MIRANDA 326

International Short short Story Open Call · 326 words

Accepting submissions until July 14, 2026

Inspiration

Saludos Connection opens this call to any writer, regardless of age, nationality, or place of residence, to share their perspective and reflections on what happened on January 3, 2026 in Venezuela, and how that event has continued to shape the world.

The history of Venezuela and the history of the United States intersected in the figure of Francisco de Miranda — Venezuela's most universal son, el Precursor. Cosmopolitan, multilingual, and visionary, he fought in the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the wars of independence of Spanish America. He met with Washington, Jefferson, Napoleon, and Catherine the Great, his name was engraved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and he built the Colombeia — a monumental archive that was, at once, his memory and his life's work.

In 2026, the year the United States marks 250 years since its independence, the history of both countries crossed paths again with Operation Absolute Resolve.

In recognition of the worldwide impact of Francisco de Miranda's life, as well as his interest in documenting everything, so we can understand that world, tell Miranda and us — in 326 words or fewer — how you see the world after January 3, 2026.

One story, 326 words. 1/3/26. The date written into the limit.

The winning story receives $1,000 USD.

Submit by July 14th, 2026.

Rules

Organizer  Saludos Connection, Houston, Texas.

Eligibility  Open to writers of any nationality and age who write in Spanish or English.

Theme  Open. Stories should take as their reference point what happened in Venezuela on January 3, 2026, with Operation Absolute Resolve.

Word Count  Maximum 326 words. One story per participant.

Language  Stories may be submitted in Spanish or English. All stories compete in a single unified category.

Originality  Stories must be original, unpublished, and solely authored by the submitter. Works previously awarded in other contests or published in any form will not be accepted.

Format and Submission  Stories must be submitted through Google Forms as two separate Word files. The first file should contain only the story, in Times New Roman font, size 12, single line spacing. The title of the story on the first line and the pen name on the second.

The second file — the Author Information File — should contain the author's personal information: full name, email address, country of residence, pen name used, language of the story, a personal bio of no more than 7 lines, and a statement certifying that the story is solely their own work, that it is unpublished, and that it has not previously been awarded in any other contest.

Pen Name  Stories must be submitted under a pen name. The author's personal information will be submitted separately in the form and will not be accessible to the jury.

Certification  By participating, the author certifies that the story is solely their own work, that it is unpublished, and that it has not previously been awarded in any other contest.

Disqualification  Stories that do not meet these rules will be disqualified before reaching the jury.

Submission  Through this form (Google Forms). The link is available at saludosconnection.org.

Opens  from the date of public announcement.

Closes  July 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM Central Time.

Entry fee  $10

There is a limited number of financial aid opportunities for those who request it. Total and partial.

Results  September 15, 2026, opening day of Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated in the USA.

Jury  International jury of writers and academics appointed by Saludos Connection, in collaboration with Literal Magazine. Stories are evaluated anonymously. The jury's decision is final.

Prize Withheld  The jury reserves the right to withhold the prize if the submitted stories do not meet sufficient literary standards.

Prize  The winning story receives $1,000 USD.

Publication  Selected stories will be published in an anthology in both print and digital formats. Each selected author receives one physical copy.

Ceremony for prize winner and selected authors  March 28th, 2027. Physical attendance is not required. Saludos Connection will make every effort to provide a live connection for those who cannot attend in person.

Rights  By participating, the author grants Saludos Connection exclusive publication rights for the story in the anthology for 5 years. In the event of a future reprint, Saludos Connection will request authorization again. The author retains all other rights.

Archive  Submitted stories will be kept in Saludos Connection's archive. Should a future additional publication be considered, authors will be contacted to confirm the status of their rights.

Correspondence  No correspondence will be maintained with participants whose stories are not selected.

Data Protection  Personal data will be used exclusively for the management of the contest and deleted one month after results are published. For any requests: team@saludosconnection.org.

Communications  All official communications will be conducted in both Spanish and English.

Acceptance  Participation implies full acceptance of these rules.