Writers of Erotic Fiction – Your Chance to Shine

Stringybark Stories in New South Wales, Australia has just opened its 41st international short story competition. And this time they are looking for an erotic short story up to a maximum 1800 words

And what do they mean by erotic?

The organisers haven’t defined it but they are VERY clear about what they don’t want. Here are the first three rules of the competition.

1. Consent for any sexual activity between characters must be explicit to the reader either through dialogue of the actions of the characters. ‘No’ never means ‘yes’.

2. The characters must be over the age of consent in your jurisdiction and have a minimum age of 16 (the age of consent in NSW).

3. Any sexual activity MUST be legal.

There’s a prize pool of over $1000 in cash and books with cash awards for first, second and third places. So, for example, if you won first prize along with honour and glory (and validation of your work which is not to be sneezed at) you would be awarded $350 Australian dollars plus publication and books. The website has all the details but bear in mind that entering means you agree to being published. Here’s how they put it:

•  When you enter our competition you are licensing us to publish your story, if we wish, in one of our anthologies (either printed or as an e-book and perhaps as a podcast).
• If the story wins a place or is highly commended then the author undertakes to provide the publisher with the right to publish the story…
• If the story does not win a place, the author may still be asked to contribute their story to an anthology of short stories. Permission to reprint the story will not be unreasonably withheld.

Something to think about because, as they say themselves, although you still own the copyright other publications may not consider your story if it has already been published. And it will stop you from entering other competitions with that particular story. Stringybark Stories themselves won’t accept an entry if it is has been published in any form elsewhere.

By the way, this is the first time I’ve seen AI specifically mentioned in a competition rules:

The entrant also warrants that the story was not written with the assistance of AI, e.g. ChatGPT or similar.

Good to see, I think but I’m left wondering what it means for the future of writing and publishing and what will count as plagiarism, but that’s a whole other subject/reason to worry/exploding minefield.

Deadline is 13 August 2023 so if you’ve never tried writing erotic fiction before you’ve got time to a whole new genre (in 1800 words or less). Will I? No, don’t think so, I blush too easily.

The entry fee is $15. Click HERE to enter and for loads more information

Picture Credits in order:
Denise Jans
Scott Broome both on Unsplash