Contest rules and guidelines

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Contest entry requires a $20 registration fee per submission. Please submit payment prior to poem or short story submission. Please use the same email for uploading your creative writing submission and entering payment information. All entries are non-refundable except in the event that the contest is canceled.

Contest entries can only be submitted online, via The Writers Cypher official website (www.thewriterscypher.com). Any promotion that does not link to the submission portal or other page on The Writers Cypher official website is not affiliated with The Writers Cypher competition. The Writers Cypher is not responsible for any claims or actions made by any person or entity not affiliated with The Writers Cypher.

Please do not include identifying information directly on your poem or short story file. Only .pdf, .doc, .docx, and .txt files will be accepted for contest consideration. 

Entries submitted without an accompanying $20 registration fee will not be considered. Please submit payment prior to poem or short story submission. Please use the same email for uploading your creative writing submission and entering payment information. All entries are non-refundable except in the event that the contest is canceled. 

Multiple submissions are allowed, but only one poem or short story entry per $20 registration fee will be considered. In the event that multiple poem or short story files are uploaded, and only one registration fee is submitted, the entry read for judging will be randomly selected by the contest administrator.

For poetry submissions please make sure your works do not exceed 750 words. 

For short story submissions please make sure your works do not exceed 2500 words.

The Writers Cypher Contest is open to creative writers worldwide age 18 and older. Only poems and short stories will be considered for the competition. Poetry and short story submissions of varied styles and themes are acceptable. Only submissions written in English will receive award consideration (no translations are permitted unless done by the original author). All submissions must be original works of the author registering for the competition. No works that have been previously published in books, magazine publications, or digital collections made available to the public will knowingly receive award consideration. Works must not contain vulgarity or derogatory comments aimed at any person or group, and must be free of plagiarism. Neither The Writers Cypher, nor its sponsors or affiliates, are responsible for works submitted that contain these elements.

The Writers Cypher Contest comprises three rounds. Eligibility for all three rounds is covered by the one time $20 registration fee. Prizes are only administered after the third and final round of the competition.

Round One - First Submission Round

The Writers Cypher judging panel will select 26 works from each of the two categories (Poetry and Short Stories) from all submissions received by 11:59 pm on November 30, 2025. A total of 52 semifinalists will be selected from Round One to proceed to Round Two. Semifinalists will be announced on December 20, 2025 and notified via email.

Round Two - Battle Write Round (Semifinalists Only)

The 52 semifinalists selected from Round One will be eligible to move on to Round Two of the competition. Each semifinalist will be paired with another semifinalist in their respective categories to compete against in the Battle Write Round. 

In this round:

• Each contestant will submit a creative work based on outlined criteria that will be provided at the start of Round Two of the competition. 
• Each contestant's work will be posted on a dedicated area of The Writers Cypher official website to be judged against the work of the contestant they will be paired against. 
• The Writers Cypher community will be invited to participate in a public voting process to determine the winners of the second round. Voting rules and guidelines will be provided at the start of the round.
• 13 winners from each category (Poetry and Short Story) will be selected to move forward to the Final Round.

The Battle Write Round of the competition will begin on December 20, 2025 and the public voting period will end on December 31, 2025.

Round Three - Final Round (Finalists Only)

The works submitted by 26 finalists selected from Round Two will be evaluated by a judging panel to determine two grand prize winners and two runners-up. One grand prize winner and one runner-up will be selected from each of the two creative writing categories (Poetry and Short Stories). Winners will be announced January 15, 2026.

Two grand prize winners will receive $1,000 each. Two runners-up will receive $250 each. The total amount of prize money to be awarded is $2,500.* 

*The prize amount total and number of winners may increase depending on the total number of entries.

While we encourage constructive comments and feedback, any opportunity provided to the public to engage with writers and others on this platform will be rescinded in the event that derogatory comments, inappropriate language, or misconduct are discovered.

With respect for the goal of this competition to recognize the creative talents of individuals, please do not submit works generated with the use of artificial intelligence tools. No A.I. generated entries will knowingly receive award consideration.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please let us know if your work is currently being considered in a separate competition or for publication elsewhere.

The Writers Cypher does not claim full rights of ownership of any writer's works submitted; however, submitting any work in this competition grants The Writers Cypher and its representatives the right to publish or promote said works on this website and elsewhere without expressed permission for the purpose and benefit of this competition.

Contest participants must have both their registration fee and creative writing submission submitted by 11:59 pm November 30, 2025 to enter the competition. No exceptions.

For additional inquiries, please contact info@thewriterscypher.com