Anthology competition: Win $1,000

Debt, a growing wealth gap, and the debasement of currency. The future of many economies looks dark.

Which catastrophic failures will we see in the next 100 years? And how will it affect ordinary citizens of the world?

Konsensus network seeks fiction submissions (up to 3,000 words) for its forthcoming anthology 21 Futures: Financial Fallout.

The 21 best stories will feature in the anthology and will be eligible to win the following prizes:

• 1st place: $1,000 + feature interview
• 2nd place: $100 + podcast appearance
• 3rd Place: Book haul + podcast appearance
• 4th to 21st place: Featured in anthology + anthology copy + launch appearance

In order to participate, writers must buy (and are encouraged to read) 21 Futures: Tales from the Timechain. This will provide a guide for the kinds of stories we are looking for.

What we DO want:

• Stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end
• Stories which include diverse and realistic characters we can root for
• Stories with a unique angle on dystopia. Be creative and think outside the locations and tropes of typical sci-fi.
• Stories which make us care. Stories with love, loss, joy, pain, and everything in between.
• Stories which offer some kind of hope for the future.

What we DON'T want:

• Stories with unnecessary violence unconnected to the plot
• Nationalism, hate speech, erotica
• The promotion of centralized alt coins or ‘cryptocurrency’
• Manifestos on ways of life
• Poetry or excerpts from novels
• Satoshi Nakamoto origin stories
• Stories based entirely on real-life events using real-life characters

Stories must be written in English (editing provided if English is not your first language). Maximum 3,000 max words.

Read the full competition rules here

Terms and conditions:

Please ensure you read the rules carefully before entering the competition.

Eligibility

The competition is open to writers of any nationality writing in English aged 18 and over at the time of the closing date. No members of the Konsensus Network team will be eligible to win the competition.

Entries must be entirely your own work. Any evidence to the contrary will result in immediate disqualification.

Entries must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog, or online forum, broadcast, have won or been placed (2nd, 3rd, runner up, etc) in any other competition.

You must inform us immediately should your entry be published elsewhere.

Entry implies acceptance of all the rules. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.

Disqualification

We disqualify entries if they are over the word limit (even by one word).

If you forget to add details – title, name, or word count – your entry will not be disqualified.

General

Entries can be on any subject in any style or form. They must include the theme of ‘Financial Fallout’ in a meaningful way. We do not recommend stories written for children.

You may only submit one story, so send us your best work. Please check you are submitting the correct version of your work before entering as mistakes cannot be rectified later.

Deadline

The deadline date for entries is 23:59 (UK time) on 31st August 2024.

We only accept entries via email.

Length

Short story: 3000 words maximum. This is a hard limit. 3,001 words will not be accepted. There is no minimum limit for stories. The title is not included in the word count.

Format

• Add the word count to the top right of the first page.
• Do not add cover or title pages.
• Use any standard font in 12pt.
• Double line spaced (i.e., a blank line space between each line).
• Number the pages in the centre at the bottom of the page.
• Save the file as a Microsoft Word document – .doc or .docx. We also accept file types .odt, .rtf. No PDFs please. Please don’t include artwork, sound files or any non-text elements in your entry.
• The file name should be the title of the story only, typed exactly the same as on the document.
• For untitled pieces, save the document with the first line of the story instead.

Prize

• The winner shall receive US$1,000 (or equivalent local currency) by bank transfer or US$1,000 worth of bitcoin (at the time of transfer) on publication of the book (scheduled Mar 2025). They will also be awarded a feature interview, published and promoted by Konsensus Network, and an appearance on the 21 Futures podcast.
• Second place shall receive $100 (same terms as the winner) and a podcast appearance.
• Third place shall receive the choice of any 3 books from bitcoinbook.shop in physical copy, delivered worldwide and a podcast appearance.
• 4th to 21st place receive a physical copy of the anthology, delivered worldwide, an author’s bio in the book (with one promotional link permitted), and an appearance on the online launch event.

Length

Short story: 3000 words maximum. This is a hard limit. 3,001 words will not be accepted. There is no minimum limit for stories. The title is not included in the word count.

Judging

The entries will be judged by the editorial team at Konsensus Network. The judges’ decision is final and no individual correspondence can be entered into. Judges are unable to comment on individual entries. Judging is fair and unbiased.

Copyright

Worldwide copyright of each entry remains with the author but Konsensus Network retains global unrestricted rights to publish the winning stories in any media format. All entries will be eligible to feature on the Konsensus fiction blog. This is optional, and selected authors will be contacted by the editing team.

Results & Awards

Authors whose entries will feature in the anthology will be notified by email in September 2024. The top three winning stories will be announced in December 2024, and prizes will be delivered then.