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Find the perfect editor for your next book
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DIRECTORY
Showing 427 contests that match your search.
Writer Advice
Genres: Flash Fiction and Poetry
The Flash Fiction Contest invites entries of prose or prose poetry that tell a compelling story in 500 words or less. The contest emphasizes clarity, originality, and emotional impact.
Top Prize:
Varies based on the number of winners
Additional prizes:
Feedback on submissions for an additional fee
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: June 02, 2025 (Expired)
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
Lambda Literary
Genres: Fiction, LGBTQ, and Novel
This prize honors LGBTQ-identified authors who have published multiple novels, built a strong reputation, and show promise for future work. It is dedicated to Jim Duggins and supported by the James Duggins, PhD Fund.
Top Prize:
$5000 (x2)
📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)
Hemingway Days Festival
Genres: Short Story
The Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition is dedicated to supporting new voices in short fiction. It has a history of over 43 years and emphasizes original, unpublished stories. Winners are highlighted on the competition's website.
Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
Second place: $500 Third place: $500 Honorable mentions also awarded Publication of the winning story on the competition website
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: September 01, 2024 (Expired)
Fairfield Scribes
Genres: Fiction
The Scribes Prize invites entries for flash fiction or creative nonfiction of 90-110 words. The contest aims to highlight great writing and offers monetary prizes with the winners published in the ScribesMICRO magazine.
Top Prize:
$250
Additional prizes:
Silver: $125 Bronze: $60 15 Honorable Mentions: $20 each Publication in ScribesMICRO and digital award seals for winners
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: September 01, 2024 (Expired)
The Letter Review
Genres: Poetry
The Letter Review Prize for Poetry is a competitive opportunity for poets, offering a prize pool every three months. It promotes diverse poetic expression, with no restrictions on subject or style. Winners are published and considered for prestigious anthologies.
Top Prize:
$1000 USD shared by 2 to 4 winners
Additional prizes:
Publication by The Letter Review. Up to 20 writers are shortlisted.
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: July 01, 2025 (Expired)
South Warwickshire Literary Festival
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Flash Fiction
The competition features an open theme and includes four categories: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, and Poetry. Each category has a defined maximum word count. Winners will be acknowledged at the festival and have the opportunity to read their entries.
Top Prize:
£75
Additional prizes:
£75 for first prize in each category, plus the opportunity to read the winning entry at the festival. £25 for commended entries in each category.
💰 Entry fee: $4
📅 Deadline: March 28, 2025 (Expired)
Association of Writers & Writing Programs
Genres: Non-fiction
AWP sponsors the Award Series, an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
Publication by the University of Georgia Press
💰 Entry fee: $30
📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)
Diode Editions
Genres: Poetry
The Diode Editions Chapbook Contest is an annual competition open to English-language poets. The contest is currently closed, with winners for the 2024 contests to be announced by August 1, 2024. Multiple publications may be selected during this contest.
Top Prize:
$750
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024 (Expired)
Principal Foundation
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
Principal Foundation has launched the second edition of its national short story contest, Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative. Hosted in collaboration with The Center for Fiction and Short Édition, the contest invites adults ages 18 and up to submit imaginative short stories that reflect lived experiences with money now through October 2, 2024.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Up to 20 finalists will receive $150.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: October 02, 2024 (Expired)
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)
Center for Interfaith Relations
Genres: Christian and Poetry
For over fourteen years, the Poetry of the Sacred contest encourages poets to explore spiritual themes. It focuses on literary excellence, authenticity, and spiritual tenor in submissions.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Winner receives the Thomas Merton Grand Prize Three honorable mentions of $100 each
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: August 12, 2024 (Expired)
Blue Ridge Mountains Conference
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.
Top Prize:
The Selah Book of the Year is selected from first-place winners
Additional prizes:
The Selah Book of the Year selected from first-place winners
💰 Entry fee: $55
📅 Deadline: January 10, 2025 (Expired)
Marsh Hawk Press
Genres: Poetry
The Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize invites submissions of poetry manuscripts. The prize includes cash awards and publication for the winner. Contest judge for 2025 is Elaine Equi.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Winner gets publication. Robert Creeley Memorial Award ($250), Rochelle Ratner Memorial Award ($250) are also available.
💰 Entry fee: $30
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Expired)
Wilkes University
Genres: Fiction and Novel
The James Jones First Novel Fellowship, established in 1992, honors the spirit of honesty and insight in modern culture exemplified by James Jones. The fellowship awards a prize for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel.
Top Prize:
$12,000
Additional prizes:
First runner-up: $3,000; Second runner-up: $2,000.
💰 Entry fee: $33
📅 Deadline: March 15, 2025 (Expired)
The Jane Austen Club of Sardinia
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
The Reeds in the Wind Literary Prize aims to promote the literary legacy of Grazia Deledda. It is open to international participants and accepts submissions in Italian, Sardinian, and English. Stories must explore themes from Deledda's works and have a word count of 5,000 to 7,000 characters. The awards will be presented during a ceremony scheduled for Saturday, 13 September 2025, in the town of Galtellì.
Top Prize:
€500
Additional prizes:
All finalists will have their stories published, and any travel expenses for finalists will be reimbursed.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: July 20, 2025 (Expired)
Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival
Genres: Poetry
The TWFest Poetry Contest encourages emerging writers to submit their original poems. The contest aims to support new literary works and provides a platform for diverse voices in poetry.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
VIP All-Access Pass ($600 value) for the next Festival, public reading at the Festival, publication in French Quarter Journal, photo and bio on website for one year, interview in newsletter and social media. LitPass ($100 value) for top finalists.
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: October 15, 2025
National Council of Teachers of English
Genres: Children's
The Promising Young Writers Contest recognizes eighth-grade students for their effective writing skills. Nominations are made by a school committee and students submit themed writings based on the prompt provided by NCTE. The contest aims to evaluate students' writing abilities creatively and holistically.
Top Prize:
The NCTE Certificate of Recognition
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Expired)
Fountain Magazine
Genres: Essay and Non-fiction
“Home” holds a special place in our lives. Our earliest memories form inside its walls; we utter our first words and take our first steps there. Does everyone feel the same about home? Is it where you were born or where you earn your bread? Is home a physical place? In a world that moves faster than ever and is confined to small screens, how do perceptions about "home" change? Where is home for people who are forced to leave their homes? Where is your home?
Top Prize:
$1,000
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)
RSJ Convention
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
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre
Genres: Script Writing
The Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition is a bi-annual event that encourages playwrights to submit original works. It aims to promote Jewish culture and stories through theatre, with strong participation from across Canada and other countries.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Winner receives $1,000 CDN and an 8-hour CAEA workshop with a director and up to six actors. This workshop concludes with a public reading.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: May 25, 2025 (Expired)
Chanticleer Book Reviews
Genres: Fiction and Mystery
The Mystery & Mayhem Awards seek the best books in mystery genres, focusing on amateur sleuths, light suspense, and more. Over $30,000 in prizes, including a $1,000 Grand Prize, exclusive reviews, and promotional boosts for winners.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Exclusive Chanticleer Book Review Package and Author Interview valued at $795. Various sponsor awards and promotional opportunities for winners.
💰 Entry fee: $99
📅 Deadline: July 31, 2025
Virginia Romance Writers
Genres: Fiction and Romance
The HOLT Medallion Contest honors outstanding romantic fiction, evaluating entries through a panel of romance readers. It has been held annually since 1995, recognizing both published and unpublished authors. The winners receive a pewter medallion and a certificate.
Top Prize:
Winners receive a certificate and a pewter HOLT Medallion
💰 Entry fee: $35
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)
Xulon Press
Genres: Christian
The Christian Author Awards recognize outstanding new Christian authors who have published independently. The awards honor exceptional books that align with a Christian worldview and promote them through various means, including media announcements and advertising.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
$200 for 2nd place, $100 for 3rd place
📅 Deadline: December 16, 2024 (Expired)
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction
The contest invites submissions of inspiring and uplifting stories, aiming to highlight the benefits of writing amidst global issues. Each story can be up to 5,000 characters (about 1,000 words). Winners are determined by writing quality and community votes.
Top Prize:
$300
Additional prizes:
Five runners-up will receive $100 each
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)
Sarabande Books
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
The Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction is awarded to an outstanding manuscript of short fiction. It includes a monetary prize, publication, and an introduction by the judge, Ed Park.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Publication by Sarabande Books
💰 Entry fee: $34
📅 Deadline: February 15, 2025 (Expired)
Vancouver Writer's Fest
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.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
1st prize for high school and $100 for elementary, both with publication in the Books & Ideas Newsletter
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (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)
Writer's Digest
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]
Top Prize:
$5,000
Additional prizes:
Grand prize winner receives $5000. In each category: 1st, $1000; 2nd, $500; 3rd, $250; 4th, $100; 5th, $50; 6th through 10th, $25 gift certificate. 1st place winners receive a one year subscription to Writer's Digest magazine + tutorials.
💰 Entry fee: $30
📅 Deadline: May 05, 2025 (Expired)
Memo'd Technologies, LLC
Genres: Non-fiction
The Memo'd AI Writing Contest invites participants to create popular Memos using their AI content creator. Participants can enter by generating Memes through the Memo'd app and publishing them. The contest encourages creativity, allowing users to leverage AI and their own insights to produce Memos.
Top Prize:
$750
Additional prizes:
Second Prize for second most unique views: $250
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)
The Pinch Literary Journal
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
The Pinch Literary Awards recognize excellence in fiction. Submissions are judged blind, with various entry windows throughout the year.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in the fall issue of Pinch.
💰 Entry fee: $28
📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)
Pitch Magazine
Genres: Essay and Non-fiction
The Young Sports Journalist competition invites entries from students aged 14-21. Participants must submit a piece between 700-800 words responding to a prompt. Winners receive recognition in Pitch Magazine and a chance for work experience.
Top Prize:
£50
Additional prizes:
Publication in magazine and online, work experience at Pitch Magazine.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: April 09, 2025 (Expired)
WOW! Women On Writing
Genres: Flash Fiction, Fiction, and Short Story
The WOW! Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest aims to inspire creativity and recognition for writers. Open to all genres of flash fiction, it has been running since 2006 and has awarded over $100,000 in cash prizes to participants. The contest allows entries globally, and submissions must be in English.
Top Prize:
$400
Additional prizes:
2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: August 31, 2025
Indignor House Publishing
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
The competition is open for submissions themed 'The Evolution of Love'. Each entry will be edited, judged based on various writing criteria, and selected works will be published in an anthology.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2025 (Expired)
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
Genres: Essay and Non-fiction
The contest encourages students to reflect on strength and resilience in overcoming challenges. Since 2001, it has engaged over 15,000 students from more than 20 countries, with 900 participants this year. Winners were selected based on their unique voice and thoughtful analysis.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd place: $750 3rd place: $500
📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)
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