Writing Contest

​

Win RM250 in our short story writing competition! Submit a story now.

​​

Every first Monday of the month, marqetr sends a newsletter to announce the start of the monthly contest. This announcement will also appear on our website and will be posted on our social media accounts. Writers then have one month to write a story based on an Asian woman or women. Contest entrants compete for a RM250 cash prize. Winners will also be considered for publication in our literary annual book, the "short stories collective". Runners up may be awarded with RM25 in credit to use on marqetr. To submit to the monthly contest, writers must pay a RM5 entry fee.

 

How do I submit a short story?

​

• Head to our Shop page

• Choose "Writing Contest Entry Fee" and proceed to payment.

• Once your payment is successful, you'll receive the access link via email to submit your story.

• Your story must be submitted via this dedicated access link as we do not accept submission via email.

• The short story must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words, and must be in English.

• Stories may contain mature themes and language. However, stories containing excessive profanities, graphic, or explicit language will not be considered for the contest. Read our Terms of Use for more information.

​

Is there a specific theme and genre for the short story?

​

Your story can be fiction or non-fiction and in any genre of your choice, however, it must feature an Asian woman or women at the heart of it.

​

Why is there an entry fee? And is it refundable?

​

An entry fee helps cover the administrative costs of running a monthly contest. If you withdraw your story from consideration for the contest, there will be no refund. If you choose to re-enter, you will need to pay the entry fee again.

 

Can authors submit more than one story per month?

​

Yes, all authors can submit more than one story but each story must be different. Duplicate entries will be removed. Authors entering multiple stories in one month to the contest will have to pay RM5 per entry.

​

Can I submit short stories under a pen name?

 

Yes you can. You may indicate this during the submission in the access link after payment has been successful.

​

Who is eligible to participate in the contest?

 

The contest is open internationally, to all writers over the age of 18. Winners without a Malaysian bank account, however, will need a PayPal account to receive the RM250 prize. Submitted stories must be written in English and be previously unpublished. They must be a standalone, and not part of a greater body of work.

​​

Can authors continue to participate in the contest after they win?

​

Yes, authors who win the contest are welcome to continue submitting and are eligible to win the contest multiple times.

​​

When is the monthly winner announced?

​

The winner of each contest is announced about 10 days after the closing date in the newsletter, on our website as well as social media pages.

​​

Who judges the short stories and picks the monthly winner?

​

The marqetr team shortlists and determines the monthly winner. Periodically, literary guest judges will be invited to join the panel. 

​​​​

Can I submit my story elsewhere after submitting it on marqetr writing contest?

​

When authors submit a story, they retain the copyright, but they grant marqetr a non-exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, sub-license, worldwide, royalty-free license to store, publish, and otherwise use the entry on any platforms, in accordance with our Terms of Use.

​

Can I receive feedback on my stories?

​

The marqetr team does not offer individual feedback on submissions. 

​

I have some ideas for a short story, but I don't know how to begin. How do I get started?

 

We recommend that you just start with whatever you have in mind, be it in the middle of your story, a dialogue, or whatever it is - just start writing. Your intro and your whole story will come to you soon. ​​