Best Writing Contests in 2025

Genres: Fiction and Novella

Established in 2001, this annual prize awards a novella that excels in the format, offering a $1,000 advance, publication, and 10 copies of the book. Recent judges include notable authors like Steven Dunn and Michael Martone. Submissions open January 1 and close March 31 each year.

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The John Estey Student Writing Competition is open to elementary, middle, and high school students. To be considered for this award, please fill out the intent to participate form and submit a 1,000 word or less piece discussing the prompt quote, "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”—Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness. Submissions are accepted via a submission link that is provided to teachers ONLY. Please make sure that you provide a valid teacher contact.

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 The competition is open to original, unpublished, and unbroadcast short stories in English.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: 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 Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize, established in 1981, is awarded for a first full-length book of poems. The prize includes a cash award and publication as part of the Pitt Poetry Series.

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Imagine 2200 contest invites writers to envision equitable climate progress stories, showcasing creative solutions and community resilience. It emphasizes hope and the potential for positive change through fiction.

Genres: Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

Season Themes is a flash fiction contest that invites authors to create stories inspired by monthly themes and prompts. Each theme features a specific character prompt that authors must incorporate into their stories, allowing for creative interpretations across various genres.

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

The Not Quite Write Prize for FLESH Fiction invites submissions of erotic stories up to 1,500 words based on the theme 'Making the unsexy irresistible'. The competition is open to adults worldwide, free to enter, and aims to explore creative interpretations of erotic fiction. Judging is blind, and winners will be announced publicly.

Genres: Children's, Crime, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, and Young Adult

The I Am Writing Competition offers multiple categories for writers to showcase their talent, with prizes for various genres including crime, historical, and romance. Each category allows entrants to submit the first 3,500 words of their work along with a synopsis where required.

Genres: Poetry

The 27th annual Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition is open for submissions until April 30th, 2025. The competition accepts poems on any subject, must be original, and no longer than 50 lines.

Genres: Fiction, Novel, and Young Adult

The Caledonia Novel Award aims to support unpublished and self-published novelists across all genres for adults and young adults. The 2025 competition encourages diverse submissions, offering significant prizes to help cultivate new talent.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Plaza Short Story Prize invites entries for short stories up to 5000 words. The prize includes cash rewards and publication in an anthology, aiming to discover and promote new literary talent.

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.

Genres: Poetry

The Troubadour International Poetry Prize is an annual competition open to poets worldwide, judged by notable figures in the literary community. The 2024 prize includes cash awards for the top three poems, as well as opportunities for commended entries.

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Short Story

The Big Moose Prize awards an unpublished novel, open to all writers. The winner receives publication, a cash award of $1,000, and ten copies of the book.

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The contest invites participants to submit a flash fiction piece of 100 words or fewer.

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.

Genres:

This prize recognizes 12 emerging writers annually for their debut short story published in a literary magazine, journal, or cultural website. It supports new fiction writers and provides a cash award and publication in an anthology.

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: Fiction and Novel

This competition invites unpublished novelists to submit an opening chapter (up to 3,000 words) along with a synopsis (max 750 words). Works must be original and not previously published. The competition is judged by Headline Publishing.

Genres: Poetry

These fellowships are $50,000 awards aimed at honoring poets of literary merit who serve in civic positions. The goal is to support them in creating new work and undertaking impactful projects that enrich local communities through poetry.

Genres: Flash Fiction

The Farnham Flash Fiction International Competition invites writers to submit stories of 500 words or less. The competition has been running since 2018 and includes a special prize for stories featuring Farnham. It offers cash prizes and publication in an anthology.

Genres: Fiction

The John Steinbeck Award for Fiction is a prestigious contest that recognizes exceptional works of fiction. Open to various styles, it specifically seeks stand-alone short stories with a maximum of 5,000 words. The submissions are accepted through a dedicated portal, and each entry includes a reading fee.

Genres: Poetry

The Stephen Spender Prize is an annual award recognizing excellence in poetry translation, encouraging participants to translate poems from any language into English. It is open to various age groups including adults and students in the UK and Ireland. The contest aims to celebrate linguistic diversity and foster creative translation.

Genres: Non-fiction and Travel

Intrepid Times invites writers to explore the theme of pilgrimage through non-fiction stories of 1200 to 1800 words. The winning entry receives $300 and publication, with four runners-up also published at standard rates. Free entry is available, with an optional assessed feedback option for $95.

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Spring Microfiction Battle is part of the Writing Battle series, where participants write stories based on prompts. Participants receive feedback from peers and industry judges.

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

The Narrative Prize is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction by a new or emerging writer. All works published in the magazine each year are considered, and previously unpublished works may also be submitted. The prize includes a cash award and recognition in the literary community.

Genres: Mystery and Short Story

An annual international competition for unpublished short mystery stories up to 3,500 words. The competition seeks to find the best story that aligns with Margery Allingham's definition of a mystery.

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.

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Lascaux Prize in Flash Fiction invites submissions of stories that may be previously published or unpublished. True stories are accepted if written in a narrative style. The contest emphasizes the importance of storytelling.

Genres: Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Original, unpublished works of memoir writing up to 2000 words. The winner will be interviewed and the winning story published on Alison Wearing’s website and featured in the Memoir Writing Ink program. This award was created in celebration of the life of Amy Macrae and in support of her living legacy to improve the outcomes of women with ovarian cancer. Submissions accepted between April 15 to June 30, 2024.

Genres: Poetry

The Donald Hall Prize for Poetry awards $5,500 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press. The prize honors the best unpublished collection of poems and is judged by a prominent poet.

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The Environmental Writing Competition invites young writers to explore themes related to environmental issues through various genres. Participants are encouraged to express their voices on pressing ecological topics.

Genres: Poetry

The TCK Publishing Poetry Awards Contest is an international poetry contest established in 2021. The contest invites writers from all backgrounds to submit poems. The winner receives a $1,000 honorarium and publication on the TCK Publishing website.

Genres: Poetry

This competition invites young writers to submit their poetry and spoken word pieces. Participants can showcase their talent and creativity while gaining recognition from esteemed judges.