Deadline: August 31, 2025
Entry Fee: $25
E-mail address: egerdes@experimentalfiction.com
A prize of $1,000 and book publication by Journal of Experimental Fiction and JEF Books is given annually for an innovative novel. Submit a manuscript of any length with a $25 entry fee by August 31. This year’s judge will be novelist Jeff Weisman, author of "The Greatest Place on Earth": Personal Note: A Work of Absurdity? (JEF Books, 2021).
The submission can be of any length, but must be submitted in Word or PDF format. Manuscripts should be submitted to us via email at egerdes@experimentalfiction.com. Two documents need to be submitted.
First, the manuscript itself should not contain the author’s name or address.
Second, a separate sheet should be submitted with the title of the submission and the author’s contact information.
Additionally, all entries need to include a four-digit identifying number of the author’s choosing. This number should appear in the subject line of the email, on the manuscript, and on the contact information form.
Payment should be submitted here: https://www.experimentalfiction.com/products/patchen-award-entry-fee.
Thank you! We look forward to reading your manuscripts!
Eckhard Gerdes
N.B. Unfortunately our previously announced judge had to withdraw from the competition. We are very fortunate that Jeff Weisman has agreed to serve as judge. He is a long-time friend of the press, and he lives in the world of literary innovation.