The 2022 KAIROS Editors’ Prizes in Fiction and Poetry
SUBMISSIONS HAVE CLOSED FOR THIS AWARD
Grand Prize in Fiction: $150
Grand Prize in Poetry: $150
Deadline: December 31, 2022
The KAIROS Editors’ Prizes in Fiction and Poetry represents the utmost talent in contemporary fiction and poetry. The two prizes will be awarded to the story and poem(s) that most represent the KAIROS editorial preference for compelling, relevant, and intimate writing.
For the 2022 contests, there are no thematic requirements for the prizes. Upon submission, you will submit a registration and reading fee of $12 (Please note: this fee allows us to keep our online data protected and up-to-date and allows for us to pay the winners of the prizes in fiction and poetry with a grand prize of $150 each. This is not meant to dissuade or prevent anyone from submitting their work.)
Winners for the 2022 prizes will be announced in Summer 2023.
Requirements
- The deadline to submit your work is December 31, 2022.
- Each applicant is required to pay a $12 reading fee per submission.
- We very much value an anonymous reading process (what some call “blind” reading). So, please be sure to delete any and all personal information from your submission. Failure to do so compromises the judgement of these prizes and may result in a rejection without reading and, consequently, forfeiture of registration and reading fee.
- There can be no refund for pieces that are accepted for publication with another venue, so we strongly suggest to submit no simultaneous submissions.
- Applicants who wish to submit to both categories may do so if and only if they have submitted two registration and reading fees.
- Applicants may submit as many times as they wish so long as reading fee payment is also submitted with each submission. (Note: poetry submissions can each contain up to five poems for consideration while fiction submissions may only contain one piece).
- Pieces that have been published in print or online (including blogs and social media) are ineligible for prizes.
- Upon winning, writers receive payment via PayPal and publication exclusively in the print edition of KAIROS.
- In submitting your work, all authors agree to First Rights in the event the author is chosen as winner. After first publication, all rights revert back to the writer. (Note: First Rights are publication rights granted only to this publisher and include rights to be the first to publish, communicate, and distribute the published work online and in print).
Please follow genre-specific guidelines below:
Fiction
Manuscripts for fiction should be double-spaced, in Times New Roman (or similar) 12-point font, and page numbers at the bottom right side of each page. Manuscripts should be submitted as a .doc or .docx file. PDFs will not be accepted. Fiction writers may submit any one story of up to 8,000 words. Word count and title should be included on the first page.
Poetry
Manuscripts for poetry should be single-spaced with each new poem beginning on a separate page. Pages should be numbered at the bottom right side of each page. Poets may submit up to five (5) poems for consideration. These poems should be submitted within the same document, as a .doc or .docx file. PDFs will not be accepted.

The editors reserve the right to not select a winner in any given year of the competition.