What kind of story are you looking for?
This is the most frequently asked question when it comes to competitions and the general queue. We are looking for a story of literary merit that has a solid narrative arc (this does not necessarily mean linear or conventional), line-level art, and a theme that feels necessary and relevant. This competition is for fiction, so your entry should be fiction. The last four competition issues are in our archives to read free. This is a great place to start.
Dealbreakers?
Yes, of course. We absolutely will reject you if your entry includes racist, homophobic, or transphobic language. But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ick. Gratuitous sex, violence, cruelty, etc. We’re a scrappy lot, so you probably won’t shock us, but why waste your money? We have free-submission periods for the general queue. You could gross us out for free then.
Our word limit is 1000 excluding the title. If you send us a story that’s 1060 words, we’ll have to reject it.
Why do you respond so quickly?
We know most competitions hold your work for months, which feels unnecessary. It simply doesn’t take this long to know an entry won’t make it to the second round of judging.
While most writers find a quick response time refreshing, a few are irritated by it. The 18 judges of The Smokey read around 15 entries each week in pairs, commenting on each entry and voting. Our judges are thorough and thoughtful. Two submissions editors are assigned to each entry; if even one of these editors votes MAYBE on an entry, it is sent to the second round of judging. If both submissions editors vote NO on the entry, we send a rejection. This all happens within seven days. If we are taking more than seven days, your entry or entries have made it into the second round of judging. This might end quickly also if two more senior editors vote NO. We apologize that due to a back injury (Christopher’s back), we got a couple of days behind right after AWP. We are back on schedule now.
We respond quickly because we don’t want to tie up your story any longer than necessary.
Who are the judges?
All SmokeLong competition judges are on staff at SmokeLong and are paid a reading fee. We do not hire external judges. Of the 18 judges, 11 are from the US, 3 from the UK, 2 from Australia, 1 from Singapore, and 1 from Kenya. Three of these judges are trans or non-binary, and 6 are BIPOC. Six of these judges are senior editors at SmokeLong. All have many years’ experience reading flash and have widely varied interests when it comes to writing flash. All the judges are rooting for you.
How do you assign the entries?
See above for an overview of the procedure. There is a bit more method to the madness though. Christopher assigns the entries to the judges and makes sure that the two first readers represent two different kinds of writers. This gives the entrant a better chance of getting through to the second round of judging.
One difference between the reading of competition entries and submissions from the general queue is that the senior editors read entries with the submissions editors from the beginning.
If I want to enter multiple stories, should I enter them one at a time or all together?
This is a good question because it involves psychology. If you enter multiple narratives in the same document, always put your strongest flash first. But even if your strongest is last, please don’t worry. Each story is a new game, and we put every story we love into the second round. My advice is to use the “Up to four” form if you want to enter multiple stories. You’ll save money, and you’ll get a discount coupon for A SmokeLong Summer 25.
When can I expect a response?
If your work has not made it to the second round, you should hear something from us within seven days (we do our best to keep up with this schedule). If your work is taking longer, this does not necessarily mean your work will appear on the long list, but the probability is good. Our long list will come out no later than a couple of weeks after the entry period closes on May 10. The shortlist will go live on our blog about a week after that. Finalists will be notified no later than a couple of weeks before the publication date (June 16).
I can’t afford the entry fee. Can I still enter?
You could have! Our free-entry period ended in March. There’s always next year. And there are always our free-submission periods for general submissions. Please keep an eye on our social media channels so that you know when our free-entry/free-submission periods end.
I’m 17 years old; can I enter?
Nope. But you can keep working on that killer flash and submit it next year.
I write in Kiswahili; can I enter?
Yes, you can send us a story in any language accompanied by an English translation. Please enter both the original and the English translation. We are passionate about promoting the flash narrative beyond our Anglocentric literary world. If you usually write in another language besides English, this is a great opportunity to work with a translator. We offer this opportunity every year, and we’d be thrilled to publish a winner in another language besides English accompanied by a translation.
Will you award the money?
Yes of course. We award the money upon publication. Always. We pay via Paypal or Zelle (for US citizens). You’ll need access to one of these services.
I found a typo in my entry, and I’m freaking out.
One typo in a brilliant piece of writing will not disqualify you. On the other hand, a poorly proofread text will end in rejection. Please proofread your work. Please have your friend who’s better at proofreading proofread your work. Please give yourself another day before you hit SUBMIT. If you are in a hurry, high or inebriated, why not wait until tomorrow? We’ve all been there. Unless tomorrow is May 11.
I’ve just noticed that my name is on my entry. What do I do?
This is not good. Our editorial process is anonymous. If you are in love with this story and you think it could win, the best thing to do is withdraw it, resubmit it with another title and hope for the best. If your name appears on the story document, filename, or Submittable tile, we have to disqualify it. We cannot refund your entry fee.
I entered through the “Up to four” form but screwed up and entered just one story.
We know this happens on the rare occasion. We try to send the free-entry form to make up for this. Please bear with us. We are rooting for you, but please be careful. To enter more than one flash, put all your stories in one document before hitting SUBMIT.
I entered two or four flashes, but one of them was accepted elsewhere. What do I do?
Congratulations on the acceptance! Send us a message through Submittable. We’ll see this at the end of the judging process, but at least we’ll know this before we name the finalists. We’ll still acknowledge that you made it to the lists (with your permission).
Can I get feedback on my entry?
This is not usual practice. If you want feedback on your work, we offer two services through Submittable. Check them out. We subsidize these services so that the editor or editors giving feedback earn more than you pay. We hope this provides an affordable service and fair pay.
Please do not send us an email requesting feedback. This will require Christopher to send you an email explaining everything above because he won’t want to leave you hanging. We give feedback through our paid forms on Submittable. Our senior staff are all professional editors.
When will the competition issue be published?
June 16, 2025.
Where can I enter?
Go HERE.
Wishing you all much success!
The SmokeLong Team
The core workshop of SmokeLong Fitness is all in writing, so you can take part from anywhere at anytime. We are excited about creating a supportive, consistent and structured environment for flash writers to work on their craft in a community. We are thrilled and proud to say that our workshop participants have won, placed, or been listed in every major flash competition. Community works.