Posted on 26 February 2023

Submissions open:
1 March 2023

Submissions close:
15 May 2023

Who may enter
The contest is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book. 

Short description
The contest is organized by Ploughshares, an American literary journal.

There are three categories:

• Fiction (under 6,000 words);
• Nonfiction (under 6,000 words);
• Poetry (3-5 pages).

Submitted work must be original and previously unpublished in any form.

The 2023 contest judges are Gish Jen (Fiction), Sandra Cisneros (Poetry), and Meghan O'Rourke (Nonfiction). 

Entry fee
The entry fee is $24. The fee includes a 1-year subscription to Ploughshares.

Prizes
The winning story, essay, and poems will be published in the Winter 2023-24 issue of Ploughshares. Each winning author will receive $2,000.

Competition website
For further information visit the official competition website.