Winning a prestigious Pulitzer Prize takes more than just submitting your favorite poem and crossing your fingers: Beyond the $50.00 entry fee, your work must survive the scrutiny of five to seven judges accepting only the most distinguished pieces of American literature. 

First published as The Best American Short Stories in 1986, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Best American series has since grown to accept essays, sports writing, travel writing, nature writing, and more.

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation accepts novels, novellas, and short story collections that have been published by commercial, academic, or small presses; no self-published work is accepted. Five submissions are awarded prizes, with first place receiving $15,000 and four runner-ups receiving $5,000.

Since 1983, The University of Georgia Press has published more than fifty short story collections within its Flannery O’Connor Award series