The Ultimate List of Writing Contests in 2026 • Win Cash Prizes!

Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Creative Future Writers’ Award, founded in 2013, is a free-to-enter annual writing competition for underrepresented writers. It aims to showcase diverse voices and includes cash prizes and development opportunities for poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Winners receive ongoing support and are celebrated at an awards ceremony.

Genres:
Fiction and Short Story

The competition invites short stories inspired by the prompt ‘FOOTPRINT’. Open to writers globally, both published and unpublished. Winning entries will be included in an anthology.

Genres:
Fiction

The contest celebrates the theme of ‘Growth,’ inviting young writers aged 10-16 to explore various interpretations of the theme through original, unpublished stories. The contest emphasizes creativity and storytelling.

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.

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 Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest welcomes entries of 100 words or less on any theme. It emphasizes creativity, uniqueness, and growth in writing, encouraging diverse voices.

Genres:
Essay and Travel

The competition invites original, unpublished travel articles in English, focusing on authentic travel experiences. Articles should be engaging and convey a strong sense of the destination and local culture, with a maximum length of 1,000 words.

Genres:
Poetry

The Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry is an annual contest with a focus on recognizing outstanding poetry. It is supported by the Adrienne Rich Literary Trust and has specific guidelines for submissions, including entry fees and poem requirements.

Genres:
Poetry

The ‘I Matter’ Contest invites students in grades K-12 to submit original poetry or art focused on the theme of equality. It was founded to empower youth to express their feelings on racial injustice through creative means.

Genres:
Children’s

The Amazing Women’s Edition Contest invites students in grades K to 8 to create books that feature the theme of ‘Local Heroines’. Each entry must include art and text created solely by the students. The contest aims to promote literacy and creativity among youth.

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.

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 in mystery, thriller, suspense, action, and romance genres published in the previous year. Entries for the 2026 competition are open now, with winners announced on August 22, 2026.

Genres:
Poetry

The F(r)iction Poetry Contest encourages innovative poetry with a narrative trajectory and imagery focus. Prizes include publication consideration in F(r)iction.

Genres:
Poetry

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.

Genres:
Poetry

This contest celebrates independent and self-published poets, allowing them to showcase their poetry books and pamphlets.

Genres:
Fiction and Short Story

The Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction accepts both previously published and unpublished stories, allowing simultaneous submissions. The winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review.

Genres:
Children’s, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Young Adult

The contest is open to both published and unpublished authors, featuring various categories. Each entry will be judged on literary merit by a panel. Winning entries will be featured in the Arizona Authors Literary Magazine.

Genres:
Fiction and Novel

The Annual Novel Opening Competition welcomes entries of up to 3,000 words for a novel opening, along with a synopsis (max 750 words). The contest is open to all novelists, provided the work is unpublished.

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.

Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, and Short Story

The Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest invites unpublished and published works. This year, it offers $12,000 in prizes, including $3,500 for the best fiction and best essay. Submissions should not exceed 6,000 words and must be original, without identifying information. The contest is open worldwide, but excludes some locations due to US restrictions. The deadline for entries is May 1, 2026.

Genres:
Non-fiction and Travel

The contest invites submissions of true travel stories between 1800-2500 words, exploring themes of travel disruptions and personal growth. The winning story will be published and awarded a $500 prize.

Genres:
Fiction and Short Story

The Bridport Short Story Prize is an international competition for writers. It seeks to find new talent and help them get published. The prize offers significant opportunities for aspiring writers.

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.

Genres:
Fiction and Short Story

The Anthology Short Story Competition invites original and unpublished short stories in English, with no restrictions on theme or style. Stories must not exceed 1,500 words. Winners are chosen based on literary merit, originality, and readability, and the competition aims to encourage creative writing.

Genres:
Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Lascaux Prize in Flash Fiction invites submissions of stories that may be previously published or unpublished. True stories are accepted if written in a narrative style. The contest emphasizes the importance of storytelling.

Genres:
Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize aims to celebrate new short fiction under 2000 words and provide visibility to winners through various publishing opportunities. This year, the prize includes cash rewards and writing retreats, alongside publication chances in several literary journals.

Genres:
Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The Swamp Pink Prizes celebrate excellence in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Each winner receives $2,000 and publication in an upcoming issue of Swamp Pink. The contest is open for submissions throughout January.

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.

Genres:
Poetry

The Anthology Poetry Competition seeks to recognize and encourage excellence in poetry writing. Open to original, unpublished poems in English, it welcomes entries from poets worldwide without restrictions on theme or style. Poems should not exceed 40 lines, with no limit on the number of entries per person.

Genres:
Fiction, Novel, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Adventure Writers Competition (AWC) is an annual event that recognizes and celebrates adventure writing. It invites unpublished or published writers in the action/adventure genre to participate by submitting original fiction manuscripts.

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.

Genres:
Poetry

The contest encourages poets to write heartfelt, reflective, or surprising poems on any theme, aiming for works that evoke deep contemplation. Winners are selected based on creativity and authenticity.

Genres:
Fiction and Flash Fiction

The WOW! Spring 2026 Flash Fiction Contest invites writers globally to submit original flash fiction. The contest has an open prompt and awards a total of $600 for first place, along with prizes for second and third places, as well as runners-up. Entries must be between 250 and 750 words. A critique option is also available.

Genres:
Children’s, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, and Young Adult

The contest invites submissions for stories fitting the theme of ‘Dreams & the Subconscious,’ with a prompt to include something that needs to be unlocked. Up to 20 winners will be published in the anthology and receive professional editing.

Genres:
Poetry

The Loraine Williams Poetry Prize is awarded annually for the best poem submitted. The winner receives $1,500 and publication in The Georgia Review, while three finalists receive $200 each. The contest opens on March 1 and closes on May 15.

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.