Reedsy Literary Prize
Reedsy
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
Writers around the world have three months to compose and refine a single short story (2,000 to 5,000 words) in any genre, in response to one prompt. All submissions will be assessed by the Reedsy team, with longlisted stories reviewed by our guest judge Jon Michael Darga, Literary Agent at Aevitas Creative Management and a Reedsy editor.
Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
2nd place: a year-long Reedsy Learning membership | 3rd place: $100 credit for Reedsy Marketplace services | First place also receives feedback from a literary agent and guaranteed publication in our literary magazine, Prompted.
📅 Deadline:
May 31, 2026
(Expired)
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
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)
Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers
University of Tulsa
Genres:
Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers. $500 prizes will be awarded in both the fiction and poetry categories, and the winning manuscripts will appear in the spring issue of Nimrod. Winners will have the chance to work with the Nimrod board of editors to refine and edit their manuscripts before publication.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee:
$12
📅 Deadline:
July 15, 2024
(Expired)
Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction
Letter Review
Genres:
Short Story and Fiction
The Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction is an internationally recognized writing contest that supports emerging writers. It offers monetary awards and publication opportunities, celebrating a diverse range of voices.
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:
$25
📅 Deadline:
July 31, 2026
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)
Reader Views Fiction Awards
Reader Views
Genres:
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Reader Views Fiction Awards recognize outstanding independently published fiction, honoring work by independent authors and small presses. The program offers professional evaluations and promotional visibility.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Gold: $1000 | Silver: $350 | Bronze: $150 | Various sponsored awards and features in newsletters include marketing packages, interviews, and ads in our First Chapter Plus magazine.
💰 Entry fee:
$89
📅 Deadline:
September 30, 2026
WOW! Women on Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest
WOW! Women On Writing
Genres:
Flash Fiction, Fiction, and Short Story
The WOW! Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest aims to inspire creativity and recognition for writers. Open to all genres of flash fiction, it has been running since 2006 and has awarded over $100,000 in cash prizes to participants. The contest allows entries globally, and submissions must be in English.
Top Prize:
$400
Additional prizes:
2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
February 28, 2026
(Expired)
Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction
University of North Texas Press
Genres:
Short Story, Flash Fiction, and Novella
The Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction is an esteemed competition for unpublished collections of fiction. The contest is open for submissions of flash fiction, short stories, or novellas, with a total manuscript length of 100 to 200 book pages.
Top Prize:
$1,000
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
June 30, 2025
(Expired)
The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition
Swansea University
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition is a prestigious award for writers born or living in Wales. Established in 1991, it recognizes the best unpublished short stories in English, up to 5,000 words. The competition encourages new talent and is managed by Swansea University’s Cultural Institute in association with Parthian Books.
Top Prize:
£1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in short story anthology |
💰 Entry fee:
$8
📅 Deadline:
February 14, 2025
(Expired)
Creative Writing Award for Short Fiction
Aesthetica Magazine
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The Creative Writing Award celebrates outstanding new writing talents in poetry and short fiction, offering a platform for authors globally to showcase their work. It emphasizes innovation in content and form across any theme.
Top Prize:
$2,500
Additional prizes:
Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual
One-year subscription to The London Magazine, Granta, and Mslexia
Consultation with Redhammer Management
Six-week writing short stories course from Curtis Brown Creative
💰 Entry fee:
$18
📅 Deadline:
August 31, 2025
(Expired)
Fish Short Memoir Prize
Fish Publishing
Genres:
Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story
The Fish Short Memoir Prize invites entries of personal memoirs, with the aim of being published in the Fish Anthology 2025. It’s open to writers of any nationality and no prior publication is needed.
Top Prize:
€1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd and 3rd: Online writing course + €300 | 3rd: €300
💰 Entry fee:
$18
📅 Deadline:
January 31, 2026
(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 excellence in small and independent publishing, recognizing outstanding books across various categories. The awards aim to provide visibility and recognition to authors and their works.
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, 2026
(Expired)
Writer’s Games
The Writer’s Workout
Genres:
Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Writer’s Games is a free competition aimed at improving writing skills, offering feedback from judges. The 2024 edition has concluded, and it featured multiple events with winners recognized in an anthology. Registration is necessary to participate.
Top Prize:
Publication in anthology, 72 Hours (26+ spaces)
📅 Deadline:
July 22, 2025
(Expired)
Ironclad Short Story Competition
Ironclad Creative CIC
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.
Top Prize:
£100
Additional prizes:
2nd: £50 | 3rd: £25 | Publication for all shortlisted stories.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
April 30, 2026
(Expired)
Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest
Tadpole Press
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.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
1st: $1000 + a 2-year Duotrope Gift Certificate | 2nd: Publishing and marketing package | 3rd: Manuscript assessment package | 4th place: Editing package with Tadpole Press | 5th & 6th: Writing coaching package | 7th to 30th: Additional cash prizes.
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
November 30, 2026
Goldilocks Zone
Sunspot Literary Journal
Genres:
Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story
The Goldilocks Zone contest invites submissions for fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, artwork, and graphic novels, seeking works that combine craft with audience appeal. The prize includes cash and publication for winners and runners-up.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
May 01, 2025
(Expired)
Claymore Award
Killer Nashville
Genres:
Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story, Suspense, and Thriller
The Claymore Award assists new and rebranding English-language fiction authors with potential publishing opportunities, including agent representation, book deals, and media adaptations. The contest emphasizes the importance of getting the first 50 pages of an unpublished work noticed by industry professionals.
Top Prize:
$0
Additional prizes:
Top three finalists receive discounted admission to next year’s Killer Nashville conference. Winners may receive publishing contracts and significant exposure to agents and publishers.
💰 Entry fee:
$54
📅 Deadline:
April 01, 2025
(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)
Ghost & Cryptid Short Story Anthology
Dragon Tomes Publishing
Genres:
Fiction, Horror, Short Story, and Humor
Dragon Tomes Publishing is compiling an anthology of ghost and cryptid stories. They seek short stories up to 6,000 words that explore themes of ghosts or cryptids, welcoming various genres.
Top Prize:
$20
Additional prizes:
Free author copy of the finished anthology.
📅 Deadline:
July 31, 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, 2026
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)
The $15,000 Writing Challenge
Storyshares
Genres:
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult
The annual Story of the Year contest is back with a new challenge! We’re looking for captivating, diverse stories that are “easy to read and hard to put down” for readers beyond the third grade. There are five categories aimed at young adult readers, and we encourage you to submit as many entries as you like—submission is free and unlimited!
Top Prize:
$15,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in digital and print
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
January 13, 2025
(Expired)
Morton and McCarthy Prizes
Sarabande Books
Genres:
Fiction, Short Story, Novella, and Flash Fiction
The Mary McCarthy Prize is awarded annually for a full-length manuscript of literary fiction, including short stories, flash fiction, or novellas. The prize includes a cash award and publication.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Publication of the work and a standard royalty contract.
💰 Entry fee:
$34
📅 Deadline:
February 24, 2026
(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)
Writers of the Future
Writers of the Future
Genres:
Fiction, Short Story, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror
The Writers of the Future Contest is an opportunity for new writers of science fiction and fantasy to have their work judged by professional writers. It has been established since 1983 and includes quarterly cash prizes and an annual grand prize.
Top Prize:
$5,000
Additional prizes:
2nd place: $750 | 3rd place: $500 | Trophy and the L. Ron Hubbard Golden Pen Award for the grand prize winner.
📅 Deadline:
March 31, 2026
(Expired)
Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award
Killer Nashville
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.
Additional prizes:
Physical award in each category and increased exposure for winners.
💰 Entry fee:
$92
📅 Deadline:
April 01, 2026
(Expired)
Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition
Writer’s Digest
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
Enter our 91st Annual Writing Competition for the chance to have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen. The top winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection. [$20 for a poetry entry, $30 for a manuscript entry]
Top Prize:
$5,000
Additional prizes:
Grand prize winner receives $5000. In each category: 1st, $1000; 2nd, $500; 3rd, $250; 4th, $100; 5th, $50; 6th through 10th, $25 gift certificate. 1st place winners receive a one year subscription to Writer’s Digest magazine + tutorials.
💰 Entry fee:
$30
📅 Deadline:
May 05, 2025
(Expired)
Great American Fiction Contest
Saturday Evening Post
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The Great American Fiction Contest celebrates the legacy of American authors through the submission of original short stories. The winning entry will be published in the January/February edition of the magazine.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
The winning story will be published in The Saturday Evening Post.
Five runners-up will each receive $200 and have their stories featured online.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
July 01, 2025
(Expired)
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)
Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition
Crime Writers Association
Genres:
Fiction, Short Story, and Mystery
An international competition for unpublished short mystery stories up to 3,500 words, inspired by Margery Allingham’s definition of a mystery. Open to all writers, published or unpublished.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
1-year CWA membership
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
February 27, 2026
(Expired)
F(r)iction Short Story Contest
Brink Literacy Project
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The F(r)iction Short Story Contest invites submissions of short stories, poetry, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction. It encourages experimental and boundary-pushing literature.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Up to five finalists will also be considered for publication.
📅 Deadline:
May 15, 2026
(Expired)
ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize
Australian Book Review
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize is an annual competition for short stories. Further details on submission and eligibility are outlined on the main prize page.
Top Prize:
$6000 AUD
Additional prizes:
2nd: $4000 AUD
3rd: $2500 AUD
💰 Entry fee:
$20
📅 Deadline:
May 05, 2025
(Expired)
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)
