2025 Short Story Contest

Welcome to the eighth annual Short Story Contest, sponsored by the Friends of San Diego Central Library. The Short Story Contest, a part of the Local Author Program, continues the support that the Library provides to local writing and shines a spotlight on local authors who craft short stories.

• Only 100 short stories accepted
• Stories must not exceed 3,000 words
• Submissions begin at 7 p.m. (PST) on Feb. 10, 2025, and closes after 100 submissions OR on Monday, March 10, 2025

Click here to submit your story at 7pm (PST) on February 10 

Rules & Guidelines

• All entries are submitted online during a prescribed schedule set by the San Diego Public Library.
• The contest is open to original, published or unpublished stories.
• Stories that have won and/or placed in other writing contests are not eligible.
• Stories submitted to this contest in previous years are not eligible.
• Simultaneous submissions are allowed. You may submit a new story to our contest while it is also being considered for other contests, so long as it has not won or placed at the time of submission.
• Stories should be suitable for a general audience.
• Authors must live in San Diego County.
• Only one (1) story per author.

Submission guidelines - Any deviations from these instructions may result in the disqualification of the short story from the contest.

• The manuscript must not have the author’s name anywhere on its pages - the author's name should be in the file name (see below).
• The manuscript must be double-spaced and not exceed 3,000 words.
• Pages must be numbered, and the page number must appear in the footer of each page.
• The manuscript title must appear in the header of every page.
• The manuscript file name must be saved and submitted in this format: “Story Title – Author Name” (Ex.: Librarians in Love – Elsee Dewey).
• Standard fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or Georgia in 12 point font size must be used.
• Authors must submit their stories in electronic format using the link indicated above - we will not accept any paper submissions or submissions by email.. Acceptable formats are: .docx, .pdf, or .rtf.

Prizes

• 1^st Place – Publication on the website of the San Diego Public Library and $300.00 first place award.
• 2^nd Place – Publication on the website of the San Diego Public Library and $200.00 second place award.
• 3^rd Place - Publication on the website of the San Diego Public Library and $100.00 third place award.
• Public reading of the 3 winning stories at a special program honoring the winners.
• Winners announced at the awards event on May 20.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SDPL Short Story Contest? The Short Story Contest is a short fiction competition open to all writers residing in San Diego County. All genres of fiction are acceptable including: literary, mystery and crime, thriller, suspense, science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, mixed-genre, and experimental.

What is the goal of the Short Story Contest? The goal of the Short Story Contest is to nurture and foster local writing talent, and to provide a platform for the promotion and publication of short form fiction in the area.

Who’s eligible to enter the Short Story Contest? All writers in San Diego County age 18 and older are eligible to enter the Short Story Contest. San Diego Public Library staff and members of affiliated organizations such as the San Diego Public Library Foundation, Friends of San Diego Public Library, and the Board of Library Commissioners are not allowed to participate in the contest.

How many short stories will be allowed to participate in the contest? A maximum of 100 short stories will be accepted, based on a first come first served basis. Registration will automatically stop after the 100^th author registers their manuscript.

Who will judge the Short Story Contest? A committee of judges selected from library staff and associations affiliated with the library will judge the contest. Judging will be anonymous. When you enter the contest your story will be assigned a number. Judges will identify your story by title and number only.

Does it cost anything to enter the Short Story Contest ?There’s no fee to participate in the Short Story Contest. However the public library is always in need of support from the community that it serves. To support the library please visit the website of the Friends of San Diego Public Library and the San Diego Public Library Foundation.

What is the deadline to enter the Short Story Contest? The Short Story Contest submission form will be available online at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 10, 2025. Submissions will remain open until we receive 100 stories - registration and submission will shut down after we’ve received the 100^th submitted story, whenever that occurs.

Who owns the rights to the submitted stories? Authors retain all rights to the stories they submit. May I use A.I. to help generate my short story ?Stories generated using A.I. programs are not eligible for the SDPL Short  Story Contest. A.I. stories are automatically disqualified.