This contest is now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted and trusted us with your writing!
We’re going to try something funny with our next challenge! We want to give writers the chance to bring on the humor.
You’re cordially invited to submit to the Humor Challenge from April 03 to April 13, 2025.
Make us laugh, make us look at things sideways, make us question the absurdity of life on this planet or others. Take us into the fantasy of mirth and have us shaking our heads at the dark humor nestled in thriller, mystery, and horror stories.
We know it’s a challenge to get humor into your pages, to have it pervade the mood of the text, to make the reader laugh out loud, but that’s why it’s a challenge! We know you’re up to the task to make us laugh! For this challenge, we’re pleased to offer the grand-prize winner $500 and publication. All entries will be considered for general publication at our regular rate of $200.
We’re seeking stories that speak to and disrupt conventional story tropes to entertain and thrill our readers. We hope this challenge will inspire you to create absurd juxtapositions, to balance quirky characters with outlandish plots, all while sending us genre-blending stories with dynamic characters and fresh language.
GUIDELINES
- The deadline for entry is April 13, 2025. We will announce the shortlist, chosen by our editorial staff, within 10–12 weeks of the challenge’s close. All writers will be notified when the results are in.
- Your $20 reading fee allows ONE humorous fiction short story of 1,001–5,000 words per entry.
- We encourage multiple submissions—each story should be a separate submission accompanied by a reading fee.
- Please submit short stories only—5,000 word count maximum.
- We only consider unpublished work for challenges—we do not review reprints, including self-published work (even on blogs and social media). Reprints will be automatically disqualified.
- Simultaneous submissions are okay—please notify us immediately and withdraw your entry if you find another home for your writing.
- All entries will also be considered for publication in Uncharted.
- Double-space your submission and use Times New Roman 12 (or larger if needed).
- Please include a brief cover letter with your publication history (if applicable).
- Please include a content warning to help safeguard our staff (if applicable).
- We only read work in English, though some code-switching/meshing is warmly welcomed.
- We do not read anonymous submissions.
- Work generated by AI will be automatically disqualified.
Some Submittable Hot Tips:
- Please be sure to whitelist/add to contacts this email address so notifications do not get filtered as spam/junk: notifications@email.submittable.com.
- If you realize you sent the wrong version of your piece: It happens. Please DO NOT withdraw the piece and resubmit. Submittable collects a nonrefundable fee each time. Please DO message us from within the submission to request that we open the entry for editing, which will allow you to fix everything from typos in your cover letter to uploading a new draft. The only time we will not allow a change is if the piece is already under review by a reader.
OPTIONAL FEEDBACK ON YOUR WRITING
You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your piece. We will provide a two-page 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. A significant portion of the editorial letter fees is paid to our feedback editor. Should your story win, no feedback will be offered, and your fee will be refunded.