The Golden Ox awards small but mighty prose. We want to read your best flash fiction or micro essays under 1,000 words.
Please submit a flash fiction story or micro creative nonfiction essay of fewer than 1,000 words. The contest theme will be announced in the spring of 2023.
Please specify in your cover letter whether your piece is fiction or nonfiction. Also note that our submissions will close once we reach 100 total submissions, so be sure to get your submission in early!
Golden Ox Submission Schedule: Late Spring/Early Summer 2023
Awards:
- First Place Winner receives a prize of $50 worth of books of your choosing and publication
- Second Place Winner receives a prize of $25 worth of books of your choosing and publication
- Third Place Winner receives publication
We can’t wait to read your strange and beautiful words.
Summer 2023
Winners
First Place: Chris Lombardo, “Forever War”
Second Place: Mitzi Dorton, “Potato Poultice”
Third Place: John Francis Istel, “Delivered”
Summer 2022
Winners
First Place: Heidi Nieling, “The Hand of God”
Second Place: Brett Biebel, “Deli Sliced Right”
Third Place: Melissa Rotert, “Lindy Bird Fly”
Summer 2021
The Golden Ox awards small but mighty prose: a flash fiction story or micro creative nonfiction essay of fewer than 1,000 words on the theme of biota regret.
Winners
First Place: Dr. Bunny McFadden, “The river is too wet.”
Second Place: Anissa Lynne Johnson, “JEKYLL AND FORMALDEHYDE”
Third Place: María Deguzmán, “Luz Bone”