Reedsy Prompts Contest
Reedsy
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
Every Friday, Reedsy sends out five writing prompts. Enter your response within a week for a chance at $250. Winners may also be included in a future issue of Reedsy’s literary magazine, Prompted.
Top Prize:
$250
Additional prizes:
Publication on Reedsy Prompts + $25 credit for Reedsy Marketplace services for shortlisted entries
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
December 31, 2026
The Bedford Competition
The Bedford Competition
Genres:
Poetry and Short Story
The Bedford Competition runs annual international short story and poetry competitions open to anyone over 17 years. Winning entries are published in an anthology.
Top Prize:
£2000
Additional prizes:
2nd Prize £300 | 3rd Prize £200 | Cygnature Prizes £200 | Bedford Prizes £100
💰 Entry fee:
$11
📅 Deadline:
September 30, 2026
The TRP Southern Breakthrough Series
Texas Review Press
Genres:
Poetry
This series highlights first full-length collections by emerging authors from southern U.S. states. Submissions are open annually from December 1 to March 1.
Top Prize:
Copies of the published book and a standard royalty contract
📅 Deadline:
March 01, 2025
(Expired)
Anthology Nature Writing Competition 2026
Anthology Magazine
Genres:
Essay and Non-fiction
The competition celebrates the beauty of nature and encourages storytelling about environmental themes. Open to all writers, submissions must be original, unpublished, and in English, with a maximum of 1,500 words. Entries can cover various aspects of nature, from wildlife encounters to reflections on environmental challenges.
Top Prize:
€300
Additional prizes:
Publication in Anthology magazine
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
September 30, 2026
Stainsby Festival National Poetry Festival
Stainsby Festival
Genres:
Poetry
The inaugural National Poetry Competition at Stainsby Festival invites unpublished poems on any subject, with a maximum of 42 lines. Judged by Roger McGough, shortlisted poets will read their work at the festival. Winning poems may be published in the festival programme.
Top Prize:
A paid residency at the 2027 Stainsby Festival.
Additional prizes:
Three winning poems will be published online.
💰 Entry fee:
$6
📅 Deadline:
May 31, 2026
(Expired)
The Global Thriller Awards for High Stakes Suspense
Chanticleer Book Reviews
Genres:
Fiction and Science Fiction
The Global Thriller Awards seek the best books featuring suspense and thrilling stories that can change the balance of world power. It includes the Lab Lit genre, focusing on stories based on real science.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Grand Prize winners receive exclusive Chanticleer Book Review Packages and author interviews, valued at $795, along with additional prizes.
💰 Entry fee:
$99
📅 Deadline:
July 31, 2025
(Expired)
SaveAs Writers’ International Poetry Competition
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)
Poetry International Prize 2025
Poetry International
Genres:
Poetry
The Poetry International Prize is an annual contest to award a cash prize of $1000 and publication for a single poem of any length. Submissions are accepted via Submittable and all entries are considered for publication.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in Poetry International
💰 Entry fee:
$20
📅 Deadline:
September 06, 2025
(Expired)
Solar Flare Contest 2025
Sunspot Literary Journal
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Solar Flare Contest seeks submissions for a single short story, novel or novella excerpt, artwork, graphic novel, or poem that exhibits a burst of creative energy. All genres accepted, with a maximum word limit of 500 for stories and nonfiction, 12 lines for poetry, and 8 pages for graphic novels.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
June 01, 2025
(Expired)
Winter 2026 Prose & Poetry Contest
Onyx Publications
Genres:
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Poetry, and Short Story
The Winter 2026 Prose & Poetry Contest runs two independently judged tracks: prose, covering short stories, memoirs and flash fiction, and poetry. Onyx Publications staff carry out the initial screening before finalists are selected.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
First prize: $500, second prize: $100, third prize: $50 – each awarded once for Prose and once for Poetry. Publication in the magazine. First place winners in prose and poetry are narrated and interviewed on the Story Discovery Podcast.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
November 01, 2026
Autumn House Poetry Contest
Autumn House Press
Genres:
Poetry
The Autumn House Poetry Contest accepts manuscripts of 50-80 pages. The winner receives publication of their manuscript, a $2,500 prize, and a $1,500 travel/publicity grant.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
Publication of full-length manuscript + a $1,500 travel/publicity grant
💰 Entry fee:
$35
📅 Deadline:
June 30, 2024
(Expired)
Ascent Children’s Book Prize
Ascent Prize
Genres:
Children’s
The Ascent Children’s Book Prize is an annual competition aimed at recognizing outstanding works of children’s literature. It encourages diverse voices and storytelling, celebrating creativity and the power of narrative.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
Top 100 win a paragraph of personalised feedback from industry professionals
💰 Entry fee:
$39
📅 Deadline:
July 01, 2026
(Expired)
GNU DLE Short Story Writing Contest
Gyeongsang National University, Department of Language Education
Genres:
Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, and Travel
The contest aims to publish a magazine of short stories across various genres. Stories must fit specific word counts and themes, and will be evaluated by staff judges.
Top Prize:
$250
Additional prizes:
Prize for the winner in each genre.
📅 Deadline:
October 01, 2025
(Expired)
SLAM 2027: Poetry that Breaks the Silence
Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc. / Kinsman Quarterly
Genres:
Poetry
SLAM 2027 seeks captivating poetry that explores culture, resilience, love and justice. Poets may submit up to three poems and are encouraged to embrace free verse, inventive language and bold experimentation with sound, structure and voice.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication in Kinsman Quarterly and in the anthology “SLAM 2027”.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
November 30, 2026
The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition
Chicken House Books
Genres:
Fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult
An annual contest for unpublished and unagented writers of children’s fiction, focusing on originality and diverse voices. The competition seeks full-length novels suitable for readers aged 7-18.
Top Prize:
A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House & royalty advance of £10,000
Additional prizes:
Detailed editorial consultation for shortlisted entries
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
June 01, 2026
(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:
April 26, 2026
(Expired)
2025 Narratively Memoir Prize
Narratively
Genres:
Memoir and Non-fiction
The Narratively Memoir Prize invites personal essays for a chance to win $3,000, publication on Narratively, and inclusion in a limited print edition. Judged by bestselling author Susannah Cahalan, the contest seeks unique, emotional narratives. Submissions are accepted from October 24 to December 7, 2025.
Top Prize:
$3,000
Additional prizes:
Publication on Narratively and in a limited print edition
💰 Entry fee:
$20
📅 Deadline:
December 07, 2025
(Expired)
Cai Emmons Short Fiction Contest
Wordcrafters in Eugene
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The Cai Emmons Short Fiction Contest honors the legacy of Cai Emmons by recognizing new voices in fiction. It encourages themes central to Cai’s work, such as interconnectedness, women’s issues, grief, and environmental concerns.
Top Prize:
$700
Additional prizes:
Category-specific awards of $200 for Magical Realism, Environmental/Climate, Female Protagonist, Family Dynamics, Experimental Fiction, and Aftermath of Loss.
💰 Entry fee:
$7
📅 Deadline:
October 30, 2026
Dragons & Wyverns Short Story Challenge
Forest & Fawn
Genres:
Fantasy and Short Story
The challenge invites participants to write a short story themed around dragons and wyverns within a ten-day period. Writers of all skill levels can join, and there are prompts provided at the start. The challenge emphasizes creativity and community, including workshops and feedback on submissions.
Top Prize:
$1,800
Additional prizes:
2nd: $900 | 3rd: $400 | 4th-10th: $100
💰 Entry fee:
$38
📅 Deadline:
April 24, 2026
(Expired)
Indie Author Project Annual Contest
Indie Author Project
Genres:
Memoir, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
gThe Indie Author Project Annual Contest aims to recognize indie authors and provide them visibility through library support. It encourages submissions from indie-published authors in various genres and offers significant prizes.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
$500 each to two runner-ups in each genre. Opportunity to promote books at libraries, inclusion in a print spread in Library Journal.
📅 Deadline:
May 31, 2025
(Expired)
Southword Editor’s Poetry Award
Munster Literature Centre
Genres:
Poetry
Each entrant for their €24 entry fee will receive a complementary postage-free, one-year subscription to Southword. Poems will be read and judged anonymously. Poems must be previously unpublished. The winning poet will have their three poems published in Southword.
Top Prize:
€1000
Additional prizes:
The winning poet will have their three poems published in Southword.
💰 Entry fee:
$24
📅 Deadline:
September 30, 2024
(Expired)
Spring Prose & Poetry Contest
Onyx Publications
Genres:
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller
The contest awarded prizes for both prose and poetry categories, with multiple winners for each.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Second place: $150
Third place: $75
Winner also gets publication and author interview on Story Discovery podcast.
💰 Entry fee:
$12
📅 Deadline:
May 05, 2024
(Expired)
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)
The Caledonia Novel Award
Caledonia Novel Award Organizers
Genres:
Fiction, Novel, and Young Adult
The Caledonia Novel Award is an international competition for unpublished and self-published novelists in all genres, encouraging writers to submit their original works. The award aims to connect new authors with literary agents.
Top Prize:
£1500
Additional prizes:
Exclusive framed award designed by Edinburgh artist Lucy Roscoe. | Highly Commended prize: £500 | Special prize: a free place on a writing course at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre.
💰 Entry fee:
$37
📅 Deadline:
October 15, 2025
(Expired)
Southam Book Festival Flash Fiction Competition
Southam Book Festival
Genres:
Flash Fiction
Writers submit original fiction of no longer than 100 words. Each story must include a title (which counts in the word count). The story must include the key word “horizon” (lowercase as written on the page) and the key word must not be used as the title.
Top Prize:
£60
Additional prizes:
2nd: £30 | 3rd: £20
💰 Entry fee:
$3
📅 Deadline:
September 05, 2026
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)
Inkspot 2025 Short Story Competition
Inkspot Publishing
Genres:
Short Story
The competition encourages original submissions from writers worldwide, with no age limit. It promotes quality writing and is open to both amateurs and professionals.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
2nd: £250 | 3rd: £100 | Top 12 stories will feature on FictionJunkies.com.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
May 17, 2026
(Expired)
Write By The Sea Flash Fiction Contest
Write By The Sea Literary Festival
Genres:
Fiction and Flash Fiction
The Write by the Sea Writing Competition features four categories: Fiction Short Story, Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Memoir/Personal Essay. It includes cash prizes and publication opportunities.
Top Prize:
€500
Additional prizes:
2nd: €300 | 3rd: €200 | Winner also gets a free weekend pass to the Write By The Sea Festival 2026 & publication in the Waxed Lemon Literary Journal.
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
June 07, 2026
(Expired)
Future Scholar Foundation Short Story Competition
Future Scholar Foundation
Genres:
Fiction 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:
$60
Additional prizes:
2nd: $15 Amazon gift card | 3rd: $5 Amazon gift card | All winners are published in the Hall of Fame.
📅 Deadline:
October 28, 2025
(Expired)
Writer Advice’s Flash Prose Contest
Writer Advice
Genres:
Flash Fiction and Fiction
This contest invites submissions of flash fiction and other prose forms, including creative non-fiction. Pieces should focus on critical moments in the protagonist’s life, with a maximum length of 750 words. All entries receive consideration for publication, and those selected as winners receive small cash prizes.
Top Prize:
Small cash prizes for 3 to 8 published works.
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
September 02, 2026
Voice.club Monthly Flash Fiction Contest
Soft Designs, Inc.
Genres:
Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story
The contest encourages participants to submit one fictional story (max 350 words) for a chance to win a prize. The contest requires a minimum of 10 shortlisted submissions to award a prize, which is a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
Top Prize:
$25 USD Amazon Gift Card
Additional prizes:
Publication
📅 Deadline:
August 01, 2024
(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
(Expired)
Eyelands Book Awards
Strange Days Books
Genres:
Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Eyelands Book Awards are international awards aimed at recognizing talent among published and unpublished authors. The contest is based in Greece and encourages submissions across various literary genres.
Top Prize:
A five-day stay in Athens
Additional prizes:
Winner also receives translation into Greek and publication. Handmade ceramics for winners in each category.
💰 Entry fee:
$45
📅 Deadline:
October 20, 2025
(Expired)
Annual Flash Fiction Competition
Flash 500
Genres:
Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction
The Flash Fiction Competition invites writers to submit stories of up to 500 words. It’s a quarterly competition with prizes awarded for the top three entries each quarter. Winning entries are published on the website.
Top Prize:
£300
Additional prizes:
2nd: £200 | 3rd: £100
💰 Entry fee:
$7
📅 Deadline:
December 31, 2026
Farnham’s First Five Pages Competition
Farnham Literary Festival
Genres:
Fiction
The competition invites submissions of the first five pages of a novel and a 250-word synopsis. The work must be unpublished and original. There is no specific theme or style required.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
1st: The Paris Prize for Fiction, including a critique for the first place winner | 2nd: £300 | 3rd: £200
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
December 31, 2025
(Expired)
