Fiction Competition: The Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction

The Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction is offered annually for a previously unpublished short story of no more than 50 pages. The winning short story will be published in the 2015 fall/winter issue of Colorado Review; the writer receives a $2,000 honorarium.  

The Nelligan Prize was established in 2004 in memory of Liza Nelligan, a writer, editor, and friend of many in Colorado State University’s English Department, where she received her master’s degree in literature in 1992. By giving an award to the author of an outstanding short story each year, we hope to honor Nelligan’s life, her passion for writing, and her love of fiction.
Previous winners of the Nelligan Prize include Amira Pierce’s “Anything Good is a Secret,” (selected by Kent Nelson); Edward Hamlin’s “Night in Erg Chebbi,” (selected by Jim Shepard); and Matthew Shaer’s “Ghosts,” (selected by Jane Hamilton).

General Guidelines for the 2015 Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction:
$2,000 will be awarded for the best short story, which will be published in the fall/winter 2015 issue of Colorado Review.
 
This year’s final judge is Lauren Groff; friends and students (current & former) of the judge are not eligible to compete, nor are Colorado State University employees, students, or alumni.

Entry fee is $15 per story (add $2 for online submissions); there is no limit on the number of entries you may submit.

Stories must be previously unpublished.

There are no theme restrictions, but stories must be under 50 pages.

Deadline is the postmark of March 14, 2015.
 
Winner will be announced by July 2015.

All submissions will be considered for publication.

You do not need to be a Colorado or US resident to enter.


To submit online:
The story title and your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address should be entered in the cover letter field, separate from your story. Be sure your name is not anywhere in the story itself (for example, in the header or footer).

The fee to enter online is $17 ($2 goes to the good people at Submittable; in most cases, it will be less expensive to enter online than by mail).
On or before March 14, 2015, submit here.

To submit via regular mail:
Include two cover sheets: on the first, print your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and the story title; on the second, print only the story title. Your name should not appear anywhere else on the manuscript.

Enclose a check for $15 for each story. Checks should be made out to Colorado Review. You may submit multiple stories in the same envelope, and the check can be made out for the total.
Provide SASE for contest results.

Manuscripts will not be returned. Please do not enclose extra postage for return of manuscript.
Entries must be clearly addressed to:
Nelligan Prize
Colorado Review
9105 Campus Delivery
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-9105

For complete guidelines, visit our website.