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The Best Young Adult Writing Contests of 2022

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

Genre

Manage a competition? Submit it here

Showing 33 contests

Caledonia Novel Award

Caledonia Novel Award

Now in our ninth year of competition, we are an Edinburgh-based, international award for unpublished and self-published novelists in all genres for adults and YA. This year's judge is Charlotte Seymour, literary agent at Johnson & Alcock. On top of the £1,500 top prize, the best entry from the UK and Ireland will receive a place on a writing course at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre.

Top prize

£1, 500

Additional prizes

Free place on a writing course at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre.

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $30

Deadline: November 01, 2022

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Romance, Suspense

First 5 Pages Prize

Stockholm Writers Festival

SWF is proud to launch the First 5 Pages Prize to mark our 5th anniversary. Dazzle us with your brilliance. Delight us with your wit. Deceive us with your dastardly plot-twists. There will be one Grand Prize winner chosen from all entries. The winner will receive: $1000 cash, a ticket to SWF22, a pitch meeting with an agent conducted over Zoom, two night’s accommodation at a boutique hotel, and a full developmental edit donated by Reedsy, the industry’s leading platform for writing services.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

A full developmental edit donated by Reedsy & pitch meeting with an agent

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

2nd Annual WCWF Writing Contest

Wine Country Writers' Festival

Fire up those pens and get those unpublished stories and poems submitted to WCWF 2nd Annual Writing Contest. Three winners in each category, publication in Anthology, and your own copy. Entries: $15 or two for $25. See the contest rules and enter now. Blind Judging.

Top prize

$150

Additional prizes

Publication in an anthology

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: July 29, 2022

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

ElegantLiterature's Fiction Contest

ElegantLiterature.com

We help new talent go pro, award life-changing prize money, and promote fiction writers worldwide. Each month we hold a contest based on a short fiction prompt. You write a wonderful story and enter the contest. We choose the winner who receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors above-professional rates, and publish them in our magazine. Anyone can submit work to the magazine for free, but you must be an Elegant+ Member to enter the contests and win prizes. Membership is $10/month.

Top prize

$3000 USD + $0.10/word for publication

Additional prizes

Publication in online monthly magazine

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: May 31, 2022

Genres

Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Page Turner's Short Story Contest

Clumsy Spider Publishing

Page Turner is looking for your short story that teens will read in one sitting because they can't stop!

Top prize

$50

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: July 30, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult

The Synopsis Skirmish—a contest for querying authors

Darling Axe Editing

Summarize your novel in 500 words for a chance at a $1000 CAD prize pool! Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: "Does this synopsis convince me that I'm in the hands of an adept novelist with a unique and engaging story to tell?"

Top prize

$560

Additional prizes

$200 for second place, $100 for third

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: May 31, 2022

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Geminga: $250 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art

Sunspot Lit

Authors and artists eligible. Sunspot Lit’s Geminga contest honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. $250 cash, publication for the winner, and publication offered to runners-up and finalists. Enter as many times as you like, but only one piece per submission.

Top prize

$250

Additional prizes

Publication in digital and print

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: March 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition 2022

Creative Writing Ink

We're looking for short stories of up to 3000 words. Stories can be any theme, genre, or subject - the world is your oyster! Top prize is £1000, plus a free creative writing course of your choice and publication on our site. Two runners-up will receive £200 each."

Top prize

$1,333

Additional prizes

Free creative writing course, publication online

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $12

Deadline: September 30, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult

The Christy Award

The Christy Award

The Christy Award® was established in 1999 to acknowledge the value and impact of the novel of faith in contemporary culture. Since that time, the Christys have been a focal point for the writers and publishers in our community, symbolizing the best aspirations and accomplishments of writers who write from a perspective of faith and who create stories with matters of belief at their core.

Top prize

Award

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $175

Deadline: March 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Christian, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Romance, Young Adult

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

100 words per entry. Submit as many entries as you’d like. All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome. This year's theme is the power of words. The words we write, the words we say, the words we keep to ourselves. They make a difference in the lives of those around us. How can you use your words to instill a sense of calm, of hope, of community? To remind one another of the beauty of diversity. To encourage us to support, love, and inspire one another.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

2nd: writing coach package 3rd: developmental or diversity editing package.

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: April 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult

The Writerwerx University Novel Opening Contest

Writerwerx University

Submit the first 1,000 words of your published book.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

2nd Place: $1,000 cash/prizes, 3rd Place $100 cash/prizes

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Lune Spark Young Writers' Short Story Contest

Lune Spark Books

Lune Spark's yearly contest aims to encourage children to engage in creating writing. Submit a story up to 1,500 words long for a chance to get published.

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

Publication in paperback, hardback, ebook, and audiobook

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: July 31, 2022

Genres

Short Story, Young Adult

Olive Woolley Burt Awards For Creative Writing

League of Utah Writers

The Olive Woolley Burt Awards are open to the general public for previously unpublished work. Discounts for entry given to members of the League of Utah Writers.

Top prize

$150

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: May 13, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Chapter One Prize

Gutsy Great Novelist

Submissions open Feb 1 – Mar 1. The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. First prize is $1,000; 2nd is $500; and 3rd is $250. The prize is open to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers. Winners announced Mar 15, 2022 on prize website and via social media.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

2nd is $500; and 3rd is $250

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: March 01, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Novel, Young Adult

The Dante Rossetti Awards

Chanticleer Book Reviews and Media

The Dante Rossetti Awards Categories are: Contemporary Young Adult; SFF & Paranormal; Dystopian/Edgy/Urban; Mystery/Thriller/Suspense; Historical Young Adult; YA Adventure/Romance. The Chanticleer Prize Package includes: A Prize Ribbon to use in promotion at book signings and book festivals Digital Badges for display on your website or incorporation into book covers Book stickers to identify your print books to bookstore shoppers as they browse.

Top prize

$1,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $99

Deadline: June 30, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult

The 2022 First Chapter Book Contest

TheNextBigWriter, LLC

Have a book or a novel idea you've been noodling? Enter your first chapter into the Booksie First Chapter Contest and see how it does. You don't need to have finished the book. You don't even need more than the first chapter. We're looking for a start that will grab our attention, that is original, that is well written, and that makes us want to beg you to see what comes next. And for those we find, we'll provide some awards to inspire you to finish writing the book or, if finished, to help get it published.

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

Gold contest badge.

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: May 14, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

The George Floyd Short Story Competition Vol2

Nottingham Writers' Studio

We’ll be taking stories of up to 5,000 words, on the theme of the environment and the ongoing climate crisis. Entrants can write in any genre. There is no fee to take part and we’re offering cash prizes to every successful applicant plus publication in our next anthology. 1st - £250 2nd - £125 3rd - £75 Runner up - £15

Top prize

£250

Additional prizes

Publication in anthology - Earth 2.0

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Crime, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Stringybark Open Short Story Award 2021

Stringybark Publishing

We are looking for great short stories that address any theme that grabs you. But to just make life not too easy, the story has two stipulations. Firstly, it is to be written for those over the age of 16 and secondly, it must have a link, no matter how tenuous, to Australia. 1500 word limit.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $14

Deadline: February 13, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Mystery, Short Story, Crime, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Story of the Year Contest

Storyshares

The annual Story of the Year Contest is back for the fifth year, and we are searching for fresh, diverse stories that are “easy to read and hard to put down. The 2021 competition will run from November 2, 2021 to February 1, 2022 and will feature 4 distinct categories. Winners will be announced April 5, 2022 to receive $5000 in cash prizes, in addition to publication in both digital and print form. Winning stories and those selected as runners-up will be included in the Storyshares library, which is currently serving tens of thousands of students in all 50 states and over 150 countries. This is an opportunity for writers to not only expose their work to a large, established network of readers, but moreover, for their words to become part of the mission to improve literacy outcomes for teens and young adults across the globe. This is an opportunity to change lives, and make a difference.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

$1,000 and publication in digital and print

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: February 01, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Young Adult

Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards

Writer's Digest

Whether you’re a professional writer, a part-time freelancer or a self-starting student, here’s your chance to enter the premier self-published competition exclusively for self-published books. This self-published competition spotlights today’s self-published works and honors self-published authors.

Top prize

$8,000

Additional prizes

A feature in Writer's Digest

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $125

Deadline: May 02, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fantasy, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Novel

The Bath Novel Award

The Bath Novel Awards

The Bath Novel Award is a £3,000 international prize for emerging writers of adult fiction. Submit the first 5,000 words plus a one page synopsis of your novel for adults or young adults. Shortlisted entries will receive manuscript feedback and literary agent introductions.

Top prize

£3,000

Additional prizes

literary agent introductions

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $38

Deadline: May 31, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Novel, Young Adult

Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest

Book Pipeline

Launched in 2014, Book Pipeline connects writers worldwide with publishers, editors, agents, and the film industry. Through two submission platforms—Unpublished and Adaptation—the company seeks both new and established authors. For over 22 years, Pipeline has bridged the gap between up-and-coming writers and the industry through a unique, long-term, hands-on facilitation process. The result thus far has been $8 million in scripts sold to studios and networks since 1999.

Top prize

$15,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $45

Deadline: May 25, 2022

Genres

Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult

PFD YA Queer Fiction Prize

Peter Fraser + Dunlop

Judged by E. Latimer and agents Silvia Molteni and Lucy Irvine. Accepting YA fiction samples across all genres. Applicants are asked to submit a three-chapter sample and synopsis. Works may be finished or in-progress.

Top prize

Publishing contract with PFD

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: March 01, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

LGBTQ, Novel, Young Adult

The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition

Chicken House Books

We're looking for original ideas, a fresh voice, a diverse range of entries and stories that children will love! To enter, you must have written a full-length novel suitable for children/young adults aged between 7 and 18 years. We suggest a minimum of 30,000 words and ask that manuscripts do not exceed 80,000 words. The IET 150 Award will be awarded to a manuscript that celebrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

Top prize

A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House & royalty advance of £10,000

Additional prizes

An offer of representation from a top literary agent

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: June 01, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Young Adult

Bristol Short Story Prize

Tangent Books

Welcome to the Bristol Short Story Prize – an annual international writing competition open to all published and unpublished, UK and non-UK based writers. Stories can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-based (Crime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Romance, Children’s etc..) .

Top prize

£1,000

Additional prizes

£500, £250, £100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $12

Deadline: May 04, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Flash Fiction Competition

Globe Soup

Globe Soup are looking for the best flash fiction of no more than 800 words. The competition features a secret location in which all participants must set their story. Participants can get extensive feedback on their entry by joining Globe Soup's writing group and free entry to their monthly micro fiction contests and other opportunities to win cash prizes!

Top prize

£1000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $16

Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

The Rubery Prize

Rubery Book Awards

The Rubery Prize is a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self published authors and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges. Through our reputation of finding quality and outstanding books we aim to bring recognition to the works that win and heighten an author's profile.

Top prize

£2000

Additional prizes

£200, a write-up

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $60

Deadline: March 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Romance

Black Voices in Children's Literature

Free Spirit Publishing

Seeking Black Midwestern writers 18 years and older to submit an original fiction or nonfiction children’s story for a picture book. Manuscripts 300–800 words (ages 4–8) or 50–125 words (ages 0–4) in length. Must feature contemporary Black characters and culture.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Meeting with Strive and Free Spirit; 2nd $500; 3rd $250, t-shirt and totebag for all winners

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: September 20, 2021 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult

The Bath Children’s Novel Award

The Bath Novel Awards

The Bath Children’s Novel Award is an annual international prize for emerging novelists writing for children or teens. Submissions are the first 5,000 words plus one page synopsis. A children’s literary agent will judge the winning manuscript from a shortlist chosen by Junior Judges aged seven to seventeen.

Top prize

£3000

Additional prizes

Manuscript feedback from junior judges, literary agent introductions, novel editing course

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $36

Deadline: November 30, 2021 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Novel, Young Adult

Impress Prize

Impress Books

The Impress Prize for New Writers is part of the Untold Publishing Group, and the winner of the prize will be published by one of Untold Publishing’s imprints. Entries should comprise of a book proposal and a sample chapter. We accept both fiction and non-fiction across most genres (excluding poetry and children 's fiction, however we will consider Young Adult submissions).

Top prize

£500

Additional prizes

Possibility of a publishing contract with one of Untold Publishing's imprints

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $35

Deadline: September 13, 2021 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Young Adult

Interactive Romance Writing Contest

Sana Stories

The theme of our current Writing Contest is ‘Slow Burn’ - the romantic pull between two characters that just keeps on going! Stories need to be written with our Writing Tool, have min. 5000 words, have at least one choice situation where the story branches. Adaptations of linear stories are also welcome.

Top prize

€500

Additional prizes

€200, €100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: April 11, 2021 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult

Michael McLaverty Short Story Award

Linen Hall Library

The Linen Hall Library in Belfast has announced the 2020 Michael McLaverty Short Story Award. Entrants must have been born in, or are citizens of, or resident in Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland. Maximum word count 3000. Adjudicators are multi-award-winning writer Donal Ryan and Patsy Horton, Managing Editor of Blackstaff Press.

Top prize

$2,600

Additional prizes

$300 each for the two runner-ups

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: January 31, 2021 (Expired)

Genres

Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

2021 Nervous Ghost Press Book Prizes

Nervous Ghost Press

The 2021 Nervous Ghost Press Book Prizes are open to outstanding works of poetry and prose by anyone living in the United States of America. All work and all writers, from any point in their careers, are welcome to submit their work and get a chance of publication. Please submit a completed a manuscript (50,000-100,000 words for prose, 48-128 pages for poetry).

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication and a Californian reading tour

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $24

Deadline: January 31, 2021 (Expired)

Genres

Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Humor, Young Adult

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