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DIRECTORY

Best Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 428 contests that match your search.

Page 10

Take a Photo Poetry

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Poetry

Go out for a walk and take a camera, smartphone or tablet with you. Snap a picture of something interesting and write a poem about it when you get home. Post the photo along with the poem.

Top Prize:

$100

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres: Horror

Twice each year TGS awards $1,500 and both online and print publication to the winner of our short story competition. Two other writers receive Honorable Mention awards that include publication and cash prizes of $300. Online publication dates are June 1, and October 31.

Top Prize:

$1,500

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Creative Nonfiction Prize

Indiana Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

The Creative Nonfiction Prize is held annually by Indiana Review, which also publishes various genres including poetry and fiction. It features a $20 entry fee, which includes a subscription to the journal. All entries are considered for publication.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in Indiana Review

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Scriptation Showcase

Showcase Script Competition

Genres: Script Writing and Short Story

The Scriptation Showcase is a screenwriting contest aimed at connecting writers with industry professionals by circulating winning scripts to Hollywood directors, showrunners, and producers. In addition to monetary awards, winners receive features in the Scriptation app and various professional development opportunities.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

$500 cash for best script in each category, plus 1 Year Scriptation Showcase, 1 Year WriterDuet Premium, Virtual Group Meeting with Professional Writers, One-on-one meeting with Film/TV Executive, Featured Story and Promotion.

💰 Entry fee: $64

📅 Deadline: July 20, 2024 (Expired)

African Diaspora Awards 2024

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The African Diaspora Awards invite submissions of original, unpublished works in various genres. Winners will receive cash prizes and publication opportunities. The contest emphasizes themes related to African cultures.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd place: $300 3rd place: $200 4th place: $50 Top 6 Finalists: $25 Amazon gift card. Winner also receives publication in the 2025 anthology, 'Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora', and Kinsman Quarterly's digital magazine.

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)

The One Page Poetry Contest

One Page Poetry

Genres: Poetry

One Page Poetry is dedicated to the art of expressing a poetic theme on a single page, whether your poem is four lines or forty, whether yours is a love poem, inspirational poem, philosophical poem, or just one that is fun or whimsical. We welcome any and all poetic forms, as long as they fit on a single page.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: $1000 | 3rd: $500

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

This competition is open to writers globally offering a total prize fund of £1,500, with prizes of £1,000 for first place, £300 for second, and £200 for third. The competition encourages diverse storytelling without specific themes.

Top Prize:

£1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: £300 | 3rd: £200

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award

Plough Publishing

Genres: Poetry

This award honors the achievements of the great Dominican-American poet, translator, and public school teacher Rhina Polonia Espaillat. The Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award will be awarded for an original poem of not more than fifty lines that reflects her lyricism, empathy, and ability to find grace in everyday events of life.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in Plough Quarterly. Two finalists will receive $250

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: March 30, 2025

The Betty Award

The Betty Award

Genres: Children's

As one of the few competitions for elementary and middle school students, The Betty Award grants cash prizes for written pieces below 1,000 words. The Betty Award has both a Spring & Fall contest.

Top Prize:

$300

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: May 04, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The TRP Southern Poetry Breakthrough Series highlights a first full-length collection by emerging authors from each state in the southern U.S. This year's state is South Carolina. Open to any poet born in South Carolina, currently residing in South Carolina, or who has lived in South Carolina for five consecutive years at any point, who has not yet published a full-length collection of poetry. The author may have published chapbooks or books in other genres. Submissions accepted through Submittable only.

Top Prize:

Publication

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Tanka Poetry Contest

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Poetry

For this contest you are challenged to write a Tanka poem. Tanka is a form of poetry that often follows a specific syllable count. That count is 5-7-5-7-7. So your first line has five syllables, second has seven, third has five and the last two lines each have seven syllables. Cash prize!

Top Prize:

$100

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: June 18, 2024 (Expired)

NOWW 26th International Writing Contest

Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The 26th Annual Writing Contest is currently closed. The next contest will open on January 1, 2025. Categories and further details will be announced later.

Top Prize:

$150

Additional prizes:

2nd place: $100 3rd place: $50

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: January 01, 2025

Kinsman Poetry Slam

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Genres: Poetry

The Kinsman Poetry Slam is a global competition seeking unique contemporary poetry for the upcoming collection, SLAM! Winners receive up to $300 cash prizes and publication. Submissions of original, unpublished works in English up to 10 pages are encouraged, focusing on themes of culture, resilience, passion, and justice. Entry fee is $5.99, and submissions must be received by May 31, 2024.

Top Prize:

$300

Additional prizes:

2nd place: $200 3rd place: $100 4th place: $50 Top 6 Finalists: $25 Amazon gift card; 6 Honorary Mentions. Winner also receives publication in Kinsman Quarterly and the "SLAM" anthology.

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Troubadour International Poetry Prize is an annual competition open to poets worldwide, judged by notable figures in the literary community. The 2024 prize includes cash awards for the top three poems, as well as opportunities for commended entries.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

Second: £1,000 Third prize: £500 20 commended entries Winners read with judges at the online international prize-night celebration.

💰 Entry fee: $8

📅 Deadline: September 23, 2024 (Expired)

John Estey Student Writing Competition

American Writers Museum

Genres: Children's

The 5th Annual John Estey Student Writing Competition invites students to submit original works based on a prompt from Mary Doria Russell’s novel _The Sparrow_. Participants can write fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and more, with a maximum length of 1,000 words. Homeschoolers and international students can also enter, provided they meet specific submission criteria.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

Winners in various categories receive cash prizes: $500 for elementary, $1000 for middle school, and $2000 for high school.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: June 07, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Non-fiction, and Short Story

July 2022 saw the launch of the 8th 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.

Top Prize:

£1,200

Additional prizes:

2nd Prize: £600 | 3rd Prize: £300 | 3 x Highly Commended: £150 | 14 x Shortlisted: £75

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025

TWFest Fiction Contest

Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival

Genres: Fiction

The TWFest Fiction Contest aims to showcase new works by emerging writers. It invites original, unpublished short stories up to 7,000 words. The contest provides a platform for creative expression and awards significant prizes to winners.

Top Prize:

$1,500

Additional prizes:

Runner ups will receive a LitPass ($100 value) for the Festival. Domestic airfare (up to $500) & French Quarter accommodations for the Festival, All-Access Festival pass ($600 value), public reading, publication & interview in French Quarter Journal

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2024 (Expired)

#GWstorieseverywhere

Gotham Writers

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

Each month we invite you to post a story on Twitter using #GWstorieseverywhere for a chance to win a free class. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag #GWstorieseverywhere.

Top Prize:

Gotham Writers Workshop

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)

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

The contest is aimed at unpublished works including novels, novellas, poetry collections, and nonfiction books. It is judged blind and winners can choose to publish an extract. The prize is awarded every three months with a total prize pool of $4,000 USD.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Optional publication of excerpt + letter of recommendation

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (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

Writer's Games is a free, six-week, challenge-based competition designed to help writers improve their craft. Each week, registered participants receive a secret event announcement and have 72 hours to write and submit their entries. All entries receive feedback from judges. The competition emphasizes creativity across various genres.

Top Prize:

Publication in anthology, 72 Hours (26+ spaces)

Additional prizes:

Top three overall winners receive interviews and physical copies of the anthology. Additional prizes are subject to sponsorship and donations.

📅 Deadline: July 22, 2024 (Expired)

Acrostic Poetry Contest

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Poetry

To enter this poetry contest share an acrostic. That's a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word (downwards). Cash Prize

Top Prize:

$100

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: October 16, 2022 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Stephen Spender Prize is an annual award recognizing excellence in poetry translation, encouraging participants to translate poems from any language into English. It is open to various age groups including adults and students in the UK and Ireland. The contest aims to celebrate linguistic diversity and foster creative translation.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Second: £500 Third: £250 Various cash prizes for youth categories.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres:

fre

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, LGBTQ, and Novel

Dedicated to the memory of author and journalist Jim Duggins, this prize honors LGBTQ-identified authors who have published multiple novels, built a strong reputation and following, and show promise to continue publishing high quality work for years to come.

Top Prize:

$5000 (x2)

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay

The Berggruen Prize Essay Competition aims to foster innovative ideas across cultures by posing significant philosophical questions relevant to contemporary life. It seeks submissions in English and Chinese that reflect novel thinking and compelling arguments.

Top Prize:

$25,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in Noema Magazine. Each language category will have a prize.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)

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 01, 2024 (Expired)

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

Geminga is a neutron star so small it was difficult to detect. With Geminga: $500 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art, Sunspot Lit honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Graphic novels should be 4 pages or less.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Publication in digital and print

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition 2024

Swansea University Cultural Institute on behalf of The Rhys Davies Trust

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The competition welcomes unpublished short stories (max 5,000 words) by writers born or living in Wales. The 2024 guest judge is Rebecca F. John.

Top Prize:

£1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in short story anthology | 11x Runners Up: £100 and publication in short story anthology

💰 Entry fee: $8

📅 Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction

The Weatherglass Novella Prize 2025 invites submissions of novellas between 20k-40k words. The winning novella will be published by Weatherglass Books in 2025/26. The contest emphasizes the beauty of the novella form and aims to promote exquisite storytelling.

Top Prize:

£500

Additional prizes:

Winning novellas will be published by Weatherglass Books.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2025

Genres: Poetry

The Letter Review Prize for Poetry is awarded every three months, open to poems of up to 70 lines. The competition is blind-judged and all entries are considered for publication and further anthologies.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Total prize pool of $1000 USD for winners. Publication by The Letter Review.

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

The WIP Contest supports writers by allowing submissions of work that is in progress. It emphasizes on creative development and offers a platform for emerging voices.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: December 01, 2024

Memo'd AI-assisted Writing Contest

Memo'd Technologies, LLC

Genres: Non-fiction

The Memo'd AI Writing Contest invites participants to create popular Memos using their AI content creator. Participants can enter by generating Memes through the Memo'd app and publishing them. The contest encourages creativity, allowing users to leverage AI and their own insights to produce Memos.

Top Prize:

$750

Additional prizes:

Second Prize for second most unique views: $250 Best AI Prompt Prize for most creative and useful prompt: $250

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Trustees of the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, NH, and the Hyla Brook Poets invite submissions for the 2022, 12th Annual The Frost Farm Prize for metrical poetry. The winner receives $1,000 and an invitation, with honorarium, to read in June 2022 as part of The Hyla Brook Reading Series at the Robert Frost Farm.

Top Prize:

$1,000

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Summer Nanofiction Battle

Writing Battle

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

The Summer Nanofiction Battle is a peer-powered short story competition where writers compete using prompts, receive feedback, and are judged by industry professionals.

Top Prize:

$1,500

Additional prizes:

Genre Runner-up (x4): $375 Feedback by industry professionals

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: August 02, 2024 (Expired)

Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award

Claremont Graduate University

Genres: Poetry

The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award honors a poet for a single volume of poetry published between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. It is the world's largest monetary prize for poetry, valued at $100,000. The award aims to support poets in their mid-career, allowing them to focus on their craft without financial burdens.

Top Prize:

$100,000

Additional prizes:

The Kate Tufts Discovery Award offers $10,000 for a first book of poetry.

📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired)

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