Finding the best short story competitions can be tricky, but there are some great options out there. The first place to look is online short fiction magazines like The New Yorker and Harper's Bazaar, which both host short story competitions year-round. If you're looking for speculative fiction, websites like Daily Science Fiction also host short story contests throughout the year.
Another great option is to attend a writers’ conference, where you can enter competitions in person. These competitions are often held at literary festivals or through literary journals and usually have monetary prizes, unpublished manuscript review, and editorial feedback.
You can also look for competitions that focus on a particular region or genre. For instance, if you're interested in Asian literature, you can check out the Hong Kong Arts Development Council's annual short story competition. If you're looking for competitions specific to science fiction, try the Intergalactic Writing Challenge or the Writers of the Future Contest.
Finally, you can also check out websites like Duotrope, Poets & Writers, and New Pages to find a variety of upcoming short story competitions in different genres.
No matter which contest you decide to enter, the most important thing is that you write your best and enjoy the process!
