Rules & Conditions

Closing Date: 30 September 2025

Length: Short Story to 1,500 words (title of story not included)

Open to: Australian women writers over the age of 18 years

Entry Fee: $15 or $40 for a maximum of three. Financial members of the Society of Women Writers Queensland Inc. may submit one entry free.

Prizes: First $500, Second $350, and the Lauren Elise Daniels Encouragement Award $125, plus certificates.

Conditions of entry

1. By entering this award, you are declaring that you have read, understand and agree to abide by the rules and conditions of the competition.
2. Short stories must be in prose and be the original work of the author, unpublished, not on offer for publication before the announcement of the competition and not have won a cash prize in any other competition.
3. No author name to appear on the story submission. Legal name only on the entry form – pen names are not permitted.
4. Use Times New Roman 12 font, with 1.5 spacing, 2.5 margins (2.54 margins acceptable) all around and number each page.
5. Late entries will not be considered. The judge’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
6. Once the story has been received and recorded, no refund of entry fees will be made. No changes can be made to the submitted story unless a new fee is paid.
7. Where an entry does not meet the requirements of these terms and conditions, then the story cannot be judged, nor will a refund of the entry fee be made.