Previous Contests
Please Note: This contest is now closed! Thank you to everyone that submitted! Check back in March 2021 when Winners will be announced!
1st Place: Leslie Vedder for Phoenix from the Acid
2nd Place: Amanda Thomas for Sew Your Desire
3rd Place: J. Isaiah Holbrook for This is How You Fall in Love with a Homophobe
Here at Voyage, we’re huge fans of short form fiction. What we don’t see enough of, is short fiction in the YA category. So, we’re hosting a contest! Can you tell us a good YA story in 5,000 words or less? Send us your best YA contemporary, romance, fantasy, science fiction, genre-bender, and more! We read widely in YA, and we’re simply looking for a well-told story.
Submissions are open from September 18 to December 1, 2020.
Guest judge, Natalia Sylvester, will choose three stories from a shortlist.
The 1st Place winner will receive $3000 and an hour-long consultation with Literary Agent Saritza Hernandez of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
2nd Place will receive $300 and publication, and 3rd place $200 and publication.
Finalists will also receive written feedback from Literary Agent Saritza Hernandez.
Bonus: Every entrant will receive access to a pre-recorded mini workshop on writing a synopsis with Editor and Literary Agent Kaitlyn Johnson at Belcastro Agency!
Guidelines
- Voyage submissions are open to all writers working in English
- International submissions are allowed
- Submission must be an original short story that would be categorized as young adult fiction (from the point-of-view of a young adult, meaning through the lens of a teen protagonist)
- 5,000-word count maximum
- We’re open to any genre or style you can throw at us—just send us the best you’ve got
- Previously unpublished work only please
- Simultaneous submissions are fine—just notify and withdraw your entry if it’s picked up by someone else
- $20 reading fee per entry
- Multiple submissions are okay—please submit each as a separate submission
- Every entry will be considered for our regular publications as well
- Please: 1) double space; 2) use Times New Roman 12 pt font; 3) have 1-inch margins, and 4) put your last name and the page number in the top right-hand corner
- Tell us in a brief cover letter your publication history (if applicable, no worries if not), along with any relevant information about your writing career
- For reference, some of our favorite YA short collections include: Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles, Welcome Home edited by Eric Smith, Our Stories, Our Voices edited by Amy Reed; Three Sides of a Heart edited by Natalie C. Parker; Because You Love to Hate Me edited by Amerie; Meet Cute and Summer Days and Summer Nights/My True Love Gave to Me both edited by Stephanie Perkins.
Voyage accepts submissions year-round and published pieces can be found on our website, accessible to everyone for free.
