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DIRECTORY

Best Novel Writing Contests in 2025

Showing 49 contests that match your search.

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, and Romance

This contest celebrates diverse voices in literature. The winner will receive a 3 month membership with a published author to help them prepare their book for publishing.

Additional prizes:

1st: A 3 month mentorship with a published author. | 2nd: A 2 month mentorship with a published author. | 3rd: A 1 month mentorship with a published author. | 4th – 5th: A one hour coaching session with a published author.

💰 Entry fee: $45

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2025

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Storytrade Book Awards celebrate literary excellence in small and independent publishing, featuring over 70 categories for fiction and nonfiction. The awards spotlight outstanding books and provide industry recognition for authors.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

$1,000 for each Book of the Year (Fiction & Nonfiction). Medals, book stickers, and digital seals for Winners and Finalists

💰 Entry fee: $75

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025

Genres: LGBTQ and Novel

The Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction honors Black LGBTQ writers of fiction, celebrating works that explore themes of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and history. The prize is awarded to writers who have published at least one book and show promise for future groundbreaking work.

Top Prize:

$3,000

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

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Best Indie Book Award

Best Indie Book Award

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

The Best Indie Book Award (BIBA) is an international literary contest that recognizes outstanding achievements by independently published authors. Entries are limited to indie published books, including those from small presses and self-published authors, judged on various writing skills.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

A physical trophy or plaque

💰 Entry fee: $65

📅 Deadline: August 01, 2025

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)

Novel Fair 2025

Irish Writers Centre

Genres: Fiction and Novel

Novel Fair is an annual competition for unpublished novelists, allowing winners to pitch their novels to publishers and agents. It includes a two-day event with workshops and meetings with industry professionals.

Top Prize:

Present your novel to leading publishers and agents at the Irish Writers Centre

Additional prizes:

Shortlisted applicants receive feedback on their submissions.

💰 Entry fee: $55

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller

The Silver Falchion Award honors the best books published in 2024 across various genres, including mystery, thriller, suspense, and romance. The competition aims to recognize quality storytelling and is open to all published authors.

Top Prize:

$250

💰 Entry fee: $85

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Reader Views Literary Awards recognize innovative self-published books, offering visibility and credibility to independent authors. The contest provides thorough book reviews, evaluation forms, and promotional opportunities.

Top Prize:

$1,250

Additional prizes:

Gold: $750 | Silver: $350 | Bronze: $150 | Various sponsored awards and features in newsletters include marketing packages, interviews, and ads.

💰 Entry fee: $89

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2025

James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel

Association of Writers & Writing Programs

Genres: Fiction and Novel

The AWP Award Series is an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The series is open to all authors writing in English, regardless of nationality or residence. The competition includes various genres, and the James Alan McPherson Prize specifically focuses on novels.

Top Prize:

$5,500

Additional prizes:

Publication by the University of Nebraska Press

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)

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

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, and Romance

The Emma Awards celebrate multicultural excellence in romance and women's fiction, promoting diverse voices and stories. The contest recognizes top entries in various romance subgenres, ensuring inclusion in literature.

Top Prize:

$250

Additional prizes:

Winner also receives the Book of the Year Award. The Emma Crystal Award for Diversity in Publishing and the Reader's Choice Certificate of Recognition will also be distributed.

💰 Entry fee: $60

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2025

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

The DWRI Romance Book Literary Contest

Diverse Writers and Readers International

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Novel, and Novella

The contest is open to authors who published a romance book in 2024. It focuses on various criteria for judging, including plot creativity, grammar, romantic conflict, and character believability.

Top Prize:

The DWRI Literary Award.

💰 Entry fee: $60

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2025

Maggie Award for Published Writers

Georgia Romance Writers

Genres: Novel and Romance

The Maggie Award for Excellence recognizes outstanding works of romantic fiction. Open to both traditional and self-published authors, the contest emphasizes quality storytelling. The award seeks submissions that showcase excellence in the romance genre.

Top Prize:

Trophy

💰 Entry fee: $40

📅 Deadline: April 05, 2024 (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)

First 5 Pages Prize

Stockholm Writers Festival

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

The First 5 Pages Prize encourages writers to submit the first five pages of their unpublished work. The contest aims to inspire writers to polish their starting pages, crucial for capturing the attention of agents and editors. It welcomes entries from writers aged 16 and above, focusing on various genres. The prize promotes beautiful writing and offers support to aspiring authors.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd and 3rd Prize winners receive event tickets and meetings with agents

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

An annual contest for unpublished and unagented writers of children's fiction, focusing on originality and diverse voices. The competition seeks full-length novels suitable for readers aged 7-18.

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 02, 2025

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)

Nimrod Literary Awards

Nimrold International Journal of Prose and Poetry

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Novel

The Nimrod Literary Awards are hosted by the Nimrod International Journal to honor outstanding writing in fiction and poetry. Each year, the awards feature a first prize of $2,000 and a second prize of $1,000, along with publication opportunities for winners.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: $1000 + publication

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, LGBTQ, and Novel

This prize honors LGBTQ-identified authors who have published multiple novels, built a strong reputation, and show promise for future work. It is dedicated to Jim Duggins and supported by the James Duggins, PhD Fund.

Top Prize:

$5000 (x2)

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Novel

The Letter Review Prize for Books invites submissions of unpublished, self-published, or indie-published book-length works. It aims to highlight new literature and supports writers through various stages of their careers. The competition is judged blind, ensuring equal opportunity for all entrants.

Top Prize:

$1000 USD shared by 2 to 4 winners

Additional prizes:

Winners may publish extracts of their entries in The Letter Review's anthology. Up to 20 writers are shortlisted.

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: July 01, 2025

Genres: Fiction and Novel

This competition invites submissions of the first chapter of a novel along with a synopsis. The focus is on originality and engaging storytelling. The winner will receive feedback from a literary agent and a substantial cash prize.

Top Prize:

£500

Additional prizes:

Free appraisal for the winning entry + all shortlisted entrants

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)

New Deal Writing Competition

Genesee Valley Council on the Arts (GVCA)

Genres: Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Travel

The New Deal Writing Competition invites writers to create a short story inspired by a specific painting. The current painting is 'Playtime' by Fred Ross. This is the ninth annual contest, intended to celebrate creativity and connect art and writing.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

Publication in newsletter

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Goldilocks Zone

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

The Goldilocks Zone contest invites submissions for fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, artwork, and graphic novels, seeking works that combine craft with audience appeal. The prize includes cash and publication for winners and runners-up.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: May 01, 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)

UNO Press Publishing Lab

University of New Orleans Press

Genres: Novel

The Publishing Laboratory at the University of New Orleans seeks to promote innovative publicity and broad distribution for authors. They accept submissions for unpublished novels and short story collections. A selected author is awarded a $10,000 advance on royalties and a publishing contract.

Top Prize:

$10,000

Additional prizes:

Advance on royalties

💰 Entry fee: $28

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Novel

Open to all poets over 18 years old writing in English. Collaborations, hybrid works, and simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please notify Diode Editions if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

Top Prize:

$1,500

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024 (Expired)

The Big Moose Prize

Black Lawrence Press

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Short Story

The Big Moose Prize awards an unpublished novel, open to all writers. The winner receives publication, a cash award of $1,000, and ten copies of the book.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication of the novel and ten copies

💰 Entry fee: $28

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Novel

The contest invites submissions of self-contained novel excerpts up to 6,000 words, focusing on strong voice, characters, and narrative arcs. The grand prize includes $3,000, online publication, and a consultation with a literary agent.

Top Prize:

$3,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | Online publication + an hour-long consultation with a literary agent.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: November 01, 2024 (Expired)

SFWP Literary Awards

Santa Fe Writers Project

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Novel, and Novella

The SFWP Literary Awards recognize excellence in writing, offering a grand prize and runner-up awards, with a focus on publishing emerging authors.

Top Prize:

$1,500

Additional prizes:

$500 for two runners-up

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024 (Expired)

HNS 2024 First Chapters Competition

Historical Novel Society

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Novel, Romance, Thriller, and Young Adult

The competition invites unpublished first three chapters of historical novels up to 15,000 words. It aims to promote excellence in storytelling. The overall winner will be announced at the HNS UK 2024 conference.

Top Prize:

£1,000

Additional prizes:

Category winners: £500 and HNS UK 2024 conference ticket. Competition trophy and feedback from judges.

💰 Entry fee: $40

📅 Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Novel

The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction recognizes daring, original, and innovative novels. It is open to all writers, including those with agents. Submissions must be unpublished and include a synopsis, author bio, and contact info.

Top Prize:

$5,000

Additional prizes:

Advance and publication by Dzanc Books

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: January 01, 2025 (Expired)

Bridport Novel Award

Bridport Arts Centre

Genres: Fiction and Novel

The Bridport Novel Award invites submissions of original, unpublished novels. Authors must submit an opening of 5,000 to 8,000 words along with a 300-word synopsis. It's open to writers aged 16 and over from the UK and Ireland, including those living abroad.

Top Prize:

£1500

Additional prizes:

£750 for the runner up and three prizes of £150

💰 Entry fee: $29

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025

Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

High-quality unpublished manuscripts in memoir, fiction, and non-fiction are sought for this competition. The contest is designed to amplify the voices of contemporary writers.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Possible book publication/distribution in ebook and paperback formats

💰 Entry fee: $40

📅 Deadline: October 15, 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)

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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