The Best Writing Contests of 2023
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Voice.Club
Express yourself in a supportive, family-friendly community, as you develop your writing skills. Voice.club is a family-friendly platform where creators can express themselves in a supportive environment. Our recurring writing contests have attracted talented writers from all over the world, and invite you to write a story of 350 words or less, based on our current prompt.
$50 Amazon Gift Card + Publication
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: December 31, 2022 (Expired)
Flash Fiction, Short Story
View contestDarling Axe Editing
Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: does this query letter convince me that I'm in the hands of an adept novelist with a unique and engaging story to tell?
CAD $700
CAD $200 for 2nd place, $100 for 3rd place
💰 Fee: $4
Deadline: January 31, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel
View contestHektoen International Journal of the Medical Humanities
Students currently enrolled in a medical school or program are encouraged to submit to our Medical Student Essay Contest. Essays can be on any topic as it relates to medicine. Art, history, and literature topics are preferred.
$3,500
Runner-ups: $2,500
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: March 15, 2023
Essay, Memoir
View contestStories Through The Ages
Stories Through The Ages - Baby Boomers Plus 2023 is open to people born 1966 or earlier. The deadline for entries is June 15, 2023. There is no prompt for the contest. Authors may write about any topic. The entry fee is $20 ($15 if submitting more than one story). The word count for this contest is 900 - 5000 words. Cash prizes of $500, $200 and $100 will be awarded. There will be a minimum of 15 finalists whose story will appear in the book.
$500
2nd: $200 | 3rd: $100
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: June 15, 2023
Short Story, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction
View contestBooksie.com
Write a true story about a pet in 300 words or less! To make it extra enjoyable, please show us a picture of your pet if you can! It can be silly, sad, scary, or any adjective so long as it involves your furry or scaly friend.
$250
2 runner-up: $50
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: February 28, 2023
Fiction, Humor, Young Adult
View contestSunspot Lit
Inspired by the search for Goldilocks Zone planets, Sunspot Lit is looking for one short story, CNF, artwork, poem, graphic novel, or script that combines excellence with appeal. Literary and genre works accepted; feedback available.
$200
Publication
💰 Fee: $9
Deadline: December 19, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestMinds Shine Bright
As we adjust to new realities, inflationary pressures, geo-political tensions, environmental challenges and more it’s time to imagine and explore. The Minds Shine Bright writing competition Confidence 2023 is open and calling for entries of short stories, short scripts, flash fiction and poetry which explore the theme of confidence in some way.
$1,080
$540 for each category winner | $118 for commended entries
💰 Fee: $4
Deadline: February 28, 2023
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, Short Story
View contestDharma Inc. Intl.
What are the changes you would like to see, to make the world a better place? Our world is seeing a lot of changes. What are the beneficial ones, which ones are harmful? Which changes, from what you have seen, will make things better?
$900
2nd: $300 | 3nd: $100
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: December 04, 2022 (Expired)
Essay
View contestU.S. Institute of Peace
The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) partners with the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) on the annual National High School Essay Contest. The contest engages high school students in learning and writing about issues of peace and conflict, encouraging appreciation for diplomacy’s role in building partnerships that can advance peacebuilding and protect national security.
$2,500
Runner-up: $1,250
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: April 03, 2023
Essay
View contestAtlanta Shakespeare Company
The Atlanta Shakespeare Company is launching a new playwriting initiative for historically marginalized artists. The "Muse Of Fire Playwriting Festival'' invites playwrights of the global majority to create a full-length play that reimagines Shakespeare’s themes and plots through the lens of BIPOC America.
$5,000
Stage reading in summer 2023
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: April 15, 2023
Script Writing
View contestAlex Frew
The contest is a loving tribute to Anne Marie Gracie, who died of cancer. All profits from the competition will go to Ayrshire Cancer Support.
$118
2nd: $60 | 3rd: $30
💰 Fee: $3
Deadline: April 30, 2023
Poetry
View contestRICHARD M KEMPER FOUNDATION
Respect for human rights seems to be eroding in many countries. Do you agree? If so, provide examples and explain what you think is the major cause of the problem and how it should be addressed? If you disagree, explain the reason you disagree.
$3,000
2nd: $1500 | 3rd: $750
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: December 10, 2022 (Expired)
Non-fiction
View contestPulp Fictional.com
Our Flash contest is now open and will run until 1st January 2023. The Short Story contest begins on the same date and will run until 31st May 2023.
$452
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: May 31, 2023
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Short Story, Thriller
View contestFanStory.com Inc.
The challenge of this writing contest is to share a story that uses exactly 100 words. Write about anything but can you share a complete story with only 100 words?
$100
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: July 08, 2023
Flash Fiction
View contestCrime Writer's Association
The Debut Dagger is a competition for the opening of a crime novel by a writer who isn’t represented by an agent by the time the competition closes, and who has never had a traditional contract for any novel of any length, or who has never self-published any novel of any length in the last 5 years. Writers submit their opening 3,000 words and a 1,500 word synopsis. Entries from shortlisted writers are sent to UK literary agents and publishers. Every year, authors find representation this way.
$577
💰 Fee: $41
Deadline: February 28, 2023
Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Suspense, Thriller
View contestFanStory.com Inc.
Share a 2-4-2. What's that? That's a poem with only three lines that has 8 syllables total! So the first line of your poem will have two syllables. The second line will have four. And the final line will have two again. Cash prize to the winner.
$100
Winning poems will be featured on the FanStory.com welcome page.
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: July 11, 2023
Poetry
View contestFanStory.com Inc
Share a poem that rhymes and also tells a story. We included an example of this type of poem in the contest announcement. To the winner goes a cash prize.
$100
Winning poems will be featured on the FanStory.com welcome page.
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: July 07, 2023
Poetry
View contestFanStory.com Inc
Share a Science Fiction themed story to enter this writing contest with a cash prizes. Let your imagination fly and enjoy sharing your writing.
$100
Winning entries will be features on the FanStory.com welcome page.
💰 Fee: $9
Deadline: April 12, 2023
Fiction, Science Writing, Science Fiction
View contestEthos Literacy
The challenge: write a story using 100 words on one of four topics. Open to all ages with a special prize for authors 14 years or younger. The contest supports nonprofit literacy programs.
$200
6 cash prizes of $100 each; publication in digital magazine, inclusion in webcast
💰 Fee: $12
Deadline: January 15, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story
View contestThe Omega Sci-Fi Awards
The Omega Sci-Fi Awards are proud to accept entries for The Roswell Award international short science fiction story competition from writers age 16 and older. The Feminist Futures Award will be awarded to a distinct winner for an outstanding feminist sci-fi story.
$500
UCLA Extension Writers’ Program
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: December 19, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story
View contestNervous Ghost Press
The 2021 Nervous Ghost Press Book Prizes are open to outstanding works of poetry and prose by anyone living in the United States of America. All work and all writers, from any point in their careers, are welcome to submit their work and get a chance of publication. Please submit a completed a manuscript (50,000-100,000 words for prose, 48-128 pages for poetry).
$1,000
Publication and a Californian reading tour
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: March 31, 2023
Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Humor, Young Adult
View contestBaen Books
The National Space Society and Baen Books applaud the role that science fiction plays in advancing real science and have teamed up to sponsor this short fiction contest in memory of Jim Baen. We are seeking short stories of no more than 8,000 words, that show the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration.
Publication on the Baen Books website for normal paying rates
Free entry into the 2021 International Space Development Conference, a year's membership to the National Space Society, a prize package
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: February 01, 2023
Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story
View contestAcademy of American Poets
This $1,000 award recognizes a poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the previous calendar year. Established in 1976, it is given annually. A noted translator chooses the winning book.
$1,000
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: February 15, 2023
Poetry
View contestAcademy of American Poets
The Ambroggio Prize is a $1,000 publication prize given for a book-length poetry manuscript originally written in Spanish and with an English translation. The winning manuscript is published by Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe, publisher of literary works, scholarship, and art books by or about U.S. Hispanics.
$1,000
Publication by Bilingual Press
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: February 15, 2023
Poetry
View contestCrime Writers' Association
Every year since 2014, the CWA and the Margery Allingham Society have jointly held an international competition for a short story of up to 3,500 words. Our mission is to find the best unpublished short mystery, and not only that, but one which fits into Golden Age crime writer Margery Allingham’s definition of what makes a great story. Entries are invited from all writers, published or unpublished, writing in English.
£500
Two weekend passes to CrimeFest
💰 Fee: $16
Deadline: February 28, 2023
Mystery, Short Story
View contestWilkes University
A prize of $10,000 is given annually for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. Runners-up will receive $1000. A selection from the winning work is published in Provincetown Arts.
$10,000
💰 Fee: $33
Deadline: March 15, 2023
Fiction, Novel
View contestKiller Nashville
Every year, the Killer Nashville Claymore Award assists new and rebranding English-language fiction authors get published, including possible agent representation, book advances, editor deals, and movie and television sales. While we cannot guarantee that winners and finalists of this award will receive publication, dozens of winners & runners-up of the Claymore award have gone on to find great success in their careers and many of them attribute that success to this award.
Publishing contract
Discounted admission to Killer Nashville, introductions to agents/editors
💰 Fee: $40
Deadline: April 01, 2023
Fiction, Novel
View contestBreak Water Review
We are seeking submissions for pieces that breathe freshness to the form. We are interested in previously unpublished prose ranging from 1,000 - 4,000 words.
$1,000
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: December 01, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestHenshaw Press
Short Story of up to 2000 words on any theme.
$237
2nd: $118 | 3rd: $60
💰 Fee: $7
Deadline: January 06, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction
View contestF(r)iction
We seek work that actively pushes boundaries, that forces us to question traditions and tastes. If your work takes risks, we want to read it. You may submit up to three entries for $12. A single entry is $10. Each entry can be up to 1,000 words long.
$300
Considered for publication in F(r)iction
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: November 01, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestF(r)iction
We seek work that actively pushes boundaries, that forces us to question traditions and tastes. If your work takes risks, we want to read it. You may submit up to three entries for $12. A single entry is $10. Each poem can be up to three pages.
$300
Considered for publication in F(r)iction
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: November 01, 2022 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestSouthern New Hampshire University
SNHU is hosting its 8th annual Fall Fiction Contest, where you can showcase your talents and creativity by submitting an original short story. This contest is open to any writer, based in the continental U.S., and submissions will be accepted from Oct. 3-31. By entering, you'll have the opportunity to win up to $3,000 in SNHU scholarships, have your short story featured in The Penmen Review and more.
$3,000
Publication
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: October 31, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestMum Life Stories
Win cash prizes and publication in an anthology. This is the 6th and final round of the second series of micro fiction competitions on the blog 'Mum Life Stories'. Just 500 words around the them 'Empty Nest', which can be interpreted any way you like, as long as it includes a mum somewhere in the story. There will be an anthology release early to mid 2023 including the shortlists (Top 10) from each round.
$31
Publication
💰 Fee: $2
Deadline: November 06, 2022 (Expired)
Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestEffective Altruism at UC Berkeley
What are the large-scale problems that the world is facing over the next 20 years? People frequently express concern about climate change as one of the largest existential risks and potential sources of suffering for humans and other animals in the coming decades. The Global Warning Contest hopes to create more awareness around it and reward people for thinking critically about the future.
$500
2nd: $300 | 4x runner-up: $50
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: November 20, 2022 (Expired)
Non-fiction
View contestWrite the World
Novel writing is about personally inhabiting the world of your characters. And yet a novel also requires looking inward—reflecting on your own experience and interior life to develop authentic, three-dimensional characters. This November, join thousands of other writers in the honorable pursuit of novel writing (it’s National Novel Writing Month!) and then submit an excerpt to us.
$100
Runner-up: $50
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: November 22, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Novel
View contest