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)
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)
Bacopa Literary Review Annual Writing Contest
Writers Alliance of Gainesville
Genres:
Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Bacopa Literary Review is an annual international print journal seeking engaging and original submissions across multiple genres. The contest includes various categories with specific guidelines to encourage diverse forms of writing.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
$100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories
💰 Entry fee:
$3
📅 Deadline:
June 01, 2025
(Expired)
SaveAs Writers’ International Writing Competition
SaveAs Writers
Genres:
Short Story
This year’s theme is ‘Facing the Storm’, commemorating J. M. W. Turner’s 250th anniversary. Entries can include poems or stories inspired by the theme, interpreted freely. National and International entries are welcome.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
Second Place: £100
Third Place: £50
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
August 31, 2025
(Expired)
Brink Fall 2025 Writing Contest
Brink Literary Journal
Genres:
Fiction, Short Story, Flash Fiction, and Poetry
The Brink Fall 2025 Writing Contest invites submissions in multiple genres. Winning entries will be selected and published, emphasizing creative, boundary-pushing literature. The contest encourages diverse voices and innovative storytelling.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
First place prizes include cash awards of $1,000 for short stories, $300 for poetry, and $300 for flash fiction. Finalists will be considered for publication and may receive free edits.
💰 Entry fee:
$3
📅 Deadline:
November 07, 2025
(Expired)
Ethos Literacy Annual Short Short Story Contest
Ethos Literacy
Genres:
Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story
The contest invites participants to write a story of exactly 100 words on topics like envy, eyeglasses, nightmares, or turtles. It is open to all ages, including international writers. Winning stories will be published in an e-zine.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
6 cash prizes of $100 each + publication in digital magazine, inclusion in webcast
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
February 01, 2024
(Expired)
Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition
Hemingway Days Festival
Genres:
Short Story
The Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition is dedicated to supporting new voices in short fiction. It has a history of over 43 years and emphasizes original, unpublished stories. Winners are highlighted on the competition’s website.
Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
2nd | $500 | 3rd: $500 | Publication of the winning story on the competition website.
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
September 01, 2025
(Expired)
Henshaw Press Short Story Competition
Henshaw Press
Genres:
Short Story and Fiction
The Henshaw Press Short Story Competition invites entries from anyone over 16 years old. Stories should be up to 2,000 words on any theme. The competition supports literacy by donating profits to local schools.
Top Prize:
£200
Additional prizes:
2nd Prize: £100 | 3rd Prize: £50. | Opportunity to be included in the next Henshaw Anthology.
💰 Entry fee:
$6
📅 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)
Arizona Authors Literary Contest
Arizona Authors
Genres:
Children’s, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Young Adult
The Arizona Authors Literary Contest is open to authors worldwide from January 1, 2025, to June 1, 2025. It accepts unpublished and published works across multiple categories, with a focus on literary merit.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Grand winner: $500 | 3x 1st: $200 | 3x 2nd: $125 | 3x 3rd: $75 | 3x 4th: $50 | 11x “Best of Subcategory” prizes: $25 each | Recognition in the Arizona Literary Magazine and various monetary prizes for winners and runners-up.
💰 Entry fee:
$50
📅 Deadline:
June 01, 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)
Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction
Letter Review
Genres:
Short Story and Fiction
The Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction is a competition for short fiction (up to 5000 words) with no genre or theme restrictions. It is open to writers worldwide, with 2-4 winners published and sharing in the prize money. Entries are also considered for publication and submission to the Pushcart Prize.
Top Prize:
$1000 USD shared by 2 to 4 winners.
Additional prizes:
Publication by The Letter Review. Up to 20 writers shortlisted. Publication and consideration for the Pushcart Prize and anthologies.
💰 Entry fee:
$20
📅 Deadline:
December 30, 2025
(Expired)
Reeds in the Wind Literary Prize
The Jane Austen Club of Sardinia
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The Reeds in the Wind Literary Prize aims to promote the literary legacy of Grazia Deledda. It is open to international participants and accepts submissions in Italian, Sardinian, and English. Stories must explore themes from Deledda’s works and have a word count of 5,000 to 7,000 characters. The awards will be presented during a ceremony scheduled for Saturday, 13 September 2025, in the town of Galtellì.
Top Prize:
€500
Additional prizes:
All finalists will have their stories published, and any travel expenses for finalists will be reimbursed.
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
July 20, 2025
(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 Elmbridge Literary Competition 2025
The R C Sherriff Trust
Genres:
Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The 20th Elmbridge Literary Competition invites submissions of short stories and poems on the theme of ‘The River’ to commemorate RC Sherriff. Open internationally, the competition includes age categories with specific word counts.
Top Prize:
£250
Additional prizes:
Cash prizes for adults + book tokens for children’s categories
📅 Deadline:
February 21, 2025
(Expired)
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)
Dream Quest One Writing Contest
Andre L. West
Genres:
Short Story
The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest aims to inspire and encourage writers and poets to showcase their talents. The contest accepts entries in the forms of poems (up to 30 lines) and short stories (up to 5 pages) on any subject or theme.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
First Writing Prize: $500, Second Writing Prize: $250, Third Writing Prize: $100.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
April 06, 2025
(Expired)
Spring Microfiction Battle
Writing Battle
Genres:
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Spring Microfiction Battle is part of the Writing Battle series, where participants write stories based on prompts. Participants receive feedback from peers and industry judges.
Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
Genre Runner-up (x4): $375
Feedback by industry professionals.
Various merchandise and opportunities for additional exposure in the community.
💰 Entry fee:
$20
📅 Deadline:
May 03, 2024
(Expired)
Not Quite Write Prize for FLESH Fiction
Not Quite Write
Genres:
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, and Fantasy
The Not Quite Write Prize for FLESH Fiction invites submissions of erotic stories up to 1,500 words based on the theme ‘Making the unsexy irresistible’. The competition is open to adults worldwide, free to enter, and aims to explore creative interpretations of erotic fiction. Judging is blind, and winners will be announced publicly.
Top Prize:
$500 AUS
Additional prizes:
Total prize pool of AU$1,000 plus a range of “spicy” prizes and a chance at print publication.
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
August 24, 2025
(Expired)
To Hull and Back Humorous Short Story Contest
Christopher Fielden
Genres:
Fiction, Humor, Non-fiction, and Short Story
The To Hull and Back Humorous Short Story Competition is a biennial contest focused on humorous writing. It celebrates imaginative short stories from writers globally. The current competition is open until June 30, 2025, with multiple cash prizes and publication opportunities in an anthology.
Top Prize:
£1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd Prize: £200 | 3rd Prize: £100
💰 Entry fee:
$16
📅 Deadline:
June 30, 2025
(Expired)
$1000 for 1000 Words Contest
The Layla Beban Young Authors
Genres:
Children’s and Short Story
The contest invites students in grades 6-12 to submit a piece of short fiction exactly 1000 words long. There are no specific themes, but entries should be original and not previously published. The contest aims to encourage young authors to tell significant stories.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Seven $100 cash prizes for runners-up
📅 Deadline:
February 01, 2025
(Expired)
The Origin of Bigfoot
Tacoma Writes
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
A writing contest inviting original short stories about the origin of Bigfoot, with no entry fee. Stories must be set in the Pacific Northwest and can be of various tones. The winner will be awarded cash prizes.
Top Prize:
$300
Additional prizes:
2nd: $100 | 2x runner ups: $50
📅 Deadline:
February 21, 2026
Vocal Challenges
Creatd
Genres:
Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story
Vocal Challenges invite writers to enter themed storytelling contests for a chance to win cash, prizes, experiences, and more.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd place: $200, 15 runners-up: $15 each
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
January 11, 2025
(Expired)
Narrative High School Writing Contest
Narrative Magazine
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The contest invites high school students globally, grades 9-12, to submit original works. This year’s prompt is ‘One True Thing.’ Submissions must be made by teachers on behalf of students. The contest aims to inspire young writers and culminates in mentorship from established authors.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd: $250 | 3rd: $100 | Finalists receive $50, and winning works will be published in Narrative.
📅 Deadline:
June 15, 2025
(Expired)
Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition
Munster Literature Centre
Genres:
Short Story
An annual short story competition dedicated to Seán Ó Faoláin, one of Ireland’s notable story writers. The competition is open to original, unpublished, and unbroadcast short stories in English.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
2nd Place: €500
Four runners-up: €300
Publication in Southword for all
💰 Entry fee:
$19
📅 Deadline:
July 31, 2025
(Expired)
NOWW 27th International Writing Contest
Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)
Genres:
Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The 26th Annual Writing Contest is currently closed. The next contest will open on January 1, 2025. Categories and further details will be announced later.
Top Prize:
$150
Additional prizes:
2nd place: $100
3rd place: $50
💰 Entry fee:
$7
📅 Deadline:
February 28, 2025
(Expired)
HG Wells Short Story Competition
HG Wells Competition
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The HG Wells Short Story Competition, founded by Reg Turnill, promotes writing and celebrates HG Wells’ literary legacy. It encourages entries based on this year’s theme: ‘The Fool.’
Top Prize:
Under 21: £1,000
Over 21: £500
Additional prizes:
All shortlisted entries will be published in an anthology. Shortlisted authors receive a copy of the anthology and a certificate.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
July 08, 2024
(Expired)
Fabula Press Short Story Contest
Fabula Press
Genres:
Fiction, Short Story, Horror, Mystery, and Science Fiction
The Fabula Press Short Story Contest encourages exceptional storytelling across genres, with no specific theme. Participants can submit entries for both free and paid categories. Winning stories may be published in an anthology.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd place: $250
3rd place: $100
Stories selected for publication: $75
📅 Deadline:
June 11, 2024
(Expired)
The Big Moose Prize
Black Lawrence Press
Genres:
Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Short Story
The Big Moose Prize awards an unpublished novel, open to all writers. The winner receives publication, a cash award of $1,000, and ten copies of the book.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication of the novel and ten copies
💰 Entry fee:
$28
📅 Deadline:
January 31, 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)
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:
$20
📅 Deadline:
October 31, 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)
A Long Winter’s Night Contest
Gotham Writers Workshop
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
This contest invites participants to write a story about a long winter’s night, limited to 50 words or less. Entries can be true or fictional.
Top Prize:
$0
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
February 28, 2026
The Book of the Year Awards
The Independent Author Network
Genres:
Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Crime, and Short Story
The 11th Annual IAN Book of the Year Awards is an international contest open to all authors with 75 fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners share cash prizes totaling $6,000, including a Grand Prize of $2,500.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
Minimum cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250 for first, second, and third places in each category respectively
💰 Entry fee:
$49
📅 Deadline:
August 16, 2025
(Expired)
The Iowa Review Awards
The Iowa Review
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Iowa Review Awards is an annual writing contest accepting submissions in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. It has been held every January since 2003, and winners are published in the December issue.
Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
First runners-up receive $750
💰 Entry fee:
$20
📅 Deadline:
January 31, 2025
(Expired)
