ENTRY GUIDELINES
Theme for all Short Story Categories:
“What it means to be human”
Entries must be original works of fiction writing not previously published elsewhere or infringing on copyright law. Entries must be original works, written without the assistance of ‘AI’ tools.
Entry dates:
The opening date for entries is April 1 2026. Entries close June 19 2026.
Short Story Competition Categories:
Adult/Open: Maximum 3000 words. $20 fee for entry.
Secondary (under 19 years): Maximum 1000 words. Free entry.
Primary: Maximum 500 words. Free entry.
Prizes:
The winner of the Adult/Open Category will receive a $500 cash prize.
The winner of the Secondary Category will receive a $120 book voucher from Great Ocean Reads Bookstore Apollo Bay.
The winner of the Primary Category will receive a $50 book voucher from Great Ocean Reads Bookstore Apollo Bay.
Who can enter?
Residents of the state of Victoria, Australia.
Writers who have never had a publishing contract for a full-length novel of any kind and who do not have a literary agent at the time the competition closes. Writers who have self-published or only been published in newspapers, magazines, anthologies or non-print medium are eligible to enter.
Please get in touch if you have any questions.
How to enter:
Only one entry may be submitted per person.
Entries must be submitted via the submission form on the Apollo Bay WORDfest website by 11.59pm on 19 June 2026.
Entry to the Primary and Secondary Categories is free. There is an entry fee of $20 for the Adult/Open category (further details below).
If entering the Primary Category or Secondary Category please do not use a .edu email address, as these are sometimes filtered and we may be unable to contact you.
The author’s name must not appear anywhere in the attached document, story or in the name of the digital file. Judging will be blind.
Paying the entry fee:
Please note: there is no entry fee for the Primary or Secondary categories. Payment should be made by direct deposit to the details below.
To ensure we’re able to match payments with entries:
Payment of $20 should be made at the same time as your submission.
Your payment reference must be your full name so we can match to entries.
If you have any questions, contact us at info@apollobaywordfest.com.
Account name: Apollo Bay Arts Inc. Writers Festival
BSB: 633-000
Account Number: 162-260-665
Formatting your entry:
Entries must be submitted as Microsoft Word documents (.doc or .docx) or Portable Document Format (.pdf).
The text should be presented in 12 pt font size.
The pages should be numbered.
The file name should only include the title of the story.
Entrants should not include their own name in the title of the story or the file name.
Entries must be a single, adhering to the word limit for the category.
Entries must be written in English.
Publication:
Apollo Bay WORDfest Committee reserve the rights to publish the three winning stories in print and online using appropriate media platforms.
Authorship of the shortlisted stories will be fully acknowledged in the event of print and online publishing.
Copyright remains with the entrant.
The Judging Process:
Judging is a ‘blind’ process. Entrants who have included their name in their document, story, or file name will be disqualified.
The shortlist of entries will be decided by the Apollo Bay WORDfest committee.
The panel of judges who select the winners from the shortlisted entries will be independent of the Apollo Bay WORDfest committee.
The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into about the judgments or the judging process.
We are unable to provide feedback about individual entries.
Apollo Bay WORDfest reserves the right not to award a prize in any category.