Beneath The Words
The Elegant Literature award for new writers.
Beneath The Words
MARCH AWARDS
1st Place:
$3000 Elegant Literature Award
10c/word and publication
Free enrollment in New Novelist Accelerator
2nd – 10th Place:
10c/word and publication
11th – 35th Place:
$20 + Honorable Mention
Final Submission Count:
247
About the Contest
Write a story involving Beneath The Words, and a veil.
$3000 Grand Prize
Their hand tightens on your shoulder as they smile, eyes hard. To the busy room it looks affectionate. Reassuring. Their thumb digs into your collarbone, holding you in place. Their voice is warm enough to fool everyone, but you hear the warning. Time to fall in line or pay the price.
The incantation doesn’t matter, only the offering. Words are scaffolding, obscuring the building behind until the grand reveal. A parent’s strained reassurance that everything will be fine, you’ll see. Violence hiding just the other side of “I do,” a contract concealing betrayal. Pretense, propaganda, power. The peace talks were never meant to work. Doublespeak and counter narratives. Hypocrisy, hearsay, and heresy. Climb the pulpit and preach harder the more you lose faith. It’s the conversation we’re not having—a delicate dance between suspect and interrogator, a confession spelled out in mismatched letters. But not every secret is a threat. A little white lie, for protection instead of deception. The depth of meaning behind a simple, “As you wish.” So listen closely. The loudest words are rarely the truest. The real story is being told in the margins.
This contest invites you to explore Beneath The Words, whatever that means to you. Fantasy, contemporary, romance, crime. All genres are welcome.
Submissions close March 31st at 11:59 pm EST. Contest only open to new writers.
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Meet The Winners
Meet The Head Judge
Melanie Spencer
Melanie is a playwright, screenwriter and director based in London. Mel graduated the Channel 4 Screenwriting Course in 2014, securing a place on the scheme via her play RESPONSIBLE OTHER which she wrote and directed, and which had a successful run at Hampstead Downstairs (receiving four stars from The Times, The Independent, Evening Standard, Time Out, What’s On Stage and five stars from The Arts Desk.) After taking a break from writing to raise a family, she made a triumphant return to the page, with her recent play CONTENDER, about the murky, cut-throat world of high- level sport, being adapted as a BBC radio drama production in 2022, starring Elliot Cowan and Hannah Tointon. Melanie is also a casting/performance director (credited as Melanie O’Connor), and worked on Simon Amstell’s film CARNAGE, as well as the latest C4 Dispatches Documentary, RUSSELL BRAND: IN PLAIN SIGHT.
Past Judges
Read stories from
the last contest.
Are you a new or unpublished author? We want to see your work. Check out the link below to learn what we are looking for.
Contest FAQ
New or unpublished authors, from anywhere in the world (excluding Quebec, Canada), may enter the contest as long as they are an Elegant+ member.
Writers who are new or have never been published are encouraged to submit work.
Part of our mission is to promote new talent, so we ask authors with certain levels of publication history not to enter.
Please do not submit work if you have:
a) traditionally published a novel of greater than 40,000 words,
b) self-published a novel of greater than 40,000 words and sold 100+ copies,
c) sold four or more works of short fiction to markets paying 8c/word or greater,
d) self-published short fiction work totalling 10,000 words or more, with profits in excess of $500.
e) won a fiction contest with a prize greater than $2,500.
Published authors can still join the community and participate in the Community Workshops.
If you have not met any of the thresholds above, you are considered a new writer in the eyes of Elegant Literature, and are eligible to enter the contest and submit to the magazine.
Yes. We accept worldwide submissions.
The story can be about anything you like, as long as it fits the contest prompt. Our prompts consist of a theme and a prompt word.
The theme is a general topic, like Future Fears, Tricky Time, or Shadows & Knives. As long as your story is related to the theme, no matter how loosely, you’re all set. You don’t need to actually say the “theme” words in your story.
Yes. We accept any genre, and our themes are formatted to give you great freedom, but there must be some connection.
We love being surprised and seeing the theme twisted in unexpected ways, as long as it’s clear the author has incorporated it into their story.
Each story must include a word specified by the issue prompt. Writers find this fun, and it ensures work is original. However, it need not constrain you.
The root word must exist in the text, but does not have to be central to the story, or even be in the expected context. For example, if the word is “Hammer”, we’ll accept hammers and hammered and “Ha-ha-ha-HAMMERED”.
You can write about a hammerhead shark and you’ll be fine.
Still, the prompt word must appear in the text in some form. For example, if the prompt word is “cork”, then you can include cork, corked, corks, Cork (Ireland), corkscrew (as in a plane out of control), or C.O.R.K. (an acronym for something).
If the prompt word is “watch”, “pocketwatch” and “watchmen” are admissible, but “paint swatch” is not. As long as the prompt word is part of the base.
Read any issue and you’ll see the creative ways our authors sneak the prompt word into their stories.
The prompt word is found in the About The Contest section above, written as:
“Write a story involving [theme], and a [prompt word].”
Technically, no. We don’t wish to constrain your creativity with too many rules. However, some content will be less likely to get published. Overly descriptive erotica. Thinly disguised hate speech or rascism. The stuff any reputable publication would refuse to print. We don’t mean you can’t include sex, violence, or hateful characters, only that it should be done in a way that advances the story and doesn’t reflect real world prejudice.
Absolutely. You can submit as many stories as you like. However, we highly encourage quality over quantity.
Contest Short Rules
Who can enter?
New or unpublished authors, from anywhere in the world (excluding Quebec, Canada). Full details here.
Prizes:
1st place: $3,000 USD. Free enrollment in the New Novelist Accelerator.
2nd – 10th: 10c/word and publication.
11th – 35th: $20 USD and an honorable mention in the magazine.
How to enter: Sign up for an Elegant+ Membership and visit the Members Area (AuthorHQ), or click “Enter Now” on the contest page. Fill out the form and copy/paste (preferred method) or upload a file containing your work.
Important Dates:
The contest opens at 12:01 am EST on March 1.
The contest closes at 11:59 pm EST on March 31.
Winners will be announced on May 1.
Entries:
Unlimited. English language only. Must follow the contest theme and include the prompt word (veil, veils, veiled, etc).
Length:
Minimum 500 words. Maximum 2000. Word count does not include title of work.
Guest Judge:
Melanie Spencer
Lead Judge:
Creag Munroe
Preliminary Judges:
Jaime Gill
Anne Wilkins
Julia Wilkins
Charlie Rogers
Caro Robson
Selection Criteria:
The judges will choose the winner based on:
Creativity
Character
Structure & Flow
Quality of Writing
For more information, please see the full Contest Rules.
For answers to common questions, please see the FAQ.
We have a uniquely streamlined Publication Process. Read about it here.
See our Submission Guidelines for information on how to increase your chance of selection.
The Elegant Literature award for new writers.
MARCH AWARDS
1st Place:
$3000 Elegant Literature Award
10c/word and publication
Free enrollment in New Novelist Accelerator
2nd – 10th Place:
10c/word and publication
11th – 35th Place:
$20 + Honorable Mention
Final Submission Count:
247
Meet The Previous Winners
About the Contest
Write a story involving Beneath The Words, and a veil.
$3000 Grand Prize
Their hand tightens on your shoulder as they smile, eyes hard. To the busy room it looks affectionate. Reassuring. Their thumb digs into your collarbone, holding you in place. Their voice is warm enough to fool everyone, but you hear the warning. Time to fall in line or pay the price.
The incantation doesn’t matter, only the offering. Words are scaffolding, obscuring the building behind until the grand reveal. A parent’s strained reassurance that everything will be fine, you’ll see. Violence hiding just the other side of “I do,” a contract concealing betrayal. Pretense, propaganda, power. The peace talks were never meant to work. Doublespeak and counter narratives. Hypocrisy, hearsay, and heresy. Climb the pulpit and preach harder the more you lose faith. It’s the conversation we’re not having—a delicate dance between suspect and interrogator, a confession spelled out in mismatched letters. But not every secret is a threat. A little white lie, for protection instead of deception. The depth of meaning behind a simple, “As you wish.” So listen closely. The loudest words are rarely the truest. The real story is being told in the margins.
This contest invites you to explore Beneath The Words, whatever that means to you. Fantasy, contemporary, romance, crime. All genres are welcome.
Submissions close March 31st at 11:59 pm EST. Contest only open to new writers.
Share on
Meet The Winners
Meet The Guest Judge
Melanie Spencer
Melanie is a playwright, screenwriter and director based in London. Mel graduated the Channel 4 Screenwriting Course in 2014, securing a place on the scheme via her play RESPONSIBLE OTHER which she wrote and directed, and which had a successful run at Hampstead Downstairs (receiving four stars from The Times, The Independent, Evening Standard, Time Out, What’s On Stage and five stars from The Arts Desk.) After taking a break from writing to raise a family, she made a triumphant return to the page, with her recent play CONTENDER, about the murky, cut-throat world of high- level sport, being adapted as a BBC radio drama production in 2022, starring Elliot Cowan and Hannah Tointon. Melanie is also a casting/performance director (credited as Melanie O’Connor), and worked on Simon Amstell’s film CARNAGE, as well as the latest C4 Dispatches Documentary, RUSSELL BRAND: IN PLAIN SIGHT.
Past Judges
Read stories from
the last contest.
Are you a new or unpublished author? We want to see your work. Check out the link below to learn what we are looking for.
Contest FAQ
New or unpublished authors, from anywhere in the world (excluding Quebec, Canada), may enter the contest as long as they are an Elegant+ member.
Writers who are new or have never been published are encouraged to submit work.
Part of our mission is to promote new talent, so we ask authors with certain levels of publication history not to enter.
Please do not submit work if you have:
a) traditionally published a novel of greater than 40,000 words,
b) self-published a novel of greater than 40,000 words and sold 100+ copies,
c) sold four or more works of short fiction to markets paying 8c/word or greater,
d) self-published short fiction work totalling 10,000 words or more, with profits in excess of $500.
e) won a fiction contest with a prize greater than $2,500.
Published authors can still join the community and participate in the Community Workshops.
If you have not met any of the thresholds above, you are considered a new writer in the eyes of Elegant Literature, and are eligible to enter the contest and submit to the magazine.
Yes. We accept worldwide submissions.
The story can be about anything you like, as long as it fits the contest prompt. Our prompts consist of a theme and a prompt word.
The theme is a general topic, like Future Fears, Tricky Time, or Shadows & Knives. As long as your story is related to the theme, no matter how loosely, you’re all set. You don’t need to actually say the “theme” words in your story.
Yes. We accept any genre, and our themes are formatted to give you great freedom, but there must be some connection.
We love being surprised and seeing the theme twisted in unexpected ways, as long as it’s clear the author has incorporated it into their story.
Each story must include a word specified by the issue prompt. Writers find this fun, and it ensures work is original. However, it need not constrain you.
The root word must exist in the text, but does not have to be central to the story, or even be in the expected context. For example, if the word is “Hammer”, we’ll accept hammers and hammered and “Ha-ha-ha-HAMMERED”.
You can write about a hammerhead shark and you’ll be fine.
Still, the prompt word must appear in the text in some form. For example, if the prompt word is “cork”, then you can include cork, corked, corks, Cork (Ireland), corkscrew (as in a plane out of control), or C.O.R.K. (an acronym for something).
If the prompt word is “watch”, “pocketwatch” and “watchmen” are admissible, but “paint swatch” is not. As long as the prompt word is part of the base.
Read any issue and you’ll see the creative ways our authors sneak the prompt word into their stories.
The prompt word is found in the About The Contest section above, written as:
“Write a story involving [theme], and a [prompt word].”
Technically, no. We don’t wish to constrain your creativity with too many rules. However, some content will be less likely to get published. Overly descriptive erotica. Thinly disguised hate speech or rascism. The stuff any reputable publication would refuse to print. We don’t mean you can’t include sex, violence, or hateful characters, only that it should be done in a way that advances the story and doesn’t reflect real world prejudice.
Absolutely. You can submit as many stories as you like. However, we highly encourage quality over quantity.
Contest Short Rules
Who can enter?
New or unpublished authors, from anywhere in the world (excluding Quebec, Canada). Full details here.
Prizes:
1st place: $3,000 USD. Free enrollment in the New Novelist Accelerator.
2nd – 10th: 10c/word and publication.
11th – 35th: $20 USD and an honorable mention in the magazine.
How to enter:
Sign up for an Elegant+ Membership and visit the Members Area (AuthorHQ), or click “Enter Now” on the contest page. Fill out the form and copy/paste (preferred method) or upload a file containing your work.
Important Dates:
The contest opens at 12:01 am EST on March 1.
The contest closes at 11:59 pm EST on March 31.
Winners will be announced on May 1.
Entries:
Unlimited. English language only. Must follow the contest theme and include the prompt word (veil, veils, veiled, etc).
Length:
Minimum 500 words. Maximum 2000. Word count does not include title of work.
Guest Judge:
Melanie Spencer
Lead Judge:
Creag Munroe
Preliminary Judges:
Jaime Gill
Anne Wilkins
Julia Wilkins
Charlie Rogers
Caro Robson
Selection Criteria:
The judges will choose the winner based on:
Creativity
Character
Structure & Flow
Quality of Writing
For more information, please see the full Contest Rules.
For answers to common questions, please see the FAQ.
We have a uniquely streamlined Publication Process. Read about it here.
See our Submission Guidelines for information on how to increase your chance of selection.