Short Fiction Competition: 2013 Barthelme Prize for Short Prose

We Are Now Accepting Entries for the 2013 Barthelme Prize for Short Prose!
Online submissions manager here.

Judged by Robert Coover
Deadline: August 31, 2013

Gulf Coast is now accepting entries for the 2013 Barthelme Prize for Short Prose. The contest is open to pieces of prose poetry, flash fiction, and micro-essays of 500 words or fewer. Established in 2008, the contest awards its winner $1,000 and publication in the journal. Two honorable mentions will also appear in issue 26.2, due out in April 2014, and all entries will be considered for paid publication on our website as Online Exclusives.

This year's contest will be judged by Robert Coover. Coover's first novel, The Origin of the Brunists, won the 1966 William Faulkner Award. His other works include the collection of short fiction, Pricksongs and Descants, a collection of plays, A Theological Position, and such novels as The Public Burning, Spanking the Maid, Gerald's Party, Pinocchio in Venice, John's Wife, Ghost Town, and Briar Rose. His latest honor is the Dugannon Foundation's REA award for his lifetime contribution to the short story.

We will accept submissions both via our online submissions manager and via postal mail. Entrants may submit up to three pieces with each entry fee. Entrants may submit more than once, but each new entry of three pieces must be accompanied by a separate entry fee.

Contest Guidelines for Online Submissions
- Submissions accepted via Gulf Coast's online submissions manager.
- Submit up to three pieces of short prose in a single .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf file.
- Only previously unpublished work will be considered.
- The contest will be judged blindly, so please do not include your cover letter, your name, or any contact information in the uploaded document. This information should only be pasted in the "Comments" field.
- After submitting your work you will be redirected to PayPal to authorize your $17 reading fee. You do not need a PayPal account to submit to the contest; PayPal accepts all major credit cards for payment. We will contact you if there are any issues with your payment.

Contest Guidelines for Postal Mail Submissions
- Only previously unpublished work will be considered.
- Please address postal mail entries to:

Gulf Coast
ATTN: Barthelme Prize in Short Prose
Department of English
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-3013

- The contest will be judged blindly, so your contact information should appear only on your cover letter.
- Please include your $17 reading fee, payable to "Gulf Coast."