The Best Fiction Writing Contests of 2022
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Flash 500
We are looking for stories (of any genre) ranging between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used). Make us laugh, make us cry, but most of all, make us feel!
£500
£200 for 2nd place, £100 for 3rd place
💰 Fee: $8
Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestSparkPoint Studio
The publishing industry has been widely criticized for its lack of diversity. At She Writes Press and SparkPress, we are well aware of the need for more and broader representation of writers of color on our lists. In an effort to address this issue head-on we launched the She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing (STEP) contest.
Publishing package including a 500-book print run
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: July 05, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Non-fiction
View contestThe Daisy Pettles House
Women writers who are age 40 or older are invited to submit up to 20 pages of a work in progress to win a chance for a month-long residency in a house where you can focus on your writing. First prize comes with a $1000 cash prize. Fee reductions and hardship wavers can be granted.
$1,000
Month-long writer's getaway
💰 Fee: $45
Deadline: December 12, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Short Story
View contestCreatd
Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.
$1,000 — $5,000
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Short Story
View contestSana Stories
The theme of our current Writing Contest is ‘Slow Burn’ - the romantic pull between two characters that just keeps on going! Stories need to be written with our Writing Tool, have min. 5000 words, have at least one choice situation where the story branches. Adaptations of linear stories are also welcome.
€500
€200, €100
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: April 11, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult
View contestThe Vancouver Writers Fest
The Vancouver Writers Fest's annual youth writing contest is open to all students enrolled in grades 8-12 in British Columbia. Entries will be accepted for previously unpublished short stories (fiction or non-fiction) and personal essays: 1,500 word limit. The first-prize winner will receive a $200 cash prize and the second-prize winner, a $100 cash prize.
$200
$100
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: May 31, 2021 (Expired)
Short Story, Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction
View contestTypehouse Literary Magazine
We are pleased to announce Typehouse Literary Magazine 's third biennial Open Fiction Contest! All pieces must be between 1000-6000 words, entries must be previously unpublished and all genres are accepted.
$175
$100 for second place and $50 for third place
💰 Fee: $12
Deadline: June 30, 2021 (Expired)
Crime, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestNowhere Magazine
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Nowhere Magazine is given twice yearly for a travel-specific short story, long-form creative nonfiction piece, poem or essay that possesses a powerful sense of place, character or time. Unpublished and published pieces that have not previously been chosen as a contest winner are eligible. Submit your 800- to 5,000-word piece with a $20 entry fee by June 30, 2021.
$1,000
Publication in Nowhere magazine
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: June 30, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestRocky Mountain Fiction Writers
Offers emerging writers a chance to get their work seen by acquiring agents and editors. For unpublished writers of novel-length commercial fiction.
$150
💰 Fee: $35
Deadline: June 30, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Novel
View contestNowhere Magazine
We are looking for never-been-published travel writers from anywhere in the world to send us stories—fiction, nonfiction, essay or poetry—that possess a powerful sense of place, people and time.
$500
Publication in Nowhere Magazine
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: March 31, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestUniversity of Massachusetts Press
The Juniper Prizes for Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction are awarded annually to original manuscripts: two books of poetry, one work of creative nonfiction, one short story collection, and one novel. The University of Massachusetts Press publishes the winning manuscripts and the authors receive a $1,000 award upon publication. Submissions are accepted between August 1 and September 30.
$1,000
Publication by University of Massachusetts Press
💰 Fee: $30
Deadline: September 30, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Short Story
View contestChristopher Fielden
August 2020 saw the launch of the 2021 To Hull And Back Short Story Competition, a biennial short story contest with a humorous twist that celebrates the most imaginative and amazing short stories from writers all over the world. There's a total prize pot of £3,250.
£1,200
Published in an anthology
💰 Fee: $18
Deadline: July 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Humor, Non-fiction, Short Story
View contestAssociation of Writers & Writing Programs
AWP will offer three scholarships of $500 each to be awarded to three first-place winners in the genres of creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. These scholarships must be used to attend a writers’ conference, center, retreat, festival, or residency at one of the AWP member programs in the Directory of Conferences & Centers. All winners and six finalists will also receive a one-year individual membership.
$500 scholarship
one-year membership
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: May 15, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Short Story
View contestIndiana Review
Indiana Review and Indiana University Press are proud to present the Don Belton Fiction Reading Period. Between May 1 and June 30, we will read fiction manuscripts of up to 80,000 words. The winning manuscript will be published by IU Press and the author will receive $1,000 against future royalties and a standard publication contract with IU Press.
Publication by IU Press
$1,000 against future royalties, a standard publication contract with IU Press
💰 Fee: $25
Deadline: June 30, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Novel
View contestReed Magazine
Awarding one of the richest purses among literary magazines—$1,000 for the winning story—the John Steinbeck Award for Fiction recognizes exceptional works of fiction. Aesthetically, we are open to most styles and approaches. All works should be stand-alone short stories, not chapters of a longer work. Please limit prose submissions to 5,000 words.
$1,000
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: November 01, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestThe Lascaux Review
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.
$1,000
Publication in The Lascaux Review
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestPithead Chapel
We’re pleased to announce the sixth annual Larry Brown Short Story Award. The winners will receive the following prizes: 1st $500 USD, 2nd $50 USD, 3rd $50 USD, and 4th and 5th will receive a copy of the book Tiny Love: The Complete Stories by Larry Brown. Each prize winner will be published in the January 2022 issue of Pithead Chapel.
$500
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: October 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestThe Darling Axe
Tell us a story in fewer than 1000 words for a chance to win from a growing prize pool, plus publication on the Chopping Blog.
$700
Publication on the Chopping Blog
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: March 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story, Flash Fiction
View contestScience Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA)
The annual SFPA Speculative (Dwarf/Short/Long) Poetry Contest is open to all poets, including non-members of the SFPA. Awards will be given across 3 categories.
$150
💰 Fee: $3
Deadline: August 31, 2021 (Expired)
Poetry, Fiction
View contestBreak Water Review
We are seeking submissions for pieces that breathe freshness to the form. We are interested in previously unpublished prose ranging from 1,000 - 4,000 words.
$1,000
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: December 01, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestLinen Hall Library
The Linen Hall Library in Belfast has announced the 2020 Michael McLaverty Short Story Award. Entrants must have been born in, or are citizens of, or resident in Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland. Maximum word count 3000. Adjudicators are multi-award-winning writer Donal Ryan and Patsy Horton, Managing Editor of Blackstaff Press.
$2,600
$300 each for the two runner-ups
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: January 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestNervous Ghost Press
The 2021 Nervous Ghost Press Book Prizes are open to outstanding works of poetry and prose by anyone living in the United States of America. All work and all writers, from any point in their careers, are welcome to submit their work and get a chance of publication. Please submit a completed a manuscript (50,000-100,000 words for prose, 48-128 pages for poetry).
$1,000
Publication and a Californian reading tour
💰 Fee: $24
Deadline: January 31, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Humor, Young Adult
View contestZizzle Literary
Every week during our submission period, we’ll post one-sentence dialogue writing prompts on our social media platforms. Choose a dialogue prompt that inspires you and write a story that includes the prompt.
1000
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: March 15, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction
View contestWomen's National Book Association
Do you want to show the world your writing? Then enter the 2020 WNBA Writing Contest! You can enter your work in four categories: fiction, creative nonfiction, flash prose, and poetry.
$250
Publishication in an anthology
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: December 01, 2020 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestExeter Writers
Exeter Writers runs an annual short story competition. The competition began in 2009 and is very popular, receiving entries from all over the world. The maximum word count is 3,000.
$900
💰 Fee: $9
Deadline: February 28, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestChalk Circle
Whether you are creating a dystopian nightmare, revelling in absurdist humour, or writing stories to celebrate what you love, or have discovered, and fear to lose, we invite you to submit your story to our inaugural short story competition. The word limit is 2,000.
$240
Publication on website or anthology
💰 Fee: $7
Deadline: August 31, 2020 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestAtlantis Short Story Contest
In its seventh year, the Atlantis Short Story Contest accepts entries from unpublished authors around the world who write their short stories in English and do not exceed the length of 2,500 words. They are looking for short stories that create exciting new worlds with dynamic characters.
$300
In-depth feedback
💰 Fee: $9
Deadline: February 25, 2018 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestChicago Tribune
The 2018 Nelson Algren Literary Awards is sponsored by Chicago Tribune. Stories must be written in English, double-spaced, and no longer than 8,000 words. A total of 10 prizes will be made available during Contest: One Grand Prize: $3,500, Four Finalist Prizes: $1,000, Five Runner-up Prizes: $500.
$3,500
Publication in Printers Row
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: February 07, 2018 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contest