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DIRECTORY

Best Writing Contests in 2025

Showing 90 contests that match your search.

The Bedford Competition

The Bedford Competition

Genres: Poetry and Short Story

The Bedford Competition runs annual international short story and poetry competitions open to anyone over 17 years. Winning entries are published in an anthology.

Top Prize:

£2000

Additional prizes:

2nd Prize £300 | 3rd Prize £200 | Cygnature Prizes £200 | Bedford Prizes £100

💰 Entry fee: $11

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

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.

Top Prize:

$250

Additional prizes:

Publication on Reedsy Prompts + $25 credit for Reedsy Marketplace services for shortlisted entries

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2025

The Elegant Literature Award For New Writers

Elegant Media Publishing Corporation

Genres: Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Romance, Horror, LGBTQ, Science Fiction, Suspense, and Thriller

The contest invites new and unpublished writers to explore the theme 'Snowfall and Silence' while writing a story involving a cloak. It aims to promote new talent and is open to submissions across all genres.

Top Prize:

$3,000

Additional prizes:

1st: Free enrollment in New Novelist Accelerator and publication payment at 10c/word | 2nd – 10th: 10c/word and publication | 11th – 35th: $20 USD and an honorable mention in the magazine.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2025

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Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Lascaux Prize in Flash Fiction invites submissions of stories that may be previously published or unpublished. True stories are accepted if written in a narrative style. The contest emphasizes the importance of storytelling.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Winner also receives a bronze medallion and publication in The Lascaux Review

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2026

The Paul Cave Prize for Literature

Tim Saunders Publications

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Established in 2023, this contest is a platform for writers and poets to get their work published. Categories include various forms of poetry and fiction, excluding erotic work. Winners receive feedback and cash prizes, while all approved submissions will be included in the anthology.

Top Prize:

£200

Additional prizes:

Feedback from the publisher + a complimentary copy of the anthology

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2025

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, and Young Adult

The 2025 Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest aims to discover unpublished manuscripts across ten categories. Winners receive $25,000, industry circulation, and executive development opportunities. It is open to writers aged 18 and older, with specific submission guidelines based on categories.

Top Prize:

$25,000

Additional prizes:

$2,500 for each category winner

💰 Entry fee: $45

📅 Deadline: September 25, 2025

Anthology Flash Fiction Award

Anthology Magazine

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

The Anthology Flash Fiction Competition invites original, unpublished flash fiction pieces on any theme or genre, written in English. Entries must not exceed 250 words, and multiple submissions are allowed with separate fees. The competition aims to inspire creativity and provide a publication platform.

Top Prize:

€300

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2025

The Bath Children's Novel Award

The Bath Novel Awards

Genres: Children's, Fiction, and Young Adult

The Bath Children's Novel Award is an international writing competition for children's novels, young adult (YA) fiction, chapter books, and picture book texts. It is open to unagented writers who are unpublished or self-published without an advance. The contest aims to support emerging authors.

Top Prize:

£5,000

Additional prizes:

Minerva trophy and feedback from an editorial director. Shortlisted authors receive feedback from Junior Judges aged 7-17. One longlisted author wins a course worth £1,980 from Cornerstones Literary Consultancy.

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025

Edinburgh Short Story Award

Scottish Arts Trust

Genres: Crime, Humor, Romance, and Short Story

The Edinburgh Short Story Award is open to writers worldwide, welcoming stories of any genre. The award offers substantial cash prizes and the opportunity for publication in The Edinburgh Anthology. It emphasizes inclusivity through bursaries for underrepresented writers.

Top Prize:

$3,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: £500 | 3rd: £250 | Publication in the anthology for top twenty stories

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2026

WOW! Fall 2025 Flash Fiction Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The contest encourages creativity across all styles and genres of flash fiction, with a word limit of 250 to 750 words. It runs quarterly, with the fall contest currently open for submissions.

Top Prize:

$400

Additional prizes:

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards | 10 honorable mentions: $20 Amazon Gift Card. All winners, runner-ups, and honorable mentions are published on WOW.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025

Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry

Beloit Poetry Journal

Genres: Poetry

The Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry is an annual contest with a focus on recognizing outstanding poetry. It is supported by the Adrienne Rich Literary Trust and has specific guidelines for submissions, including entry fees and poem requirements.

Top Prize:

$1,500

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2026

The Hope Prize

Hope Prize

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Short Story

The Hope Prize is an international short story competition focused on original stories of hope, open to writers aged 18 and over, with entries accepted in English. The prize encourages bold self-expression and aims to spotlight charities making impactful changes.

Top Prize:

$10 000 AUD

Additional prizes:

2nd: $2000 AUD | 3rd: $1000 AUD | Shortlisted stories will be published in a Simon & Schuster anthology.

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Science Writing

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction encourages writers to showcase original nonfiction works, including memoirs, essays, and journalism. It aims to support writers at all stages of their careers and promotes accessibility in publishing.

Top Prize:

$1000 USD shared by 2 to 4 winners

Additional prizes:

Publication by The Letter Review. Up to 20 writers are shortlisted.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2025

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Participants write a short story of up to 2,000 words based on a secret theme and assigned genre for a chance to win £500. The competition is open to anyone aged 18 and older.

Top Prize:

£500

Additional prizes:

Publication on website. 12 genre finalists selected.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2025

Genres: Poetry

The Booksie 2025 Poetry Contest seeks original poems of any type or length. Entries can be serious or whimsical, but should evoke thought. Judges will select winners from six finalists.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Gold winner badge and promotion across Booksie. Runners-up receive $100 cash and a silver winner badge

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: October 17, 2025

Genres: Poetry

The Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition is an annual prize open to original, unpublished poems in English of up to 40 lines. It celebrates poetry and offers substantial prizes while encouraging international participation.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

2nd Place: €500 3rd Place: €250 10 runners up: €50 Featured reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival with hotel stay, publication in Southword, and featured on the Southword Poetry Podcast.

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025

The One Page Poetry Contest

One Page Poetry

Genres: Poetry

One Page Poetry is dedicated to the art of expressing a poetic theme on a single page, whether your poem is four lines or forty, whether yours is a love poem, inspirational poem, philosophical poem, or just one that is fun or whimsical. We welcome any and all poetic forms, as long as they fit on a single page.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: $1000 | 3rd: $500

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2025

Genres: Poetry

Welcome to the 20th annual Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest. Submit published or unpublished work. $3,000 for a poem in any style or genre. $3,000 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style.

Top Prize:

$3,000

Additional prizes:

$200 for 10 honorable mentions

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2025

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry

So to Speak is a feminist literary journal seeking diverse voices, focusing on intersectional feminism. They publish twice a year, accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art, with a particular emphasis on marginalized perspectives.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

All accepted contributions will receive a $100 prize.

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: November 20, 2025

TWFest Fiction Contest

Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival

Genres: Fiction

The TWFest Fiction Contest aims to promote new work from emerging writers. It is open to previously unpublished short stories up to 7,000 words.

Top Prize:

$1,500

Additional prizes:

Domestic airfare & French Quarter accommodations, VIP Festival pass for 2026 festival, public reading, publication in French Quarter Journal, photo & bio on the website for ~1 year, interview feature. Top finalists receive a $100 LitPass for the Festival.

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: October 15, 2025

Genres: Fiction and Science Fiction

A writing contest encouraging creative storytelling in audio series and stories.

Top Prize:

$7,500

Additional prizes:

2nd: $5000 | 3rd: $3500 | Each winner receives a certificate and social media promotion

📅 Deadline: October 24, 2025

"Matter" Poetry Contest

Oprelle Publications

Genres: Poetry

The Matter Poetry Contest invites poets to showcase their work. Winners are selected based on the emotional impact and creativity of their submissions. The contest aims to highlight the significance of poetry in personal and societal contexts.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

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

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025

The Lascaux Prize in Poetry

The Lascaux Review

Genres: Poetry

The Lascaux Prize in Poetry accepts previously published or unpublished poems, with no length restrictions. The winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review. The entry fee is $15, and poets may submit up to five poems per entry. The contest will reopen on 1 October 2025, and submissions close on 31 March 2026.

Top Prize:

$1,000

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2026

Genres: Short Story and Fiction

The Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction is a competition for short fiction (up to 5000 words) with no genre or theme restrictions. It is open to writers worldwide, with 2-4 winners published and sharing in the prize money. Entries are also considered for publication and submission to the Pushcart Prize.

Top Prize:

$1000 USD shared by 2 to 4 winners.

Additional prizes:

Publication by The Letter Review. Up to 20 writers shortlisted. Publication and consideration for the Pushcart Prize and anthologies.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2025

Anthology Poetry Competition

Anthology Magazine

Genres: Poetry

The Anthology Poetry Competition aims to recognize and encourage excellence in poetry writing and to provide a platform for publication. Open to original and unpublished poems in English, there are no restrictions on theme or style. Poems must not exceed 40 lines, and there is no limit on the number of entries.

Top Prize:

€1000

Additional prizes:

2nd: €500 | 3rd: €250 + publication of the winning poem in Anthology magazine

💰 Entry fee: $18

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025

Joy Bale Boone Poetry Prize

The Heartland Review Press

Genres: Poetry

The contest honors the legacy of Joy Bale Boone, an influential American poet and activist. All entries must be original works in English, with a submission window from July 1 to October 1, 2025, for publication in Spring 2026. The winners will be announced before Christmas 2025.

Top Prize:

$400 gift card

Additional prizes:

2nd: $240 gift card | 3rd: $100 gift card

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2025

Creative Nonfiction Prize

Indiana Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

The Creative Nonfiction Prize is held annually by Indiana Review, which also publishes various genres including poetry and fiction. It features a $20 entry fee, which includes a subscription to the journal. All entries are considered for publication.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in Indiana Review

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025

Genres: Fiction

The Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize is designed for writers with at least three books published. It encourages innovative fiction that challenges dominant narratives. Submissions must be in English and can include various forms of long fiction. The contest aims to support diverse voices in literature.

Top Prize:

$15,000

Additional prizes:

Publication by FC2, an imprint of the University of Alabama Press, with an Introduction by the final judge.

📅 Deadline: November 01, 2025

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, and Romance

Pocket FM: Paranormal Romance invites writers to create original paranormal romance audio series. Entries must have a minimum of 100k words completed by the contest deadline to be eligible for prizes.

Top Prize:

$5,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: $2500 | 3rd: $1250 | 4th: $750 | 5th: $500 | All winners receive a certificate and social media promotion.

📅 Deadline: October 17, 2025

Genres: Essay

The 2025 contest is themed “Real or Fake: Discovering Authenticity”, and it invites submissions exploring the meaning of truth in a time of misinformation, imitation, and uncertainty.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: $500 | 3rd: $300 | 2x honorable mentions: $150

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2025

Ironclad Short Story Competition

Ironclad Creative CIC

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Ironclad Short Story Competition invites both published and unpublished writers to submit original stories responding to the prompt 'SWITCH.' Stories up to 6,000 words are accepted. Winning and shortlisted entries will be published in an anthology.

Top Prize:

£100

Additional prizes:

2nd: £50 | 3rd: £25 | Publication for all shortlisted stories.

💰 Entry fee: $9

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025

Genres: Children's and Fiction

This contest invites participants aged 8-14 to submit a short story based on autumn themes with prompts including family dinners, campfire stories, and mysteries.

Top Prize:

£20

Additional prizes:

1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners will receive a full feature on the blog and a personalized winner's certificate. Top 20 submissions will receive an Honourable Mention certificate and feedback from editors.

💰 Entry fee: $3

📅 Deadline: October 25, 2025

The Booby Prize

The Booby Prize

Genres: Flash Fiction and Fiction

The Booby Prize is a quarterly flash fiction contest supporting the conservation of the Blue-Footed Boobys.

Top Prize:

£500

Additional prizes:

If you include a Blue-Footed Booby in your story, it will automatically be inducted into the Booby Hall of Fame and have a chance to win a booby soft toy.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: October 19, 2025

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Flash Fiction Competition invites writers to submit stories of up to 500 words. It's a quarterly competition with prizes awarded for the top three entries each quarter. Winning entries are published on the website.

Top Prize:

£300

Additional prizes:

£200, £100

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2025

Writers of the Future

Writers of the Future

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Fantasy, and Science Fiction

The Writers of the Future Contest, initiated by L. Ron Hubbard in 1983, supports new writers in science fiction and fantasy, judged by leading authors. Winners receive cash prizes and recognition. The contest encourages original works and offers a platform for upcoming writers.

Top Prize:

$5,000

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2025

Discover the finest writing contests of 2025 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 2025 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 2025

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" (Click here)
  • "The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction" (Click here)
  • "How to Write a Novel" (Click here)
  • "Understanding Point of View" (Click here)
  • "Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love" (Click here)
  • "Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character" (Click here)
  • "Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine" (Click here)

On Editing:

  • "Story Editing for Authors" (Click here)
  • "How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro" (Click here)
  • "Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites" (Click here)

Blog posts

  • "How to Write a Novel: Steps From a Bestselling Writer" (Click here)
  • "How to Write a Short Story in 9 Simple Steps" (Click here)
  • "100 Literary Devices With Examples: The Ultimate List" (Click here)
  • "20 Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft" (Click here)
  • "How to Write Fabulous Dialogue [9 Tips + Examples]" (Click here)
  • "8 Character Development Exercises to Write 3D Characters" (Click here)

Bonus resources

After you submit to a writing competition in 2025

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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