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DIRECTORY

Best Writing Contests in 2025

Showing 404 contests that match your search.

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The Free Verse Prize

Poetry Society

Genres: Poetry

The Free Verse Prize is a new poetry prize, which supports the Free Verse Poetry Book and Magazine Fair. The judge is poet and former Poetry Book Fair director, Chrissy Williams. Poems can be on any theme, and should have fewer than 40 lines.

Top Prize:

£500

Additional prizes:

Publication in Poetry News and the Poetry Book Fair programme

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: March 07, 2025 (Expired)

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

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize aims to showcase new short fiction, offering visibility for winners. Collaborating with various institutions, the prize includes cash rewards, writing retreats, and publication opportunities.

Top Prize:

€2,000 + a week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, consultation with Literary Agent Ed Wilson, manuscript assessment with The Literary Consultancy.

Additional prizes:

2nd and 3rd place: €1000. Publication in partner journals for all shortlisted writers.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: April 13, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Principal Foundation has launched the second edition of its national short story contest, Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative. Hosted in collaboration with The Center for Fiction and Short Édition, the contest invites adults ages 18 and up to submit imaginative short stories that reflect lived experiences with money now through October 2, 2024.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Up to 20 finalists will receive $150.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: October 02, 2024 (Expired)

TeenQuill Writing Contest

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Genres: Poetry and Script Writing

The TeenQuill Writing Contest invites students aged 12 to 19 to submit original, unpublished poetry and play monologues. Selected works will receive a $50 Amazon e-gift card and publication in Kinsman Quarterly. One winner is chosen each seasonal quarter, with submissions accepted throughout 2025.

Top Prize:

$50

Additional prizes:

Publication in Kinsman Quarterly and promotion on social media.

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2025

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize celebrates emerging voices in life writing, poetry, and fiction. It supports writers who have not published book-length works and offers a platform for diverse backgrounds. Winners receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication in Wasafiri.

Top Prize:

£1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in Wasafiri magazine, mentoring through Chapter and Verse or Free Reads, career discussions with The Good Literary Agency, and a one-year print subscription.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)

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)

Genres: Poetry

The competition, run by The Poetry Society since 1978, is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem. Judged by Stephen Sexton, Romalyn Ante, John McAuliffe. Open to all poets worldwide aged 18+.

Top Prize:

£5,000

Additional prizes:

Runners-up receive £2,000 and £1,000. Commended entries receive £500

💰 Entry fee: $8

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2024 (Expired)

swamp pink Prizes

crazyhorse

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

The Swamp Pink Prizes celebrate excellence in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Each winner receives $2,000 and publication in an upcoming issue of Swamp Pink. The contest is open for submissions throughout January.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in an upcoming issue of Swamp Pink

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: January 31, 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)

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, or discovered. Pieces may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review.

Top Prize:

$1,000

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (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)

Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize

Academy of American Poets

Genres: Poetry

Established in 1975, this prize recognizes the most outstanding book of poetry published in the U.S. in the previous calendar year. It includes a $25,000 award, a residency at Glen Hollow, and distribution of the winning book to Academy members.

Top Prize:

$25,000

💰 Entry fee: $75

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Snowbound Chapbook Award is an open competition for a chapbook-length poetry manuscript. It offers a $1,000 prize, publication by Tupelo Press, 25 copies of the winning title, and a book launch. The award aims to promote exceptional poetry and is judged anonymously.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication by Tupelo Press, 25 copies of the winning title, a book launch. Finalists will be considered for publication.

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)

Amazing Women’s Edition Contest

National Youth Foundation

Genres: Children's

The Amazing Women’s Edition Contest invites students in grades K to 8 to create books that feature the theme of 'Local Heroines'. Each entry must include art and text created solely by the students. The contest aims to promote literacy and creativity among youth.

Top Prize:

$500

📅 Deadline: January 09, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Anthology Short Story Competition aims to recognize and encourage creative writing by providing a platform for publication. It is open to original and previously unpublished short stories in English, with no restrictions on theme or style. Stories should not exceed 1,500 words.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Second place: €250 Third place: €150 Winning story published in Anthology magazine.

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2025

The Heartland Review Open Calls

The Heartland Review

Genres: Poetry and Fiction

A biannual literary journal founded in 2000 that publishes original fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. The submissions process is free, and the contest focuses on diverse voices and styles.

Additional prizes:

Publication in The Heartland Review. 1 contributor copy for published works

📅 Deadline: December 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Horror, Mystery, and Science Fiction

The Fabula Press Short Story Contest encourages exceptional storytelling across genres, with no specific theme. Participants can submit entries for both free and paid categories. Winning stories may be published in an anthology.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

2nd place: $250 3rd place: $100 Stories selected for publication: $75

📅 Deadline: June 11, 2024 (Expired)

The Betty Award

The Betty Award

Genres: Children's

The Betty Award is a writing contest for children ages 8-12, celebrating young authors since 2006. The contest encourages imagination and creativity, allowing entries in any topic as long as they are age-appropriate.

Top Prize:

$300

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: May 17, 2025 (Expired)

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

2024 International Literary Prize

Hammond House Publishing

Genres: Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

The 2024 International Literary Prize invites writers to submit entries in four categories: Short Stories, Poetry, Scriptwriting, and Songwriting. The contest emphasizes anonymity in submissions and offers cash prizes, publication opportunities, and feedback options.

Top Prize:

1st prize for Short Story and Poetry: £1000 1st prize for Scriptwriting: £500 1st prize for Song writing: £250

Additional prizes:

2nd and 3rd prizes for all categories: £100 and £50 respectively, along with publication for all shortlisted entries.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction

The contest invites young writers across Canada to explore the theme 'Community of Stories,' encouraging submissions that reflect connections through family, friendship, and culture.

Top Prize:

Winners will receive prize packages and a published copy of their story in a chapbook.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: April 27, 2025 (Expired)

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

The Folly Short Story Prize 2025 invites submissions for stories that challenge conventional norms. It aims to recognize innovative writing that resonates with contemporary themes.

Top Prize:

$1000 NZD

Additional prizes:

Two tickets to the Folly After Party.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: June 01, 2025

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The contest welcomes submissions of previously unpublished short stories of 1000 words or fewer. It encourages simultaneous submissions and offers publication for finalists in their journal.

Top Prize:

$150

Additional prizes:

2nd place: $100 3rd place: $50 Honorable mentions: $25 Publication in the journal for top finalists.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction

An annual competition celebrating excellence in flash fiction. Entries must be unpublished, and winners receive cash prizes and nominations for various prestigious awards.

Top Prize:

$2,500

Additional prizes:

2nd: $1000 | 3rd: $500 | Grand Prize winner receives automatic nominations for Best Small Fictions and Pushcart Prize.

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: May 10, 2025 (Expired)

Human Rights Essay Contest for High School Students

Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation

Genres: Essay

The contest invites high school students to respond to a prompt regarding human rights. Prizes include $3000 for 1st place, $1500 for 2nd, and $750 for 3rd. Essays should not exceed 2500 words and must include a cover page with specific details.

Top Prize:

$3,000

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: December 10, 2024 (Expired)

Michael Waters Poetry Prize

University of Southern Indiana

Genres: Poetry

The Michael Waters Poetry Prize awards $6,000 and publication by SIR Press for a full-length poetry manuscript written in English annually. All entries are considered for publication.

Top Prize:

$6,000

Additional prizes:

Publication by SIR Press

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: February 03, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Travel

The Fiction Factory Short Story Competition invites writers to submit stories of up to 3,000 words. The competition is open to all genres excluding Children's and Young Adult Fiction. Winning stories will be published on the website and potentially in an anthology.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Winning stories will be published and included in an anthology.

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The 27th annual Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition is open for submissions until April 30th, 2025. The competition accepts poems on any subject, must be original, and no longer than 50 lines.

Top Prize:

£800

Additional prizes:

2nd: £400 | 3rd: £200 | Sonnet prize: £200 | All winning and commended poets invited to a prize-giving event.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Expired)

Fish Short Memoir Prize

Fish Publishing

Genres: Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

The Fish Short Memoir Prize invites entries of personal memoirs, with the aim of being published in the Fish Anthology 2025. It's open to writers of any nationality and no prior publication is needed.

Top Prize:

€1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd and 3rd: Online writing course + €300 | 3rd: €300

💰 Entry fee: $18

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The contest invites participants to write a story of exactly 100 words on topics like envy, eyeglasses, nightmares, or turtles. It is open to all ages, including international writers. Winning stories will be published in an e-zine.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

6 cash prizes of $100 each + publication in digital magazine, inclusion in webcast

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2024 (Expired)

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)

Chapter One Prize

Gutsy Great Novelist

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

The Chapter One Prize is an international writing contest for unpublished novelists. It aims to find the best opening chapter of a novel-in-progress written in English. Submissions open on February 3, 2025, and close on March 3, 2025.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: $500 | 3rd: $250. Honorable mentions may also be awarded.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 03, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Cranked Anvil Flash Fiction Competition invites writers to submit stories with a maximum length of 500 words. The competition runs quarterly, with deadlines in February, May, August, and November. Up to three entries can be submitted per participant per quarter.

Top Prize:

£100

Additional prizes:

2nd: £50 + publication online

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024 (Expired)

GWG Literary Prize 2025

Geneva Writers Group

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The GWG Literary Prize 2025 invites writers to explore hope and resilience through candid writing. Categories include fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry, all reflecting the theme of hope.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

1st: 100CHF, 2nd: 50CHF, 3rd: 25CHF. Each winner and runner-up also receives 1 free workshop each.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 03, 2025 (Expired)

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