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DIRECTORY

Best Writing Contests in 2025

Showing 422 contests that match your search.

Page 11

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel

The contest invites submissions of creative works of 100 words or less. It encourages diverse voices and unique stories focused on the theme of truth-telling across any genre.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: Publishing and marketing package valued at $6,000 | 3rd: Manuscript assessment package ($1,500-$3,000) | 4th place: Editing package ($1,500) | 5th & 6th: Writing coaching ($500) | 7th-10th: $200 | 11th-15th: $150 | 16th-20th: $100 | 21st-30th: $50

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025

Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction

University of North Texas Press

Genres: Short Story, Flash Fiction, and Novella

The Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction is an esteemed competition for unpublished collections of fiction. The contest is open for submissions of flash fiction, short stories, or novellas, with a total manuscript length of 100 to 200 book pages.

Top Prize:

$1,000

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025 (Expired)

The Montreal International Poetry Prize

Department of English at McGill University

Genres: Poetry

Founded in 2010, the Montreal International Poetry Prize is a global competition awarding $20,000 CAD to a poet for a single poem of 40 or fewer lines. The prize emphasizes original poetry, international readership, and exploration of diverse Englishes. The contest is juried by esteemed poets and critics, and the shortlisted works are published in an anthology.

Top Prize:

$20,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in the Montreal Poetry Prize Anthology

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The competition runs for 42 weeks from April 9, 2024, to January 28, 2025. Each week, five words will be provided for poem submissions, which must incorporate all the words.

Top Prize:

€750

Additional prizes:

€500, €250

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: January 28, 2025 (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)

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 (Expired)

Travel Writing Award

Ottawa Tourism

Genres: Travel

The Travel Writing Award invites writers to explore and share their experiences in Ottawa and its surroundings. It emphasizes capturing the essence of travel through a narrative lens.

Top Prize:

$1000 CAD

Additional prizes:

Winning entries will also be featured in Ottawa Tourism publications

📅 Deadline: July 21, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

The Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition is an annual prize open to original, unpublished poems in English of up to 40 lines. It celebrates poetry and offers substantial prizes while encouraging international participation.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

2nd Place: €500 3rd Place: €250 10 runners up: €50 Featured reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival with hotel stay, publication in Southword, and featured on the Southword Poetry Podcast.

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: November 30, 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 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction

The John Steinbeck Award recognizes exceptional works of fiction. Submissions are open from June 1 to October 1, with entries limited to 5,000 words. The winning story receives a $1,000 prize.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Entry includes a free copy of the latest edition of Reed.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2025

Mark Lynton History Prize

Columbia Journalism School

Genres: Non-fiction

The Mark Lynton History Prize, in the amount of $10,000, is awarded to a book­-length work of history on any topic that best combines intellectual distinction with felicity of expression. Books must have been published in the United States between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023.

Top Prize:

$10,000

💰 Entry fee: $75

📅 Deadline: December 07, 2023 (Expired)

Gulf Coast Writers Association Writing Contest

Gulf Coast Writers Association

Genres: Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA) organizes an annual writing contest to celebrate and recognize talented writers across various genres. Participants can submit original works in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. The contest promotes writers' creativity and provides valuable feedback from experienced judges.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

Second place: $75 Third place: $50 For each category

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025 (Expired)

Eyelands Book Awards

Strange Days Books

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The Eyelands Book Awards are international awards aimed at recognizing talent among published and unpublished authors. The contest is based in Greece and encourages submissions across various literary genres.

Top Prize:

A five-day stay in Athens

Additional prizes:

Winner also receives translation into Greek and publication. Handmade ceramics for winners in each category.

💰 Entry fee: $45

📅 Deadline: October 20, 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 (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)

Genres: Fiction and Novella

Established in 2001, this annual prize awards a novella that excels in the format, offering a $1,000 advance, publication, and 10 copies of the book. Recent judges include notable authors like Steven Dunn and Michael Martone. Submissions open January 1 and close March 31 each year.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication and 10 copies of the published book

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)

Passager Poetry Contest

Passager Books

Genres: Poetry

The Passager Poetry Contest is aimed at poets aged 50 and older, emphasizing the work of older writers. It invites submissions of poetry with a limit of five poems per entry, each no longer than 40 lines. The contest includes a reading fee that provides a subscription to Passager.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Winner gets publication and a featured interview. All honorable mentions will be published.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (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: October 31, 2025

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The contest invites participants to submit a flash fiction piece of 100 words or fewer.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

$25 for each of the three runners-up. Winner and all runners-up receive publication in the Story Street Review.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)

WOW! Fall 2025 Flash Fiction Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The contest encourages creativity across all styles and genres of flash fiction, with a word limit of 250 to 750 words. It runs quarterly, with the fall contest currently open for submissions.

Top Prize:

$400

Additional prizes:

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards | 10 honorable mentions: $20 Amazon Gift Card. All winners, runner-ups, and honorable mentions are published on WOW.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025

Ambroggio Prize

Academy of American Poets

Genres: Poetry

The Ambroggio Prize is a $1,000 publication prize for a poetry manuscript originally in Spanish with an English translation. It honors American poets whose first language is Spanish and is awarded annually since 2017.

Top Prize:

$1,000

📅 Deadline: September 15, 2025 (Expired)

Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Jane Austen Society of North America

Genres: Children's and Essay

An annual contest encouraging students to explore and appreciate Jane Austen's works. Open to high school, college, and graduate students worldwide, the contest offers scholarships for original essays focused on a specific topic related to Austen's literature.

Top Prize:

$1,000 scholarship

Additional prizes:

Two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting

📅 Deadline: June 02, 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)

Louise Bogan Award

Trio House Press

Genres: Poetry

The Louise Bogan Award for Artistic Merit and Excellence includes $1,000, publication, and twenty books. The Louise Bogan Award for Artistic Merit and Excellence is open to ALL poets, regardless of publication history.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication and twenty copies of the book

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)

Bath Flash Fiction Award

Bath Flash Fiction Award

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Bath Flash Fiction Award is an international rolling competition for flash fiction, held three times a year. It encourages writers to submit original works of up to 300 words and offers substantial prizes and publication opportunities.

Top Prize:

£1000

Additional prizes:

2nd: £300 | 3rd: £100 | Two commendations of £30 each. 50 longlisted entrants may also get published in an anthology.

💰 Entry fee: $9

📅 Deadline: October 05, 2025

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

An annual fiction competition recognizing the finest speculative fiction. All forms of previously unpublished fiction are accepted, including fairy tales, magical realism, and science fiction. Winners may be published in the North American Review's summer issue.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication opportunities for runners-up and honorable mentions

💰 Entry fee: $23

📅 Deadline: November 02, 2024 (Expired)

Jim Martin Memorial Story Contest

Arizona Mystery Writers

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, and Short Story

The Jim Martin Memorial Adult Story Contest invites submissions of mystery, suspense, or thriller stories from adults aged 18 and over. It honors Jim Martin, a long-time member of Arizona Mystery Writers, supported by his family's generous contribution to the organization.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

2nd Place: $100 3rd Place: $75 Winning stories will be published on the AMW website.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: August 01, 2024 (Expired)

The Rubery Prize

Rubery Book Awards

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

The Rubery Prize is an international award for indie writers and self-published authors. It aims to recognize outstanding works and elevate authors' profiles. Authors can submit self-published books or those from independent presses.

Top Prize:

£2000

Additional prizes:

Category winners receive £200

💰 Entry fee: $60

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction

The Farnham Flash Fiction International Competition invites writers to submit stories of 500 words or less. The competition has been running since 2018 and includes a special prize for stories featuring Farnham. It offers cash prizes and publication in an anthology.

Top Prize:

£100

Additional prizes:

£25 for the runner-up; £25 for the best fiction featuring Farnham.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: February 09, 2025 (Expired)

Narrative Prize

Narrative Magazine

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

The Narrative Prize is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction by a new or emerging writer. All works published in the magazine each year are considered, and previously unpublished works may also be submitted. The prize includes a cash award and recognition in the literary community.

Top Prize:

$5,000

💰 Entry fee: $27

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Script Writing

The Scriptation Showcase offers a competitive platform for screenwriters, featuring their scripts to industry professionals. The competition includes two main categories: Screenplay and Short Script, with professional readers analyzing submissions.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

1 Year Scriptation Showcase, 1 year industry pro access

💰 Entry fee: $64

📅 Deadline: July 20, 2025 (Expired)

J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards

Columbia Journalism School

Genres: Non-fiction

Two J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards, in the amount of $25,000, are given annually to aid in the completion of significant works of nonfiction on topics of American political or social concern. Recognizing that a nonfiction book based on extensive research often overtaxes the resources available to its author, the project envisions the Awards as a way of closing the gap between the time and money an author has and the time and money that finishing a book requires.

Top Prize:

$25,000

📅 Deadline: December 07, 2023 (Expired)

Creative Writing Award for Poetry

Aesthetica Magazine

Genres: Poetry

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award celebrates outstanding writers in poetry and short fiction. It aims to support new literary talent and showcases entries that reflect upon the changing world and challenge traditional boundaries of form and technique.

Top Prize:

£2,500

Additional prizes:

Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual, one-year subscription to Granta and Mslexia, and various courses.

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2025 (Expired)

Goldfinch Books Novel Award

Goldfinch Books

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

The Goldfinch Books Novel Award is a competition for emerging novelists. It invites submissions of 3,000 words from completed novels. The winner receives a £500 cash prize and an invitation to join the Goldfinch writer community.

Top Prize:

£500

Additional prizes:

Shortlisted authors receive feedback from judges + Goldfinch membership

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025 (Expired)

The Good Housekeeping Writing Competition

Good Housekeeping and Rachel Mills Literary

Genres: Fiction

Good Housekeeping magazine has partnered with Rachel Mills Literary Agency to launch a competition for aspiring novelists that offers a cash prize.

Top Prize:

£1500

Additional prizes:

The winner will also receive a 1 hour, one-on-one mentoring session with literary agent Nelle Andrew. Their work will be published online by Good Housekeeping.

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2025 (Expired)

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