F – The Blue Frog Flash Fiction Prize. Theme: A Sense of Place

2024 Theme: “A Sense of Place”

Whether on the streets of Rio de Janeiro during Carnival or in a gas station bathroom somewhere outside Cedar Rapids, where our characters are and where their stories take place has meaning. So we want to see stories were the setting comes to life and becomes a character all its own, stories where the characters’ surroundings are irrevocably tied to their moments that matter, stories where the setting reaches out and grabs the reader to place them right there in that specific time and place. It can be as grand as the moon or as mundane as the driveway, we just want to be there!

Prizes:

1st Place: $500

2nd Place: $150

3rd Place: $50

** All three winners will also receive a signed book from the Guest Judge and the original artwork that accompanies their published story.

Rules & Misc.:

— Fiction only.

— 1,000 words maximum (this is a firm limit).

— All submissions should be the author’s original work and not previously published elsewhere (this includes blogs, social media, etc).

— Multiple submissions are allowed, but each should be submitted separately (with no limit to the amount of entries).

— Simultaneous submission are allowed, but please email to withdraw your submission as soon as it has been accepted elsewhere. There are no refunds of entry fees. Please also keep in mind our quick contest turnaround time when considering sim subs.

— Publication rights: If selected as a winner and published in Flash Frog, we ask for the right to display the work for the duration of the journal. Copyright remains with the writer in all cases. If your work is subsequently reprinted elsewhere, please acknowledge Flash Frog as the site of first publication.

— All previous Flash Frog contributors are eligible, regardless of when they were published.

— All submissions will receive a response before the finalists are announced.

— Aside from a small fee to the Guest Judge and Artist, 100% of entry fees go to Flash Frog writers/artists (contest prize money + helping us continue to be a paying market year round while keeping general submissions free).

— Prize money will be paid via PayPal on the day of publication.

— All entries are also eligible for standard Flash Frog publication.

— Initial reading will be done by Flash Frog staff. Once finalists are selected, any identifying information will then be removed from submissions so that the Guest Judge can read blindly.

How to Submit:

— Please send each submission separately as an attachment to flashfroglitmag@gmail.com (please use .doc, .docx. or .rtf). Please Use “CONTEST SUBMISSION: Your Story Title” as the subject.

— Please pay the $5 submission fee using the link below. (If the name on your PayPal/Credit Card is drastically different than what appears in your submission email, you may want to note this in your email.)

— Once both your story and your payment are received, you will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours.