The time is nigh, and you’ve been awaiting it pretty eagerly, judging by the number of e-mails I’ve received wondering when we’re going to open submissions to our 17th annual Short Story Contest.

The rules and regs: Postmark deadline is Dec. 15; work must be unpublished, typewritten, and no longer than 2,500 words; work must be accompanied by a cover letter that contains name, address, e-mail, and phone number of the author, as well as the story’s word count and title (author’s name must not appear on the manuscript); one entry per person; staff of the Chronicle, freelancers who have contributed more than one article since September 2007, and first- through fifth-place winners from the 2007 contest are ineligible.

And to answer one dear reader’s question: No, we will not be raising the dollar amount of the prize money awarded. Art doesn’t pay. You might as well learn that now.

This article appears in October 24 • 2008.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kimberley has written about film, books, and pop culture for The Austin Chronicle since 2000. She was named Editor of the Chronicle in 2016; she previously served as the paper’s Managing Editor, Screens Editor, Books Editor, and proofreader. Her work has been awarded by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for excellence in arts criticism, team reporting, and special section (Best of Austin). The Austin Alliance for Women...