Ink of Ages Update #5 🪶 What gets a story on the longlist?

Welcome to the 5th issue of the Ink of Ages Update, a monthly email by me, Joanne Taylor, with a focus on writing, reading, and well ... more writing. Thanks for being here! If this email was forwarded to you, you can sign up here.

02 December 2024

Hello, Writer

We're 86.79% of the way through reading submissions in order to select the shortlist! If your story was longlisted this year, congratulations! I'll email you a day or two before the social media announcements go out on 13 January to let you know whether your story was chosen.

The 2024/25 Prize longlist

Whether or not your story made the longlist, we’re so grateful for the opportunity to read your story. You can see the longlists on the 2024/25 Prize results page! Out of 511 entries in total, 147 stories were selected across the adult and youth categories.

It doesn't mean your writing isn't "good enough"

If your story didn't make the longlist, it doesn't mean it's not “good” or that we didn’t enjoy it! Reading is always somewhat subjective. It might seem strange to say, but there are some great stories that didn't make the Ink of Ages longlist. Competition was tough this year but sometimes it comes down to "fit" for this particular contest, too.

We judge according to literary merit, originality and creativity, historical interest, and impact and enjoyment – and all four of those are important to us at World History Encyclopedia.

What makes a story stand out to us?

Here's what we've noticed. We hope they'll be helpful for your writing going forward and if you're entering again next year.

1. Follows the rules. Stories that were within the word count limits weren't automatically rejected. Some stories had parts set in the present day which meant disqualification.
2. Well written. For us this comes down to readability – if a story was confusing, felt slow for short fiction, or was verbose, we might have chosen something else.
3. Great idea. This is something Ink of Ages writers are amazing at! We always get a lot of creative and original ideas to read. With popular topics like Medusa or the Mahabharata, you need a creative idea to stand out.
4. History and mythology content. Without this element, it's not really a fit for Ink of Ages! We love when we can tell research has gone into a piece, and when we feel like we've been transported somewhere by reading.
5. Suits our readers. From students, hobbyists, academics, and retirees, lots of different people enjoy World History Encyclopedia. So stories that are a little too gruesome for most people might not make the longlist.
6. Makes an impact. Encouraging an emotional connection to a main character can give your story a lasting impression. What will make readers keep reading, and what will they takeaway from it at the end? Will they laugh, gasp, cry?

"Historical fiction creates an engaging way for new audiences to explore the mysteries of the past, and tests the limits of our modern understanding of the ancient world.” —Louise Pryke, historian, author, and judge

Happy December!

Joanne

Ink of Ages Fiction Prize is run by World History Encyclopedia and generously sponsored by Oxford University Press. You can read last year's winners on the contest website.