THE BLACK CAT WEEKLY

$500 SHORT STORY CONTEST!

Announcing the first Black Cat Weekly short story contest!

   The rules are simple:

1. What to Do: Write an original story based upon Ron Miller’s exceptional “Cat Pirate” painting (which appears after the rules). This means the scene depicted in the painting, or even the painting itself, must be an integral part of the story. If the protagonist notices Ron Miller’s painting hanging on a wall in one scene and never refers to it again, that’s obviously not going to be good enough. Use common sense!

2. The Meaning of "Original": All submissions must be previously unpublished fiction. That means no online publications first, and no print publications first. You should write a story specifically for this contest, send it in, and then not do anything with it till you hear back from us in October, after the close of the contest.

3. Content of Your Story: All submissions must be appropriate for a PG-13 audience. That means no graphic or gratuitous sex, no over-the-top gory scenes, no hate speech, no real people, and story-appropriate language. In short, no legally actionable content. 

4. Story Length: 1,000 to 5,000 words (a few words over or under is okay).

5. Simultaneous/Multiple Submissions: One submission per person. No simultaneous submissions, which means you can’t submit it anywhere else while it is under consideration for this contest. If it’s not selected as a winner, we'll let you know as quickly as possible after the contest ends, which means in October. Of course, you may send it elsewhere if you are not one of the winners.

6. Genre: Stories must be genre-appropriate for Black Cat Weekly—that means crime, mystery, science fiction, or fantasy. A mystery and/or crime story (for example) needs to have an actual crime or mystery. Fantasy stories must have a fantastic or supernatural element. Science fiction must have a futuristic or other speculative element. Ghosts are fine. Supernatural horror is fine (as long as it meets all other criteria). A slasher horror story would probably not be appropriate. We know what's right for Black Cat Weekly when we see it—and when we don’t. Check out an issue if you're unsure.

7. Prizes: First place winner will receive U.S. $250.00, a lifetime subscription to Black Cat Weekly, and publication in the magazine. The second place winner will receive U.S. $150.00, a one-year subscription to Black Cat Weekly, and publication in the magazine. Two third-place winners will each receive U.S. $50.00, a one-year subscription to Black Cat Weekly, and publication either online at blackcatweekly.com or in Black Cat Weekly, at our sole discretion.

8. Selection Process: Winners will be selected from eligible entries received through the submission portal by the Black Cat Weekly editorial board and editor.

9. Eligibility: This contest is open to all writers in all countries where such contests are permitted by law. You must be 18+ to enter. Black Cat Weekly staff, judges, and their households are not eligible to enter.

10. Deadlines: Contest officially opens August 1, 2025 (but the submission portal will be active sooner, since it hosts the most up-to-date guidelines). All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.) on September 30, 2025. 

11. Rights Acquired: Wildside Press, the publisher of Black Cat Weekly, is author-owned and among the most author-friendly companies you’ll ever deal with. We acquire only First World Publication Rights (since the magazine is released worldwide) and an option to reprint the story (for more money) should we put together an anthology which includes your story, such as a Best of Black Cat Weekly volume. All other rights remain with the author. If you have a question about rights, check at the contract. If something is not specified, those rights are yours. If still in doubt, just ask.

12. Taxes: Winners are solely responsible for all taxes on winnings—federal, state, or local.

13. AI Writing: If AI helped with your story (it can be useful for brainstorming, critiquing, proofreading, and many other things), that's fine. We have never seen AI-generated fiction anywhere close to publishable without significant revision needed from a human. Make sure the story represents your best writing craft, not a Large Language Model's. 

14. Publicity: We reserve the rights to use the winner’s name, story title, and a short excerpt for promotion without extra pay. Such use will be with the author’s consultation and participation whenever possible.

15: How to Enter: Upload your story in .rtf, .doc, or .docx format through the contest submissions portal at blackcatweekly.com

16. Still Have Questions? Contact the editor of Black Cat Weekly through blackcatweekly.com.

This is the cover art to base your story on: