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DIRECTORY

Best Writing Contests in 2025

Showing 427 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

The Elegant Literature Award For New Writers

Elegant Media Publishing Corporation

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

This contest invites new and unpublished authors from around the world to write a story related to the theme 'Timeless Terrors' and include the prompt word 'flare'. Submissions are welcome in any genre, and must adhere to specified guidelines.

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: July 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

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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 It is open to previously unpublished short stories up to 7,000 words.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

The Porter Fleming Literary Competition

The Morris Museum of Art

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Script Writing

Welcome to the 2024 Porter Fleming Literary Competition, now in its twenty-ninth year of recognizing outstanding writing and writers. The competition honors the memory of Porter Fleming, one of Augusta, Georgia’s leading citizens and foremost philanthropists. The competition is administered, with the support of the Porter Fleming Foundation, by the Morris Museum of Art, the first museum in the country to focus on the art and artists of the American South. Writers, ages 18 and older, who reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, D.C are invited to apply.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd place: $500 3rd place: $250 Prizes available in each of the four genre categories

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Diode Editions Chapbook Contest is an annual competition open to English-language poets. The contest is currently closed, with winners for the 2024 contests to be announced by August 1, 2024. Multiple publications may be selected during this contest.

Top Prize:

$750

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024 (Expired)

The Plough Prize

The Plough Arts Centre

Genres: Poetry

The Plough Prize is an international poetry competition open for poems in English, limited to 40 lines on any subject. The contest emphasizes anonymity in judging, with a focus on quality.

Top Prize:

£1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd place: £500 3rd place: £250 Highly Commended poems may be recognized.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

The Carla Crown Jewel of Books

Mid-America Romance Authors (MARA)

Genres: Romance

The Carla Crown Jewel of Books contest is for traditionally or self-published authors with an original copyright date of 2022. Finalists are announced in late October and the winner on or about November 30, 2024.

📅 Deadline: June 10, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Novel

This competition invites unpublished novelists to submit an opening chapter (up to 3,000 words) along with a synopsis (max 750 words). Works must be original and not previously published. The competition is judged by Headline Publishing.

Top Prize:

£500

Additional prizes:

2nd Place: £200

💰 Entry fee: $13

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, and Suspense

An annual fiction competition recognizing the finest speculative fiction. All forms of previously unpublished fiction are accepted, including fairy tales, magical realism, and science fiction. Winners may be published in the North American Review's summer issue.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication opportunities for runners-up and honorable mentions

💰 Entry fee: $23

📅 Deadline: November 02, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem: 2 syllables in the first line, 4 in the second, 2 in the last. Subject can be anything. Winner receives feedback and a cash prize.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Feedback for all submissions.

📅 Deadline: December 11, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The competition, run by The Poetry Society since 1978, is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem. Judged by Stephen Sexton, Romalyn Ante, John McAuliffe. Open to all poets worldwide aged 18+.

Top Prize:

£5,000

Additional prizes:

Runners-up receive £2,000 and £1,000. Commended entries receive £500

💰 Entry fee: $8

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

The contest invites submissions of inspiring and uplifting stories, aiming to highlight the benefits of writing amidst global issues. Each story can be up to 5,000 characters (about 1,000 words). Winners are determined by writing quality and community votes.

Top Prize:

$300

Additional prizes:

Five runners-up will receive $100 each

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)

Debut Dagger

Crime Writer's Association

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Suspense, and Thriller

The Emerging Author Dagger is an international competition for unpublished crime novelists. It accepts submissions of a crime novel opening (max. 3,000 words) and synopsis (max. 1,500 words). The contest is open to those who have never had a publishing contract for a novel and do not have a literary agent when the competition closes.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Shortlisted entries shown to agents and publishers

💰 Entry fee: $41

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)

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

Genres: Fiction and Novel

The James Jones First Novel Fellowship, established in 1992, honors the spirit of honesty and insight in modern culture exemplified by James Jones. The fellowship awards a prize for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel.

Top Prize:

$12,000

Additional prizes:

First runner-up: $3,000; Second runner-up: $2,000.

💰 Entry fee: $33

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry honors outstanding works of poetry, celebrating the diverse forms and styles of contemporary poets. The contest features a submission fee and specific entry requirements for participation.

Top Prize:

$1,000

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025

4th Annual Wine Country Writers' Festival Writing Contest

Wine Country Writers' Festival Society

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The contest is open to writers over 18 worldwide and includes categories for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Each submission must adhere to specific formatting guidelines and word limits. Winners are selected through blind judging, and results are announced during the festival.

Top Prize:

$200 CAD per category

Additional prizes:

Second place: $100 Third place: $50 Winner also gets anthology publication, entry to next year's festival

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: June 02, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Hastings Book Festival Poetry Competition is an annual event inviting submissions from poets worldwide. The contest aims to celebrate new poetry and provides an opportunity for both established and emerging writers.

Top Prize:

£250

Additional prizes:

2nd: £100 | 3rd: £50 | Publication for winning poems. Winners may also be eligible for additional prizes like the Sussex Prize and Founder's Prize.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025 (Expired)

Passionate Plume

Passionate Ink

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, Romance, and Short Story

The Passionate Plume Contest is aimed at supporting erotic fiction authors, offering various categories for both published and unpublished writers. It encourages creativity and provides a platform for authors to showcase their work.

Top Prize:

Engraved award

Additional prizes:

Publication in the Passionate Ink Charity Anthology

💰 Entry fee: $40

📅 Deadline: February 14, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

Welcome to the New Writers Poetry Competition, open to poets globally. First prize is £1,000, second is £300, and third is £200. There is a £10 entry fee, with discounts for multiple entries. £1 from each entry supports First Story charity.

Top Prize:

£1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: £300 | 3rd: £200

💰 Entry fee: $13

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024 (Expired)

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

The Winter Flash Fiction Battle is an engaging contest where writers compete by creating stories based on given prompts. Participants write a story of up to 1000 words within three days. The contest emphasizes community feedback and professional judging.

Top Prize:

Genre Winner (x4): $$3,400

Additional prizes:

Genre Runner-up (x4): $800 | Genre Semi-Finalist (x8): $400

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2025 (Expired)

The Do-Over Writing Contest

The Next Big Writer

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

In 500 words or less, write a story based on a character that has the opportunity to do-over one event in their life. The story can be any genre as long as it is based on this concept. Entrants must also leave at least three quality reviews on the work of other site members.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

$50 for two runner-ups.

💰 Entry fee: $9

📅 Deadline: July 18, 2025

Genres: Fiction

The award is open to unrepresented and unpublished authors for a novel in any adult fiction genre. It includes a submission of the opening chapters and a synopsis. The judges are from WME and include Samuel Burr.

Top Prize:

£1000 + Agent Introduction

Additional prizes:

Runner up: £500 + Agent Introduction; Highly Commended: £150 + Agent Introduction

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction accepts both previously published and unpublished stories, allowing simultaneous submissions. The winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in The Lascaux Review

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024 (Expired)

The Philip Hoare Competition

University of Southampton

Genres: Non-fiction and Short Story

The Philip Hoare Prize is an international competition for the best non-fiction writing, established in 2025, seeking vivid and original narratives that blend personal, historical, and natural themes.

Top Prize:

£300

Additional prizes:

2nd: £100 | 3rd: £50 | Winner also receives publication in the University of Southampton’s annual Avenues Creative Writing anthology.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2025

Genres: Fiction

The contest invites young writers across Canada to explore the theme 'Community of Stories,' encouraging submissions that reflect connections through family, friendship, and culture.

Top Prize:

Winners will receive prize packages and a published copy of their story in a chapbook.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: April 27, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Christian, Fantasy, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult

The Christy Award, established in 1999, celebrates novels that explore themes of faith and their influence on modern culture. Over the years, these awards have become a cornerstone event that brings together writers and publishers within the Christian literary community.

Top Prize:

The Christy Book of the Year Award.

💰 Entry fee: $175

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

These fellowships are $50,000 awards aimed at honoring poets of literary merit who serve in civic positions. The goal is to support them in creating new work and undertaking impactful projects that enrich local communities through poetry.

Top Prize:

$50,000

Additional prizes:

Awards are $50,000 for the fellowship. The Academy will match up to $10,000 in in-kind or cash contributions for project support.

📅 Deadline: February 24, 2025 (Expired)

First Pages Prize

First Pages Prize

Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction

The First Pages Prize supports emerging writers by recognizing their first five pages of longer works of fiction or creative nonfiction. It aims to encourage those who are un-agented and offers a prize package to aid in their writing journey.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

2nd Prize: $1500 | 3rd Prize: $1000 | Mentorship and agent consultation.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: April 24, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction

The Salamander Fiction Prize offers writers the opportunity to submit their works for consideration. The contest includes a first prize of $1,000 and publication, and a second prize of $500 and publication. Entries will be judged anonymously, and all submissions are also considered for publication in the magazine.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: $500 | Publication

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: June 01, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Children's, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, and Young Adult

This is the second annual short story contest by Dreambridge Publishing, featuring the anthology theme 'In My Element' with elements of alchemy. The chosen writers will work with editors to prepare their stories for publication.

Top Prize:

Winners will be published in the anthology.

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)

High School Academic Research Competition

Crimson Consulting Limited

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The High School Academic Research Competition (SARC) is an online contest for high school students aged 13-18 to conduct research on any topic. Participants develop their research proposals and skills through exclusive bootcamps and compete by submitting proposals and video pitches.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

1st place: $1000 and free Indigo Research Intensive Program 2nd place: $750 3rd place: $500

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize aims to showcase new short fiction, offering visibility for winners. Collaborating with various institutions, the prize includes cash rewards, writing retreats, and publication opportunities.

Top Prize:

€2,000 + a week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, consultation with Literary Agent Ed Wilson, manuscript assessment with The Literary Consultancy.

Additional prizes:

2nd and 3rd place: €1000. Publication in partner journals for all shortlisted writers.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: April 13, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Suspense, and Thriller

The Story Unlikely Short Story Contest encourages submissions of all genres, with a focus on quality storytelling. The contest aims to revive the art of storytelling and embraces a variety of narratives without restrictions on age or location.

Top Prize:

$1,500

Additional prizes:

2nd: $1,000; 3rd: $500; All winning stories will be published with illustrations. Honorable mentions receive certificates and potential publication.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)

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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