The Best Writing Contests of 2023
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
Offers emerging writers a chance to get their work seen by acquiring agents and editors. For unpublished writers of novel-length commercial fiction.
$150
💰 Fee: $35
Deadline: June 30, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Novel
View contestNowhere Magazine
We are looking for never-been-published travel writers from anywhere in the world to send us stories—fiction, nonfiction, essay or poetry—that possess a powerful sense of place, people and time.
$500
Publication in Nowhere Magazine
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: March 31, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestUniversity of Massachusetts Press
The Juniper Prizes for Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction are awarded annually to original manuscripts: two books of poetry, one work of creative nonfiction, one short story collection, and one novel. The University of Massachusetts Press publishes the winning manuscripts and the authors receive a $1,000 award upon publication. Submissions are accepted between August 1 and September 30.
$1,000
Publication by University of Massachusetts Press
💰 Fee: $30
Deadline: September 30, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Short Story
View contestIndiana Review
Indiana Review and Indiana University Press are proud to present the Don Belton Fiction Reading Period. Between May 1 and June 30, we will read fiction manuscripts of up to 80,000 words. The winning manuscript will be published by IU Press and the author will receive $1,000 against future royalties and a standard publication contract with IU Press.
Publication by IU Press
$1,000 against future royalties, a standard publication contract with IU Press
💰 Fee: $25
Deadline: June 30, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Novel
View contestReed Magazine
The Edwin Markham Prize honors outstanding works of poetry. Our taste is eclectic and celebrates the wonderful diversity of forms, styles, and levels of diction available to the contemporary poet. Writers may submit up to five (5) poems per submission.
$1,000
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: November 01, 2021 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestReed Magazine
Awarding one of the richest purses among literary magazines—$1,000 for the winning story—the John Steinbeck Award for Fiction recognizes exceptional works of fiction. Aesthetically, we are open to most styles and approaches. All works should be stand-alone short stories, not chapters of a longer work. Please limit prose submissions to 5,000 words.
$1,000
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: November 01, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestOprelle
Oprelle's monthly poetry contest is for all of you out there who carry a scrappy notebook full of poems. Your soul is on that paper, and your words matter. Your poem, based on that month's theme, can be simple and uplifting, or complicated and metaphorical; any style works, if you follow the rules and write 14 or less lines. Oh, and make sure your poetry is 100% original. We will consider both published and unpublished poems.
$200
Publication in Matter Anthology
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestThe Lascaux Review
The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction opens 1 April. Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, learned, or discovered. Pieces may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Finalists receive $100. Winner and finalists are published in both the online and annual print editions of The Lascaux Review.
$1,000
Publication in the Lascaux Review
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: September 30, 2021 (Expired)
Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction
View contestThe Lascaux Review
Stories may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Finalists receive $100. Winner and finalists are published in both the online and annual print editions of The Lascaux Review.
$1,000
Publication in The Lascaux Review
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestDzanc Books
The Dzanc Books Nonfiction Prize honors an innovative and inspiring long-form works of nonfiction.
$1,500
Publication by Dzanc Books
💰 Fee: $25
Deadline: September 30, 2021 (Expired)
Non-fiction
View contestAfrican Poetry Book Fund
The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry is awarded annually to an African poet who has not yet published a collection of poetry. Along with $1,000, the winner recives book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal. Poetry manuscripts should be at least 50 pages long. [Submissions open September 15, 2021]
$1,000
Book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: December 01, 2021 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestThe Darling Axe
Tell us a story in fewer than 1000 words for a chance to win from a growing prize pool, plus publication on the Chopping Blog.
$700
Publication on the Chopping Blog
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: March 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story, Flash Fiction
View contestCleveland State University Poetry Center
The Cleveland State University Poetry Center welcomes submissions for the Lighthouse Poetry Series. The Lighthouse Poetry Series publishes contemporary poetry from poets with any history of publication. The winner will receive $1,000, publication, and a standard royalty contract. This year’s contest will be judged by Randall Mann.
$1,000
Royalty contract
💰 Fee: $28
Deadline: March 31, 2021 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestRattle
The annual Rattle Poetry Prize offers $15,000 for a single poem to be published in the winter issue of the magazine. Ten finalists will also receive $500 each and publication, and be eligible for the $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award, to be selected by subscriber and entrant vote.
$15,000
Published in the Winter 2020 issue of Rattle
💰 Fee: $25
Deadline: July 15, 2021 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestScience Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA)
The annual SFPA Speculative (Dwarf/Short/Long) Poetry Contest is open to all poets, including non-members of the SFPA. Awards will be given across 3 categories.
$150
💰 Fee: $3
Deadline: August 31, 2021 (Expired)
Poetry, Fiction
View contestZizzle Literary
Every week during our submission period, we’ll post one-sentence dialogue writing prompts on our social media platforms. Choose a dialogue prompt that inspires you and write a story that includes the prompt.
1000
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: March 15, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction
View contestWomen's National Book Association
Do you want to show the world your writing? Then enter the 2020 WNBA Writing Contest! You can enter your work in four categories: fiction, creative nonfiction, flash prose, and poetry.
$250
Publishication in an anthology
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: December 01, 2020 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestExeter Writers
Exeter Writers runs an annual short story competition. The competition began in 2009 and is very popular, receiving entries from all over the world. The maximum word count is 3,000.
$900
💰 Fee: $9
Deadline: February 28, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestRiver Styx
500 words maximum per story, up to three stories per entry fee. (Additional stories are accepted with additional fees.)
$1,000
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: December 31, 2020 (Expired)
Flash Fiction
View contestChalk Circle
Whether you are creating a dystopian nightmare, revelling in absurdist humour, or writing stories to celebrate what you love, or have discovered, and fear to lose, we invite you to submit your story to our inaugural short story competition. The word limit is 2,000.
$240
Publication on website or anthology
💰 Fee: $7
Deadline: August 31, 2020 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestBinghamton University
$1,000 Award for a book of poems written in English, 48 pages or more in length, selected by our judges as the strongest collection of poems published in 2019.
$1,000
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: February 01, 2020 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestFrost Place
The aim of this program is to select a poet who is at an artistic and personal crossroads, comparable to that faced by Robert Frost when he moved to Franconia in 1915, when he was not yet known to a broad public.
$2,000
💰 Fee: $28
Deadline: January 05, 2019 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestAtlantis Short Story Contest
In its seventh year, the Atlantis Short Story Contest accepts entries from unpublished authors around the world who write their short stories in English and do not exceed the length of 2,500 words. They are looking for short stories that create exciting new worlds with dynamic characters.
$300
In-depth feedback
💰 Fee: $9
Deadline: February 25, 2018 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestChicago Tribune
The 2018 Nelson Algren Literary Awards is sponsored by Chicago Tribune. Stories must be written in English, double-spaced, and no longer than 8,000 words. A total of 10 prizes will be made available during Contest: One Grand Prize: $3,500, Four Finalist Prizes: $1,000, Five Runner-up Prizes: $500.
$3,500
Publication in Printers Row
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: February 07, 2018 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contest