writing competitions 2022 free

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40 Free Writing Contests: Competitions With Cash Prizes

by Kelly Gurnett | Aug 29, 2023

Have you ever Googled “writing contests”? Many require reading fees or prizes—like seeing your work in print—that you can only receive if you pay for it.

Some legitimate contests charge small entry fees, but often a fee can be a red flag for a scam, so those might be the ones you want to stay away from. 

Besides, there are plenty of free writing contests that encourage and inspire boundless creativity with real cash prizes and career-advancing opportunities! Since it can be hard for a writer to know where to find them, we did the legwork for you.

We found 40 reputable, well-reviewed, free writing contests for poets, fiction writers, essayists and more.

With thousands of dollars in cash prizes and numerous opportunities to secure a publishing contract, you’re sure to find the right free writing contest for your work.

If you don’t mind paying a little money to enter, our friends over at Smart Blogger have rounded up some great writing contests that have small entry fees. And if you’re still hungry for more opportunities, we also have posts on writers grants and writing fellowships .

Table of Contents

Fiction and nonfiction writing contests this year.

Ready to share your novel or personal essay with the world? Whether you’re a newbie or more established writer, you’re likely eligible for a few of these contests.

Here are some fiction and nonfiction writing contests worth considering .

1. L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest

Whatever your feelings about L. Ron Hubbard’s work and philosophy, the prizes for this regular contest are nothing to sneeze at. Every three months, winners earn $1,000, $750 and $500, plus an additional annual grand prize of $5,000.

Submissions must be short stories or novelettes (up to 17,000 words) in the genre of science fiction or fantasy, and new and amateur writers are welcome to apply.

Deadlines: Quarterly on March 31, June 30 and September 30

Website: Writers of the Future

This boutique publishing firm offers cash prizes and promotional packages to winning authors. Submit a novel of 10,000 words or more in any fiction genre (no fanfic or poetry).

Inkitt’s writing contest runs monthly and gives authors the chance to win cash prizes up to $300, exclusive book badges and promotional packages while showcasing their books to Inkitt’s audience of more than 3 million users. Winners are determined by Inkitt’s unique algorithm based on overall reader engagement.

Deadline: See individual contest pages

Website: Inkitt

Disclosure: Inkitt is an advertising partner of The Write Life. We hold our advertisers to high standards and vetted this contest just like others on this list. 

3. Drue Heinz Literature Prize

You can win $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press with this prize, awarded for a collection of short fiction.

You may submit an unpublished manuscript of short stories , two or more novellas or a combination of novellas and short stories. Your total word count should be between 150 and 300 typed pages. You must also have already published a novel or book-length work of fiction “with a reputable publisher,” or no fewer than three short stories or novellas in nationally-recognized journals.

Deadline: Annual submissions must be postmarked between May 1 through June 30

Website: University of Pittsburgh Press

4 . Young Lions Fiction Award

This $10,000 award recognizes “young authors,” which the rules define as any author aged 35 or younger. Submit any novel or collection of short stories published or scheduled to be published in the calendar year. Works must be written for adults; children’s or YA pieces are ineligible.

Deadline: Submissions for this year are open through September 8 at 5pm Eastern Time

Website: New York Public Library

5 . Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prizes

One of the best-loved small presses in the creative writing world, Graywolf Press hosts a variety of contests for both established and up-and-coming writers. Graywolf also offers smaller fiction and nonfiction prizes, with genres rotating by year; 2020 was a nonfiction year, so fiction was up in 2021, then back to nonfiction in 2022, and so on. These awards include a sizable advance— $12,000 in previous years—as well as publication with Graywolf.

Deadline: Contest is held annually with rotating genres. The contest next opens for submissions in February 2024

Website: Graywolf Press

6 . The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans

Hosted by the prestigious Iowa Review, the Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award is offered to U.S. military veterans and active-duty members writing in any genre about any subject. Manuscripts of up to 20 pages will be accepted, and the first-prize winner will receive $1,000 and publication in the Review. A second place prize of $750 is also available, as well as three runner-up prizes of $500 each.

Deadline: Biennially. The next contest will be held in May 2024

Website: The Iowa Review

7 . Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

For 15 years, this contest has provided visibility for emerging African American fiction writers and enables them to focus on their writing by awarding a $15,000 cash prize. Eligible authors should submit a work of fiction, such as a novel or short story collection, published in the calendar year. (Galleys for publication within the year are also accepted.)

Deadline: Annually. The entry window closes on December 31

Website: The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

8. PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

Honoring the best work of fiction published by an American author in a single calendar year, this award has been given to the likes of John Updike, Philip Roth and Ann Patchett. Novels, novellas and collections of short stories are all eligible.

The winner receives a hefty cash prize—up to $15,000 in the past—and an invitation to read at the award ceremony in Washington, D.C. Plus, there are no submission fees or application forms to deal with; just send a PDF of each book (as many as you’d like) to [email protected] .

Deadline: S ubmissions will be accepted from July 1 to September 30

Website: Pen/Faulkner

9 . PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers

This contest requires you to have already published a short story in a literary magazine or journal or cultural website. But if you’ve made your debut (but gone no further), you may be eligible for the generous cash prize of $2,000, which is annually awarded to 12 emerging writers, whose works are then published together in an anthology.

Short stories of up to 12,000 words are eligible and must be published in the calendar year preceding the year in which the award is given. Additionally, keep this in mind: Submissions are only eligible if submitted by an editor. Authors may not submit their own work.

Deadline: Submissions close November 1

Website: PEN America

10. Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

Fiction and nonfiction writers who have recently published a book that “contribute[s] to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity” are eligible for this award, which offers $10,000 cash as well as media and publicity opportunities. Plus, winners receive their prize at a ceremony in Cleveland.

Submissions must be published in the prior year (so books published last year are eligible for the award this year).

Deadline: Annual submission window is September 1 through December 31

Website: Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

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11. Marfield Prize (aka National Award for Arts Writing)

Presented by the Arts Club of Washington, this award seeks to honor nonfiction books that deal with the “visual, literary, media, or performing arts.” The prize is $10,000 and may be awarded to works of criticism, art history, memoirs and biographies, and essays.

Deadline: Annually in the last quarter of the year. The submission window in 2023 is October 15

Website: The Marfield Prize

1 2 . W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction

If you’re a war buff, this competition is for you. It awards $5,000—and a 24-karat-gold-framed citation of achievement—to the best piece of fiction set during a period when the U.S. was at war (war may either be the main plot of the piece or simply provide the setting). Submissions may be adult or YA novels.

Deadline: Annually on December 31

Website: American Library Association

13. Friends of American Writers Chicago Awards

FAW presents two annual awards: an Adult Literature Award for literary fiction or nonfiction, and a  Young People’s Literature Award for a children’s/YA book.

Authors must reside in the state of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin—or they must set their book in one of those locations. Prize amounts vary from year to year, but you don’t have to bother with an application and all winners are celebrated at the organization’s May luncheon.

Deadline: Annually in December

Website: Friends of American Writers Chicago

14. Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Contest

Hektoen International, an online journal dedicated to medical humanities, offers two prizes annually for essays of no more than 1,500 words: $5,000 is awarded to the winner and $2,500 to the first runner-up. Eligible topics are broad so long as they have a relation to medicine, and many include art, history, literature, education and more.

Deadline: Annually; September 15 is usually the deadline

Website: Hektoen International

15. Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest

There’s no denying it: social media is a huge part of our modern-day lives. It’s easy to get used to limiting our communications to 280-character and emoji-strewn snippets, which is why this marketing firm is hosting an essay writing contest to “remind people of the benefits of writing.”

Essays of up to 5,000 characters (roughly 1,000 words) will be accepted, and right now they’re looking for stories of COVID-19 quarantine life. The grand prize winner will receive $300, and five runners-up will be awarded $100 each.

The contest is free to enter, but you’ll need to register for a Biopage account to be eligible.

Deadline: The current contest ends January 31, 2024

Website: Biopage

16. St. Martin’s Minotaur / Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition

Writers 18 and older who have never had a novel published (in any genre) are eligible for this prize, awarded to an original book-length manuscript where “murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story.” The winner receives a publication contract with Minotaur Books and an advance of $10,000 against future royalties.

Deadline: December 17 each yea r 

Website: Edgar Awards

17. ServiceScape Short Story Award

ServiceScape, a platform matching freelance writers, editors and graphic designers with clients (i.e. a great place to look for paid writing work !) offers a yearly Short Story Award of $1,000 to a winning fiction or nonfiction work of 5,000 words or fewer. The winner will also have their story featured on the ServiceScape blog, which sees thousands of readers each month.

Deadline: November 29 each year

Website: ServiceScape

18 . Stowe Prize

This biennial prize of $10,000 honors an American author whose adult fiction or nonfiction work has had an impact on a critical social justice issue (as did Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin ). The book must be written by a U.S. author and have been published in the United States during the previous three calendar years.

Deadline: Contact the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center for this year’s deadline .

Website: Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

19 . The Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction essays of no more than 5,000 words on any subject are eligible for consideration for this award, whose winner receives $250 and publication in Lunch Ticket , the literary and art journal produced by the MFA community of Antioch University Los Angeles.

Works must not have been published elsewhere. Award winners are required to submit a 100-word biography, recent photo and a short note thanking the Woods family for their generosity and support.

Deadlines: Biannual reading periods are in February for the Summer/Fall issue and in August for the Winter/Spring issue

Website: Lunch Ticket

20 . The 2023 Brandon Langhjelm Memorial Essay Contest

Each year, this Canadian organization offers three prizes, ranging from $500 to $1,500, to the essay with the most thoughtful, well-reasoned arguments around a specific human-rights theme. (For example, 2022’s prompt was, “ Canadian governments are making Digital ID technologies a precondition of access to essential services and goods. What can Canadians do to protect their Charter rights and freedoms against the dangers of these technologies? ”

The contest is open to Canadian college and university students, and essays should be 2,500 words or less in length.

Deadline: November 5

Website: Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms

21. Write the World

For young writers ages 13-18, these cool contests also serve as mini workshops. Recognizing that “a first draft is never perfect,” submissions actually receive peer review by authors, writing teachers and other experts and writers are given the chance to revise their pieces based on this feedback before submitting them for final prize consideration.

Contests vary each month, but there’s a $100 prize for the winner and $50 for the runner-up (plus $50 for the best peer-reviewer). All three are featured on Write the World’s blog alongside comments from a guest judge. And since each month’s prompt is from a different genre, developing writers get a chance to test out different styles.

Deadline: Monthly

Website: Write the World

Stuck with writer’s block and looking for a way to jumpstart your escape? Prose offers weekly challenges meant to spark your creativity; many are just for fun, but look for the weekly numbered challenges posted by Prose (rather than community members or sponsors) for a chance to win money.

Prizes are typically between $100 to $200 and word counts are low—some as low as under 150, some as high as 500. So even if all you get from the prompt is a chance to flex your brain, it’s not a bad deal.

Deadline: Weekly and monthly

Website: Prose.

23. The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing

First-generation immigrants have a chance to win $10,000 and publication by Restless Books for telling their stories (real or imagined). The contest alternates annually between fiction (novel or short story collection) and nonfiction (memoir, essay collection, narrative nonfiction). In 2021, it went to a work of nonfiction of at least 25,000 words; 2022 will be fiction.

Deadline: Submission window is usually between December and March

Website: Restless Books

24. AFSA National High School Essay Contest

The U.S. Institute of Peace and the American Foreign Service Association sponsor this annual high school essay contest, where the winner receives a $2,500 cash prize, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., and a full-tuition paid voyage with Semester at Sea upon the student’s enrollment at an accredited university. Essays should be between 1,000 and 1,250 words and have to answer all aspects of the prompt as well as demonstrate an understanding of the Foreign Service.

Runners-up get a pretty sweet deal too, a $1,250 cash prize and a full scholarship to participate in the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

Deadline : April each year

Website: American Foreign Service Association

25. Science-me a Story

Born in 2018, the Society of Spanish Researchers invites talented and original writers to write a 100-word blurb for a hypothetical novel. This might sound really easy, but your blurb has to quickly hook readers and make them want to read more. Open to anyone over 18 anywhere in the world, your real or fictional short story for this competition must be either in English or Spanish and “conceived from the objective of scientific dissemination to primary school” to qualify for the cash prizes: £150, £100 and £50. 

Website: Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom

26. VCU Cabell First Novelist Award

Virginia Commonwealth University sponsors this award that honors an outstanding debut novel published in the preceding calendar year. While you may have published previous books in a different form, the submission must be your first published book marketed as a novel.

The award is a $5,000 cash prize, and the winning author must agree to attend the award event, usually scheduled for November.

Deadline : Annually; the submission window runs from July 1 through December 30

Website: Virginia Commonwealth University

27. Daisy Utemorrah Award

The Daisy Utemorrah Award is for an unpublished manuscript of junior or YA fiction written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples currently living in Australia. Generously supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and the State Government of Western Australia, the winner of the award receives $15,000 and a publishing contract with Magabala Books.

Deadline : Submission window usually opens at the beginning of each year

Website: Magabala Books

28 . Short Fiction Prize

If you’re an undergrad at a college in the U.S. or Canada, this writing competition is for you. (Traditionally, this contest has encouraged applicants with an Asian background, but anyone is invited to apply.) Submissions should be no more than 7,500 words.

One winner will get a $1,000 prize as well as a scholarship to the next Southampton Writers Conference .

Deadline : Submission window is usually between March 1- July 14

Website: Stony Brook University | Lichtenstein Center

29. Bacopa Literary Review Contest

The Bacopa Literary Review is an international journal published by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. Each year, it opens submissions for pieces in four genres: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and prose poetry. Find detailed guidelines for each genre on its website. First place gets $300, and the second prize in each of the four genres gets $100.

Deadline: May 30 each year

Website: Writers Alliance of Gainesville

30. Insecure Writer’s Support Group Annual Anthology Contest

As long as you stick to the guidelines, The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s annual contest welcomes your 5,000- to 6,000-word (previously unpublished) creative story. But before you send it off, make sure your story is polished and formatted! Plus, the prizes aren’t too shabby—winning stories will be edited and published, authors will receive royalties, and the top story will even get to give the anthology its title. 

Deadlines: September 1 each year

Website: Insecure Writer’s Support Group

31. Ultimate Meal Plans Nutrition Scholarship

College students studying nutrition, kinesiology or exercise-science fields: you’re going to be all over this one. Twice per year, the Ultimate Paleo Guide (aka the best paleo resource on the internet) awards $500 scholarships to two deserving students who meet all eligibility requirements—as well as write an 800-word essay about why you chose your field, an impact you’d like to make in your career, a challenge you’ve faced and more.

Deadlines: January 30 (awards in March) and July 31 (awards in September)

Website: Ultimate Meal Plans

32. New Voices Award

Presented by Lee & Low Books, an award-winning children’s book publisher, this award is given for a previously unpublished children’s picture book manuscript of no more than 1,500 words written by a writer of color or Indigenous/Native writers who’s a resident of the U.S.

The winner receives $2,000 cash and a standard publication contract, and an additional Honor Award winner will receive a cash prize of $1,000. You may submit up to two manuscripts.

Deadline: The contest is on hiatus for 2023, check the website for a follow-up announcement in 2024. 

Website: Lee & Low Books

33. St. Francis College Literary Prize

Since 2009, this biennial literary award has honored mid-career writers who have recently published their third, fourth or fifth work of fiction. The winner receives $50,000 and may be invited to the St. Francis College campus in Brooklyn, New York, to deliver a talk about their work or teach a mini fiction workshop to St. Francis students.

Deadline: Biennially. The contest was not offered the last three years due to the pandemic and limited campus access

Website: St. Francis College

Poetry contests this year

Curious about opportunities for poets? Your stanzas—rhyming or not—could be worth a fair amount of money in these poetry competitions.

Check out these poetry writing contests.

34. Black Voices in Children’s Literature Writing Contest

This contest is open to Black writers who are over the age of 18 and residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin.  It’s hosted by Strive Publishing and Free Spirit Publishing and seeks to fill the need for Black representation in children’s and young adult books. Original board and picture books for children aged 0-4 and picture books for ages 4-8 are eligible, provided they feature contemporary, realistic Black characters and culture and focus on character development, self esteem, community and other aspects of positive childhood development.

Three prizes, ranging from $250 to $1,000, will be awarded, and the first-place winner will be “seriously considered” for publication, though it’s not guaranteed.

Deadline: Usually late July, each year

Website: Free Spirit Publishing  

35. James Laughlin Award

If you’re already a published poet, this is the award for you; it’s given for a second book of poetry due to come out in the forthcoming year. The winner receives $5,000 and an all-expenses-paid week-long residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. In addition, copies of the winning book are distributed to 1,000 members of the Academy of American Poets.

Deadline: Annual submission window is January 1 through May 15

Website: Academy of American Poets

36. African Poetry Book Fund Prizes

The APBF awards three prizes annually for African Poetry. The Luschei Prize for African Poetry gives $1,000 for a book of original African poetry published in the prior year.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets gives $1,000 and a publication contract for a book-length collection of poetry by an as-yet-unpublished African author.

The Brunel International African Poetry Prize is a new prize that grants £3,000 to a poet who was born in Africa, or has African parents, who has not yet had a full-length book of poetry published. (U.S. citizens qualify.) To submit, you’ll need 10 poems.

Deadlines: See individual prize pages

Website: African Poetry Book Fund

37. Tufts Poetry Awards

Claremont Graduate University presents two awards each year to poets they deem to be “outstanding.” The Kate Tufts Poetry Award grants $10,000 for a published first book of poetry that shows promise.

The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award grants a mammoth $100,000 for a published book of poetry by an established or mid-career poet.

Deadline: Submission window is July 1 to June 30 each year

Website: Claremont Graduate University

38. Graywolf Press Walt Whitman Award 

The Walt Whitman Award is a $5,000 prize awarded, along with publication, to an American poet with a winning first book manuscript. He or she also receives an all-expenses-paid six-week residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbria, Italy.

Graywolf Press is also one of the publishers of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize , “a first book award dedicated to the discovery of exceptional manuscripts by Black poets.” Winners receive $1,000 and Graywolf publishes every third winner of the prize.

Deadline : July 1 to September 1 each year

Website: Poets

39. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Now in its 23rd year, this humor contest wants your best published or unpublished work for a grand prize of $2,000; runners-up are awarded $500 and 10 honorable mentions will receive $100 each. Writers of all ages from eligible countries can submit an original, humorous poem with 250 lines or less, and it must be in English.

Deadline : April 1, each year (and no, this isn’t an April Fools joke)

Website: Winning Writers

40. The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

This writing competition is looking for the best piece of unpublished, themed writing. For example, one year, the theme was “Untamed: On Wilderness and Civilization.” Submissions may be prose, poetry or non-academic essays. Maximum word count is 2,500, and this is open to all nationalities and to anyone 18 or older. The winner gets a £10,000 cash prize, second place gets £3,000 and third place gets £2,000.

Deadline : Applications open at the beginning of each year. Follow the Alpine Fellowship on Instagram for updates

Website: The Alpine Fellowship

Where to find more legitimate, free writing contests

Looking for more opportunities to submit your work? Here are a few great sites to keep an eye on for writing contests.

Winning Writers

A number of the contests found on our list came highly recommended by this site, which compiles some of the best free literary contests out there. Along with a wide range of recommended contests for writers of all stripes, Winning Writers also lists some contests and services to avoid , which is just as useful!

They also offer a handful of contests themselves , including the North Street Book Prize.

Poets & Writers

Another fantastic source for legitimate writing contests we consulted when compiling this list, Poets & Writers vets competitions, contests, awards and grants to make sure they’re following legitimate practices and policies. It’s worth checking out regularly as it features both annual and one-time contests.

This listing contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life—and we thank you for that!

The original version of this story was written by Kelly Gurnett . We updated the post so it’s more useful for our readers. 

Photo via Viktoriia Hnatiuk / Shutterstock

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The Best Writing Contests of 2023

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

• Children's

Flash Fiction

• Non-fiction
• Science Fiction
• Science Writing
• Script Writing
• Short Story
• Young Adult

Manage a competition? Submit it here

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Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.

Showing 643 contests

The reedsy prompts contest.

Every Friday, Reedsy sends out five writing prompts. Enter your response within a week for a chance at $250. Winners may also be included in a future issue of Reedsy’s literary magazine, Prompted.

Additional prizes

$25 credit toward Reedsy editorial services

Entry requirements

Deadline: December 31, 2023

Fiction, Short Story

Poems on the Move

Guernsey International Poetry Competition

Open to poets worldwide, the competition is divided into three classes, Open (which carries a first prize of £1000), Channel Islands (£250) and Young Poet (£250). Entries must be no longer than 14 lines and must fit on a single A4 page. There will be prizes for first, second and third in each class and these poems and another 12 will be part of the Poems on the Move display, at Guernsey Airport and other island sites as well as on Guernsey buses.

2nd: £500 | 3rd: £250

Deadline: January 15, 2024

Honest Holiday Haiku

Gotham Writers Workshop

The holidays are a time of glad tidings and good cheer and, if we're honest, some not-so-glad tidings as well. In the spirit of Scrooge, Santa, and everything in between, we invite you to write your most honest holiday haiku. A reminder: a haiku consists of 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, and 5 in the third line.

Free class from Gotham Writers Workshop

Publication on website

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: February 29, 2024

First Chapter + Synopsis Competition

Fiction Factory

Why not enter the Fiction Factory First Chapter Competition? Send us your first chapter + a 1 page synopsis (if your first chapter is more than 5000 words, send it with the 5000 word point clearly marked). First Prize: £500 + an appraisal and a reading by a top London Literary Agent. All short-listed entrants will receive a free appraisal. Appraisals: For an extra fee, £20, we will write a comprehensive appraisal of your chapter. Results will be published in July, 2024

A reading by a top London Literary Agent plus publication

Fiction, Novel

Heroica Poetry Prize

Heroica is delighted to announce the launch of our new Poetry Prize. Heroica is a global storytelling platform dedicated to sharing stories about all aspects of gender oppression. Stories that are real, inspiring, challenging and relatable. Your story matters.

2nd: £50 | 3rd: £25 | Publication in anthology

Elegant Literature's Award For New Writers

Elegant Literature

One of the largest awards open to unpublished writers, and the only one closed to professionals. We are the first magazine to pay pro rates and only accept submissions from new writers, putting over $100k into the hands of emerging talent around the globe. One new writer receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors professional rates, and publish them in our magazine. December's guest judge is award-winning author Lindz McLeod.

Paid publication, 25 x $20 USD | Free entry to Novelist Accelerator | Now Novel Package

Deadline: January 01, 2024

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult, Flash Fiction, Science Writing

Coming Home

Oprelle Publications

What does home look like to you? Is it an old farmhouse, a certain person, a childhood bedroom, a river you run to? Think about when you feel most rooted. Where in that world that you feel most at peace, most yourself? A home doesn’t have to be a building with four walls. It can be a state of being. Write a poem that takes us there with you. This Holiday 2023 “COMING HOME” Contest is 15.00 to Enter. All submissions must be received by December 15th, 2023.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50 | Publication in anthology

Deadline: December 15, 2023

Universe of Threats Natural Disaster Writing Contest

CAPTRS is building a catalog of threats, called the “Universe of Threats,” which will be used to prepare decision makers for future threats. We invite you to submit a 2,500 word or less story describing a threat scenario related to natural disasters, including floods, wildfires, hurricanes or another natural disaster of your choosing.

2nd: $2,500 | 3rd: $1,000 | Publication on CAPTRS website

Deadline: January 31, 2024

Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story

Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest

Bluegrass Writers Coalition

The Kentucky Visions Short Story Contest, an annual contest designed to highlight Kentucky’s rich literary talent and to celebrate the best in short fiction written by Kentuckians or about our beloved Bluegrass State.

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $100 | Publication in anthology

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story

Fiction Factory Flash Fiction

This is an international competition - we welcome entries from around the world. Maximum Word count: 1000. Stories may be on any theme. Entries must be previously unpublished. The deadline is 31st January, 2024 and results will be be announced by April 2024. Discounts for multiple entries - see website for details. Minimum age: 16 years. Children's and YA cannot be accepted sadly Each entry will receive acknowledgement and all contestants will be informed of results.

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Crime, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller

FFF Competition 19

Free Flash Fiction

The Bi-monthly Free Flash Fiction Competition promotes the work of flash fiction authors. The winner of the current competition will be invited to be the judge for the next competition. Submit a flash fiction piece between 100 and 300 words, on any theme.

2x Highly Recommended £30.00 | 2x Shortlisted £20

Deadline: December 23, 2023

Witcraft Monthly Humour Competition

Send us your skillfully written stories that are brief, humorous and engaging, with the emphasis on wit, word play, absurdity and inspired nonsense. Whether your story is designed to raise a smile or a belly laugh, we want stories that are a refuge from the relentless barrage of negativity, angst, war and climate catastrophe that dominates the web.

2nd: AUD $20 | 3rd: AUD $10

Flash Fiction, Humor

International Essay Competition 2023/24

Avernus Education

Welcome to our prestigious International Essay Competition. At Avernus Education, we are thrilled to provide a platform for young minds to showcase their prowess in Medicine, Engineering, Law, Economics, Psychology, History and Politics. These varied subject categories underscore the importance of interdisciplinary study, a crucial foundation for future leaders in our increasingly interconnected world. Winners receive an exclusive Avernus Education Scholarship worth over £5000 - granting them free entrance to our exclusive summer camp at Oxford University! Outstanding Runners Up receive 5 hours worth of Credits for Avernus Education courses, conferences and tutoring services.

100% Scholarship Award to our Oxford University Summer Programme (worth £5995)

Partial scholarship

Deadline: February 19, 2024

The Summit Series Fiction Book Contest

Summit Series of CMICH Press

Are you or have you ever been a resident of Michigan? Do you have a fiction book manuscript searching for a home? If so, please submit your work to the first annual Summit Series book contest of CMICH Press! This year’s focus is Michigan writers, and the winner will be published by the press in 2024. The deadline is January 1, 2024. Please see our website for more details. We look forward to reading your work.

Book publication

The Letter Review Prize for Reprints

Letter Review

We're seeking Stories, Poems, and works of Nonfiction which have been previously published, and are not currently available to read online. Far too often excellent writing experiences a brief moment in the sun, and disappears for good (either out of print, behind a paywall, or to sit on a dusty shelf). As part of The Letter Review's committment to open access, we are here to celebrate these works, and give them a second chance by republishing them online, hopefully assisting them to shine forever.

$1000 (shared by 3 winners)

Publication

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story

Letter Review Prize for Manuscripts

The Letter Review Prize for Manuscripts (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction) is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Three Winners are awarded and have extracts published. 20 entries are Longlisted. Winners receive letter of recommendation for publishers.

Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction (0 - 5000 words) is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Accepting most forms of Nonfiction. Three winners are published and every entry is considered for publication. 20 entries are longlisted.

Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Humor

Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction

The Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction (0 - 5000 words) is open to writers from anywhere in the world and has no theme or genre restrictions. Three Winners are published and every entry is considered for publication. 20 entries are longlisted.

Flash Fiction, Short Story, Fiction

The Letter Review Prize for Poetry

The Letter Review Prize for Poetry (up to 70 lines) is open to writers from anywhere in the world and has no theme or style restrictions. Three winners are published and every entry is considered for publication. 20 entries are longlisted.

Letter Review Prize for Short Stories

The Letter Review Prize for Short Stories (1000-3000 words) is open to writers from anywhere in the world and has no theme or genre restrictions. Winners are published and every entry is considered for publication. 20 entries are Longlisted.

$1000 prize pool

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

Oxford Flash Fiction Prize 2024

Oxford Flash Fiction

Write yourself into history and become one of the greats with the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize. For centuries, the greats have come to Oxford to ink masterpieces. Now, in one of the oldest towns, where the history of the English language can be traced back to its ancient streets, we are celebrating one of the newest forms in literature – flash fiction.

2nd Prize: £200 | 3rd Prize: £100 | New Voice Prize: £200

Flash Fiction, Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Quantum Shorts

Centre for Quantum Technologies

Complexity and uncertainty are part and parcel of the quantum world. Plot a tale inspired by quantum physics to enter the Quantum Shorts flash fiction competition. Entries must include the phrase “nobody said this was going to be easy” and be no longer than 1000 words. Enter by the deadline for a chance to win prizes!

Certificate and engraved trophy

Deadline: January 08, 2024

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller

LGBTQIA+ Literary Success Grants

Georgia Writers Association

The LGBTQIA+ Literary Success Grant will be awarded annually in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and screenwriting. The purpose of the grants is to elevate, encourage, and inspire the voices of young queer writers in Georgia.

Scholarship to the annual Red Clay Writers Conference

Deadline: January 12, 2024

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing

Trio Award for First or Second Book

Trio House Press

The Trio Award for First or Second Book includes $1,000, publication, and twenty books. The Trio Award for First or Second Book is only open to poets with less than two books published.

Deadline: April 30, 2023 (Expired)

The Pinch Literary Awards & Page Prize

The Pinch Literary Journal

The 2023 Pinch Literary Awards accepts poetry and fiction. The 2023 Page Prize accepts non-fiction.

$2000 for poetry & fiction winners

$1000 for Page Prize winner

Deadline: March 31, 2023 (Expired)

Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Non-fiction

NOWW 25th International Writing Contest

Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)

A Canadian contest with an international flair. As part of our 25th anniversary celebration, we have increased the prize total to $1800 over six major categories: poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, crime fiction, literary critical writing, and The Bill MacDonald prize for prose (A Northwestern Ontario setting must be central to the work).

Publication in NOWW magazine

Deadline: February 28, 2023 (Expired)

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Stories Out of School

The Academy for Teachers

A flash fiction contest sponsored by The Academy for Teachers and Electric Literature. The story’s protagonist, or its narrator, must be a K-12 teacher.

Deadline: September 01, 2021 (Expired)

The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition 2024

Swansea University’s Cultural Institute

The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition recognises the very best unpublished short stories in English in any style and on any subject up to a maximum of 5,000 words by writers in / from Wales. Entrants must have been born in Wales, lived in Wales for 2 years or more, or currently be living in Wales.

Publication in short story anthology | 11x Runners Up: £100 and publication in short story anthology

Deadline: February 15, 2024

The Elmbridge Literary Competition 2023-24

The R C Sherriff Trust

"Reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving." - William Shakespeare For some, it is a lifetime’s pursuit, often slipping through their grasp while others see it fall into their hands by mere chance. However achieved, through talent or luck, Fame can be an ill-fated prize. The 19th Elmbridge Literary Competition, run in partnership by The R C Sherriff Trust and Elmbridge Borough Council, is looking for short stories and poems on the theme of the double-edged sword that is ‘FAME’.

Published chapbook

Deadline: February 23, 2024

Fiction, Poetry, Short Story

Literary and Photographic Contest 2023-2024

Hispanic Culture Review

As we move forward we carry our culture wherever we go. It keeps us alive. This is why we propose the theme to be “¡Hacia delante!”. A phrase that means to move forward. This year we ask that you think about the following questions: What keeps you moving forward? What do you carry with you going into the future? How do you celebrate your successes, your dreams, and your culture?

Publication in magazine

Deadline: February 07, 2024

Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry

True Love on Tapas

Tapas Entertainment

Get ready to ignite your passion for storytelling! Tapas is thrilled to announce our first novel contest for romance writers: The True Love Webnovel Contest. Up for grabs: $150,000 in minimum guarantees for 15 winners!

Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

ReadWrite Strategies Funny Workplace Anthology Contest

ReadWrite Strategies

Please submit funny, creative nonfiction stories 300-1200 words in length, set in or relating to work. If it makes us laugh, it works. No entry fee and submit as many times as you want before December 18th deadline. Prizes are: $500 and a print copy of the book for first place, $200 and a print copy for second place, and $100 and a print copy for 3rd, 4th, and 5th places. All featured stories will receive a digital copy of the book on publication. The best submissions will be featured in an anthology of funny workplace stories.

2nd: 200 and print copy | 3rd, 4th, & 5th: $100 and print copy

Deadline: December 18, 2023

Humor, Non-fiction

Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction

Not Quite Write Podcast

A flash fiction competition with a twist! Entrants will be given two writing prompts and one "anti-prompt" and will have 60 hours to write and submit a 500-word piece of flash fiction. Open to all ages and abilities.

Publication on podcast and website

Deadline: January 21, 2024

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems).

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, Short Story

Clash of the Query Letters

Darling Axe Editing

Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: does this query letter convince me that I'm in the hands of an adept novelist with a unique and engaging story to tell?

CAD $200 for 2nd place, $100 for 3rd place

Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Discover the finest writing contests of 2023 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2023 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2023

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

How to Write a Novel in 15 Steps

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

Story Title Generator

Pen Name Generator

Character Name Generator

After you submit to a writing competition in 2023

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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2022 Writing Contests – When, How and Why to Enter

• on Nov 01, 2021
• in Writing Tips
• Last update: December 27th, 2022
• at 11:14 am

Note: Be sure to check out 2023 writing contests !

Who doesn’t love a good writing contest? The thrill of winning is always incomparable! Nothing pumps up a writer’s adrenaline and makes him up his game like competing with other greatest writers. Whether you have a passion for horror, science fiction, or even tragedy, proving yourself amongst your peers will help you get ahead in the writing field.

If you’re up for the challenge, we’ve gathered some of the best writing contests happening in 2022 to help you find the right one for you.

The 2021 Exeter Novel Prize

Eligibility & Restrictions

To apply, submit a 10,000 word novel in English. The novel can’t have been published by a traditional publishing house. Anyone above 18 can enter. All genres excluding children’s, but including Young Adult and New Adult, are acceptable.

Mississippi Review Contest

The contest is open to all writers in English except current or former students or employees of The University of Southern Mississippi. Fiction and non-fiction entries should be 1000-8000 words; poetry entries should be three to five poems totaling ten pages or less.

The Hunger Winter Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. You may submit up to 3 poems; please include them all in the same file. Multiple submissions are allowed with a separate entry fee for each submission.

The Tony Hillerman Prize For Best First Mystery Set In the Southwest

Anyone above 18 and is a resident of one of the US, the District of Columbia or Canada can enter. Entries must be unpublished, publication on an entrant’s website of a single one-chapter excerpt from a work is eligible. The Manuscript must be written in English and must be approximately 60,000 words or 220 pages. The theme is murder or another serious crime and should focus on the solving of the crime(s) rather than the details of such crime(s).

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) can apply. Critical essay: 500-3,000 words. Dramatic Script: 500-3,000 word. Flash Fiction: 1,000 words. Humor: 500-3,000 words. Journalism: 500-3,000 words. Novel Writing: Up to 3,000 words. Personal Essay & Memoir: 500-3,000 words. Poetry: 20–200 lines. Science Fiction & Fantasy: 500-3,000 words. Short Story: 500-3,000 words. Deadlines vary between December 2021 and January 2022, depending on your region.

Mississippi Review Prize

Submit three to five poems totaling up to 10 pages or a short story or essay of 1,000 to 8,000 words,

NCH Essay Competition

The NCH London Essay Competition is open to students who are currently in their penultimate (second to last) year of secondary education (Year 12 in England) and who are interested in studying humanities or social sciences at university. Pupils can submit up to 1,500 words, choosing from a range of set essay titles that span a broad range of topics including humanities, philosophy, social issues, the law and creative writing.

Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award

Anyone can enter. Minimum 3 pages; maximum 10 pages. You can only submit one entry. Submission must be previously unpublished material. Students currently enrolled at San Francisco State University are ineligible.

James Knudsen Prize for Fiction

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be original, previously unpublished work of fiction, no longer than 7500 words. UNO students and alumni are ineligible. All current and former Bayou staff, previous contest winners, and current or former students of the judge are ineligible to submit.

Kay Murphy Prize for Poetry

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be original, previously unpublished poetry. You may enter up to three poems per entry. UNO students and alumni are ineligible to submit. Previous contest winners, along with current or former students of the judge are also ineligible to submit.

Korean Spirit and Culture

Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project is hosting its first National Essay Contest in the United Kingdom. The Essay Contest is open to students in two groups: Group A (Years 6 – 9) and Group B (Years 10-13). Choose from one of two topics based on the book ‘Chung Hyo Ye’.

North Carolina Writers’ Network

Submit a short story or essay of up to 3,000 words

San José State University Steinbeck Fellowships in Creative Writing

Anyone can enter. Residency in the San Francisco Bay Area is required during the academic year. Submit a writing sample up to 25, a project proposal for work to be written, a résumé, and three letters of recommendation.

Fan Story 80 Word Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. The submitted work must be between 78 – 82 words.

Gemini Magazine Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Entries Must Be Unpublished, Poems on Personal Blogs Are Eligible,

Gemini Magazine Poetry Open

Submit up to three poems of any length with an $8 entry fee

Fan Story 20 Syllable Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has exactly 20 syllables. Any format.

2022 Book Prize (unleash press)

All submissions must be in English. The minimum length of a manuscript is 30,000 words. Genres accepted include fiction and creative nonfiction. Author must have full rights to reprint entries

The Henshaw Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Entries must be fictional short stories of up to 2000 words on any theme. All entries must be the original work of the author, must not have been published before the date of submission.

National Youth Foundation

Each entry must incorporate the theme of Local Heroines. From the time of submission, entries become the property of the National Youth Foundation and will not be returned. All students must be in grades K to 8 and live in the United States. Each book must be between 20 and 30 pages. The cover, dedication and back pages do not count towards this number

Nova Writes Competition

Entry must be a work of short fiction or an excerpt from a longer work of fiction (up to a maximum of 3,000 words) and may be in any genre (historical fiction, literary fiction, mystery, romance, speculative fiction, or otherwise). You must be 16 years of age or older.

Fan Story 3-6-9 Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. This poem has three stanzas. The subject can be anything.

Song Writing Competition 2022

Bethesda essay contest.

Residents of Montgomery County, MD and Upper NW Washington, D.C. (20015 and 20016 ZIP codes) are eligible. The contest will take entries in two categories: High School (grades 9-12) and Adult (ages 18+). Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer’s choosing. Only one entry per person. Stories must be limited to 4,000 words or less.

The Mogford Prize for Food and Drink Writing

Anyone above 18 can enter. The English short story should have a maximum of 2,500 words. Entries must never have been published, self-published, broadcast or published on any website, blog or online forum. Entries must be the sole work of the entrant.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Any United States high school students in grades 9-12 may apply. Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917. Length: 1,000 words max with a minimum of 700. Past winners and finalists, employees of John Hancock Financial Services and members of their families are not eligible to participate.

Magma Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems may be on any subject, and must be in English and your own original work. They must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, broadcast, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time. Length: 11–50 lines.

The Royal Society of Literature Encore Award

The Award is open for any published second novel, which must be a full-length work of fiction. The writer must have been resident in the United Kingdom (UK) or the Republic of Ireland (RoI) for the past three years. Novellas or children’s books are ineligible. Books published with vanity publishers are not eligible.

Law Day Contest

Writing – Grades 1st through 12th: Students will respond to a prompt based on their grade level provided below or may submit an essay based on a prompt relating to the Law Day theme. Each prompt provided has been tailored to align with the Oklahoma State Department of Education social studies standards. Poetry and creative writing entries will also be accepted as part of the writing contest. There is no word-count minimum or maximum requirement.

Rattle Chapbook Prize

Anyone can enter. Each poet may submit 15–30 pages of poems in English only (no translations).Individual poems may be previously published in any format, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished as a collection.

Driftwood Press Short Story Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be between 1,000-5,000 words. The work must not have been previously published. Submit works written in English only, no translations.

Driftwood Press Poem Contest

Submitters may send up to five poems in a single document for consideration. Each poem must not exceed sixty lines. Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual element are all welcome. Any submissions should be written primarily in English.

Rose Post Creative non-fiction Contest

The competition is open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. Theme: Lasting non-fiction that is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism. Each entry must be an original and previously unpublished manuscript of no more than 2,000 words.

William Matthews Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Submit 3 poems in a single file, any style, any subject, any length. Previously published work and translations are not eligible. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but notify us immediately if a poem is accepted for publication elsewhere.

Desert Writers Award

Anyone can enter. Length: no more than 10 pages, double spaced with 1-inch margins. You may submit published, unpublished, or work in progress but it must be an original work.

Heron Tree Volume 8

Anyone can enter. Poems that have previously appeared online (temporarily or permanently, on your own or a third-party site) should not be submitted, nor should work that has already been published electronically or in print. Simultaneous submissions are welcome with timely notification of acceptance elsewhere.

Storytellers of Tomorrow

we’re inviting all high-school-age students to submit unpublished, original English-language stories of up to 2,000 words in length for the 7th Annual “Storytellers of Tomorrow” Contest. The sole criterion for earning prizes in this contest is simply overall quality, meaning that well-edited, engaging, and evocative stories have the best chance of winning over the judges.

Border Crossing Contest

Fiction: No longer than 5000 words, with title and page number on each page after the first. NonFiction: No longer than 5000 words, with title and page number on each page after the first. Poetry: submit 3-5 poems in one file up to 10 pages; do not submit poems separately. Please note that you may only submit one file per reading period; multiple submissions will not be considered.

Novella-in-Flash Award

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original, unpublished previously, not have won a prize, and written in English between 6,000 and 18,000 words long.

Emma Howell Rising Poet Prize

Poets 35 or younger who have not previously published a book-length poetry manuscript are eligible. Poets who have previously published chapbooks are welcome to enter. Submissions must be original, book-length poetry manuscripts (minimum of 48 pages) written in English. There is no maximum page count. Translations are not accepted. One manuscript per submission.

The Bournemouth Writing Prize

Anyone above 16 can enter. Short Story length: Up to 3000 words maximum. It can be about any topic and in any style. Poetry length: Up to 42 lines. We are looking for poetry that is fresh and unexpected. All entries should be in English and be accompanied by a short (75 word) biography of the author and postal address. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition.

great weather

One prose/creative nonfiction piece, two if both under 500 words. Maximum word count: 2,500. Please include the word count on the first page.

Calibre Essay Prize

Anyone can enter except ABR staff and board members. Essay length: 2,000 to 5,000 words, written in English. Exclusivity is essential for longlisted essays.

Past Search Prize for Non-Fiction

Anyone can enter. Maximum 1,000 ~ 1,500 words.

North American Book Award

Anyone can enter. The book of poetry submitted must be the work of a single author, at least 64 pages long, and published in 2020 by an established press. Manuscripts, videos, CDs, chapbooks, and self-published books are not eligible, nor are books that have won awards, including a pre-publication award by the publishing press. It is expected that the book will contain both new and previously published poems.

Poetry Society of Virginia 2022 Contest

Anyone can enter. All entries must be in English, typed, unpublished, origi­nal, and not scheduled for publication before May, 2020. All entries not in compliance with category specifications will be disqualified.

Stage It! 10-Minute Plays Competition

Anyone can enter. Plays should be in generally-accepted script format and in English. Length: 10 pages or a 10 minutes read.

DISQUIET Prize

Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted by authors who have not yet published more than one book. For the Novel/short story category: One short story or novel excerpt, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry. For the Poem category: No more than SIX poems per entry, up to 10 pages total and for the Nonfiction category: One piece of non-fiction, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry.

8th Ó Bhéal Five Words International Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and must include all five words listed during this week. A modicum of poetic license is acceptable. Poems should be newly written, during the relevant 7-day period.

Fan Story Nonet Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. It has to be a nonet, but it can be on any subject and rhyming is optional.

Horror Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Put your readers on edge or terrorize them.

Manchester Poetry Prize

The Competition is open internationally to anyone aged 16 or over who is not excluded by these Rules. There is no upper age limit for entry. Entrants may submit as many entries as they wish, but each submission must be submitted as a separate entry with payment of a separate entry fee.

Joe Gouveia Outermost Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Send up to 5 of your best unpublished poems, any style or subject matter, no more than 7 pages in total.

Manchester Fiction Prize

The Competition is open internationally to anyone aged 16 or over who is not excluded by these Rules. There is no upper age limit for entry, a portfolio comprising a minimum of three and a maximum of five poems. There is no minimum or maximum line limit for each individual poem, but the overall maximum length of the poems combined must not exceed 120 lines.

Fan Story Share A Story In A Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. In this contest you are challenged to write a poem that tells a story and also rhymes.

First Chapter Competition

Anyone can enter. International entries are welcome but first chapters must be written in English and can be up to 3,500 words (no minimum word count) and on any theme and subject (except children’s fiction). The novel should be unpublished and not have been accepted by a publisher.

Parracombe Prize 2022

To enter, simply submit a short story of no more than 2,022 words. Entries must be in English, your own original work, must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.

3rd Annual Short Short Story Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a short short story no longer than 100 words. The contest is open to prose, any genre. Topics: ants, bowling, 1940s, water.

The Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems must be in English, unpublished, not accepted for publication, and must be your original work. They must be no longer than 40 lines.

Fish Publishing Short Memoir Prize

Anyone can enter. The entries can’t have been previously published. Maximum number of words is 4,000 in English.

GCWA Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Youth category: 11-17; adult category: above 18. Your entry must be original, in English, unpublished, and unproduced, not accepted by any other publisher or producer before April 1, 2022. Fiction/non-fiction/children’s —1500 words maximum. Poetry – 40 lines maximum.

Lancashire Authors’ Association Open Competition

Anyone 16 or above can enter. The story must be exactly 100 words. Entries must be original, unpublished work which is not currently submitted for publication or entered into any other competition or award.

The Big Moose Prize

Anyone can enter. The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional unpublished novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel. Manuscripts should be 90-1,000 pages in length.

The Brucedale Press Annual Acrostic Story Contest

Anyone under 18 can enter. Stories entered must be original, unpublished work created by the entrant, not previously entered in this contest. Stories may not be longer than 26 sentences. The first sentence must begin with “Because I can…”. Any subject or theme is acceptable, provided there is no profanity, obscenity, ageism, racism or sexism.

The BookLife Prize

Anyone can enter. Both unpublished or self-published books in the English language are eligible for the BookLife Prize. Entries must contain 40,000 to 100,000 words.

Clash of the Query Letters

One page—maximum 500 words, Only original, unpublished, unrepresented work may be submitted, Word documents & PDFs accepted, The winning submissions will be published on the Chopping Blog, All entrants will be notified of winners and shortlist by email.

The Fiction Desk

We are able to consider stories that are between 1,000 and 20,000 words in length; please do not send anything longer or shorter than this. Most of the stories we publish are between about 2,000 and 7,000 words.

Arts & Letters

Send only one submission per genre at any one time. (In other words, submitting a short story and an essay at the same time is fine, but please wait to hear from us before submitting another story.), All submissions must be typed and all prose double-spaced.

The Page Prize

Fiction: Manuscripts should be double-spaced. Please use 1″ margins and include page numbers. Maximum length is about 5000 words. NonFiction: Manuscripts should be typed and double-spaced. Please use 1″ margins and include page numbers. Manuscripts should be no more than about 5,000 words. Poetry: A maximum of three poems may be submitted.

The Danuta Gleed Literary Award

All entries must be Canadian-authored titles published in English between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 and available through bookstores and libraries. Submission must be a first collection/first edition of short fiction, no co-authored entries, no posthumously published works, electronically published works not eligible, submission must be made by a publisher. Translations from other languages into English are eligible if all other criteria are met.

Cambridge Autumn Festival Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. The word limit is 1500 words.The theme for this year’s competition is “Lockdown”.

Cúirt New Writing Prize 2022

Poetry entries must consist of up to three poems under 50 lines each. Short stories should be no longer than 2,000 words. Entry costs €10 in total which covers one story or up to three poems. Entries are welcome in English and Irish. An Irish language adviser will be approached to assess entries in the Irish language. The story or poems submitted should not have been accepted for publication elsewhere.

Bluefire 1000-Word Short Story Contest

Anyone in school grades 6-12 can enter. Entries must be original and not previously published. Length: exactly 1000 words. Previous grand prize winners are not eligible to submit in the same grade category (6-8, or 9-12) in which they have won.

EngineerGirl Essay Contest

Anyone in school (grades 3-12) can enter. Submit a piece of writing that salutes engineering’s role in meeting and defeating the challenges presented by COVID-19. Check guidlines for your category. Grades 3-5: 600 words limit. Grades 6-8: 650 words limit. High school: 700 words limit.

St. Gallen Symposium Esay Competition

Anyone enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) and born in 1992 or later can enter. Essay should be in English and length should be max. 2,100 words. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest.

Arizona Mystery Writers Mary Ann Hutchison Memorial Story Contest for Youths

Writers from 9-16 years of age. Submission must be up to 2500 words (about 10 double-spaced pages).

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

Anyone can enter. Submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration.

Blinkpot Flash Fiction Awards

Anyone above 18 can enter. The entry must be in English and must have been written by the person making the submission. Entries must not have been previously published, broadcast or won a prize. Entries can be on any theme or subject. Maximum entry length is 100 words and minimum length 80.

Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize

Graywolf awards the Nonfiction Prize to a previously unpublished, full-length work of outstanding literary nonfiction by a writer who is not yet established in the genre. The Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize seeks to acknowledge—and honor—the great traditions of literary nonfiction. Whether grounded in observation, autobiography, or research, much of the most beautiful, daring, and original writing over the past few decades can be categorized as nonfiction.

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

You should submit an informative essay about the role of engineering in meeting one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals. All entries are limited to 650 words. High school students are also required to submit a reference list with their essay. A reference list is optional for middle and elementary school students. This list does not count toward the word limit.

Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards

Current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating Spring of 2022, 21 years of age and under, Plan to enroll in an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved vocational-technical school Fall 2022, ubmit one original literary composition in English in one of the following genres of poetry, spoken word, fiction/drama or personal essay/memoir. Only the first 1000 applications will be accepted.

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

Stories must be original unpublished fiction, typed and double-spaced, and may not exceed 3,500 words in length. There are no theme or genre restrictions. Copyright remains the property of the author.

1000 Words Contest

open to all students enrolled in grades 6-12. Each entrant may submit a fiction piece consisting of exactly 1,000 words (not including title or author’s name). The fiction piece can be on any topic, as long as it is not vulgar or offensive, does not use inappropriate profanity, and is the original work of the entrant not previously published.

The Southampton Review

Fiction: We accept short stories and novel excerpts.5,000 words max. Flash Fiction is welcome!, NonFiction: We accept creative nonfiction, memoir, personal essay, traditional essay, and hybrid forms. 5,000 words max. Poetry: 5 poems max per submission.

Ottawa Travel Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Eligible entries include items in English or in French that have appeared in magazines, newspapers, or online media in 2021 that highlight Ottawa as a travel destination.

Accenti Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Submissions for original and unpublished English prose texts only. Maximum length: 2000 words. No poetry, plays, reviews, and scholarly essays. No footnotes and endnotes. No pseudonyms. Submissions can be an English translation of the author’s unpublished original work in another language.

Adamah Media writers’ competition

This competition is open to young adults, aged between 18 and 28. The writers’ competition is open to articles in English submitted by applicants globally and from all nationalities. All images used within any entry should be credited in the image description, otherwise these images will not be used and alternatives will be found for publication. word limit: 1000-1500 words

Fan Story 2-4-2 Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem. The subject can be anything.

The National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest for High School Students

All high school students in the US can enter. All 2022 contest entries must have been published, e-published, broadcast, or issued between February 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022. Entries must be produced by a current high school student or a recently graduated student who produced the work in their senior year after February 1, 2021.

The National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest for Professionals

The NFPW Communications contest is open to anyone regardless of sex, professional status or location. College students do not have to be 18 to enter any of the categories in the Collegiate Division. High school students may enter the professional contest if they are acting in a professional capacity. Entrants must enter the contest into their home state if that state is sponsoring a contest. Entrants who reside in a state without a contest must enter the at-large contest. Entries in the at-large contest may be regionally divided depending upon entries. All work must have been published or broadcast between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, to be eligible for entry.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

The 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards is open to all indie book authors and publishers who have a book, a manuscript, or a galley proof written in English and published in 2020, 2021 or 2022 or with a 2020, 2021 or 2022 copyright date.

Writers’ & Artists’ Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Submit a short story (for adults) of no more than 2,000 words.

The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize

The competition is for novel manuscripts in any genre by unpublished women writer residents in the UK and Ireland. Literary and genre fiction are equally welcomed, and novels for children and young adults may be entered as long as they are primarily word-based. Picture books are not accepted. To enter, send the first 30 to 50 pages and a synopsis between three and five pages.

Scissortail Creative Writing Festival

All Oklahoma high school students (9th – 12th grade) are eligible. Poetry (up to 100 lines) or Short Fiction (up to 6,000 words) is acceptable. Limit 5 poems and 1 short fiction piece per student. All entries must be the original work of the student. All entries must be neatly typed; please double-space fiction entries.

Create The Future Writing Competition

Individual entrants can enter one submission. Poetry (up to 40 lines), Short stories (up to 2,000 words), All other creative prose (up to 2,000 words), Entries must not have been published (including self-published, published on a website, broadcast or featured amongst the winners in another competition). The competition is open to all writers over the age of 18, The Create the Future competition is open worldwide and applicants from non-English-speaking countries are warmly welcomed.

Adventures in Fiction Spotlight First Novel Award

Anyone can enter. To enter, submit the first page of your novel and a one-page synopsis. The winner should be prepared to submit the manuscript of their novel in hard copy (12pt, double-spaced, single side of the paper only) to Adventures in Fiction by the beginning of April. Prize: A Stage One Mentoring package for a novel of up to 550 pages/170,000 words including a full manuscript appraisal, a development strategy and two consultations and a dedicated page on the Adventures in Fiction website including a profile of you and your novel.

IndieReader Discovery Awards

Only books that have been either self-published or published by an independent publisher and have an ISBN or ASN can enter.

Achievement Awards in Writing

All 11th grade students in the current academic school year are eligible to be nominated by their school’s English department. Schools in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands and American Schools Abroad are eligible. Nominating schools must be US accredited. Participating students submit two types of writing: themed writing (AWA prompt) and best writing. 2022 prompt: My Community. Writing options include poetry, short story, personal narrative, essay, or graphic storytelling. Themed Writing: max 4 pages. Best Witing: max 6 pages.

Promising Young Writers Program

All 8th grade students in the current academic school year are eligible to be nominated by their school’s English department. Schools in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands and American Schools Abroad are eligible to nominate juniors. Nominating schools must be US accredited. Participating students submit two types of writing: themed writing (AWA prompt) and best writing. 2022 prompt: Change; Amidst isolation in 2020. You may produce any genre, or kind, of writing. Themed Writing: max 4 pages. Best Witing: max 6 pages.

Ambroggio Prize

Any US citizen or resident for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline can enter. Poets are not eligible to apply if they have studied with the judge in full-time accredited courses within the last three years The manuscript must be originally written in Spanish and accompanied by a translation in English. Poets may translate their own work or collaborate with a translator who may or may not be a poet. The poet and translator must share the $1,000 prize. Poems may have been previously published in periodicals or chapbooks, but the collection must not have been previously published, including self-publications and e-books. The original manuscript in Spanish must contain original poetry by one poet and must be between 48 and 100 pages, typed single-spaced, unless the poems are meant to be presented using nonstandard spacing.

Morton and McCarthy Prizes

Open to any short fiction writer in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande Books, Inc. are not eligible. Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a short novel. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included.

Apprentice Writer

Only high school students can enter. You can submit poetry, chorepoetry, spoken word submissions, graphic fiction and non-fiction, and prose.

New Welsh Writing Awards

Writers from the UK and Ireland as well as those who have been educated in Wales for over six months can enter. Entries should be prose with a Welsh theme or setting and should be an unpublished book (between 5,000 and 30,000 words) in English. Entries this year may vary across the categories, from short form Welsh-themed- or Welsh-set non-fiction to a novella or short story collection set in Wales or with a Welsh theme.

Robert Watson Literary Prize

Anyone who is an active Greensboro Review subscriber can enter. Entries must be previously unpublished. No simultaneous submissions. Length restrictions: no more than 7,500 words or 25 pages for fiction; up to 500 words for flash fiction; up to 10 pages for poetry.

Guernsey Literary Festival 2022

Your poem could be on show in 2022. The Guernsey Literary Festival, together with Guernsey Arts and Guernsey Post, presents a competition that could deliver your work to thousands of readers. Winning entries are selected in two phases: 21 poems will be chosen, and 9 of these will take part in a second, Entries must be no longer than 14 lines and must fit on a single A4 page.

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award

resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, Only books published in the United States during 2021 are eligible for the 2022 prize. Books must be published in a standard edition (48 pages or more). Self-published books will not be considered.

Short Prose Competition

Original, unpublished fiction or nonfiction up to 2,500 words in the English language. Writers who have had no more than one book published (traditionally or self-published) in any genre or language and who are not currently under contract for a second book. Writers not published in book format are also eligible. Writers must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

All 9-12 high school students in the US can apply. The essay should be 300-500 words of original work. Entrants must write about: “Why must journalists strive to improve diversity and representation in both their coverage and in their newsrooms, and how might this happen?”

Willow Run Poetry Book Award

Anyone can enter. Must be an unpublished English book length collection of poetry of 75 to 100 pages.

This Sentence Starts The Story

Anyone can enter. Write a story that starts with this sentence: It’s happening tonight. You have the option to put it in quotes (for dialogue) and to change the punctuation at the end for proper grammar.

Writing for Children Competition 2022

Waxing & waning tennessee tempest edition.

Anyone can enter. Poetry: 1-5 poems, up to 3,000 words. Fiction / creative non-fiction: 100-5,000 words (if any longer, it should be good enough to merit the space it will take up).

Waxing & Waning Screenplay Contest

Anyone can enter. Screenplays or plays can be up to 25 pages (may be a part of a whole).

The George Floyd Short Story Competition

All genres/styles are accepted. Word count shouldn’t exceed 5000 words. This year’s theme is climate change.

The Chaucer Tales Writing Competition

The competition is open to all students of school age including not only those in schools and college communities (ages 5-18), but also students who are home educated and in any other young people’s community organisations. The maximum word count is 500 words in English. The special theme of the competition this year is Be Careful What You Wish For!

Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition

Anyone can enter. The international competition is open to all – both published and unpublished authors from all over the world – and is for short stories of up to 3,500 words. The story cannot have been previously published anywhere, or shortlisted for this competition.

The Exeter Writers Short Story Competition

The competition is open to anyone. Writing is ok in any genre except children stories. Stories must not have been previously published nor won a prize in any other competition. Previous prize-winning stories are not eligible for re-entry. Length: 3,000 words max.

Flash 500 Short Stories competition

Anyone can enter. Stories should range between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used).

Fish Publishing Flash Fiction Prize

Anyone can enter. Maximum number of words is 300 and it must be in English. The winning stories must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously. Fish will hold publishing rights for one year only after publication.

Reflex Fiction Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries must be in Enflish and must be the work of the entrant and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere in print or online including blogs or personal websites. Entries must be fiction but can be on any subject, and written in any style or form. No fan fiction or use of copyrighted material, characters, song lyrics etc.

Southword Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. All poems must be previously unpublished. Works of translation where the original author is still in copyright will require the bios of both the original author and the translator. There is a suggested limit of 40 lines per poem.

The annual Lancaster Writing Award

All students in year 12-13 can enter. Categories: criticism, fiction, poetry, script and screen writing. Students may enter in more than one category and write in any style they wish. The word limit for criticism and fiction is 1500 words.The limit for poems is 25 lines. The limit for screenplays is 8 pages.

Scottish Arts Trust Short Story Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. Length: 2,000 words or fewer. The entry should not have been previously published, online or in print. Short stories entered for the competition may be on any topic. Stories do not have to be set in Scotland or on Scottish themes but they must be in English.

The Isobel Lodge Award

Anyone above 16, is unpublished, and a resident of Scotland or studying in Scotland can enter. Entry can be published online or in print without compensation can qualify for the Isobel Lodge Award. Writers also qualify if they have self-published a work of fiction. Length: 2,000 words or fewer. The story should not have been previously published, online or in print. Stories do not have to be set in Scotland or on Scottish themes but they must be in English.

Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest

Any Canadian (citizen or resident) can enter. Topic: poems written in response to an existing occasion, personal or public, or poems that make an occasion of something ordinary or by virtue of the poet’s attention. No word limit, must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Minds Shine Bright’s first annual competition

Short stories: 5000 words/Flash Fiction: 1000 words /Poetry: 240 lines/Scripts: 90 pages, Each submission must be original, unpublished fiction written by the submitting author. Each submission must be entered into one of four categories including: poetry, micro/flash fiction, short stories or script writing.

Blue Mesa Review

accepts previously unpublished work in Fiction (up to 6,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words), Poetry (up to 3 poems).

The Debut Dagger Award

the opening of a crime novel not exceeding 3,000 words and a synopsis of up to 1,500 words. You do not need to have completed the novel in order to enter. You must never have had a traditional publishing contract for any work of fiction over 20,000 words.

Self-Publishing Literary Awards

This contest is free and open to all self-published authors who meet the requirements. All eBooks submitted to the contest must be: In the poetry or fiction genres, A PDF or an ePUB file, In the English language, An original work that you own the rights to, Written by an African American author born in the U.S.

Red Hen Press Women’s Prose Prize

25,000 word minimum, 80,000 word maximum. Entries will be accepted via Submittable only. The award is open to all women writers with the following exceptions: Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press, Employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press, Relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors

Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize

The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers.

Deep Wild 2021 Undergraduate Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be a single poem of up to 70 lines.

Southword Fiction Story Prize

Anyone can enter. There is an upper limit of 5000 words for short stories. Only unpublished work.

Blue Mesa Awards

This competition is open to original English language works in the genres of Fiction, and Nonfiction. The submission must be an unpublished work. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. accepts previously unpublished work in Fiction (up to 6,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words). For the poetry category, Submissions of up to 3 unpublished poems are accepted.

Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award

Have never published a book, Have published no more than one full-length book in the genre in which they are applying, Writers may apply in poetry and/or fiction (only one manuscript per category). Poetry manuscripts should not exceed ten pages, single or double-spaced (minimum of 7 pages). Fiction manuscripts should not exceed 25 pages and must be double-spaced. Fiction manuscripts may include stories and/or excerpts from novels.

The Christopher Tower Poetry Competition

Open to submissions from students between 16-19 years of age who are educated in the UK. Entries must be on written in English, and be no more than 48 lines in length. Entrants must be in full or part-time education at a school, college or other educational institution in the United Kingdom. Each poem must be the entrant’s own work, joint authorship is ineligible.

Fowey Festival Short Story Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. The title for the competition is “Breaking Point”. Length: max 1500 words. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, commended, long-listed or short-listed in another writing competition.

True Story Contest

Anyone can enter. Share a true story from your life. Write a story that shares a moment, an object, a feeling, etc. This does not have to be a profound memory, but should allow readers insight into your feelings, observations and/or thoughts. Use at least 100 words. No poetry.

Cheshire Prize for Literature

The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire. Entry must be an original and previously unpublished piece of creative work in one of four categories themed around all aspects of the pandemic including “lockdown”: poetry, short fiction, children’s literature and scriptwriting.

Geographies of Justice: Call for Submissions

Anyone can enter. Poetry/Lyric: no more than 50 lines. Fiction, essays, creative non-fiction and other prose: up to 4000 words. Must hold the rights to the work and must be unpublished.

Evesham Festival of Words Short Story Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. Any genre or subject, must be unpublished and original, aimed at adults only. Length: max 2,500 words.

Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction

Anyone can enter. The stories must be at least 10 pages (or 2500 words) but no more than 50 pages (12,500 words). Stories must be previously unpublished.

Eludia Award

All women age 40 and above, who do not yet have a book-length publication of fiction, can enter. The author must be unpublished and the entry should be in English.

Minute Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The Minute Poem is a poem that follows the “8,4,4,4” syllable count structure. It must have 12 lines total and 60 syllables.

James Jones First Novel Fellowship

Have never published a novel, Are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of America with Green Cards, May have published any other type of work including non-fiction articles and short stories. A two-page (maximum) outline or synopsis of the entire novel and the first 50 pages of the novel-in-progress are to be submitted. A specific format for the outline or synopsis is not required.

The 15th Annual Short Story Challenge

Anyone can enter.

The Phare Write Words Poetry Competition

Anyone 18 or above can enter. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast, or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length: 40 lines max.

The Phare Write Words Short Story Competition

Anyone 18 or above can enter. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length: 3000 words max.

The Phare Write Words Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone 18 or above can enter. An entry can only be made by the work’s individual author. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length – 1000 words max.

Never Such Innocence Poetry Competition 2022

Poems must not be longer than 40 lines and should be your own, original work.

Two Line Poem

Anyone can enter. Write an essence poem. The poem should be of two lines with six syllables per line, each containing an internal rhyme and an ending rhyme.

Op-Ed Competition 2022

Young writers ages 13-18, 600 – 1,000 words.

5-7-5 Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be a 5-7-5 poem that follows the structure of a Haiku but without any limitation to the topic.

SWAMP Writing

Anyone enrolled in a postgraduate program in any university across the globe can enter. Entries must be unpublished poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction and memoir. This year’s theme: Reflection.

Free Verse Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. No restrictions.

The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

All Canadians (citizen or resident) can enter. No word limit (2,000 – 5,000 expected), must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Four Line Poem

Anyone can enter. Write a four line poem that has a specific syllable count. The subject can be anything.

Driftwood Poetry Collections

Anyone can enter. It should be between 40-100 pages of poetry. Experimental poetry, hybrid work, poetry with a visual element, prose poetry, and any avant-garde poetry are welcomed! Submissions should be primarily in English, but collections with a moderate bilingual component will of course be considered.

Dark Tales Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Each entry must be no longer than 5000 words, must be the original, unpublished work of the stated author.

Dream One Quest Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Previously published poems in other contests, books, magazines, etc. are accepted and welcomed as long as they are original works created by the contest entrant(s). All entries must be composed or translated into the English language. Poems must be 30 lines or fewer.

Dream One Quest Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Previously published short stories in other contests, books, magazines, etc. are accepted and welcomed as long as they are original works created by the contest entrant(s). All entries must be composed or translated into the English language. Any fiction, non-fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, diary, journal entries, and short stage-plays and screenplays are accepted within a maximum of (5) pages or less.

Rubery Book Award

Anyone can enter. Your entry must be a book that is either self-published or published by an independent press.

Fish Publishing Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Poem length is restricted to 60 lines. The title is not included in the word limit, and it must be in English. The winning poem must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously. Fish will hold publishing rights for one year only after publication.

The Lascaux Prize in Poetry

Poets may enter more than once, and as many as five poems may be submitted per entry (all pasted into one document). There are no length restrictions. All genres and styles are welcome.

Wild Atlantic Writing Awards

For both categories, They’ve decided on an intriguing theme for both which is Time. The maximum length of your story should be 500 words, not including the title.

The Word Guild 2021 Fresh Ink Student Writing Awards

All entries must be published in 2021 and have a 2021 copyright date. Eligible entries must be in English or French. Self-published entries are admissible. We suggest the work be edited by a professional editor with experience in the publishing industry. The Word Awards are limited to writers who are Canadian. Submitter must confirm all entrants have Canadian Citizenship or Legal Permanent Resident Status.

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2022

Anyone above 16 can enter. The poem has to appeal to children aged 7-11 and it must be original and previously unpublished.

The Blue Mountain Novel Award

Anyone can enter. Entries must be original, and in English. It must be of a published novel of any length.

The Writers Of The Future

All amateur writers can enter. Entries must be original works by the entrant, in English. No excessive violence or sex. Entries may not have been previously published in professional media. Entries must be works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. No poetry, or works intended for children.

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing

The contest is open to first-generation immigrants of their country. Entries should be unpublished and in English (translations welcome). Fiction manuscripts must be complete, a minimum of 45,000 words. non-fiction submissions must consist of either a complete manuscript, or a sample of at least 25,000 words and a detailed proposal.

Princeton 10-Minute Play Contest

All entrants must be students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. (or international equivalent of the eleventh grade).

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). The poem you submit should be in English.

Zone 3 First Book Award in Poetry

Anyone can enter. Only unpublished work of a full-length collection of poems (48 pages or more) is eligible; those with chapbooks may participate. Manuscript should be 48-80 pages.

The Orison Prizes in Poetry & Fiction

Anyone can enter. Must be book-length manuscripts. Submissions should be of full-length poetry and fiction (minimum 30,000 words) manuscripts. Original English work only; no translations.

Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest

There are two divisions: Grade 6-8 (Junior Division) and Grades 9-12 (Senior Division). Each NFSPS member state may submit ten (10) poems in each division. Poems may have been printed and/or have won previous awards. Each poem must be neatly typed or computer-generated and have no more than 35 lines including space lines with no line having more than 60 characters including spaces and punctuation. Every poem entered should appear on a single sheet.

2022 White Rose Memorial Essay Contest

Middle school Essay: Length: 500-1000 words. Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8 at the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year may participate. Students may win an award only once in each school category. High school essay: Length: 750-1500 words, Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12 at the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year may participate. Students may win an award only once in each school category. Use entry form attached.

Claymore Award

The contest is limited to only the first 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense NOT currently under contract.

Books By The Banks Writing Contest

This year’s contest theme is Home. You are encouraged to interpret this theme as literally or figuratively as you desire. Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry are welcome. Submitted work must be original and unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

The Alpine Fellowship Academic Writing Prize

Anyone 18 and above can enter. Awarded for the best piece of academic essay writing on the theme of the 2021 Alpine Fellowship. A maximum of 4000 words per entry. Text must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time.

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

Anyone 18 and above can enter. All genres permitted. A maximum of 2,500 words per entry. Text must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time (including the Alpine Fellowship Academic Writing Prize).

Nonfiction: We seldom publish prose that is more than 5,000 words in length. Fiction: We seldom publish prose that is more than 5,000 words in length. We will consider novel excerpts and flash pieces. Poetry: please submit no more than 6 poems.

Seaborne Magazine: Call for submissions about the sea

Anyone can enter. They are looking for rich, atmospheric fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual artwork about the sea. Submissions must be formatted to UK spelling. They do not accept previously published submissions, in other magazines, websites or personal blogs. Fiction should be between 2,000-5,000 words for short stories, and 300 words for vignettes. Creative non-fiction should be between 800-1,500 words.

The American Foreign Service Association’s National High School Essay Contest

Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades 9 – 12 in the US, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens attending high school overseas including home-schooled students. Previous first-place winners and immediate relatives of directors or staff of the AFSA and Semester at Sea are not eligible to participate. Length: 1,250 words max.

Oklahoma Poem Contest

Only Oklahoma residents are eligible to enter. Poems will be judged in 4 categories: K-4th, 5th-8th, 9th-12th, and Adult, The maximum length for poems is 30 lines, Poems can be rhymed or unrhymed, One poem per person, Previous winning poems cannot be submitted again.

The Colin Sutton Cup for Humour

Maximum 12-page spreads (totalling to 24 internal pages). No more than 500 words. Let your illustrations tell the story, Use whichever medium you’re most comfortable with, paint, pencil, collage, print etc….but don’t be afraid to experiment, word limit: 500, 12 page spreads (24 pages in total).

Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose Prize

Anyone 18 and above who lives in the state of Victoria can enter. Stories must be biographical. Stories must be between 1000 to 3000 words. The work must be original, written in English and not have been previously published. It should not have won a prize in any other competition.

Fan Story Dribble Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. The submitted work must be between 48 – 52 words.

Fan Story New Arrival Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a story that uses exactly 100 words.

Fan Story Future Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a flash fiction story that takes place in the future. Maximum length 500 words.

Etel Adnan Poetry Prize

Anyone of an Arab heritage can apply. Only first or second full-length books of poetry written in English may be submitted. Chapbooks are not considered as a previous publication in this regard. Manuscripts must be between forty-eight and ninety pages. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

The Art and Writing Environmental Awareness Contest

All winners will be notified of the results in late April- mid May, Students ages 12-26 anywhere in the world are eligible to apply, Entries must involve the environment/environmental awareness,

We the Students Essay Contest

All students who are legal US residents or citizens, older than 14 and younger than 19, may apply. Stay tuned for updates on the 2021 contest prompt.

Fan Story Faith Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The theme for this poetry contest is “faith”.

Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2022

100 word flash fiction.

Anyone can enter. The entry should be exactly 100 words.

Ayn Rand anthem contest

Entrant must be at least 13 years old and in 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade for any part of the school year in which the contest is held. Essays must be submitted electronically through the online portal. Essays must be written in English only, and must be no fewer than 600 and no more than 1,200 words in length, double-spaced. One entry per student per contest.

Ayn Rand The fountainhead contest

Entrant must be in 11th or 12th grade for any part of the school year in which the contest is held. Essays must be submitted electronically through the online portal. Essays must be written in English only, and must be no fewer than 800 and no more than 1,600 words in length, double-spaced. One entry per student per contest.

Tanka Poetry Contest

Marsh hawk press poetry prize.

Anyone can enter. Manuscripts must be between 48 – 84 pages in length. Individual poems from the manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks of less than 25 pages, but the collection, as a whole, must be unpublished.

The Claudia Ann Seaman Awards For Young Writers

High School students from anywhere in the world are eligible to submit original work written in English. Creative writing that was not previously published, can be submitted in the categories of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. Submit a maximum of three pieces across the three genres. Poetry, up to 80 lines. Fiction and creative non-fiction must be 1,800 words or less.

FAPA President’s Book Awards

Any English writing author can enter. All entries must be books with a copyright date from 2020 to 2022. Ebooks should be submitted in PDF format

3 Minute Drama Competition

The competition is open to all, but the script must be in English, and in PDF format. Warranty and Copyright. The script must be an original work that does not infringe upon another person’s copyright or other rights. It may or may not have been published before. The copyright in your script will remain your sole property.

Adventure Writer’s Competition

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian, Romance not allowed! – we can’t state it more straightforward than that unless we change the name of the competition to “The Not SciFi, Fantasy, Dystopian or Romance Competition.”,

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. This competition is for original, previously unpublished poems in English, on any subject, in any style up to 50 lines long. Poems posted on members-only non-public groups for review/critique as part of the creative process are not deemed to have been previously published.

Cranked Anvil Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. The competition is open to any theme or genre, but your story must be a maximum of 1,500 words and must be written in English. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant. This includes publication online, including (but not limited to) personal blogs or websites. Each entry must not be currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award.

The Ernest Hemingway Short Fiction Prize

Anyone can enter. Entries should be approximately 1500 words or less. Submissions should be unpublished.

Ver Poets Open Competition

Anyone 16 and above can enter. Poems should not have been published, or accepted for publication, in print or online. They should not have won prizes in other competitions, be simultaneously entered for other competitions or be translations of other poets’ work. Poems must be your own original work and may be on any theme. Length: no longer than 30 lines.

Tadpole Press 100 Word Writing Contest

Limit: 100 words per entry. Submit as many entries as you’d like. Writers: All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome. Theme: The power of words.

CYGNUS Book Awards for Science Fiction | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Jan 1, 2019 will be disqualified. All works that have been published must be published after Jan. 1, 2019. Novels must be 60,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

World Historian Student Essay Competition

Only students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs can apply. Past winners may not compete in the same category again. The entry should be approximately 1,000 words.

Bristol Short Story Prize

Anyone above 16 can enter. The maximum length of submissions is 4,000 words in English. Stories can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-base .Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, in print or online, or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition.

15 Syllable Poem

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with exactly 15 syllables.

Writers’ Digest Annual Writing Competition

Anyone can enter. All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published (at the time of submission) in print, digital or online publications, Self-published work, unproduced scripts. Entries in the Print or Online Article category may be previously published.

Fan Story Non-Fiction Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Submit literary works of non-fiction on any topic. It doesn’t matter if it’s spiritual, political, intellectual, emotional, funny, serious, or an essay about your DVD player. New entries only. Minimum length 500 words. Maximum Length 7,000 words. Recommended length 2,000 – 3,500 words.

3 Line Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The poem has to have a syllable count of either 5-7-5 or 5-7-7. It shouldn’t rhyme. But the poem must address a loved one.

The Montreal International Poetry Prize

The Montreal Prize is awarded every 2 years for a single poem of 40 or fewer lines. Submissions open in January 2022. Entry fee rises to $25 CAD ($20 USD) from 2nd May.

James Laughlin Award

Any US citizen or resident for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline can enter. Book must be under contract with a U.S. publisher and scheduled to be published between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.Must be published by December 31, 2021. The author must have published one book of poetry in a standard edition (48 pages or more). Entries must be an English. Submissions are welcome from small presses, university presses, and trade publishers that have previously published at least four books of poetry. Translations and new editions of previously published books are not eligible.

Sports Writing Competition 2022

Fan story flash fiction contest.

Anyone can enter. Entry should be exactly 150 words.

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, philosophical ruminations, stageplays, fragments, chapters, and excerpts are all acceptable.

Time Travelers Contest

You must write at least one chapter – there’s no maximum chapter limit. Because this contest is open to all audiences, your entries must not be sexually explicit and can’t feature graphic displays of gratuitious violence. Fan-fic novels are not eligible. The main character or characters of your entry must go through a change of temporality and must have a significant impact on the plot. This change must occur in the story before the end of the fourth chapter and must be mentioned in your book description.

The Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award

All Canadians who haven’t published either a first novel or short story collection can enter. No word limit (2,000 – 5,000 expected), must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Rhyming Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has a rhyme scheme. How it rhymes is up to you.

Script Pipeline TV Writing Contest

The 2022 Script Pipeline TV Writing Competition heads into its 15th season, continuing the search for up-and-coming talent and connecting them with top producers, agencies, and managers. As one of the longest-running and most successful screenplay contests, we focus specifically on finding writers representation, supporting diverse voices, championing marketable, ambitious storytelling, and pushing original projects into production.

First Novel Prize

Entry is open to writers in the English language worldwide, regardless of the author’s country of residence. Entry is open to unpublished or independently published/self-published novelists only. Self-published/independently published means the author owns the rights to the work in full. Both represented and unrepresented novelists are welcome to enter the Prize. Only completed novels of over 50,000 words will be accepted, there is no maximum requirement for the number of words.

Accenti Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Submissions are open for entries unpublished and not under consideration by any other publication. Maximum length: 40 lines. Submissions can be an English translation of the author’s unpublished original work in another language.

Fiction Factory Poetry Competition

Fiction Factory welcomes submissions to its first ever poetry competition, judged by novelist and poet: Helen Cox. Maximum length: 40 lines.

Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

All students in school, university, or graduate school can apply.

Farnham Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone can enter. Story length: 500 words.

Fan Story Write A Script Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a script of any size (can be a small script as shown in the example) for any medium on any topic.

Bath Flash Fiction Award

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. They must also be for adult or young adult readers. Non-fiction and fiction written for children under 13 years are not eligible. Max length is 300 words. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.

Fan Story ABC Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a one-stanza, five-line poem.

Fan Story 6 Word Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with only 6 words.

Ocean Awareness Contest

All students aged 11 – 18 can apply. All entries must be original work in English and not previously submitted. Students ages 11-14 may enter the Junior Division (Creative Writing: up to 750 words; Poetry & Spoken Word: no more than 1 page). Students ages 15-18 may enter the Senior Division (Creative Writing: up to 1,250 words; Poetry & Spoken Word: no more than 2 pages).

Fan Story Haiku Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Only haiku poems.

Narrative Prize

We accept submissions only through our electronic submission system. We do not accept submissions through postal services or email. All manuscripts should be in 12-point type, with at least one-inch margins, and sequentially numbered pages. Fiction and nonfiction should be double-spaced. Poetry should be single-spaced.

Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award

Eligible works must have been first published in English between January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2022. To be eligible for the Silver Falchion Award, works must be published the year previous the competition and must be readily available to a North-American audience (either in print or digital format).

Baby Boomer Plus

he word count for this contest is 900 – 4000 words. Stories Through The Ages – Baby Boomers Plus is open to people born 1966 or earlier. There is no prompt for the contest Authors may write about any topic.

Poetry Chapbook Prize

Each manuscript should consist of a 20-30 page chapbook in a standard 12-point font. Chapbooks may not have been previously published nor be forthcoming, though individual poems may have been published elsewhere (provided rights have reverted to the author).

International Essay Contest for Young People

Essays may be submitted by anyone up to 25 years old (as of June 15, 2022) in one of the following age categories: a) Children (ages up to 14) b) Youth (ages 15 – 25) Essays must be 700 words or less in English or French, or 1600 characters or less in Japanese. Essays must be typed, with your name and essay title included at the top of the first page

TCK Publishing Flash Fiction Contest

This contest is open to writers from all countries, backgrounds, and levels of experience and we invite you to join the 2022 TCK Publishing Flash Fiction Contest. Any writer (regardless of who your publisher is or if your work has been previously published) may submit a short story totaling no more than 500 words (less is fine).

Food Writing Competition 2022

The lascaux prize in flash fiction.

Writers may enter more than once, and as many as three stories may be submitted per entry (all pasted into one document). Individual story length should not exceed 1,000 words. All genres and styles are welcome.

Fan Story Cinquain Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Entries must adhere to the contest’s syllable specifications.

Fan Story Love Poem Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. But it must clearly be a love poem.

Drue Heinz Literature Prize

Open to writers who have published a novel or a book-length collection of fiction in English. Translations are not eligible if the translation was not done by the author. Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Length: 150 – 300 pages.

North Street Book Prize

Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). Length limit: 200,000 words maximum in English. You may submit a collection of short stories or essays as a single entry.

The Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Must be original and unpublished. Each entry must consist of a single sentence. The entry shouldn’t go beyond 50 or 60 words.

Blackwater Press short story contest

Anyone can enter. Word limit should be between 1000 words to 10,000 words.

The Orison Chapbook Prize

Anyone can enter. Must be manuscripts of 20-45 pages, in any genre (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or hybrid). Original English work only; no translations. Individual poems, stories, or essays—or excerpts—may have been previously published in periodicals and/or chapbooks, but the manuscript as a whole must not have been published in book form, whether digital or in print. Self-published manuscripts are not eligible.

Saudi Historical Fiction Awards

The AWARDS are open worldwide for entries, and there are no eligibility criteria except that manuscripts must be historical, in the English language and with a Saudi setting. To qualify for the prize, your novel must total at least 60,000 words and should be no longer than 150,000 words.

The Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize

The Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize is awarded for an outstanding opening page of an unpublished novel. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers.

Fantasy Writing Competition 2022

Short story competition clean vs green.

Open to all – international writers are encouraged. All submissions must be in English and unpublished. A short story of between 1000 and 3000 words. Please submit your short story plus around 200 words on your thinking behind your approach and how your story meets the criteria. The title of the document should be the title of your story.

Fan Story Rhyming Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem of any type. But there must be a rhyme scheme.

Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mystery Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

WOW! Women on Writing Creative non-fiction Essay Contest

All women can enter. Entries should be creative non-fiction in English. Maximum words: 1000. Minimum words: 200.

Polar Expressions National Poetry and Short-Story Contest

Any Canadian resident or citizen can enter. There are two seperate prize categories: 1) ages 16 and above, and 2) ages 15 and under. All work must be original. Entries should not have been previously published and no simultaneous submissions. Poems must be 48 lines or less. Short stories must be 750 words or less. Fanfiction and essays are not permitted. Entries should be in English or accompanied by an English translation.

Highlands & Islands Short Story Association

Any amateur author can enter. Any theme (unusual story lines preferred), must be unpublished and original and won no prize before. Short Story length: max 2,000 words. Flash Fiction length: max 500 words.

Fan Story New Arrival Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. This is a “New Arrival” contest which is designed to welcome new members to the site.

Red Hen Press Novella Award

15,000 word minimum, 30,000 word maximum. Entries will be accepted via Submittable only. The award is open to all writers with the following exceptions: Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press; or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press, Employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press, Relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors.

Western, Pioneer, & Civil War, Americana Historical Fiction Novels, and First Nations Novels | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Historical fiction pre-1750s writing contest | chaucer | chanticleer book reviews.

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2017 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Historical Fiction Post 1750s Writing Contest | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

The Orison Anthology Awards

Anyone can enter. Submissions are for single works in 3 genres (poetry, fiction, an non-fiction). Submit up to 3 poems (10 pp. max), 1 story (up to 8,000 words), or 1 work of non-fiction (up to 8,000 words). You may submit in multiple genres, and/or submit multiple entries in each genre.

Fan Story Loop Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Loop Poetry requires that the last word of each line becomes the first word of the next line. The rhyme scheme is abcb.

Fan Story My Faith Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Share a poem that is about your faith or how faith has impacted your life. Any type of poem accepted.

Flash Fiction Competition 2022

Anthology magazine short story competition.

Anyone can enter. Stories submitted must be on the theme of ‘Memories’ in English. To enter, submit an original, unpublished short story, written in English on the subject of ‘Memories’ with a maximum of 1,500 words.

Young Adult and Teen Writing Contests | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Middle Grade Fiction Writing Contests | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest. 20,000+ word count .

Oxford Flash Fiction Prize

Anyone can enter. All entries must be the work of the person entering and must not have been published anywhere online (including blogs and websites) or accepted for publication elsewhere. It must be in English. The copyright remains with the author. Length: 1000 words, no minimum word limit.

Fan Story Take A Photo Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem about a photo you’ve taken.

Aesthetica Poetry Creative Writing Award

Anyone can enter. Poetry entries should be no more than 40 lines. They accept works on any theme.

Aesthetica Short Story Creative Writing Award

Anyone can enter. Fiction entries should be no more than 2,000 words. They accept works on any theme.

Romantic Fiction Writing Contests | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before January 1, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Coniston Prize for Women Poets

All women can enter. Submit 3-6 previously unpublished poems in English. This award recognizes an exceptional group of poems.

Blue Mesa Review Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Must be in English, unpublished original work, simultaenous submissions acceptable. Please submit a packet of up to 3 poems or up to 6,000 words of prose.

Miller Williams Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Length: Manuscripts must be between sixty and ninety pages. The manuscript must be previously unpublished. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). Length limit: 250 lines maximum per poem. The entry should be your own original work and in English. You may submit the same poem simultaneously to this contest and to others, and you may submit poems that have been published or won prizes elsewhere. (However, please do not submit work that has previously received recognition at Winning Writers.)

The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, learned, or discovered. Writers may enter more than once. Length should not exceed 10,000 words. All topics are welcome; pieces should be written in a nonacademic style

Thriller, Suspense Writing Contest | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. 12 point font – Times New Roman suggested. Single or double-spaced. Single spaced preferred by judges. Name, title, and word count on cover page. Pages should be numbered. Digital WORD documents or PDF only. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Little Peeps Picture Books and Early Readers Writing Contests | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Non-Fiction Writing Contests | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Works published before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Books must be 50,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

The Crucible First Novel Award

Anyone can enter. Submit the first 5,000 words of their manuscripts, along with a 150 word ‘elevator pitch’. Manuscripts which have been published in any form, either traditionally or self-published, are ineligible to enter. Entries which fall within the genres of crime, mystery, thriller, or their sub-genres are eligible.

Embracing Our Differences Quotation Contest

Anyone can enter. Entries can be no longer than 20 words on embracing our differences. Please consider submitting an original quotation.

The Calvino Prize

Submit up to 25 industry standard (double-spaced, 12-point font, pages numbered) pages of a novel. Do not send publication history of the author.

The Raven Short Story Contest

This contest is for previously unpublished short fiction between 250 and 2500 words in length. Multiple entries welcome. Total entries limited to 200.

The Galley Beggar Press

Submissions must be no longer than 6,000 words.

Letter Review Prize for Short Stories

submit an original unpublished short story which is 400 – 3000 words, written in English, in size 12 font, as a word doc. Include a short biography of less than 200 words. Don’t include your name in the title of your document, or in your story, as the Prize is judged blindly.

Fiction Factory Short Story Competition

Length of story: max 3,000 words. Entries should be as a Word document. All types of stories are welcome (excluding Children’s and Young Adult Fiction).

The Larry Brown Short Story Award

The submitted story must be less than 4,000 words. No previously published work will be considered. The writer’s name and contact information should only appear within the cover letter box in Submittable.

Flash 500 Novels competition

Anyone can enter. Entries may have appeared online in private (password protected) peer review sites, but should not have been published in any commercial online form including blogs or personal websites or accepted for publication elsewhere. Chapters must not exceed 3,000 words and must be accompanied by a one page synopsis of the balance of the story. Entries must be in English.

OZMA Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction | Sword & Sorcery Fiction | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

Paranormal Writing Competition | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

Global Thriller Writing Contest | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Virginia b. ball writing contest.

All students in grades 8-11 during the 2022-2023 school year are eligible to apply. Poetry: Your sample should include 1-4 poems/spoken word pieces. Fiction: Your sample should include 1-3 stories, novel or story excerpts, or flash fiction pieces. Each piece should be fewer than 3,500 words.ersonal essay/memoir: Your sample should include 1-3 essays. Each piece should be fewer than 3,500 words.Screenwriting: Your sample should be fewer than 20 pages. Playwriting: Your sample should be fewer than 20 pages.

CIBA Fiction Series Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels must be PUBLISHED: Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pubs accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation. Unpublished Manuscripts are not accepted into the CIBA Book Series Awards. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Each book in the series must be at least 60,000 plus words. YA and Middle-Grade Works may be less but at least 40,000 words. The first book in the series must have been published AFTER January 1, 2010. Three Books or more is the qualifying number of works to be considered a series in the CIBA Series Book Awards. You may enter in more than one category. However, each complete series entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

20c Wartime Historical Fiction | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Satirical & Allegorical Fiction Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Contemporary & literary novel writing contest | chanticleer book reviews, non-fiction guides and how-to book awards | chanticleer book reviews.

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Works published before December 30, 2018 will be disqualified. Books must be 50,000 plus words OR at least 75 pages for Photobooks, Graphic Books, Charts, and other types of visual books or cookbooks/instructional books (knitting, etc). You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

Works may be published on the web or in print or may be non-published. E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. International entries are accepted but they must be written in the English language. Entries must be in the English language. STYLE GUIDERS ACCEPTED: AP, Chicago Manual of Style, MLA, and APA. Works published before December 30, 2018 will be disqualified. Works must be 10,000 plus words. Works must be 10,000 plus words. You may enter more than one work into a given contest.

Business, Technology, and Enterprise Non-Fiction Guides and How-To Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. Entries must be in the English language. Works published before December 31, 2018 will be disqualified. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Guides and Works | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Works published before January 1, 2019 will be disqualified. Books must be 40,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

Hearten Book Awards for Uplifting Non-Fiction Works | Chanticleer Book Reviews

The grindstone novel prize.

The 2022 International Novel Prize is open to authors from all countries, providing their submissions are in English. The prize is open to authors who are; unrepresented and unpublished, unrepresented and self-published, or previously published but currently unrepresented. Entrants are asked to submit the first 5,000 words of their finished or part-finished manuscripts, accompanied by a brief synopsis. Manuscripts must have a finished, or projected-finished length of at least 50,000 words. Entries of all genres are accepted, with the exception of worked aimed at children. YA is accepted.

Orna Ross Green Stories Novel Prize

Typically novels are 60,000 – 95,000 words. Submit three chapters (minimum of 4000 words, maximum 10,000 words), including the first chapter, another chapter that best showcases how your novel meets the green stories criteria, and a third chapter (the final chapter if possible). Prepare a synopsis between 500 and 1000 words that covers genre, plot, characters, and details of how it meets the green stories criteria of showcasing positive visions of a more sustainable society or incorporating green solutions into the context of an otherwise mainstream story.

H.E. Bates Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Must be unpublished (except on social media) and original work, and won no prize before. Length: max 2,000 words.

Daisy Pettles Women’s Writing Contest

All women writers, age 40 or older.

Dynamo Verlag Book Contest

This contest is open to all authors who have not published more than one (1) full length book in their primary genre (this does not include self-published works). Current and under-contract Dynamo Verlag authors are ineligible, as are any persons employed or associated with the press.This contest is open to primarily textual poetry or prose, minimum 8,000 words for poetry and maximum 75,000 words for prose.

7 Day Story Writing Challenges

The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over at the time of entering. International entries are welcome. All entries must be written in English. You must register for the competition using your real name. You can only register once.

Flash Fiction Competition

Entries must be in English. Entries must be the work of the entrant and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere. The competition is international and welcomes non-UK entrants. Copyright remains with the author.

The Moth Poetry Prize

The Prize is open to anyone (over 16), as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. There is no line limit, and the poems can be on any subject.

Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Contest

Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming, although we find that non-rhyming poetry reads better. Write about real emotions and feelings and that you have, some special person, or an occasion that comes to mind as you write. Poems are judged on the basis of originality and uniqueness. English-language entries only, please.

53-Word Story Contest

Your story must be 53 words—no more, no less—titles are not included in the word count. Stories not meeting this rule will be disqualified. Send only stories; poetry with line breaks will not be considered. Hyphenated words count as one word. One submission per person. there are no age restrictions.

Shooter Flash

We welcome stories up to 1,000 words long on a rolling basis, any theme/genre. Stories must be no longer than 1,000 words excluding title. Stories may be submitted at any time as submissions are open on a rolling basis. Stories can be previously published or unpublished, and writers may submit multiple stories for consideration.

Keeping your writing hidden won’t do much for your self-esteem and help you advance in your chosen career. Joining contests and competing with the best of writers out there is the one way to give yourself the boost you need.

Read more here.

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Amber Byers

Thanks for including the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest in your valuable directory of writing contests for 2022!

We’re excited to let you know that we are now hosting this contest twice a year—with deadlines every April 30 and November 30.

If you make any updates to this list, would you kindly include our updated deadlines?

Many thanks! Amber https://www.tadpolepress.com/100-word-writing-contest

Hello Amber, Thanks for letting us know. We’ll make sure to add the new dates in the next update.

Michael Gordon

As a writer I would suggest other writers to take part in writing contests because they are a great way to increase your exposure.

oussama boutoual

We at Neovel are excited to announce our upcoming writing contest with the theme of “Suspense” and the name The Mysterious Case We are seeking talented writers to submit their best work and compete for a chance to win prizes and gain recognition.

We would be grateful if you could help spread the word about our contest to your audience of writers and readers. We believe that your website is a great platform to reach out to potential participants and we would be honored if you could feature our contest on your website.

The contest is open for submissions starting 06/02/2023 and will close on April 2, 2023. The winners will be announced on May 8, 2023.

The entry is completely FREE

The prizes for winning authors are:

1st place: 500€,

2nd place: 250€,

3rd place: 100€.

Additionally, we will also be offering prizes for readers who read the most chapters from books that are participating in the contest :

1st : 1 year of free premium membership,

2nd : 6 months of free premium membership

3rd : 3 months of free premium membership.

Here is the link to the contest for more details : https://neovel.io/contest/the-mysterious-case-contest

If you have any questions or need more information about our contest, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that you can help us make this contest a success.

If you have any questions, please contact Oussama at oussama@neovel.io for further assistance.

Best regards, The Neovel Team.

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Looking for a Writing Contest to Enter?

Hannah Yang

Writing contests can be a useful way to send your work out into the world. With a strong submission and a bit of luck, you can win publication, recognition, and even cash prizes.

This article will give you the inside scoop on the most high-quality writing contests to enter.

Are Writing Contests Worth Entering?

What are some writing contests that are free to enter, how can i increase my chances of winning, where can i find more writing contests.

Entering writing contests can be useful for several reasons:

• They give you a deadline and often even a prompt to write about , which many writers find motivating
• The results can help you get a sense of where you are on your writing journey and how you can improve your craft
• Winning a contest can be a fantastic boost to your journey as a writer

On the other hand, it’s important to keep in mind that it takes a lot of luck to win a contest, since there are usually only a few winners chosen from among hundreds of strong contestants.

If your goal is to get your writing published, you’ll likely fare better by submitting to magazines and anthologies than by entering contests.

Download our free eBook on how to publish your writing

If your goal is to make money, you should prioritize freelance writing jobs instead.

With that being said, there are many incredible writing contests out there that can absolutely be worth your while, as long as you enter with realistic expectations.

Many writing contests cost fees to enter, since they give out cash prizes and hire guest judges that they need to pay for their time.

Charging an entry fee doesn’t necessarily mean the contest is a scam. It does mean, however, that you need to be judicious about which contests to submit your work to.

Free writing contests are more accessible to all writers, and there’s nothing to lose from giving them a shot.

We’ve compiled a list of legitimate, high-quality writing contests that charge no entry fees.

Prose Weekly Challenge

Prose, a social network for readers and writers, offers weekly challenges meant to spark your creativity. This is a fun, low-stakes challenge, with a small cash prize to sweeten the deal.

Prize: Each week’s winner receives $100. Guidelines: Submit a short piece of writing (up to 500 words) related to the weekly prompt. Deadline: Weekly.

Prime Number Magazine 53-Word Story Contest

Press 53’s Prime Number Magazine hosts a monthly micro-fiction contest based on a theme.

All stories must be exactly 53 words long. There’s no cash prize, but this can be a fun and low-stakes contest to participate in if you’ve got some spare time and are looking for a writing prompt.

Prize: Publication, a free book from Press 53. Guidelines: Submit a 53-word story based on a monthly prompt. Open to writers around the world who write in English. Deadline: Monthly on the 15th of each month.

Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction

The Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction is an annual short story contest co-hosted by Comma Press and the University of Central Lancashire.

If you live in the UK and are interested in crime stories, this is a great contest to consider, with a £500 for the winner and publication for the runners-up.

Prize: £500 ($692) for first place, and publication for 10 shortlisted authors. Guidelines: Submit a short story (between 2,000 and 6,000 words). The theme for the 2022 Prize is "Crime Stories." Only residents of the UK age 18 or older are eligible. Deadline: October 29, 2021.

Commonwealth Short Fiction Prize

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is an annual short fiction contest administered by the Commonwealth Foundation.

If you’re a short story writer and a citizen of a Commonwealth country, this contest is a fantastic option, with a generous £5,000 cash prize for the winner.

Prize: £5,000 ($6,922) for the overall winner and £2,500 ($3,461) for regional winners. Guidelines: Entrants must be citizens of a Commonwealth country and age 18 or over. Submit a short story (between 2,000 and 5,000 words). As well as English, stories are accepted in the Bengali, Chinese, French, Greek, Kiswahili, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Tamil, and Turkish languages. Translated entries from any language into English are also eligible. Deadline: November 1, 2021.

ServiceScape Short Story Award

ServiceScape is a platform that matches freelance writers, editors, and graphic designers with clients. They offer a yearly Short Story Award with a $1,000 prize.

Prize: $1,000 for first place and publication on the ServiceScape blog. Guidelines: Accepts original, unpublished work (5,000 words or fewer) in any genre, fiction or non-fiction. Writers must be age 18 or older. Deadline: November 29, 2021.

The Roswell Award

The Roswell Award is an annual science fiction contest with a $500 prize, co-presented by Sci-Fest L.A. and the Light Bringer Project.

This is a great option if you like using your writing to unite the worlds of science and art.

Prize: $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third place. Guidelines: Submit a science fiction story. Open to writers around the world age 16 or older. Writers are encouraged to explore scientific, social, technological, environmental, and philosophical themes in their writing and always, at the core, to master the art of great storytelling. Deadline: December 21, 2021.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest

The Writers of the Future Contest is the most enduring and influential contest in the history of science fiction and fantasy.

The contest is held once every three months, with a generous $1,000 prize.

Prize: $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place, and $500 for third place. Guidelines: Submissions must be short stories or novelettes (up to 17,000 words) in the genre of science fiction or fantasy. Open to new and amateur writers around the world. Deadline: Quarterly on December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30.

Find Out More

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award is an annual contest, co-hosted by the National Space Society and Baen Books, for stories about manned space exploration.

If you’re interested in the role that science fiction plays in advancing real science, this is a great option that pays professional rates.

Prize: Professional paying rates (8 cents per word). The winner’s story will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website. The winner will also receive free entry into 2020 International Space Development Conference and a prize package with various Baen Books and National Space Society merchandise. Guidelines: Submit a short story (up to 8,000 words) that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. The judges want to see moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, artificial intelligence, nano-technology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, and/or adventure. Open to writers around the world who write in English. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was February 1, 2021).

The Fountain Essay Contest

Fountain Magazine holds an annual contest for essays related to the personal challenges you’ve faced in your life.

Challenges can span from moving across the country and starting at a new high school or getting out of bed in the morning while undergoing depression. There are generous cash prizes for the winners.

Prize: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place, $300 for third place, and $150 each for two honorable mentions. Guidelines: Submit a personal essay (between 1,500 and 2,500 words) on the annual theme. All writers worldwide are eligible. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was March 1, 2021).

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

Every year, The Alpine Fellowship awards writing, visual arts, and theater prizes related to an annual theme.

This is an extremely competitive fellowship, with global recognition for the winner and a whopping £10,000 first place prize.

Prize: £10,000 ($13,840) for first place, £3,000 ($4,150) for second place, and £2,000 ($2,770) for third place. Guidelines: Submit a piece of writing related to the annual theme (2021’s was "Untamed: On Wilderness and Civilization"). Entries must be unpublished and a maximum of 2,500 words. Poetry, prose, or non-academic essays welcome. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was April 1, 2021).

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

The Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest is a contest for humor poems. This is a really fun contest if you like wordplay and witticisms, and you might even win $2,000.

Prize: $2,000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $100 each to 10 honorable mentions. Guidelines: Writers of all ages can submit an original, humorous poem with 250 lines or less. The poem you submit should be in English. Inspired gibberish is also accepted. Deadline: April 1, 2022.

Parsec Short Story Contest

Parsec Ink holds an annual contest for science fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories from non-professional writers, with a small cash prize for the winners.

Prize: $200 for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place. Guidelines: Submit a short story (up to 3,500 words) based on the annual theme. The 2022 theme has not yet been announced. (The 2021 theme was "Still Waters, Deep Thoughts"). Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was April 15, 2021).

Bacopa Literary Review Contest

Bacopa Literary Review is an international journal published by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. They hold an annual contest that welcomes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

Prize: $300 for first place and $100 for second place in each of four genres: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, and Prose Poetry. Guidelines: Submit a piece of writing in one of the four genres. You can find detailed guidelines for each genre on the website. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was May 31, 2021).

Stony Brook Southampton Short Fiction Prize

The Stony Brook Southampton Short Fiction Prize is a short story contest specifically for college students.

If you’re an undergraduate and want to try a writing contest, this is a fantastic option because you have a smaller set of competitors.

Prize: $1,000, a scholarship to the 2021 Southampton Writers’ Conference, and consideration for publication in TSR: The Southampton Review . Guidelines: Only full-time undergraduates in United States and Canadian universities and colleges are eligible. Submissions must be short fiction (7,500 words or less). Deadline: June 1, 2022.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group Annual Anthology Contest

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group holds an annual contest for short stories based on a theme.

There’s no cash prize, but all winning stories are published in their anthology, and you can receive royalties from sales.

Prize: Winning stories will be edited and published, and authors will receive royalties from the anthology. Guidelines: Submit a short story (between 5,000 and 6,000 words) related to the annual theme. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was September 1, 2021).

Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Contest

Hektoen International, an online journal dedicated to medical humanities, holds an annual contest for essays related to medicine, with a generous $5,000 cash prize.

Prize: $5,000 for the winner and $2,500 for the runner-up. Guidelines: Submit a short essay (up to 1,500 words) on any topic so long as it has a relation to medicine. The essay can include art, history, literature, education, and more. Writers must be age 18 or older. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was September 15, 2021).

Owl Canyon Press Short Story Hackathon

Owl Canyon Press holds an annual “ hackathon ” for 20-paragraph stories, with a $1,000 prize.

The contest provides the first and last paragraph and the short story writer crafts the rest.

Prize: $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place, and $500 for third place. Publication in a short story anthology for 24 finalists. Guidelines: Writers are invited to create and submit a short story consisting of 20 paragraphs. The contest provides the 1st and 20th paragraphs, and the short story writer crafts the rest. There is no entry fee for submissions received during the first month of the contest. Deadline: TBD 2022 (last year’s deadline was September 30, 2020).

Transitions Abroad Expatriate and Work Abroad Writing Contest

The Transitions Abroad Writing Contest is an annual contest for essays related to your experience abroad. If you’ve ever lived and worked abroad, this is a great contest with a $500 cash prize.

Prize: $500 for first place, $150 for second place, $100 for third place, and $50 for all finalists. Guidelines: Submit a practical and inspiring essay or mini-guide (between 1,200 and 5,000 words) that provides in-depth descriptions of your experience moving, living, and working abroad (including any form of work such as teaching English, internships, volunteering, short-term jobs, etc.). The contest is open to writers from any location around the globe. Deadline: TBD 2022 (last year’s deadline was October 15, 2020).

Writing Battle Summer Flash Fiction

Writing Battle is a quarterly contest where writers are assigned prompts and have 2 days to write 1000 words. You are guaranteed feedback from you writing peers, plus you can win some money

Prize: $5,000 split between the four winners and publication.

Guidelines: Accepts original, unpublished work that matches the prompts and genre assigned. Writers must be aged 18 or older.

Deadline: August 7, 2022

Atlas Shrugged Novel Essay Contest

The Atlas Shrugged novel essay contest is open to all students globally. Atlas Shrugged is a heroic mystery novel written by Ayn Rand. Choose a prompt and write a 800-1,600 word essay in English. First prize: $10,000; 3 second prizes: $2,000; 5 third prizes: $1,000; 25 finalists: $100; 50 semi-finalists: $50.

Prize: First prize: $10,000, 3 second prizes: $2,000, 5 third prizes: $1,000, 25 finalists: $100, 50 semi-finalists: $50.

Guidelines: Choose a prompt and write an 800–1,600 word essay in English. All students globally can apply.

Deadline: Annually on November 6

Each of these contests has different requirements. What works for one probably will not work for another.

But what will increase your chance in every contest is good grammar and a solid structure. This is where ProWritingAid can help.

We may not be able to write your story for you, but we can help you submit your best work.

ProWritingAid’s 25 reports provide personalized, in-depth feedback on everything from grammar and spelling to pacing, word choice, passive voice, and more.

Sign up for a free account to see how ProWritingAid can help you.

There are many resources for writers that compile lists of writing contests. You should check these regularly, as different writing contests have different submission periods.

Some of my favorite resources include:

• Poets & Writers
• Winning Writers

With many writers’ sites, you can filter for free contests specifically, and you can also filter by the type of work you want to submit.

I usually check these sites once a season (fall, winter, spring, summer) to compile a list of the contests I want to submit to.

Do you have a favorite writing contest? Let us know in the comments.

FREE WEBINAR: How to Improve Your Chances of Winning the Debut Dagger , Nov 11, 2pm ET / 7pm UK

Have you been thinking about entering your story for the CWA Debut Dagger this year? The deadline isn’t until the end of February but we want to help you prepare.

We’ve invited Dea Parkin, Secretary of the Crime Writers’ Association, and Leigh Russell, Chair of the Debut Dagger judges, to come and share their insider information. Learn what the judges are looking for and how to give your story the best shot at winning.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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Writing Competitions – Weekly Updates

Opportunities for aspiring and experienced writers..

Welcome to the most comprehensive list of writing competitions available online. Our list includes short story , poetry , and flash fiction competitions, as well as some events for essay writers, screenwriting , and even entire novel manuscripts. Each item on our list includes basic information about max word count , entry fees , submission deadlines , and the first place prize .

Please do your own research before deciding to enter any event. In case of questions about a particular event, please reach out to the event organizer .

Use our online form to submit a new event to our list.

We are keen to encourage quality submissions, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid . They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives. We also suggest checking out our article about the Best Apps for Creative Writing .

Join our Facebook group for updates Add an event Archive (past events)

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sun 10 dec All Day This event is FREE to enter! Yay! Skobeloff Love and Romance Anthology Category Short Story UK Entry Fee Free Max word count 5000 Top Prize Publication

thu 14 dec All Day The Latin Programme Poetry Prize 2024 Category Poetry International Entry Fee £14 Max word count 40 lines Top Prize £200

sun 17 dec All Day The Masters Review Chapbook Open 2023 Category Chapbook International Entry Fee $25 Max word count 45 pages Top Prize $3000, manuscript publication, and 75 contributor copies

mon 18 dec All Day ReadWrite Strategies Funny Workplace Anthology Contest Category Non-fiction USA Entry Fee Free Max word count 1200 Top Prize $500

sat 23 dec All Day FFF Competition Nineteen Category Flash Fiction International Entry Fee £3.80 Max word count 300 Top Prize £150

sun 31 dec All Day This event is FREE to enter! Yay! The Auroras & Blossoms Magazine Issue 2 Category Multiple categories International Entry Fee Free Max word count 1000 Top Prize Royalties to those who are published and donate

sun 31 dec All Day This event is FREE to enter! Yay! Wiingy Future STEM Leaders Scholarship Category Essay USA Entry Fee Free Max word count 600 Top Prize $1200

sun 31 dec All Day Valorious Awards Category Novel International Entry Fee $35 Max word count No limit Top Prize $500 (US), Valorious Award trophy

sun 31 dec All Day The Letter Review Prize Category Multiple categories International Entry Fee $20 Max word count Depends on category. Check with organizer. Top Prize $333 and publication

sun 31 dec All Day The Moth Poetry Prize 2023 Category Poetry International Entry Fee €15 Max word count No limit Top Prize €6,000

sun 31 dec All Day The 2023 Society of Classical Poets Poetry Competition Category Poetry International Entry Fee $20 Max word count 108 lines Top Prize $2,000

sun 31 dec All Day This event is FREE to enter! Yay! My Writing Journey Competition Category Essay International Entry Fee Free Max word count 600 Top Prize $200

sun 31 dec All Day The Tampa Review Prize for Poetry 2023 Category Poetry International Entry Fee $25 Max word count 100 pages Top Prize $2,000 and book publication

sun 31 dec All Day This event is FREE to enter! Yay! Lilith Magazine Annual Fiction Contest Category Multiple categories International Entry Fee Free Max word count Depends on category. Check with organizer. Top Prize $300 and publication

sun 07 jan All Day The Shepton Mallet Snowdrop Festival Poetry Competition Category Poetry International Entry Fee £4 Max word count 30 lines Top Prize £300 and publication

mon 08 jan All Day This event is FREE to enter! Yay! Quantum Shorts - Flash Fiction Category Flash Fiction International Entry Fee Free Max word count 1000 Top Prize $1500

sun 14 jan All Day The Page is Printed 2024 Category Multiple categories International Entry Fee £5 Max word count one side of A4 paper Top Prize £100

sun 14 jan All Day The 2024 Colorado Prize for Poetry Category Poetry International Entry Fee $28 Max word count 100 pages Top Prize $2,500 honorarium and publication

mon 15 jan All Day Winter Anthology Contest: Compelling First Chapters Category Novel USA Entry Fee $20 Max word count 3,000 Top Prize $1000 and anthology publication. All finalists will receive $50 and anthology publication.

mon 15 jan All Day Georgia Review Prose Prize Category Multiple categories International Entry Fee $30 Max word count 9000 Top Prize $1500

mon 15 jan All Day Rattle Chapbook Prize Category Chapbook International Entry Fee $25 Max word count 30 pages Top Prize $5,000 and 500 author copies of their chapbook

fri 19 jan All Day Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction Category Flash Fiction Australia Entry Fee $25 Max word count 500 Top Prize $1000

mon 22 jan All Day 2024 Calibre Essay Prize Category Essay International Entry Fee $20-30 Max word count 5,000 Top Prize $5,000 and publication

wed 31 jan All Day This event is FREE to enter! Yay! Cheshire Prize for Literature 2023 Category Multiple categories UK Entry Fee Free Max word count Depends on category. Check with organizer. Top Prize Depends on category. Check with organizer.

wed 31 jan All Day Clash of the Query Letters Category Multiple categories International Entry Fee $5 Max word count 500 Top Prize $700

wed 31 jan All Day New Writers Flash Fiction Competition 2024 Category Flash Fiction UK Entry Fee £10 (£8 early bird price until 30th November 2023) Max word count 300 Top Prize £1,000

wed 31 jan All Day Oxford Flash Fiction Prize 2024 Category Flash Fiction UK Entry Fee £7 Max word count 1000 Top Prize £1000

wed 31 jan All Day This event is FREE to enter! Yay! Discourse Literary Journal Monthly Writing Competition - February Category Multiple categories International Entry Fee Free Max word count 5000 Top Prize Publication

wed 31 jan All Day This event is FREE to enter! Yay! Story Unlikely's Annual Short Story Contest Category Multiple categories USA Entry Fee Free Max word count 4500 Top Prize $750

wed 31 jan All Day Magma 2023/24 Poetry Competition Category Poetry International Entry Fee £5 Max word count 10-50 lines Top Prize £1,000

wed 31 jan All Day Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Poetry Competition 2024 Category Poetry International Entry Fee £5 Max word count 40 lines Top Prize £1,000

thu 01 feb All Day ETHOS LITERACY 5th Annual Short Short Story Contest Category Short Fiction International Entry Fee $15 Max word count 100 Top Prize $300 and publication

fri 23 feb All Day The Elmbridge Literary Competition 2023-24 Category Multiple categories UK Entry Fee £5 Max word count 1500 Top Prize £250

thu 29 feb All Day Edinburgh Short Story Award Category Short Fiction International Entry Fee $10 Max word count 2000 Top Prize £3,000

thu 29 feb All Day This event is FREE to enter! Yay! THE CANTERBURY TALES WRITING COMPETITION Category Poetry International Entry Fee Free Max word count 500 Top Prize £300

fri 01 mar 1:00 am fri 1:00 am Best Short Stories on the Human Impact of Climate Change Category Short Story USA Entry Fee $10 Max word count 3,000 Top Prize $1,000

sun 31 mar All Day Minds Shine Bright Seasons Writing Competition Category Multiple categories International Entry Fee $5 Max word count Depends on category (check organizer's website) Top Prize $500 and publication

mon 01 apr All Day The Rialto Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2024 Category Poetry International Entry Fee £7 Max word count 40 lines Top Prize £1000

fri 31 may All Day The Bridport Prize 2024 Category Multiple categories International Entry Fee £11-£24 Max word count Depends on category (check organizer's website) Top Prize £5,000

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40 Writing Contests to Enter Right Now

Here is a list of 40 writing contests to enter right now! Get your Late Fall 2021 and 2022 submissions read and out into the world (and, if you're looking for a class in fiction , poetry , nonfiction , or screenwriting , we've got you covered):

Friends of american writers, literature awards.

A prize of $2,500 is given annually for a book of fiction or creative nonfiction published during the previous year by a writer who is a resident of the Midwest (or who...

Commonwealth Club of California

California book awards.

Five prizes of $5,000 are given annually for a poetry collection, a book of fiction, a first book of fiction, a book of creative nonfiction, and a book of fiction or nonfiction...

Writer’s Digest

Short short story competition.

A prize of $3,000 and travel and lodging expenses for a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City is given annually for a short short story. A second-place prize...

Center for Book Arts

Letterpress poetry chapbook competition.

A prize of $500 and letterpress publication by the Center for Book Arts is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The winner will also receive 10 copies of their chapbook and an...

Story Magazine

Story foundation prize.

A prize of $1,500 and publication in Story Magazine will be given annually for a short story. Submit a short story of no more than 10,000 words with a $25 entry fee by...

Travel Writing Contest

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Nowhere is given twice yearly for a poem, a short story, or an essay that "possesses a powerful sense of place." Porter Fox will...

Silverfish Review Press

Gerald cable book award.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Silverfish Review Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a first poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages with a...

Lascaux Review

Prize in short fiction.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Lascaux Review is given annually for a short story. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of up to 10,000 words...

Virginia Commonwealth University

Cabell first novelist award.

A prize of at least $3,000 is given annually for a first novel published during the previous year. The winner and two additional guest panelists (usually the winner's agent and...

Codhill Press

Poetry award.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Codhill Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. James Sherwood will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 70...

Before Columbus Foundation

American book awards.

Awards are given annually for books published in the United States during the previous year to recognize “outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America’s...

Cleveland Foundation

Anisfield-wolf book awards.

Three to four prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published during...

Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction

A prize of $2,500 and publication in LitMag is given annually for a short story. The winner will have their work reviewed by agents from Bankoff Collaborative, the...

Florida Review

Jeanne leiby memorial chapbook contest.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Florida Review is given annually for a chapbook of short fiction, short nonfiction, or graphic narrative. Submit a manuscript of...

Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry

Griffin poetry prize.

Two prizes of $65,000 CAD (approximately $51,912) each are given annually for poetry collections published during the previous year by a Canadian poet or translator and by an...

Poetry Prize

A prize of €6,000 (approximately $7,032) and publication in the Moth is given annually for a single poem. Three runner-up prizes of €1,000 (approximately $1,172) each...

Burnside Review Press

A prize of $1,000, publication by Burnside Review Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Sommer Browning will judge. Using only the online...

Livingston Press

Tartt fiction award.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Livingston Press, and 100 author copies is given annually for a first collection of short stories by a U.S. citizen. Submit a manuscript of...

Poetry Society of America

Alice fay di castagnola award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website will be given annually for a group of poems from a manuscript-in-progress. Major Jackson will judge....

Ashland Creek Press

Siskiyou prize for environmental literature.

A prize of $1,000 is given biennially for an unpublished or published book of fiction or creative nonfiction that focuses on the environment, animal protection, ecology, or...

Hub City Press

C. michael curtis short story book prize.

A prize of $5,000 and publication by Hub City Press is given biennially for a short story collection. Writers who have published no more than one book and who currently live in...

Poetry Contest

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Crosswinds is given annually for a single poem. Chard deNiord will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to...

Black Caucus of the American Library Association

Literary awards.

Four prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a first novel, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) by African...

Kallisto Gaia Press

Acacia fiction prize.

A prize of $1,200 and publication by Kallisto Gaia Press will be given annually for a collection of short works of fiction. Submit any combination of short stories, flash...

Robert H. Winner Memorial Award

A prize of $2,500 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website is given annually to a poet over 40 who has published no more than one book. Traci Brimhall will...

Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers

A prize of $1,500 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a short story by a writer who has not published a nationally distributed book. The editors will...

Saguaro Poetry Prize

A prize of $1,200 and publication by Kallisto Gaia Press will be given annually for a poetry chapbook. Submit 28 to 48 pages of poems and a $25 entry fee, which includes a copy...

Tupelo Press

Dorset prize.

A prize of $3,000 and publication by Tupelo Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner also receives a weeklong residency at the Massachusetts Museum of...

Award for Short Fiction

A prize of $1,000, publication by Press 53, and 50 author copies is given annually for a story collection. Claire V. Foxx will judge. Submit a manuscript of 100 to 250 pages...

Mississippi Review

Mississippi review prize.

Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Mississippi Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Current or former University of Southern...

North Carolina Writers’ Network

Jacobs/jones african american literary prize.

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a short story or an essay “that seeks to convey the rich and varied existence of Black North Carolinians.” The winning entry will be...

San José State University

Steinbeck fellowships in creative writing.

Yearlong residencies at San José State University in San José, California, which include a stipend of $15,000 each, are given annually to fiction writers and creative...

Gemini Magazine

Poetry open.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a single poem. The editors will judge. Submit up to three poems of any length with an $8...

Leon Levy Center for Biography

Leon levy biography fellowships.

Four fellowships of $72,000, writing space at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City, access to research facilities, and research assistance from a graduate student is given...

National Endowment for the Arts

Translation fellowships.

Grants of up to $25,000 each are given annually to translators of poetry and prose from any language into English. Applicants must have published, alone or in collaboration, at...

Colorado Review

Colorado prize for poetry.

A prize of $2,500 and publication by the Center for Literary Publishing is given annually for a poetry collection. Gillian Conoley will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 100...

French-American Foundation

Translation prizes.

Two prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for translations from French into English of a book of fiction and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published...

Ellen Meloy Fund

Desert writers award.

A prize of $5,000 is given annually to enable a creative nonfiction writer “whose work reflects the spirit and passions for the desert embodied in Ellen Meloy’s writing” to...

Asheville Poetry Review

William matthews poetry prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Asheville Poetry Review is given annually for a single poem. The winner is also invited to give a reading at Malaprop's Bookstore...

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

A prize of $1,500 and publication on the competition website is given annually for a short story by a writer whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally distributed...

Fordham University at Lincoln Center 

Poetic justice institute prizes.

Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Fordham University Press are given annually for poetry collections. The winners also receive a publicity consultation and headline...

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62 Writing Contests in March 2022 — No entry fees

Erica Verrillo

Curiosity Never Killed the Writer

T his March there are more than five dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $25,000 to a free writing class. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month’s contests go to Free Contests . Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline is past, you can prepare for next year.

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Lewis Galantiere Award . Restrictions : Open to US citizens or permanent residents. Genre : Translation of book-length literary work from any language, except German, into English. Entries must have been published in the US in the past two years. Prize : $1000. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize . Genre : Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize : $60,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between October 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022 . Prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Saddlebag Dispatches: Second Annual Mustang Award for Western Flash Fiction Contest . Genre : Short stories of no more than 1,000 words. The story settings should be in the American west, to include Canada and Mexico, between 1860 and 1920. Prize : $25 and publication. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Deep Wild Graduate Student Essay Prize . Restrictions : Open to students currently enrolled in graduate programs. Genre : Essay. “We seek work that conjures the experiences, observations, and insights of backcountry journeys.” Prize : Cash award. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

North Carolina State Poetry Contest . Restrictions: Open to North Carolina residents (including out-of-state and international students who are enrolled in North Carolina universities)with no published books. Genre : Poetry. Prize : $500. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Hippocrates Young Poets Prize for Poetry and Medicine . Restrictions : Open to poets aged 14–18 years. Genre : Poem. Prize : Unspecified. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Iron Horse 2022 Chapbook Competition . Genre : Prose chapbook, between 40 and 56 pages. Prize : $1,000 honorarium and 15 copies. Deadline : March 1, 2022. Note: They will accept 25 free submissions on March 1, 2022.

#PassOrPages Query Contest . Participating agents give brief feedback on a handful of entries, explaining why they’re passing … or requesting pages. The queries and accompanying feedback are posted anonymously, which helps querying authors get a peek into agents’ minds as they go through their slush piles. Genre : TBA Deadline : March 4, 2022.

The Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community. The prestigious award aims to provide promising writers a network for professional advancement. Since Poets & Writers began the Writers Exchange in 1984, 85 writers from 33 states and the District of Columbia have been selected to participate. Restrictions : Open to Nebraska residents. Genre : Poetry and Fiction. Prize : A $500 honorarium; A trip to New York City to meet with editors, agents, publishers, and other writers. All related travel/lodgings expenses and a per diem stipend are covered by Poets & Writers. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Toronto Star Short Story Contest . Restrictions: Open to Ontario residents 16 years of age or older. Genre : Short story. Prize : 1st prize — $5000; 2nd prize — $2000, 3rd prize — $1000. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Alabama Arts Council Fellowships . Restrictions : Open to any author who has lived in Alabama for at least 2 years. Genre : Fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction of 10–20 pages. Prize : $5,000. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Balticon Poetry Contest . Sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. Genre : Speculative poetry. Prize : 1st prize: $100; 2nd prize: $75; 3rd prize: $50. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Mississippi Artists Fellowships . Restrictions : Open to permanent residents of Mississippi. Genre : Fiction and poetry. Prize : $5,000. Deadline : March 1, 2022. Beverly Hopkins Memorial Poetry Contest for High School Students . Restrictions : High school students living within 100 miles of St. Louis. Genre : Poetry. Prize : First prize $200, Second prize $125, Third prize $75. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

The Waterman Fund Essay Contest . Genre : Personal essays between 2000 and 3000 words. “The Waterman Fund seeks new voices on the role and place of wilderness in today’s world.” Prizes : The winning essayist will be awarded $1500 and publication in Appalachia Journal. The Honorable Mention essay will receive $500. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-Fiction . Genre : Literary non-fiction. Restrictions : Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize : $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between October 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Grant MacEwan Creative Writing Scholarship is sponsored by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Genres : Poetry, Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction, Drama, or Graphic Novel. Restrictions : Authors must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate creative writing program of study or mentorship. (Max age 25) Alberta residents only. Prize : $5000 (CAN). Deadline : March 1, 2022.

The Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award is sponsored by Broadside Lotus Press. Restrictions : This competition is open to African American poets only. If you have already had a book published by Lotus Press, you are ineligible. However, inclusion in a Lotus Press anthology does not disqualify you. Genres : Poetry collections of approximately 60–90 pages. Prize : $500 in cash and publication by Broadside Lotus Press as well as free copies and discounts. Deadline : March 1, 2022.

Christopher Tower Poetry Competition . Restrictions : Open to UK students between 16–18 years of age. Genre : Poetry, one poem, maximum 48 lines. Theme is “Dream.” Prize : £5,000. Deadline : March 2, 2022.

Spectator Competition №3239: Bookish . Genre : “Sajid Javid is a big fan of Ayn Rand and Justin Trudeau loves Stephen King. You are invited to submit political manifestos inspired by literary heroes (please specify). Please email entries of up to 150 words to [email protected] by midday on 2 March.” Prize : £30. Deadline : March 2, 2022. (Registration required)

Orwell Prize for Journalism . Restrictions : Open to a journalist for sustained reportage and/or commentary working in any medium. Genre : Published journalism. Prize : £3,000 for the best political writing first published in the UK or Ireland between January 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022. Deadline : March 3, 2022.

Orwell Prize for for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils . Restrictions : Open to a journalist for sustained reportage and/or commentary working in any medium. Genre : A story that has enhanced the public understanding of social problems and public policy in the UK. Prize : £3,000 for the best political writing first published in the UK or Ireland between January 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022. Deadline : March 3, 2022.

On The Premises: Arrival . “For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which… IN THE FIRST SENTENCE… one or more characters arrive at a location and find something unexpected.” Prize : $250 for first place, $200 for second, $150 for third. Deadline : March 4, 2022.

The Lakefly Writers Conference . Restrictions : Open to residents of Wisconsin. Genres : Short story fiction: 1500 words or less. Any genre. Flash fiction: 500 words or fewer. Any genre. No theme. Poetry: All poems, free verse to formal and everything in between — 75 lines max. Teen short story: Open to 18 years old and younger. Maximum 1,500 words. Any genre. See theme. Prize : First place winners will receive a cash prize of $100; second place winners will receive $75; and third place winners will receive $50. Winners must be able to attend an awards ceremony. Deadline : March 5, 2022. ”It’s All Write!” Teen Short Story Contest . Restrictions : Open to Grades 6–12. Michigan residents only. Genre : Short story, and flash fiction, unpublished. Prize : 1st Place $250, 2nd Place $150, 3rd Place $100. Deadline : March 6, 2022.

Furious Fiction . Genre : Flash fiction. “On the first Friday of every month, a new set of story prompts will be revealed. You will have 55 hours to submit your best 500-word (or fewer) story.” Prize : $500AUD. Deadline : March 6, 2022.

NEA Literature Fellowships are sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Genre : Poetry. Prize : $25,000 grants to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Deadline : March 10, 2022.

Jane Martin Poetry Prize (UK) . Restrictions : Open to UK residents between 18 and 30 years of age. Genre : Poetry. Prize : £700, second prize, £300. Deadline : March 11, 2022.

Harper’s Bazaar short-story competition 2022 . Restrictions : Open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over. Genre : Original, unpublished short story, written in English on the subject of ‘Treasure’ up to 2,200 words. Prize : Two-night stay for two at Grantley Hall, Yorkshire (UK). Deadline : March 13, 2022.

The Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize . Restrictions : Open to writers resident in the UK and Ireland who have yet to secure a publishing deal. Genre : Proposal for a book-length essay (minimum 25,000 words). Prize : £3,000 advance against publication with Fitzcarraldo Editions. Deadline : March 14, 2022.

White River Environmental Law Writing Competition is sponsored by the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law and Vermont Law School. Restrictions : Open to all students currently pursuing a degree (J.D. or LL.M) at an accredited law school in the United States. Submissions written as a class component, as a journal requirement, or otherwise for academic credit are acceptable. Genre : Original essays addressing any relevant topic in the fields of environmental law, natural resource law, energy law, environmental justice, land use law, animal law, and agricultural law. Prize : $1000 cash prize and an offer of publication with the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law . Deadline : March 14, 2022.

Forward Prizes . Genre : Collections and single poems published in the UK and Ireland are eligible for the Prizes. Must be submitted by publisher. Prize : £1,000 to £10,000. Deadline : March 14, 2022.

Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest . Restrictions : Open to Connecticut Student Poets in Grades 9–12. Genre : Poetry. Prize : 1st $75, 2nd $50, 3rd $25. Deadline : March 15, 2022.

EastOver Prize for Nonfiction . Genre : Book-length nonfiction. “We are especially interested in collections of literary essays, but will consider memoirs, mixed genre works, works combining essays and original visual art, speculative nonfiction, and other hybrid works.” Prize : $2000 and publication. Deadline : March 15, 2022.

Greater Yellowstone Creative Writing and Journalism Fellowship . Restrictions : Established and recognized authors are being sought, but emerging and mid-career writers are also encouraged to apply. Genre: Seeking creative writers (poetry, fiction, nonfiction), or those in the field of journalism (writer, photojournalist, videographer, documentary filmmaker, online or print media) who demonstrate serious inquiry and dedication to the Greater Yellowstone region through their work. Fellowship : $3,500. Deadline : March 15, 2022.

Neltje Blanchan/Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Awards . Restrictions : Wyoming writers. Genres : The Frank Nelson Doubleday Award is given for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script written by a woman writer. The Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award is given annually for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script which is informed by a relationship with the natural world. Prize : $1,000. Deadline : March 15, 2022.

Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition for High School Students . Restrictions : Open to students in Grades 7–12. Genre : Haiku. Prize : $50. Deadline : March 15, 2022.

Andres Montoya Poetry Prize . Restrictions : Open to Latino authors who are residents of the US. Genre : First book of poetry published by a Latino author. Prize : $1,000 and publication by the University of Notre Dame Press. Deadline : March15, 2022. (Extended deadline)

2022 NFSPS Annual Poetry Contests . Genre : Poetry. The National Federation of State Poetry Societies sponsors 50 contests for adults, 34 of which are free and open to the public. There are also 3 free poetry contests for children. Prize : Monetary awards vary. Deadline : March 15, 2022.

Neltje Blanchan/Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Awards . Restrictions : Wyoming writers. Genres: The Frank Nelson Doubleday Award is given for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script written by a woman writer. The Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award is given annually for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script which is informed by a relationship with the natural world. Prize : $1,000. Deadline : March 15, 2022.

2022 POPP Award: Poetry of the Plains and Prairies . Genre : Poetry of any style for their annual Poetry of the Plains and Prairies chapbook publication. “While the author(s) may call any place home, their submissions must deftly capture the feeling of, as well as the reality of, living on the plains and prairies. Authors may submit any number of poems equaling thirty to thirty-five pages in length, with no more than one poem per page. (Single poems may extend more than one page.) The selected poetry collection will be published as a limited edition chapbook, hand-printed with antique letterpress equipment.” Prize : Publication. Deadline : March 17, 2022.

The Mollie Savage Memorial Writing Contest . Genre : Mystery short story. Prize : Winning stories are published in Toasted Cheese. If 50 or fewer eligible entries are received, first place receives a $35 Amazon gift card & second a $10 Amazon gift card. If 51 or more eligible entries are received, first place receives a $50 Amazon gift card, second a $15 Amazon gift card & third a $10 Amazon gift card. Deadline : March 20, 2022. Opens March 18.

BBC National Short Story Award . Restrictions : Open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing. Genre : Short fiction. Prize : £15,000 to the winner, £3,000 for the runner-up and £500 for three further shortlisted writers. Deadline : March 21, 2022.

Limp Wrist: Glitter Bomb Award . Restrictions : Open to LGBTQ/non-binary poets and their allies. Genre : Poem by a poet of any stage of her/his/their career. Prize : $600 and publication in Limp Wrist. Deadline : March 24, 2022.

Daisy Utemorrah Award for Indigenous Authors . Restrictions : Open to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander writer currently residing in Australia. Genre : Junior/YA full-length fiction manuscript intended for readers aged 8–18. Length: 40,000 and 100,000 words. Prize : A$15,000 and possible publication. Deadline : March 30, 2022.

Vweta Chadwick Poetry Prize . Restrictions : Open to female high school and college students in Nigeria. Genre : Unpublished poems, 40 lines maximum, about “invisible disability.” Prize : $200. Deadline : March 30, 2022.

Jack L. Chalker Young Writers’ Contests . Restrictions : Open to writers between 14 and 18 years of age as of May 29 in the contest year who reside in, or attend school in Maryland. Genre : Science fiction or fantasy, 2,500 words max. Prizes : $150, $100 and $75. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

Villena Aldama Art & Writing Contest . Restrictions : Open to writers under the age of 25. Genre : Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art/hybrid forms. Prize : $250. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

Jack London Fiction Writing Contest . Restrictions : Open to U.S. students in grades 6–8. Genre : Unpublished stories. Length: 2,000 words maximum. “The theme of the contest is “Building Brighter Communities.” Prize : $250, $150, and $100. Deadline : March 31, 2022. Read flyer HERE .

A Public Space Emerging Writer Fellowships. Restrictions : Open to writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book. Prize : $1000 and six months of editorial support from A Public Space editors to prepare a piece of prose for publication in the magazine. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition . Restrictions : Open to high school students in the Washington, DC region. Genre: Poetry. Prize : A reading with honorarium in the Miller Poetry Series, a summer program occurring in June and July. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest . Restrictions : Open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Genres : Science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words. Prizes : Three cash prizes in each quarter: a First Prize of $1,000, a Second Prize of $750, and a Third Prize of $500, in US dollars. In addition, at the end of the year the winners will have their entries rejudged, and a Grand Prize winner shall be determined and receive an additional $5,000. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation . Genre : Poetry or literary prose. Translation of modern Arabic literature into English. Books must have been published and be available for purchase in the UK via a distributor or online. The source text must have been published in the original Arabic in or after 1967. Must be submitted by publisher. Prize : £3,000. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

City of Literature Paul Engle Prize . Genre : This prize does not recognize one work, nor is it solely limited to reflecting literary achievement. Rather, the award seeks to recognize a writer, like Engle, who makes an impact on his or her community and the world at large through efforts beyond the page. It also seeks to raise awareness about Engle and his works. Prize : $20,000. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre : Micro fiction. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. See themes . Prize : Free Gotham class. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

Sarah Mook Poetry Prize for Students . Restrictions : Students in grades K-12. Genre : Poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

Sleeping Bear Press: Own Voices, Own Stories Award . Restrictions : Contest is open to BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ writers. Applicants must be United States residents and at least 18 years of age. Genre : BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ children — or children of LGBTQ+ families. Prize : Grand Prize winners will receive a $2,000 cash prize, in addition to a publishing contract with advance and royalties standard for new Sleeping Bear Press authors. Honor Award winners will receive a $500 cash prize as well as one consulting session with a Sleeping Bear Press editor. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

Foley Poetry Contest . Genre : One unpublished poem on any topic. The poem should be 45 lines or fewer and not under consideration elsewhere. Prize : $1000. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

The George W. Hunt, S.J., Prize for Excellence in Journalism, Arts & Letters . Genre : The 2022 prize is open to: Cultural or Historical Critic. “Writers of books, articles or essays intended for a thoughtful, general audience are invited to submit material in the following categories: biography, memoir, general history, cultural analysis and criticism (aesthetics, art, drama and film, education), political and social criticism, philosophical and theological reflections. Books, articles and essays written principally for academic audiences or specialists will not be considered. Nominees must supply one or more book excerpt(s), article(s), or essay(s) not to exceed 10,000 words in total. The Nomination Committee may request further excerpts or complete works.” Prize : $20,000. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

Archibald Lamp­man Award . Restrictions : Open to residents of Canada’s National Capital region (Ottawa). Genre : Book of any genre published by a recognized publisher. Prize : $1500. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing . Restrictions : Open to first-generation residents of the United States. “First-generation” can refer either to people born in another country who relocated to the U.S., or to American-born residents whose parents were born elsewhere. Genre : Unpublished nonfiction books. Prize : $10,000 and publication. Deadline : March 31, 2022.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to “revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful.” Genre : Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize : $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline : March 31, 2022. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .

Written by Erica Verrillo

Helping writers get published and bolstering their flagging spirits at http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/

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Connect with us, writing contests & publication opportunities for youth.

Girls Write Now is a dynamic, multi-generational community of writers on a mission. For more than 20 years, our nationally award-winning programs have provided creative, critical and digital writing training, college and career readiness, personalized mentoring and massive opportunities for the next generation of leaders.

Know about a great writing contest for teens or young adults? Feel free to reach out to Sally Familia at [email protected] .

CONTEST SOURCES FOR YOUTH

Approaching writing contests can be overwhelming. Where do you even start?

• Submittable.com is a great source for perusing around different writing contests. From annual contests to general submissions and publications, Submittable is a place where many journals and literary organizations list their search for unpublished writing of all genres! Once you set up a Submittable account, you’ll even have a neat little dashboard to keep all your submissions in order. No mess = less stress!

SELECT YOUTH CONTESTS

These select contests are not only specific to youth, but they will also come and go faster than you can spell “onomatopoeia.” Check back periodically for new contests throughout the year!

If you write historical or mythology-inspired short fiction, and are 18 years old or above, you can enter a story of between 1,500 and 2,000 words to win some great prizes from World History Encyclopedia and Oxford University Press! Make sure it’s set before 1939, the current cut-off date for World History Encyclopedia. Submission Deadline: October 7, 2023.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is a provocative novel that presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction—that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress. Enter the Fountainhead  Essay Contest to win a $5,000 prize! Follow the instructions on the website to receive more information on how to apply.

The nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens, The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards recognizes art in 28 categories. Students will first apply for regional awards, and those that receive a Gold Key will be judged in the national competition. Find your region to determine your deadline and learn more about submitting at: https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/ . When you apply, make sure to identify Girls Write Now as your organization. Click here for more details about how to have your fee waived as a Girls Write Now mentee.

The New York State (NYS) Youth Poet Laureate Program aims to identify young writers and leaders committed to creating change through civic engagement and poetic excellence. Along with the official title and a cash prize of $500, the NYS Youth Poet Laureate gets both high-level performance and learning opportunities and the chance to apply to be the National Youth Poet Laureate.

Select Annual Contest Schedules

Bennington’s Young Writers Awards exists to promote excellence in writing at the high school level. Included genres are poetry, fiction and nonfiction. A first, second, and third place winner is selected in each category. The details below can be found on their Submittable page at https://www.bennington.edu/events/young-writers-awards .

Awards & Rules First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; third-place winners receive $250.

There is no entry fee.

All entries must be original work reviewed, approved and sponsored by a high school teacher. We will use your sponsoring teacher as a contact for the competition should we have any questions. For homeschooled students, please contact a mentor to sponsor your writing.

Young Writers Award finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington. YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $40,000. YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $15,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $60,000.

Black Lawrence Press has annual awards and competitions for a variety of genres. The schedule below, as well as individual descriptions for each award, can be found on their Submittable page at https://blacklawrencepress.submittable.com/submit . The Big Moose Prize: Open December 1 – January 31 (Open competition, novels) The Hudson Prize: Open February 1 – March 31 (Open competition, poetry and short story collections) The Spring Black River Chapbook Competition : Open April 1 – May 31 (Open competition, poetry and prose chaps) Open Reading Period 1: Between June 1 – June 30 The St. Lawrence Book Award: Open July 1- August 31 (First book competition, poetry and short story collections) The Fall Black River Chapbook Competition: Open September 1 – October 31 (Open competition, poetry and prose chaps) Open Reading Period 2: Between November 1 – November 30 (Please note that Black Lawrence Press occasionally offers early bird specials on their contests. These specials allow authors to submit their manuscripts ahead of time at a discounted rate.)

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest –  Tell Your Climate Story  – encourages you to become a climate witness and share your own unique climate story. We are asking you to creatively express your personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about our changing climate reality. Use this opportunity to learn about the climate crisis and how it impacts your family and community, and to examine your individual responses to our evolving world. Learn more at  http://www.bowseat.org/contest .

This Goi Peace Foundation essay contest aims to inspire society to learn from the young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the world. This year’s theme challenges writers to explore their values, and how those values shape their lives. Three winners will be selected, with cash prizes of up to $840. To learn more, visit https://www.goipeace.or.jp/en/work/essay-contest/ .

The American Writers Museum, John Estey Student Writing Competition, has opened its 4th annual student writing competition. To learn more, visit American Writers Museum

Using the prompt MY NOTE TO THE WORLD as a springboard, we invite you to imagine you’re onstage and the world is listening: what challenge do you feel compelled to address creatively and in your unique voice? Students from the US and internationally, grades 9–12, are eligible to submit to the contest. Winners and finalists, along with their teacher representatives, will be asked to provide identification. Learn more here: https://www.narrativemagazine.com/narrative-for-schools/ninth-annual-contest

PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMERGING WRITERS

THE ADROIT JOURNAL  is run by high school students, college students, and emerging writers. Adroit publishes within “over 21” and “under 21” categories, so your writing will appear alongside great work by writers of any age. Adroit publishes fiction and poetry, and includes art and photography. They will reopen our submission reading period in January 2021. Find them online at:  http://www.theadroitjournal.org/

AFFINITY MAGAZINE works to spotlight teen voices about current events. We find that the media sometimes forgets the voices of teens on many topics! So we are here to give them a voice. Affinity Magazine allows you to get your writing published and read by thousands of people! You can get your work published and sharpen up on your writing so you can write for The New York Times one day (hopefully!!). For ages 13-20. Visit http://affinitymagazine.us/write-for-us/ for more information on all the different

AGNI  is Boston University’s well-respected journal. It appears in both print and online. AGNI submissions are not limited to high school writers, but the journal is known to accept and publish lots of work by new writers. Get published in high school at AGNI and you’ve taken an important step to becoming a writer in the real world! Find them online at:  http://www.bu.edu/agni/submit.htm

THE ALCOTT YOUTH MAGAZINE is a magazine devoted to sharing the written perspectives of young people. The magazine publishes work on a variety of topics, including current events, young adult life, and women’s rights issues. Published works are primarily focused on young women from ages thirteen to twenty-two. However, anyone who is interested in sharing their voice is encouraged to submit to the magazine, regardless of age or gender. The Alcott Youth Magazine is open to publishing articles, essays, short stories, illustrations, cartoons, photographs, or any other works. Visit https://www.alcottmagazine.com/submit

THE AUDACITY is Roxanne Gay’s bi-monthly newsletter where she features emerging writers with fewer than three article/essay/short story publications and no published books or book contracts. The Audacity features only non-fiction and is particularly interested in literary essays and memoir. All essays are paid a flat fee of $2,000. For more information, visit https://gay.submittable.com/submit

BLUE MARBLE publishes four times a year and accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, opinion pieces, travel writing, photography and art on a rolling basis. Blue Marble looks for new work from writers ages 13-21 that hasn’t been published anywhere else either online or in print. For more details on how to submit your work, visit https://bluemarblereview.com/submit/ .

DIALOGUE HUMANITIES is an online, biannual journal that publishes high quality, humanities-focused essays written by middle and high school students. Essays will be reviewed by a panel of experts in various humanities-based fields and will be chosen based on the strength of the writing, the author’s familiarity with his or her chosen topic, and the appropriateness of the essay’s content. Dialogue Humanities Review aims to include academic essays from a wide variety of fields, including but not limited to: African-American Studies; American Studies; Anthropology; Archaeology; Art Criticism, History, and Theory; Classics; Ethics; Ethnic Studies; Folklore; Geography; History; History and Ethics of Science; International Studies; Jurisprudence; Languages and Linguistics; Literature; Music History and Criticism; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Religion and Comparative Religion; Sociology; Social Sciences; Theatre History and Criticism; and Women’s Studies. If selected, authors will be asked to revise their essays to ready it for publication. Please visit http://dialoguehumanitiesreview.org/about/ or contact Jessica Rafferty at [email protected] for more information.

ÉLAN LITERARY MAGAZINE accepts original fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, plays, and all kinds of art from students ages 14-18 in locations internationally. Élan produces two online editions a year, one in the Fall/Winter and another in the Spring/Summer. The two editions are combined into a single Print Edition each Summer. For more information on how to submit, visit: https://www.elanlitmag.com/submit .

EMBER only publishes twice a year, but this beautiful and dreamy journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction appeals to all age groups. Although it doesn’t exclusively publish young writers, submissions from writers and artists ages 10 to 18 are strongly encouraged. Submissions open March 1, 2023 . For more details, visit them online at:  http://emberjournal.org/ .

ENOUGH PLAYS is taking submissions from teen writers (ages 13-19) of 10-MIN PLAYS confronting the issue of gun violence. Six plays will be selected by a panel of astonishing writers to be published and performed nationwide and the writers will receive $500. Deadline for submissions is April 20, 2023 . Visit them online: https://www.enoughplays.com/amplify

GIRLS RIGHT THE WORLD  is a literary journal inviting young, female-identified writers and artists, ages 14–21, to submit work for consideration for the fourth annual issue. They believe girls’ voices transform the world for the better. We accept poetry, prose, and visual art of any style or theme. Girls Right The World ask to be the first to publish your work in North America; after publication, the rights return to you. Please include a note mentioning your age, where you’re from, and a bit about your submission. Send your best work, in English or English translation, to girlsri[email protected] between September 1 and December 31. 

HANGING LOOSE PRESS has had a section of high school writing in their issues since 1968. Hanging Loose has long been known for its special interest in new writers. This press reads manuscripts throughout the year, accepting poetry and prose. For more details on the submission process, visit https://www.hangingloosepress.com/submissions/ .

HELLOGIGGLES a positive online community for female-identifying readers (although others are always welcome!) covering the latest in beauty and style, relationships, career and money, culture, identity, and more. Featuring a mix of news, personal essays, reported features, and service, we’re committed to providing our readers with smart, thoughtful, and relatable content representing a range of voices. We were founded by Zooey Deschanel, Molly McAleer, and Sophia Rossi in 2011 as a place on the Internet to inspire a smile, and years later, we’re still doing just that. for ages 14 and up

HOT DISH MAGAZINE , an online journal serving up a bubbling mixture of poetry and fiction by teens (grades 9–12), wants your voice to be heard! We award cash prizes for fiction, poetry, and the Hot Dish Challenge. Our submission period is October-January. Visit us at  www.hotdishmagazine.com . 

ICE LOLLY REVIEW:  Ice Lolly Review accepts a variety of pieces including, creative nonfiction, fiction, haikus, poems, plays, spoken word, and etc. They are looking for pieces that have a strong, solid voice and aren’t afraid of delving into deep topics. For more details, go to  https://www.icelollyreview.com/submissions .

jGIRLS   MAGAZINE:   jGirls Magazine accepts submissions on an ongoing basis from self-identifying Jewish teenage girls and gender-expansive youth ages 13-19. You can submit articles, essays, fiction, poetry, cultural reviews, humor, photographs, music, videos, artwork and other creative materials. You can submit as often as you’d like. For more details, visit  https://jgirlsmagazine.org/submission-guidelines/ .

KIDSPIRIT is a nonprofit online magazine and community by and for youth to engage each other about life’s big questions in an open and inclusive spirit. Its mission is to promote mutual understanding among 11- to 17-year-olds of diverse backgrounds and support their development into world citizens with strong inner grounding. KidSpirit is in syndication on the Huffington Post and Spirituality & Practice and has won numerous awards from major educational, parenting, and spiritual organizations. Visit the Get Involved section to learn more about publishing your work, becoming an editor, or facilitating a conversation about one of the 50 themes KidSpirit contributors have explored: https://kidspiritonline.com/get-involved/

THE LUMIERE REVIEW is a literary magazine dedicated to shining the light on all voices through poetry, prose, and art. General submissions are now open. Submissions to the forthcoming Issue 08 of The Lumiere Review in poetry, prose (creative fiction and non-fiction), and all forms of art can be sent to [email protected]. Details on how to submit and format your work can be found at: https://lumierereview.com/submit .

THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM : invites middle and high school students to enter the Morgan’s Teen Writing contest with a first-person poem or narrative telling a story from the perspective of a hero or heroine. Submission deadline is February 24, 2023. Written work should be submitted using this online form . Submissions must be written in English. Works can contain mature themes but inappropriate or graphic content is subject for removal. More details can be found at: https://www.themorgan.org/education/writing-contest

POLYPHONY LIT:  invites submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from high school students worldwide. Student editors provide feedback to all submissions, including the ones not accepted for publication. Submissions are open from February 1-28, 2022 and June 1-30, 2022. More details can be found at  https://www.polyphonylit.org/.

TEEN INK is one of the most popular and diverse writing spaces to get published in high school. The broad categories for publication reflect the diversity of writing that this lively online magazine celebrates. Some publication categories include: community service, travel and culture, the environment, health, reviews of TV shows and video games, and college essays, among the more traditional poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Visit online at:  http://www.teenink.com

THE TRAILBLAZER LITERARY MAGAZINE is an international high school publication dedicated to push for cultural diversity through creative writing. For general submissions, the magazine accepts fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction all year, from middle and high school students between 14 and 18 years old. In addition, they host the Cultural Heritage Writing Contest, which welcomes submissions about the young creatives’ cultural background, ancestry, values, customs, etc. Visit online at: https://www.thetrailblazerreview.com/ TRAVELNITCH was founded in 2018 to encourage a love of travel and make it more accessible to all families. Travelnitch believes travel has the power to changes lives, open minds, and build stronger communities. They love to feature new & aspiring travel writers who can delight and entertain readers. They currently need support developing family-centric travel content to engage kids (and sometimes parents) in fun and innovative ways.  If you are a writer who loves to travel, this could be the perfect fit for you—turn your own passion into an inspiring story for our readers! https://travelnitch.org/writers/storyteller-spotlight/

TYRIAN INK is an independent LGBTQIA+ press that is dedicated to uplifting youth voices. TYRIAN INK is currently open to chapbook manuscripts of any genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrid, etc) with a minimum of 30 pages and a maximum of 50 pages in length. Please only submit if you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community and are 22 or below. Writers will be paid $250 for their manuscripts and receive a percent of royalties for every chapbook sold. https://tyrianinkpress.com/home/submission-guidelines/

Auroras & Blossoms’ third annual PoArtMo Anthology , gives a voice to people whose stories and/or art seek to nurture hope and optimism. Writers of poetry, short stories, flash fiction, essays, and six-word stories are all encouraged to send in their work! To read more about The PoArtMo Anthology, visit the Auroras and Blossoms Anthology guidelines page at https://abpositiveart.com/youth .

WRITING RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIPS

Hedgebrook’s mission is to support visionary women-identified writers,18 and older, whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come. Writers must be women, which is inclusive of transgender women and female-identified individuals.

Hedgebrook’s Writer-in-Residence Program supports writers from all over the world for fully-funded residencies of two to four weeks (travel is not included and is the responsibility of the writer to arrange and pay for). Up to 6 writers can be in residence at a time, each housed in their own handcrafted cottage. They spend their days in solitude – writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property or on nearby Double Bluff beach. In the evenings, “The Gathering” is a social time for residents to connect and share over their freshly prepared meals.

Writers can apply here for a residency in Fiction, Non-fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Screenwriting/TV Writing, or Songwriting. Read more and apply at https://www.hedgebrook.org/writers-in-residence.

MacDowell’s mission is to nurture the arts by offering creative individuals an inspiring environment in which they can produce enduring works of the imagination. We encourage applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and who are investigating an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns.

MacDowell  is currently accepting applications for the Spring Summer 2023 residency season (March – August 2023). Learn more at https://macdowell.slideroom.com/#/Login.

The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is a $8,000 unrestricted cash grant available to artists living in New York State and/or one of the Indian Nations located therein. This grant is awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period (five categories a year) and the application is free to complete. The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is not a project grant, but is intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, at all levels of their artistic development.

Learn more at https://www.nyfa.org/awards-grants/artist-fellowships/ .

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Writing contests provide steps up for a writer – especially a struggling writer. A portfolio that contains contest wins means more than many clips. Can’t afford the entry fees? Consider entering one contest a quarter or something more amiable to your pocketbook. A few are free. Contests provide prizes, prestige and usually publication with many offering book contracts. Denouncing contests from your writing repertoire is like discounting an entire genre or refusing to eat yellow vegetables. You’re giving up something valuable that may serve you and your career well.

NOTE: To have your group’s contest posted, email [email protected] with the link to the contest. It must pay a minimum of a $200 first prize, not take all rights for entering, and charge an entry fee of five percent or less. 

THE IRIDESCENCE AWARD https://www.kinsmanquarterly.org/iridescence-award NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 31, 2023.  Submissions are open for short stories and poetry by BIPOC authors for Kinsman Quarterly’s Iridescence Award. Themes should include the supernatural, extraterrestrial, or the paranormal. Prizes include publication in the Iridescence anthology with cash awards up to $500 USD. Must individuals 18 years or older who are literary or visual artists of the Black, Indigenous, or People of Color Community. (Thanks Poets & Writers newsletter – www.pw.org)

THE WEDNESDAY CLUB OF ST. LOUIS POETRY CONTESTS https://wednesdayclubstlouis.org/poetry-contest/ NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline  February 1, 2024 . Open to adults over 18 living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis. Submit two copies of two poems, which have never been published or won an award. Prizes $500, $300, $150. The junior poetry contest is open to high school students in grades 9 through 12 in the St. Louis area. Entries must be submitted through the English Department. Entries must be submitted with an English teacher’s signature indicating approval of the content. Student prizes: $200,  $150,  $100, $80, $50, and up to five $25 honorable mentions. Teacher awards: $200, $150, $100.

THE NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS https://indiebookawards.com/ $75 ENTRY FEE. Early deadline  February 14, 2024 . The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest International awards program for indie authors and independent publishers and the only book awards program of its kind offering more monetary prizes, more awards, more recognition and more exposure including exposure to a leading Literary Agent for possible representation. $1,500 cash prizes plus trophies for best fiction book and best non-fiction book, $750 cash prizes plus trophies for second best fiction book and non-fiction book, and $500 cash prizes plus trophies for third best fiction book and non-fiction book. Eighty categories available for entry.

MSLEXIA WOMEN’S POETRY COMPETITION https://mslexia.co.uk/competitions/single-poem-poetry/womens-poetry-competition-2023/ £10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 4, 2023.  This competition is open to unpublished poems of any length, on any subject. Your £10 entry fee allows you to submit up to three poems. 1st: £2,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £250. Unpublished Poetry Prize for the best poem by a previously unpublished poet: £250. The four winners, plus sixteen additional finalists will have their poems published in the March 2024 issue of Mslexia.

MSLEXIA WOMEN’S PAMPHLET COMPETITION https://mslexia.co.uk/competitions/pamphlet-poetry/womens-pamphlet-competition-2023/ £20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 4, 2023 . The competition is open to collections of up to 20 poems, of up to 24 pages, by poets who have never had a full-length collection published. 1st: £250 plus publication by Bloodaxe Books. A selected poem from the winning pamphlet will be published in Mslexia.

OPRELLE COMING HOME POETRY CONTEST https://oprelle.com/pages/coming-home-poetry-contest-2023-rules-and-regulations $15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 15, 2023 . First $200. Second $100. Third $50. What does home look like to you? Is it an old farmhouse, a certain person, a childhood bedroom, a river you run to? Think about when you feel most rooted. Where in that world that you feel most at peace, most yourself? Write a poem that takes us there with you.

STORY UNLIKELY’S ANNUAL SHORT STORY CONTEST https://www.storyunlikely.com/#contest NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline  January 31, 2024.  There are no restrictions on genre: fantasy, sci fi, memoir, fiction/nonfiction, etc. – we don’t care as long as it’s written and told with quality and care. The story itself cannot exceed 4,500 words. There are no restrictions on age or location of participant. A $1,500 prize package will be divvied up like so: $750 first place, $500 second place, $250 third place. The winning story will be featured on Story Unlikely’s website, will be strongly considered for our annual (print) sample magazine, and may be sent out as the bonus story for signing up, which means a lot of exposure to the winner. All three placing stories will be published in the monthly issue, and all three will be illustrated by our crackpot team of digital editors! To be eligible for the contest, all writers must be signed up to Story Unlikely’s monthly issue. Totally free.

CLASH OF THE QUERY LETTERS https://darlingaxe.com/pages/query-letter-clash $5 CAD ENTRY FEE. Deadline  January 31, 2024 . In the fiction world, a query letter alone is not enough to land representation. The manuscript’s first sentence, first paragraph, and first page are the crucial test. However, a query letter acts as a writer’s resume or c/v. It sets the tone, lays out the book’s market potential, and introduces the human behind the words and ideas. And of course, it also pitches the story itself. While an ideal query letter may not seal the deal, it will fill literary agents with eager excitement—a most helpful frame of mind for them to be in as they turn to your sample pages. Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: does this query letter convince me that I’m in the hands of an adept novelist with a unique and engaging story to tell? First place: $700 CAD. Second place: $200 CAD. Third place: $100 CAD. One double-spaced page. Original, unpublished, unrepresented work only.

NARRATIVELY FALL SHORT STORY CONTEST https://www.narrativemagazine.com/fall-2023-story-contest $27 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  November 30, 2023.  Open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest. First Prize is $2,500, Second Prize is $1,000, Third Prize is $500, and up to ten finalists will receive $100 each. All entries will be considered for publication. All contest entries are eligible for the $5,000 Narrative Prize and for acceptance as a Story of the Week.

RED HEN PRESS QUILL PROSE AWARD https://redhen.org/awards/quill-prose-award/ $10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  November 30, 2023.  First prize $1,000 and book publication by Red Hen Press. Submit 25,000-word minimum (approximately 150 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font); prose (fiction or nonfiction) by a queer writer only.

CIDER PRESS REVIEW BOOK AWARD https://ciderpressreview.com/bookaward/book-award-submission-guidelines/ $26 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  November 30, 2023.  Offers a $1,500 prize, publication, and 25 author’s copies of a book length collection of poetry. Author receives a standard publishing contract. Initial print run is not less than 1,000 copies. Submit 48-80 pages of original poetry in English not previously published in book form.

HUMOR STORY CONTEST https://readwritestrategies.com/submissions#1 NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 18, 2023 . We’re looking for funny creative nonfiction stories about moments when you’ve found the humor in the good, the bad, and the absurdity of work. ReadWrite Strategies is partnering with Jim Dunn, PhD, DHA, FACHE to create an anthology of funny stories about the workplace. The shared trauma of COVID, along with the return to office, have left the world (and the workforce) in need of laughter, warmth, and connection. All stories should be 300 – 1200 words, and you can submit as many stories as you like. We particularly welcome stories from HR professionals. All accepted contributors will receive a digital copy of the book. The five funniest stories will win an award: 1st place will receive $500 and a print copy, 2nd place will receive $200 and a print copy; and 3rd, 4th, and 5th place will each receive $100 and a print copy.

A. POULIN, JR. POETRY PRIZE https://www.boaeditions.org/pages/a-poulin-jr-poetry-prize $25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  November 30, 2023 . Winner receives book publication by BOA Editions, Ltd. in spring 2025 and $1,000 honorarium. Entrants must be a U.S. citizen, a legal resident of the U.S., or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or Legal Permanent Status (LPS). Only manuscripts by poets who have yet to publish a full-length book collection of poetry will be considered.

HUDSON REVIEW SHORT STORY CONTEST https://hudsonreview.com/news-events/short-story-contest-opening-in-september-2023 NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline  November 30, 2023.  Limit 10,000 words. First prize: $1000. Second and third prizes: $500. Winning stories will be published in The Hudson Review. All submissions will be considered for publication and payment at our regular rates.

MEMOIR PRIZE FOR BOOKS https://memoirmag.submittable.com/submit/276953/2024-memoir-prize-for-books $100 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 31, 2023.  The Annual Memoir Prize awards Memoir and Creative Nonfiction book-length works of exceptional merit in the categories of traditional, self-published, and previously unpublished prose. All entries must be in English. There are no restrictions on the type of press, subject matter, length, nationality of origin, or the year of publication. Grand Prize: US$2,000. Finalist: US$1,000. Finalist: US$1,000. Winning entrants will receive a brief commentary from one of the judges, one year of free Book Promotion by Memoir Magazine, and a digital award seal for use in promoting your win, and (excerpts) will be considered for publication in Memoir Magazine. In addition, 12 Category winners will be chosen as Memoir Magazine Recommended Reads, to be featured on the winning announcement page, website, and social media outlets.

JF POWERS PRIZE FOR SHORT FICTION https://www.dappledthings.org/the-jf-powers-prize-for-short-fiction NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline  November 30, 2023 . 1st place: $500 and publication in Dappled Things. 2nd place: $250 and publication in Dappled Things. Honorable mentions (up to 8): Publication and a year’s subscription to Dappled Things. The word limit is 8,000 words.

THE J. ANTHONY LUKAS PRIZE PROJECT journalism.columbia.edu/lukas NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 7, 2023.  Two J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards, in the amount of $25,000 each, will be awarded to aid in the completion of significant works of nonfiction on topics of American political or social concern. Applicants for the award must already have a contract with a U.S.-based publisher to write a nonfiction book. The judges will make their decision on the basis of achieving maximum impact on a promising book project; the selection criteria will represent a blend of the merit of the book and the financial need of the author.

BLACK FOX PRIZE https://www.blackfoxlitmag.com/contests/ $12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  November 30, 2023 . The theme for this round is “Rhapsody of Regret.” We are open to loose interpretations of the theme in any genre, as always. Please submit your strongest fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and we will choose one winner that we feel interprets the theme best. The prize is $300 and publication in the Winter 2024 issue. All submissions are considered for publication in the Winter 2024 issue. Submissions should be no more than 5,000 words. For poetry, send up to three poems in the same document. For flash fiction, send up to two stories in the same document.

READWRITESTRATEGIES https://readwritestrategies.com/submissions NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 18, 2023.  ReadWrite Strategies is partnering with Jim Dunn, PhD, DHA, FACHE to create an anthology of funny anecdotes about the workplace. The shared trauma of COVID, along with the return to office, have left the world (and the workforce) in need of laughter, warmth, and connection. All stories should be 300 – 1200 words, and you can submit as many stories as you like. We particularly welcome stories from HR professionals. The five funniest stories will win an award: 1st place will receive $500 and a print copy, 2nd place will receive $200 and a print copy; and 3rd, 4th, and 5th place will each receive $100 and a print copy. Contest winners will be announced in February.

FARNHAM FLASH FICTION https://www.flashfiction500.com/ £5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 1, 2024. Limit 500 words. No poetry. £100 top prize. Winning stories are performed at an awards ceremony and published in the festival book.

MOTH POETRY PRIZE

https://www.themothmagazine.com/a1-page.asp?ID=9324&page=49 Deadline December 31, 2023 . The prize is open to anyone, as long as the poem is previously unpublished. There is no line limit, and the poems can be on any subject. The overall winner of €6,000 will be announced at a special award ceremony online in the spring of 2024.

NARRATIVELY MEMOIR PRIZE https://narratively.submittable.com/submit/274339/narratively-2023-memoir-prize $20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2023 . We’re on the hunt for revealing and emotional first-person nonfiction narratives from unique and overlooked points of view. We’ll award the top three writers the following cash prizes, as well as publication on Narratively.com and inclusion in a special Narratively 2023 Memoir Prize Digital Collection: Grand Prize: US$3,000, Finalist: US$1,000, Finalist: US$1,000. Further, Narratively editors will work with the Finalists to potentially adapt their stories into larger projects in different mediums (TV, film, podcasts, etc.). Word count: 2,000 to 7,000.

PROLE POETRY COMPETITION https://prolebooks.co.uk/competitions.html £3 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 20, 2023. Winner receives £200 and publication in Prole, issue 35. Two runners up receive £50 each and publication in issue 35. We are looking for poetry that epitomises the editorial values of Prole: to make writing engaging, accessible, challenging and entertaining.

PROLITZER PRIZE FOR PROSE https://prolebooks.co.uk/competitions.html £5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 21, 2024 . Winner: £200, Publication in Prole, issue 35. Two runner up prizes of £50, publication in issue 35. Word limit 2500.

SHORT STORY CONTEST ON THE HUMAN IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/best-stories-human-impact-climate-change-IT4Wp $10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2024. We are interested in literary interpretations of how individuals and families, societies and economies, cities and nations are bearing the brunt of a world dominated by new extremes of weather, seasons, and ecological disasters. The emphasis must be on people, their emotions, their decision-making and their forced adjustments, not on scientific theories or advocacy positions. Submissions (in English) are welcome from any writer aged 18 or above. Word limit 500-3,000. One Gold Medal, worth $1,000 in cash, one Silver Medal, worth $500 in cash, and one Bronze Medal, worth $250 in cash, will be awarded on completion of the contest. Prizes are sponsored by the Book Bin. In addition to the three prize-winners, up to 30 entries will be published in a book-length anthology by Secant Publishing in time for the fourth-quarter holiday season, 2024.

KENTUCKY VISIONS SHORT STORY CONTEST https://www.bluegrasswriterscoalition.com/kentucky-visions-short-story-contest $20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2024 . First prize $500, second prize $250, third prize $100. Finalists and winners will receive a certificate suitable for framing, and their story will be published in an anthology highlighting the best of Kentucky short fiction. All submissions must have a Kentucky connection. This means the author must be a current or former resident of Kentucky, or have a family member who is currently a resident of Kentucky, or the story must be set in Kentucky. Limit 7,500 words. Stories written with the assistance of any Artificial Intelligence will not be accepted.

CALIBRE ESSAY PRIZE https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/prizes-programs/calibre-prize/2024 $20-$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  January 22, 2024 . The Calibre Prize is open to all essayists writing in English. We seek essays of between 2,000 and 5,000 words on any subject. We welcome essays of all kinds: personal or political, literary or speculative, traditional or experimental. The winner will receive $5,000 AU. The second prize is worth $3,000 AU, the third prize, $2,000 AU. All three winning essays will appear in Australian Book Review in 2024 (print and online). Open internationally. Only English. We welcome non-fiction essays of all kinds: personal or political, literary or speculative, traditional or experimental.

THE BIG BANG!: BLACK SPRING PRIZE FOR BEST OPENING TO A CRIME BOOK

https://blackspringpressgroup.com/pages/the-big-bang-prize-judged-by-lee-child £10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 7, 2023 . Judged by Lee Child. The competition is open to anyone 18 OR OVER who wants to write in the English-language and has an interest in crime, thriller or mystery novels. Looking for the best 50-200 words of an ‘opening’ for a crime-mystery-thriller novel. The work must be never-before-published (including online), original to the author, and ideally written for this prize. The winner will be announced in early 2024, receive £200, a one-off, hour-long online mentoring session with Luca Veste and be offered a publishing contract if they ever decide to complete the novel.

LILITH’S ANNUAL FICTION CONTEST https://lilith.org/contact/writing-for-lilith/ NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 31, 2023.  Lilith magazine—independent, Jewish & frankly feminist—seeks quality short stories with heart, soul and chutzpah, 3,000 words or under, for our Annual Fiction Contest. First prize: $300 and publication. We especially like fresh fiction with feminist and Jewish nuance, and are eager to read submissions from writers of color and emerging writers of any age.

GEMINI POETRY OPEN https://gemini-magazine.com/poetry-open-contest-2024 $9 ENTRY FEE FOR THREE POEMS. Deadline  January 2, 2024.  First prize $1,000. Second Prize $100. Four Honorable Mentions $25. All six finalists will be published online in the March/April 2024 Issue. Any Subject, Style or Length. Entries must be unpublished with the exception of poems on personal blogs.

BARDSY WINTER ANTHOLOGY CONTEST https://bardsy.com/contest $20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  January 15, 2023.  Grand Prize $1000 and anthology publication. All finalists will receive $50 and anthology publication. Enter the first chapter of your in-progress novel or memoir. Your goal is to create a sample that compels readers to click buy. That means we’re looking for first chapters that capture our attention and leave us eager to keep reading. Successful first chapters will build a foundation for the story to come, establishing key story elements like character, world, and conflict. All qualified entrants will receive professional feedback from our editing team before judging, so the earlier you submit, the more time you have to revise. Prerequisites: An original, unpublished first chapter. 2,500-3,000 words. Entrants must be 18+. Please do not send short stories or your entire manuscript. English only.

KENT AND SUSSEX POETRY SOCIETY OPEN POETRY CONTEST https://kentandsussexpoetry.com/kent-sussex-poetry-society-open-poetry-competition-2024/ £5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  January 31, 2024 . 1st Prize: £1000. 2nd Prize: £300. 3rd Prize: £100. 4th Prize: 4 x £50. The competition is for anyone aged 16 and over, from anywhere in the world. Poems must be in English, your original work, on any subject, in any style, no longer than 40 lines.

JOHN RIDLAND POETRY PRIZE https://gunpowderpress.com/poetry-prizes/john-ridland-poetry-prize/ $20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 31, 2023.  The John Ridland Poetry Prize will be awarded annually for an unpublished book-length manuscript of 48-100 pages. This prize is open to poets 55 years and older. The prize includes $500, publication by Gunpowder Press, and 10 author copies.

WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING FALL FLASH FICTION CONTEST https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php $10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  November 30, 2023 . Seeking short fiction of any genre between 250 – 750 words. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, great writing, and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. Open internationally. Limit: 300 entries. First Place: $400, publication, interview, and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. Second Place: $300, publication, interview, and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. Third Place: $200, publication, interview and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. Seven Runners Up receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards, publication and interview. Ten Honorable mentions receive $20 Amazon Gift Card. Top 10 stories are published in the WOW! Women On Writing e-zine, and contestants are interviewed on WOW’s blog, The Muffin.

SOCIETY OF CLASSICAL POETS POETRY COMPETITION https://classicalpoets.org/2023/09/01/the-2023-society-of-classical-poets-international-poetry-competition/ $20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 31, 2023 . First Prize: $2,000. Publication on the Society’s website and Journal. One to three poems on any topic. Altogether, the poems should total 108 lines or less. Poems must contain meter (beginners and students may simply count syllables). Rhyme and other traditional techniques are encouraged as well, but not required. High school prize $200.

THE MASTERS REVIEW CHAPBOOK CONTEST https://mastersreview.com/chapbook-contest/ $25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 17, 2023 . The winner receives a $3,000 cash prize, along with manuscript publication and 75 contributor copies. Our chapbooks are distributed internationally and are available through Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. All submissions must be single-author prose manuscripts of 25 to 45 pages. We are not interested in poetry.

GREGORY O’DONOGHUE INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION https://munsterlit.ie/odonoghue-competition/ ENTRY FEE €7 per poem or €30 for a batch of five. Deadline  November 30, 2023 . The competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast poems in the English language of 40 lines or fewer. The poem can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. First prize €2,000, featured reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival (with four-night hotel stay and full board), featured on the Southword Poetry Podcast, and publication in Southword. Second prize €500, publication in Southword. Third prize €250, publication in Southword. Ten runners-up €50 and publication in Southword.

COLORADO PRIZE FOR POETRY https://coloradoreview.colostate.edu/colorado-prize-for-poetry/ $28 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  January 14, 2024 . Each year’s prizewinner receives a $2,500 honorarium and publication of his or her book by the Center for Literary Publishing. Manuscripts must be at least 48 pages and no more than 100 pages. They may be composed of any number of poems. Open internationally.

CAFE WRITERS POETRY COMPETITION https://www.cafewriters.co.uk/home/poetry-competition/ £4 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  November 30, 2023 . First prize £1000, second prize £300, third prize £200. Five Commended Prizes of £50. Norfolk Prize £100 for the best poem from a permanent Norfolk resident not winning another prize. We are offering the free entry of one poem to any UK resident with a household income of less than £16,000. The maximum length for each poem is 40 lines excluding the title. Open internationally.

RATTLE CHAPBOOK PRIZE https://www.rattle.com/chapbooks/guidelines/ $25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  January 15, 2024.  Manuscripts may be 15 – 30 pages of poems (not including front- or back-matter), with any reasonable fonts or font sizes (12 pt, etc.). Don’t worry about the formatting. Open to writers, worldwide; poems must be written primarily in English. Three winners, judged by the editors of Rattle in an anonymized review, will receive $5,000 and 500 author copies of their chapbook, which will also be distributed to all of Rattle’s 7,000+ subscribers along with a future issue of the magazine. At least one of the winners will be a poet who has never published a full-length collection of poetry (48 pages or more) prior to 2024.

TROUBADOR INTERNATIONAL POETRY PRIZE http://www.coffeehousepoetry.org/prizes ENTRY FEE £6/€7/$8. Deadline  December 10, 2023 . First prize £2,000. Second prize £1,000. Third prize £500. Plus 20 commendeds. Poems may be submitted from any country, may be on any theme, and must be in English, must each be no longer than 45 lines, must show title and poem only, must not show poet’s name, must be the original work of the entrant (no translations) and must not have been previously published.

SERVICESCAPE SHORT STORY AWARD https://www.servicescape.com/short-story-award NO ENTRY FEE NOTED. Deadline  November 30, 2023 . For this award, any genre or theme of short story is accepted. All applicants should submit their original unpublished work of short fiction or nonfiction, 5,000 words or fewer, to be considered. Along with receiving an award for $1,000.00 USD, the winner will have his or her short story featured within our blog, which reaches thousands of readers per month.

THE W.S. PORTER PRIZE FOR FINELY CRAFTED SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS https://regalhousepublishing.com/the-w-s-porter-prize/ $25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 1, 2023.  The W.S. Porter Prize is awarded to recognize a masterfully written short story collection, while also honoring William Sydney Porter, a native born son of North Carolina and an accomplished short story writer who wrote under the pseudonym O. Henry. Winner receives book publication by Regal House Publishing in 2025/6 and $1000 prize. Minimum of 100 pages, maximum of 350 pages.

LASCAUX PRIZE IN SHORT FICTION https://lascauxreview.com/contests/ $15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline  December 31, 2023 . Stories may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Finalists receive $100. Winner and finalists are published in The Lascaux Review. Writers may enter more than once. Length should not exceed 10,000 words. All genres and styles are welcome.

FURIOUS FICTION https://www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction/ NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline  the first week of each month . The ultimate flash fiction challenge. On the first Friday of the month, they unveil a new story challenge. You have 55 hours and 500 words to tell a story and enter. Open worldwide. Prize if $500 AU.

​FLASH FICTION 500 COMPETITION https://flash500.com/ £5 ENTRY FEE. Limit 500 words. This quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of 30th June, 30th September and 31st December 2023 . First: £300. Second: £200. Third: £100.

FURIOUS FICTION https://www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction/ NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline quarterly. Your story must OPEN with a 12-word sentence. Your story must be 500 words or fewer (hyphenated words and contractions each count as just one word) and the winning story will earn its talented author $500AU. Maximum 500 words – hyphenated compounds count as just one word. This contest is open to anyone in the world. But you must be 17 or older to enter and you can only enter ONCE per competition round. On each competition weekend, we’ll reveal a set of story prompts and you’ll have 55 hours to submit your best story of 500-words (or fewer).

NOTE: See more contests by joining our newsletters. We can keep you loaded with contests without you looking anywhere else!

Our newsletters… Please remember to read ALL guidelines for a contest. FundsforWriters tries to research contests to the best of our ability, but we cannot confirm the credibility of each and every one without entering them ourselves. Be informed and be alert as you would with any market, publisher, agent or competition.

Testimonials

Dear Hope, The Emerald Theatre Company’s 10-minute play fest is going into its second year. Without you, and FundsforWriters, the first year might not have been possible. Thanks to the publicity from your newsletter, our little Memphis, Tennessee event received scripts from Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, the UK and New Zealand. This wealth of wonderful material yielded quality vignettes that made the best local actors and stage directors (including a popular local radio personality) eager to donate their time and talent – their presence, in turn, sold tickets. We played to packed houses and everyone had a great time. To our astonishment, Vermont Pride Theatre got wind of the show and asked to put it on in its entirety this coming July – meaning the playwrights who won prizes and recognition in our fest, will now receive additional recognition along with royalties. The bottom line is, without you, we would have had something rinky dink – with you we had something substantial. The publicity you provided on the front end made all the difference in the world!  ~Caroline Sposto, www.whycaroline.com, (610) 597-9803   Hi Hope, we met at the SCWW conference in Myrtle Beach last October, and I was so impressed with your lecture that I subscribed to FFW as soon as I got home. I wanted to drop you a line to let you know that because of FFW, I submitted AND WON The 2008 William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers! My novel will be finished this week, and next weekend I’m going to Malice Domestic to accept the award. Thanks you, and keep up the great work.

- Caroline Sposto, Emerald Theatre Company

-laura kepner, safety harbor writers and poets, – with deep appreciation, laura lee perkins, – melanie steele, – reece w. manley.

Total Funds for Writers pays for itself almost immediately. Hope and her research skills are phenomenal. Thanks to TFFW I have sold four articles, all with clients who did this amazing thing called paying me. It’s quite delightful – money is querky but boy its fun stuff to have! If you haven’t signed up for TFFW, you’re just not serious about your career.