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DIRECTORY
Showing 153 contests that match your search.
Ploughshares
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry
The Emerging Writer's Contest, held by Ploughshares since 1971, recognizes outstanding work by emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Winners are announced in the fall and their works are published in the Winter 2024-25 issue of Ploughshares.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in Ploughshares and a conversation with Aevitas Creative Management.
💰 Entry fee: $30
📅 Deadline: May 15, 2025 (Expired)
Claremont Graduate University
Genres: Poetry
The Kate Tufts Discovery Award is presented annually for a first book of poetry published between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. It aims to recognize promising poets and offers financial support and increased visibility.
Top Prize:
$10,000
📅 Deadline: July 01, 2025 (Expired)
Winchester Poetry Festival
Genres: Poetry
The Winchester Poetry Prize is a prestigious international poetry competition open to all poets aged 16 and over. It aims to celebrate diverse poetic voices and fosters community engagement, offering significant cash prizes and publication opportunities.
Top Prize:
£1000
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, 2025
Passager Books
Genres: Poetry
The Passager Poetry Contest is aimed at poets aged 50 and older, emphasizing the work of older writers. It invites submissions of poetry with a limit of five poems per entry, each no longer than 40 lines. The contest includes a reading fee that provides a subscription to Passager.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Winner gets publication and a featured interview. All honorable mentions will be published.
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Expired)
Write By The Sea Festival Committee
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, and Poetry
The competition features four categories: Fiction Short Story, Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Memoir/Personal Essay, with original works encouraged. Winners will be invited to read at the festival and have their work published.
Top Prize:
€500
Additional prizes:
2nd place: €300 3rd place: €200 Free weekend pass to the festival, publication in The Waxed Lemon Literary Journal.
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: June 21, 2024 (Expired)
Hispanic Culture Review
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Flash Fiction
The contest theme is 'Hecho a mano', focusing on the creativity of handmade works. Categories include photography, poetry, and narrative/essay/academic investigation. Selected works will be published, and winners will receive monetary prizes and certificates of recognition.
Top Prize:
Monetary prize + certificate of recognition for winners in each category
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: January 21, 2025 (Expired)
Best Indie Book Award
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Best Indie Book Award (BIBA) is an international literary contest that recognizes outstanding achievements by independently published authors. Entries are limited to indie published books, including those from small presses and self-published authors, judged on various writing skills.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
A physical trophy or plaque
💰 Entry fee: $65
📅 Deadline: August 01, 2025
The Iowa Review
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Iowa Review Awards is an annual writing contest accepting submissions in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. It has been held every January since 2003, and winners are published in the December issue.
Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
First runners-up receive $750
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)
Oprelle Publications
Genres: Poetry
The Matter Poetry Contest invites poets to showcase their work. Winners are selected based on the emotional impact and creativity of their submissions. The contest aims to highlight the significance of poetry in personal and societal contexts.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50 | Publication in anthology
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: June 02, 2024 (Expired)
Dream Quest One
Genres: Poetry
The Dream Quest One Poetry Contest is an international competition aimed at encouraging writers and poets to showcase their original works. The contest is open to all, regardless of experience, and accepts entries in various styles and themes. The mission is to inspire creativity and support literary talents.
Top Prize:
$250
Additional prizes:
Second Place: $125 Third Place: $50 Winners may also have their work published online.
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: April 06, 2025 (Expired)
Renard Press
Genres: Poetry
The Interwoven project celebrates identity and community through poetry, aiming to highlight what unites humanity. It invites poems that reflect on shared experiences across cultures and places.
Top Prize:
£200
Additional prizes:
2nd prize: £100 | All shortlisted poems published in an anthology with authors receiving a copy.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: July 13, 2025 (Expired)
South Warwickshire Literary Festival
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Flash Fiction
The competition features an open theme and includes four categories: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, and Poetry. Each category has a defined maximum word count. Winners will be acknowledged at the festival and have the opportunity to read their entries.
Top Prize:
£75
Additional prizes:
£75 for first prize in each category, plus the opportunity to read the winning entry at the festival. £25 for commended entries in each category.
💰 Entry fee: $4
📅 Deadline: March 28, 2025 (Expired)
Storytrade
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Storytrade Book Awards celebrate literary excellence in small and independent publishing, featuring over 70 categories for fiction and nonfiction. The awards spotlight outstanding books and provide industry recognition for authors.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
$1,000 for each Book of the Year (Fiction & Nonfiction). Medals, book stickers, and digital seals for Winners and Finalists
💰 Entry fee: $75
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025 (Expired)
Kent State University
Genres: Poetry
The Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize is awarded annually for a poet's first full-length book of poetry. The prize includes $2,500 and publication by Kent State University Press. The winner will also participate in a reading at Kent State with the judge.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
Publication by Kent State University Press
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: May 01, 2025 (Expired)
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 (Expired)
Gulf Coast Writers Association
Genres: Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry
The Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA) organizes an annual writing contest to celebrate and recognize talented writers across various genres. Participants can submit original works in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. The contest promotes writers' creativity and provides valuable feedback from experienced judges.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
Second place: $75 Third place: $50 For each category
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025 (Expired)
Heroica
Genres: Poetry
The Heroica Poetry Prize is a competition aimed at women and non-binary authors and poets, offering monetary rewards and publication in an anthology.
Top Prize:
£125
Additional prizes:
2nd: £50 | 3rd: £25 | Winning and long-listed poems will be published.
💰 Entry fee: $2
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)
Marsh Hawk Press
Genres: Poetry
The Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize invites submissions of poetry manuscripts. The prize includes cash awards and publication for the winner. Contest judge for 2025 is Elaine Equi.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Winner gets publication. Robert Creeley Memorial Award ($250), Rochelle Ratner Memorial Award ($250) are also available.
💰 Entry fee: $30
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Expired)
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)
Killer Nashville
Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller
The Silver Falchion Award honors the best books published in 2024 across various genres, including mystery, thriller, suspense, and romance. The competition aims to recognize quality storytelling and is open to all published authors.
Top Prize:
$250
💰 Entry fee: $85
📅 Deadline: April 01, 2025 (Expired)
Geneva Writers Group
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry
The GWG Literary Prize 2025 invites writers to explore hope and resilience through candid writing. Categories include fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry, all reflecting the theme of hope.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
1st: 100CHF, 2nd: 50CHF, 3rd: 25CHF. Each winner and runner-up also receives 1 free workshop each.
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: March 03, 2025 (Expired)
Black Lawrence Press
Genres: Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Short Story
The Big Moose Prize awards an unpublished novel, open to all writers. The winner receives publication, a cash award of $1,000, and ten copies of the book.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication of the novel and ten copies
💰 Entry fee: $28
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)
National Youth Foundation
Genres: Poetry
A national poetry and art competition initiated by a 14-year-old youth co-founder to allow students to express feelings about racial injustice, specifically focusing on the Black Lives Matter movement. The contest aims to promote diversity and inclusion through literary arts.
Additional prizes:
Winning entries are featured on social media and published in an annual book
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: July 23, 2025 (Expired)
Genesee Valley Council on the Arts (GVCA)
Genres: Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Travel
The New Deal Writing Competition invites writers to create a short story inspired by a specific painting. The current painting is 'Playtime' by Fred Ross. This is the ninth annual contest, intended to celebrate creativity and connect art and writing.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
Publication in newsletter
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: March 15, 2025 (Expired)
Writer's Digest
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:
Grand prize winner receives $5000. In each category: 1st, $1000; 2nd, $500; 3rd, $250; 4th, $100; 5th, $50; 6th through 10th, $25 gift certificate. 1st place winners receive a one year subscription to Writer's Digest magazine + tutorials.
💰 Entry fee: $30
📅 Deadline: May 05, 2025 (Expired)
Department of English at McGill University
Genres: Poetry
Founded in 2010, the Montreal International Poetry Prize is a global competition awarding $20,000 CAD to a poet for a single poem of 40 or fewer lines. The prize emphasizes original poetry, international readership, and exploration of diverse Englishes. The contest is juried by esteemed poets and critics, and the shortlisted works are published in an anthology.
Top Prize:
$20,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in the Montreal Poetry Prize Anthology
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: May 15, 2024 (Expired)
Writer Advice
Genres: Flash Fiction and Poetry
The Flash Fiction Contest invites entries of prose or prose poetry that tell a compelling story in 500 words or less. The contest emphasizes clarity, originality, and emotional impact.
Top Prize:
Varies based on the number of winners
Additional prizes:
Feedback on submissions for an additional fee
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: June 02, 2025 (Expired)
Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Science Fiction
The Iridescence Award is a writing contest for BIPOC authors. It focuses on themes like the supernatural, extraterrestrial, or paranormal, encouraging submissions in short stories and poetry. Winners will have their work published in the Iridescence anthology, and cash awards are available. Entries must be original and unpublished, and they should align with the contest guidelines.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication in the Iridescence anthology | 2nd place: $250 | 3rd place: $100
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2025 (Expired)
The Heartland Review Press
Genres: Poetry
The contest honors the legacy of Joy Bale Boone, an influential American poet and activist. All entries must be original works in English, with a submission window from July 1 to October 1, 2025, for publication in Spring 2026. The winners will be announced before Christmas 2025.
Top Prize:
$400 gift card
Additional prizes:
2nd: $240 gift card | 3rd: $100 gift card
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: October 01, 2025
Anthology Magazine
Genres: Poetry
The Anthology Poetry Competition aims to recognize and encourage excellence in poetry writing and to provide a platform for publication. Open to original and unpublished poems in English, there are no restrictions on theme or style. Poems must not exceed 40 lines, and there is no limit on the number of entries.
Top Prize:
€1000
Additional prizes:
2nd: €500 | 3rd: €250 + publication of the winning poem in Anthology magazine
💰 Entry fee: $18
📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025
The Caterpillar Magazine
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, 2025 (Expired)
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)
Narrative Magazine
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Narrative Prize is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction by a new or emerging writer. All works published in the magazine each year are considered, and previously unpublished works may also be submitted. The prize includes a cash award and recognition in the literary community.
Top Prize:
$5,000
💰 Entry fee: $27
📅 Deadline: June 15, 2025 (Expired)
SaveAs Writers
Genres: Poetry
The Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year Competition invites submissions from poets on any subject and in any format, up to 60 lines long. The winner receives the title and a cash prize, with additional prizes for runners-up.
Top Prize:
£300 + Title of Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year
Additional prizes:
Second Place: £150 Second Place: £75
💰 Entry fee: $4
📅 Deadline: June 02, 2025 (Expired)
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize celebrates emerging voices in life writing, poetry, and fiction. It supports writers who have not published book-length works and offers a platform for diverse backgrounds. Winners receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication in Wasafiri.
Top Prize:
£1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in Wasafiri magazine, mentoring through Chapter and Verse or Free Reads, career discussions with The Good Literary Agency, and a one-year print subscription.
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)
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