What is the Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize?
An annual contest for short fiction. A chance for your fiction to be read by Hunger Mountain editors and guest judges!
What will the winner receive?
One first place winner receives $1,000 and publication.
Two runners-up receive $100 each, and are considered for publication.
Who can enter the contest?
Any writer – residing in any country or U.S. state – is eligible to enter; Hunger Mountain and VCFA staff and currently enrolled students are ineligible.
Who is this year’s judge?
The 2017 judge will be announced in coming weeks. Stay tuned and keep checking back, or watch for our announcement on Twitter and in our newsletter!
When is the deadline?
The deadline is March 1, for both electronic and snail mail entries, with the submission period open from October 1 to March 1. (THIS IS A NEW DEADLINE. We are sorry for any confusion! You may have read about this contest in a magazine or blog that posted an old deadline; please note that the deadlines listed here on the Hunger Mountain website are the correct deadlines, thank you.)
Where is last year’s winning entry?
The 2015 winner, Things I Think About While Swimming” appears in our online Prizewinner Issue and in Hunger Mountain 20: EDGES.
The 2014 winner, “The Hierophant,” by Lee Ann Dalton appears in the online Masculinity Issue and in Hunger Mountain 19: the BODY issue.
Order Hunger Mountain 18 to read “Hallucinating Arkansas” by Cody Walker, winner of the 2013 prize, “Pavlova” by Kendall Klym, runner-up in the 2013 prize, and “The Evil Eye” by John Hough Jr, runner-up in the 2012 prize.
These and other prizewinning pieces appear in our online Prizewinner Issue.
Does Hunger Mountain accept electronic entries?
Yes! Please enter one original, unpublished story under 10,000 words. Your name and address should not appear on the story; we read contest entries blind. Click the link below to access our online submission system. Once in the submission manager, you’ll need to choose “Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize” (scroll almost all the way to the bottom to find it; if you do not see the link it is because the link will only be open between Oct. 1 and March 1). Pay the $20.00 entry fee and upload your entry: Click here to enter the Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize.
Does Hunger Mountain still accept entries via snail mail?
Yes! Please send one original, unpublished story under 10,000 words. Include a $20 entry fee. Make checks payable to “Vermont College of Fine Arts.” Entries should be postmarked by March 1st. Your name or address should not appear anywhere on the story itself (we read entries blind.) Instead, enclose an index card with story title, your name, address, phone number, and email address. You may also enclose an SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) for notification of winners. Entries should be typed, and on one side of the paper only. No staples please! Send entries to:
HFMSFP
Hunger Mountain
Vermont College of Fine Arts
36 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
Will my entry be considered for general publication as
well as for the Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize?
Yes, it will.
May I enter more than one story in this prize?
Yes. Enter as many as you like! But each entry needs its own entry fee.
Are simultaneous submissions okay?
Yes, but please let us know right away if your work is accepted elsewhere. And unfortunately we can’t refund entry fees if the work is accepted somewhere else.
Are previously published stories eligible?
No. We accept original, unpublished work for the contest.
What kind of story should I submit?
Send us your best work! We are looking for stories that linger, stories that grab us in our seats and shake us, stories that branch away from the cliché and grow deep roots of originality. Send us one original, unpublished story under 10,000 words–your name and address should not appear on the story itself; we read contest entries blind.
What if I have questions that aren’t answered here?
Email us at hungermtn@vcfa.edu.
Enter the Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize by clicking here
Thanks for entering the contest, and good luck!