Best Writing Contests in 2025

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The 20th Elmbridge Literary Competition invites submissions of short stories and poems on the theme of 'The River' to commemorate RC Sherriff. Open internationally, the competition includes age categories with specific word counts.

Genres: Children's and Short Story

The Youth Writing Contest is an annual event organized by the Vancouver Writers Fest for students in British Columbia. It accepts short stories and personal essays, with two categories for different grade levels. It's supported by the Emily Carr University of Art + Design.

Genres: Poetry

The Plough Prize is an international poetry competition open for poems in English, limited to 40 lines on any subject. The contest emphasizes anonymity in judging, with a focus on quality.

Genres: Fiction

BOMB Magazine's 2025 Fiction Contest invites submissions for a chance to win a $1,000 prize and publication. The contest is judged by Kelly Link, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and MacArthur Fellow.

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 Submit published or unpublished work.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.

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

Enter our 91st Annual Writing Competition for the chance to have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen. The top winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection. [$20 for a poetry entry, $30 for a manuscript entry]

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Bridport Flash Fiction Prize invites writers to submit stories of up to 250 words. It aims to celebrate the art of brevity in storytelling. The winning entries receive the opportunity for publication and recognition.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Great American Fiction Contest celebrates the legacy of American authors through the submission of original short stories. The winning entry will be published in the January/February edition of the magazine.

Genres: Non-fiction

The Anthology Nature Writing Competition is part of the Anthology Creative Awards, which encourages and promotes emerging writers. The winner will have their entry published in Anthology magazine.

Genres: Travel

This contest invites participants to share travel experiences through creative nonfiction. It encourages engaging storytelling to connect with readers. The submission window is from November 14, 2024, to April 6, 2025.

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult

The annual Story of the Year contest is back with a new challenge! We’re looking for captivating, diverse stories that are "easy to read and hard to put down" for readers beyond the third grade. There are five categories aimed at young adult readers, and we encourage you to submit as many entries as you like—submission is free and unlimited!

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

The contest is part of the annual Word on the Lake Writers Festival, encouraging submissions in short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Entries must be unpublished and original, with a maximum of 2,000 words for fiction/nonfiction and three one-page poems. Winners are published in the anthology.

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.

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Science Writing

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction encourages writers to showcase original nonfiction works, including memoirs, essays, and journalism. It aims to support writers at all stages of their careers and promotes accessibility in publishing.

Genres: Poetry

The Poetry International Prize is an annual contest to award a cash prize of $1000 and publication for a single poem of any length. Submissions are accepted via Submittable and all entries are considered for publication.

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.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, and Short Story

The Folly Short Story Prize aims to celebrate accessible, entertaining, and well-written stories. The prize launched in 2023, recognizing innovative and edgy writing. The winner of the 2024 contest will be featured in Folly's second issue.

Genres: Short Story

An annual short story competition dedicated to Seán Ó Faoláin, one of Ireland’s notable story writers. The competition is open to original, unpublished, and unbroadcast short stories in English.

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.

Genres: Poetry

The Robinson Jeffers Tor House Prize for Poetry is an annual contest honoring the poet Robinson Jeffers. Established as a living memorial, it aims to recognize outstanding poetry submissions. The prize includes an honorarium and honorable mentions.

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.

Genres: Mystery and Novel

The competition is open to writers aged 18 or older who have not published a mystery novel. It aims to discover new talents in traditional mystery writing. All submissions must be original works of at least 60,000 words that follow the guidelines. The winner will be announced after April 2025.

Genres: Christian

The Selah Awards celebrate published works from January 1 to December 31, 2024. Participants must submit a physical entry form alongside their works. The contest is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

Genres: Romance

The Carla Crown Jewel of Books contest is for traditionally or self-published authors with an original copyright date of 2022. Finalists are announced in late October and the winner on or about November 30, 2024.

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.

Genres: Children's and Essay

An international competition open to K–12 students, focusing on personal connections to world history. Essays must address specific topics and demonstrate critical thinking and effective communication.

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Fish Flash Fiction Prize invites submissions of compelling stories in 300 words or less, judged by Tania Hershman. The contest has been held annually since 2004.

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.

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.

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 program aims to honor independent authors and their self-published works. The awards are recognized industry-wide as a significant platform for independent authors.

Genres: Flash Fiction

Submit a flash fiction piece of 100 to 300 words on any theme. The competition is open to everyone, and entries will be anonymized during the judging process. The judge for this round is Chris Cottom.

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The competition is open globally, with a deadline of April 30, 2024. The top prize is £1,000, with additional prizes for second (£300) and third (£200) places. Entry fees are £10 for one entry, £19 for two, and £27 for three, with £1 from each entry donated to the charity First Story. Winning entries will be published online and in an anthology.

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

This contest invites submissions of short stories exploring the theme of 'Freedom' within the genres of crime, speculative, and fantasy fiction. Winning entries will be published in a special issue combining Tangled Web Magazine and Mirk Fantasy Magazine.

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

The Wonder 2025 Flash fiction Battle is part of the Writing Battle series, where participants write stories based on prompts. Participants receive feedback from professionals.

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.