The Best Writing Contests of 2023

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

Showing 562 contests


Brouhaha - The short story writing contest

WriteFluence

We are looking for original, unpublished pieces of fiction, with a maximum word count of 3,000 words. The theme for this contest is “Brouhaha,” and we encourage all writers to interpret this theme in their own unique way. All genres are welcome.

Top prize

Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $2

Deadline: April 15, 2023


Genres

Short Story

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Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest

Gemini Magazine

Entries may be any subject, style, or length. Entries must be previously unpublished but those from personal blogs will be considered.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

2nd: $100 | 3 honorable mentions: $25 | Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $8

Deadline: March 31, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story

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Narratively's 2023 Profile Prize

Narratively

Narratively is looking for profile pieces that tell the story of ordinary people or communities doing extraordinary things. The grand prize winner will receive $3,000, and the two finalists will receive $1,000 each. Guest judges are renowned journalists Gay Talese, Lisa Lucas and Rebecca Traister.

Top prize

$3,000

Additional prizes

$1000 for two other finalists

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: April 14, 2023


Genres

Essay, Non-fiction

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Bacopa Literary Review

Bacopa Literary Review

Bacopa Literary Review is an annual international print journal published by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. Our Bacopa Literary Review Editors’ blog shows the quality of writing we seek by highlighting work we respect from previous Bacopa issues as well as other sources.

Top prize

£200 in 6 categories

Additional prizes

$100 Honorable mention in 6 categories

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: April 16, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Essay, Flash Fiction, Humor

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Elegant Literature's Contest For New Writers

Elegant Literature

One of the largest awards open to unpublished writers, and the only one closed to professionals. We are the first magazine to pay pro rates and only accept submissions from new writers, paying new authors over $50,000 last year. One new writer receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors above-professional rates, and publish them in our magazine. March head judge is Creag Munroe.

Top prize

$3,000

Additional prizes

Paid publication, 25 x $20 USD | Free entry to Novelist Accelerator | Now Novel Package

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: April 01, 2023


Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult, Flash Fiction, Science Writing

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New Deal Writing Competition

Genesee Valley Council on the Arts

GVCA is excited to announce the eighth annual New Deal Writing Competition! This competition challenges writers to use a painting chosen by the staff at GVCA as inspiration for a short story. This year’s painting is “Small Town” by Edmund Yaghjian, an oil painting.

Top prize

$200

Additional prizes

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: April 01, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Short Story

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Young Sports Journalist Competition 2023

Pitch magazine

Pitch magazine is pleased to announce the launch of the Young Sports Journalist competition 2023! We are seeking well-argued articles from students aged 14-24 for this competition.

Top prize

£150 in each category

Additional prizes

Publication | Work experience at The Times and FIPP

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: April 07, 2023


Genres

Essay

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Geminga: $250 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art

Sunspot Lit

Geminga is a neutron star so small it was difficult to detect. It was named, in part, for a transcription of gh’è minga, meaning “it’s not there.” With Geminga: $500 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art, Sunspot Lit honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Graphic novelsshould be 4 pages or less.

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

Publication in digital and print

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: March 31, 2023


Genres

Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

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New Writers Poetry Competition 2023

New Writers

The New Writers Poetry Competition 2023 is open to published and unpublished poets from around the world. There is no specific theme but poems should be no longer than 40 lines. NewWriters.org.uk will donate £1.00 from each entry to First Story (a creative writing charity in the UK).

Top prize

£1,000

Additional prizes

2nd: £300 | 3rd: £200

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $13

Deadline: July 12, 2023


Genres

Poetry

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King of Essay

Papers Owl

To all TV shows nerds: we're incredibly excited to announce a competition for the best essay based on the TV series you are keen on. This is a new challenge for folks who may be under budget and interested in winning subscriptions on streaming services (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Disney).

Top prize

Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, or Disney+ subscription for 6 months

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: May 15, 2023


Genres

Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

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7 Day Story Writing Challenge

Globe Soup

Register now for our next 7-day story writing challenge. A secret theme, a randomly assigned genre and just 7 days to write a story of no more than 2,000 words. Our 7 day story writing challenges take place throughout the year. The challenges are free and you can even get feedback on your story. Take part in one challenge or take part in all of them!

Top prize

£500

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: May 14, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story

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First Pages Prize

First Pages Prize

This international prize is open to unagented writers anywhere in the world for the first five pages (1,250 words) of a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction. This year we will award three prizes in BOTH fiction and creative nonfiction! In addition to cash awards, winners receive developmental mentoring, consultation with a literary agent, and publicity.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

Developmental Mentoring & Agent Consultation

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: April 10, 2023


Genres

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

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Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize

Wasafiri

Exceptionally international in scope, the prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category (fiction, poetry and life writing) will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication, and will be published in Wasafiri’s print magazine. Shortlisted writers will have their work published on Wasafiri’s website.

Top prize

£1000 (x3)

Additional prizes

Mentoring & Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $12

Deadline: June 30, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Poetry, Memoir, Non-fiction

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The Mysterious Case

NEOVEL

The theme of this contest is "The Mysterious Case". The main character or characters of your entry must have a suspenseful investigation with a mystery in the plot. This change must occur in the story before the end of the fourth chapter and must be mentioned in your book description.

Top prize

€500

Additional prizes

2nd: €250 | 3rd: €100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: April 02, 2023


Genres

Crime, Fiction, Novel

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The 2023 Ink Across Borders Prize

The European Society of Literature

This competition is seeking out literary talent in Africa, Asia, and other typically underrepresented parts of the world. We want to build bridges between the West and the East, the North and the South. To ensure writers from these places have the opportunity to gain international attention, we’re launching The 2023 Ink Across Borders Prize.

Top prize

€200

Additional prizes

Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $2

Deadline: May 14, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story

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The Synopsis Skirmish—a contest for querying authors

Darling Axe Editing

Summarize your novel in 500 words for a chance at a $1000 CAD prize pool! Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: "Does this synopsis convince me that I'm in the hands of an adept novelist with a unique and engaging story to tell?"

Top prize

$700 CAD

Additional prizes

2nd: $200 CAD | 3rd: $100 CAD

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $4

Deadline: May 31, 2023


Genres

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

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Nature and Place Poetry Competition

The Rialto

The Rialto working in association with the RSPB, BirdLife International, Cambridge Conservation Initiative and The University of Leeds Poetry Centre. Poems are invited that deal with any aspect of nature and place – these terms will be given a wide interpretation by the judge Ian McMillan.

Top prize

£1,000

Additional prizes

2nd: £500 | 3rd: £250

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: March 01, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Poetry

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The Pinch Literary Awards & Page Prize

The Pinch Literary Journal

The 2023 Pinch Literary Awards accepts poetry and fiction. The 2023 Page Prize accepts non-fiction.

Top prize

$2000 for poetry & fiction winners

Additional prizes

$1000 for Page Prize winner

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: March 31, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Non-fiction

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Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry

Beloit Poetry Journal

Submit 1-3 unpublished poems on any subject in any style up to a maximum of 10 pages per entry. (We enjoy long poems!)

Top prize

$1,500

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: April 30, 2023


Genres

Poetry

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The Bath Novel Award

The Bath Novel Awards

The Bath Novel Award is a £3,000 international prize for emerging writers of adult fiction. Submit the first 5,000 words plus a one page synopsis of your novel for adults or young adults. Shortlisted entries will receive manuscript feedback and literary agent introductions.

Top prize

£3,000

Additional prizes

£1800 for one longlistee

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $35

Deadline: May 31, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Novel, Young Adult

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North Street Book Prize

Winning Writers

Submit a self-published or hybrid-published book, up to 200,000 words in length. One grand prize winner will receive $10,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 credit at BookBaby, three months of Plus service (a $207 value) and a $500 account credit from Book Award Pro, and 3 free ads in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $525 value)

Top prize

$10,000

Additional prizes

$1,000 for top winner in each category | $300 for honorable mentions

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $75

Deadline: June 30, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Children's, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

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Write By The Sea Writing Competition

Write By The Sea

Flash Fiction (700 words), Short Story (2,500 words), Poetry (40 lines) Memoir/Personal Essay (1,000 words). The winner of each category will receive a cash prize of €500, a beautiful hand-crafted WBTS 2023 Writing Competition trophy and a free weekend pass to Write By The Sea festival 2023. All four winning pieces will be published on the Write By The Sea website.

Top prize

€500

Additional prizes

2nd: €200 | 3rd: €300

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $11

Deadline: June 04, 2023


Genres

Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Poetry, Short Story

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Dave Williamson National Short Story Competition

Manitoba Writers' Guild

Open to writers across Canada. Short prose in English, 2,500-5,000 words in any fiction genre. We actively encourage submissions from all writers who are 18 years of age or older.

Top prize

$1,000 CAD

Additional prizes

2nd: $600 CAD | 3rd: $400 CAD

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: March 01, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction

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Chapter One Prize

Gutsy Great Novelist

The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers. Winners will be announced March 31, 2023.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

2nd: $500 |3rd: $250

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: March 01, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

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

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Romance on the Road

Intrepid Times

Write an original, factual, first-person travel story about a time you experienced romance while traveling. Feel free to explore romance in all of its manifestations, but ensure that your travel story builds itself around the context of a place or experience. Editors will be looking for originality, voice, and a satisfying story arc that captures attention and makes use of imagery to pull the reader along at every step.

Top prize

$200

Additional prizes

Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: March 19, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Non-fiction, Romance, Travel

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Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award

Trio House Press

We seek un-agented full-length creative nonfiction manuscripts including memoir, essay collections, etc. 50,000 - 80,000 words.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: August 31, 2023


Genres

Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction

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Southword Literary Essay Competition

Munster Literature Centre

The competition is open to original, unpublished, personal essays between 2500 ‒ 5000 words. We’re looking for personal, confessional essays which border on memoir ‒ gripping essays full of memories and feelings. The best indicator of the kind of thing which interests us is what we have published in past issues; essays by Kim Addonizio, Sandra Beasley, Simon Van Booy, Carlo Geblér, Thomas Lynch, Anthony Walton, Helen Mort and Kim Moore.

Top prize

€1,000

Additional prizes

8 Runners-Up: €500

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $22

Deadline: February 28, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Essay

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FemmeFluenza 3.0

WriteFluence

This is our third exclusively-for-women-writers story-writing international contest. ‘Cos life is all about celebrating womanhood and surviving through various challenges it brings along! Theme: Separation. Word count: 1000 – 2500 words. Author eligibility: Writers of age 16 and above, from all across the globe. All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published in print, digital or online publications will be considered.

Top prize

Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $2

Deadline: February 20, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Fiction, Short Story

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International Welsh Poetry Competition 2023

International Welsh Poetry Competition

The first Welsh Poetry Competition was set up by poet & writer Dave Lewis in 2007. The aim is to inspire people to capture life in the present day and to give a voice to a new generation of poets and writers. We are not interested in purely academic types of literature but would much rather see pure raw passion burst onto the creative writing scene in Wales.

Top prize

£500

Additional prizes

2nd: £250 | 3rd: £125

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $8

Deadline: June 04, 2023


Genres

Poetry

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International Poetry Book Awards 2023

Poetry Book Awards

The Poetry Book Awards is an annual, international book award given to the best poetry books produced by indie writers, self published authors or books published by small, truly independent presses. We are proud to be a Welsh based international awards programme, open to all indie authors and self published poets globally.

Top prize

£400

Additional prizes

2nd: £200 | 3rd: £100 | Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $44

Deadline: July 31, 2023


Genres

Poetry

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NextTribe Short Story Contest for Women (Over 45)

Next Tribe Inc

We believe women age 45+ have much fuel to write good stories, so our contest is exclusively for this demographic.

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

2 runners up: $100 | Publication in NextTribe

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: May 08, 2023


Genres

Short Story

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Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction

Desperate Literature

The aim of the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize is both to celebrate the best of new, boundary-pushing short fiction and to give winners the most visibility possible for their writing. This year, the stories of 2000 words or fewer will be judged by Ottessa Moshfegh, Tiffany Tsao, and Mariana Enriquez.

Top prize

€1,500 + a 7-day stay at the Civitella Ranieri artist’s residency in Umbria, Italy

Additional prizes

2nd and 3rd place: €750

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $22

Deadline: April 16, 2023


Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story

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Eco Friendly Writing Contest

Howard's New Beginnings

The aim of the contest is to share eco-friendly ideas. Tell us something you think helps make the planet become more eco-friendly such as an eco-friendly product or packaging, a recipe for a natural product, or a waste-management tip. Up to 500 words. Any writer from anywhere can submit an entry. Contest deadline is April 22 2023, Earth Day.

Top prize

$150

Additional prizes

Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: April 22, 2023


Genres

Essay, Non-fiction, Science Writing

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Flash Memoir

Writer Advice

WriterAdvice seeks flash memoir, a personal life story running 750 words or less.

Top prize

$150

Additional prizes

Publication in our e-zine

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: March 02, 2023 (Expired)


Genres

Memoir

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Booksie 2023 Poetry Contest

Booksie

Booksie is looking to crown its 2018 Poet Laureate. The poetry can be of any type, length, or content, but it must be your own. The poetry can be serious or whimsical, fact or fiction, but it should strike a chord that makes us sit up and take notice. We're looking for poems that say something and make a reader sit up and think. You may submit as many entries as you like.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

$150 to two runners-up

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $7

Deadline: June 15, 2023


Genres

Poetry

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