Calling all writers! We are having our first Short Fiction Challenge and we want to read your stories!

‘Tis the season for cooler weather, warm drinks, beautiful decorations, and amazing stories to help you get through the long winter nights, and maybe a snowstorm or two! So, to help spread some extra fun and joy around this holiday season (and while we wait for warmer weather to return), we are looking to read and share the wonderful work of the writers in our community.

Think of this as our Fashion Fix challenge, but for writers!

Of course, a Sartorial Geek challenge isn’t complete without a theme, so our first challenge will be New Year, New Look! Then, to (gingerbread) spice things up, we ask that each story also include one of the following items in some way:

  • a mannequin
  • a cup of hot chocolate (with marshmallows!)
  • fireworks
  • a needle and thread

We are looking for short fiction stories and web-comics of any genre as long as it sticks to the New Year, New Look theme and includes one of the four items listed above. Give us a fashion-forward whodunit, an adventurous magical garment, a cosplay rom-com, or a fancy intergalactic masquerade! We want to be transported on to the runway of your imagination!

Short Fiction Requirements

We are looking for short fiction works under 2,000 words. Avoid using caps lock for your title, and please clearly write your title and byline at the top of your story. 

Your submission should be double spaced and written in a standard typeface and font size. Resist the urge to ham it up with showy fonts like Courier or “typewriter” like fonts. Let your imagination run wild with your writing, not design details.

Email your submission to britnymbrooks [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line “New Year New Look Fiction Submission / Your Name” in a single .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

Webcomic Requirements

We are looking for webcomic submissions to be between 2-4 pages. We prefer .png, .jpg, and .gif files, but as long as we can view it, it’ll be considered (and we’ll be happy!)

Include the title of your story in the filenames of the images along with the page order number if including more than one file (ex: “Story Title 1”).

Email your submission to britnymbrooks [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line “New Year New Look Webcomic Submission / Your Name.”

Rules and Prize Information

The deadline for all entries is January 19th and the winners of the Short Fiction Challenge will be announced on January 24th. The writers of the top two short fiction and webcomic stories will receive a gift card and be featured on the Sartorial Geek blog. The writers of the best short fiction and webcomic story will receive a gift card and be included in the Spring issue of the The Sartorial Geek magazine.

  • Please only send in one submission.
  • You do not need to write a cover letter with your submission, but please say hello and address the judges in the plural.
  • Please do not send us previously published work.
  • If your story is selected as a winner and then is later used in another publication, we humbly ask that you credit The Sartorial Geek with its first appearance. 
  • Please include a one sentence bio in the third person in the body of the email with your submission.

Happy writing!

Author

Britny Brooks-Perilli is a book editor and nerd living in Philadelphia. She loves narrative games and walking simulators, and she'll never say no to a good manga, graphic novel, or YA recommendation. She's been told that she has the same personality as Kero from Cardcaptor Sakura. You can follow her on Twitter @Britny_Perilli.

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