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Anthology Nature Writing Competition 2025
Anthology Magazine
Genres: Non-fiction
The Anthology Nature Writing Competition is part of the Anthology Creative Awards, which encourages and promotes emerging writers. The winner will have their entry published in Anthology magazine.
Top Prize:
€500
Additional prizes:
Winning entry published in Anthology magazine
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: August 31, 2025
Annual Student Essay Contest
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
Genres: Essay and Non-fiction
The contest encourages students to reflect on strength and resilience in overcoming challenges. Since 2001, it has engaged over 15,000 students from more than 20 countries, with 900 participants this year. Winners were selected based on their unique voice and thoughtful analysis.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd place: $750 3rd place: $500
📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)
Emerging Writer's Contest
Ploughshares
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry
The Emerging Writer's Contest, held by Ploughshares since 1971, recognizes outstanding work by emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Winners are announced in the fall and their works are published in the Winter 2024-25 issue of Ploughshares.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in Ploughshares and a conversation with Aevitas Creative Management.
💰 Entry fee: $30
📅 Deadline: May 15, 2025
Geminga Contest 2025
Sunspot Lit
Genres: Non-fiction and Poetry
The Geminga Contest 2025 invites submissions of tiny fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels, and art. Submissions should honor the power of brevity, with specific word limits for each category. Accepted works will be published in upcoming editions of Sunspot Lit.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Publication for the winner, with publication also offered to runners-up and finalists.
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: January 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
Writing MAGIC
Sadie Tells Stories
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult
The Writing MAGIC contest invites authors to write a short story under 500 words about anything magical. Open to all age groups, stories can be fiction or non-fiction. The contest aims to celebrate creativity and share magical experiences.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Second place: $150
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)
Tom Grass Prize
Friends and family of Tom Grass
Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction
The Tom Grass Prize celebrates the spirit of adventure through short pieces of prose, inviting writers from all backgrounds to reflect on the theme of adventure. The prize honors Tom Grass, a multifaceted writer and traveler.
Additional prizes:
1st prize of £1,000 and two runners-up prizes of £500 each.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)
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)
North Street Book Prize
Winning Writers
Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Children's, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
The North Street Book Prize focuses on self-published or hybrid-published books, offering significant cash prizes and marketing services to enhance visibility. The contest has been running for 11 years and encourages entries across various genres.
Top Prize:
$10,000
Additional prizes:
$1,000 for top winner in each category | $300 for honorable mentions
💰 Entry fee: $85
📅 Deadline: July 01, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Competition
New Beginnings
Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story
There is no topic relating to technology that brings more discussion than artificial intelligence. Some people think it does wonders. Others see it as trouble. Let us know your opinion about AI in this competition. Include experiences you have had with AI. 300-word limit. Winners will be selected January 1, 2024. Open to anyone, anywhere.
Top Prize:
$100 CA
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: December 15, 2023 (Expired)
Great American Think-Off
New York Mills Regional Cultural Center
Genres: Essay and Non-fiction
The Great American Think-Off is an annual philosophical essay contest that invites participants to submit essays on significant questions of life. The contest culminates in a live debate where finalists present their arguments, and the audience votes on the best perspective.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Four cash prizes of $500 each for finalists.
📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)
WOW! Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest
WOW! Women on Writing
Genres: Essay and Non-fiction
The mission of this contest is to inspire creative nonfiction and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. Your story must be true, but the way you tell it is your chance to get creative. We are open to all styles of essay
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards
💰 Entry fee: $12
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025
Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest
Shuswap Association of Writers
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story
The contest is part of the annual Word on the Lake Writers Festival, encouraging submissions in short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Entries must be unpublished and original, with a maximum of 2,000 words for fiction/nonfiction and three one-page poems. Winners are published in the anthology.
Top Prize:
$200 CAD
Additional prizes:
2025 festival registration package + certificate for online writing course
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)
The International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir
Memoir Writing Ink
Genres: Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story
Original, unpublished works of memoir writing up to 2000 words. The winner will be interviewed and the winning story published on Alison Wearing’s website and featured in the Memoir Writing Ink program. This award was created in celebration of the life of Amy Macrae and in support of her living legacy to improve the outcomes of women with ovarian cancer. Submissions accepted between April 15 to June 30, 2024.
Top Prize:
$1,000
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)
The First 100 Days Contest
Disruption Books
Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel
The First 100 Days Contest seeks innovative book ideas from authors committed to promoting good work amidst challenging times. Participants submit a one-page book overview and a sample manuscript of up to 5,000 words. Winning authors receive feedback and an editorial consultation.
Top Prize:
Editorial consultation and feedback on up to 100 pages.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025
International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition
Vine Leaves Press
Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel
The competition aims to give marginalized voices the opportunity to establish literary legacies. It accepts unpublished creative nonfiction manuscripts and assesses entries based on originality, creativity, and writing quality.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication of the winning manuscript in 2026. Runners up will also be considered for publication.
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: July 01, 2025
The Book of the Year Awards
The Independent Author Network
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Crime, and Short Story
The 11th Annual IAN Book of the Year Awards is an international contest open to all authors with 75 fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners share cash prizes totaling $6,000, including a Grand Prize of $2,500.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
Minimum cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250 for first, second, and third places in each category respectively
💰 Entry fee: $49
📅 Deadline: August 16, 2025
Future Leaders Competition
ChallengeUS
Genres: Non-fiction
The Future Leaders Competition encourages youth to engage with civic ideas and challenges, aiming to recognize and reward future leaders through scholarships and awards. The prompt for Winter 2024 explores the essence of effective political leadership.
Top Prize:
$250
Additional prizes:
First place winners receive $250, a Certificate of Achievement, and will be spotlighted in a biographical article. Second and Third Place winners also recognized with certificates and publication of their submissions.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: January 20, 2025 (Expired)
Pilgrimages – 2025 Travel Writing Competition
Intrepid Times
Genres: Non-fiction and Travel
Intrepid Times invites writers to explore the theme of pilgrimage through non-fiction stories of 1200 to 1800 words. The winning entry receives $300 and publication, with four runners-up also published at standard rates. Free entry is available, with an optional assessed feedback option for $95.
Top Prize:
$300
Additional prizes:
Publication in Intrepid Times and accompanying photographs. Up to four runners-up will be published at standard rates.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2025 (Expired)
Native Voices Award 2025
Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc
Genres: Essay and Non-fiction
The Native Voices Award 2025 invites Indigenous storytellers from various communities to submit original, unpublished works in genres such as short stories, flash fiction, essays, scripts, or poetry. The contest focuses on themes rich in cultural depth.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd: $200, 3rd: $100, 4th: $50. Subsequent 6 finalists receive a $25 amazon gift card. 1st place also gets publication in Kinsman Quarterly and the anthology Native Voices, Vol. 2.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest
Winning Writers
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Short Story
Welcome to the 31st annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest. Submit published or unpublished work. $9,000 in prizes.
Top Prize:
$3,000
Additional prizes:
Two-year gift certificate from Duotrope; 10 Honorable Mentions will receive $300 each
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: May 01, 2025
