Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

DIRECTORY

Best Writing Contests in 2025

Showing 396 contests that match your search.

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Novel

The Letter Review Prize for Books invites submissions of unpublished, self-published, or indie-published book-length works. It aims to highlight new literature and supports writers through various stages of their careers. The competition is judged blind, ensuring equal opportunity for all entrants.

Top Prize:

$1000 USD shared by 2 to 4 winners

Additional prizes:

Publication in Letter Review. Up to 20 writers are shortlisted.

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)

Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize

Academy of American Poets

Genres: Poetry

Established in 1975, this prize recognizes the most outstanding book of poetry published in the U.S. in the previous calendar year. It includes a $25,000 award, a residency at Glen Hollow, and distribution of the winning book to Academy members.

Top Prize:

$25,000

💰 Entry fee: $75

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2025

Fish Flash Fiction Prize

Fish Publishing

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.

Top Prize:

€1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: €300 + Online Writing Course | 3rd: €300

💰 Entry fee: $14

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry and LGBTQ

The Hastings Book Festival Poetry competition invites entries of innovative writing. Judged by Jessica Mookherjee, the competition offers monetary prizes and mentoring opportunities for winners.

Top Prize:

£250

Additional prizes:

2nd place: £100 | 3rd place: £50

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: July 07, 2024 (Expired)

Winchester Poetry Prize

Winchester Poetry Festival

Genres: Poetry

The Winchester Poetry Prize is an annual poetry competition launched in 2016, attracting entries from around the world. It opens in April and closes in July, with winners announced during the festival in October. The event is free to attend, and the winning poems are published in an anthology.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd place: £500 3rd place: £250 The Kathryn Bevis Prize offers an additional £150 and workshops for the best Hampshire-based poem.

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

High-quality unpublished manuscripts in memoir, fiction, and non-fiction are sought for this competition. The contest is designed to amplify the voices of contemporary writers.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Possible book publication/distribution in ebook and paperback formats

💰 Entry fee: $40

📅 Deadline: October 15, 2025

The Bath Children's Novel Award

The Bath Novel Awards

Genres: Children's, Fiction, and Young Adult

The Bath Children's Novel Award is an international writing prize for unagented emerging writers. It seeks novels for children or teens, chapter books, and picture book texts. The winner receives £5,000, a trophy, and feedback for listees.

Top Prize:

£5,000

Additional prizes:

A place on the 'Edit Your Novel the Professional Way' course worth £1,980 for one longlisted writer. Minerva trophy and feedback from an editorial director.

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024 (Expired)

Jim Martin Memorial Story Contest

Arizona Mystery Writers

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, and Short Story

The Jim Martin Memorial Adult Story Contest invites submissions of mystery, suspense, or thriller stories from adults aged 18 and over. It honors Jim Martin, a long-time member of Arizona Mystery Writers, supported by his family's generous contribution to the organization.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

2nd Place: $100 3rd Place: $75 Winning stories will be published on the AMW website.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: August 01, 2024 (Expired)

4th Annual Wine Country Writers' Festival Writing Contest

Wine Country Writers' Festival Society

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The contest is open to writers over 18 worldwide and includes categories for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Each submission must adhere to specific formatting guidelines and word limits. Winners are selected through blind judging, and results are announced during the festival.

Top Prize:

$200 CAD per category

Additional prizes:

Second place: $100 Third place: $50 Winner also gets anthology publication, entry to next year's festival

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: June 02, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

The Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award is an annual contest launched by Trio House Press, focused on creative nonfiction manuscripts. The award aims to recognize innovative and distinct works in this genre.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: May 15, 2025

J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards

Columbia Journalism School

Genres: Non-fiction

Two J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards, in the amount of $25,000, are given annually to aid in the completion of significant works of nonfiction on topics of American political or social concern. Recognizing that a nonfiction book based on extensive research often overtaxes the resources available to its author, the project envisions the Awards as a way of closing the gap between the time and money an author has and the time and money that finishing a book requires.

Top Prize:

$25,000

📅 Deadline: December 07, 2023 (Expired)

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.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication on TCK Website

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025

Wild Atlantic Writing Awards (WAWA)

Ireland Writing Retreat

Genres: Flash Fiction and Non-fiction

The WAWA challenges writers to explore the theme of 'Endings' through short stories of up to 500 words. Entries must not include the word 'endings' in the title or story itself. Winners will be announced in March 2025.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Winner can choose either 500 euro or a voucher worth 1,000 euro for any writing retreat in 2025. Top ten stories in each category will be published on the Ireland Writing Retreat website, including a bio and photo of the author.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: January 12, 2025 (Expired)

The Betty Award

The Betty Award

Genres: Children's

The Betty Award is a writing contest for children ages 8-12, celebrating young authors since 2006. The contest encourages imagination and creativity, allowing entries in any topic as long as they are age-appropriate.

Top Prize:

$300

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: May 17, 2025

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.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

2nd Place: €500 Four runners-up: €300 Publication in Southword for all

💰 Entry fee: $19

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction, Short Story, and Fiction

The Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction is a competition for short fiction (up to 5000 words) with no genre or theme restrictions. It is open to writers worldwide, with 2-4 winners published and sharing in the prize money. Entries are also considered for publication and submission to the Pushcart Prize.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication by The Letter Review. Up to 20 writers shortlisted. Publication and consideration for the Pushcart Prize and anthologies.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)

Heart Fiction Battle

Writing Battle

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

f

Top Prize:

$1,500

Additional prizes:

Genre Runner-up (x4): $375 Feedback by industry professionals

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: August 02, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Novel

Open to all poets over 18 years old writing in English. Collaborations, hybrid works, and simultaneous submissions are welcome. Please notify Diode Editions if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

Top Prize:

$1,500

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024 (Expired)

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.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication and 10 copies of the published book

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The contest honors George Dila, a friend of the magazine and its original fiction editor. It invites submissions of previously unpublished flash fiction under 1,000 words.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Publication in Third Wednesday magazine

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: August 15, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

The competition invites elementary and middle school students to submit short stories (maximum 350 words) based on a monthly theme. Winners receive recognition and prizes, including Amazon gift cards and publication in the Hall of Fame.

Top Prize:

$25

Additional prizes:

1st place: $25 Amazon gift card 2nd place: $15 Amazon gift card 3rd place: $5 Amazon gift card All winners are published in the Hall of Fame.

📅 Deadline: January 28, 2025 (Expired)

Fischer Prize

Telluride Institute

Genres: Poetry

A national poetry contest established in 1997 in memory of Mark Fischer. It aims to promote poetry and supports the Talking Gourds community poetry program. The contest is open to all poets writing in English, regardless of age or location, and it awards cash prizes to winners and finalists.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Five $250 Outstanding Finalist prizes

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2025

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, Poetry, and Short Story

The 20th Elmbridge Literary Competition invites submissions of short stories and poems on the theme of 'The River' to commemorate RC Sherriff. Open internationally, the competition includes age categories with specific word counts.

Top Prize:

£250

Additional prizes:

Cash prizes for adults + book tokens for children's categories

📅 Deadline: February 21, 2025 (Expired)

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.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Winner also receives a bronze medallion and publication in The Lascaux Review

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2024

The Moth Magazine Ltd.

Genres: Poetry

An annual prize for unpublished poems written by adults for children aged 7–11. The prize aims to celebrate poetry that appeals to younger audiences.

Top Prize:

€1,000

Additional prizes:

A week at Circle of Misse in France

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Solar Flare

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

A solar flare is short-lived but has a huge amount of energy. Sunspot Lit is looking for a noteworthy flare of creative energy through short stories, poems, or graphic novels.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025

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, 2024 (Expired)

#GWstorieseverywhere

Gotham Writers

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The #GWstorieseverywhere contest invites participants to submit very short stories based on monthly themes. The stories can be fictional or true and must be original and unpublished. The winning entries are featured on Gotham's website.

Additional prizes:

Winner receives a free Gotham class of their choosing, excluding premium classes

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction

BOMB Magazine's 2025 Fiction Contest invites submissions for a chance to win a $1,000 prize and publication. The contest is judged by Kelly Link, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and MacArthur Fellow.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication in BOMB Magazine

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: April 15, 2025

International Welsh Poetry Competition 2024

International Welsh Poetry Competition

Genres: Poetry

The International Welsh Poetry Competition, established in 2007, aims to encourage creative writing in Wales and beyond, welcoming entries in English from around the world.

Top Prize:

£500

Additional prizes:

2nd place: £250 3rd place: £100 17 runners-up: commended entries and future publication in anthology. Winners acknowledged with a certificate and potential cash prizes; may also be included in future anthologies.

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)

New England Readers' Choice Awards

New England Romance Writers

Genres: Romance and Fiction

The contest recognizes excellence in published romance fiction and is judged by fans, including librarians and booksellers. The grand prize includes coaching from Jeannie Moon, and winners will receive a web badge and printed certificate.

Top Prize:

Two hours of Story & Character Development Coaching by Jeannie Moon; web badge and printed award certificate for winners.

Additional prizes:

Web badge and printed certificate for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each category.

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)

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.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Second: £500 Third: £250 Various cash prizes for youth categories.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Poetry

Established in 1998, this award honors poet Benjamin Saltman and is for previously unpublished original poetry collections. The competition is open to all poets.

Top Prize:

$3,000

Additional prizes:

Book publication by Red Hen Press

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres:

Established in 2001, this annual prize highlights an outstanding chapbook, providing a $1,000 advance, publication, and ten copies of the book. Submissions are accepted from poets writing in English, with guidelines detailing eligibility and manuscript requirements.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication and 10 copies of the published book

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)

Reedsy | Default — Editors with Marker | 2024-05

Bring your publishing dreams to life

The world's best editors, designers, and marketers are on Reedsy. Come meet them.