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Fiction Potluck
The Writer's Workout
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
Fiction Potluck is free to enter and open to fiction writers of all ages around the world. One entry per person per challenge. Submissions are accepted six weeks at a time, starting in January, April, July, and October. The challenge and guest judge will change each open period. The guest judge picks the challenge—we never know what we'll get!
Top Prize:
Query package reviews to all finalists
📅 Deadline: May 20, 2024
Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition
Writer's Digest
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
Enter our 91st Annual Writing Competition for the chance to have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen. The top winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection. [$20 for a poetry entry, $30 for a manuscript entry]
Top Prize:
$5,000
Additional prizes:
2nd: $500 | 3rd: $100
💰 Entry fee: $30
📅 Deadline: May 06, 2024 (Expired)
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction
Biopage is hosting a writing contest to remind people the benefits of writing. Each story (or once chapter of your stories) is limited to 5,000 characters or roughly 1,000 words. You can write about good life experience, or bad, embarrassing, frightening ones. You can win $300, and five runners-up can win $100 each.
Top Prize:
$300
📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024
Iridescence Award
Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Science Fiction
Kinsman Quarterly seeks fiction and poetry submissions from BIPOC authors for the Iridescence Award by December 31. Themes should include the supernatural, extraterrestrial, paranormal--urban fantasy, magical realism, science fiction, Afro-futurism, etc. Winners receive cash prizes up to $500 USD and publication in our literary magazine and E-book. No fees required.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication in Kinsman Quarterly and the Iridescence anthology
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)
Writing Peers Summer Short Story Prize
Writing Peers
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Horror, Mystery, Romance, and Thriller
Are you seeking lots of feedback? Ever wondered what it’s like to step into the shoes of a jury? Pick one of our prompts and let your creativity soar. Submit your piece, then review other entries and develop an eye for what makes a story stand out. Receive detailed feedback, evolve as a writer and you might even walk away with the prize money!
Top Prize:
$1,000
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: June 21, 2024
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing 2023
Write the World
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, and Short Story
Fantasy and sci-fi stir our imaginations, inviting us to think outside the limits of the life we know. This month, you have the extraordinary and exciting task of reimagining the world. In a fantasy or sci-fi short story, take your readers on a journey into a world of your imagination.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: October 23, 2023 (Expired)
Writer's Games
The Writer's Workout
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Writer's Games is a free competition with six surprise challenges over six weeks, designed to help each individual writer improve his or her craft fast. FREE registration is required in advance (opens May 1, 2024). Every entry from a registered participant receives honest, unbiased feedback from multiple judges. There's no elimination; push yourself to try each challenge and see what you alone can do in 72 hours each week. The top five winners each week are published in a competition anthology (that's 25 chances, plus the Judges' Choice!).
Top Prize:
Publication in anthology, 72 Hours (26+ spaces)
📅 Deadline: July 22, 2024
The Iowa Review Awards
The Iowa Review
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
Each January since 2003, The Iowa Review has invited submissions to The Iowa Review Awards, a writing contest in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Winners receive $1,500; first runners-up receive $750. Winners and runners-up are published in each December issue.
Top Prize:
$1,500
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)
Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers
University of Tulsa
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers. $500 prizes will be awarded in both the fiction and poetry categories, and the winning manuscripts will appear in the spring issue of Nimrod. Winners will have the chance to work with the Nimrod board of editors to refine and edit their manuscripts before publication.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $12
📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024
Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Competition
Dzanc Books
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
The Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize celebrates imaginative and inventive writing in book-length collections (generally over 40,000 words, but there is no hard minimum). Past winners include Suzi Ehtesham-Zadeh (Zan), Nino Cipri (Homesick), Anne Valente (By Light We Knew Our Names), Chaya Bhuvaneswar (White Dancing Elephants), Jen Grow (My Life as a Mermaid), Julie Stewart (Water and Blood), and Ethel Rohan (In the Event of Contact). The winning submission will be awarded a $2,500 advance and publication by Dzanc Books.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024
Best Stories on Human Impact of Climate Change
Secant Publishing
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult
We are seeking the year's best original short stories (fiction) devoted to the theme of global climate change and its human impact. We are interested in literary interpretations of how individuals and families, cities and nations are bearing the brunt of a world dominated by new extremes of weather, seasons, and eco-disasters. All genres welcome.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd: $500 | 3rd: $250 | Publication in anthology
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)
IndieReader Discovery Awards
IndieReader
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Novel
Where talented authors meet publishing professionals with the power to make a difference in the success of their books. Every author who enters a title in the IR Discovery Awards will receive a verdict, written by an IndieReader reviewer and based on their assessment after reading the complete book.
Top Prize:
First look consideration by a top, NYC-based literary agency
Additional prizes:
$500, publicist consultation service, Reedsy credit, custom author website
💰 Entry fee: $150
📅 Deadline: February 14, 2024 (Expired)
The Letter Review Prize for Books
The Letter Review
Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Letter Review Prize for Books is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Seeking most unpublished (we accept some self/indie published) novels, novellas, story collections, nonfiction, poetry etc. 20 entries are longlisted.
Top Prize:
$1000 USD shared by 3 winners
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)
First Chapter + Synopsis Competition
Fiction Factory
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Romance, Science Fiction, and Young Adult
Have you completed the first draft of your novel? Are you ready to pass it on to a fresh pair of eyes, to see if you are on the right track? Is your all-important first chapter ready for submission to an agent? Whatever your plans, your first chapter must shine – it must grab your readers or quickly lose their interest.
Top Prize:
£500 + an appraisal
💰 Entry fee: $22
📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)
Write By The Sea Literary Festival 2024
Write By the Sea
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, and Poetry
Write By The Sea is a dynamic boutique literary festival set in the beautiful fishing village of Kilmore Quay, County Wexford. The independent panel of judges will select the winners of each category and winners will be invited to read their work as part of the Festival.
Top Prize:
€500
Additional prizes:
2nd: €300 | 3rd: €200 | Publication
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: June 21, 2024
100 Word Writing Contest
Tadpole Press
Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel
Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
2nd: writing coach package
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)
The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition
Chicken House Books
Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult
We're looking for original ideas, a fresh voice, a diverse range of entries and stories that children will love! To enter, you must have written a full-length novel suitable for children/young adults aged between 7 and 18 years. We suggest a minimum of 30,000 words and ask that manuscripts do not exceed 80,000 words. The IET 150 Award will be awarded to a manuscript that celebrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
Top Prize:
A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House & royalty advance of £10,000
Additional prizes:
An offer of representation from a top literary agent
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: June 01, 2024
Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize
Desperate Literature
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story
The aim of the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize is both to celebrate the best of new, boundary-pushing short fiction and to give winners the most visibility possible for their writing. That’s why we’ve teamed up with fourteen different literary and artistic institutions to not only offer cash prizes and writing retreats but also to ensure that all our shortlisters have the opportunity to be published in multiple print and online journals, have their work put in front of literary agents, and present their stories in multiple countries.
Top Prize:
€2,000 + week's stay at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation artists' residency
Additional prizes:
2nd + 3rd: €1000 | All shortlisters: publication in our print collection Eleven Stories | All longlisters: One-year subscription to The Literary Consultancy's "Being a Writer" platform | One shortlister: two-week residency at Studio Faire, France
💰 Entry fee: $22
📅 Deadline: December 04, 2024
Bacopa Literary Review Annual Writing Contest
Writers Alliance of Gainesville
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
Bacopa Literary Review’s 2024 contest is open from March 4 through April 4, with $200 Prize and $100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Flash Fiction, Free Verse Poetry, Formal Poetry, and Visual Poetry.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
100
📅 Deadline: May 02, 2024 (Expired)
Novel Fair 2025
Irish Writers Centre
Genres: Fiction and Novel
Now in its 13th year, the Novel Fair is an annual competition initiated by the Irish Writers Centre. Described by The Irish Times as ‘A Dragons’ Den for writers’, each year the Fair introduces twelve up-and-coming writers to top publishers and literary agents, giving novelists the opportunity to bypass the slush pile, pitch their ideas and place their synopsis and sample chapters directly into the hands of industry professionals.
Top Prize:
Present your novel to leading publishers and agents at the Irish Writers Centre
💰 Entry fee: $59
📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024
Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest
Unleash Press
Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult
We aim to assist writers in the completion of an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to aid in the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Writers will also receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Coaching, interview, and editorial support
💰 Entry fee: $35
📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024
Folly Short Story Prize 2024
Folly Journal
Genres: Fiction, Humor, and Short Story
The Folly Prize launched in 2023 with fierce competition from an incredible array of edgy, off the wall, sexy, fun writing submitted by talented writers from around the globe. The 2024 Folly Prize runs from 15 January - 30 April 2024, with a cash first prize of $1000 NZD and a Runner up prize of $500 NZD. The Prizewinner Runner Ups will be published in Issue 2 of Folly, due to be launched in late October 2024 and will receive a copy of the publication. We encourage entries from writers from around the world, and are specifically looking for work that is accessible (fun), yet well written. Your story doesn't need to be New Zealand-centric - we are looking for local and international stories that are pacey, provocative, honest and light. We want to choke into our coffee and laugh out loud. Submissions are via our Submittable portal, found on the Submissions page.
Top Prize:
$1000 NZD
Additional prizes:
Runner-up: $500 NZD
💰 Entry fee: $6
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)
Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award
Killer Nashville
Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller
The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter.
Top Prize:
$250
💰 Entry fee: $79
📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024
The Rubery Prize
Rubery Book Awards
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, and Romance
The Rubery Prize is a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self published authors and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges. Through our reputation of finding quality and outstanding books we aim to bring recognition to the works that win and heighten an author's profile.
Top Prize:
£2000
Additional prizes:
£200, a write-up
💰 Entry fee: $60
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)
Inception 2024: $500 for Best Opening
Sunspot Literary Journal
Genres: Fiction and Poetry
For Sunspot Lit’s Inception contest, send your best opening (novel, CNF, art collection, photo series, etc.). No restrictions on theme or category. Submit via Submittable or Duotrope.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $12
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)
The Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction
The Lascaux Review
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
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 both the online and annual print editions of The Lascaux Review.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in The Lascaux Review
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)
Elegant Literature's Monthly Award For New Writers
Elegant Literature
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult, Flash Fiction, and Science Writing
One of the largest awards open to unpublished writers and closed to professionals. We are the first magazine to pay pro rates and only accept submissions from new writers, putting over $150k into the hands of emerging talent around the globe so far. One new writer receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors professional rates, and publish them in our magazine. April guest judge is Christopher Fielden.
Top Prize:
$3,000
Additional prizes:
10x Paid publication, 25 x $20 USD | Free entry to Novelist Accelerator
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)
The Big Moose Prize
Black Lawrence Press
Genres: Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Short Story
Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Big Moose Prize for an unpublished novel. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes will be awarded on publication. The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication, 10 copies of your book
💰 Entry fee: $27
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)
Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award
Poets & Writers, Inc.
Genres: Fiction and Poetry
Poetry manuscripts should not exceed 10 pages, single or double-spaced (minimum of seven pages). Fiction manuscripts should not exceed 25 pages and must be double-spaced. Fiction manuscripts may include stories and/or excerpts from novels.
Top Prize:
$500
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)
Maggie Award for Prepublished Writers
Georgia Romance Writers
Genres: Fiction, Novel, and Romance
The purpose of the Prepublished Maggie Award for Excellence is to encourage, recognize, and reward the mastery of romance writing by Prepublished authors of romantic fiction. The Maggie Award is a symbol of achievement given by the Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) to bring special attention to these writers. The Maggie Award, a silver medallion commissioned by GRW, receives national attention.
Top Prize:
Trophy
💰 Entry fee: $40
📅 Deadline: April 21, 2024 (Expired)
Writing MAGIC
Sadie Tells Stories
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult
Are you an author who loves magic? Do you have an idea for a super short story that needs to be shared with the world? If you answered yes to both of those questions this contest is for you! The story can be about anything magical. Maybe it’s something that you’ve experienced in real life or it’s something you’ve created. Maybe it’s the start of a great idea. Maybe it’ll be the thing that inspires you to finally publish your book.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
$150
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)
First Pages Prize
First Pages Prize
Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction
First Pages Prize invites you to enter your first 5 pages of a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction. Prizes in both fiction & creative nonfiction. Open to un-agented writers worldwide, the prize supports emerging writers with cash awards, developmental mentoring, & agent consultation. This year our judge is Edwidge Danticat! Opens March 2024!
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Agent Consultation, Developmental Mentorship
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: April 24, 2024 (Expired)
Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest
Lazuli Literary Group
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing
We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: March 24, 2024 (Expired)
Annual Flash Fiction Competition
Flash 500
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
This quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of 31st March, 30th June, 30th September and 31st December. The results will be announced about six weeks after each closing date and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on the website.
Top Prize:
£300
Additional prizes:
£200, £100
💰 Entry fee: $7
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024
Inspiring Fiction's Crime and Speculative Fiction Contest
Inspiring Fiction
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Mystery, Science Fiction, and Thriller
Inspiring Fiction’s first crime and speculative fiction short story contest is on the theme ‘Secrets’. The winner and shortlisted entries will be published in the fourth issue of Tangled Web Magazine.
Top Prize:
£100
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $6
📅 Deadline: July 31, 2023 (Expired)
