How does the contest work?

Challenging The Writers writing contest is now an annual contest. The contest is open for 4 months. From the 1st of January to the 30th of April. The writing prompt for the contest is published on the website before it is announced and shared on other update channels, i.e. newsletter and social media. Until the very last minute (11:59 p.m.), on the last day of submissions, participating writers are to write and submit a story at a fee of ₦1,000.

What are the prizes?

1st Place

• Cash Prize – ₦150,000 which is paid via Nigerian Bank Transfer
• Anthology Publishing Deal, for the story which will be an anthology with the other two winning stories.

2nd Place

• Cash Prize – ₦100,000 which is paid via Nigerian Bank Transfer
• Anthology Publishing Deal, for the story which will be an anthology with the other two winning stories.

3rd Place

• Cash Prize – ₦50,000 which is paid via Nigerian Bank Transfer
• Anthology Publishing Deal, for the story which will be an anthology with the other two winning stories.

How do I submit a story?

To submit a story, visit The Contest page to view the writing prompt for this contest and click Submit Story at the end of the page.

How many stories can authors submit?

One story.

Is there a deadline for story submission?

Yes, there is. The deadline for submissions is the 30th of April at 11:59 pm WAT.

How many winners are selected?

Three winners.

When will the winners be announced?

The winner, 1st and 2nd runner-ups are announced six months after the contest ends.

Who is eligible to participate in the contest?

People of Nigerian origin, aged 18 years and above as winners can only receive the cash prize directly into their Nigerian bank account.

Is there a word count limit for the story?

Yes, there is. The story must have exactly 15,000 words.

What restrictions are there for the type of content I can include?

Submitted stories must be written in English and be previously unpublished. Entrants of this contest are aged 18 and above, this means mature themes and language are allowed. But avoid using large amounts of graphic or explicit language and sharing stories that include needless violence or arbitrary sexual content that isn’t justifiable and nor provides an artistic benefit for the audience, for it will not be considered for publication.

Can I delete or edit my story after I submit it?

You can not delete or edit your story after it has been submitted.

Can I submit my story elsewhere after submitting it here?

By submitting your story, you are granting Challenging The Writers the non-exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide, royalty-free license to store, publish, and otherwise use the entry on any platforms, in accordance with our terms of service.

By submitting your story for the contest, you agree the story is going to remain unpublished, and wouldn’t be entered into other contests or for publications until after the contest winners have been announced.

After which, when publishing your story elsewhere, the publication must include an acknowledgement to Challenging The Writers for providing the prompt that inspired the story. In the case of it being a digital publication, will include a backlink to https://challengingthewriters.com/prompts

You retain the copyright and are free to do whatever you want with stories you have sent in; as Challenging The Writers claims no ownership of your writing.

Will I receive feedback on my stories?

No, we do not offer individual feedback for the stories we receive.