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 2024

Showing 428 contests that match your search.

Genres: Poetry

This is a UK based competition but we welcome international entries. Poets are invited to enter poems (maximum 40 lines excluding title) on any theme. Discounts are offered on multiple entries. Besides the cash prize, our judge, poet and author and mentor, Helen Cox, will offer feedback on five of the winner's poems plus an hour-long mentorship zoom call about their poetry.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Feedback on poems, a Zoom mentorship call, and publication

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

Biopage is hosting a writing contest to remind people the benefits of writing. Each story (or once chapter of your stories) is limited to 5,000 characters or roughly 1,000 words. You can write about good life experience, or bad, embarrassing, frightening ones. You can win $300, and five runners-up can win $100 each.

Top Prize:

$300

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024 (Expired)

Four Line Poem

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Poetry

Write a four line poem that has a specific syllable count. The first line has 1 syllable, the second line has 5 syllables, the third line has 5 syllables, and the last line has 9 syllables. The subject can be anything.

Top Prize:

$100

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: May 16, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction

The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction (The Smokey) is a biennial competition that celebrates and compensates excellence in flash.

Top Prize:

$2,500

Additional prizes:

2nd: $1000 | 3rd: $500 | Finalists: $100 | Publication

💰 Entry fee: $14

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The editors of Third Wednesday wish to honor the memory of George Dila, friend of Third Wednesday and the editor who originally brought fiction to 3W. To this end, we proudly announce the opening of The George Dila Memorial Flash Fiction Contest. We accept entries of previously unpublished stories of under 1000 words in length (including title).

Top Prize:

100 x3 Winning Stories

Additional prizes:

Publication in Third Wednesday magazine

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: August 15, 2024 (Expired)

Great American Think-Off

New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The Great American Think-Off is an annual philosophical essay contest that invites participants to submit essays on significant questions of life. The contest culminates in a live debate where finalists present their arguments, and the audience votes on the best perspective.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Four cash prizes of $500 each for finalists.

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Novel

We are looking for an opening chapter up to 3,000 words, plus a one page synopsis outlining the balance of your story of any genre, so long as it's unpublished.

Top Prize:

£500

Additional prizes:

2nd Place: £200

💰 Entry fee: $13

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2024 (Expired)

Irene Adler Prize

Lucas Ackroyd

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The Irene Adler Prize is a scholarship for women writers, offering $1,000 to support their education in journalism, creative writing, or literature. The prize aims to celebrate and elevate women's voices in writing.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2x honorable mentions: $250 Winner also receives a scholarship for education

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The contest invites submissions under the theme '¡Hacia adelante!' focusing on resilience and cultural celebration. Categories include photography, poetry, and narrative/essay/academic investigation. Winning works will be published and recognized.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Certificate of recognition and Publication in magazine

📅 Deadline: February 21, 2024 (Expired)

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

Enter our 91st Annual Writing Competition for the chance to have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen. The top winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection. [$20 for a poetry entry, $30 for a manuscript entry]

Top Prize:

$5,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: $500 | 3rd: $100

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: May 06, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The Tusculum Review Nonfiction Chapbook Prize is an annual contest that highlights nonfiction essays. In 2024, the prize was awarded to Mirela Musić for her essay 'The Nature of Alaska: An Introduction to Familiar Plants, Animals & Outstanding Natural Attractions.' The winning work will be published in the 20th Anniversary Issue of _The Tusculum Review_ in November 2024.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication of the winning essay and a limited edition chapbook with original art. Honorable mentions may also be recognized.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: June 01, 2025

Fischer Prize

Telluride Institute

Genres: Poetry

This annual award is open to poets of all ages living in the US. Deadline for submissions is August 31st, 2021.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Attendance at Telluride Literary Arts Festival

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller

The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter.

Top Prize:

$250

💰 Entry fee: $79

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024 (Expired)

Autumn House Poetry Contest

Autumn House Press

Genres: Poetry

For the 2023 contest, the Autumn House staff as well as select outsider readers serve as the preliminary readers, and the final judge is Toi Derricotte. The winner receives publication of a full-length manuscript and $2,500.

Top Prize:

Book publication | $1,000 honorarium | $1,500 travel/publicity grant

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)

HNS 2024 First Chapters Competition

Historical Novel Society

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Novel, Romance, Thriller, and Young Adult

The HNS 2024 First Chapters Competition is for the first three chapters of an unpublished historical novel, aiming to promote excellence in storytelling. The competition coincides with the HNS UK 2024 conference, with winners announced at the gala dinner.

Top Prize:

£1,000

Additional prizes:

Category winners: £500 and HNS UK 2024 conference ticket. Competition trophy and feedback from judges.

💰 Entry fee: $40

📅 Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Lascaux Prize in Flash Fiction invites submissions of flash fiction stories that may be previously published or unpublished, with a maximum length of 1,000 words. The contest aims to celebrate narrative storytelling.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Finalists: $100 Winner also receives a bronze medallion and publication in The Lascaux Review

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025

Genres: Fiction, LGBTQ, and Novel

Dedicated to the memory of author and journalist Jim Duggins, this prize honors LGBTQ-identified authors who have published multiple novels, built a strong reputation and following, and show promise to continue publishing high quality work for years to come.

Top Prize:

$5000 (x2)

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

The Minds Shine Bright Confidence Writing Competition explores the theme of confidence in fiction. It includes categories for short stories, poetry, flash fiction, and scripts. The competition aims to support writers and promote creative writing.

Top Prize:

The overall winner receives $1,600 AUD and publication in the anthology.

Additional prizes:

2nd: $400 AUD 3rd: $300 AUD 4th: $200 AUD Each commended entry receives $175 and publication in the anthology. Each category winner receives $800, and there are additional commendations with monetary awards.

💰 Entry fee: $3

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025

John Estey Student Writing Competition

American Writers Museum

Genres: Children's

The 5th Annual John Estey Student Writing Competition invites students to submit original works based on a prompt from Mary Doria Russell’s novel _The Sparrow_. Participants can write fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and more, with a maximum length of 1,000 words. Homeschoolers and international students can also enter, provided they meet specific submission criteria.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

Winners in various categories receive cash prizes: $500 for elementary, $1000 for middle school, and $2000 for high school.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: June 07, 2024 (Expired)

Haiku Poetry Contest

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Poetry

Share a Haiku! That's a poem with only three lines that generally follows the 5-7-5 syllable count. So the first line of your poem will have three syllables. Second line seven. Final line five!

Top Prize:

$100

💰 Entry fee: $13

📅 Deadline: April 15, 2023 (Expired)

Oxford Flash Fiction Prize 2024

Oxford Flash Fiction

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

Write yourself into history and become one of the greats with the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize. For centuries, the greats have come to Oxford to ink masterpieces. Now, in one of the oldest towns, where the history of the English language can be traced back to its ancient streets, we are celebrating one of the newest forms in literature – flash fiction.

Top Prize:

£1000

Additional prizes:

2nd Prize: £200 | 3rd Prize: £100 | New Voice Prize: £200

💰 Entry fee: $9

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Science Writing, and Science Fiction

Share a Science Fiction themed story to enter this writing contest with a cash prizes. Let your imagination fly and enjoy sharing your writing.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Winning entries will be features on the FanStory.com welcome page.

💰 Entry fee: $9

📅 Deadline: April 12, 2023 (Expired)

Kate Tufts Discovery Award

Claremont Graduate University

Genres: Poetry

The Kate Tufts Discovery Award is presented to a first book of poetry by a poet of genuine promise. It is part of the Tufts Poetry Awards, which also includes the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. The award aims to support poets in their craft and provide recognition and visibility.

Top Prize:

$10,000

📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired)

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

This contest invites young writers aged 13-19 to explore the realms of science fiction and fantasy through creative writing. Participants can share their unique stories and ideas, receiving valuable feedback from peers and experts.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Publication opportunities and mentorship sessions. Recognition for runners-up and feature in the Write the World blog.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: July 28, 2025

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, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Welcome to the 31st annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest. Submit published or unpublished work. $9,000 in prizes.

Top Prize:

$3,000

Additional prizes:

Two-year gift certificate from Duotrope; 10 Honorable Mentions will receive $300 each

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

The Lascaux Prize in Poetry

The Lascaux Review

Genres: Poetry

Poems may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication online in The Lascaux Review. The winner and all finalists will be published in the annual print journal.

Top Prize:

$1,000

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award

Academy of American Poets

Genres: Poetry

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.

Top Prize:

$1,000

📅 Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Expired)

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)

Fiction Potluck

The Writer's Workout

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Science Fiction

Fiction Potluck is a quarterly writing competition open to fiction writers globally, featuring a guest judge who sets a unique challenge each period. The current challenge theme is 'Sci-Fi Western', with submissions of up to 6,000 words due by August 20. The competition is free to enter, and winners receive prizes including a two-year Duotrope service subscription (valued at $100).

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Two years of Duotrope service for the first place winner.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: August 20, 2024 (Expired)

The Pinch Literary Awards & Page Prize

The Pinch Literary Journal

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

The 2023 Pinch Literary Awards accepts poetry and fiction. The 2023 Page Prize accepts non-fiction.

Top Prize:

$2000 for poetry & fiction winners

Additional prizes:

$1000 for Page Prize winner

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

2-4-2 Poetry Contest

FanStory.com

Genres: Poetry

Participants must write a 2-4-2 syllable poem consisting of three lines: the first line has 2 syllables, the second line has 4 syllables, and the last line has 2 syllables. The subject can be anything. All entries will receive feedback.

Top Prize:

$100

💰 Entry fee: $1

📅 Deadline: December 11, 2024

First Pages Prize

First Pages Prize

Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction

The First Pages Prize is an annual writing contest dedicated to emerging writers. It encourages submissions of the first five pages (up to 1,250 words) of a longer work in fiction or creative nonfiction. The contest aims to discover and promote new voices in literature.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

2nd Prize: $1500 3rd Prize: $1000 Mentorship and agent consultation. The Sandra Carpenter Prize for a female identifying American writer in creative nonfiction.

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: April 24, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction, Short Story, and Fiction

This Prize is free to enter. 2-4 Winners are published. We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Seeking stories 0-5000 words. Judges’ feedback available. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind. All entries considered for publication + submission to Pushcart.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Publication by The Letter Review

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Exeter Writers runs an annual short story competition. The competition began in 2009 and is very popular, receiving entries from all over the world. The maximum word count is 3,000.

Top Prize:

$900

💰 Entry fee: $9

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2021 (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.