The following rules/terms and conditions for our flash fiction competition must be followed. Please read them carefully before submitting:
Eligibility
1. Our competitions are open to international entries. You must be aged 16 or over at time of entry.
2. Entries must be in English.
3. Entries must be the original work of the entrant. We do accept multiple submissions – however, we ask that you notify us immediately if your story is accepted elsewhere for a prize and/or production.
4. Each play submitted must stay within the 10 – 20 minute length stipulation. Any scripts significantly longer or shorter will not be considered.
5. The closing date for entries is midnight (UK time) on the 31st March, 30th June, 30th September and 31st December. If your entry, for whatever reason, just misses a deadline, it will be automatically entered into the following quarter.
6. No corrections will be accepted or refunds given.
Entry fees
7. £12 for one play | £22 for two plays | £30 for three plays.
8. Entries will not be accepted without prior payment.
9. You can enter up to THREE plays in each quarterly competition.
10. Entries should be submitted as an email attachment to crankedanvil@gmail.com with the subject line PLAY WRITING entry, as a Microsoft Word Document, or OpenDocument Text, NO PDFs please. Do not paste your story into the body of the email. We cannot accept entries by post.
NB: DO NOT use this email address to attempt to pay your entry fee. It will not be collected and your entry will be disqualified. You must use the Paypal ‘Buy Now’ buttons on our entry page here. No correspondence will be entered into regarding this matter.
11. Your attached document should be named with the title of your play, followed by your name in capitals. eg: Death Of A Salesman ARTHUR MILLER
12. FORMATTING: We are not overly strict on your script formatting, as long as it is readable. You should pay attention to showing a clear distinction between dialogue, description, sound effect, atmos effects, scene breaks, etc. A quick search online will give you plenty of examples of acceptable audio drama script formats.
13. Manuscripts should have numbered pages, including a covering page which states the following:
Story title
Your name
Your main email address
Your paypal email address (if different)
Estimated length of play
Your bluesky handle, if you have one
Your X handle, if you have one
Your name should only appear on the cover page and not on any subsequent pages.
14. The cover page should be the first page of the whole document. Do not send a separate cover page – your entry will be disqualified.
15. If you are entering more than one play, each play must be submitted as a separate document.
Judging
16. The judging panel will be appointed by Cranked Anvil, and will be headed by its EIC Paul Dunn. The decision of the judges is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
17. If, in the opinion of the judges, enough plays of sufficient quality have not been received, then Cranked Anvil is under no obligation to award any or all of the prizes.
Notification
18. Winners will be notified by email no later than eight weeks after each closing date. (Except in exceptional circumstances where a delay cannot be avoided. If this is the case it will be announced on our website, and the winners then notified as soon as possible after that.)
19. The results of the competition, as well as the long- and short-lists for each competition, will be announced in social media and on our website.
Copyright
20. The author retains full copyright of any submitted play.
21. The prize package also offers guaranteed inclusion in a future digital anthology. These anthologies will be published by us and made available through the Amazon platform. When the time comes, we will always contact you to seek permission to do so. You are free to agree or decline as you wish. No submission will be published without your permission.
22. Whether or not you win a cash prize in our competition, and if we publish your entry in any playscript anthology published by us, you retain all other rights. (For example, you may still publish your work online or in print elsewhere, or enter it into other competitions.)
Audio Recordings
23. If your play wins or is placed in any of our competitions and is recorded by us for broadcast, either on radio or on our own online platform, the actual audio recording is the property of Cranked Anvil. However, it is stressed and acknowledged by us that the copyright of the actual play/text belongs solely to the author.
Privacy
24. We advise that, in conjunction with these rules, the author reads our GDPR/Privacy Policy statement.
PLEASE NOTE: Entries not complying with all competition rules will be disqualified. Please make sure you comply with all rules, as no entry fees can be returned or refunded. The decision of Cranked Anvil and the judges is final, and no correspondence will be entered into. By submitting, you are agreeing to all competition rules, which are subject to change without prior notice.
Last edit: 26/04/26
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