Ironclad Short Story Competition Summer 2026
We are looking for short stories that respond in any way to the PROMPT:
FOOTPRINT
The Ironclad Creative Short Story Competition is for both published and unpublished writers.
We aim to run four short story competitions each year.
Prize winning and shortlisted writers will be published in our July 2026 anthology.
We accept any length of story up to 6k words.
Don't use the word FOOTPRINT in the title unless it’s alongside a sub-heading or with other words or phrases.
You may use the word in the body of the text, but you don’t have to.
What we expect is that your work to be inspired by the word in some way.
Any way.
A way that might be unexpected…. or entirely expected, but the story takes us somewhere interesting, and grips us.
We’re looking for writers who have exciting voices and can move us. We believe that can happen in any genre of prose.
Please make sure you've read the terms and conditions carefully!
For example, submissions now must NOT have your name in the document, even in the file name.
DEADLINE:
23:59(BST) - Thursday 30th April 2026
ENTRY:
£9.75 per story
PRIZES:
First Place writer will be offered a prize of £100 and publication
Second Place writer will be offered a prize of £50 and publication
Third Placed writer will be offered prizes of £25 and publication
The shortlisted writers will be offered publication too.
HOW TO ENTER
Make sure you remove your name from the story document, including in the file title. Please do not call your story FOOTPRINT without a sub-heading or additional words or phrases in the title.
Head to our PAYMENT PAGE and pay the £9.75 per entry.
After you pay, you will be directed to the SUBMISSION FORM to upload your story but if you’re stuck, we’ve added it here too.
We use Google Forms to upload, if you can’t access this or if you’re struggling to open the form or upload your document please email us admin@ironcladcreative.org
We have a small number of FREE places available for low income writers living in the UK. Please email admin@ironcladcreative.org to request this. Please don’t send your work at this stage or give us any private information. Just let us know that you live in the UK and that you are requesting a free place.
ENTRIES FOR OUR LAST COMPETITION - RESERVED
We are currently reading submissions for our last competition, RESERVED, and writers will be notified of our decision by the end of MARCH 2026.
