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This contest invites new writers to submit original, unpublished stories based on a monthly theme.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:
February 28, 2026
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, 2026
“Write On!” Short Story Contest
Ann Arbor District Library
Genres:
Children’s
The contest is for Grades 3-5 and will be open for submissions from January 6 to February 2, 2025. An awards ceremony will be held on April 19, 2025.
Top Prize:
Publication on website
📅 Deadline:
February 02, 2025
(Expired)
Arizona Authors Literary Contest
Arizona Authors
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The contest is open to both published and unpublished authors, featuring various categories.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.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Grand winner: $500 & a ticket to the Arizona Authors Awards Luncheon | 3x 1st: $200 | 3x 2nd: $125 | 3x 3rd: $75 | 3x 4th: $50
💰 Entry fee:
$50
📅 Deadline:
June 01, 2026
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)
Reader Views Literary 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 Literary Awards recognize innovative self-published books, offering visibility and credibility to independent authors. The contest provides thorough book reviews, evaluation forms, and promotional opportunities.
Top Prize:
$1,250
Additional prizes:
Gold: $750 | Silver: $350 | Bronze: $150 | Various sponsored awards and features in newsletters include marketing packages, interviews, and ads.
💰 Entry fee:
$89
📅 Deadline:
December 15, 2025
(Expired)
The Philip Hoare Competition
University of Southampton
Genres:
Non-fiction and Short Story
The Philip Hoare Prize is an international competition for the best non-fiction writing, established in 2025, seeking vivid and original narratives that blend personal, historical, and natural themes.
Top Prize:
£300
Additional prizes:
2nd: £100 | 3rd: £50 | Winner also receives publication in the University of Southampton’s annual Avenues Creative Writing anthology.
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
July 31, 2025
(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)
Swamp Pink Prizes
Swamp Pink
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.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in an upcoming issue of Swamp Pink
💰 Entry fee:
$20
📅 Deadline:
January 31, 2025
(Expired)
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:
An offer of representation from a top literary agent
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
June 02, 2025
(Expired)
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest
Winning Writers
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, and Short Story
Welcome to the 34th annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest. Submit published or unpublished work. $12,000 in prizes.
Top Prize:
$3,500
Additional prizes:
Two-year gift certificate from Duotrope; 10 Honorable Mentions will receive $500 each
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
May 01, 2026
International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition
Vine Leaves Press
Genres:
Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel
The competition aims to give marginalized voices the opportunity to establish literary legacies. It accepts unpublished creative nonfiction manuscripts and assesses entries based on originality, creativity, and writing quality.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication of the winning manuscript in 2026.
Runners up will also be considered for publication.
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
July 01, 2025
(Expired)
The Scribes Prize
Fairfield Scribes
Genres:
Fiction and Flash Fiction
The Scribes Prize is an annual writing contest open for submissions from July 1 to October 1. It invites stories between 90-110 words, with a focus on various genres of fiction and creative nonfiction. Winners will be published in ScribesMICRO and receive digital award seals.
Top Prize:
$250
Additional prizes:
Silver: $125
Bronze: $60
15 Honorable Mentions: $20 each
Publication in ScribesMICRO and digital award seals for winners
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
October 01, 2025
(Expired)
Stephen Spender Prize for Poetry in Translation
Stephen Spender Trust
Genres:
Poetry
The Stephen Spender Prize is an annual award recognizing excellence in poetry translation, encouraging participants to translate poems from any language into English. It is open to various age groups including adults and students in the UK and Ireland. The contest aims to celebrate linguistic diversity and foster creative translation.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Second: £500
Third: £250
Various cash prizes for youth categories.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
July 31, 2025
(Expired)
The Plaza Poetry Prize
The Plaza Prizes Ltd.
Genres:
Poetry
The Plaza Poetry Prize (60 lines) is an international competition with the aim of discovering, publishing, and promoting talented new writers. Judged by Pulitzer Prize-winner Natalie Diaz, it offers cash prizes and publication opportunities for shortlisted entries.
Top Prize:
$5,000
Additional prizes:
First Place: £4000 / $5000 + publication in the anthology + nomination for The Forward Prize (Top prize of £1000 / $1200). Second Prize: £300 / $360. Third Prize: £100 / $120.
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
February 28, 2025
(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)
Claret Press Short Story Competition
Claret Press
Genres:
Fiction
The competition invites stories reflecting contemporary political themes, such as healthcare, freedom of speech, and global politics. Entries must not exceed 5,000 words and must be original, unpublished works submitted as a .docx file.
Top Prize:
£50
Additional prizes:
2nd: £30 | 3rd: £20 | Publication of winning stories on the Claret Press website and in the Sip of Claret News newsletter.
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
March 01, 2026
FFF Competition Thirty-Two
Free Flash Fiction
Genres:
Flash Fiction
Submit a flash fiction piece of 100-300 words on any theme. Judged anonymously; 1 winner, 2 highly commended, 3 shortlisted. Winners receive publication.
Top Prize:
£165
Additional prizes:
£77 for 2 Highly Commended £66 for 3 shortlisted entries, all receive publication.
💰 Entry fee:
$4
📅 Deadline:
February 23, 2026
Muriel Craft Bailey Poetry Contest
The Comstock Review
Genres:
Poetry
The Muriel Craft Bailey Poetry Contest is an annual event that celebrates original poetry. It has been held since 1997 in memory of poet Muriel Craft Bailey. The contest is open for submissions from April 1 to July 15 each year, with guidelines updated periodically.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication by The Comstock Review
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
July 15, 2024
(Expired)
Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award
Claremont Graduate University
Genres:
Poetry
The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award is one of the most prestigious poetry awards, providing significant financial support to poets. It offers a $100,000 prize for a single poetry collection published within the eligibility year, aimed at supporting mid-career poets. The award encourages poets to continue developing their craft.
Top Prize:
$100,000
Additional prizes:
The Kate Tufts Discovery Award offers $10,000 for a first book of poetry.
📅 Deadline:
July 01, 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)
Geminga Contest 2026
Sunspot Lit
Genres:
Non-fiction and Poetry
The Geminga Contest 2026 invites submissions for Tiny Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Graphic Novels, and Art. The contest emphasizes the power of brevity, allowing a maximum of 100 words for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Selected works will be published in Sunspot Lit’s digital and print editions.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Cash prize of $100, publication for the winner, and publication offered to runners-up and finalists.
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
February 01, 2026
(Expired)
The Failing Writers Podcast Flash Fiction Competition
The Failing Writers Podcast
Genres:
Flash Fiction
The competition invites entries of flash fiction up to 300 words on the theme of ‘a lie’. A special secret phrase must also be included, revealed in the podcast episode on September 29. The contest is sponsored by Scrivener.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
Extra prizes may be awarded to runners-up.
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
October 24, 2025
(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)
National Poetry Competition 2025
The Poetry Society
Genres:
Poetry
The competition, run by The Poetry Society since 1978, is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem. Judged by Stephen Sexton, Romalyn Ante, John McAuliffe. Open to all poets worldwide aged 18+.
Top Prize:
£5,000
Additional prizes:
Runners-up receive £2,000 and £1,000. Commended entries receive £500
💰 Entry fee:
$8
📅 Deadline:
October 31, 2025
(Expired)
Passionate Plume
Passionate Ink
Genres:
Fiction, Novel, Novella, Romance, and Short Story
The Passionate Plume Contest is aimed at supporting erotic fiction authors, offering various categories for both published and unpublished writers. It encourages creativity and provides a platform for authors to showcase their work.
Top Prize:
Engraved award
Additional prizes:
Publication in the Passionate Ink Charity Anthology
💰 Entry fee:
$40
📅 Deadline:
February 14, 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)
Cranked Anvil Flash Fiction Competition
Cranked Anvil Press
Genres:
Fiction and Flash Fiction
The Cranked Anvil Flash Fiction Competition invites writers to submit stories with a maximum length of 500 words. The competition runs quarterly, with deadlines in February, May, August, and November. Up to three entries can be submitted per participant per quarter.
Top Prize:
£100
Additional prizes:
2nd: £50 + publication online
💰 Entry fee:
$6
📅 Deadline:
November 30, 2024
(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:
July 27, 2025
(Expired)
Emerging Author Dagger
Crime Writer’s Association
Genres:
Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Suspense, Thriller, Crime, and Short Story
The Emerging Author Dagger is an international competition for unpublished crime novelists. It seeks submissions of a crime novel opening (max. 3,000 words) and a synopsis (max. 1,500 words) from writers who have never had a publishing contract for a full-length novel. The prize includes a cash prize of £500 and opportunities for shortlisted entrants to showcase their work to agents and publishers.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Shortlisted entries shown to agents and publishers
💰 Entry fee:
$41
📅 Deadline:
February 28, 2026
Annual Short Story Contest
Flash 500
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
An open-themed contest accepting all genres, including those written by or for children. Stories must be between 1,000 and 3,000 words with strong characters and plots.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
£200 for 2nd place, £100 for 3rd place
💰 Entry fee:
$8
📅 Deadline:
February 28, 2025
(Expired)
Fiction Factory Flash Fiction Competition
Fiction Factory
Genres:
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Travel
The competition invites writers to submit short stories of up to 1000 words, excluding children’s and young adult fiction. The entry fee varies based on the number of submissions. Winners will be announced in February 2026.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
Publication on the website and free assessment for 2nd and 3rd placed entries.
💰 Entry fee:
$7
📅 Deadline:
November 30, 2025
(Expired)
Seven Hills Literary Contest & Penumbra Poetry & Haiku Contest
Tallahassee Writers Association
Genres:
Fantasy, Fiction, Poetry, and Science Fiction
The contest is open to English-language entries globally. It features categories for Florida Fiction, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Poetry, Prose Poetry, and Haiku, allowing multiple entries per category. First, second, and third place winners receive cash prizes and will be published in the 2026 Seven Hills Review.
Top Prize:
$100 to $300 depending on genre
Additional prizes:
Winners receive electronic certificates and will be published in the 2026 Seven Hills Review, along with a short author bio. First-place winners also get a complimentary copy of the publication.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
October 30, 2025
(Expired)
The Booksie 2025 Poetry Contest
Booksie
Genres:
Poetry
The Booksie 2025 Poetry Contest seeks original poems of any type or length. Entries can be serious or whimsical, but should evoke thought. Judges will select winners from six finalists.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Gold winner badge and promotion across Booksie. Runners-up receive $100 cash and a silver winner badge
💰 Entry fee:
$7
📅 Deadline:
October 17, 2025
(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)
