Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

DIRECTORY

Best Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 428 contests that match your search.

Page 11

F(r)iction Contests

Brink Literacy Project

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

F(r)iction Contests accepts submissions in short stories, poetry, and flash fiction, encouraging boundary-pushing and experimental works. The contest opens on July 1, 2024, and winners will be announced in April 2025.

Top Prize:

$1,600

Additional prizes:

$1,000 for short stories, and $300 for poetry and flash fiction. Up to five finalists per category will be considered for publication.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: November 03, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Mystery, Science Fiction, and Thriller

Inspiring Fiction’s first crime and speculative fiction short story contest is on the theme ‘Secrets’. The winner and shortlisted entries will be published in the fourth issue of Tangled Web Magazine.

Top Prize:

£100

Additional prizes:

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2023 (Expired)

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)

Great American Fiction Contest

Saturday Evening Post

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Great American Fiction Contest aims to discover and promote new American writers, continuing the legacy of notable authors published by The Saturday Evening Post. The winning story will be published in the magazine's January/February 2025 issue.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

The winning story will be published in The Saturday Evening Post. Five runners-up will each receive $200 and have their stories featured online.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired)

Environmental Writing Competition

Write the World in partnership with Patagonia

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

This contest invites teenagers to express their thoughts on the climate crisis and how collective action can address environmental challenges. The competition emphasizes the importance of youth voices in the fight against climate change.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Publication of winning pieces on Patagonia's platforms. Opportunities for mentorship and publication for runners-up.

📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The competition seeks articles from aspiring journalists aged 14-21. Winning entries will be published in Pitch Magazine and critiqued by a panel of judges. Winners receive a £50 cash prize and work experience.

Top Prize:

£50

Additional prizes:

Publication in magazine and online, work experience at Pitch Magazine.

📅 Deadline: April 12, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

Welcome to the 20th annual Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest. Submit published or unpublished work. $3,000 for a poem in any style or genre. $3,000 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style.

Top Prize:

$3,000

Additional prizes:

$200 for 10 honorable mentions

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2024 (Expired)

Iridescence Award

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Science Fiction

The Iridescence Award is a contest for short stories and poetry by BIPOC authors, focusing on themes of the supernatural, extraterrestrial, or paranormal. The contest aims to promote underrepresented voices in literature and provides cash prizes along with publication opportunities.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

First Place receives publication in the Kinsman Quarterly and Iridescence anthology; Second Place $250; Third Place $100; 6 Finalists receive $25 Amazon gift card; 6 honorable mentions published

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Hastings Book Festival - Short Story

Hastings Book Festival

Genres: Short Story

Hastings Book Festival writing competition is open to writers from anywhere in the world writing in English on any theme. We invite short stories up to 2,500 words. We have additional prizes for LGBT+ writers and writers resident in Sussex.

Top Prize:

£250

Additional prizes:

2nd: £100 | 3rd: £50

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: July 07, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest aims to inspire and encourage poets and writers worldwide, showcasing their creativity. The contest is open to all, allowing multiple entries in both poetry and writing categories.

Top Prize:

$1,275

Additional prizes:

Winners may have their works published on the Dare to Dream pages.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction

The New Writers Flash Fiction Competition is open for submissions. The competition seeks to reward authors of the most imaginative, moving or just downright brilliant flash fiction entries of up to 300 words. With a top prize of £1,100 and £1 from each entry going to a creative writing charity, it's time to get involved. Head judge: Shreya Sen-Handley (Author, Columnist, Playwright and Illustrator).

Top Prize:

£1,100

Additional prizes:

2nd: £300 | 3rd: £200

💰 Entry fee: $13

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

The F(r)iction Short Story Contest is open for submissions. It celebrates unique and boundary-pushing literature. The winning story will be published in F(r)iction's print collection or online blog, and the contest encourages experimental writing.

Top Prize:

$300

Additional prizes:

Up to five finalists may also be considered for publication.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: November 01, 2024 (Expired)

One Line Poem Contest

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Poetry

Share a one line poem to enter this poetry contest. Cash prize to the winner. How creative can you get with one line to work with.

Top Prize:

$100

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: August 24, 2024 (Expired)

Jane Martin Poetry Prize

Girton College, University of Cambridge

Genres: Poetry

The Jane Martin Poetry Prize is a national poetry competition established in 2010 in memory of Girton alumna Jane Elizabeth Martin. It aims to support young poets and promote literary excellence, judged by experts in the literary field.

Top Prize:

£700

Additional prizes:

2nd place: £300 Opportunity to give a reading at Girton College.

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

The 2022 First Chapter Book Contest

TheNextBigWriter, LLC

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

Have a book or a novel idea you've been noodling? Enter your first chapter into the Booksie First Chapter Contest and see how it does. You don't need to have finished the book. You don't even need more than the first chapter. We're looking for a start that will grab our attention, that is original, that is well written, and that makes us want to beg you to see what comes next. And for those we find, we'll provide some awards to inspire you to finish writing the book or, if finished, to help get it published.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Gold contest badge.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: May 14, 2022 (Expired)

TWFest Very Short Fiction Contest

Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The TWFest Very Short Fiction Contest invites emerging writers to submit original short stories up to 1,000 words. The contest promotes new work and is open to writers who have not published a book of fiction.

Top Prize:

$500

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2024 (Expired)

ABC Poetry Contest

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Poetry

Write an ABC Poem. That's a poem with five lines that follows the alphabet. Cash prize!

Top Prize:

$100

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: July 25, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Poetry

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award is an international literary prize open to poetry and short fiction entries. Since its launch, it has celebrated outstanding writing talent and has evolved into a prominent platform for writers to showcase their work. Winning pieces have received critical acclaim and recognition at major literary awards.

Additional prizes:

£2500 for winners, publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual, courses from Arvon, subscriptions to literary magazines, and memberships to literary societies.

💰 Entry fee: $18

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024 (Expired)

Self-Publishing Literary Awards

Black Caucus of ALA (BCALA)

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

The BCALA Self-Publishing Literary Awards honors the best self-published ebooks by African American authors in the U.S. across fiction and poetry genres. The awards focus on the cultural, historical, and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora.

Top Prize:

$2,500

Additional prizes:

Formal recognition at the NCAAL conference, BCALA Literary Award Seal.

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

A monthly short story competition for elementary and middle school students, with prompts and a maximum word count of 350. Winners have their work published and receive gift cards.

Top Prize:

$25

Additional prizes:

1st place: $25 Amazon gift card 2nd place: $15 Amazon gift card 3rd place: $5 Amazon gift card All winners are published in the Hall of Fame.

📅 Deadline: September 28, 2024 (Expired)

TWFest One-Act Play Contest

Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival

Genres: Script Writing

The TWFest One-Act Play Contest is aimed at emerging or previously unpublished playwrights, encouraging original work not previously published or performed. It promotes new voices in playwriting while providing opportunities for recognition and publication.

Top Prize:

$1,500

Additional prizes:

Professional Staged Reading at the next Festival, VIP Festival pass ($600 value), Publication in Bayou Magazine, Photo and bio on their website for ~1 year, Interview in their newsletter. Top finalists receive a LitPass ($100 value) to the Festival.

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2024 (Expired)

Avenue Writing Contest

Blake Chasen and Emma Needell

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, and Romance

The Avenue Writing Contest invites participants to create interactive narratives in four categories: Romance, Fantasy, Progression Fantasy + LitRPG, and D&D. Entries are crafted using the Avenue Creator Studio, where participants develop episodes that allow reader choices to influence the story.

Top Prize:

$250

Additional prizes:

2nd: $150 3rd: $100 Winners will also be featured on Avenue’s app, website, and social media. Prizes apply for each category.

📅 Deadline: May 22, 2024 (Expired)

National High School Essay Contest

American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)

Genres: Essay

The contest invites high school students to write an essay exploring future challenges for diplomats, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Foreign Service. Essays must be between 1,000 and 1,500 words, addressing specific prompts and demonstrating an understanding of the Foreign Service.

Top Prize:

$2,500

Additional prizes:

Winner also receives an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., plus an educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. Runner-up: $1,250 plus full tuition for the National Student Leadership Conference's International Diplomacy program.

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, and Suspense

An annual fiction competition recognizing the finest speculative fiction inspired by Kurt Vonnegut. The contest welcomes unpublished fiction across various speculative genres.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication opportunities for runners-up and honorable mentions.

💰 Entry fee: $23

📅 Deadline: November 02, 2024 (Expired)

Surrey International Writers ' Conference Writing Contest

Surrey International Writers' Conference Society

Genres: Short Story

The contest invites short stories in any genre, with a word count of 2,500 to 4,000 words. First prize is $1,000 and publication in Pulp Literature, while Honourable Mentions receive $150 and potential publication.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Winner gets publication in Pulp Literature, subject to editorial review. Honourable Mention: $150

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: September 15, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The contest recognizes outstanding works of nonfiction, awarding $1,333 for creative nonfiction entries, such as personal essays. Submissions must be stand-alone essays, not previously published, and limited to 5,000 words.

Top Prize:

$1,333

Additional prizes:

All contest entrants receive a free copy of the latest edition of Reed Magazine.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: November 01, 2024 (Expired)

Haiku Poetry Contest

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Poetry

Share a Haiku! That's a poem with only three lines that generally follows the 5-7-5 syllable count. So the first line of your poem will have three syllables. Second line seven. Final line five!

Top Prize:

$100

💰 Entry fee: $13

📅 Deadline: April 15, 2023 (Expired)

AWP Prize for the Novel

Association of Writers & Writing Programs

Genres: Fiction and Novel

AWP sponsors the Award Series, an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike.

Top Prize:

$2,500

Additional prizes:

Publication by New Issues Press

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

Goldilocks Zone

Sunspot Literary Journal

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

The contest invites short stories, novel excerpts, graphic novels, and poems that showcase excellence in craft with reader appeal. It accepts literary or genre works without restrictions on theme.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

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

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Flying South

WS Writers

Genres: Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The Flying South contest invites submissions in three categories: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry. Each entry should be original and previously unpublished. Winners are awarded cash prizes, and all finalists are published in the annual issue.

Top Prize:

$400

Additional prizes:

2nd Place: $200 3rd Place: $100 All finalists receive one copy of the current issue.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

The Porter Fleming Literary Competition

The Morris Museum of Art

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Script Writing

Welcome to the 2024 Porter Fleming Literary Competition, now in its twenty-ninth year of recognizing outstanding writing and writers. The competition honors the memory of Porter Fleming, one of Augusta, Georgia’s leading citizens and foremost philanthropists. The competition is administered, with the support of the Porter Fleming Foundation, by the Morris Museum of Art, the first museum in the country to focus on the art and artists of the American South. Writers, ages 18 and older, who reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, D.C are invited to apply.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd place: $500 3rd place: $250 Prizes available in each of the four genre categories

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Short Contest

Gemini Magazine

Genres: Flash Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Fiction

The Annual Short Contest is part of Gemini Magazine's yearly contests, which include Flash Fiction and Poetry. Each contest seeks to discover and publish exceptional literary works from writers around the globe.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Second place: $100 $25 plus publication for honorable mentions. Publication in Gemini Magazine

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction, Fiction, and Short Story

Seeking short fiction of any genre between 250 - 750 words. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity and great writing and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. Guest Judge: Tom Bromley, Head of Learning at Reedsy

Top Prize:

$600 cash, Reedsy's How to Write a Novel class ($1249 value), $25 Amazon Gift Card

Additional prizes:

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024 (Expired)

Poetry of the Sacred

Center for Interfaith Relations

Genres: Christian and Poetry

For over fourteen years, the Poetry of the Sacred contest encourages poets to explore spiritual themes. It focuses on literary excellence, authenticity, and spiritual tenor in submissions.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Winner receives the Thomas Merton Grand Prize Three honorable mentions of $100 each

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: August 12, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: LGBTQ

Lambda Literary has played a pivotal role in nurturing the development of exceptional new LGBTQ writers through the Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, internships, and writing and performance opportunities. The Judith A. Markowitz Award for Exceptional New LGBTQ Writers recognizes LGBTQ-identified writers whose work demonstrates their strong potential for promising careers.

Top Prize:

$1000 (x2)

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Reedsy | Default — Editors with Marker | 2024-05

Bring your publishing dreams to life

The world's best editors, designers, and marketers are on Reedsy. Come meet them.