Deadline: May 31, 2022 (UK time)
Entry fee: £14
About the competition
The Prize is open to writers of any nationality writing in English aged 16 and over at the time of the closing date (the novel award has different criteria. See the novel page for details).
Entries must be entirely your own work. Any evidence to the contrary will result in immediate disqualification.
Entries must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast, have won or been placed (2nd, 3rd, runner up etc) in any other competition.
If your entry has been long-listed or shortlisted in other competitions, and provided it has not won a prize or been published, it is eligible.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed but will become ineligible should they win a prize elsewhere, be published or scheduled for future publication prior to the date of prize giving. Entry fees will not be refunded.
You must inform us immediately should your entry be published or win a prize elsewhere.
Entries submitted posthumously are not eligible.
Please ensure you read the rules carefully before entering the competition.
Entry implies acceptance of all the rules and failure to comply may result in disqualification. IMPORTANT: All entries are judged anonymously. Please do not include your name, address, phone number, email, website, twitter handle etc on the document or in the file name as this will result in disqualification.
Submission guideline
Disqualification
We disqualify entries if they are named or over the word limit. If you forget to add details – title or word count – your entry will NOT be disqualified.
General
Entries can be on any subject in any style or form. We do not recommend stories written for children. You can enter any number of short stories but please check you are submitting the correct version of your work before uploading as mistakes cannot be rectified later. If you find you have submitted the wrong version or have made a mistake in the work, you can withdraw it and resubmit a corrected version with the word FINAL included in the file name. Please note a further fee would be payable. Entries can be withdrawn by logging into your account. To see how to withdraw, please click here. Entry fees will not be refunded.
Deadline
The deadline date for entries is 12 midnight (UK time) on 31st May 2022. Postal entries postmarked 31st May but received later will be accepted.
Length
Short story: 5000 words max. No minimum. Title not included in the word count.
Format
- Add the word count to the top right of the first page. The title is not included in the word count but if you include a Glossary of terms or expressions, this is included
- Do not add cover or title pages
- Use any font, 12pt, black
- Double line spaced (ie: a blank line space between each line)
- Number the pages in the centre at the bottom of the page
- Save the file as a Microsoft Word document – .doc or .docx. We also accept file types .rtf, .pdf, .txt. Maximum allowed file size is 2Mb
- The file name should be the title of the story only, typed exactly the same as on the document, for example: Pride and Prejudice
- Do not include your name in the file title or it will be disqualified
- Do not put Bridport entry / Bridport story entry etc in the file title
- For untitled pieces, save the document with the first line of the story instead
- For postal entries, staple or securely fasten the pages together with a strong paperclip
Fees
£14 per short story. There is no limit to the number of submissions.
Judging
The judges’ decision is final and no individual correspondence can be entered into. Judges are unable to comment on individual entries. Judging is fair and unbiased. The Bridport Prize reserves the right to change the panel of judges without notice.
Copyright
Worldwide copyright of each entry remains with the author but the Bridport Prize has unrestricted rights to publish the winning and highly commended poems, short stories, flash fiction stories and extracts from the opening chapters of the long-listed novels in the annual winners’ anthologies and any relevant promotional material.
Results & Awards
Winners and highly commended writers will be notified by email in September. A short film which will include the announcement of this year’s winners will be broadcast on our You Tube channel on Thursday 28th October at 7pm. A link on the website homepage will click through directly to our You Tube channel. This will go live just before 7pm.The full results will be available on the website from 7.30pm that evening.
Receipts
Postal entries: enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard marked ACKNOWLEDGEMENT if you require receipt of entry. Online entries: confirmed by the email receipt of your payment to PayPal plus an email from Submittable / the Bridport Prize. Please check your spam folder as emails can land there. It is NOT possible to confirm receipt of entries by phone or email.
Read the whole guideline and submit it here.
