CRAFT 2026 At Work Challenge

CRAFT 2026 At Work Challenge

January 26 – February 8, 2026

$750 Awarded

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What did your characters want to be when they grew up? What did they sacrifice for their dream job, or did they give up on the dream altogether?  For the CRAFT At Work Challenge, we want to read stories about work: mundane jobs, obscure jobs, dangerous but necessary jobs. Characters getting fired from their dream job, hired for their worst nightmare. Temporary jobs, gig work, invisible labor. Horrible bosses and wonderful coworkers (or vice versa). We want to learn more about your character and their world through their work. How do your characters define themselves, or resist definition, through their occupation?

Submit fiction of up to 3,500 words in which work is featured prominently for the chance to win $750 and publication. The winner will be chosen by our editorial team.

Looking for inspiration? Here are a few of our favorite short stories At Work:

“Somebody is Going to Have to Pay for This” by Benjamin Percy

“Standard Loneliness Package” by Charles Yu

“Zimmer Land” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

“How to Shoot Grooms” by Nick Almeida

“The Surrogate” by Ottessa Moshfegh

“Exhortation” by George Saunders

• The contest is open January 26 to February 8, 2026.
• CRAFT submissions are open to all writers, emerging and experienced.
• We seek fiction only for this challenge: submit short stories or flash fiction up to 3,500 words.
• This challenge requires a $15 entry fee per submission.
• We allow multiple and simultaneous submissions. Each submission must be accompanied by a separate reading fee. Writers, please notify us and withdraw your submission if your piece is accepted for publication elsewhere.
• Submit previously unpublished work only—we do not review reprints, or even partial reprints, for contests (including any form of self-publishing, blogs, personal websites, social media, et cetera). Reprints will be automatically disqualified.
• International submissions are welcome. Work must be written primarily in English, but some code-switching/meshing is warmly welcomed.
• We review literary prose but are open to a variety of genres and styles—our only requirement is that you show excellence in your craft.
• Please double-space your submission and use Times New Roman 12.
• Please include a brief cover letter with your publication history and any content warnings (if applicable).
• We do not require anonymous submissions. One grand-prize winner of the challenge will be chosen by the editorial staff. The winner will receive $750 and publication.
• The winner will be asked to contribute an author’s note, or mini craft essay, that discusses their artistic choices in their piece. The note will be published with the winning work.
• The winning piece will be published in July 2026.
• All entries will also be considered for publication in CRAFT.
• Please review our values before submitting.
• AI-generated or -assisted submissions will be automatically disqualified.
• Unless you’ve already secured the necessary permissions, please do not include quoted song lyrics in your submitted work.
• We are always happy to help if you have questions. Email us: contact@craftliterary.com.

You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your submission directly through the challenge’s submission form. We’ll provide marginal notes and a one-page summative letter, focusing on the strengths of the submission as well as our recommendations for development. While editorial feedback is inherently subjective, our suggestions are always actionable and encouraging. We aim to have feedback completed within twelve weeks of the close of the challenge. Should your piece win, no feedback will be offered and your fee will be refunded. Work that we critique is not eligible for future CRAFT challenges or contests, but can be revised and resubmitted for consideration in our general categories.

Learn more about the editorial feedback team.