48 Hour Books Writing Contest” “History, but Make It Fiction”

When we asked former and prospective writing contest participants what genres they like to write, historical fiction was mentioned several times. Since America is celebrating its 250th year, we found it fitting to heed the call and have writers dive into historical fiction. Now, if you’re new to this genre, let’s break it down.

Historical fiction can be:

·      Fictional events involving real people from a real era in history

·      Real events with fictional characters

·      Real events and real people from the past, but the plot, dialogue, and actions are fictional

·      Blended characters: A mix of both real and fictional people within the story

This contest is FREE to enter!

Winner receives:

·      Printing for 50 paperback books (*Black & white interior with full-color Gloss UV cover, 60# paper, any size up to 300 pages).

(If your book order has upgrades or does not fit within the prize parameters listed above, we will instead give you $500 off the total order cost (can be applied to one order only; cannot be redeemed for cash or on multiple orders, even if the total order cost is less than $500).

·      Cover design (if needed)

·      ISBN and barcode

·      Winning submission will be featured on our blog and announced in our newsletter

Runners up receive:

·      2nd Place will receive code for $100 off book printing

·      3rd place will receive code for $50 off book printing

Contest Rules:

·      Entries should be 1,000 words minimum and 3,000 words maximum*

*If word count does not exactly meet or these parameters within reason, we will still accept your submission

·      Entries must be submitted in a Word Document or other word processing program format (not a pdf)

·      Include the word count on your email submission or in your document

·      Entry must be titled

·      Submissions will be accepted until October 14, 2026

·      1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be notified via email on November 2, 2026

·      Winners will be announced via newsletter to participants only on November 4, 2026

·      Winning submission will be featured on the 48 Hour Books Blog & shared in a future newsletter.

You are welcome to submit an excerpt of your book if it adheres to the contest prompt. Please do not submit a full book or a PDF of your book – this will not qualify for the contest.

No entry fee is required and all rights in the story remain the property of the author. All entries must be original works by the entrant.

Your submission should be 1,000 – 3,000 words. If your submission does not fall within this range, it will not be considered for judging.

Contest Theme: 

The theme for this contest is History, But Make It Fiction

To help get you started, here are some tips:

·      The time period you choose must be real in history, so make sure the setting and dialogue reflect this

·      Don’t assume the reader knows a lot about your chosen time period; take time to provide context throughout your story.

·      The central conflict should reflect the actual problems of the time.

*Submissions must be works of fiction.

*For this contest, poetry submissions will not be accepted.

What We’re Looking For:

Prizes will be awarded to submissions that are:

·      Well-written

·      Exhibit principles of good storytelling

·      Adhere to the contest prompt/theme

To Enter:

·      Email a Word Document of your writing to [email protected] with the subject: “Writing Contest”

·      Email must include your first and last name and word count

Winners will be notified on Monday, November 2, 2026!

For more information on contest rules and limitations, visit our website.