The Best Fiction Writing Contests of 2024

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

  • Children's
  • Flash Fiction
  • Non-fiction
  • Science Fiction
  • Science Writing
  • Script Writing
  • Short Story
  • Young Adult

Manage a competition? Submit it here

We made a writing app for you

Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.

fiction writing competitions 2023

Showing 157 contests

The reedsy prompts contest.

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.

Additional prizes

$25 credit toward Reedsy editorial services

Entry requirements

Deadline: December 31, 2023 (Expired)

Fiction, Short Story

Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction

Not Quite Write

The Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction challenges writers to create an original piece of flash fiction based on two typical writing prompts plus one ""anti-prompt"". An anti-prompt is a challenge to break a specific “rule” of writing while telling a great story. Participants compete for AU$2,000 in cash prizes, including AU$1,000 for the winner, cash prizes for the entire shortlist and two bonus ‘wildcard’ prizes. Winners are read aloud on the Not Quite Write podcast, where the judges share in-depth analysis about the entries and offer free writing advice. The Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction is hosted in Australia and open to all writers of any age and level of ability around the world.

Publication on the Not Quite Write website and podcast

Deadline: April 21, 2024

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult

Write By The Sea Literary Festival 2024

Write By the Sea

Write By The Sea is a dynamic boutique literary festival set in the beautiful fishing village of Kilmore Quay, County Wexford. The independent panel of judges will select the winners of each category and winners will be invited to read their work as part of the Festival.

2nd: €300 | 3rd: €200 | Publication

Deadline: June 21, 2024

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Poetry

Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize

The 2024 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize, the fifteenth edition of the prestigious prize, is open from 1 February to 1 July 2024. Exceptionally international in scope, the prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. The winners of each category will receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication in Wasafiri magazine.

Publication

Deadline: June 30, 2024

Fiction, Poetry, Short Story

Jim Martin Memorial Story Contest

Arizona Mystery Writers

Every year the Arizona Mystery Writers hosts the Jim Martin Memorial Story Contest. Naturally, since we’re the Arizona Mystery Writers, we want a mystery story, but we’re flexible about the boundaries of that category, and we also accept thrillers and suspense stories. It doesn’t matter if your story’s characters are in outer space, riding horses, or living underground. Costumes and settings don’t matter as long as the story is a mystery, thriller, or suspense tale as described.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $75

Deadline: August 01, 2024

Fiction, Mystery, Short Story

Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers

University of Tulsa

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.

Deadline: July 15, 2024

HG Wells Short Story Competition

HG Wells Competition

There are two different competitions in 2024: one for those 21 and under, and one for those over 21. The competition for those 21 and under is free to enter and has a prize of £1,000 for the winning entry. All shortlisted entries will also be published in a quality, professionally published paperback anthology.

Under 21: £1,000 | Over 21: £500

Deadline: July 08, 2024

Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story

Maggie Award for Prepublished Writers

Georgia Romance Writers

The purpose of the Prepublished Maggie Award for Excellence is to encourage, recognize, and reward the mastery of romance writing by Prepublished authors of romantic fiction. The Maggie Award is a symbol of achievement given by the Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) to bring special attention to these writers. The Maggie Award, a silver medallion commissioned by GRW, receives national attention.

Fiction, Novel, Romance

Fabula Press Short Story Contest

Fabula Press

Fabula Press’ annual short story competition has two segments – a free section, and a paid section. At least 3 submissions from the free section will be selected for publication in the Fabula Press Anthology and on the Fabula Press website; for paid submissions, at least twelve entries will be included in the anthology on the website. There is no theme for our contests; also, barring a few exceptions, we are flexible about genre

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $100 | Stories selected for publication: $75

Deadline: June 07, 2024

Creative Nonfiction Prize

Indiana Review

Send us one creative nonfiction piece, up to 5000 words, for a chance at $1000 + publication. This year's contest will be judged by Lars Horn.

Deadline: March 31, 2024

Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction

Self-Publishing Literary Awards

Black Caucus

Through this contest, the BCALA honors the best self-published ebooks by an African American author in the U.S. in both fiction and poetry genres. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. The purpose is to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and scholarly research including biographical, historical, and social history treatments by African Americans.

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: February 29, 2024

Fiction, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry

Inception 2024: $500 for Best Opening

Sunspot Literary Journal

Beginnings have the power to spark passion or curiosity. They might immediately connect a specific place and time with an emotional tone. The best openings offer a feeling, atmosphere, action, or image that is gripping, and hints at more to come. Meaning, thoughtfulness, emotions, or tone draw audiences into the moment. For Sunspot Lit’s Inception contest, send your best opening. There are no restrictions on theme, category, or the length of the piece or collection from which the excerpt comes.

Fiction, Poetry

Elegant Literature's Award For New Writers

Elegant Literature

One of the largest awards open to unpublished writers, and the only one closed to professionals. We are the first magazine to pay pro rates and only accept submissions from new writers, putting over $100k into the hands of emerging talent around the globe. One new writer receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors professional rates, and publish them in our magazine.

Paid publication, 25 x $20 USD | Free entry to Novelist Accelerator

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult, Flash Fiction, Science Writing

The Pinch Literary Awards & Page Prize

The Pinch Literary Journal

The 2023 Pinch Literary Awards accepts poetry and fiction. The 2023 Page Prize accepts non-fiction.

$2000 for poetry & fiction winners

$1000 for Page Prize winner

Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Non-fiction

Ironclad Creative Short Story Competition

Ironclad Creative CIC

Ironclad Creative CIC exists to support writers and theatre-makers, with training, networking and chances to showcase their work. The Ironclad Creative Short Story Competition is for both published and unpublished writers. We’re looking for original writing in English and you can be from anywhere in the world.

2nd: £50 | 3rd & 4th: £25 | 10 short-listed entries: publication

Deadline: April 30, 2024

Novel Fair 2025

Irish Writers Centre

Now in its 13th year, the Novel Fair is an annual competition initiated by the Irish Writers Centre. Described by The Irish Times as ‘A Dragons’ Den for writers’, each year the Fair introduces twelve up-and-coming writers to top publishers and literary agents, giving novelists the opportunity to bypass the slush pile, pitch their ideas and place their synopsis and sample chapters directly into the hands of industry professionals.

Present your novel to leading publishers and agents at the Irish Writers Centre

Deadline: September 30, 2024

Fiction, Novel

Creative Writing Award for Short Fiction

Aesthetica Magazine

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award celebrates outstanding writers. The Award was launched after the publication of Aesthetica Magazine, as a way to support the next generation of literary talent. The Creative Writing Award is open to Poetry and Short Fiction submissions on any theme, however, we are particularly interested in works that reflect upon our ever changing world.

Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual | A five-day course from Arvon | Consultation with Redhammer Management | Six-week writing short stories course from Curtis Brown Creative

Deadline: August 31, 2024

Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Competition

Dzanc Books

The Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize celebrates imaginative and inventive writing in book-length collections (generally over 40,000 words, but there is no hard minimum). Past winners include Suzi Ehtesham-Zadeh (Zan), Nino Cipri (Homesick), Anne Valente (By Light We Knew Our Names), Chaya Bhuvaneswar (White Dancing Elephants), Jen Grow (My Life as a Mermaid), Julie Stewart (Water and Blood), and Ethel Rohan (In the Event of Contact). The winning submission will be awarded a $2,500 advance and publication by Dzanc Books.

Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction

The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction recognizes daring, original, and innovative novels (generally over 40,000 words, but there is no hard minimum). A $5,000 advance and publication by Dzanc Books will be awarded to the winner. Finalists will be compiled in-house and passed along for evaluation to this year’s judges: Alan Michael Parker, Chika Unigwe, and Sarah Yahm, author of The Moveables, which was chosen as the winner of last year’s Prize for Fiction.

Memoir/Fiction Book Contest for IML Publications

We are a boutique publishing company that is dedicated to amplifying the voices of contemporary writers who are nomads and explorers of language, form, and the psyche. High-quality “unpublished” manuscript submissions of memoir, fiction and non-fiction entrusted to us will be read, sorted and pondered by our esteemed author, Jacqueline Gay Walley.

Possible publication

Deadline: October 01, 2024

Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel

ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

Australian Book Review

ABR welcomes entries in the 2024 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize. The Jolley Prize is worth a total of $12,500 and is for an original work of short fiction of between 2,000 and 5,000 words, written in English. This is the fifteenth time the Jolley Prize has run and it is one of the world’s leading prizes for short fiction.

2nd: $4000 AUD | 3rd: $2500 AUD

Deadline: April 22, 2024

Minds Shine Bright Writing Competition

Minds Shine Bright

Minds Shine Bright is an arts business based in Melbourne Australia committed to supporting the arts and writers. We run two fiction writing competitions; Minds Shine Bright Confidence, a longitudinal look at the theme confidence in fiction and poetry, and Seasons a competition with a changing external theme. Light and Shadow is currently open.

2nd: $400 AUD | 3rd: $300 AUD | 4th: $200 AUD | Commended entries: $100 AUD

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, Short Story

Annual Contest Submissions

So To Speak

So To Speak is seeking submissions for poetry, fiction, and non-fiction with an intersectional feminist lens! It is no secret that the literary canon and literary journals are largely comprised of heteronormative, patriarchal, cisgender, able-bodied white men. So to Speak seeks work by writers, poets, and artists who want to challenge and change the identity of the “canonical” writer.

Deadline: March 15, 2024

Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, Poetry

F(r)iction Short Story Contest

We seek work that actively pushes boundaries, that forces us to question traditions and tastes. If your work takes risks, we want to read it. We like strong narratives that make us feel something and stories we haven’t seen before. We accept work, written in English, from anywhere in the world—regardless of genre, style, or origin—and welcome speculative writing and experimental literature. Strange is good. Strange with a strong character arc is even better. Keep it weird, folks.

7 Day Story Writing Challenge

Register now for our next 7-day story writing challenge. A secret theme, a randomly assigned genre, and just 7 days to write a story of no more than 2,000 words. Our 7-day story writing challenges take place throughout the year. The challenges are free and you can even get feedback on your story. Take part in one challenge or take part in all of them!

Publication on website

Deadline: March 11, 2024

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Hayden's Ferry Review Poetry & Fiction Contest

Hayden's Ferry Review

HFR will accept contest submissions in poetry and fiction between Feb 1-29, 2024. This year’s poetry judge is Diana Khoi Nguyen, author of Ghost Of and Root Fractures. This year’s fiction judge is Venita Blackburn, author of How to Wrestle a Girl and Dead in Long Beach, California. There will be two prizes of $1,500 each and publication in Hayden’s Ferry Review (online in summer 2024 and in the fall/winter 2024 print issue) for a poem or a group of poems and a work of fiction. A runner-up in each category will receive $250 and publication. All entries are considered for publication.

Runners-up: $250

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry

Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing

The Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing will be administered to the winner of a literary contest designed to champion innovative hybrid and cross-genre work.

Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, Short Story

Writing MAGIC

Sadie Tells Stories

Are you an author who loves magic? Do you have an idea for a super short story that needs to be shared with the world? If you answered yes to both of those questions this contest is for you! The story can be about anything magical. Maybe it’s something that you’ve experienced in real life or it’s something you’ve created. Maybe it’s the start of a great idea. Maybe it’ll be the thing that inspires you to finally publish your book.

Deadline: April 01, 2024

Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult

Rigel 2024: $500 for Prose, Poetry, Art, or Graphic Novel

Literary or genre works accepted. Winner receives $500 plus publication, while runners-up and finalists are offered publication. No restrictions on theme or category. Closes: February 29. Entry fee: $12.50. Enter as many times as you like through Submittable or Duotrope

$500 + publication

Runners-up and finalists are offered publication

Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, Short Story

The Porter Fleming Literary Competition

The Morris Museum of Art

Welcome to the 2024 Porter Fleming Literary Competition, now in its twenty-ninth year of recognizing outstanding writing and writers. The competition honors the memory of Porter Fleming, one of Augusta, Georgia’s leading citizens and foremost philanthropists. The competition is administered, with the support of the Porter Fleming Foundation, by the Morris Museum of Art, the first museum in the country to focus on the art and artists of the American South. Writers, ages 18 and older, who reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, D.C are invited to apply.

1st place in each genre category: $1,000

2nd place: $500 & 3rd place: $250 in each of the four genre categories

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.

$500 Editors' Choice award

$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)

Deadline: March 01, 2024

Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story

Chapter One Prize

Gutsy Great Novelist

The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers. Winners will be announced March 29, 2024.

2nd: $500 |3rd: $250

Fiction, Novel, Young Adult, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller

Spring Microfiction Battle

Writing Battle

Two days to write a 500 word short story. The peer-powered quarterly writing contest where every story receives oodles of feedback. Write one. Read ten. Win thousands.

Genre Winner (x4): $1,500

Genre Runner-up (x4): $375 | Feedback by industry professionals

Deadline: May 03, 2024

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Summer Nanofiction Battle

Two days to write a 250 word short story. The peer-powered quarterly writing contest where every story receives oodles of feedback. Write one. Read ten. Win thousands.

Deadline: August 02, 2024

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Passionate Plume

Passionate Ink

The 2024 Passionate Plume celebrates the best in erotic fiction, both long and short, and features a special category for emerging authors.

Engraved award

Publication in the Passionate Ink Charity Anthology

Deadline: March 21, 2024

Fiction, Novel, Novella, Romance, Short Story

Find the perfect editor for your next book

Over 1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy, come meet them.

1 million authors trust the editors on Reedsy, come meet them.

Reedsy Marketplace UI

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy, come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

fiction writing competitions 2023

Ebooks, Publishing, and Everything in Between

  • Downloads & Pricing
  • Advertising

200+ Writing Contests to Join in 2023

  • on Nov 15, 2022
  • in Writing Tips
  • Last update: April 16th, 2023

Writing could be rewarding in itself, but joining a writing contest could be even more exciting. Whether you need a push to finish your manuscript or want to get better exposure, competing with other writers is a great way to prove your talent and advance in the writing field.

fiction writing competitions 2023

Are you ready to win some awards? Take a look at the writing contests happening in 2023 and start sharpening your skills.

The 2022 Exeter Novel Prize

Eligibility & Restrictions

To apply, submit a 10,000 word novel in Englishm with a synopsis of not more than 500 words. Any entries received without a synopsis will be disqualified.The novel can’t have been published by a traditional publishing house. Anyone above 18 can enter. All genres including children’s of Middle Grade (9-12), Young Adult, and New Adult are acceptable.

The 2022 Charles Causley International Poetry Competition

The poem/s may be on any subject; 40 lines of text maximum, no minimum. Entries must never have been traditionally published, self-published, published on any website, or broadcasted in any form.

Mississippi Review Contest

The contest is open to all writers in English except current or former students or employees of The University of Southern Mississippi. Fiction and non-fiction entries should be 1000-8000 words; poetry entries should be three to five poems, totaling ten pages or less.

Arachne Press Opportunity for Deaf writers

Stories and poems must be: unpublished, written in English and up to 2000 words long unless otherwise specified.

Mississippi Review Prize

Submit three to five poems totaling up to 10 pages, or a short story or an essay of 1,000 to 8,000 words,

James Knudsen Prize for Fiction

Submissions must be original, previously unpublished work of fiction, no longer than 7500 words. UNO students and alumni are ineligible. Previous contest winners as well as current or former students of the judge are also ineligible to submit.

Kay Murphy Prize for Poetry

Submissions must be original, previously unpublished poetry. You may submit up to three poems per entry. UNO students and alumni are ineligible to submit. Previous contest winners, along with current or former students of the judge are also ineligible to submit.

Jacobs/Jones African American Literary Prize

The winning entry is considered for publication in the Carolina Quarterly. Black writers who live in North Carolina are eligible. Submit a short story or essay of up to 3,000 words

DISQUIET Prize

Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted. Entries should be the work of a single author. For fiction: ONE short story or novel excerpt, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry. For non-fiction: ONE nonfiction piece or book excerpt, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry. For poetry: No more than SIX poems per entry, up to 10 pages total.

Fan story 15 Syllable Poem

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with exactly 15 syllables.

San José State University Steinbeck Fellowships in Creative Writing

To enter the contest, please submit the following: proposal or prospectus for work to be written (one to three pages including basic timeline), resumé, 3 letters of recommendation (sent directly from recommender—the online system will prompt you for their email addresses), and a writing sample of no more than 25 pages.

Gemini Magazine Poetry Contest

Any Subject, Style or Length. Entries Must Be Unpublished. Poems on Personal Blogs Are OK.

Orna Ross Green Stories Novel Prize

Typically novels around 60,000 – 95,000 words. Submit three chapters* (minimum of 4000 words, maximum 10,000 words). Open to all adults (18+) of any nationality, as long as the submission is in English and has not been published elsewhere.

Immerse Education Essay Competition

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is open to entries from young people aged 12-18 interested in all subjects, from Architecture to Medicine, Creative Writing to Film Studies. If participants are successful, they should be aged 13 and above before the start of their programme.

The Henshaw Short Story Competition

Entries must be fictional short stories of up to 2000 words on any theme. All entries must be the original work of the author, must not have been published before the date of submission.

Fan Story Non-Fiction Writing Contest

If a word count is not specified above there is no word count requirement. Recommended length is 5,000 words or less. This contest is open to all members. Past contest winners can join the contest. One entry per person. New entries to the site only. If you already posted a work on FanStory.com that work is not eligible for a contest.

Fan story 100 Word Flash Fiction

Anyone can enter. The entry should be exactly 100 words.

Amazing Women’s Edition Writing Contest

Each entry must incorporate the theme of Local Heroines. All students must be in grades K to 8 and live in the United States. Both the text and art must be solely created by the students. One book entry per person. Each book must be between 20 and 30 pages. The cover, dedication and back pages do not count towards this number

Bethesda Essay Contest

Residents of Washington, D.C. and the select counties of Maryland (Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Frederick) and Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William) are eligible. High School entries must be residents or attend a school in Montgomery County, MD or Washington, D.C. Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer’s choosing. Only one entry per person. Stories must be limited to 4,000 words or less.

The Winter Anthology Contest

Anyone can enter. Please send as much poetry or prose of which you are the sole author and that were not written earlier than 1999.

Tanka Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Essays can be no more than 1,000 words but must be a minimum of 700 words. Citations and bibliography are not included in the word count. Essays must be the original work of the student. Essays must have a minimum of five sources.

The Royal Society of Literature Encore Award

The award is open for any published second novel, which must be a full-length work of fiction. The writer must have been resident in the United Kingdom (UK) or the Republic of Ireland (RoI) for the past three years. Novellas or children’s books are ineligible. Books published with vanity publishers are not eligible.

Law Day Contest

The contest is only open to students who live in Oklahoma. Entries are limited to one per student in each contest.

Colorado Prize for Poetry

The competition is open to anyone, except Colorado State University students, alumni, and employees. Manuscripts must be at least 48 pages but no more than 100 pages. They may be composed of any number of poems. The theme and style are both open. Manuscripts may consist of poems that have been published, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished.

Full Bleed Fifth Issue Contest

Essays of up to 7500 words, Full Bleed publishes shorter, recurring columns of approximately 1000 to 2000 words. These include “Close Looks”, in which writers offer in-depth critiques of individual artworks, and “Studio Visit”, in which the writer visits with and interviews a contemporary artist. We welcome essay proposals by Nov. 15 or earlier. Alternatively, you may submit completed works by Jan. 15.

Ethos Literacy Annual Short Short Story Contest

The story cannot be longer than 100 words. Incorrectly hyphenated words will be counted as two words. Examples: old-man, hot-fire. The title is not included in the word limit.

Rattle Chapbook Prize

Each poet may submit 15–30 pages of poems in English only (no translations).Individual poems may be previously published in any format, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished as a collection.

Driftwood Press Poem Contest

Submitters may send up to five poems in a single document for consideration. Each poem must not exceed sixty lines. Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual element are all welcome. Any submissions should be written primarily in English.

Rose Post Creative Non-Fiction Contest

The competition is open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. Simultaneous submissions are ok, but please notify them immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. Each entry must be an original and previously unpublished manuscript of no more than 2,000 words.

Desert Writers Award

The application requires a project proposal, a biographical statement, and a writing sample of no more than 10 pages. Please submit all materials in one document.

Heron Tree Volume 10

Poems that have previously appeared online (temporarily or permanently, on your own or a third-party site) should not be submitted, nor should work that has already been published electronically or in print. Simultaneous submissions are welcome with timely notification of acceptance elsewhere.

Storytellers of Tomorrow Contest

We’re inviting all high-school-age students to submit unpublished, original English-language stories of up to 2,000 words in length for the 8th Annual “Storytellers of Tomorrow” Contest. The sole criterion for earning prizes in this contest is simply overall quality, meaning that well-edited, engaging, and evocative stories have the best chance of winning over the judges.

Bath Novella-In-Flash Award

Anyone above 16 can enter. Novella-in-flash entries must not have been previously published in print or online, broadcasted, or won a prize. It must be written in English, between 6,000 and 18,000 words long.

PSV North American Book Award

The book of poetry submitted must be the work of a single author, at least 64 pages long, and published in 2022 by an established press. It is expected that the book will contain both new and previously published poems. Manuscripts, videos, CDs, chapbooks, and self-published books are not eligible, nor are books that have already won an award

Fan Story Faith Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The theme of this poetry contest is “faith”.

NCH Essay Competition

The Competition is open to students who are currently in their penultimate year of secondary education (the equivalent of Y12 in England) and who are interested in studying a humanities or social sciences subject at university. Submitted essays should answer one of the specified questions. Pupils can submit up to 1,500 words.

Fan Story 3 Line Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The poem has to have a syllable count of either 5-7-5 or 5-7-7. It shouldn’t rhyme. But the poem must address a loved one.

Stage It! 10-Minute Plays Competition

Plays are adjudicated by at least two theatre professionals and the critique forms are available to the playwrights after the competition, by request. Comedy or drama plays of all types are accepted. Plays that should be staged or that would be loved by audiences. After all, the title is “STAGE IT!”

The Short Story Challenge 2023

In the 1st Round, the maximum length of the stories is 2,500 words. In the 2nd Round, the maximum length is 2,000 words. In the 3rd Round, the maximum length is 1,500 words. In the 4th Round, the maximum length is 1,250 words

Poetry Society of Virginia 2023 Contest

All entries must be in English, typed, unpublished, origi­nal, and not scheduled for publication before May, 2022. All entries not in compliance with category specifications will be disqualified.

The Nine Dots Prize

All are welcome to submit: the only stipulation is that applicants must be 18 years of age or over. Responses and the resulting book must be in English.

The Crime Essays Writing Contest 2022

All entrants must be aged 18 or over. Stories submitted MUST be your own work and a work of fiction. Stories must not exceed 3000 words, this includes the title. Should your word count exceed 3000 words, it will be disqualified from the competition.

The Bournemouth Writing Prize

Anyone above 16 can enter. Short Story length: Up to 3000 words maximum. It can be about any topic and in any style. Poetry length: Up to 42 lines. We are looking for poetry that is fresh and unexpected. All entries should be in English and be accompanied by a short (75 word) biography of the author and postal address. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, broadcasted, or won a prize in another writing competition.

The Bournemouth Writing Prize 2023

Short Story: Up to 3000 words maximum. It can be about any topic and in any style. They are looking for real storytellers who create great characters to tell them something fresh, and surprise or touch them. Poetry: Up to 42 lines.They are looking for poetry that is fresh and unexpected. Again, this can be about anything that you wish. You may have been inspired by the personal impact of recent world events or you may want to offer a story of hope for the future, the choice is yours.

Retreat West First Chapter Competition

Submit your first chapter only. International entries are welcome but first chapters must be written in English and can be up to 3,000 words (no minimum word count) and on any theme and subject (except children’s fiction).

Cúirt New Writing Prize 2023

Poetry entries must consist of three poems under 50 lines each. Short stories should be no longer than 2,000 words. The story or poems submitted should not have been accepted for publication elsewhere. There is no restriction on theme or style.

Magma Poetry Competition

Poems may be on any subject, and must be in English and your own original work. They must not have been published, self-published, accepted for publication in print or online, broadcasted, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time. Length: 11–50 lines.

Driftwood Press Short Story Contest

The entry should be between 1,000-5,000 words. The work must not have been previously published. Submit works written in English only, no translations.

10th Ó Bhéal Five Words International Poetry Competition

Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and must include all five words listed for the week. A modicum of poetic license is acceptable. As long as the original spelling is intact. Poems should be newly written, during this 7-day period. There is no limit to volume of entries. Entrants should be at least 18 years of age at the date of submission.

Pulp Fictional

Stories must be your own work and not have been published, in any way, online or in print, or won any other competitions. anyone over the age of 18 can enter. Simultaneous submissions are fine as long as you withdraw your entry if it wins, or is placed in, any other competition. You can enter as many times as you want but must pay each time.

Parracombe Prize 2023

To enter, simply submit a short story of no more than 2,023 words. Entries must be in English, your own original work, and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.

The Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Competition

The competition is for anyone aged 16 and over. Poems must be in English, your original work, on any subject, in any style, no longer than 40 lines. Poems should have neither been published elsewhere (including self-published) by 18th April 2023. Nor should they be entered into any other competition for which the results will be announced prior to 18th April 2023.

Fish Publishing Short Memoir Prize

The entries can’t have been previously published. Maximum number of words is 4,000 in English.

GCWA Writing Contest

Writing Contest is open to GCWA members and the public — adults 18 and over, youth 11 to 17. Original, unpublished submissions only. Fiction / Nonfiction / Children’s Stories —1500 words maximum. Poetry – 40 lines maximum.

Lancashire Authors’ Association Open Competition

Anyone 16 or above can enter. The story must be exactly 100 words. Entries must be original, unpublished work which is not currently submitted for publication or entered into any other competition or award.

The Big Moose Prize

The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional unpublished novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel. Manuscripts should be 90-1,000 pages in length.

The BookLife Prize

Both unpublished or self-published books in the English language are eligible for the BookLife Prize. Entries must contain 40,000 to 100,000 words.

Clash of the Query Letters

One page—maximum 500 words. Only original, unpublished, unrepresented work may be submitted. Word documents & PDFs are accepted. The winning submissions will be published on the Chopping Blog. All entrants will be notified of winners and shortlist by email.

Arts & Letters Prize

Send only one submission per genre at any one time. (In other words, submitting a short story and an essay at the same time is fine, but please wait to hear from us before submitting another story.), All submissions must be typed and all prose double-spaced.

Norm Strung Youth Writing Awards

Students may enter one piece of writing between 500 and 1,000 words in length, typed, and double spaced. Each entry must be original work of the entrant, and have an out door theme.

The Plaza Prizes: Memoir: First Chapters

Memoirs can be in any style or form, but must be in English, and written for adults. A 300-word One-Pager (summary of your Memoir). The opening chapters of your Memoir. (5,000 words, max). Entries will be disqualified if they are over the word limit, or have no One-Pager, and there will be no refund.

2023 River of Words Competition

The contest is open to K–12th grade students, ages 5–19. Students must be enrolled in school to be eligible. All entries must be submitted by a parent, guardian, educator, or facilitator unless the student is 18 years old or older. Poems should not exceed 32 lines in length (written) or 3 minutes (signed). For ASL poetry, please include a brief written summary of the poem’s content.

Cambridge Autumn Festival Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. The word limit is 1500 words.The theme for this year’s competition is “A hard day’s work” .

Teignmouth Poetry Festival Open Poetry Competition

Poems may be on any subject, must be the original work of the entrant, unpublished and not accepted for publication in any medium. They must not have been awarded a prize in any other competition. Poems should be in English and not exceed 40 lines of text, no minimum. Titles, epigraphs, dedications and blank lines are not included in the line count.

The British Haiku Society Poetry competition

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be in English, unpublished and not concurrently entered for any other competition, and remain unpublished until the results are declared. Submissions should not appear in any print or online publication, social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), or forums as the competition is anonymous. There is no limit on the number of submissions per competitor.

The Tampa Review Prize for Poetry

Entrants should submit a collection of poems. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished. Some or all of the poems in the collection may have appeared in periodicals, chapbooks, or anthologies, but these must be identified. Manuscripts must be at least 48 typed pages. The preferred length is between 60 and 100 pages.

Cheshire Prize for Literature

The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire. Entry must be an original and previously unpublished piece of creative work in one of four categories themed around all aspects of the pandemic including “lockdown”: poetry, short fiction, children’s literature and scriptwriting.

National High School Poetry Contest

Entrants must be a high school student or a home-schooled student in grades nine through twelve. Students from anywhere in the United States may enter. Poems may be in rhyme, free verse, Haiku or other accepted poetry forms and of any length, up to a maximum of 40 lines. No entry may have been previously published.

EngineerGirl Essay Contest

Elementary school student stories must be no more than 650 words. Middle school student essays must be no more than 700 words. High school student essays must be no more than 750 words. You must also include a reference list of 3-10 resources. Each resource should be listed using the APA citation style.

St. Gallen Symposium Esay Competition

Essay (max. 2,100 words, excl. abstract, bibliography, and footnotes). Individual work expected, no group work allowed. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest. The idea must be the author’s own.

Arizona Mystery Writers Mary Ann Hutchison Memorial Story Contest for Youths

Writers from 9-17 years of age. Total word count—2500 words or less—placed on upper right-hand corner of page 1 only. Story title must appear on every page—upper left-hand corner.

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

Write a short story of no more than 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration.

Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards

Be current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating Spring of 2023. Be 21 years of age and under. Plan to enroll in an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved vocational-technical school Fall 2023.

Ottawa Travel Writing Contest

Each entry must include a PDF or a link to the article along with the name, address, e-mail address and telephone number of the entrant, the name of the publication and the date the item was published. Entries must have appeared in print or online between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

Winter Flash Fiction Writing Battle

1000 Word limit (not including title page). Name or address cannot be written anywhere. All stories are separated into their respective genres and each compete in a single-elimination tournament specific to its genre.

Fan Story Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Entry should be exactly 150 words.

Bath Flash Fiction Award

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. They must also be for adult or young adult readers. Non-fiction and fiction written for children under 13 years are not eligible. Max length is 300 words. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.

Kathleen Mitchell Award

Entrants must be aged 30 years or under at the 7 February 2023 closing date, have been born in Australia or the United Kingdom, or are currently an Australian citizen, and have been living in Australia for the 12 months preceding the 7 February 2023 closing date.

NFPW Communications Contest for High School Students

All 2023 contest entries must have been published, e-published, broadcasted, or issued between February 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023. Entries must be produced by a current high school student or a recently graduated student who produced the work in their senior year after February 1, 2022.

NFPW Communications Contest for Professionals

The NFPW National Communications contest is a two-tiered competition offering categories across the communication spectrum. This contest is open to anyone regardless of age, gender, professional status or location.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

The 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards is open to all indie book authors and publishers including independent publishers (small, medium or otherwise), university presses, self-published authors, e-book authors, seasoned authors and even first time authors in the U.S., Canada or internationally who have a book, a manuscript, or a galley proof written in English and published in 2021, 2022 or 2023 or with a 2021, 2022 or 2023 copyright date.

The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize

The work you submit must be unpublished, and must not have been accepted for future publication or self-published. In addition, anyone who has previously had a full-length novel accepted for publication is not eligible to enter. Entrants must be resident in the UK or Ireland.

Writers’ & Artists’ Short Story Competition

Submit a short story (for adults) of no more than 2,000 words on the theme of ‘love’.

Adventures in Fiction Spotlight First Novel Award

Current and previous apprentices are not eligible. Novelists commercially published (in English) are not eligible. Self published writers are eligible.

Apprentice Writer

Poetry and prose should be single spaced and in 12pt Times New Roman font. If your poetry or prose is visual (includes drawings or special typography) submit it as a PDF.

Fan Story Love Poem Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. But it must clearly be a love poem.

Achievement Awards in Writing

Sophomores and juniors in the current academic school year are eligible to be nominated by their school’s English department. Nominations should be based on whether the writer exhibits the power to inform and move an audience through language. Entries are only accepted from teachers; students may not self-nominate. Schools in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands and American Schools Abroad are eligible to nominate students. Nominating schools must be US accredited.

Promising Young Writers Program

Eighth-grade students in the current academic school year are eligible to be nominated by a school committee or department. It is recommended nominees be decided upon by several teachers. Students MAY NOT self-nominate. Nominees must demonstrate evidence of effective writing. Schools in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands, and American Schools Abroad are eligible to nominate students. Nominating schools must be US accredited.

Ambroggio Prize

U.S. Citizen. Poets are not eligible to apply if they have studied with the judge in full-time accredited courses within the last three years. Works translated into Spanish from another language are ineligible.

Morton and McCarthy Prizes

This contest is open to any short fiction writer of English. Employees and board members of Sarabande Books, Inc. are not eligible. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. Length: between 150-250 pages.

Robert Watson Literary Prize

Anyone who is an active Greensboro Review subscriber can enter. Entries must be previously unpublished. No simultaneous submissions. Length restrictions: no more than 7,500 words or 25 pages for fiction; up to 500 words for flash fiction; up to 10 pages for poetry.

Anchorage Annual Statewide Creative Writing Contest

The contest is open to Alaska residents. College students who maintain Alaska residency may enter. All judges, editorial or administrative employees of Anchorage Daily News, faculty or administrative employees of the University of Alaska and board members of the Alaska Center for the Book, and their immediate family are ineligible. Contestants may enter one work of fiction (not to exceed 5,000 words), one work of non-fiction (not to exceed 5,000 words), and up to three poems. A contestant may enter all categories in their age group.

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award

Only books published in the United States during 2022 are eligible for the 2023 prize. U.S. Citizens. Books must be published in a standard edition (48 pages or more). Collaborations by up to two translators are eligible.

Fan Story Write A Script Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a script of any size (can be a small script as shown in the example) for any medium on any topic.

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

All students enrolled in grades 9-12 in U.S. public, private and home schools within the United States. Students must submit original work. The essay should be 300-500 words. Entries may be typed or handwritten but must be double-spaced.

Willow Run Poetry Book Award

Submit a poetry manuscript of 75 to 100 pages. Individual poems included in the submission may have been published, as long as all rights have reverted to the poet.

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Both previously published and unpublished works are eligible, provided that potential publication in AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought does not infringe on previously held rights.

The Christopher Tower Poetry Competition

Entrants must be at least 16 years of age, and under 19 years of age, on 24 February 2023. Entrants must be in full or part-time education at a school, college or other educational institution in the United Kingdom. Students enrolled on higher education courses are not eligible to enter the competition.

Fan Story ABC Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a one-stanza, five-line poem.

Fan Story 6 Word Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with only 6 words.

The Elmbridge Literary Competition

Short stories must be in English, previously unpublished and a maximum length of 1000 words (8-13 years) or 1500 words (14+). Poems must be in English, previously unpublished and a maximum length of 30 lines typed, using a standard, legible font, double-spaced on single sides of A4 paper.

The Letter Review Prize for Poetry

Poems must not exceed 70 lines in length. There are no style or subject restrictions: all poems welcome. You should include a short biography of less than 200 words in your cover letter and ensure that it is suitable for publication.

The Letter Review Prize for Short Stories

The letter review prize for flash fiction, margery allingham short mystery competition.

The international competition is open to all – both published and unpublished authors from all over the world – and is for short stories of up to 3,500 words. The story cannot have been previously published anywhere, or shortlisted for this competition.

Flash 500 Short Stories Competition

Stories should range between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used).

Fish Publishing Flash Fiction Prize

Maximum number of words is 300. The title is not included in the word limit. The winning stories must be available for the Fish Anthology, and therefore must not have been published previously. Fish holds publishing rights for one year after publication, after which publishing rights revert to the author

Southword Poetry Prize

Manuscripts must be between 16 and 24 pages in length, in the English language and the sole work of the entrant with no pastiches, translations or versions. The poems can be in verse or prose.

The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition

The competition is open to all students of school age including not only those in schools and college communities, but also students who are home educated and in any other young people’s community organisations. The maximum word count is 500 words. There is no minimum word count.

The Annual Lancaster Writing Award

The word limit for criticism and fiction is 1500 words. The limit for poems is 25 lines. The limit for screenplays is 8 pages. Essays you have written at school are eligible for entry. To enter you must be in year 12 or 13.

Scottish Arts Trust Short Story Competition

The Scottish Arts Club Short Story Competition is open to all writers worldwide, published and unpublished, who are over 16 years by 1 September 2022. You do not have to be Scottish to enter the competition. Word limit: 2,000 words (not including the title)

The Isobel Lodge Award

The Isobel Lodge Award for New Scottish Writing is a special award within the competition that is only open to unpublished writers resident in Scotland on 1 January 2022. If you have a work of fiction that has been published online or in print but were not paid for it by a publisher or competition you can qualify for the Isobel Lodge Award. Writers also qualify if they have self-published a work of fiction. Authors of commercially published non-fiction may also submit stories for the Isobel Lodge Award.

Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest

Entrants must be Canadian (citizen or resident). Submissions must be unpublished, nor can they have been accepted for publication elsewhere. Submissions are accepted online only. No word limit.

Minds Shine Bright’s Annual Competition

Short stories: 5000 words/Flash Fiction: 1000 words /Poetry: 240 lines/Scripts: 90 pages, Each submission must be original, unpublished fiction written by the submitting author. Each submission must be entered into one of four categories including: poetry, micro/flash fiction, short stories or script writing.

The Debut Dagger Award

You must never have had a publishing contract for any work of fiction over 20,000 words at time of entry. You must not have had any work of fiction over 20,000 words available to the public in the last five years. Manuscript submissions must fall within the prescribed word count limit of 4,500 including synopsis and excluding headings, and cannot exceed it by even a few words.

BCALA Self-Publishing Ebook Contest

This contest is free and open to all self-published authors who meet the requirements. All eBooks submitted to the contest must be: in the poetry or fiction genres, a PDF or an ePUB file, in the English language, an original work that you own the rights to, and written by an African American author born in the U.S.

Red Hen Press Women’s Prose Prize

25,000 word minimum, 80,000 word maximum. Entries will be accepted via Submittable only. The award is open to all women writers with the following exceptions: Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press, employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press, and relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors.

The Plaza Prizes: Poetry

Poems can be in any style or form, but must be in English, and written for adults. Maximum 60 lines. Enter the correct version of your work. If you make a mistake, entry fees will not be refunded.

Fan Story Haiku Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Only haiku poems.

BSFS Poetry Contest

Entries should address the themes of science fiction/fantasy/horror/science. Limit: 3 poems/person, maximum 60 lines each.

Nature and Place Poetry Competition

Poems must have a title and must be no more than 40 lines, excluding the title, and be typed in black ink on one side of A4. Poems must be the original work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published or published online or broadcast. Poems are judged anonymously so the poet’s name, address, etc., MUST NOT appear on the poem.

Blue Mesa Awards

This competition is open to original English language works in the genres of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. The submission must be an unpublished work. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable.

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

Applicants must be aged 18 or above at the time of entry. All entries must be written in English. Submissions must be standalone and cannot be extracts from a larger piece. A maximum of 2,500 words per entry.

Fowey Festival Short Story Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. The title for the competition is “Breaking Point”. Length: max 1500 words. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, commended, long-listed or short-listed in another writing competition.

Evesham Festival of Words Short Story Competition

Open to adults only (i.e. over 16 years of age at the closing date). Word count: A maximum of 2,200 words, excluding the title.

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Entries should be 750 words or less. Stories can be on any theme. Translated work is not accepted.

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

Stories must be original unpublished fiction, typed and double-spaced, and may not exceed 3,500 words in length. There are no theme or genre restrictions. Copyright remains the property of the author.

Eludia Award

All women age 40 and above, who do not yet have a book-length publication of fiction, can enter. The author must be unpublished and the entry should be in English.

James Jones First Novel Fellowship

Entrants must have never published a novel, are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of America with Green Cards, and may have published any other type of work including non-fiction articles and short stories. A two-page (maximum) outline or synopsis of the entire novel and the first 50 pages of the novel-in-progress are to be submitted. A specific format for the outline or synopsis is not required.

Fan Story Cinquain Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Entries must adhere to the contest’s syllable specifications.

Dream One Quest Poetry Contest

All poems must be written or translated into the English language, 30 lines or fewer, and must be neatly hand printed or typed.

Dream One Quest Writing Contest

All short stories may be on any subject or theme, written or translated into the English language. For example, any fiction, non-fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, diary, screenwriting, stage plays, and journal entries are accepted.

Rhyming Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has a rhyme scheme. How it rhymes is up to you.

Write The World Opinion Writing Competition

TBA (On Mar 6, 2023)

The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

Entrants must be Canadian (citizen or resident). Submissions must be unpublished, nor can they be accepted for publication elsewhere. Submissions are accepted online only.

Southword Fiction Story Prize

Anyone can enter. There is an upper limit of 5000 words for short stories. Only unpublished work.

Driftwood Poetry Collections

Anyone can enter. It should be between 40-100 pages of poetry. Experimental poetry, hybrid work, poetry with a visual element, prose poetry, and any avant-garde poetry are welcomed! Submissions should be primarily in English, but collections with a moderate bilingual component will of course be considered.

Rubery Book Award

There is no publication date restriction. Submitted work can be fiction (all genres), young adult, children’s, biographies, non-fiction, self-help, cookery, poetry, photography etc. There are no limits on the type.

The Fish Poetry Prize 2023

Anyone can enter. Poem length is restricted to 60 lines. The title is not included in the word limit, and it must be in English. The winning poem must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously. Fish will hold publishing rights for one year only after publication.

National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA)

Your book must be available for sale by the submission deadline. Put all the categories in which you submit on one Submission Form and be sure to place a copy of the submission form and in each book you send in, one for each category. All titles must have an ISBN and be published books.

The Plaza Prizes: Literary: First Chapters

Entries can be in any style or form, but must be in English, and written for adults. A 300-word One-Pager (story synopsis). The opening chapters of your Literary novel. (5,000 words, max). Entries will be disqualified if they are over the word limit, or have no One-Pager, and there will be no refund.

The Plaza Prizes: Prose Poetry

Prose poems can be in any style or form, but must be in English, and written for adults. Maximum 50 lines. Enter the correct version of your work. If you make a mistake, entry fees will not be refunded. (You will have to enter again.)

KET Education Young Writers Contest

Entrants must be in kindergarten through twelfth grade, and must be a legal resident of Kentucky. Only single-author stories written within the current school year are eligible.

Jack L. Chalker Young Writers’ Contest

Submissions shall be no more than 2,500 words in length. Contestants shall be no younger than 14 and no older than 18 years of age as of May 29 in the contest year and shall reside or attend school in Maryland.

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). The poem you submit should be in English.

Zone 3 First Book Award in Poetry

Anyone can enter. Only unpublished work of a full-length collection of poems (48 pages or more) is eligible; those with chapbooks may participate. Manuscript should be 48-80 pages.

The Claymore Award

The contest is limited to only the first 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense NOT currently under contract.

The Mysterious Case Writing Contest

You must have a Neovel account. You must write at least 4 chapters before the end of the contest. This contest is open to all audiences. The main character or characters of your entry have to carry out an investigation in relation to a mysterious event.

The American Foreign Service Association’s National High School Essay Contest

Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas.

Oklahoma Poem Contest

Only Oklahoma residents are eligible to enter. Poems will be judged in 4 categories: K-4th, 5th-8th, 9th-12th, and Adult. The maximum length for poems is 30 lines. Poems can be rhymed or unrhymed.

Etel Adnan Poetry Prize

Manuscripts must be between forty-eight and ninety pages. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

Write The World Poetry & Spoken Word Competition

TBA (On Apr 3, 2023)

Fan Story Rhyming Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem of any type. But there must be a rhyme scheme.

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Residents of the following countries are not eligible to enter: Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus (due to US government restrictions). You may submit stories and essays on any theme, up to 6,000 words each.

Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize

Do not include any preambles, or bios within your submitted manuscript. Manuscripts must have a table of contents. Manuscripts must be typed in a no less than 12-point font, paginated, and 48 – 84 pages in length (single spaced).

FAPA President’s Book Awards

Acceptable publishing dates for books submitted for the 2023 President’s Book Awards will be books with a copyright date from 2021 to 2023. There are 37 categories in which you may enter. The same book may be entered in multiple categories.

Adventure Writer’s Competition

For the purposes of this competition, an adventure novel is defined as an original, invented (fictional) prose narrative between 50,000 and 200,000 words dealing with a series of human experiences through a connected sequence of events that are action-adventure in nature.

Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest

Word Limit: 100 words or less per entry. Word limit includes the title and introduction, though these are not required. Entry Limit: You may submit as many entries as you’d like, but each entry must be accompanied by an entry fee. Writers: All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome.

World Historian Student Essay Competition

Only students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs can apply. Past winners may not compete in the same category again. The entry should be approximately 1,000 words.

Fan Story New Arrival Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. This is a “New Arrival” contest which is designed to welcome new members to the site.

Writers’ Digest Annual Writing Competition

Rhyming Poem and Non-rhyming Poem: 40 lines maximum. Only count the lines containing text. Do not count blank lines between stanzas & do not count the title or contact information. Memoirs/Personal Essay, Nonfiction Essay or Article and Children’s/Young Adult Fiction: 2,000 words maximum.

Fan Story Loop Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Loop Poetry requires that the last word of each line becomes the first word of the next line. The rhyme scheme is abcb.

Write The World Food Writing Competition

TBA (On May 8, 2023)

We the Students Essay Contest

All students who are legal US residents or citizens, older than 14 and younger than 19, may apply. Each submission must adhere to the topics and should fully answer the question and all sub-parts. Each submission must adhere to the word limits for each question (between 500 and 800 words).

Fan Story 80 Word Flash Fiction Contest

The submitted work must be between 78 – 82 words.

The Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award

Entrants must be Canadian (citizen or resident). Submissions must be unpublished, nor can they be accepted for publication elsewhere. Submissions are accepted online only. While there is no word limit to short fiction entries, most fall within the range of 2000 – 5000 words.

Fan Story My Faith Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Share a poem that is about your faith or how faith has impacted your life. Any type of poem accepted.

CYGNUS Book Awards for Science Fiction | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Jan 1, 2020 will be disqualified. All works that have been published must be published after Jan. 1, 2020. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.

Script Pipeline TV Writing Contest

Cover page should include the title, but remove any contact information (name, email address, etc.). Logline and genre on the title page as well is preferred. Co-writers are allowed. List each writer’s name when registering your script. Script should be an original pilot. We will not be accepting spec scripts of existing shows.

The Bridport Novel Prize

Writers above 16 living in Britain and Ireland and British writers living overseas can enter. Entries must be an exclusive effort and writers must not have previously published a novel, (although self-published and ebooks are accepted). Novel entrants who have had other types of books traditionally published e.g. poetry, memoir, non-fiction, are eligible to submit. Length: between 5,000 to 8,000 words.

The Bridport Short Story Prize

Writers above 16 writing in English can enter. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast nor winning or placed in any other competition. Short story length: 5000 words max.

The Bridport Poetry Prize

Writers above 16 writing in English can enter. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast nor winning or placed in any other competition. Poetry length: 42 lines max.

The Bridport Flash Fiction Prize

Writers above 16 writing in English can enter. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast nor winning or placed in any other competition. Flash fiction length: 250 words max.

Chanticleer Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mystery Book Awards

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words. Each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

The Writing District Prize

Anyone can enter.Your story must be written in English. A maximum of 3,000 words.

Chanticleer Historical Fiction Pre-1750s Writing Contest

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. No erotica. No graphic violence. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified.

Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

All students in school, university, or graduate school can apply. Essays should be directed to a well-informed general audience, not a strictly academic one, and should be based primarily on the student’s own observations, with adequate support from the Jane Austen work under discussion

Farnham Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone can enter. Story length: 500 words.

Fan Story Take A Photo Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem about a photo you’ve taken.

Ocean Awareness Contest

All students aged 11 – 18 can apply. All entries must be original work in English and not previously submitted. Students ages 11-14 may enter the Junior Division (Creative Writing: up to 750 words; Poetry & Spoken Word: no more than 1 page). Students ages 15-18 may enter the Senior Division (Creative Writing: up to 1,250 words; Poetry & Spoken Word: no more than 2 pages).

Fan Story 20 Syllable Poem Contest

Write a poem that has exactly 20 syllables. Any format.

Narrative Magazine: Narrative Prize

Submissions are accepted only through the electronic submission system. Submissions through postal services or email aren’t accepted. All manuscripts should be in 12-point type, with at least one-inch margins, and sequentially numbered pages. Fiction and nonfiction should be double-spaced. Poetry should be single-spaced.

Living Springs Publishers Baby Boomer Plus Contest

Submitted stories must: Be between 900 and 5000 words, written in the English language, wholly the original work of the entrant, written solely by the entrant, and the author must own all rights to the story.

Poetry Chapbook Prize

Each manuscript should consist of a 20-30 page chapbook in a standard 12-point font. Chapbooks may not have been previously published nor be forthcoming, though individual poems may have been published elsewhere (provided rights have reverted to the author).

This Sentence Starts The Story

Anyone can enter. Write a story that starts with this sentence: The house was empty. You have the option to put it in quotes (for dialogue) and to change the punctuation at the end for proper grammar.

Fan Story 3-6-9 Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. The poem should have three stanzas. The subject can be anything.

Write The World Letter Writing Competition

TBA (On Jun 5, 2023)

True Story Contest

Anyone can enter. Share a true story from your life. Write a story that shares a moment, an object, a feeling, etc. This does not have to be a profound memory, but should allow readers insight into your feelings, observations and/or thoughts. Use at least 100 words. No poetry.

Fan Story Nonet Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. It has to be a nonet, but it can be on any subject and rhyming is optional.

Winning Writers North Street Book Prize

Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea, Russia, and Belarus (due to US government restrictions). Length limit: 200,000 words maximum in English. You may submit a collection of short stories or essays as a single entry.

The Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Must be original and unpublished. Each entry must consist of a single sentence. The entry shouldn’t go beyond 50 or 60 words.

Christopher Fielden’s Biennial Competition: To Hull And Back

Stories must be no longer than 2,500 words in length. This includes the title. To make this crystal clear, if your entry contains 2,502 words or more, it will be disqualified. There is no minimum word count.

The Writers Of The Future

All amateur writers can enter. Entries must be original works by the entrant, in English. Entries may not have been previously published in professional media. Entries must be works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. No poetry, or works intended for children.

Fan Story Share A Story In A Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. In this contest you are challenged to write a poem that tells a story and also rhymes.

Fan Story 2-4-2 Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem. The subject can be anything.

Fan story Horror Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Put your readers on edge or terrorize them.

Write The World Creative Nonfiction Competition

TBA (On Jul 3, 2023)

WOW! Women on Writing Creative non-fiction Essay Contest

All women can enter. Entries should be creative non-fiction in English. Maximum words: 1000. Minimum words: 200.

Polar Expressions National Poetry and Short-Story Contest

All work must be original and will be checked for plagiarism. Entries should not have been previously published. You may enter one poem and/or one short story only! Poems must be 48 lines or less.

Chanticleer: The Laramie Awards

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. No erotica. No graphic violence, please. Published works before January 1, 2019 will be disqualified.

Chanticleer: The Goethe Awards

Ozma book awards for fantasy fiction | sword & sorcery fiction | chanticleer book reviews.

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published E-pub accepted. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

Hearten Book Awards for Uplifting Non-Fiction Works | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Works published before January 1, 2019 will be disqualified. Books must be 40,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

Sydney Hammond Memorial Short Story Writing Competition

Anyone can enter. Theme: Detour. Length: maximum 1,000 words. Stories can be a fictional tale or a tale inspired by a true story.

Faith Flash Contest

Anyone can enter. Write exactly 300 words. Title does not count in word count. Fiction or non-fiction welcomed.

Chanticleer: The Dante Rossetti Awards

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified.

Anthology Magazine Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Stories submitted must be on the theme of ‘Memories’ in English. To enter, submit an original, unpublished short story, written in English on the subject of ‘Memories’ with a maximum of 1,500 words.

Chanticleer: The Chatelaine Awards

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works published before January 1, 2019 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words.

Minute Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The Minute Poem is a poem that follows the “8,4,4,4” syllable count structure. It must have 12 lines total and 60 syllables.

Two Line Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write an essence poem. The poem should be of two lines with six syllables per line, each containing an internal rhyme and an ending rhyme.

Non-Fiction Investigative and Journalistic Works | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Works may be published on the web or in print or may be non-published. E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. International entries are accepted but they must be written in the English language. Entries must be in the English language. Works published before December 30, 2018 will be disqualified. Works must be 10,000 plus words. Works must be 10,000 plus words. You may enter more than one work into a given contest.

Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Guides and Works | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Free verse poetry contest.

Anyone can enter. No restrictions.

5-7-5 Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be a 5-7-5 poem that follows the structure of a Haiku but without any limitation to the topic.

Four Line Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a four line poem that has a specific syllable count. The subject can be anything.

Business, Technology, and Enterprise Non-Fiction Guides and How-To Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published E-pubs accepted. Entries must be in the English language. Entries must be in the English language. Works published before December 31, 2018 will be disqualified. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

Chanticleer: The Gertrude Warner Awards

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pubs and Word files accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. No erotica. No graphic violence. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. 20,000+ word count .

Chanticleer: The Clue Book Awards

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.

Chanticleer: The Little Peeps Awards

Early Readers and Picture Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Published works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified.

Chanticleer: The Journey Awards

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Works published before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Books must be 50,000 plus words.

Global Thriller Writing Contest | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Manchester Poetry Prize

The Competition is open internationally to anyone aged 16 or over who is not excluded by these Rules. There is no upper age limit for entry. a portfolio comprising a minimum of three and a maximum of five poems. There is no minimum or maximum line limit for each individual poem, but the overall maximum length of the poems combined must not exceed 120 lines.

Manchester Fiction Prize

The Competition is open internationally to anyone aged 16 or over who is not excluded by these Rules. There is no upper age limit for entry. a short story of up to 2,500 words in length. There is no minimum word count.

Miller Williams Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Length: Manuscripts must be between sixty and ninety pages. The manuscript must be previously unpublished. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

Paranormal Writing Competition | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

The Grindstone Novel Prize

A 100 word elevator pitch of your novel. The opening 5,000 words of your manuscript (10% margin). A 300-400 word synopsis summarising the key plot points of your novel. Please endeavour to submit your novel in Times New Roman, size 12, 1.5 or 2.0 line spaced for ease of reading. If this is not possible, please use another easily readable font.

The Raven Short Story Contest

This contest is for previously unpublished short fiction between 250 and 2500 words in length. Multiple entries are welcomed. Total entries limited to 200.

Non-Fiction Guides and How-To Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Works published before December 30, 2018 will be disqualified. Books must be 50,000 plus words OR at least 75 pages for Photobooks, Graphic Books, Charts, and other types of visual books or cookbooks/instructional books (knitting, etc). You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

The Larry Brown Short Story Award

The submitted story must be less than 4,000 words. No previously published work will be considered. The writer’s name and contact information should only appear within the cover letter box in Submittable.

Anthology Poetry Competition

Submit an original, unpublished poem, written in English with a maximum of 40 lines. There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit. There is no age limit. All poems are judged anonymously and therefore the poet’s name must not appear on the poem itself. Name and contact details should be on the entry form only.

Flash 500 Novels competition

Anyone can enter. Entries may have appeared online in private (password protected) peer review sites, but should not have been published in any commercial online form including blogs or personal websites or accepted for publication elsewhere. Chapters must not exceed 3,000 words and must be accompanied by a one page synopsis of the balance of the story. Entries must be in English.

CIBA Fiction Series Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels must be published: Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Each book in the series must be at least 60,000 plus words. YA and Middle-Grade Works may be less but at least 40,000 words. The first book in the series must have been published AFTER January 1, 2010. You may enter in more than one category. However, each complete series entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

20c Wartime Historical Fiction | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Satirical & Allegorical Fiction Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Contemporary & Literary Novel Writing Contest | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Atlas shrugged essay contest.

The Atlas Shrugged novel essay contest is open to all students globally. Atlas Shrugged is a heroic mystery novel written by Ayn Rand. Choose a prompt and write a 800-1,600 word essay.

The Prime Number Magazine 53-Word Story Contest

Your story must be 53 words—no more, no less—titles are not included in the word count. Stories not meeting this rule will be disqualified. Send only stories; poetry with line breaks will not be considered. Hyphenated words count as one word. One submission per person. There are no age restrictions.

Shooter Literary Magazine: Shooter Flash Competition

Stories up to 1,000 words long on any theme/genre are welcomed . Stories must be no longer than 1,000 words excluding title. Stories may be submitted at any time as submissions are open on a rolling basis. Stories can be previously published or unpublished, and writers may submit multiple stories for consideration.

While not all the contests mentioned here will be suitable, there are surely a few that you’ll find inspiring. So check the ones that you are most interested in and start preparing to win some awards!

Top 2023 Writing Retreats from All Over the World

The Complete List of International Book Fairs in 2023

2023 Top Writers Conferences and Workshops in All Genres

10 Comments

' src=

Now that I am in my senior years, I find that I find that I have more time to return to writing stories of which there are many in my head. I think that with some structure like joining a contest or other writing formats, that it would be motivating for me to commit to writing, fiction initially.

' src=

Great to hear that you’re returning to writing! Participating in writing contests can definitely provide structure and motivation to commit. It’s also a great way to receive feedback on your writing and potentially gain recognition for your work.

Best of luck! 🙂

' src=

May we please add another writing competition to the list? Here are the details below:

Atlas Shrugged novel Essay Contest

Eligibility and Restrictions: The Atlas Shrugged novel essay contest is open to all students globally. Atlas Shrugged is a heroic mystery novel written by Ayn Rand. Choose a prompt and write a 800-1,600 word essay. First prize: $10,000; 3 second prizes: $2,000; 5 third prizes: $1,000; 25 finalists: $100; 50 semifinalists: $50. Please visit the website to apply: https://aynrand.org/students/essay-contests/atlas-shrugged/

Genre: Fiction Sub-Genre: Novel Entry Fee: Free Deadline: Nov 6 Prize: 84 cash-prizes up to $10,000

Thank you for sharing this information about the Atlas Shrugged Novel Essay Contest. We appreciate your contribution to the list of writing contests. The contest looks interesting and we will definitely consider adding it to our list.

Thank you again for bringing it to our attention.

' src=

Thank you for featuring the Anthology Short Story Competition! We also have a Poetry Competition that would be worth adding to your list. Here are the details: https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/poetry-competition/ Thanks!

Thank you for bringing this to our attention! We’ll definitely take a look at the Anthology Poetry Competition and consider adding it to our list.

Thank you for listing the Poetry Competition. We have also launched Flash Fiction and Travel Writing competitions this year: Travel Writing: https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/travel-writing-competition/ Flash Fiction: https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/flash-fiction-competition/

Would love if you could add them as well! Thank you.

' src=

Sure! Thanks for letting us know about your latest writing contests. We’ll make sure to add both in our next article update.

' src=

If you’re still updating this post, Bardsy has a contest we would love to have on your list!

Here is the contest information and link.

Contest Name: 2023 Winter Anthology Contest: Compelling First Chapters

Grand Prize: $1000 and anthology publication.

Finalist Prize: All finalists will receive $50 and anthology publication.

Prompt: Enter the first chapter of your in-progress novel or memoir. Your goal is to create a sample that compels readers to click buy. That means we’re looking for first chapters that capture our attention and leave us eager to keep reading.

Prerequisites: An original, unpublished first chapter. 2,500-3,000 words. Entrants must be 18+. Please do not send short stories or your entire manuscript. English only.

Deadline: 01/15/24.

Entry Fee: $20

https://bardsy.com/contest

Hi ALex, thank you for letting us know about your contest. We’ll try to add it in in the next update.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Kotobee

Kotobee is the complete end-to-end ebook solution for you and your business. Export multiple formats. Deliver securely.

Create, publish, and sell ebooks with ease

Kotobee es la solución completa de ebooks de extremo a extremo para usted y su empresa.

Cree, publique y venda libros electrónicos con facilidad

fiction writing competitions 2023

Recent Posts

  • 12 of the Best Book Writing Software to Try in 2024 (Free and Paid)
  • 8 Quiz Maker Tools for Learning and Teaching in 2024
  • What is Conflict in a Story and How to Write One in 8 Steps
  • The Most Vibrant Literary Festivals Happening in 2024
  • Adaptive Learning: What It Is and How to Apply It
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

fiction writing competitions 2023

59 Writing Contests in July 2023 — No entry fees

Erica Verrillo

Erica Verrillo

Curiosity Never Killed the Writer

T his July there are nearly five dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $100,000 to publication. None charge entry fees.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.

If you want to get a jump on next month’s contests go to Free Contests . Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.

PEN America’s U.S. Writers Aid Initiative . Restrictions : Applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping address a short-term emergency situation. Prize : Grant, amount not specified. Deadline : July 1, 2023.

The AutoEthnographer Student Scholarships . Restrictions : Open to creatives anywhere in the world who identify as active students at any age or level. Works must be nominated by an instructor, professor, tutor, or other educator; the author/artist must have been an enrolled student in the 2022–2023 school year. Genre : Works of literary and artistic autoethnography. Prize : $250 and publication. Deadline : July 1, 2023.

Virago 50th Furies Short Story Competition . Restrictions : Open to people of underrepresented genders and women who are from Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage, and multiple-ethnic groups; part of the LGBTQIA+ community; neurodiverse; have a disability; self-identify as working-class individuals; or are from a working-class background. Entrants must be aged 18 or over, resident in the United Kingdom and must not have an agent at the time of entering the Competition or have had any book or short story previously published by a publisher or self-published in whole or in part in any format. Genre : Feminist short story inspired by a synonym for ‘virago.’ Prize : £1,500 prize money and the opportunity to be published in the Furies paperback and ebook. Deadline : July 1, 2023.

Dan Veach Prize for Younger Poets . Restrictions : Open to poets aged 18–23. Genre : Poetry. Prize : $100 and publication in the Atlanta Review. Deadline : July 1, 2023.

Local Word Poetry Prize . Restrictions : Entries are welcome from living poets anywhere in Australia 16 years or older. Genre : Poetry. Prize : $2,000 AUD top prize. Deadline : July 1, 2023.

Richard J. Margolis Award . Genre : Journalism. Prize is awarded annually to a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. Prize : $5,000 and one month of residency at Blue Mountain Center. Deadline : July 1, 2023.

Kate Tufts Discovery Award . Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre : Poetry. Book must be author’s first full-length book of poetry, published between between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. Self-published books are accepted. Prize : $10,000. Deadline : July 1, 2023.

Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award . Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre : Poetry. The work submitted must be a first book of poetry published between between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted. Prize : $100,000. Deadline : July 1, 2023.

BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest (BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean). Restrictions : All entrants must be of Caribbean heritage/of Caribbean descent or writers who were born/raised and holding nationality in the Caribbean. Genre : Unpublished short fiction (3000 words max). Prize : US$1750 for each contest. Deadline : July 1, 2023.

Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards . Genre : Poetry. “The awards contest is an annual series of awards to encourage poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit.” Prize : $200. Deadline : July 1, 2023. Free entry for poets age 12 and under.

Limnisa Short Story Competition . Genre : Short story under 1,500 words on theme: A room of one’s own. Prize : One-week, all-inclusive writers’ retreat in Limnisa, Greece. Deadline: July 2, 2023.

The Michael O’Pray Prize . Restrictions : Open to all early-career writers based in the UK. Genre : Nonfiction writing on innovation and experimentation in the moving image. Prize : £750 top prize. Deadline : July 2, 2023.

4thWrite Short Story Prize . Restrictions : Open to Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic writers aged 18+ living in the UK or Ireland. Genre : Short story, 6,000 words maximum. Prize : £1,000, a one-day publishing workshop at 4th Estate and publication of their story on the Guardian website. Deadline : July 2, 2023.

Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowships . Restrictions : Open to writers who have lived in the state of Maine for at least one year. Genre : Fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction. Prize : $5,000. Deadline : July 6, 2023.

The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers . Restrictions : Open to unpublished Australian residents aged 18 years or older. Genre : Fiction and narrative non-fiction, the first three chapters plus synopsis (max 20,000 words). Prize : $10,000 and a year’s mentorship with one of Hachette Australia’s publishers. The Guardian Australia will publish an extract of the first chapter of the winning work on its website. Deadline : July 7, 2023.

Wingate Literary Prize . Genre : Published book that explores Jewish themes. Book must be published between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023, must be published, distributed or easily available in the UK and Ireland, and must be published in English, whether originally or in translation. Prize : £4,000. Deadline : July 7, 2023.

AAAS/Subaru Book Prize . Genre : Published science book. Categories include: Children’s Science Picture Book (prize to author and illustrator); Middle Grades Science Book (prize to author); Young Adult Science Book (prize to author); Hands-On Science Book (prize to author). Winning authors and illustrators will be recognized at the AAAS Annual Meeting which will be held February 15–17, 2024 in Denver, CO. Prize : $1500. Deadline : July 7, 2023.

HG Wells Short Story Competitio n. Genre : Short story on theme of “Motion.” Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Prize : £1,000 and publication in the annual HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology. Deadline : July 10, 2023. No fee for writers under the age of 21. Those over 21 can enter for a fee.

Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize . Restrictions : Only undergraduates enrolled full time in United States and Canadian universities and colleges are eligible. “This Prize has traditionally encouraged submissions from students with an Asian background, but we urge all students to enter.” Genre : Fiction of no more than 7,500 words. Prize : $1,000. Deadline : July 14, 2023.

Blessing the Boats . Restrictions : Open to all women poets of color in the U.S., including poets who identify as cis, trans, and non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that centers on women’s experiences, regardless of citizenship and publication history. Genre : Full-length poetry manuscript. Prize : $5,000 honorarium and book publication by BOA Editions, Ltd. Deadline : July 14, 2023.

Working Class Writers Nature Prize . Restrictions : Open to working class writers over 18 and living in the UK. The author must self-identify as working class and not have been published professionally in full-length book form. Genre : Fiction, non-fiction and poetry nature writing. Prize : £300 and a mentoring session. Deadline : July 14, 2023.

Apparition Lit . Genre : Flash fiction. See themes . Prize : $30. Deadline : July 14, 2023.

Iron Horse Prize . Genre : First book of collected prose. Prize : The author of the winning entry will receive $1000, and their collection will be published in the summer of 2024 by Texas Tech University Press. Deadline : July 15, 2023. Free submissions on July 15 only .

Kaidankai podcast . Genre : Stories with a haunted house theme. Length: 1000–3000 words. Prize : $25 — $100. Deadline : July 15, 2023.

Valiant Scribe Poetry Competition . Genre : Poetry. “Valiant Scribe calls for submissions that focus on war and peace, despair and hope. In a world filled with war, poverty, natural disasters, human rights violations, and other ills, we seek poetry that evokes thoughts of hope, telling us there is a light at the end of the tunnel.” See theme. Prize : $500 CAD. Deadline : July 15, 2023.

Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest . Genre : Poetry. Categories: #1 Traditional Sonnet — Shakespearean or Petrarchan; #2 Modern Sonnet. Prize : $50, 2nd Prize $30, 3rd Prize $20, three Honorable Mentions, three Special Recognitions. Deadline : July 15, 2023.

Boardman Tasker Prize . Restrictions : The prize will be awarded for a work first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between July 17, 2022 and July 15, 2023. Genre : Books with a mountain, not necessarily mountaineering, theme whether fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, written in the English language. Prize : £3,000.00. Deadline : July 15, 2023.

Arablit Story Prize . Genre : Short story translated from Arabic. Prize : $500. Deadline : July 15, 2023.

Stone Canoe . Restrictions : Open to people who live or have lived in Upstate New York (not New York City). Genres : Drama, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Prize : $500 and publication. Deadline : July 15, 2023 for fiction. (It is difficult to find this information on their website.)

The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize . Restrictions : Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online prior to their submission. Genre : Review of a contemporary art exhibition. Prize : £1,000. Deadline : July 17, 2023.

Donn Goodwin and Joseph Gahagen Poetry Prizes: Milwaukee Irish Fest . Genre : Poetry. Entries should have a culture/literary relation to either Ireland, Irish-America, or to Irish poetry. Prize : $100. Deadline : July 17, 2022.

Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards . Restrictions : Scottish writers over 18 years of age. Genres : The awards are divided into three different categories.: Fiction and Narrative Non-fiction in English and Scots, Poetry in English and Scots, Children’s and Young Adult Fiction in English and Scots. Prize: £2,000 and personal development opportunities, which can include mentoring from writers and industry professionals. Training in PR, performance and presentation training, and the opportunity to showcase work to publishers and agents. Deadline : July 19, 2023. (Noon)

Undiscovered Voices . Restrictions : Current members of SCBWI who live in the UK or one of the current countries of the EU or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Genre : Opening of an already completed novel for children, aimed at any age from 5 years through to Young Adult. You may submit up to 4,000 words — choosing a suitable place to stop your extract. Prize : Publication. Deadline : July 20, 2023.

Black Voices in Children’s Literature Writing Contest . Restrictions : The contest is open to Black authors who at the time of entry are at least 18 years of age and residing anywhere in the United States. Genre : Original children’s books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) or for ages 4–8 (300–800 words) featuring authentic, realistic Black characters and culture and focusing on one or more of the following topics: character development, self-esteem, identity, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, or other topics related to positive childhood development. Religious and fantasy themes will not be considered. Prize : First Place: $1000. Second Place: $500 cash prize. Third Place: $250 cash prize. Deadline : July 24, 2023.

Literature Matters . Restrictions : UK residents. Genre : “Awards will be given to individual writers or other literary creators, recognising their past achievements and providing them with financial support to undertake a proposed new piece of writing or literary project. Launched as part of the RSL’s new Literature Matters programme, priority will be given to proposals which (a) will help connect with audiences or topics outside the usual reach of literature, and/or (b) will help generate public discussion about why literature matters.” Award : £20,000. Deadline : July 28, 2023.

The Governor General’s Literary Awards . Restrictions : Books must have been written, translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Genre : Best English-language and the best French-language book will be chosen in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustrated books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize : $25,000. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Mustapha Matura Award . Restrictions : The competition is open to any playwright of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK. Entrants must be 25 years or under at the time of submission. Genre: Stage play in English. Television, radio plays and film scripts will not be considered. Prize : £3,000 top prize. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

The Prescription Prizes in Creative Writing . Genre : Prose (including scripts), poetry and hybrid writing. “In 2023 the RCPSG is launching its new ‘the prescription’ competition for creative writing around its historic collection of medical items representing Glasgow’s health care history. You can access our online collections here and you should include the name of the item that inspired you and its catalogue number in your competition entry.” Prize : £100 top prize. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest . Restrictions : Open to students who are FULL TIME, undergraduate students in an AMERICAN COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY during the Spring 2023 semester. Genre : Essay on topic: ““2023 is the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Does Abraham Lincoln deserve the title of ‘The Great Emancipator’? Why or why not?” Prize : 1st Prize $1500 | 2nd Prize $750 | 3rd Prize $500. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

SLF Diverse Writers and Diverse Worlds Grants . Restrictions : Open to writers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups, such as writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, working-class writers, etc. — those whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing / publishing process. Genres : Book-length works (novels, collections of short stories) of speculative fiction. Prize : $500. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award . Restrictions : Open to young poets age 11–17. Genre : Poetry. Prize : Publication. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Landfall Essay Competition . Restrictions : Open to New Zealand writers. Genre : Essay about New Zealand. Prize : The winner will receive $3000 and a year’s subscription to Landfall. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Polar Expressions Publications Short Story and Poetry Competition . Restrictions : Open to Canadians only. Genre : Short story, poetry. Prize : $500. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Tilted House: 1BR / 3BATH Poetry Chapbook Contest . Genre : Poetry chapbook, 16–35 pages of “experimental, puckish, political, funny, playful, polemical, and/or uncomfortable. In a word: anti-poetry. While there is no theme, per se, we are hungry for work that twists the arm of poetry’s status quo. We like meta poetics, satire, work that is aware of itself and what’s in the air. Maybe you “don’t know what you’re doing” or feel like your work is “unpublishable.” Send it to us! Give us your freaky. Give us your fun.” Prize : $200. Deadline : July 31, 2023. READING FEE: $0–$20, sliding scale.

Crossing the Tees Book Festival . Genre : Short stories, 3000 words max. Prize : Cash prize. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Singapore Unbound . Restrictions : Open to undergraduates. Genre : Critical essays on topics in Singapore literature. Prize : $250. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

The Washburn Chapbook Prize . Restrictions : Open to women or non-binary writers. Genre : Chapbook exactly 10 poems long. Prize : $200 and publication of their micro chapbook online at Harbor Review. Deadline : July 31, 2023. Fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers only.

Biopage . Genre : “Inspiring, uplifting, and heartwarming stories.” Prizes : Up to $300. Deadline : July 31, 2023. Registration required .

The 1729 Book Prize in Poetry . Genre : Book-length poetry. Prize : $1000 and publication. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Arvon Award . Restrictions : Open to writers living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months. Genre : Full-length work of fiction, poetry or narrative non-fiction work in progress. Prize : Arvon course. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

TLC Free Reads . Restrictions : Open to writers living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months. Genre : Full-length work of fiction or narrative non-fiction work in progress. Prize : In-depth editorial report on their work in progress, Deadline : July 31, 2023.

NorthBound Book Award . Restrictions : Open to writers living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain here for at least another 12 months. Genre : Completed full-length work of fiction or narrative non-fiction. Prize : advance against royalties of £5000, publication with Saraband and access to the Northern Writers’ Awards Network. Royalties will be paid on Saraband’s standard terms. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Surging Tide . Genre : Poetry, prose. Prize : The winner of each category will be awarded $100 and each runner-up will also be awarded $25. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers . Genre : An unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. Prize : $2,000. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Lune Spark Young Writers’ Short Story Contest . Restrictions : Open to writers 10–13 years old, and 13–16 years old. (Two categories.) Genre : Short story. Prize : $500 for first place; $250, 2nd place; $100, 3rd place. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

#GWstorieseverywhere . Genre : Micro fiction or essay on theme of Mirage. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. Prize : Free Gotham class. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South Essay Contest . Restrictions : Open to women (including trans and nonbinary women) age 18+. Genre : Nonfiction essay, 1200 words max, on repair, release, or renewal. Each of us writes amid torn hearts, fractured communities, and broken systems. When do we repair? What do we release? How do we renew? We invite essays that explore, complicate, and/or write against this theme. Prize : $300. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

What’s Your Story? Restrictions : Open to Victorian residents. (Australia) Genre : Poetry, short stories, CNF. Prize : $500. Deadline : July 31, 2023.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to “revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful.” Genre : Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize : $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline : July 31, 2023. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .

Erica Verrillo

Written by Erica Verrillo

Helping writers get published and bolstering their flagging spirits at http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/

More from Erica Verrillo and Curiosity Never Killed the Writer

43 Writing Contests in January 2024 — No entry fees

43 Writing Contests in January 2024 — No entry fees

This january there are more than three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, cnf, nonfiction, and plays. prizes….

85 Writing Contests in February 2024 — No entry fees

85 Writing Contests in February 2024 — No entry fees

Despite being nasty, brutish, and short, february always hosts reams of writing contests. this february there are more than seven dozen….

14 New Agents Seeking Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, YA, LGBT, Children’s Books and more

14 New Agents Seeking Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, YA, LGBT, Children’s Books and more

64 Calls for Submissions in February 2024 — Paying markets

64 Calls for Submissions in February 2024 — Paying markets

This february there are more than five dozen calls for submissions. all of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. as…, recommended from medium.

2024 writing contests (up to $500 prizes) with free entries and later submission dates

Write to Earn

2024 writing contests (up to $500 prizes) with free entries and later submission dates

Write submit and earn.

7 New Agents Seeking SFF, Thrillers, Rom-coms, Memoir, Horror, LGBT, Nonfiction and more

7 New Agents Seeking SFF, Thrillers, Rom-coms, Memoir, Horror, LGBT, Nonfiction and more

fiction writing competitions 2023

My Favorite Writing Advice & Inspo

fiction writing competitions 2023

Our favorite writing prompts and inspiration

fiction writing competitions 2023

Stories To Help You Overcome Writer's Block

fiction writing competitions 2023

Best of The Writing Cooperative

10 Writing Contests for March 2024

The Author's Source

10 Writing Contests for March 2024

Here are ten writing contests with march 2024 deadlines that do and do not charge entry fees. contests may have certain restrictions, so….

These Words Make it Obvious That Your Text is Written By AI

James Presbitero Jr.

Practice in Public

These Words Make it Obvious That Your Text is Written By AI

These 7 words are painfully obvious. they make me cringe. they will make your reader cringe..

A Complete Beginner’s Guide on How to Earn by Writing Articles

Zulie Writes

A Complete Beginner’s Guide on How to Earn by Writing Articles

This is for you if you have never earned a penny in your life from writing — but you want to..

Top Writing Contests that pay $250–1000 in 2024

Sabina Writes

Top Writing Contests that pay $250–1000 in 2024

Find out the top writing contests of 2024 on reedsy.com. submit your work by genre and deadline in these writing contests, and get cash….

Text to speech

IMAGES

  1. Announcing the 2023 KET Young Writers Contest

    fiction writing competitions 2023

  2. Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition 2023

    fiction writing competitions 2023

  3. Writing Contests to Enter in 2023

    fiction writing competitions 2023

  4. The Bridport Prize 2023

    fiction writing competitions 2023

  5. writing competitions in 2023

    fiction writing competitions 2023

  6. 2022-2023 Creative Writing Competition

    fiction writing competitions 2023

COMMENTS

  1. Best 156 Fiction Writing Contests in 2024

    Discover the 156 best Fiction writing contests of 2024, vetted by Reedsy! Sort by deadline and entry fee to find the best paid and free %category% writing contests out there. Our next novel writing master class starts in 06d 02h 40m 27s !

  2. 40 Free Writing Contests: Competitions With Cash Prizes

    We found 40 reputable, well-reviewed, free writing contests for poets, fiction writers, essayists and more. With thousands of dollars in cash prizes and numerous opportunities to secure a publishing contract, you’re sure to find the right free writing contest for your work.

  3. Writing Contests 2023: Cash Prizes, Free Entries, & More! -

    Book Pipeline has organized this writing contest in 2023 “exclusively for unpublished manuscripts across eight categories of fiction and nonfiction”. Aside from the cash prizes, the finalists receive circulation to publishers, agents, editors, and film and TV producers. Word count: 250–750 Prizes: $20,000, $2,500 per category

  4. 200+ Writing Contests to Join in 2023

    Writing Contest is open to GCWA members and the public — adults 18 and over, youth 11 to 17. Original, unpublished submissions only. Fiction / Nonfiction / Children’s Stories —1500 words maximum. Poetry – 40 lines maximum.

  5. 59 Writing Contests in July 2023

    T his July there are nearly five dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $100,000 to publication. None charge entry fees. Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.