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The Best Writing Contests of 2022

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

Genre

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Showing 502 contests

The Masters Review Short Story Contest

The Masters Review

Summer is for Short Stories! The Masters Review’s Short Story Award for New Writers is a bi-annual contest that recognizes the best fiction from today’s emerging writers. The winner receives a $3,000 prize and agency review, and their story will be published online in late winter/early spring. Second and third place finalists will be awarded publication, agency review and $300/$200 prizes. Entries must be under 6,000 words.

Top prize

$3,000

Additional prizes

Second and third place prizes ($300 / $200, publication, and agency review)

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: August 28, 2022

Genres

Flash Fiction, Short Story

International Novel Prize

Grindstone Literary

The 2022 Grindstone International Novel Prize is open to authors from all around the world, and is aimed at discovering and elevating new and unsung authors. Authors may submit finished or part-finished manuscripts providing they are not currently represented by an agent. We forward all longlisted works to some of the best agencies in the UK such as Curtis Brown Books, Conville and Walsh, Janklow & Nesbitt, the Paper Literary Agency, the Good Literary Agency, and so many more.

Top prize

£1,000

Additional prizes

Runner Up: £500 | 4x Shortlist: £125 | Longlist: Entries forwarded to affiliated agents.

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: October 01, 2022

Genres

Crime, Mystery, Novel, Thriller

Claymore Award

Killer Nashville

Created in 2009, the Killer Nashville Claymore Award assists new and rebranding English-language fiction authors to get published, including possible agent representation, book advances, editor deals, and movie and television sales. The contest is limited to only the first 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense NOT currently under contract.

Top prize

Possible contract with Mystery Writers of America

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $40

Deadline: April 01, 2023

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller

Rattle Young Poets

Rattle Foundation

Rattle is a publication of the Rattle Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the practice of poetry, and is not affiliated with any other organization. The author of the poem must have been age 15 or younger when the poem was written, and 18 or younger when submitted.

Top prize

Publication in Rattle Magazine

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: November 15, 2022

Genres

Children's, Poetry

Miami University Novella Prize

Miami University

The Miami University Novella Prize is awarded annually to a novella-length manuscript of original fiction (18,000–40,000 words). The winner receives $750, a standard contract, publication and 10 copies of the book.

Top prize

$750

Additional prizes

Publication through the University of Miami Press

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: August 30, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Novella

Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction

University of North Texas Press

The University of North Texas Press announces the 2023 Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction. The winner of this annual award will receive $1000 and publication by UNT Press. Entries will be judged by an eminent writer.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication by UNT Press

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Flash Fiction, Novella, Short Story

Flash Fiction Competition

Globe Soup

Globe Soup are looking for the best flash fiction of no more than 800 words. The competition features a secret location in which all participants must set their story. Participants can get extensive feedback on their entry by joining Globe Soup's writing group and free entry to their monthly micro fiction contests and other opportunities to win cash prizes!

Top prize

£1000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $16

Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry

Lynx House Press

The annual Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry awards $2000 plus publication for a full-length poetry collection. The Prize is awarded for an unpublished, full-length volume of poems by a U.S. author, which includes foreign nationals living and writing in the U.S. and U.S. citizens living abroad.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $28

Deadline: July 16, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Poetry

Kate Tufts Discovery Award

Claremont Graduate University

The Kate Tufts Discovery Award was created in 1994, a year after the inception of the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. It is presented to a first book by a poet of genuine promise. The Kate Tufts Discovery Award offers a hefty prize of $10,000. The work submitted must be a first book of poetry published between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted.

Top prize

$10,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Poetry

Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award

Tufts Poetry Awards

Kate Tufts established the $50,000 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award at Claremont Graduate University in 1992. As Kate Tufts observed, these awards are intended “to give a poet a little breathing room and a little recognition.” The legacy created with the Kingsley & Kate Tufts Poetry Awards will continue to inspire countless generations of poets and lovers of poetry.

Top prize

$100,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Poetry

New Voices Award

Lee & Low Books

The New Voices Award is given annually by children's book publisher Lee & Low Books for a children’s picture book manuscript by a writer of color or Indigenous/Native writer. Established in 2000, the New Voices Award encourages writers of color and Indigenous/Native writers to submit their work to a publisher that takes pride in nurturing new talent.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

A standard Lee & Low publishing contract | Honor Award winner: $1,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: August 01, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry

Short Story Competition

Globe Soup

We’re looking for the best SHORT STORY of no more than 8,000 words. There is no theme for this competition. Your story can be written in any genre or style, but it must be fiction.

Top prize

£1500

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $7

Deadline: August 23, 2022

Genres

Short Story

Exeter Story Prize and Trisha Ashley Award

Creative Writing Matters

The competition is for stories of up to five thousand words on any theme. We are delighted that Sunday Times Bestselling author, Trisha Ashley is once again offering an award. This year she has asked us for a selection of 'engaging and quirky' stories to choose from.

Top prize

£500

Additional prizes

2nd Prize: £250 | 3rd Prize: £150 | Trisha Ashley Award: £200

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: August 31, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Short Story

Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest

Moment Magazine

The Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest encourages writers to unpublished short fiction related to Judaism or Jewish culture or history. Established in 2000, judges and special guests for this international annual contest have included Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Pinsky, Walter Mosley, Nicole Krauss, Erica Jong, Jonathan Safran Foer, Geraldine Brooks, Andre Aciman and Dara Horn.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication in Moment Magazine

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: August 15, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Short Story

The Megaphone Prize

Radix Media

The Megaphone Prize by Radix Media is dedicated to publishing timely and interrogative work by debut writers of color. This year, the prize is open to short story collections. Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, will judge and choose the winning manuscript.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication, 20 author copies

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: October 15, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Short Story

The X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize

Texas Review Press

Established in 1998, The X. J. Kennedy Prize highlights one full-length collection of poetry per year. Since 2019 the Prize comes with a $10,000 advance, a standard royalty contract, and 20 copies of the published book.

Top prize

$10,000 advance

Additional prizes

Royalty contract with TRP, publication, 20 author copies

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $28

Deadline: September 30, 2022

Genres

Poetry

Fiction Factory Short Story Competition

Fiction Factory

This is a bi-annual competition. We welcome stories on any theme. The maximum wordcount is 3,000.

Top prize

£300

Additional prizes

£100, £50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $8

Deadline: October 31, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Short Story

Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award

Red Hen Press

Established in 1998, in honor of the poet Benjamin Saltman (1927–1999), this award is for a previously unpublished original collection of poetry. The awarded collection is selected through an annual competition that is open to all poets.

Top prize

$3,000

Additional prizes

Book publication by Red Hen Press, a four-week PLAYA residency

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: October 31, 2022

Genres

Poetry

Novella-in-Flash Award

Bath Flash Fiction Award

The goal of the Novella-in-Flash Award is to promote flash fiction for both writers and readers and to bring the genre to a wider audience. There is a 6000 to 18000 word limit and each flash (or chapter) should not be more than about 1000 words.

Top prize

£300

Additional prizes

£100 for two runners-up, publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $19

Deadline: January 15, 2023

Genres

Novel, Short Story, Novella

IndieReader Discovery Awards

IndieReader

Where talented authors meet publishing professionals with the power to make a difference in the success of their books. Every author who enters a title in the IR Discovery Awards will receive a verdict, written by an IndieReader reviewer and based on their assessment after reading the complete book.

Top prize

First look consideration by a top, NYC-based literary agency

Additional prizes

$500, publicist consultation service, Reedsy credit, custom author website

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $150

Deadline: February 15, 2023

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Novel

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: December 31, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story

Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition

Munster Literature Center

The competition is open to new, emerging and established poets from any country. One of these winners will be the highest scoring manuscript entered by a poet with no solo collection (full-length or chapbook) previously published. Up to 25 other entrants will be publicly listed as "highly commended".

Top prize

€1,000

Additional prizes

Chapbook publication with 50 free copies, 2nd prize €500

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $30

Deadline: August 31, 2022

Genres

Poetry

The Ovacome Creative Writing Contest

Ovacome

The theme is ‘connected’ and this can be interpreted however the writer chooses. The finalists will be judged by Call the Midwife stars Jenny Agutter and Stephen McGann. Entries cost £5 and all proceeds from the competition will help Ovacome to support anyone affected by ovarian cancer and raise awareness of the signs and symptoms.

Top prize

£250

Additional prizes

Runner up receives a £50 Waterstones voucher and the winner gets published on the Ovacome website

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $7

Deadline: August 31, 2022

Genres

Short Story

Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction

https://www.reedmag.org/gabriele-rico-challenge-for-nonfict

The Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction recognizes outstanding works of nonfiction. We are looking for creative nonfiction, such as personal essays or narratives, not scholarly papers or book reviews. All works should be stand-alone essays, not chapters of a longer work. Please limit prose submissions to 5,000 words.

Top prize

$1,333

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: November 01, 2022

Genres

Non-fiction, Short Story

Celebration Day Writing Contest

The Day

The Celebration Day Competition gets children to connect with the oldest person they know and interview them about the person who inspired them most growing up. They will retell the story in a creative way to win their work being read out on camera by a star-studded collection of celebrity guests, an iPad, and a £100 Amazon voucher. You must be aged between five and 18 to enter the competition, or be a teacher, and can live anywhere in the world.

Top prize

£100 Amazon Voucher

Additional prizes

Celebrities reading out winning entries, publication on website.

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: June 21, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Children's

North Street Book Prize

Winning Writers

One grand prize winner will receive $8,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 credit at BookBaby, and 3 free ads in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $525 value). Please submit between February 15 and June 30, 2022.

Top prize

$8,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $70

Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry

Caledonia Novel Award

Caledonia Novel Award

Now in our ninth year of competition, we are an Edinburgh-based, international award for unpublished and self-published novelists in all genres for adults and YA. This year's judge is Charlotte Seymour, literary agent at Johnson & Alcock. On top of the £1,500 top prize, the best entry from the UK and Ireland will receive a place on a writing course at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre.

Top prize

£1, 500

Additional prizes

Free place on a writing course at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre.

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $30

Deadline: November 01, 2022

Genres

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

First 5 Pages Prize

Stockholm Writers Festival

SWF is proud to launch the First 5 Pages Prize to mark our 5th anniversary. Dazzle us with your brilliance. Delight us with your wit. Deceive us with your dastardly plot-twists. There will be one Grand Prize winner chosen from all entries. The winner will receive: $1000 cash, a ticket to SWF22, a pitch meeting with an agent conducted over Zoom, two night’s accommodation at a boutique hotel, and a full developmental edit donated by Reedsy, the industry’s leading platform for writing services.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

A full developmental edit donated by Reedsy & pitch meeting with an agent

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition 2020

InterAct Stroke Support

InterAct Stroke Support is a UK charity dedicated to supporting stroke recovery by using professional actors to deliver hospital readings and community projects. InterAct's competition asks writers to write a piece in any genre in no more than 1000 words. Stories must be suitable to be read in the sensitive environment of a hospital setting.

Top prize

$1,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: December 02, 2019 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Short Story

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. See the contest rules and enter now. Blind Judging.

Top prize

$150

Additional prizes

Publication in an anthology

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

International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir

Memoir Writing Ink

Original, unpublished works of memoir writing to a maximum of 2000 words are accepted. Submission guidelines are available on our website: www.amyaward.com. Winner receives $1000, plus an additional $1000 off a Mindful Memoir Writing Retreat in southern France with award-winning author, playwright, and writing coach Alison Wearing. Shortlisted stories will be published in the annual Amy Award Anthology and featured in the Memoir Writing Ink program. This award has been 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.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

$1,000 US towards a Mindful Memoir Writing Retreat in Southern France with award-winning author, playwright, and writing coach, Alison Wearing

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: June 21, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Memoir

Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition

Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition

The Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition invites writers to create original stories and poems using the opening and closing lines of classic works of literature. In previous years, participants have tackled works by Lewis Carroll, Dorothy Parker, and Dashiell Hammett, crafting stories and poems in every genre, from science fiction to meta-fiction, and from sonnets to free verse. For its fifth year, in addition to monetary prizes and publication, the competition offers personal feedback for all honorable mentions. The competition is also a fundraiser for Ukraine. Sarah Waits, one of the competition editors, says, "We're a small organization, but we believe we can make a difference in the world.” Learn more about the 2022 Literary Taxidermy Writing Competition on our website: www.literarytaxidermy.com. Take the creative challenge—and join the fun! The competition begins on May 1st. We can’t wait to see what you stitch together!

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

Publication in 2019 Anthology of Literary Taxidermy

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: July 11, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Short Story

As Bright as the Moon

Tales

Can’t decide between the headstrong alpha or the hunky omega? Us either. We’re seeking stories featuring steamy werewolf romance, perfect for reading under a full moon. Whether you’re Team Jacob Black or Team Alcide Herveaux…we’re all Team Awoooo. Works up to 3,000 words will be considered.

Top prize

$600

Additional prizes

2nd place: $300; 3rd place: $100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: May 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fantasy, Fiction, Short Story, Thriller

ElegantLiterature's Fiction Contest

ElegantLiterature.com

We help new talent go pro, award life-changing prize money, and promote fiction writers worldwide. Each month we hold a contest based on a short fiction prompt. You write a wonderful story and enter the contest. We choose the winner who receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors above-professional rates, and publish them in our magazine. Anyone can submit work to the magazine for free, but you must be an Elegant+ Member to enter the contests and win prizes. Membership is $10/month.

Top prize

$3000 USD + $0.10/word for publication

Additional prizes

Publication in online monthly magazine

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: May 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

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

The Paz Prize for Poetry

The National Poetry Series

Miami Book Fair will award one $2,000 prize every other year for the publication of a previously unpublished book of poetry originally written in Spanish by an American resident. The prize will recognize book-length manuscripts of poetry written in Spanish. Translations, works of literary criticism and scholarly texts do not qualify. The next Paz Prize competition will open in May, 2020.

Top prize

$2,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $35

Deadline: May 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Poetry

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