The 1000 Words Contest, celebrating 100 billion characters posted to pixiv, opens on Friday, May 19th!

The total number of characters posted on pixiv novels will soon top 100 billion!

pixiv is inviting creators to add even more water to the ocean of stories available on pixiv, by holding a contest themed on "a message in a bottle". Creators are invited to write a work expanding on this theme in 1000 words or less.

Original stories, essays, scripts, and fan fiction are all okay.
Put your work's message into the "bottle" of the story, then set it afloat in the pixiv sea!

The winning works from the Original Novel category will be compiled into a book, to be sold at future pixiv events and on BOOTH. Winners will also receive a pixiv novels original fountain pen and ink set, and an acrylic block featuring a highlight scene from your story.
In addition, entries in the Freestyle category will be chosen by lottery to win a prize of a pixiv novels original fountain pen and ink set.

[Entry Period]
From Friday, May 19th, 2023 to Friday, June 30th, 2023, 11:59 pm JST

[Entry Categories]
■ Original Novel Category
We're looking for your original stories on the theme "message in a bottle".
Entry tag (required): 1000字コン_オリジナル小説

■ Freestyle Category
We're looking for your essays, scripts, and fan fiction or other writing on the theme "message in a bottle".
Entry tag (required): 1000字コン_フリー

[Theme]
Freely write a novel or essay based on the theme of the contest.

Theme: Message in a Bottle

■ Message from the editorial team: A memorable meeting, an expression of love to a stranger, a lucky coincidence (serendipity), etc... pixiv is waiting for all your stories on the theme "Message in a Bottle". In the Freestyle category, you are also welcome to enter essays describing your feelings/memories about pixiv novels.

[Prizes]
Grand Prize (1 winner from the Original Novel category)
Your winning work published in an anthology to be sold at future pixiv exhibition events and on BOOTH, a pixiv novels original fountain pen and ink set, and an acrylic block featuring a highlight scene from your story

Second Prize (2 winners from the Original Novel category)
Your winning work published in an anthology to be sold at future pixiv exhibition events and on BOOTH, a pixiv novels original fountain pen and ink set

Award of Excellence (10 winners from the Original Novel category)
Your winning work published in an anthology to be sold at future pixiv exhibition events and on BOOTH, a pixiv novels original fountain pen and ink set


Honorable Mention (20+ winners from the Original Novel category)
Your winning work published in an anthology to be sold at future pixiv exhibition events and on BOOTH, a pixiv novels original fountain pen and ink set

pixiv Award (20 winners from the Freestyle category)
a pixiv novels original fountain pen and ink set

[Entry Format]
Work format: Novel, Essay, or Script
Post format: One-shot work
Number of words: 1000 words or less (based on the data shown on the pixiv posting page or the work details page.)
Content: Only original works will be accepted in the Original Novel category. (Make sure to check the "Original work" box when posting your entry). Both original works and fan fiction will be accepted in the Freestyle category.
Age restrictions: Only All Ages works will be accepted in the Original Novel category. There are no age restrictions on works that can be entered in the Freestyle category, but if the entry contains content that is not suitable for readers under age 18, the work must be marked R-18 or R-18G.
AI-generated work: Works that were entirely or largely generated by AI must be marked as "AI-generated work". AI-generated works are not eligible for the Original Novels category. For the Freestyle category, creators are allowed to submit one AI-generated work per person. Contestants who enter more than one AI-generated work will be disqualified.
Privacy settings: Only works set to Public are eligible
Language: Only works written in Japanese will be accepted in the Original Novel category. There are no restrictions on language in the Freestyle category.

[Other]
The following conditions apply to the Original Novel category.

・Works that are still unfinished at the end of the contest period will be disqualified.
・Only original, previously unpublished works to which the user holds the copyrights will be accepted.

・Do not delete your entries or set them to Private until the results of the selection have been announced. In addition, winning works must not be deleted or set to Private even after the results of the selection.

[Contest Terms]
*Works that fall under the following conditions are not eligible.
・Works that do not match the theme of the contest.
・Works that involve individual details of specific living persons, and contain information through which these persons could be identified.
・Works that do not have the contest tag attached.
・Works with a privacy level set to “My pixiv” or “Private”.
・Unfinished works (Original Novel category only)
・Works that have been posted after the entry period has ended, or works that have been edited after the entry period has ended (including titles, captions, and outlines). This also includes minor edits to fix typos, etc.
・Works posted by companies or multiple creators.
・Works posted by underage contestants without the consent of a guardian.
・Works that violate pixiv's Terms of Use, Article 14 "Prohibited Conduct".
・Works that have been posted multiple times.
・Works that were requested by a third party, or works created via the pixiv Requests feature (including Request rewards).
・The work is intended to be sold, or is already being sold, has been posted in another contest, or has already won another contest.
・The work violates the Application Guidelines.
・If pixiv Inc. contacts you, and you do not respond in the time given.
・The work is determined by pixiv Inc. to not be suitable as a submitted work.

Please read the Application Guidelines on the contest works page for more details.
We look forward to seeing all your entries!

◆Contest Overview
◆Contest page
◆The pixiv novels Editorial team's Twitter