The Elegant Literature Award For New Writers
Elegant Media Publishing Corporation
Genres:
Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Romance, Horror, LGBTQ, Science Fiction, Suspense, and Thriller
This contest invites new writers to submit original, unpublished stories based on a monthly theme. The contest promotes emerging talent and awards cash prizes to winners.
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:
December 31, 2025
(Expired)
The 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, 2025
(Expired)
Reedsy Novel Sprint
Reedsy
Genres:
Novel
The Reedsy Novel Sprint is an annual challenge (every November) where participants aim to write 50,000 original words in our free writing app, Reedsy Studio. With events, resources, and in-app goal tracking, this challenge is designed to help writers finish their first drafts — and get excited about doing it! At the end of the month, those who have written at least 50,000 words in Studio can submit their first chapters to our Reedsy Novel Sprint Contest.
Top Prize:
$5,000 + Literary Agent Intro
Additional prizes:
2nd: $2,500 + Literary Agent Intro
3rd: $1,000 + Literary Agent Intro
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
November 30, 2025
(Expired)
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:
October 31, 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This contest focuses on historical romance, aiming to promote both published and unpublished authors.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)
Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative
Principal Foundation
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The contest invites writers aged 18 and up to submit short stories about personal finance and money-related experiences. It aims to facilitate discussions on financial matters through storytelling.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Honorarium for the winner and $150 for each of up to 20 finalists. Finalists’ works will be published in Short Story Dispensers and considered for international publication.
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
October 12, 2025
(Expired)
Anthology Personal Memoir Competition 2026
Anthology Publishing
Genres:
Memoir
The Anthology Personal Memoir Competition invites entries for personal memoirs, encouraging emerging writers to share their stories. The winner will be published in Anthology magazine.
Top Prize:
€500
Additional prizes:
Publication in Anthology magazine
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
August 31, 2026
Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest
Book Pipeline
Genres:
Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, and Young Adult
The 2025 Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest aims to discover unpublished manuscripts across ten categories. Winners receive $25,000, industry circulation, and executive development opportunities. It is open to writers aged 18 and older, with specific submission guidelines based on categories.
Top Prize:
$25,000
Additional prizes:
$2,500 for each category winner
💰 Entry fee:
$45
📅 Deadline:
September 25, 2025
(Expired)
3-Minute Writing Competition
3-Minute Arts CIC
Genres:
Script Writing
The 3-Minute Writing Competition invites original plays, stories, and songs that last approximately 3 minutes. The winning entries will be performed at the Mini Arts Festival in Glaisdale, scheduled for 29-31 May 2026.
Top Prize:
£70
Additional prizes:
Performance at the Glaisdale Mini Arts Fest
💰 Entry fee:
$8
📅 Deadline:
February 15, 2026
The Bath Children’s Novel Award
The Bath Novel Awards
Genres:
Children’s, Fiction, and Young Adult
The Bath Children’s Novel Award is an international writing competition for children’s novels, young adult (YA) fiction, chapter books, and picture book texts. It is open to unagented writers who are unpublished or self-published without an advance. The contest aims to support emerging authors.
Top Prize:
£5,000
Additional prizes:
Minerva trophy and feedback from an editorial director.
Shortlisted authors receive feedback from Junior Judges aged 7-17. One longlisted author wins a course worth £1,980 from Cornerstones Literary Consultancy.
💰 Entry fee:
$30
📅 Deadline:
November 30, 2025
(Expired)
Genres:
Fiction
The contest invites young writers aged 12-18 to submit fiction stories inspired by the theme ‘A Summer Trip’. Winners receive prizes and feedback is provided to top submissions.
Top Prize:
£50
Additional prizes:
Winner also gets publication of winning entry on the blog. Honorable mentions and feedback for the top 20 submissions.
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
August 31, 2025
(Expired)
Bath Flash Fiction Award
Bath Flash Fiction Award
Genres:
Fiction and Flash Fiction
The Bath Flash Fiction Award is an international rolling competition for flash fiction, held three times a year. It encourages writers to submit original works of up to 300 words and offers substantial prizes and publication opportunities.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
2nd: £300 | 3rd: £100 | Two commendations of £30 each. 50 longlisted entrants may also get published in an anthology.
💰 Entry fee:
$9
📅 Deadline:
October 05, 2025
(Expired)
The Loraine Williams Poetry Prize
The Georgia Review
Genres:
Poetry
An annual poetry contest for a single poem, awarded by The Georgia Review, with a prize of $1,500. Submissions are accepted from February 15 to May 15, with winners announced by August 15. The winning poem will be published in the Winter issue of The Georgia Review.
Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
Publication in The Georgia Review
💰 Entry fee:
$3
📅 Deadline:
May 15, 2025
(Expired)
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)
Inkspot Publishing Short Story Competition
Inkspot Publishing
Genres:
Short Story
This inaugural competition invites writers to submit original short stories. The competition aims to celebrate creativity following the Chipping Norton Literary Festival’s closure. Entries are open to all writers.
Additional prizes:
2nd: £250 | 3rd: £100 | Top 12 stories will feature on FictionJunkies.com.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
November 30, 2025
(Expired)
Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year
Canterbury Festival
Genres:
Poetry
The Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year Competition invites entries of poems on any subject and in any format, with a maximum length of 60 lines. Judging is anonymous, and an entry fee of £5 per poem is required.
Top Prize:
£300
Additional prizes:
1st: £300 + title of Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year | 2nd: £150 | 3rd: £75
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
June 02, 2025
(Expired)
Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2025
Write the World
Genres:
Poetry
The Poetry & Spoken Word Competition invites young writers aged 13-19 to submit original poems or spoken word pieces. The competition emphasizes engaging the senses and experimenting with structure. Two winners will be selected: one for best written poem and another for best spoken word performance.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Best Written Poem and Best Spoken Word Performance will each receive $100. Best Peer Review will receive $50.
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
April 28, 2025
(Expired)
Promising Young Writers Contest
National Council of Teachers of English
Genres:
Children’s
The Promising Young Writers Contest recognizes eighth-grade students for their effective writing skills. Nominations are made by a school committee and students submit themed writings based on the prompt provided by NCTE. The contest aims to evaluate students’ writing abilities creatively and holistically.
Top Prize:
The NCTE Certificate of Recognition
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
February 15, 2024
(Expired)
Chapter One Prize
Gutsy Great Novelist
Genres:
Fiction, Novel, Young Adult, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Thriller
The Chapter One Prize is an international writing contest for unpublished novelists. It aims to find the best opening chapter of a novel-in-progress written in English. Submissions open on February 3, 2025, and close on March 3, 2025.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd: $500 | 3rd: $250. Honorable mentions may also be awarded.
💰 Entry fee:
$20
📅 Deadline:
March 03, 2025
(Expired)
The Letter Review Prize for Books
The Letter Review
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, and Novel
The Letter Review Prize for Books seeks exceptional book-length works including novels, novellas, non-fiction, and poetry collections. It supports new writing and aims to advance writers’ careers.
Top Prize:
$1000 USD shared by 2 to 4 winners
Additional prizes:
Winners may publish extracts of their entries in The Letter Review’s anthology. Up to 20 writers are shortlisted.
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
December 30, 2025
(Expired)
The Poetry.com Contest
Poetry.com
Genres:
Poetry
The Poetry.com Contest invites participants to submit original poems monthly for a chance to win cash prizes and gain recognition. The contest emphasizes community involvement, allowing participants to vote on entries.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd Place: $300 | 3rd Place: $200 | Five runners-up receive a personalized mug and a chance to compete for Poem of the Year.
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
November 30, 2025
(Expired)
Bridport Flash Fiction Prize
Bridport Arts Centre
Genres:
Fiction and Flash Fiction
The Bridport Flash Fiction Prize invites writers to submit stories of up to 250 words. It aims to celebrate the art of brevity in storytelling. The winning entries receive the opportunity for publication and recognition.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
£500 for 2nd, £250 for 3rd
💰 Entry fee:
$12
📅 Deadline:
May 31, 2025
(Expired)
SFPA Poetry Contest
Science Fiction Poetry Association
Genres:
Poetry
The SFPA Poetry Contest promotes speculative poetry, rewarding quality works while raising funds for the organization. The contest includes categories for poems of varying lengths—Dwarf (1-10 lines), Short (11-49 lines), and Long (50+ lines). 2024’s judge is Stephanie M. Wytovich.
Top Prize:
$150
Additional prizes:
Second: $75
Third: $25
Winners are published on the SFPA website.
💰 Entry fee:
$3
📅 Deadline:
August 31, 2025
(Expired)
Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest
Shuswap Association of Writers
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story
The contest is part of the annual Word on the Lake Writers Festival, encouraging submissions in short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Entries must be unpublished and original, with a maximum of 2,000 words for fiction/nonfiction and three one-page poems. Winners are published in the anthology.
Top Prize:
$200 CAD
Additional prizes:
2025 festival registration package + certificate for online writing course
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
January 31, 2025
(Expired)
Inciting Incident Writing Contest
FilmFreeway
Genres:
Script Writing
Inciting Incident Script Competition aims to help writers discover if their work is engaging enough to captivate the Hollywood gatekeeper to receive the elusive “Recommend.”
Top Prize:
$300
Additional prizes:
2nd: $50 US | 3rd: Written feedback
💰 Entry fee:
$47
📅 Deadline:
May 25, 2026
Romance Through The Ages Contest — Un-Published
Hearts Through History Romance Writers
Genres:
Fiction and Romance
This contest is aimed at unpublished authors focusing on historical romance narratives. It promotes creativity by allowing submissions that adhere to specific genre standards, such as historical accuracy and romantic plots.
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:
June 30, 2025
(Expired)
The Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction
Association of Writers & Writing Programs
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction awards $5,500 and publication by Mad Creek Books, an imprint of The Ohio State University Press. It is part of the AWP Award Series open to all authors writing in English. The prize celebrates outstanding book-length works and is judged anonymously.
Top Prize:
$5,500
Additional prizes:
Publication by Mad Creek Books
💰 Entry fee:
$30
📅 Deadline:
February 28, 2025
(Expired)
The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction
Lascuax Review
Genres:
Essay and Non-fiction
Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, or discovered. Pieces may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review.
Top Prize:
$1,000
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
September 30, 2025
(Expired)
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)
The Montreal International Poetry Prize
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)
Youth Writing Contest
Vancouver Writer’s Fest
Genres:
Children’s and Short Story
The Youth Writing Contest is an annual event organized by the Vancouver Writers Fest for students in British Columbia. It accepts short stories and personal essays, with two categories for different grade levels. It’s supported by the Emily Carr University of Art + Design.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
1st prize for high school and $100 for elementary, both with publication in the Books & Ideas Newsletter
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
May 31, 2025
(Expired)
The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 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)
Harold Morton Landon Translation Award
Academy of American Poets
Genres:
Poetry
The Harold Morton Landon Translation Award is an annual award recognizing the work of a translator for a poetry collection translated from any language into English, published in the previous calendar year. Established in 1976, the award amount is $1,000.
Top Prize:
$1,000
📅 Deadline:
February 15, 2025
(Expired)
Memoir/Fiction Book Contest for IML Publications
Jacqueline Gay Walley
Genres:
Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel
High-quality unpublished manuscripts in memoir, fiction, and non-fiction are sought for this competition. The contest is designed to amplify the voices of contemporary writers.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Possible book publication/distribution in ebook and paperback formats
💰 Entry fee:
$40
📅 Deadline:
October 15, 2025
(Expired)
