2026 Plough Short Fiction Contest

Plough is thrilled to announce its inaugural annual short fiction contest, open to writers anywhere in the world.

The winning writer will receive a two thousand dollar award and the winning story will be published in Plough. In addition, up to three finalists will receive two hundred and fifty dollars as well as publication in Plough (print and/or online).

Plough is seeking short fiction that honors the mysterious nature of reality and finds transcendence and redemption in unexpected places. We are interested in the skillful use of fictional elements like magical realism and a traditional “tale” voice, but the contest is not limited to stories with these elements. Here are some authors we see as exemplary: Italo Calvino, Jorge Luis Borges, Susanna Clarke, Toni Morrison, Isak Dinesen, Eugene Vodolozkin, Tim Powers, Karen Russell, James McBride. 

Judging will be blind. Plough editors will select ten to fifteen stories for further consideration, and then the editors will reach a consensus on the winner and finalists. 

2026 Submission Guidelines

Entry into the contest is free to Plough Quarterly subscribers, and there is a $10 fee for nonsubscribers. If you prefer to skip the fee, please subscribe here before entering your story. 

Submit your work via the form below on or before September 1, 2026. Results will be announced in November 2026 on Plough.com and by email to all contestants. 

Please follow these guidelines:

• Submissions must be previously unpublished and may not be submitted elsewhere.
• Each contestant may enter only one story. 
• Stories must be no more than 5000 words and written in English. 
• Stories will be disqualified if they contain obscene or indecent material or if the use of AI is detected or suspected.
• Stories must be submitted in a Microsoft Word document. Please do not put your name and email in the Word doc. Do not include illustrations.

Due to the volume of submissions, we may not be able to contact you or refund you if your submission does not meet these requirements. 

Feel free to contact us with any questions or problems.