The Best Writing Contests of 2023
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Manage a competition? Submit it here
SaveAs Writers
SaveAs Writers invite entries of poetry and prose for their annual competition. 2023 celebrates the centenary of the publication of Freud’s The Ego and the Id. We hope that the theme of ‘all in the mind’ inspires you to write about the role of the unconscious in our daily experience and our culture. How do hidden forces motivate human beings in our spiritual, emotional, and mental lives?
£200 for both Poetry & Prose
2nd: £100 | 3rd: £50 for both Poetry & Prose
💰 Fee: $4
Deadline: September 30, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Poetry
View contestSunspot Lit
Beginnings have the power to spark passion or curiosity. They might immediately connect a specific place and time with an emotional tone. The best openings offer a feeling, atmosphere, action, or image that is gripping, and hints at more to come. For Sunspot Lit’s Inception contest, send your best opening. There are no restrictions on theme, category, or the length of the piece or collection from which the excerpt comes. Word limit is 250 for prose, 25 words for poetry.
$500
Publication in digital and print editions
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: July 31, 2023 (Expired)
Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestPigeon Review
This year's Flash Fiction competition centers around the theme of "home". What it means to you, how you understand it, and the emotions "home" evokes within you.
$125
2nd: $100 | 3rd: $75
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: July 31, 2023 (Expired)
Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller
View contestAI Institute for Resilient Agriculture
AIIRA is seeking essays speculating on how AI will change careers within the next decade, as well as fiction stories depicting a day in the life of a job transformed by AI technology. Submissions should address how AI will help future professionals perform their jobs more efficiently as well as what job duties will become redundant due to AI.
$550
2nd: $400 (x2) | 3rd: $250
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: September 30, 2023 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Science Writing, Short Story
View contestHerStry Literary Magazine
HerStry has long been a place for women identifying and nonbinary folks to tell their stories. We are a brave space for brave stories. Now, we’d like to amplify your stories even more with our contest and prize. There is no theme to adhere to for this contest, simply nonfiction written by you, about you. Give us your best work, the stuff of your heart. Our stories are what make us, tell yours.
$400
2nd: $250 | 3rd: $100
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: December 15, 2023
Memoir, Non-fiction
View contestReed Magazine
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.
$1,333
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: November 01, 2023 (Expired)
Non-fiction, Short Story
View contestAtom Learning
The theme for 2023 is 'If I were in charge for a day…'. Entrants must submit a creative response to this theme no more than 500 words. All entrants must be aged between 7–11 on the day the competition closes (10th September 2023). Submissions must be written by the child and must not be supported by an adult. We’re looking for aspiring writers, not perfect wordsmiths!
A trip to Disneyland Paris for a family of 4
Chromebook worth £250 | More prizes for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: September 10, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Children's
View contestOttawa 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 2023 that highlight Ottawa as a travel destination.
$500 CAD
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: February 02, 2024
Travel
View contestMacmillan Publishers
The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any Published Mystery Novel (including self-published works and ebooks.)
$10,000 advance
Publication
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: December 15, 2023
Fiction, Novel
View contestNational Youth Foundation
Founded by Black women with a vision for change, the mission of the National Youth Foundation is to promote diversity, inclusion and gender equality through innovative literary programs. The “I Matter” poetry contest was launched by a 14-year old student who took action to educate the world about why Black Lives Matter. The contest calls upon students across the country to submit poems on this important topic.
$500
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: July 23, 2023 (Expired)
Children's, Poetry
View contestMiami 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 $1,000, a standard contract, publication and 20 copies of the book.
$1,000
Publication through the University of Miami Press
💰 Fee: $25
Deadline: August 30, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Novella
View contestUniversity of North Texas Press
The University of North Texas Press announces the 2024 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.
$1,000
Publication by UNT Press
💰 Fee: $25
Deadline: June 30, 2023 (Expired)
Flash Fiction, Novella, Short Story
View contestNarrative Magazine
The Narrative Prize is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction published by a new or emerging writer in Narrative. The submission system is open all year.
$4,000
💰 Fee: $27
Deadline: June 15, 2024
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestTufts Poetry Awards
Kate Tufts – widow of Kingsley Tufts, and creator of the award – had said she wanted to create a prize “that would enable a poet to work on his or her craft for awhile without paying bills.” The legacy created with the Kingsley & Kate Tufts Poetry Awards will continue to inspire countless generations of poets and lovers of poetry.
$100,000
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: June 30, 2023 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestClaremont 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.
$10,000
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: June 30, 2023 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestScience Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA)
The annual SFPA Speculative (Dwarf/Short/Long) Poetry Contest is open to all poets, including non-members of the SFPA. Awards will be given across 3 categories.
$150
2nd: $75 | 3rd: $25 | Publication
💰 Fee: $3
Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)
Poetry, Fiction
View contestScottish Arts Trust
The Edinburgh Flash Fiction Award is open to writers worldwide, published and unpublished, and for stories on any topic up to 250 words. Chief judges are the celebrated authors Zoe Strachan and Louise Welsh. The top twenty authors will be given free tickets to our annual Flash Bash at the Scottish Arts Club in Edinburgh, where everyone will present their stories and the prize-winners will be announced.
£2000
2nd: £300 | 3rd: £150 | Golden Hare Award: £500
💰 Fee: $8
Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction
View contestMoment 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.
$1,000
Publication in Moment Magazine
💰 Fee: $25
Deadline: September 30, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestTexas 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.
$10,000 advance
Royalty contract with TRP, publication, 20 author copies
💰 Fee: $28
Deadline: September 30, 2023 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestRed 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.
$3,000
Book publication by Red Hen Press, a four-week PLAYA residency
💰 Fee: $25
Deadline: October 31, 2023 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestReed Magazine
The Edwin Markham Prize honors outstanding works of poetry. Our taste is eclectic and celebrates the wonderful diversity of forms, styles, and levels of diction available to the contemporary poet. Writers may submit up to five (5) poems per submission.
$1,000
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: November 01, 2023 (Expired)
Poetry
View contestReed Magazine
Awarding one of the richest purses among literary magazines—$1,000 for the winning story—the John Steinbeck Award for Fiction recognizes exceptional works of fiction. Aesthetically, we are open to most styles and approaches. All works should be stand-alone short stories, not chapters of a longer work. Please limit prose submissions to 5,000 words.
$1,000
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: November 01, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story
View contestUniversity of Southampton
Theme: Microbes to the Rescue! This short story competition is sponsored by the Environmental Biotechnology Network. It may appeal to writers with a scientific bent as it aims to use fiction to raise awareness of Environmental Biotechnology and what microbial systems can do for us. Eligibility: Open to all – we encourage international writers. All submissions must be in English and unpublished. Length: We ask for a short story of between 1000 and 3000 words.
£500 prize
2nd: £200 | 3rd: £100
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: September 21, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Novel, Short Story, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller
View contestGotham Writers Workshop
It’s that season when people spend time in the great outdoors. Which is a perfect time to tell us a story about a not-so-great outdoor experience. It might be camping during a wild rainstorm or getting lost while out for a simple walk or just melting outside during a heat wave. Give us a story—fiction or nonfiction—in 49 words or fewer. We’ll pick the story we like best and give that writer a free Gotham class of their choosing.
Free writing class
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)
Flash Fiction
View contestFederal Highway Administration/Public Roads Magazine
Public Roads is proud to announce its first Student Writing Competition, designed to encourage high school and college students interested in or actively pursuing STEM majors to demonstrate their knowledge by writing an article that relates to the transportation industry.
Published in Winter 2023 Issue of Public Roads Magazine
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: July 21, 2023 (Expired)
Essay, Non-fiction, Science Writing
View contestWOW! Women On Writing
Seeking short fiction of any genre between 250 - 750 words. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, great writing, and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants.
$400
2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)
Flash Fiction, Fiction, Short Story
View contestSoutham Book Festival
A story of up to 100 words ( including title). Must include the word 'alarmed'. Open to all over 16 yrs.
£60
2nd: £30 | 3rd: £20
💰 Fee: $4
Deadline: October 09, 2023 (Expired)
Flash Fiction
View contestCAPTRS
CAPTRS has launched a pathogen threat scenario writing contest, which will be part of their work to build a catalog of pathogen threat scenarios that will be used to hone pandemic preparedness strategies and train future decision-makers. Submissions may not exceed 2,500 words, and will be judged on creativity, plausibility of the pathogen threat, complexity of cascading societal factors, difficulty posed for current pandemic response capabilities and quality of writing.
$10,000
2nd: $5,000 (up to 2 winners) | 3rd: $1,000 (up to 5 winners)
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: July 31, 2023 (Expired)
Essay, Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story
View contestGutsy Great Novelist
The Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize is awarded for an outstanding opening page of an unpublished novel. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers.
$1,000
2nd $500 | 3rd $250
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: July 14, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Novel, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestGemini Magazine
Knock us out in 1,000 words or less! Any subject or style. Except for the word limit, we have no rules and are open to your most creative work, whether literary, noir, historical, sci-fi or any other category. Read previous winners and finalists online to see the wide variety of flash fiction we publish.
$1,000
Second: $100 | 4x Honorable Mentions: $25 | Online publication for all six finalists
💰 Fee: $7
Deadline: August 31, 2023 (Expired)
Flash Fiction
View contestNorth American Review
The Vonnegut Prize is an annual fiction competition intended to recognize the finest speculative fiction, which can include, but is not limited to, work influenced by the postmodern science-fiction of Kurt Vonnegut. We love Vonnegut’s dark humor, but please avoid mere imitation. We are enthusiastic about all work painted with speculative fiction’s broad brush: fairy tale, magical realism, fabulism, the fantastic, horror, Afro-futurism, science fiction hard and soft, and everything in between. The winning entry will appear in the North American Review's annual summer issue, and all finalists will be considered for publication.
$1,000
Publication
💰 Fee: $23
Deadline: November 01, 2023 (Expired)
Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, Suspense
View contestWrite the World
“There was more room to think,” wrote novelist David Gaffney on becoming a flash fiction convert. Stories of the sudden/mini/micro variety pack the best parts of fiction into brimming, half-pint packages. Come celebrate the art of concision this month, dear writers, and write a story in 99 words or less.
Best Entry: $100
Runner up: $50, Best Peer Review: $50
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: August 22, 2023 (Expired)
Flash Fiction
View contestWrite the World
The teenage years are an in-between time, the stage linking our childhood to adulthood. It’s a time of internal transitions, as we find out more about who we are and who we want to be in the world. This month, use the tools of creative nonfiction to write about your own experience of this passage into adulthood.
Best Entry: $100
Runner up: $50 | Best Peer Review: $50
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: July 18, 2023 (Expired)
Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction
View contestWrite the World
Songs can tell stories, evoke emotion, even deliver lessons. Dear writers, what issue is most pressing to your generation? In an original song, channel this urgency into music, to be sung and celebrated—a rallying call for listeners near and far. This month, write your own song of change. We’ll select a winner for best lyrics and best performance.
Best Lyrics: $100
Best Performance: $100, Best Peer Review: $50
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: June 20, 2023 (Expired)
Fiction, Poetry
View contestThe Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre
This one of a kind competition recognizes the most outstanding unproduced Canadian plays with a Jewish focus. The 2023 competition is co-presented by The Winnipeg Jewish Theatre (Manitoba), The Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company (Ontario), and The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts (Quebec).
$1,000 (CAN)
Workshop with director and up to 6 actors with public reading
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: September 05, 2023 (Expired)
Script Writing
View contestYes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.