Create a set of guidelines for your short story contest. Decide if writers must submit stories that follow a certain theme, such as a love story or mystery. Establish basic criteria for the stories, including minimum and maximum word lengths for submissions and any other information that you will require writers to provide, such as a bio or resume. Decide whether your contest is a one- or two- part process that will require semifinalists to submit an expansion on their original submissions.
Set a deadline and determine whether you will require entrants to pay a fee, which may contribute to advertising and processing costs or prize money. If you plan to give monetary or other prizes to the winner or finalists, determine this in advance. You may choose to secure sponsors to cover these costs or donate prizes.
Create a website that lists the contest's guidelines in order for your short story contest to look professional. Allow entrants to register and submit their work. If you already have an established website or blog, this page may be linked from that site.
Select a panel of judges. While it may seem easiest to ask a few of your friends who have time on their hands, try to secure judges who are known in the field of short story writing and have judged or won writing contests in the past. Choose at least three judges to ensure a fair judging process. Provide them with the short story submission requirements well in advance and obtain a written agreement from each judge stating that they will be available to review submissions following the deadline.
Promote your contest. Advertise on your blog, forums or other websites geared towards short story writers. Some publicity is free, while some sites may require you to pay an advertising fee. Be sure to start advertising well in advance of the deadline so that you attract as many entries as possible.
Stick to your original outline and do not accept entries after the predetermined deadline. Be sure each judge evaluates entries based on the same criteria. You may consider creating a scoring system to ensure consistency. Notify finalists and winners in a timely manner and deliver monetary or prize rewards as promised.