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)
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
Snowbound Chapbook Award
Tupelo Press
Genres:
Poetry
The Snowbound Chapbook Award is an open competition for a chapbook-length poetry manuscript. It offers a $1,000 prize, publication by Tupelo Press, 25 copies of the winning title, and a book launch. The award aims to promote exceptional poetry and is judged anonymously.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication by Tupelo Press, 25 copies of the winning title, a book launch.
Finalists will be considered for publication.
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
February 28, 2025
(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 published in 2024 across various genres, including mystery, thriller, suspense, and romance. The competition aims to recognize quality storytelling and is open to all published authors.
Top Prize:
$250
💰 Entry fee:
$85
📅 Deadline:
April 01, 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)
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)
The Porter Fleming Literary Competition
The Morris Museum of Art
Genres:
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Script Writing
The Porter Fleming Literary Competition honors the memory of Porter Fleming. It awards $7,000 in cash across four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and One-Act Play. Winners are invited to a literary program and awards ceremony in Spring 2026.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd place: $500
3rd place: $250
Prizes available in each of the four genre categories
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
March 01, 2026
Genres:
Script Writing
The TWFest One Act Play Contest aims to promote new work from emerging or previously unpublished playwrights. Plays must not exceed one hour in length and should be original, not previously published, produced, or performed.
Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
Professional Staged Reading at the next Festival, VIP All-Access Festival pass ($600 value), publication in Bayou Magazine. Top finalists will receive a LitPass ($100 value) to the Festival.
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
October 15, 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)
Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize 2025
Desperate Literature
Genres:
Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story
The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize aims to showcase new short fiction, offering visibility for winners. Collaborating with various institutions, the prize includes cash rewards, writing retreats, and publication opportunities.
Top Prize:
€2,000 + a week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, consultation with Literary Agent Ed Wilson, manuscript assessment with The Literary Consultancy.
Additional prizes:
2nd and 3rd place: €1000. Publication in partner journals for all shortlisted writers.
💰 Entry fee:
$20
📅 Deadline:
April 13, 2025
(Expired)
Tom Grass Prize
Friends and family of Tom Grass
Genres:
Fiction and Non-fiction
The Tom Grass Prize celebrates the spirit of adventure through short pieces of prose, inviting writers from all backgrounds to reflect on the theme of adventure. The prize honors Tom Grass, a multifaceted writer and traveler.
Additional prizes:
1st prize of £1,000 and two runners-up prizes of £500 each.
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
March 31, 2025
(Expired)
“I Matter” Contest
National Youth Foundation
Genres:
Poetry
A national poetry and art competition initiated by a 14-year-old youth co-founder to allow students to express feelings about racial injustice, specifically focusing on the Black Lives Matter movement. The contest aims to promote diversity and inclusion through literary arts.
Additional prizes:
Winning entries are featured on social media and published in an annual book
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
July 23, 2025
(Expired)
Anthology Travel Writing Competition 2025
Anthology Magazine
Genres:
Essay, Non-fiction, and Travel
This competition invites original, unpublished travel articles in English, not exceeding 1,000 words. Open to writers of any nationality. An engaging article capturing the destination and local culture is sought. Entries are accepted from both new and established writers.
Top Prize:
€300
Additional prizes:
Publication in Anthology magazine
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
November 30, 2025
Bridport Novel Award
Bridport Arts Centre
Genres:
Fiction and Novel
The Bridport Novel Award invites submissions of original, unpublished novels. Authors must submit an opening of 5,000 to 8,000 words along with a 300-word synopsis. It’s open to writers aged 16 and over from the UK and Ireland, including those living abroad.
Top Prize:
£1500
Additional prizes:
£750 for the runner up and three prizes of £150
💰 Entry fee:
$29
📅 Deadline:
May 31, 2025
(Expired)
Little Kanawha Reading Series Chapbook Contest
Glenville State University
Genres:
Poetry
This is the inaugural Chapbook Contest inviting poets and prose writers to submit works celebrating Appalachia. Submissions must embody Appalachian themes and can include previously published works. The contest offers a $200 prize, publication of the winning chapbook, author copies, and a digital e-book.
Top Prize:
$200
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
March 31, 2025
(Expired)
Celebration Day Writing Contest
The Day
Genres:
Children’s
The Celebration Day writing competition encourages students aged 5-18 to research and retell stories of inspiring people from history. This year, the optional theme focuses on sporting heroes. Submissions can be written articles or audio pieces.
Additional prizes:
iPad and a published story on The Day’s website.
📅 Deadline:
May 16, 2024
(Expired)
Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry
Lynx House Press
Genres:
Poetry
The Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry is awarded for an unpublished, full-length volume of poems by a U.S. author, along with foreign nationals living and writing in the U.S. and U.S. citizens abroad. The prize includes $2000 and publication.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee:
$28
📅 Deadline:
June 16, 2024
(Expired)
Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition
Creative Writing Ink
Genres:
Short Story
The competition is open for entries, accepting submissions on any theme or genre. All entries are judged anonymously.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
Two runners-up will receive £200 each and a free online course.
Winner will also receive a free online course and publication on the website
💰 Entry fee:
$12
📅 Deadline:
September 30, 2025
(Expired)
The Dark Poets Prize
Dark Poets Club
Genres:
Poetry
The Dark Poets Prize is an international poetry competition inviting entries that explore beauty within darkness. The winner receives the title of International Dark Poets Prize IV Winner and a cash prize.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
1st place also receives Dark Poets Prize certification & a Dark Poets Club T-shirt.
💰 Entry fee:
$6
📅 Deadline:
November 30, 2025
Judith A. Markowitz Award for Exceptional New LGBTQ Writers
Lambda Literary
Genres:
LGBTQ, Fiction, and Poetry
The award recognizes LGBTQ-identified writers demonstrating strong potential for promising careers. It includes a cash prize of $1,500 and is awarded annually to two writers.
Top Prize:
$1000 (x2)
📅 Deadline:
May 16, 2025
(Expired)
Winchester Poetry Prize
Winchester Poetry Festival
Genres:
Poetry
The Winchester Poetry Prize is a prestigious international poetry competition open to all poets aged 16 and over. It aims to celebrate diverse poetic voices and fosters community engagement, offering significant cash prizes and publication opportunities.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
2nd place: £500
3rd place: £250
The Kathryn Bevis Prize offers an additional £150 and workshops for the best Hampshire-based poem.
💰 Entry fee:
$6
📅 Deadline:
July 31, 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)
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
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)
CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition
Crime Writers’ Association
Genres:
Mystery and Short Story
An annual international competition for unpublished short mystery stories up to 3,500 words. The competition seeks to find the best story that aligns with Margery Allingham’s definition of a mystery.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
Potential publication on the CWA website + in the Margery Allingham Society journal
💰 Entry fee:
$20
📅 Deadline:
February 28, 2025
(Expired)
Rule of Law — Your Story
Write the World
Genres:
Essay and Non-fiction
The contest invites young writers aged 13-19 to explore themes of justice and (in)justice through personal narratives, opinion writing, or creative writing. Participants can reflect on moments when laws impacted their lives or communities.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Runner-Up and Best Peer Review each receive $50. Recognition and publication opportunities for finalists.
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
October 27, 2025
(Expired)
Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest
Gemini Magazine
Genres:
Flash Fiction and Fiction
The Seventeenth Annual Flash Fiction Contest invites entries of up to 1,000 words on any subject or style. All finalists will be published online in the Fall 2025 issue.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd: $100 | Four Honorable Mentions: $25 each. | All finalists will be published online.
💰 Entry fee:
$8
📅 Deadline:
September 02, 2025
(Expired)
The Adventure Writers Competition
Clive Cussler Collector’s Society
Genres:
Fiction, Novel, Thriller, and Mystery
The Adventure Writers Competition (AWC) celebrates adventure writing, accepting action/adventure novels. The 2024 contest finalists have been announced, and submissions for the 2025 competition will be open from January 1 to April 30, 2025. The AWC aims to promote and recognize quality adventure writing through a rigorous judging process.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Two AWC Finalist Awards: $500
💰 Entry fee:
$50
📅 Deadline:
April 30, 2025
(Expired)
Colorado Gold Writing Contest for Unpublished Writers
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
Genres:
Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards Contest is aimed at unpublished writers of novel-length fiction, offering feedback and exposure to literary agents and editors. It encourages diverse voices and celebrates various genres.
Top Prize:
$150
Additional prizes:
Winner receives official certificate, trophy, and reading during the conference luncheon.
Three finalists receive $50, certificate, and pitch session with agents.
💰 Entry fee:
$25
📅 Deadline:
May 01, 2025
(Expired)
Anthology Nature Writing Competition 2025
Anthology Magazine
Genres:
Non-fiction
The Anthology Nature Writing Competition is part of the Anthology Creative Awards, which encourages and promotes emerging writers. The winner will have their entry published in Anthology magazine.
Top Prize:
€500
Additional prizes:
Winning entry published in Anthology magazine
💰 Entry fee:
$15
📅 Deadline:
August 31, 2025
(Expired)
The Berkeley Fiction Review Sudden Fiction Contest
Berkeley Fiction Review
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
The contest welcomes submissions of previously unpublished short stories of 1000 words or fewer. It encourages simultaneous submissions and offers publication for finalists in their journal.
Top Prize:
$150
Additional prizes:
2nd place: $100
3rd place: $50
Honorable mentions: $25
Publication in the journal for top finalists.
💰 Entry fee:
$5
📅 Deadline:
April 01, 2025
(Expired)
Bridport Short Story Prize
Bridport Arts Centre
Genres:
Fiction and Short Story
Gail Honeyman was shortlisted in our competition and went on to write Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, winning the Costa debut novel award. All the winning and highly commended pieces are entered into the Sunday Times Audible competition, top prize £30,000. UK based writers are entered into the BBC short story competition. That’s not all, literary agent A.M. Heath reads all the shortlist and considers representation. Long story short? You are 5,000 words away from success.
Top Prize:
£5000
Additional prizes:
£1000 for 2nd, £500 for 3rd
💰 Entry fee:
$17
📅 Deadline:
May 31, 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)
Human Rights Essay Contest for High School Students
Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation
Genres:
Essay
The contest invites high school students to respond to a prompt regarding human rights. Essays should not exceed 2500 words and must include a cover page with specific details.
Top Prize:
$5,000
💰 Entry fee:
$0
📅 Deadline:
December 10, 2025
Folly Short Story Prize 2025
Folly Journal
Genres:
Fiction, Short Story, Essay, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry
The Folly Short Story Prize 2025 invites submissions for stories that challenge conventional norms. It aims to recognize innovative writing that resonates with contemporary themes.
Top Prize:
$1000 NZD
Additional prizes:
Two tickets to the Folly After Party.
💰 Entry fee:
$10
📅 Deadline:
June 01, 2025
(Expired)
