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The Elegant Literature Award For New Writers
Elegant Media Publishing Corporation
Genres: Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Romance, Horror, LGBTQ, Science Fiction, Suspense, and Thriller
The contest invites new or unpublished authors to submit stories based on a monthly theme and prompt. The current theme is 'Charmed and Chained.'
Top Prize:
$3,000
Additional prizes:
1st: Free enrollment in New Novelist Accelerator and publication payment at 10c/word | 2nd – 10th: 10c/word and publication | 11th – 35th: $20 USD and an honorable mention in the magazine.
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025
Dreambridge 2025 Short Story Anthology Contest
Anastasia Barbato
Genres: Children's, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, and Young Adult
This is the second annual short story contest by Dreambridge Publishing, featuring the anthology theme 'In My Element' with elements of alchemy. The chosen writers will work with editors to prepare their stories for publication.
Top Prize:
Winners will be published in the anthology.
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)
Fiction Factory Flash Fiction Competition
Fiction Factory
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Travel
The competition invites writers to submit short stories of up to 1000 words, excluding children's and young adult fiction. The entry fee varies based on the number of submissions. Winners will be announced in February 2026.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
Publication on the website and free assessment for 2nd and 3rd placed entries.
💰 Entry fee: $7
📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025
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Goldfinch Books Novel Award
Goldfinch Books
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Goldfinch Books Novel Award is a competition for emerging novelists. It invites submissions of 3,000 words from completed novels. The winner receives a £500 cash prize and an invitation to join the Goldfinch writer community.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
Shortlisted authors receive feedback from judges + Goldfinch membership
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025 (Expired)
North Street Book Prize
Winning Writers
Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Children's, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
The North Street Book Prize focuses on self-published or hybrid-published books, offering significant cash prizes and marketing services to enhance visibility. The contest has been running for 11 years and encourages entries across various genres.
Top Prize:
$10,000
Additional prizes:
$1,000 for top winner in each category | $300 for honorable mentions
💰 Entry fee: $85
📅 Deadline: July 01, 2025 (Expired)
Genres: Children's, Crime, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, and Young Adult
The I Am Writing Competition offers multiple categories for writers to showcase their talent, with prizes for various genres including crime, historical, and romance. Each category allows entrants to submit the first 3,500 words of their work along with a synopsis where required.
Top Prize:
$250
Additional prizes:
30-minute consultation with genre expert
💰 Entry fee: $13
📅 Deadline: May 28, 2024 (Expired)
The Emma Awards Book Contest
RSJ Convention
Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, and Romance
The Emma Awards celebrate multicultural excellence in romance and women's fiction, promoting diverse voices and stories. The contest recognizes top entries in various romance subgenres, ensuring inclusion in literature.
Top Prize:
$250
Additional prizes:
Winner also receives the Book of the Year Award. The Emma Crystal Award for Diversity in Publishing and the Reader's Choice Certificate of Recognition will also be distributed.
💰 Entry fee: $60
📅 Deadline: July 31, 2025 (Expired)
Writer's Games
The Writer's Workout
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Writer's Games is a free competition aimed at improving writing skills, offering feedback from judges. The 2024 edition has concluded, and it featured multiple events with winners recognized in an anthology. Registration is necessary to participate.
Top Prize:
Publication in anthology, 72 Hours (26+ spaces)
📅 Deadline: July 22, 2025 (Expired)
Winter Flash Fiction Battle
Writing Battle
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Thriller
The Winter Flash Fiction Battle is an engaging contest where writers compete by creating stories based on given prompts. Participants write a story of up to 1000 words within three days. The contest emphasizes community feedback and professional judging.
Top Prize:
Genre Winner (x4): $$3,400
Additional prizes:
Genre Runner-up (x4): $800 | Genre Semi-Finalist (x8): $400
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: February 01, 2025 (Expired)
Passionate Plume
Passionate Ink
Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, Romance, and Short Story
The Passionate Plume Contest is aimed at supporting erotic fiction authors, offering various categories for both published and unpublished writers. It encourages creativity and provides a platform for authors to showcase their work.
Top Prize:
Engraved award
Additional prizes:
Publication in the Passionate Ink Charity Anthology
💰 Entry fee: $40
📅 Deadline: February 14, 2025 (Expired)
Indignor Play House Annual Short Story Competition
Indignor House Publishing
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
The competition is open for submissions themed 'The Evolution of Love'. Each entry will be edited, judged based on various writing criteria, and selected works will be published in an anthology.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2025 (Expired)
Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction
Not Quite Write
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction invites writers to break traditional writing rules while crafting compelling stories. Participants have 60 hours to produce a story of up to 500 words in response to prompts. The contest is held quarterly, with cash prizes totaling AU$4,000 each round.
Top Prize:
$1,500 AUD
Additional prizes:
Winner receives AU$1,500 and the Not Quite Write Trophy. | 2nd place: AU$500 | 3rd place: AU$200 | Additional cash prizes for other positions.
💰 Entry fee: $35
📅 Deadline: July 27, 2025 (Expired)
2025 Short Story Competition
Globe Soup
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
The competition invites short story submissions of up to 8,000 words from writers of all genres. It aims to encourage creativity and provide feedback opportunities. Participants retain ownership of their work, with the winner receiving a cash prize along with chances to win in a bonus draw.
Top Prize:
£2,000
Additional prizes:
2nd: £1000 | 3rd: £500 | £1,500 Bonus Prize Draw shared among multiple winners
💰 Entry fee: $16
📅 Deadline: December 16, 2025
National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award
First Coast Romance Writers
Genres: Fiction and Romance
The National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award (NERFA) celebrates published romance novels and novellas, judged by romance readers. It aims to promote excellence in romantic fiction.
Top Prize:
NERFA Winner web logo and trophy
Additional prizes:
Finalists receive a NERFA Finalist web logo and certificate
💰 Entry fee: $40
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)
Reader Views Literary Awards
Reader Views
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Reader Views Literary Awards recognize innovative self-published books, offering visibility and credibility to independent authors. The contest provides thorough book reviews, evaluation forms, and promotional opportunities.
Top Prize:
$1,250
Additional prizes:
Gold: $750 | Silver: $350 | Bronze: $150 | Various sponsored awards and features in newsletters include marketing packages, interviews, and ads.
💰 Entry fee: $89
📅 Deadline: December 15, 2025
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)
New Deal Writing Competition
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)
Pocket FM: Werewolf Saga
Pocket FM
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, and Romance
Join the Werewolf Saga contest where passion, power, and packs collide. Only original English language audio series qualify. Stories must meet specified word counts and themes.
Top Prize:
$4,000
Additional prizes:
2nd: $300 | 3rd: $2000 | All winners receive a certificate and social media promotion.
📅 Deadline: November 02, 2025
The DWRI Romance Book Literary Contest
Diverse Writers and Readers International
Genres: Romance, Fiction, Novel, and Novella
The contest is open to authors who published a romance book in 2024. It focuses on various criteria for judging, including plot creativity, grammar, romantic conflict, and character believability.
Top Prize:
The DWRI Literary Award.
💰 Entry fee: $60
📅 Deadline: July 31, 2025 (Expired)
The Christy Award
ECPA
Genres: Christian, Fantasy, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult
The Christy Award, established in 1999, celebrates novels that explore themes of faith and their influence on modern culture. Over the years, these awards have become a cornerstone event that brings together writers and publishers within the Christian literary community.
Top Prize:
The Christy Book of the Year Award.
💰 Entry fee: $175
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)
Inkitt: Love at First Kick
Inkitt
Genres: Fiction and Romance
The Love at First Kick Writing Contest invites authors to create soccer-themed romances where soccer is not just a backdrop but the heartbeat of the story. Stories can feature romantic rivalries, teammates, or journalists involved with players.
Top Prize:
$300
Additional prizes:
2nd: $150 | 3rd: $50 | All winners receive 1 year of Galatea Unlimited and GalateaTV, Inkitt VIP Badge, Contest Winner badge for book cover, and an Instagram feature.
📅 Deadline: December 31, 2025
Maggie Award for Published Writers
Georgia Romance Writers
Genres: Novel and Romance
The Maggie Award for Excellence recognizes outstanding works of romantic fiction. Open to both traditional and self-published authors, the contest emphasizes quality storytelling. The award seeks submissions that showcase excellence in the romance genre.
Top Prize:
Trophy
💰 Entry fee: $40
📅 Deadline: April 06, 2025 (Expired)
Maggie Award for Prepublished Writers
Georgia Romance Writers
Genres: Fiction, Novel, and Romance
The Maggie Award for Excellence aims to encourage and reward the mastery of romance writing by prepublished authors. Each entry receives two critiques from published authors, and finalists are reviewed by industry agents and editors.
Additional prizes:
Maggie Award medallion for highest-scored manuscript in each category; all finalists receive certificates. Critiques returned to all entrants.
💰 Entry fee: $40
📅 Deadline: April 25, 2025 (Expired)
Romance Through The Ages Contest — Published
Hearts Through History Romance Writers
Genres: Fiction and Romance
This contest focuses on historical romance, aiming to promote both published and unpublished authors. It accepts entries that are historical in nature and emphasizes the romance element central to the narrative. The contest has several categories based on historical time periods.
Top Prize:
$50
Additional prizes:
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each category receive a social media badge. All winners will be announced in RWA’s digital Romance Writers Report.
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025 (Expired)
7 Day Story Writing Challenge
Globe Soup
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
Participants write a short story of up to 2,000 words based on a secret theme and assigned genre for a chance to win £500. The competition is open to anyone aged 18 and older.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
Publication on website. 12 genre finalists selected.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: September 30, 2025 (Expired)
Pocket FM: Crowned in Drama Contest
Pocket FM
Genres: Fiction and Romance
The Crowned In Drama contest focuses on creating original audio series in the romance genre, specifically Historical and Regency Romance. Participants must complete 100k words by the deadline and follow specific guidelines to be eligible for prizes.
Top Prize:
$5,000
Additional prizes:
1st: $5000, certificate, community & social media promotion | 2nd: $2500 | 3rd: $1250, all with similar promotional benefits.
📅 Deadline: November 07, 2025
Storytrade Book Awards
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)
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
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Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
Genre Runner-up (x4): $375 Feedback by industry professionals
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: August 02, 2024 (Expired)
Genres: Fiction and Romance
Join Inkitt’s Reality TV Romance Writing Contest 2025, a free contest where you can win up to $500, a Galatea publishing deal, and a chance for your book to be reviewed for a CandyJar movie adaptation. The theme focuses on romance amidst the drama of reality TV.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd Place: $300 | 3rd Place: $100 | Winner also receives a Galatea publishing deal + potential movie adaptation on CandyJar app.
📅 Deadline: October 26, 2025
HOLT Medallion Contest
Virginia Romance Writers
Genres: Fiction and Romance
The HOLT Medallion Contest honors outstanding romantic fiction, evaluating entries through a panel of romance readers. It has been held annually since 1995, recognizing both published and unpublished authors. The winners receive a pewter medallion and a certificate.
Top Prize:
Winners receive a certificate and a pewter HOLT Medallion
💰 Entry fee: $35
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)
Story Unlikely Short Story Contest
Story Unlikely
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Suspense, and Thriller
The Story Unlikely Short Story Contest seeks quality stories across all genres. It invites submissions from anyone, without restrictions on age or location. The contest awards prizes totaling $5,000, with publication opportunities for winners.
Top Prize:
$3,000
Additional prizes:
2nd: $1,000 | 3rd: $750 | Reprint category: $250 | Honorable mentions receive certificates, and some finalists may be published in the magazine.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: January 14, 2026
100 Word Writing Contest
Tadpole Press
Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel
The contest invites submissions of creative works of 100 words or less. It encourages diverse voices and unique stories focused on the theme of truth-telling across any genre.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd: Publishing and marketing package valued at $6,000 | 3rd: Manuscript assessment package ($1,500-$3,000) | 4th place: Editing package ($1,500) | 5th & 6th: Writing coaching ($500) | 7th-10th: $200 | 11th-15th: $150 | 16th-20th: $100 | 21st-30th: $50
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025
The Leslie Esdaile Banks Aspiring Author Contest
RSJ Convention
Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, and Romance
This contest celebrates diverse voices in literature. The winner will receive a 3 month membership with a published author to help them prepare their book for publishing.
Additional prizes:
1st: A 3 month mentorship with a published author. | 2nd: A 2 month mentorship with a published author. | 3rd: A 1 month mentorship with a published author. | 4th – 5th: A one hour coaching session with a published author.
💰 Entry fee: $45
📅 Deadline: July 31, 2025 (Expired)
Edinburgh Short Story Award
Scottish Arts Trust
Genres: Crime, Humor, Romance, and Short Story
The Edinburgh Short Story Award is open to writers worldwide, welcoming stories of any genre. The award offers substantial cash prizes and the opportunity for publication in The Edinburgh Anthology. It emphasizes inclusivity through bursaries for underrepresented writers.
Top Prize:
$3,000
Additional prizes:
2nd: £500 | 3rd: £250 | Publication in the anthology for top twenty stories
💰 Entry fee: $12
📅 Deadline: February 28, 2026
Genres: Fiction and Romance
This contest invites adult writers to submit original romance stories centered around themes like trust fund babies, hidden heiress scandals, and forbidden love in elite academies. It emphasizes high-drama romance with engaging plots.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd: $300 | 3rd: $100 | Winner receives a Galatea publishing deal + potential movie adaptation on CandyJar app. 2nd + 3rd also receive 1 year of Galatea Unlimited, Instagram feature, & Inkitt VIP Badge
📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025
