“If I could rate this experience out of 5, I would undoubtedly give it a 6/5. The encouragement of creativity and the support provided by Tadpole Press have been outstanding. My experience has been extremely welcoming---whenever I had questions about the application process, I received swift and informative responses, which greatly facilitated my participation. Thank you so much for hosting an amazing contest!”
- Kaleb Gebresillasie
​Writers and Pen Names: All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome. You may use a pen name, and we will publish the winning entries under that name. If you win, we will have a separate form to fill out the name you'd like to be paid under.
​Genre / Theme: Any genre. No theme.
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Prizes: Our April 2026 contest is sponsored by Duotrope.
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1st place: $1,000 USD + a 2-year Duotrope Gift Certificate ($100 USD value)
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2nd place: Publishing and marketing package with Compassiviste Publishing ($6,000 USD value)
3rd place: Manuscript assessment package with Compassiviste Publishing ($1,500-$3,000 USD value)
4th place: Editing package with Tadpole Press ($1,500 USD value)
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5th & 6th place: Writing coaching package with Tadpole Press ($500 USD value)
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7th - 10th place: $200 USD
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11th - 15th place: $150 USD
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16th - 20th place: $100 USD
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21st - 30th place: $50 USD
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Entry Fee and Limit: $15 USD per entry. You may submit as many entries as you'd like.
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Deadline: November 30, 2025.
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Winners: Winners will be announced at the Celebration of Words as soon as possible after the contest deadline. You may view previous winners here.
What we look for in a piece:
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A story that is creative, unique, and captures a new angle.
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A story that expands our beliefs about what’s possible.
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A story that includes a clever twist or unexpectedly delights us with a surprise.
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A story that is nonviolent and focuses on growth rather than suffering.
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A story that adheres to the theme (if applicable).
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Writing that uses clever, unique, or unexpected language.
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Writing that inspires us.
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Writing that crafts a complete and compelling story.
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Writing that recognizes the power of creativity to impact the world.
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Writing that creates an equitable, just, and empowered world.
​Not ready to write yet? Sign up for our email list for writing tips and creative inspiration:
​Additional thoughts:
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We aim to diversify literature so we encourage diverse stories, unique perspectives, and entries from marginalized writers sharing their authentic voices.
You may have noticed that we don’t buy into the belief that writing all needs to look a certain way. We’re inspired by the individual dance that each of us does when we’re creating. We don’t need anyone’s permission, so go ahead and you do you. What would your words look like if you just created straight from your own heart and imagination?
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Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for clever or unique writing that inspires us and crafts a compelling and complete story.
You can write fiction, nonfiction, poetry, memoir, or a mix of everything. You choose the genre. You choose the words. Put them together in any order, any combination.
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The winning submissions will be nonviolent. You may deal with tough themes, but you must move on from there. Don’t dwell in misery. Show growth. If you're going to write about something painful, show how someone was transformed by the experience. Go for something that pulls on our heartstrings rather than breaks our hearts.
Judges:
Amber Byers is the founder, CEO, and head judge of the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest. Her book, Sophie and Spot, won a Gold Medal for Best First Book in the chapter book category from Moonbeam Children's Book Awards in 2019.
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Amber has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Washington, a Juris Doctor in law from the University of Arizona, and a passion for diversifying literature.
Amber started reading at the age of three and is still in love with the power and beauty of words. She especially loves words that surprise, delight, and encourage us to support, love, and inspire one another.
Currently living in Colorado, USA, she has also lived in Mexico, China, London, and Thailand.
Johanna Craven is the Creative Director of Compassiviste Publishing, a non-profit publishing house focused on effecting social change. She is also the author of ten historical novels, including award-winners Forgotten Places and The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
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Johanna loves music, dance, travel, and swimming in ridiculously cold water. Born in Australia, she spent many years living in the UK and US and is now based in Melbourne with her partner.
Autumn Bettinger is a short-form fiction writer and full-time mother of two living in Portland, Oregon, USA. When not folding laundry or slinging snacks, she can be found writing in the wee hours of the morning before her children wake up.
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She is a 2024 Fishtrap fellow and has won the Not Quite Write Flash Fiction Prize, the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest, and the Silver Scribes Prize. Her work has been audio adapted for The No Sleep Podcast and her stories can be found in The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, The Good Life Review, Elegant Literature, the Tadpole Press Literary Magazine, and others.
Autumn is our assistant here at Tadpole Press and also our special guest judge for the April 2026 contest. You can get the scoop on her top tips for writing effective and evocative microfiction​ here and connect with Autumn here.
Laurel Twitchell from the US has been our regular co-judge since April 2022. Laurel received their Bachelor’s in Creative Writing, with a focus on linguistics, from Colorado Mesa University.
They were an editor for the Pinyon Literary Review in 2013. They’ve competed in the National Slam Poetry Competition in 2017 and worked as a first reader for Pushcart Prize Nominee, Alana Noël Voth. They have taken writing courses from national and internationally known writers such as Megan Falley, Rachel McKibbens, and others.
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They are a writer and artist passionate about ending stigmas around mental health and disability. They love art that speaks to connectivity, the healing of trauma, and finding glimmers of joy in unlikely places.
Mari Mendoza is a writer, editor, and creative writing coach. Her work has appeared in a number of publications including CommuterLit, Fiction on the Web, 50WordStories, WordCityLit, Fairfield Scribes, Woodlands, and more. Born in Guatemala and immigrating to Canada at the age of six, she has been writing ever since.
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​Mari lives in Canada on the traditional lands of the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation, Oneida Nation of the Thames, and Munsee-Delaware Nation. She loves hiking, reading multiple books at a time, her two Yorkies, her teens (most of the time), and going to bed by 9 p.m.
​Zoë Whittall is a private English language and writing tutor, with experience in academic editing. Her work has been featured in various publications, including Inkwell, The San Jose Mercury News, and Adventure World Magazine.
Originally from California, she moved to Edinburgh, Scotland to complete a Master’s in English Literature. She lived in Mozambique for six years working as a horseback safari guide. She is now teaching part-time and working towards completing a Master of Information Science.
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When not working or studying, she loves reading, endurance horse riding, backpacking, hiking, running, skiing, climbing, or doing most anything outside.
Policies:
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Prizes: The email address provided at the time of submission will be used to contact the winners and arrange delivery of the prizes. Prize amounts are in USD.
​Copyright: You affirm that the entry is your own work and you have all rights necessary to submit it in this contest. If selected as a winner, you give Tadpole Press and/or Compassiviste Publishing permission to use your information in the following ways including but not limited to: to share and/or publish your entry, name, pronouns, location (city, state, and/or country), age, website link, bio, interview (whether written, audio, or visual), and/or photo with our email lists, on our websites and social media, at events such as the Celebration of Words and Community Write-In events for future contests, for additional marketing and promotional activities, and/or in our literary magazine, collection, and/or anthology of published stories, such as a compilation of winning entries in our contests, whether published in digital, physical, audio, video, or other form.
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We allow previously published pieces, so if you previously published this entry in another magazine, book, blog, or somewhere online, you do not need to withdraw or delete it. We have no restrictions on this as long as that use doesn’t conflict with our interests above, though we suggest abiding by any limitations from anyone else who may have published your piece.
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We encourage you to resubmit and/or republish this entry in other contests and publications, such as in literary magazines, online, on social media, at open mic events and/or readings, in your own book and/or compilation of your own work, whether traditional, hybrid, or self-published and whether published in digital, physical, audio, video, or other form at any time. If you do share your entry in any of these ways, we kindly request that you announce that it was selected as a winner in our contest.
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Finally, you give us permission to nominate your entry for an award run by a third-party. This includes sharing any information with that organization required for the nomination process.
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​​Refund Policy: All payments are final and nonrefundable. Writers needing financial assistance may apply for a scholarship up to 1 month before the contest deadline.
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​Thank you to everyone who has supported the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest! We are honored to have been featured by many wonderful organizations dedicated to writing, such as Poets & Writers, Reedsy, Anne R. Allen, Almond Press, Kindlepreneur, The Writing District, Creative Writing Ink, Christopher Fielden, Aralia, Fiction on the Web, and Duotrope.
