Too many options when it comes to submitting your work? Here’s our top five comps and subs for February 2026.
Name: Centaur
Deadline: Currently open
Wordcount: up to 400 words
Genre: Hybrid
Description: Centaur is an online journal that publishes hybrid stories and artwork. They are looking for experimental writing that pushes beyond genre definitions. They publish four issues per year: first weeks of May, August, November, and February. Every submission will receive a response and for a published story the author will receive $20. Since August 2025, Centaur will match payments with $20 to one of the non-profits listed on their website.
Entry fee: Free
Website: https://centaurlit.com/about/
Name: Free Flash Fiction Competition
Deadline: 23rd February 2026 at 10pm UK time
Wordcount: minimum 100 words, maximum 300 words (excluding title)
Genre: Flash Fiction
Description: Free Flash Fiction website promotes a range of flash fiction, publishes flash fiction of new and established authors, and provides stories to read for free. For their current competition, they are looking for flash fiction on any subject and written in any style or form of ‘flash fiction’. The winner will receive £165 and publication, two highly commended will receive £77 and publication, three shortlisted will receive £66 and publication.
Entry fee: £4.40 per story via PayPal or Stripe or £2.95 per story via BACS
Website: https://freeflashfiction.com/current-competition/
Name: Writers’ and Artists’ Short Story Competition 2026
Deadline: Midnight (UK time) 13th February 2026
Wordcount: up to 2,000 words
Genre: Short Story
Description: The theme for this year’s Writers’ and Artists’ annual short story competition is ‘play’, and the competition will be judged by author Paul McVeigh. The winner will receive a place on an Arvon Residential Writing Week (worth £985) as well as publication on the Writers’ and Artists’ website.
Entry fee: Free
Website: https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/competitions/writers-artists-short-story-competition-2026
Name: The Gutsty Great Novelist Chapter One Prize
Deadline: 3rd February – 3rd March 2026
Wordcount: no word count; complete first chapter
Genre: Fiction
Description: The Gutsy Great Novelists Chapter One Prize is open internationally to writers over 18 years old on an as-yet-unpublished novel (fiction only). The prize has been established to support and celebrate novelists and aims to find the best opening chapter of a novel-in-progress written in the English language. First prize is $1000, second prize $500, and third prize $250.
Entry fee: $20 (just under £15)
Website: https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/chapter-one-prize/
Name: Claret Press Short Story Competition
Deadline: 1st March 2026 (deadline extended)
Wordcount: less than 5,000 words
Genre: Themed Short Story (any genre and style)
Description: Claret Press are a small, independent, and traditional press located in Clapham; they specifically publish works about politics. For their short story competition, Claret Press are looking for short stories that reflect today’s politics, they are not looking for essays or poems. First place will receive £50, 2nd place £30, and third place £20. All three winning stories will be published on the Claret website and in the ‘Sip of Claret News’ newsletter.
Entry fee: £5
Website: https://www.claretpress.com/short-story-competition
