If the number of entries somehow necessitate additional judges, we may add more.)
• •Judge: KM Zafari. (If the number of entries somehow necessitate additional judges, we may add more.)
• •Optional feedback is also available for purchase.
• •Judge: KM Zafari. (If the number of entries somehow necessitate additional judges, we may add more.)
• •Finalists are expected to be announced by 31 October 2023 and the winner is expected to be announced by 30 November 2023. Changes to these dates, if needed, will be communicated on the main contest page.

Refunds may be requested for unused tickets (no submission), less a small “restocking fee” to cover charges from payment processor. Request must be received by contest entry deadline. No partial refunds (e.g., you buy a three pack but only submit one or two entries). No refunds will be given for disqualified entries or entrants – no exceptions.