2023 Uncharted Magazine Thrilling Story Award - Uncharted
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By Uncharted

This contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered! We’ll have a longlist in around ten weeks!

We invite writers to submit to the Uncharted MagazineThrilling Story Award from January 1 to February 28, 2023. This Award is for all three genres: SF/F, Thriller/Horror, and Mystery/Crime. Guest judge Gabino Iglesias will choose three winning stories from a shortlist. We’re excited to offer the winner of this prize $1000 and publication, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive publication and $300 and $200, respectively.

Gabino Iglesias is a writer, journalist, professor, and literary critic living in Austin, TX. He is the author of ZERO SAINTS and COYOTE SONGS and the editor of BOTH SIDES and HALLDARK HOLIDAYS. His work has been nominated twice to the Bram Stoker Award as well as the Locus Award and won the Wonderland Book Award for Best Novel in 2019. His nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Electric Literature, and LitReactor. His reviews appear regularly in places like NPR, Publishers Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, Criminal Element, Mystery Tribune, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and other venues. He’s been a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards twice and has judged the PANK Big Book Contest, the Splatterpunk Awards, the Newfound Prose Prize, and the 2021 FIU Student Literary Awards, among others. He has offered keynotes at various institutions and events, including the Lighthouse Book Project, ARRTCon, the inaugural POP_UP Academic Conference on Popular Culture, and the Revolve Creative Conference. In 2021, he received the Horror Writer’s Association Diversity Grant. Iglesias has worked as a mentor with the San Francisco Creative Writing Institute and the Periplus Collective. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, the Mystery Writers of America, and the National Book Critics Circle. He teaches creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University’s online MFA program. You can find him on Twitter at @Gabino_Iglesias.

Uncharted Magazine publishes SF/F, Thriller/Horror, and Mystery/Crime Short Stories from fiction writers of any background or experience. We want stories that thrill us, that make us feel alive, that awaken our desires to explore and go on adventures.

GUIDELINES

  • The deadline for entry is February 28, 2023. We will announce the winner and finalists within 8-10 weeks of the contest’s close. All writers will be notified when the results are in.
  • Your $20 reading fee allows 1 story of 1,001-5,000 words per entry.
  • We allow multiple submissions—each set of 1 story should have a separate submission accompanied by a reading fee.
  • We only consider unpublished work for contests—we do not review reprints, including self-published work.
  • Simultaneous submissions are okay—please notify us and withdraw your entry if you find another home for your writing.
  • All entries will also be considered for publication in Uncharted Magazine.
  • Double-space your submission and use Times New Roman 12 pt font.
  • Please include a brief cover letter with your publication history (if applicable).
  • We only read work in English.
  • We do not read blind. The judge will read anonymously from the shortlist.
  • Note: To ensure the protection of our volunteer readers, and to keep Uncharted a safe space, please let us know in your cover letter if your work can be triggering in any way. This will have no bearing on your submission or a decision—we just want to ensure the best possible environment for our readers. Thank you for your understanding.

FAQ

Q: What am I supposed to write in my cover letter?

A: Think of your cover letter as a brief author bio and what you would like posted on our site should your piece be selected for publication. Don’t overthink it; we just want to know a little about you! Most writers choose to include publication history or a little about the story that is being submitted. Note that you can include personal or identifying information in your cover letter.

Q: When can I expect to hear back about my story?

Regardless of acceptance or decline, you will hear back from us, we promise. You can expect to hear back within 8-12 weeks from the day you submit for this award.

Q: When will I hear back about my submission/the results of the contest?

A: Every submitter is notified of a decision, and we send out responses once a submission doesn’t advance to the next round. We’d also encourage you to follow us on social media, as we publicly announce winners and contest opportunities there.

Q: Do you accept submissions from writing teams?

A: Yes! However, you would need to designate one person as the submitter—or maybe create a joint Submittable account. As long as you both understand that you’d be splitting the prize if the submission was selected as one of the winners.

OPTIONAL FEEDBACK ON YOUR WRITING

You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your piece. We will provide a global letter discussing the strengths of the writing and the recommended focus for revision. Our aim is to make our comments actionable and encouraging. These letters are written by editors and staff readers of Uncharted Magazine. A significant portion of the editorial letter fees goes to our feedback editor, according to the rates established by the EFA. Should your story win, no feedback will be offered and your fee will be refunded.