short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
literary award
A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author.
Organizations
Most literary awards come with a corresponding award ceremony. Ma ...
presented annually by
storySouth
''storySouth'' is an online quarterly literary magazine that publishes fiction, poetry, criticism, essays, and visual artwork, with a focus on the Southern United States. The journal also runs the annual Million Writers Award to select the best sh ...
. It honored the best online short stories. The award was structured to be
egalitarian
Egalitarianism (), or equalitarianism, is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds from the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hum ...
allowing for anyone to nominate a story including readers, authors, editors and publishers; prize money was donated by readers and writers; and the winners were selected by public vote from a short-list of entries selected by judges.
Overview
The Million Writers Award was founded by author
Jason Sanford
Jason Sanford is an American science fiction author best known for his short story writing. His fiction has been published in '' Interzone, Asimov's Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Year's Best SF 14'', ''InterGalactic Medicine Sh ...
in 2003 at a time when the literary establishment "didn't believe online magazines were legitimate places to publish fiction," seeing it as a fad. Sanford set out to honor and highlight online only publications and stories with the award.
Stories eligible for the award include those first published in online literary journals, magazines, and e-zines that have an editorial process. The award has a variable cash prize, in 2011 for example it was $600 for the winner, $200 for the runner-up and $100 for third place. Prize money is raised through donations from writers, editors and readers and thus fluctuates each year. Anyone can nominate up to one story, while editors and publishers can nominate three stories. Stories must be at least 1000 words.
The award has become one of the premier online literary awards and was named a ''Hot Site'' by ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
''. The award was profiled in a six-page feature interview with editor Jason Sanford in the ''2005 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market'' and mentioned in ''The 100 Best Trends, 2006: Emerging Developments You Can't Afford to Ignore'' as an example of the emerging online literary movement.
In 2012 Spotlight Publishing released two anthologies of stories from the Million Writers Award, with one focused on literary stories and the other on science fiction and fantasy stories.
Winners
Previous winners.
2003
*Top 10 stories:
2004
*Best story: Randa Jarrar, "You Are a 14-Year-Old Arab Chick Who Just Moved to Texas" ('' Eyeshot'')
*Best online publication: '' Eclectica''
*Best publisher of novella-length fiction: ''
The King's English
''The King's English'' is a book on English usage and grammar. It was written by the brothers Henry Watson Fowler and Francis George Fowler and published in 1906; it thus predates by twenty years ''Modern English Usage'', which was written by Hen ...
''
*Best new online magazine or journal: ''
Narrative Magazine
''Narrative'' is an online magazine and website that is dedicated to advancing the literary arts in the digital age and publishes fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and art. It was founded in 2003.
History and profile
Founded in 2003, the l ...
''
2005
*Best story: Alicia Gifford, "Toggling the Switch" (''
Narrative Magazine
''Narrative'' is an online magazine and website that is dedicated to advancing the literary arts in the digital age and publishes fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and art. It was founded in 2003.
History and profile
Founded in 2003, the l ...
'')
*Best story runnerup: Terry Bisson, "Super 8" (Scifiction.com)
*Best story runnerup: Anjana Basu, "The Black Tongue" (''
Gowanus
Gowanus ( ) is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community District 6. Gowanus is bounded by Wyckoff Street on ...
'')
*Best online publication: ''
Strange Horizons
''Strange Horizons'' is an online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry and nonfiction in every issue, including reviews, essays, interviews, and roundtables.
History and profile
It was launched in September 2000, and ...
''
*Best publisher of novella-length fiction: ''
The King's English
''The King's English'' is a book on English usage and grammar. It was written by the brothers Henry Watson Fowler and Francis George Fowler and published in 1906; it thus predates by twenty years ''Modern English Usage'', which was written by Hen ...
''
*Best new online magazine or journal: '' Anderbo''
2006
*Best story:
Richard Bowes
Richard "Rick" Dirrane Bowes (born 1944) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy.
Biography
Bowes was born in 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended school both in Boston and on Long Island, New York. His brother is fine artis ...
, "There's a Hole in the City" (Scifiction.com)
*Best story runnerup:
Michael Croley
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
Narrative Magazine
''Narrative'' is an online magazine and website that is dedicated to advancing the literary arts in the digital age and publishes fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and art. It was founded in 2003.
History and profile
Founded in 2003, the l ...
'' (co-winner)
*Best publisher of novella-length fiction: ''
The King's English
''The King's English'' is a book on English usage and grammar. It was written by the brothers Henry Watson Fowler and Francis George Fowler and published in 1906; it thus predates by twenty years ''Modern English Usage'', which was written by Hen ...
'' (co-winner)
*Best new online magazine or journal: '' Menda City Review'' (co-winner)
*Best new online magazine or journal: ''
Clarkesworld Magazine
''Clarkesworld Magazine'' (ISSN 1937-7843) is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine. It released its first issue October 1, 2006 and has maintained a regular monthly schedule since, publishing fiction by authors such as Elizabet ...
'' (co-winner)
2007
*Best story:
Catherynne M. Valente
Catherynne M. Valente (born May 5, 1979) is an American fiction writer, poet, and literary critic. For her speculative fiction novels she has won the annual James Tiptree, Andre Norton, and Mythopoeic Fantasy awards. Her short fiction has a ...
Marshall Moore
Marshall Moore (born in June 1970), in Havelock, North Carolina, is an American author and academic living in Cornwall, England. He attended the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics ( NCSSM) and went on to obtain a BA in psychology ...
, "The Infinite Monkey Theorem" (''
Word Riot
''Word Riot'' was an American online magazine that published poetry, flash fiction, short stories, novel excerpts, creative nonfiction, reviews, and interviews.
History and profile
The magazine was launched in March 2002 by author and publisher ...
Jim Baen's Universe
''Jim Baen's Universe'' (''JBU'') was a bimonthly online fantasy and science fiction magazine created by Jim Baen (founder and long-time publisher of Baen Books). It was recognized by the SFWA as a Qualifying Short Fiction Venue. ''JBU'' began ...
''
*Best new online magazine or journal: '' Farrago's Wainscot''
2008
*Best story: Matt Bell, "Alex Trebek Never Eats Fried Chicken" ('' Storyglossia'')
*Best story runnerup: Sruthi Thekkiam, "Friday Afternoons on Bus 51" ('' Blackbird'')
*Best online publication: ''
Narrative Magazine
''Narrative'' is an online magazine and website that is dedicated to advancing the literary arts in the digital age and publishes fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and art. It was founded in 2003.
History and profile
Founded in 2003, the l ...
''
*Best publisher of novella-length fiction: (no award)
*Best new online magazine or journal: '' Cha: An Asian Literary Journal''
2009
*Winner:
Jenny Williams
Jenny Williams (born 1939) is an author and academic at Dublin City University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in German from Queen's University Belfast
, mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back?
, top_free_label =
, top_fr ...
Drunken Boat
"Le Bateau ivre" ("The Drunken Boat") is a 100-line verse-poem written in 1871 by Arthur Rimbaud. The poem describes the drifting and sinking of a boat lost at sea in a fragmented first-person narrative saturated with vivid imagery and symbolism. ...
'')
*Best online publication: '' Fantasy Magazine''
*Best publisher of novella-length fiction: ''
Subterranean Magazine
Subterranean Press is a small press publisher in Burton, Michigan. Subterranean is best known for publishing genre fiction, primarily horror, suspense and dark mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. In addition to publishing novels, short story ...
Rachel Swirsky
Rachel Swirsky (born April 14, 1982, in San Jose, California) is an American literary, speculative fiction and fantasy writer, poet, and editor living in Oregon. She was the founding editor of the PodCastle podcast and served as editor from 20 ...
, "Eros, Philia, Agape" (
Tor.com
''Tor.com'' is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on speculative fiction.
From 20 ...
Words Without Borders
''Words Without Borders'' (''WWB'') is an international magazine open to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world's best writing and authors who are not easily accessible to English-speaking readers. The ...
''
*Best new online magazine or journal: ''
Lightspeed Magazine
''Lightspeed'' is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine edited and published by John Joseph Adams. The first issue was published in June 2010 and it has maintained a regular monthly schedule since. The magazine currently publis ...
''
2011
*Winner:
Adam-Troy Castro
__NOTOC__
Adam-Troy Castro is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer living in Wildwood, Florida.
He has more than one hundred stories to his credit and has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Stoker. T ...
Lightspeed Magazine
''Lightspeed'' is an American online fantasy and science fiction magazine edited and published by John Joseph Adams. The first issue was published in June 2010 and it has maintained a regular monthly schedule since. The magazine currently publis ...
'')
*Runner-up: Eric Maroney, "The Incorrupt Body of Carlo Busso" ('' Eclectica'')
*Honorable mention:
Amal El-Mohtar
Amal El-Mohtar (born 13 December 1984) is a Canadian poet and writer of speculative fiction. She has published short fiction, poetry, essays and reviews, and has edited the fantastic poetry quarterly magazine ''Goblin Fruit'' since 2006.
El-Moht ...
, "The Green Book" (''
Apex Magazine
''Apex Magazine'', also previously known as ''Apex Digest'', is an American horror and science fiction magazine. This subscription webzine, ''Apex Magazine'', contains short fiction, reviews, and interviews. It has been nominated for several awa ...
'')
2012
*Winner: xTx, "The Mill Pond" ('' StoryGlossia'')
*Runner-up:
Kelly Cherry
Kelly Cherry (December 21, 1940 – March 18, 2022) was a novelist, poet, essayist, professor, and literary criticBlackbird'')
*Honorable mention: Micah Dean Hicks, "The Butcher's Chimes" ('' Menda City Review'')
2013
*First place : Rachel Steiger-Meister, "Chlorine Mermaid" (''Carve Magazine'')
*Second place: Lou Gaglia, "Hands" (''Waccamaw'')
*Third place : Adrienne Celt, "The Eternal Youth of Everyone Else" (''Carve Magazine'')
2014
*First place: Caroline Casper, "Eminence" (''Carve Magazine'')
*Second place: Susan Tepper, "Distance" (''Thrice Fiction'')
*Third place:
Carmen Maria Machado
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...