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The Best Writing Contests of 2022

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

Genre

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Showing 502 contests

The TLOP Weekly Contest

The League of POETS

After a long hiatus, The League of POETS is happy to announce its return to literary activities. Each of our new weekly contest will have a different topic and different theme — this is done to encourage diversity among ideas. We want to see poetry and short stories that explore different emotions and take on a fresh new perspective on life.

Top prize

Certificate of Distinction

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: July 15, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Poetry, Short Story

The Raven Short Story Contest

Pulp Literature Press

This contest is for previously unpublished short fiction between 250 and 2500 words in length. Multiple entries welcome. Total entries limited to 300. Show us your most scintillating treasures in the form of short fiction up to 2500 words in length and you could be the one bringing home $300 CAD to line your nest!

Top prize

$230

Additional prizes

Publication in Pulp Literature

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: October 15, 2022

Genres

Fiction

The Story I Needed To Have Read

Exisle Academy

Sometimes, the right story at the right moment can give us the courage we need to overcome adversity. And when that story doesn't already exist, we need to make it ourselves. Write a short story - in any genre, fiction or fact - that helped or would have helped you at a pivotal moment in your life. One winner will receive up to $2000 worth of training and coaching with Exisle Academy, including the opportunity to discuss developing a book with our editors. Entry is encouraged from writers of all types from all background’s cultures and abilities. We are seeking entries from as diverse a set of communities as possible. Top entries will be published on our website, with their permission.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

Free enrolment to the "Become a Successful Author" course

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: August 28, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story

To Hull and Back Humorous Short Story Contest

Christopher Fielden

July 2022 saw the launch of the 8th To Hull And Back Short Story Competition, a biennial short story contest with a humorous twist that celebrates the most imaginative and amazing short stories from writers all over the world.

Top prize

£1,200

Additional prizes

2nd Prize: £600 | 3rd Prize: £300 | 3 x Highly Commended: £150 | 14 x Shortlisted: £75

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $16

Deadline: June 30, 2023

Genres

Fiction, Humor, Non-fiction, Short Story

The Booksie 2022 Short Story Contest

Booksie

We're looking for the most interesting, original stories that will make us laugh, cry and see the world in a slightly different way. The winner will receive the Booksie Short Story Award, which comes with a hefty cash prize, a gold trophy badge, and one week of free Boosts. We also have awards for the runner-ups. Maximum length of 5,000 words.

Top prize

$50

Additional prizes

2nd and 3rd: $100 cash

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $6

Deadline: September 24, 2022

Genres

Short Story

Letter Review Prize for Short Stories

Letter Review

Letter Review is offering $1000 USD total prize pool in a competition for short stories between 400 - 2000 words. No genre or theme restrictions! All winners receive publication at Letter Review. Twenty entries will be longlisted, who have the option to discuss publication at Letter Review too.

Top prize

$650

Additional prizes

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: October 31, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Short Story

The Atom Learning Young Author Award

Atom Learning

To celebrate the budding wordsmiths of the UK, we're running a UK creative writing competition. There are two categories: ages 7-9 and ages 10-11. The 2022 theme for Atom’s Young Author Award is A DAY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD.

Top prize

A trip to Disneyland Paris for a family of 4

Additional prizes

Stack of novels | Professionally illustrated book cover | £2,500 for the child's school

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: August 31, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Children's

The One Page Poetry Contest

One Page Poetry

One Page Poetry is dedicated to the art of expressing a poetic theme on a single page, whether your poem is four lines or forty, whether yours is a love poem, inspirational poem, philosophical poem, or just one that is fun or whimsical. We welcome any and all poetic forms, as long as they fit on a single page.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

2nd: $1000 | 3rd: $500

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $95

Deadline: September 20, 2022

Genres

Poetry

Green Stories Writing Competitions

Green Stories project at University of Southampton

Organised by the University of Southampton, Green Stories is a ‘free’ writing competition project with a range of categories for novelists and short story writers. Entries should conform with positive visions of more sustainable futures and/or the inclusion of green solutions but needn’t have an explicitly green theme.

Top prize

Between £100-£1000

Additional prizes

Publication support and publicity

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: December 31, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Novel, Short Story

Flash Fiction Competition

Pigeon Review

A flash fiction competition in honor of the Pigeon Review Publication turning 1 year old.

Top prize

$100

Additional prizes

2nd: $75 | 3rd: $25 | Finalist & Top 3 Published

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: August 31, 2022

Genres

Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller

Gothic Novella Contest

Briar Press NY

Briar Press NY is looking for a Novella in the Gothic tradition, previously unpublished and set in any historical time period and place/culture up until 1970. We are looking for beautiful writing, an engaging plot, memorable characters, and that authentic Gothic atmosphere (classic tropes are welcomed, but we also want substance and depth!) 75 to 150 pp long (18,000 to 38,000 words)

Top prize

Publication with Briar Press NY in Autumn 2022

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: July 15, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Novella, Romance, Thriller

CAS Short Story Competition

CAS

Short story competition open to all writers all over the world. There is no theme and all subjects and genres are welcome. Entries must be written in English and be at least 2,000 words in length and no more than 4,000 words.

Top prize

$968

Additional prizes

$484 second place, $242 third place and $36 for 7 runners up

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $9

Deadline: July 01, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Short Story

Hastings Book Festival - Short Story

Hastings Book Festival

Short Story Competition judged by VG Lee. Enter a short story in with any theme within a 2500 word limit. The winning entries in each category will receive a cash prize of £250. The runner up in each category will receive a cash prize of £50. Prizes will be presented in person at the festival closing celebration in Hastings on Sunday 25th September. There are a limited number of bursaries available for low income or unemployed writers.

Top prize

$302

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $9

Deadline: July 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Short Story

Best Indie Book Award

Best Indie Book Award

The annual Best Indie Book Award® (or BIBA®) is an international literary awards contest recognizing self-published and independently published authors from all over the world. Entries are limited to independently (indie) published books, including those from small presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.

Top prize

Trophy

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $65

Deadline: October 01, 2022

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Oxford Flash Fiction Prize

Oxford Flash Fiction

Write yourself into history and become one of the greats with the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize. For centuries, the greats have come to Oxford to ink masterpieces. Now, in one of the oldest towns, where the history of the English language can be traced back to its ancient streets, we want to celebrate one of the newest forms in literature – flash fiction.

Top prize

$1,300

Additional prizes

2nd Prize: $243 | 3rd Prize: $122

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $8

Deadline: August 31, 2022

Genres

Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Suspense, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Travel

Hysteria Writing Competition

Hysteria Writing

The Hysteria Writing Competition showcases writers from all over the world. Past winners have come from countries as far apart as UK, Canada, Australia and Nigeria. Its purpose is to help writers get their work in front of a new, different audience.

Top prize

$364

Additional prizes

Publication in Hysteria 9 anthology

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $4

Deadline: August 31, 2022

Genres

Flash Fiction, Poetry, Short Story

THE MONO POETRY PRIZE 2022

MONO

We are thrilled to invite you to enter our 2022 Poetry Prize judged this year by Joelle Taylor. This competition is completely unthemed. Why? Because we want you to go off-piste, totally off the beaten track. Word limit? You choose. Line count? Enough. You can enter up to three poems at a cost of £6 per poem (just adjust the quantity at checkout if necessary).

Top prize

$606

Additional prizes

2nd: $243 | 3rd: $122

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $8

Deadline: August 01, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Poetry

2nd Annual WCWF Writing Contest

Wine Country Writers' Festival

Fire up those pens and get those unpublished stories and poems submitted to WCWF 2nd Annual Writing Contest. Three winners in each category, publication in Anthology, and your own copy. Entries: $15 or two for $25.

Top prize

$150

Additional prizes

2nd Place: $75 | 3rd Place: $50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: July 29, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

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

Thomas Merton Poetry of the Sacred

Center for Interfaith Relations

For over thirteen years, the Poetry of the Sacred contest has received thousands of submissions touching every aspect of spiritual life. Poetry has been called ‘the language of the soul’ and this annual contest encourages poets to awaken the reader to the deep meaning and beauty of a contemplative life. Poems are evaluated based on literary excellence, authenticity and spiritual tenor. 

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

Three honorable mentions to receive $100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: August 01, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Poetry

Tales By Moonlight

Ankara Circle

The Tales By Moonlight Contest is a novella writing competition. The genre for the competition is fiction and the theme is magic. Contest entries can range from 7,500 - 40,000 words in length. Winners will be decided by a public voting system.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication on platform

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: September 15, 2022

Genres

Fantasy, Fiction, Novella

Time Travelers Contest

Neovel

The theme of this contest is Time travel. To respect the theme of the contest, the main character or characters of your entry must go through a change of temporality and must have a significant impact on 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

€2000

Additional prizes

2nd: €750 3rd: €250

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: May 25, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fantasy, Fiction, Novel, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Beagle North Competition

Beagle North

The theme for Beagle North's short story competition changes quarterly. - Your story must be no longer than 2,500 words (not including the title) - Only one story permitted per person, each quarter - Stories must be in English

Top prize

£20 Amazon Voucher

Additional prizes

£10 Amazon voucher for 2nd and 3rd place

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

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

M&P High School Essay Contest

McMillan & Phillips Digital Creative Agency

McMillan & Phillips is an award winning creative digital agency on the search for the next generation of marketers who want to shake up the status quo, and usher in a new era. The contest is open to United States high school students in grades twelve attending public, private, parochial, or home schools.

Top prize

3 month remote editorial internship with M&P

Additional prizes

2nd place: $155 USD | 3rd place: one year subscription to Sanvello

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: May 16, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Essay

Black Voices in Children's Literature

Free Spirit Publishing

Seeking Black Midwestern writers 18 years and older to submit an original fiction or nonfiction children’s story for a picture book. Manuscripts 300–800 words (ages 4–8) or 50–125 words (ages 0–4) in length. Must feature contemporary Black characters and culture.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Meeting with Strive and Free Spirit; 2nd $500; 3rd $250, t-shirt and totebag for all winners

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: July 24, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult

The Poetry.com Contest

Poetry.com

Poetry.com offers monthly contests for poets worldwide to gain motivation, inspiration and exposure, while building passion and enjoyment for the written creative process! How are winners chosen? Our contest boasts a clever twist: poems remain anonymous whilst applicants vote on what they believe should be the winning entry.

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

2nd place: 300 USD | 3rd place: 200 USD | Runner up personalized Poetry.com mug

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: December 31, 2022

Genres

Poetry

Rotary Club of Stratford Short Story Contest

Rotary Club of Stratford

Tell us your story! Short story (no more than 2500 words) contest open to residents of Ontario and Michigan; both adult and youth categories.

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

Adults: 2nd $250; 3rd $100 | Youth: 1st $250; 2nd $100; 3rd $50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Short Story

Four Line Poem

FanStory.com Inc.

Write a four line poem that has a specific syllable count. The first line has 1 syllable, the second line has 5 syllables, the third line has 5 syllables, and the last line has 9 syllables. The subject can be anything.

Top prize

$100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: December 22, 2022

Genres

Poetry

YeahWrite Super Challenge

YeahWrite

The Super Challenge is a prompted, 48-hour flash competition alternating between fiction and creative nonfiction. Prompts are released on a Friday night; writers have 48 hours to craft a response in 1,000 words or fewer. Professional editors read all entries and provide detailed feedback on each. The top writers move on to round 2 with new prompts.

Top prize

$150

Additional prizes

$100 for second place | $50 for third place

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $35

Deadline: December 23, 2022

Genres

Essay, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction

March Micro Writing Competition

Globe Soup

We accept: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Each month has a theme. You have just 100 words to write something interesting, unique, and impactful based on the theme. Entry to your first contest is £3, after that you can enter all subsequent contests for free each month. You can get peer feedback on your entry too. The theme this month is: Yellow/Orange.

Top prize

$133

Additional prizes

Publication on our website

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $4

Deadline: March 14, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry

Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award

Plough Publishing

This award honors the achievements of the great Dominican-American poet, translator, and public school teacher Rhina Polonia Espaillat. The Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award will be awarded for an original poem of not more than fifty lines that reflects her lyricism, empathy, and ability to find grace in everyday events of life.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

Publication in Plough Quarterly. Two finalists will receive $250

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: March 30, 2023

Genres

Poetry

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

Sunspot Lit

Authors and artists eligible. Sunspot Lit’s Geminga contest honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. $250 cash, publication for the winner, and publication offered to runners-up and finalists. Enter as many times as you like, but only one piece per submission.

Top prize

$250

Additional prizes

Publication in digital and print

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $6

Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

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

The Dante Rossetti Awards

Chanticleer Book Reviews and Media

The Dante Rossetti Awards Categories are: Contemporary Young Adult; SFF & Paranormal; Dystopian/Edgy/Urban; Mystery/Thriller/Suspense; Historical Young Adult; YA Adventure/Romance. The Chanticleer Prize Package includes: A Prize Ribbon to use in promotion at book signings and book festivals Digital Badges for display on your website or incorporation into book covers Book stickers to identify your print books to bookstore shoppers as they browse.

Top prize

$1,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $99

Deadline: August 30, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult

Travel Writing Award

Ottawa Tourism

Ottawa Tourism offers an annual $500 CAD prize for outstanding travel writing featuring Canada’s Capital Region. Eligible entries include items in English or in French that have appeared in magazines, newspapers, or online media in 2022 that highlight Ottawa as a travel destination.

Top prize

$395

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: February 03, 2023

Genres

Travel

National Geographic Traveller Travel Writing Competition

National Geographic

Do you have a way with words? Love to regale your friends and family with tales from your travels? If that’s a yes, then our Travel Writing Competition is just the thing for you. For your chance to win, simply write no more than 500 words on an inspiring travel experience, which could be anything from mountaineering in Patagonia to a hike in Pembrokeshire.

Top prize

Luxury expedition cruise to Greenland for two people

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: July 23, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Travel

On the Far Side Contest

Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Romance Writers

Write fantasy, futuristic, or paranormal? Then the On the Far Side Contest is for you!! Welcome dragons, witches, ghosties, psychics, vampires, shapeshifters, unicorns, and any creature your imagination can conjure up in a galaxy far, far away, in a time long past, or in your very own backyard.

Top prize

Award

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: July 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Novel, Romance

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