Lunar Awards S11 | Round 4 | Fantasy
Submissions are CLOSED! WINNERS ANNOUNCED AUGUST
Lunar Awards S11 | Round 4 | Fantasy
The Lunar Awards is a yearlong event broken into nine rounds focusing on three genres (Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction). At the end of the year, we’ll publish the winning stories in a physical book.
My name is Zachary Roush, author of Realms. and I’m your ambassador for the Fantasy rounds of the Lunar Awards.
Your participation and stories make this event possible. Thanks for stopping by to give the Lunar Awards a chance. We wish you the best of luck! And please comment or DM us with any questions.
Let’s Escape to Fantastic Worlds
The more I read and write, the more I learn that a story can take almost any shape or form. In this way, all fiction is fantastical. But when we talk about fantasy as a genre, we often think of medieval worlds with magic and dragons, etc. But I’m wondering if we can get weirder, find deeper resonance in these like-earth universes.
What fantasies are we inventing? What truths are they telling? Or are we looking just to escape? We will always return to the real world, so we must bring something back with us.
It’s up to you, writers, to open up the world behind the world and liberate us!
Welcome your Judge: J. Kyle Turner
I can’t recall the first fantasy novel I ever read, but I remember the first one that stuck with me.
I was in sixth grade, and I’d just started middle school in a new school district. Our English teacher took us to the school library on the first day of class to show us how to check out books, which seemed insane to me because I didn’t understand how you could turn eleven without having been to a library. I bounced and fidgeted and probably interrupted her at least twice before she turned us loose. It only took a minute or two to find a slim little paperback with a dragon on the cover.
Looking back, it’s hard to overstate how much A Wizard of Earthsea altered my brain. It settled into me like railroad tracks, established lines of thought were there were none, laid the groundwork for heavier freight. It taught me to find what wisdom I could in the eyes of animals, in the great slow gestures of trees. It’s a hugely influential book, but I probably would’ve never picked it up if it didn’t have the word “wizard” in the title.
This, to me, is fantasy at its best. Yes, it should be entertaining. Yes, it should lure you in with a few (freshly reimagined) tropes. But beneath the familiar aesthetic, there should be something that sticks with you long after you finish.
Entertain me, teach me something, entertain me, teach me something...
Season 11 | Round X Details
Please read the FAQ, which contains complete rules and word limits. If you have questions, ask in the comments.
“Fantasy” includes any of its subgenres: High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Mythic Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Portal Fantasy, Steampunk Fantasy, Fairytale Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grimdark Fantasy, among others. Your story will be considered as long as it is tangentially part of Fantasy.
Round 4 Schedule
July 21: Submissions Open
July 31: Submissions close, judging begins
August 22: Winner and runner-up announced
Prizes
The winner will receive a permanent link on the Past Winners page and a high-resolution badge to display on their Substack.
The winner and runner-up will be offered a publication contract to be featured in the Lunar Awards next anthology.
Featured authors in the anthology will receive a copy of the book after publication.
For entry:
Submit your story to the Google form:
Or copy/paste this link: https://forms.gle/Rm7MY758AzmA4EVZA
Submission details are as follows:
How do the awards work?
A writer subscribes to the Lunar Awards and is notified via a post when a new round starts.
The writer reads the rules, selects a story that fits the genre or theme, removes any attributable information (e.g., author name, website, Substack links), and submits the story via the round’s form.
A round lasts roughly 37 days (10 days for submissions and 27 days for judging). When it ends, subscribers receive a post identifying the winner and the runner-up.
What are the general award entry rules?
It must be written in English.
It must be a .docx or .pdf file format.
It must be speculative (Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror).
Only one submission per writer per round is allowed.
A submission will only be considered once. Do not resubmit the same short story over multiple rounds, even if it has been edited.
A comment on the round’s post does not have to accompany your form submission during the submission period. But you may add one if you desire.
The previous round winner of any genre is not eligible to participate in the following rounds for that season.
What are the Short Story category award entry rules?
It must be between 1000–10,000 words. Word count limitations are necessary to maintain fairness.
It must be a short story. Micro fiction, flash fiction, novellas, novelettes, novels, or serials will not be accepted.
Choose-your-own-adventure or interactive fiction will not be eligible.
You must own the rights to your story.
It can be published on Substack on any date. It doesn’t have to be published during the submission timeframe for the round.
It must be standalone (no serials or parts), but it can be a part of an anthology or a shared universe.
It must match the current round’s genre.
What is a Short Story?
A great short story makes a promise at the start and makes good on that promise by the end. Don’t leave the reader hanging. You can use an even balance of character, plot, and setting, or you can lean heavily into any of those. Avoid familiar tropes, but don’t be afraid to explore common themes from a fresh perspective. It should be polished to the best of your ability. Editorial control over the entire piece is essential – you know what to leave and what to cut. However, it will not be rejected for a few spelling mistakes.
Images are not allowed.
What is Speculative Fiction?
Speculative is the broad range of genres encompassing Science Fiction and Fantasy, including hard science fiction, fables, sword and sorcery, creature features, space opera, time travel, low fantasy, magic realism, etc. There are too many sub-genres to name them all. Dark speculative is allowed, which may cross over into Horror.
The subject matter is left to the author’s imagination.
Do I have to subscribe to the Lunar Awards to be considered?
Yes. The winner will be announced here before an author is contacted directly. This will also be the central location to announce future seasons, essays, reviews, and interviews.
Is there a reading or award entry fee?
Never!
Are AI submissions allowed?
Absolutely not. If you have to ask how much or how little AI can be used to write the story, you should not submit it for consideration.
What are the judging criteria?
In short, the Lunar Awards look at:
Genre suitability
Mastery of storytelling
Originality
Editorial control
Discrimination Policy:
The Lunar Awards doesn’t discriminate or give preferential treatment. Decisions are made purely on the merits outlined in the judging criteria. Personal bios of any kind should not be included in the comments or submissions. Anyone who wants to know more about you can visit your Substack. Credentials are not necessary. The number of publication subscribers, comments, and likes on a short story doesn’t matter. The goal is to find and award the absolute best speculative fiction on Substack.
Why only a 10-day round for each genre?
This is very important. It limits the number of entries, and having only one genre per round allows writers to compete against their peers.
Is there an actual award?
The winning submission will be permanently linked on the Past Winners page. The submission and author will also be featured in a spotlight post. First place will receive a custom, high-resolution image badge for the award season category, which can be displayed proudly on Substack or used in merchandising at their discretion.
Winning and runner-up writers will be offered a publishing contract to be included in the official Lunar Awards annual anthology.
Submit your story to the Google form:
Or copy/paste this link: https://forms.gle/Rm7MY758AzmA4EVZA
Happy to participate in another round. :)
Just uploaded my fantasy story.
Just submitted!