What’s Your Story?
Tell us your story inspired by
The Words Between Us
Entry Information
Noah Webster published An American Dictionary of the English Language on April 14, 2028. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Webster’s Dictionary, we’ll be publishing a new anthology with the theme:
The Words Between Us
Words can connect us—or keep us apart. They can be spoken, written, whispered, translated, misunderstood, or left painfully unsaid.
For the 2027–28 Ember & Vine Writing Contest, we’re looking for stories about the words exchanged between people and the silences that shape their lives. Write about a letter that changes everything, a conversation remembered differently by two people, a secret finally spoken, a language barrier, a promise, a confession, or the words someone never found the courage to say.
Interpret the theme as broadly and creatively as you’d like. We want to discover what happens in the space between one person and another—and the words that bridge, deepen, or divide that distance.
Important Dates
Entries Accepted
Through June 1, 2027
Early-bird deadline May 1, 2027
Review Process
June 1–September 1, 2027
Winners Announced
September 1, 2027
Book Published
April 11, 2028
Awards Ceremony
TBA
Word Count: 3,000 words or fewer
Cost: $15 through March 1, 2027. $20 after.
Secure your entry now and submit your work by June 1.
Guidelines
Entry guidelines and information are available here: https://emberandvinepress.com/writing-contest/guidelines/
Frequently asked questions: https://emberandvinepress.com/writing-contest/faqs/
Secure your entry now and submit your work by June 1.
Entry registers writer to the Ember & Vine Newsletter.
Short Stories
The Ember & Vine Press team of judges will blindly select two fiction winners based on literary merit and publishability. An additional ten to fifteen short stories will be selected for publication.
Short-Form Essays
The Ember & Vine Press team of judges will blindly two creative nonfiction winners based on literary merit and publishability. An additional ten to fifteen essays will be selected for publication.
Awards
Awards in each category include:
Judges’ Choice: $200 plus publication
Judges’ Runner-Up: $100 plus publication
An additional ten to fifteen entries in each category will be published in the collection. Every published author will receive one complimentary copy of the anthology and the opportunity to purchase additional copies at an author discount.