Timeline

Submissions Open: November 1, 2025 – April 1, 2026
Winners Announced: End of May 2026
Virtual Celebration Event: Early June 2026
(Dates are tentative and subject to change.)

Judging & Prizes

Prizes include:

  • 1st Prize: Apple MacBook Pro laptop and $500 prize

  • 2nd Prize: Commissioned art by SMP artist inspired by your work and $250 prize 

  • 3rd Prize: Curated set of signed Shout Mouse & Megaphone Board books and $100 prize

  • Special honorable mention prizes for standout submissions!

Note: Physical prizes must be shipped to an address in the United States.


How winners are chosen:

  • An Editorial Board of Shout Mouse alumni authors will read all entries and select winners.

  • A special guest judge will help choose final prize recipients.

Submission Guidelines

  • The Bright Before Us Writing Contest is open to all writers ages 13–24. 

  • Because Shout Mouse Press exists to amplify marginalized voices, our judges will be especially interested in identity-forward stories from underrepresented communities and perspectives.

  • All genres are welcome: poetry, short stories, essays, memoir, comics, children’s books (with or without illustrations), or hybrid work.

  • Submissions must connect to Bright Before Us by:

  • Exploring one of the anthology’s themes (Family & Friendship, Immigration & Belonging, Witness & Activism, Identity & Self-Love), or

  • Responding to one of the book’s prompts, or

  • Being directly inspired by a specific piece in the anthology

  • Submissions must be in English or provide an English translation. 

  • No more than 3 submissions per writer.

  • Length: Up to 3,000 words/submission

  • Format: Submissions should be in PDF or docx format

  • Submissions are free.

  • Writers under 18 must include a signed parent/guardian consent form. 

  • All work entered into the Bright Before Us writing contest must be original, meaning you created the work based on your own ideas. By entering work into the contest, you agree that you created it and did not copy it from any other person, business, school, or organization or generate it with AI.

Submit your work

Workshops & Author Talks

Virtual BBU Writing Workshops
 From November–April, join monthly First Wednesday Writing Workshops open to all youth ages 13–24. Each session will feature prompts from Bright Before Us and space to share your writing with peers.

  • Dates & Times:

    • Wednesday, November 5th, 6:00 - 7:30pm

    • Wednesday, December 3rd, 6:00 - 7:30pm

    • Wednesday, January 7th, 6:00 - 7:30pm

    • Wednesday, February 4th, 6:00 - 7:30pm

    • Wednesday, March 4th, 6:00 - 7:30pm

    • Wednesday, April 1st, 6:00 - 7:30pm*  (Deadline day submission support!) 

Learn more

Author Talk + Mini-Workshop Series
Educators can book Author Talks with Shout Mouse writers, which now include a mini-writing workshop designed to spark student submissions.

EXCITING NEWS: Thanks to the support of the Share Fund and the Rotary Club in Washington, DC, the first 20 educators to successfully schedule a Bright Before Us Author Talk will receive a free classroom set (20 copies) of the book! 

Learn more & request an Author Talk

FAQ

Does it cost anything to enter?
 No — the contest is completely free.

Can I submit more than one piece?
 Yes, you can submit up to three pieces. 

When will winners be announced?
 Winners will be announced in late May 2026.

Will my work be published?
 Winning pieces may be published on the Shout Mouse blog or on social media. All submissions will be considered for potential future publication.

How to Submit

Fill out the submission form below by April 1, 2026.

Submit