Calendar

Best Emerging Writers Anthology: April 1 – June 2, 2024

Every year The Masters Review opens submissions to produce our anthology, a collection of ten stories and essays written by the best emerging authors. Our aim is to showcase writers who we believe will continue to produce great work. The ten winners are nationally distributed in a printed book with their stories and essays exposed to top agents, editors, and authors across the country. Beginning in 2024, winners will also be published online. Our third volume was awarded the Silver Medal for Best Short Story Collection through the INDIEFAB Awards in 2015, and our fourth volume was an honorable mention for best anthology.

The Masters Review Novel Workshop: April 1 – May 2, 2024

The Novel Workshop partners aspiring novelists with experienced small press editors. Writers are invited to submit the first fifty pages of their novels. In their cover letters, writers should also plan to include a brief synopsis of the novel, any challenges they may be facing, and any specific feedback they are seeking.

The Reprint Prize: June 15 – June 25, 2024

For ten days in June, The Masters Review's first Reprint Prize was open for submissions. Any fiction or creative nonfiction under 6,000 words published prior to June 1, 2022 is eligible! As always, there are no limitations on style or topic, but our primary interest is in literary prose. This challenge will be judged by our editorial staff, who will select one winner to receive a $500 prize and publication on our site.

Summer Workshop: August 1 – August 31

Participants receive personalized feedback on a story or essay, detailed suggestions for improvement, and resources for submitting—all from an experienced instructor. The asynchronous workshop allows writers to work with instructors remotely and strives to provide a workshop experience that can easily fit into their lives.

Summer Short Story Award for New Writers: July 1 – August 27, 2023

The Masters Review’s Short Story Award for New Writers is a bi-annual contest that recognizes the best fiction from today’s emerging writers. Winners and honorable mentions receive agency review from five agencies as well as publication. The winning story earns $3,000, while the second and third place runners up receive $300 and $200, respectively.

Novel Excerpt Contest: September 1 – November 12, 2023

Each fall, The Masters Review hosts a call for novel excerpts! For this contest, we’re looking for self-contained excerpts up to 6,000 words that display a strong voice, compelling characters, and carefully constructed narrative arcs. As always, we have no limitations on genre, though we are primarily interested in literary fiction. The grand prize winner receives $3,000, online publication and an hour-long consultation with a literary agent.

The Masters Review Chapbook Open: September 1 – December 17, 2023

The Masters Review publishes one chapbook every year. We’re interested in collections of flash fiction, creative nonfiction essays, short stories, and anything in-between. We encourage you to be bold, to experiment with style and form, as long as you stay under 45 pages. The winner receives a $3,000 cash prize, along with manuscript publication and 75 contributor copies. Our chapbooks are distributed internationally and are available through Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.

Winter Short Story Award for New Writers: December 1, 2023 – January 28, 2024

The Masters Review’s Short Story Award for New Writers is a bi-annual contest that recognizes the best fiction and creative nonfiction from today’s emerging writers. Winners and honorable mentions receive agency review from five agencies as well as publication. The winning story earns $3,000, while the second and third place runners up receive $300 and $200, respectively.

Featured Flash Contest: February 1 – March 31, 2024

The Featured Flash Contest will honor two grand-prize winners chosen by our editorial staff—one in Flash and one in Sudden—by awarding $1,500 and online publication. Two runners-up will also be honored with a $300 prize and online publication. All longlisted authors will receive an archived copy of The Masters Review anthology, as will twenty randomly selected entrants not included on the longlist.

New Voices: Year Round

Our New Voices category is open year round to any new or emerging author who has not published a novel-length work of fiction or narrative nonfiction with a major press. Authors with published short story collections are free to submit. We accept simultaneous and multiple submissions but ask that you inform us immediately if your story is accepted elsewhere.

Want to submit? Guidelines can be found on the submissions page.

All open submission categories can be accessed here:

Submission Calendar

Upcoming submissions

SUBMISSION CALENDAR

Summer Short Story Award for New Writers: July 1 – Aug 28

DETAILS: Working with five agencies, our finalists and honorable mentions earn agency review as well as publication. The winning story earns $3000. Jai Chakrabarti will serve as this year’s judge! Second and third place runners up receive $300 and $200, respectively. Check out our Summer Award information and previous Summer and Winter winners, including Joe Bond, who earned representation from Sarah Fuentes of Fletcher & Company as a result of this contest.

Summer Workshop: Aug 1 – Aug 31

DETAILS: Expert feedback from the comforts of home. We are proud to be working with editors with experience editing journals like The Southern Review, december, Guernica, Electric Lit, Crazyhorse and more! to bring you feedback on your stories and essays from the best in the field. Limited spots available. Registration is open until slots are filled. More here.

Novel Excerpt Contest Sept 1 – Nov 5

DETAILS: Find 2022’s finalists here! The Masters Review hosts an annual Novel Excerpt Contest each fall! We’re looking for excerpts that show off a sense of style, with a clear grasp on craft: narrative, character, and plot. Choose wisely! Your excerpt can come from any point in your completed or in-progress novels, but a synopsis should not be required for understanding the excerpt. Excerpts must be from previously unpublished novels; if your novel has been self-published, it is ineligible for this contest. Excerpts from novels that are under contract for 2022 or 2023 may not be submitted, but work from a novel scheduled for a 2024 publication date or beyond may. As always, we have no limitations on genre, though we are primarily interested in literary fiction. This year’s judge is Charmaine Craig! She will select the finalists from a shortlist provided by The Masters Review’s editorial team. The winning excerpt will be awarded $3000 and online publication and an hour-long consultation with a literary agent. Second and third place excerpts will be awarded online publication and $300 and $200 respectively, in addition to feedback from a literary agent.

Chapbook Open: Sept 1 – Dec 17

DETAILS: Congratulations to Naomi Telushkin, author of Coats, the winning manuscript for the 2022 Chapbook Open, selected by Kim Fu! Each fall, The Masters Review holds an open call for chapbooks. We want to publish your collections of flash, your mini novellas, your 40 page short stories. We want to publish your braided essays, your eclectic brainchildren, your experiments. However you want to tell your story, we want to read it. (As long as it’s between 25-45 double-spaced pages.) The submission window will be open for the final four months of the year, and The Masters Review staff will select a small shortlist of our favorites to pass along to guest judge who will select the winning manuscript. This year’s guest judge is Kim Fu. Find more information our past winners, Mastersplans by Nick Almeida, selected by Steve Almond, and Love at the End of the World by Lindy Biller, chosen by Matt Bell.

Winter Short Story Award for New Writers: Dec 1 – Jan 31

DETAILS: Find the shortlist here! Every year, our Short Story Award for New Writers hosts an awesome winter award, with Morgan Talty judging for 2022-2023! Winners and honorable mentions receive agency review from five agencies as well as publication. The winning story earns $3000, while the second and third place runners up receive $300 and $200, respectively. Check out our Winter Award information and previous Summer and Winter winners, including Joe Bond, who earned representation from Sarah Fuentes of Fletcher & Company as a result of this contest.

Spring Small Fiction Awards: Feb 1 – March 31

DETAILS: CLOSED FOR SUBMISSIONS. Check back this fall for the results. We’ve long admired the mighty power of the compressed form, which is why we are expanding our search for the very best in small fiction. The Masters Review is excited to announce the new Spring Small Fiction Awards! This contest will honor a grand prize winner in three categories—Microfiction, Flash Fiction, and Sudden Fiction—by awarding $1,000 and online publication to each winner selected by our guest judge. This year’s judge is K-Ming Chang! A runner-up in each category will also be honored with a $200 prize and online publication.

Novel Workshop: April 1 – May 2

DETAILS: Expert feedback from the comforts of home. We are proud to be working with experienced editors to bring you feedback on your novels. Limited spots available. Registration is open until slots are filled.

The Masters Review Anthology XII: April 1 – June 2

DETAILS: CLOSED FOR SUBMISSIONS. Check back this summer for the results! Every year The Masters Review opens submissions to produce our anthology, a print collection of ten stories and essays written by the best emerging authors. Our aim is to showcase ten writers who we believe will continue to produce great work. The ten winners are nationally distributed in a printed book with their stories and essays exposed to top agents, editors, and authors across the country. Our third volume was awarded the Silver Medal for Best Short Story Collection through the INDIEFAB Awards in 2015, and our fourth volume was an honorable mention for best anthology. Winners will be chosen by Toni Jensen, the guest judge for The Masters Review Volume XII. Each winner will earn publication and a $500 cash prize. Details here.

The Reprint Prize: June 15 – June 25

Details: SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED! For the first time ever, The Masters Review is looking for previously published work! For ten days in June, our first Reprint Prize will be open for submissions. Any fiction or creative nonfiction under 6,000 words published prior to June 1, 2022 is eligible! One winner, selected by our editorial staff, will receive a $500 cash prize and online publication. Full details here.

New Voices: Year Round

Our New Voices category is always open and always free to submit. Selected stories are paid $200 for short fiction and narrative non-fiction, and $100 for flash fiction up to 1,000 words, and are published on the site. Read New Voices stories here. For submission guidelines, click here.

Want to submit? Guidelines can be found on the submissions page.

All open submission categories can be accessed here: