HG Wells Short Story Competition 2022

Submit to JG Wells Short Story Competition 2022. Learn how to submit for free and win cash Prizes in 2022

How To Submit To HG Wells Short Story Competition 2022

The annual HG Wells Fiction Short Story Competition offers a £500 Senior and £1,000 Junior prize and free publication of all shortlisted entries in a quality, professionally published paperback anthology.

The 2022 H G Wells Short Story Competition will close on 11th July 2022 (at midnight, BST).

You can enter only online via our website.

All entries must relate to the theme for this year’s Competition: Switch.

Entrants must read the Competition Rules before submitting their story/stories.

HG Wells Short Story Competition 2022 Submission & Payment

You should attach your story as a PDF or text document to your online entry. Only one entry / story per form: if you wish to enter multiple stories, complete the online form for each story.

Payment of fees (for those entering the competition for those aged 22 and over) will be by PayPal or debit / credit card at the time of submission.

Please note that if entering the Under 22 competition, we may ask you to confirm your supplied date of birth with evidence of your age. If you enter the 22+ competition at the reduced student rate, we may ask for proof of your student status. If you cannot provide evidence of your age / student status, your entry may be disqualified, and any entry fee paid retained, at the sole discretion of the judges.

Fees

Aged over 21 on 11th July 2022: £10 per entry (£5 students accompanied with copy of student ID)

Under 21 on 11th July 2022: no entry fee

You can if you wish enter more than one story: please complete a separate entry for each story entered.

HGWSSC is a non-profit making organisation. The entry fees go towards the running costs of the Competition.

HG Wells Short Story Competition Rules 2022

There are two competitions: The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition for young writers of 21 years and under, for which the prize winner receives £1,000, and a competition for the over 21s which offers The Grand Prize of £500.

This year’s theme is “Switch”.

• Entries must be in English.
• The length is 1,500 to 5,000 words.
• Double quotation marks should be used for speech and single quotation marks for other appropriate purposes.
• Entry to the competition are online only, with entrants submitting their story (as a PDF or text document) and any fee as appropriate via our entry form;
• There is a template available below to make ensure your story is formatted correctly. You do not have to use it, but if it helps, please do so. However, whether you use the template or not, the pages should be numbered but the entrant’s name should not appear on any page except on the entry form.
• Please ensure you DO NOT have your name or address ANYWHERE in your uploaded document: we judge all entries “blind” and including your name or address will invalidate your entry. To be safe, do not even use your own name as a character name.
• The closing date is Monday 11th July 2022 and entries will be accepted up to midnight on that date.
• There are no entry fees for those aged 21 years and under on 11th July 2022. Over 21s must pay an entry fee of £10 or £5 for those with student id. Details for payment are shown on the entry form. Each story must be submitted on a separate entry form and accompanied by a fee where appropriate.
• Proof of age and / or student id may be required for any entry entered in the Under 22 or at the reduced student price. This proof may be requested by email after the close of entries and prior to the publication of a short list.
• All submissions must be made online, with all required fields completed.
• All submissions should be the writer’s original work.
• Copyright remains with the author.
• The story may not be published elsewhere.
• The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence can be entered into.
• Entry implies permission for your story to be published in the annual HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology, and used for Competition publicity purposes.
• Contacting You

By entering the competition and providing your details, you are consenting to us contacting you by email, post or phone about the 2022 competition and related events. We may do so to give more information, update you on shortlisted entries, let you know about available training courses, invite you to the November awards ceremony or even let you know if you have been shortlisted.

We will ONLY contact you about the H G Wells Short Story Competition in future years if you specifically agree to us doing so by giving us your consent to do so when entering.

We will not share the contact details of entrants with any other organisation without the consent of the entrant.

Provisional Shortlisting and Award Dates

Wednesday 21st September 2022 : Shortlists announced

Sunday 20th November 2022 : Awards Ceremony

The shortlists will be announced online via this website.

Please note that although shortlisted authors will be invited to the awards ceremony, the competition organisers will not and cannot pay any travel fees or sponsor visas to attend the event.

Hints and Tips

As one of the aims of the competition is to promote literacy, the judges will include in their criteria the following:

Accurate use of spelling, grammar and punctuation;

Use of imagination;

Originality of thought and interpretation of theme;

Entertaining content that is thought provoking, intriguing, moving and, above all, enjoyable.

Story Template

You can use the HG Wells Short Story Competition Word Document Template that is designed to ensure you follow the below rules, but whether you use it or not we ask:

1. Each page should be numbered;

2. Absolutely no identification of author on the page or in the document properties (stories not meeting this rule will be disqualified);

3. All text 12 point, Verdana (for judging – it’s easier to read);

4. 1.5 lines spacing;

5. Single space left after full stops, colons, etc.;

6. Titles: centre, bold;

7. First paragraph and after each break – no indentation;

8. Second and subsequent paragraphs – indented.

Submit