Vocal+ Fiction Awards. $125,000 in prizes.

Join Vocal+ and enter the Fiction Awards for the chance to win $5,000, free Vocal+ membership, publication in Vocal's first ever book, and unlimited cash rewards.

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25 Winners

$5,000 each, plus publication in Vocal's first book

1,000 Runners-up

Receive a free year of Vocal+ membership ($120 value)

Everyone

Rewarded $20 for every friend you refer to participate

About the Vocal+ Fiction Awards

Vocal Challenges have given us the opportunity to put $500,000 directly into the hands of creators since their launch in January 2020.

Now, we're celebrating half a million dollars awarded with our biggest Challenge yet. Win $5,000 and leave a lasting legacy.

Learn More

How to Enter

Join the community, join the Challenge, and encourage others to do the same.

Step 1

Join Vocal+

The Vocal+ Fiction Awards are open to Vocal+ members. Join the community in order to participate.

Step 2

Submit your story

Create your entry from scratch, or submit a story you've been working on for consideration.

Step 3

Share with friends

Invite your friends and fans to join you. You'll receive $20 for each friend you refer that joins the Vocal+ Fiction Awards.

Timeline

October 14

Submissions open

December 29

Submissions close

January 18

1,025 shortlisted winners announced

February 15

25 winners announced

Spring 2022

Vocal's book release

Meet the Judges

Erica Wagner

Author, critic, literary editor, Vocal's Lead Editorial Innovator, former literary editor of The Times, contributing writer for the New Statesman, and consulting literary editor for Harper’s Bazaar. She writes for The New York Times, The Economist and the Guardian, teaches at Goldsmiths College in London, and has twice served as a judge of the Booker Prize.

Vocal Curation Team

Comprised of content members of the Vocal team with writing and literature backgrounds, as well as years of moderation and curation experience at Vocal.

Launching Spring 2022

About the Book

Our 25 winners won't just receive cash—they'll also be published in Vocal's first ever book, a collection of short stories available to the public.

Sign up to receive updates about preorder, release date, and more.

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How Challenges help creators

Challenges enable us to give back directly to the creators that shape our community—and they provide inspiration and incentives that encourage creativity.

Farah Thompson

“No one is going to force me to write anything which means I have to discipline myself to do it… that is hard when there is no carrot or stick. But the deadlines that challenges impose upon me are the proverbial stick.”

Alex Hawksworth

“The prompts have got me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to be more creative, exploring a range of genres, topics, styles, and themes.”

Eric Dovigi

“Connecting with readers has proven far more meaningful to me than the money or the fact I got first place.”

Call Me Les

“Vocal is a safe space to create and a polished platform to showcase your work. Vocal challenges, specifically, have given me prompts to write about topics I'd never thought about attempting before.”

Ghezal Amiri

“Another component of the Challenges I immensely adore is reading through the works from these unbelievably talented individuals whose works I continue to admire."

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the requirements?

There are no content requirements, themes, or genres you must adhere to for this contest, aside from Vocal's standard Community Guidelines. The only requirements you must adhere to is that your story must be between 600 and 4,000 words.

The word count requirement will be strictly enforced for this Challenge.

Full terms and conditions for the Challenge can be found here.

Does the book publication change my copyright?

Copyright for the content you enter into this Challenge will look slightly different than other stories you publish on Vocal. Generally, creators retain all ownership of everything published on Vocal, but in this case, by entering the Challenge, you're agreeing that Vocal can repurpose your story for publication if you're selected as a winner. You can find the full terms and conditions for the Challenge here.

What are the judges looking for?

Our judges are experienced literary reviewers, and have a wide range of tastes and preferences. However, all judges at every level of the Challenge will be looking for stories that are original, display masterful use of language, evoke a response—whether that's humor, sadness, or joy—and show an understanding of good creative writing, through character development, plot and theme.

When will the book be available?

The book will be available for purchase to the public in early 2022, and preorders may be available prior to that. You can sign up here for updates and alerts about the book's release.

When will winners be announced?

A list of 1,025 Vocal+ winners will be announced on January 18. Of these, 25 grand prize winners will be selected and announced on Feb 1.

How do I participate?

You must be a Vocal+ member to enter the Challenge. Once you're a member of the Vocal+ community, you can view and enter the Vocal+ Fiction Awards here. If there are any updates required for your story to be eligible, you'll receive an email once it's been reviewed by our team.