The Fall 2026 Black Fox Prize: Eclectic Endings
Black Fox is accepting submissions for our Fall 2026 Prize. The theme for this round is “Eclectic Endings.” We are open to loose interpretations of the theme in any genre, as always.
As writers, we’re familiar with endings. We type the words often. Some endings are happy. Some are sad. Some are bittersweet. Some leave us unsettled. We’re looking for work that explores the many ways things can end, and what that means for protagonists, narrators, and speakers in your work. Give us the messy, complicated end to a relationship, or the celebratory end of career, or the bittersweet end of time spent in a particular place. Tell us what remains after the end of a party—or the world. Help us answer the question: What does “the end” mean? In the case of finality, what is the aftermath? And is it ever really the end or simply a new beginning?
Please submit your strongest fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and we will choose one winner who interprets the theme best. The prize is $325 and print publication in the Winter 2027 issue. All submissions are considered for print publication in the Winter 2027 issue. The contest entry fee is $12, and submissions must be submitted before midnight (EST) on November 30, 2026.
Please make sure your manuscript is double-spaced with 12-point font. Submissions should be no more than 5,000 words. Author’s name and page number should appear in the top right-hand corner of every page. We also ask that you specify the category/genre of your work in the cover letter.
For poetry, send up to three poems in the same document. For flash fiction, send up to two stories in the same document. General prose submissions should only send one piece per submission. Writers may submit additional work as separate entries. Please see our Submission Guidelines before submitting. Submissions are accepted through our submission manager, found here.
Black Fox is anti generative AI. We accept submissions from human authors only. We do not consider work authored or submitted on its own behalf by AI systems, autonomous agents, bots, or other non-human entities.
We will select a winner by the end of January 2027, and each entrant will receive a response.
Please DO NOT submit work that isn’t ready. Take your time and polish your work to the best of your ability before sending it in. No changes can be made to your submission after we receive it.
***Writers, please note that entry and feedback fees are non-refundable, and payment to winners is awarded via PayPal. We reserve the right to extend the contest deadline if necessary.***
The Black Fox team looks forward to reading your wonderful submissions!
Do you accept previously published stories?
Thanks!
Submittable says June 6 but here it says June 5. Which is correct?
We will honor the 6th because it is stated in Submittable that way.
Can a prisoner get a waiver of the entrance fee for this contest?
Yes, that is possible. Please email me at elizabeth@blackfoxlitmag.com for details on how that works.
If a submission is still noted as “received” , should the submitter reach out to the Black Fox team for review?
Hi Kelly,
As noted on our submission page: “Please note: we aim for a 3-4 month response time, but please feel free to inquire if you haven’t heard from us in 6 months.”
We love hearing from our contributors.
Best,
Elizabeth
I’m a little confused by the timing of this contest and receiving notifications regarding submissions. In the description, you mention that all submissions will receive a response. But, in the comment above, you write that it could take 3-4 months. Can you please clarify the correct timing for the 2022 Contest?
Hi Cassie,
We are in the process of reading all of our contest submissions and hope to have answers to everyone by the end of the month. We received so many great submissions! And it’s hard to make the call… but we will have notifications out soon.
Thank you
Elizabeth
Thank you, Elizabeth! 🙂
Just to clarify: before midnight (EST) on December 9, 2023. — Is really December 9, 2022 for the Winter 2023 issue. Thanks
Yes, Phyllis, the deadline is December 9, 2022. Thank you.
Is the submission deadline 12/23 or 12/22?
Elizabeth, the submission deadline is 12/9/22. Thank you for checking.
I’d like to send a manuscript. Would you send a link?
Our contest is currently closed, but we do have some submission options open here https://www.blackfoxlitmag.com/submit/
Best wishes!
I have an 8700 word story to submit. How strict is you 5000 word rule?
Our 5000 word limit is firm.
Any chance you’re thinking of extending the deadline on the “Secrets” themed contest? I just found you, and I have the perfect story! Thanks.
Hi Ed,
So sorry you missed the submission cut off! We hope you’ll keep an eye out for future contests!
Best wishes,
Elizabeth
For poetry submissions, is it required to have at least 3 poems where one is permitted to submit between 3-8? Or is it permissible to submit between 1 poem.
Hi Sierra, I think that we are looking for a minimum of 3 poems in submissions for this particular contest. Thanks for checking!
I have a story for this August 31st deadline comp. Will you let another one in?
Sorry Tom, the deadline is firm. Please keep an eye out for future Fox Tales contests!
Hello. I am interested in submitting a work for the contest and a fiction piece winter issue, but would it be allowed to submit to both? Thank you for your time.
A paid submission in addition to an unpaid submission is allowed. Thanks for checking
Hello– Just checking that, yes, you do want poetry to be double spaced just the same as fiction and non-fiction.
Thank you for clarifying,
Linden
No, poetry does not need to be double-spaced.
I couldn’t find any information on what you would like for us to include in our Cover Letter.
Please advise how to submit Thank you
Submit through our submission manager. https://blackfoxlit.submittable.com/submit
Hi there, do you accept international submissions as well? Thanks for being so attentive to your commenters here 🙂
Yes, we do!
Can published books that address the theme be submitted?
We do not consider books or any already published material.
Greetings,
Does the poetry have to be previously unpublished? Thanks!
Yes, we only consider previously unpublished material.
Hi, I’m sorry if I somehow missed it in the contest description, but is there a word limit?
5000 words for prose submissions.
Question: Does this mean that you want a space between each line of a poem?
No. we don’t need to see a space between lines on poetry submissions.
❤️
Do you accept previously published work?
Hi Lorraine. No, we do not consider previously published work.
Hi! For the Fairy Tale Remix, you only mention Poetry or Flash – do you also accept short stories of up to 5000 words?
For Flash, is there a max length that the two stories can be? (2,500 each?) Thanks!
Hi Nic, I apologize I didn’t see this comment before our contest ended! You’ll see above that we consider fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for the contests. For future reference, our fiction and nonfiction prose word count is 5000 max and our flash fiction pieces are up to (2) pieces at 1000 words max each. Best wishes, Elizabeth
I submitted and did so through my phone, when I went back to check the submission, my name was not in the correct place and the pages did not line up like on the phone. My poems themselves are fine, but I am concerned about the formatting issue. Will this disqualify me?
Kristina, I checked your submission and it looks fine.
I am in. Let’s do this.
May one submit to the contest and also to another category at the same time?
Yes, Ruth.
Hello, I am interested in submitting a story for your contest (Montage of Misfortunes). I was wondering if you could please answer a couple of questions I have: is it ok to submit work that’s been previously published online on Substack and Medium? And is there a limit for how many entries I can make?
Thanks so much!
Stella
Hi Stella. We do not consider previously published work. And there is no limit to how many entries you can make! Good luck!
Do you accept simultaneous submissions to the Montage of Misfortunes contest?
Yes, we do, Faith.
Hey, sorry to bug you guys! Can I submit a story to the “Portraits of Failure” contest and also submit a different story as a general submission?
Yes, Jack. Thank you for asking!
Hello,
Do you allow work that is punctuated by a handful of small line drawings done by the writer?
We do not have the ability to publish drawings in our issue at this time.
To clarify: Is the Rise or Ruin contest only for contemporary pieces, or can this veer into speculative as well? I wasn’t sure, from the mention of heroes and legends.
Yes, we would welcome speculative fiction!
Am I able to pull a story submitted for Rise/ruin contest, and send in a better story that I’ve finished, and believe is a better fit for the theme? (Obviously paying a new submission fee.)
Yes, James. Alternatively, you can just submit another story. You can submit to the contest unlimited times.
So submission deadline is the end of March. Do you accept submissions that were written for a self published patriotic anthology to be released for the Fourth of July? Thank you.
You’re welcome to submit it, Penny. If we choose it for publication, it would have to be unpublished up until the time our issue launches. Otherwise, we would likely pass on it.