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photo Creative Commons Zero – CC0
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“The act of writing requires a constant plunging back into the shadow of the past where time hovers ghostlike.”
– Ralph Ellison
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The Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest was first held in 2002. Since then, three times a year Jerry Jazz Musician has awarded a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of short fiction.
The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Our newsletter subscribers include publishers, artists, musicians, and fellow writers. While your writing should appeal to a reader with these interests and in these creative professions, all story themes are considered.
Winning stories are announced on the home page of Jerry Jazz Musician, and it will reside on the website permanently. Jerry Jazz Musician also nominates writers for the Pushcart Prize. In addition to publishing the winning story, with the consent of the author, we frequently publish short-listed stories.
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Contest details
No entry fee is required. One story entry only. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
The contest is open to entrants from anywhere in the world (English language only please)
A prize of $150 will be awarded for the winning story.
In addition to the story being published on Jerry Jazz Musician, the author’s acceptance of the prize money gives Jerry Jazz Musician the right to include the story in an anthology that could appear in book or magazine form. All other ownership rights are retained by the author. If story appears subsequently in other publications, we ask authors to note that the story was originally published on Jerry Jazz Musician.
Submission deadline for the next contest — the 72nd — is May 31, 2026. Publishing date will be on or about August 10, 2026. Ideally, stories will not exceed 3,000 words but stories of up to 4,000 words are considered.
Please submit your story by May 31, 2026 via Word (preferred) or PDF attachment to [email protected], and be sure to include your name, address and phone number with your submission, as well as a brief 50 – 100 word story synopsis. Please include “72nd Short Fiction Contest Submission” in the subject heading of the email.
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We consider human created entries only.
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Good luck!
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Click here if you would like to read the winning story in the 70th Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest, “The Sound of Becoming,” by J.C. Michaels
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Stories submitted for the 71st contest (and which were submitted by the January 31, 2026 deadline) are currently under consideration. Authors will be notified about the status of their stories by April 10, 2026.
Thank you.
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Click here to read full publishing terms and conditions
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Click here to view the six writers nominated by Jerry Jazz Musician for the 2024 Pushcart Prize
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Jerry Jazz Musician…human produced since 1999
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I was surprised to read the winning short story. Since jerry jazz is a jazz magazine I assumed that the story had to concern jazz. I will submit a different story this time.
Where must you live to be able to enter? The prize is in dollars so I’m wondering if I have to live in America? Or is this a global competition?
The contest is open to anyone, from anywhere in the world!
Hello
I write flash do you accept that type of length?
Thanks
Yes
I’ve been lucky enough to have been published here, a couple years ago.
What a class organization.
I’ve never opened this site that I have not been bowled over by something here… an article, someone else’s short story, a music clip… everything is really first class.
I’ll be happy to submit something every time I can and read through in between entries.
You folks should be well-deservedly proud of what you do here.
Continued success and sweet artistic dreams!
– A fan!
Thanks very much for your appreciation of our work, Barry…
Joe
I’ve just discovered this site – well, about four hours ago. That was four hours of fun and a feeling of general awesomeness, not only at the quality of the stuff on here, but the wide range of topics. Consequently, I just want to say how much I agree with “A Fan” 😉
That’s it, I’m hooked. Now go away, I have plenty to think about and even more to catch up with.
Cheers, Andy
So is this still going on? And are there any page limits, as well as age limits?
Yes…This contest is ongoing. Please see the information on this page for details. I just updated them to address your questions. Good luck!
My short story is exactly 6,683 words. Will it be disqualified for exceeding the limit?
I’m wondering if simultaneous submissions are okay, and if you send rejections? Thank you so much.
Yes…Simultaneous submissions are fine, and we do send out rejection notices at the time the winning entry is announced.
I’m wondering if simultaneous submissions are okay, and if you send rejections? Thank you so much.
Yes…Simultaneous submissions are fine, and we do send out rejection notices at the time the winning entry is announced.
Has the winner for your most recent contest been selected?
Hi Jennifer. The winner should be announced in a couple of weeks.
[…] Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest. “The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America.” Genre: previously unpublished work of short fiction. Prize: $100.00. Deadline: January 31, 2017. […]
[…] Short Fiction Contest Details […]
Do you want personal details on the piece itself, or just in the email?
either way is fine
Hi, he name of the competition is “short FICTION contest” but people are only talking about short stories. Are other prose form accepted. Something along stream of consciousness or just random expression of thoughts or incidence?
Yes…all forms of fiction are accepted. Thanks.
What if your story is not up to 3000 words will it be accepted?
yes
Gmail is telling me that jerryjazzmusician.com is an invalid email address. Can you help
The address for submissions is [email protected]
Gmail is telling me that jerryjazzmusician.com is an invalid email address. Can you help
[…] to 5,000 words will be considered. Value: $100 Deadline: 31 May 2018 Open for: All writers Details here. Southern Fried Karma Press Novel […]
Hello! I was just wondering when and where will the winners of the competition held in May 31, 2018 will be announced. Thank You!
Should be published by July 10
Sorry I’m late and all, but I’m preparing to send in a story, and I’d just like to know if there are age limitations. I don’t see any, but I’d like to confirm (I’m about to turn 13 but have been writing stories for a while now).
No age limitations…I’d enjoy considering your submission!
Joe
[…] Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest Stories can be on any theme and should ideally be up to 3,000 words, though those up to 5,000 words will be considered. Readers of this magazine are interested in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Value: $100 Deadline: 30 September 2018 Open for: All writers Details here. […]
Are previously self-published works ineligible?
Previously unpublished stories only, please. Thanks.
JJM
Is the contest open only for the writers in US? Or can anybody from any part of the world participate?
Thanks
The contest is open to anyone, worldwide.
Hi,
The rules indicate that it is possible to make multiple submissions, but only one entry is permitted.
Could you please clarify whether it is possible to enter more than one voice of fiction?
Thank you.
Submit one story only, please…You may of course submit that same story, simultaneously, to other publications.
Thanks.
Joe
A quick question here: the rules clearly state you may only submit in English, and that there is a word limit, and yet several of the last winners have not met these requirements. I also notice that these stories are from published authors of other works with critical acclaim. Why are these authors allowed to exceed the word limit and use other languages, but not regular entrants?
Not sure which stories you point to that either exceed the word limit or are not in English. In any case, these are guidelines, Jeremy.
Oh, okay. The wording was a little confusing, though. “English language only, please,” but the 67th winner, I believe, had almost all of the quotes in Italian. The main story was in English, but don’t the quotes apply? Also, the rules say that entries of up to 4,000 words would be considered (phrasing implying that over 4,000 would not), but several other spots say 3,000, and a few are right on or over 3,000, so it was a little confusing. Thanks for replying, though!
Do you mind answering why most of the recent winners have been published authors? Like how the 68th winner is a well-known author-activist, and the winner before that was a five-time published author?
Do entered stories have to be about jazz music, since Jerry Jazz Musician is hosting the competition?
It helps, but not essential