ideas for creative writing competition

Your Ultimate Guide to Writing Contests Through 2024

Regardless where you are on your writing journey, you can benefit from entering contests.

The right contest can tell you:

• Where you stand
• How you measure up against the competition
• What you still need to learn

And you could win cash.

That’s why my team researched a wide range of high-quality contests. We’ve included free competitions and also many with modest entry fees.

• Short Story Writing Contests
• Full Manuscript Writing Contests
• Poetry Writing Contests

Great American Fiction Contest

Prize: 1st: $1,000, publication in The Saturday Evening Post

Runners-up (5): $200

Entry Fee: $10

Deadline: TBD 2024 (Annual Contest)

Sponsor: The Saturday Evening Post

From Website: “Unpublished short stories of 1,500 to 5,000 words in any genre touching on the publication’s mission, “Celebrating America—past, present, and future.” No extreme profanity or graphic sex. Work published on a personal website or blog is still eligible.”

SiWC Writing Contest

Prize: 1st: $1,000 plus publication

Honorable Mention: $150

Entry Fee: $15

Deadline: September 15, 2024

Sponsor: Surrey International Writers’ Conference

From Website: “Short stories in any genre must be 2,500-4,000 words. All submissions must contain original material and may not have been previously published, accepted for publication, or have been a winner in another contest prior to the deadline.”

WOW / Women On Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Competition

Prize: 1st: $400, $25 Amazon gift certificate

2nd: $300, $25 Amazon gift certificate

3rd: $200, $25 Amazon gift certificate

Runners-up (7): $25 Amazon gift certificate

Honorable mentions (10): $20 Amazon gift certificate

Entry Fee: $10 (or $20 with feedback)

Deadline: Quarterly (next deadline February 2, 2024)

Sponsor: WOW / Women On Writing

From Website: “Runs four times a year and is open to all styles and genres. Closes each quarter after 300 entries have been received, or at the deadline. WOW also runs a quarterly nonfiction essay competition with cash prizes.”

Bristol Short Story Prize

Prize: 1st: £1,000 (~$1,242)

2nd: £500 (~$621)

3rd: £250 (~$310)

Shortlisted (17): £100 (~$124)

Entry Fee: £9 (~$11)

Deadline: TBD 2024

Sponsor: Bristol Short Story Prize

From Website: “Open to all published and unpublished writers 16 and up. No geographical restriction, but all entries must be in English. Maximum length 4,000 words (not including title). No minimum length. Stories can be on any subject.”

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award

Prize: £2,500 (~$3,105)

Winners also receive further non-monetary prizes including publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual.

Entry Fee: £18 (~$22) (Poetry Category entry fee is ~$15) 

Deadline: August 31, 2024

Sponsor: Aesthetica Magazine

From Website: “Fiction entries should be no more than 2,000 words. Works published or entered elsewhere are accepted. Any theme accepted. You may enter as many times as you wish, however, each work requires a separate fee and submission form.”

The Lascaux Prize

Prize: $1,000

Finalists receive $100

Deadline: June 20, 2024

Sponsor: The Lascaux Review

“Flash Fiction and Creative Nonfiction categories. 

Flash fiction entries should not exceed 1,000 words. All genres and styles welcome. 

From Website: “Creative nonfiction entry length must not exceed 10,000 words. All topics welcome but should be written in a nonacademic style. May include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, learned, or discovered.”

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

Prize: First place: £3,000 cash grant (~$3,726)

Second place: £1,000 travel expense (~$1,242)

Third place: £1,000 travel expense (~$1,242)

Entry Fee: Free

Deadline: March 1, 2024

Sponsor: The Alpine Fellowship

From Website: “Entries must fit the annual theme. Maximum of 2,500 words. All genres of writing are permitted, including fiction, non-fiction, and non-academic essays. Open to all nationalities but must be written in English. Stories must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online. No entries that have won or been placed in another competition at any time.”

ServiceScape Short Story Award

Deadline: November 29, 2024

Sponsor: ServiceScape

From Website: “All entries must be original, unpublished works of short fiction or nonfiction, up to 5,000 words in length. Any genre or theme accepted.”

Bacopa Literary Review Contest

Prize: $200 Award 

$100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories

Sponsor: The Writers Alliance of Gainesville

From Website: “Awards in 6 categories (contestants may submit to only ONE category). Fiction (up to 2,500 words), Creative Nonfiction (up to 2,500 words), Humor (up to 2,000 words), Formal Poetry (1-3 poems), Free Verse Poetry (1-2 poems), Visual Poetry (1 poem).”

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

Prize: $.08 per word and publication

Deadline: February 1, 2024

Sponsor: National Space Society and Baen Books

From Website: “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. What they want to see: Moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, artificial intelligence, nano-technology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, and adventure.”

Parsec Short Story Contest

Prize: First place: $200 and publication in the Confluence program book. 

Second place: $100 

Third place: $50 

Best Youth Story: $50

Deadline: March 31st, 2024

Sponsor: Parsec, Inc.

From Website: “Each annual contest is based on a theme provided. This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, and dialogue; the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing. No minimum word count, no more than 3500 words. The 2024 Contest theme is ‘AI mythology.’” 

The Raymond Carver Short Story Contest

Prize: First place: $2000 

Second place: $500 

Third place: $250 

Two Editor’s Choice: $125

Entry Fee: $18

Deadline: May 15, 2024

Sponsor: Carve Magazine

From Website: “One short story per entry. No limit to entries. Must be previously unpublished (including online) with a 10,000 maximum word count. We accept entries from anywhere in the world, but the story must be English-language. No genre fiction (romance, horror, sci-fi); literary fiction only.”

Blurred Genres Flash Contest

Prize: First Place: $750 

Second Place: $350 

Third Place: $150 

Publication of Top Five

Sponsor: Invisible City (University of San Francisco)

From Website: “Based on a theme (for example last year’s theme was “Levity”) that can be interpreted through prose, poetry, or some combination of the two. All genres and themes are welcome. Contest submissions must be 750 words or less and can be flash fiction/nonfiction, prose poetry, or some unique combination of the three. Submissions must be the original work of the submitter and unpublished (and not slated for future publication).”

Imagine 2200: Write the future

Prize: First Place: $3,000

Second Place: $2,000 

Third Place: $1,000

An additional nine finalists will each receive $300 

All winners and finalists will have their stories published in an immersive collection on Grist’s website

Sponsor: Grist

From Website: “Imagine 2200 is an invitation to writers from all over the globe to imagine a future in which solutions to the climate crisis flourish and help bring about radical improvements to our world. 3,000 to 5,000 word stories envisioning a world where we prioritize our well-being, work to mend our communities, and lead lives that celebrate our humanity.”

The Elegant Literature Award For New Writers

Prize: First place: $3,000 and 10c/word and publication. Free enrollment in the New Novelist Accelerator.

Second – Tenth: 10c/word and publication.

Eleventh – Thirty-fifth: $20 and an honorable mention in the magazine

Entry Fee: Requires Elegant+ Membership ($9.99 a month)

Deadline: Ongoing (monthly)

Sponsor: Elegant Literature Magazine

From Website: “Write a story involving annual theme. New or unpublished authors may enter. Word count is 500-2000. All genres are welcome as long as it involves the theme.”

F(r)iction Contests

Prize: $300.00 and consideration for publication in F(r)iction

Entry Fee: $10 for a single entry, $12 for three entries

Deadline: April 30, 2024

Sponsor: F(r)iction

From Website: “Competitions in several categories, short stories (1,001 – 7,500 words), flash fiction (up to 1,000 words), and Poetry (up to three pages per poem). Entries are accepted regardless of genre, style, or origin. Experimental, nontraditional, and boundary-pushing literature is strongly encouraged. Their guidelines include the phrase ‘Strange is good.’”

Manchester Fiction Prize

Prize: £10,000 (~$12,420)

Entry Fee: £18 (~$22) 

100 reduced-price (£10 or ~$13) entries are available to entrants who might not otherwise be able to take part in the competition.

Sponsor: Manchester Metropolitan University

From Website: “The Manchester Fiction Prize asks for a short story of up to 2,500 words in length. Stories submitted should be new work, not previously published elsewhere. The Prize is open internationally to those aged 16 or over.”  

Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition

Prize: Grand Prize $5000, an interview with them in Writer’s Digest (Nov/Dec 2023 issue) and on WritersDigest.com, a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including a special trophy presentation at the keynote, a coveted Pitch Slam slot at the Writer’s Digest Conference where the winner will receive one on one attention from editors or agents, and publication of their winning piece on WritersDigest.com

First Place: $1,000 and publication of their winning piece on WritersDigest.com

Second Place: $500 

Third Place: $250 

Fourth Place: $100 

Fifth Place: $50 

Sixth through Tenth Place: $25 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com.

Entry Fee: $20-30 (varies depending on category)

Deadline: May 6, 2024 

Sponsor: Writer’s Digest

From Website: “Only original works that have not been published (at the time of submission) in print, digital, or online publications will be considered. Self-published work in blogs, on social media, etc. will be considered. For the script category, only unproduced scripts will be considered. Entries in the Nonfiction Essay or Article category may be previously published. All entries must be in English. Memoirs/Personal Essay, Nonfiction Essay or Article, and Children’s/Young Adult Fiction: 2,000 words maximum. Mainstream/Literary Short Story, Genre Short, Story, and Humor: 4,000 words maximum. Inspirational Writing: 2,500 words maximum. Rhyming Poem and Non-rhyming Poem: 40 lines maximum.”

Emerging Writer’s Contest

Prize: Publication, $2,000, review from Aevitas Creative Management, and a 1-year subscription for one winner in each of the three genres

Entry Fee: Free for subscribers to Ploughshares, $24 for nonsubscribers

Sponsor: Ploughshares (Emerson College)

From Website: “The contest is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book. Fiction and Nonfiction: Under 6,000 words. Poetry: 3-5 pages.”

Wells Festival of Literature Short Story Competition

Prize: First Place £750 (~$932)

Second Place £300 (~$373)

Third Place: £200 (~$248)

Entry Fee: £6 (~$8)

Sponsor: Wells Festival of Literature

From Website: “Stories may be on any subject and should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words. All entries must be the exclusive and original work of the entrant. At the time of entry, the work submitted must not have been entered into any other Competition and must not have been published in any format or location.”

Anthology Short Story Competition

Prize: First Place: €1,000 (~$1098), the chance to see their work published in a future issue of Anthology, and a one-year subscription to Anthology 

Second Place: €250 (~$275)

Third Place: €150 (~$165)

Entry Fee: Early Bird: €12 (~$13)

Standard fee: €18 (~$20)

Deadline: July 31, 2024

Sponsor: Anthology Publishing

From Website: “Established to recognize and encourage creative writing and provide a platform for publication, the Anthology Short Story Competition is open to original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. There is no restriction on theme or style. Stories submitted must not exceed the maximum of 1,500 words.” 

The Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize

Prize: £1,000 (~$1,246) and publication in Wasafiri’s print magazine

Entry Fee: £10 (~$12) for a single entry, £16 (~$20) for a double entry

Sponsor: Wasafiri Magazine 

From Website: “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. No entry may exceed 3,000 words. A single poetry entry can include up to three poems, which together total no more than 3,000 words.”

2024 Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Prize: $1000 and a free 10-week course with Gotham Writers

Entry Fee: $25

Sponsor: Gotham Writers and Selected Shorts

From Website: “This long-running series at Symphony Space in New York City celebrates the art of the short story by having stars of stage and screen read aloud the works of established and emerging writers. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally on both the radio and its weekly podcast.”

Robert and Adele Schiff Awards

Prize: $1,000 All entries will be considered for publication in The Cincinnati Review

Entry Fee: $20

Sponsor: The Cincinnati Review (University of Cincinnati)

From Website: “Writers may submit up to 8 pages of poetry, 40 pages of a single double-spaced piece of fiction, or 20 pages of a single double-spaced piece of literary nonfiction, per entry. Previously published manuscripts, including works that have appeared online (in any form), will not be considered. There are no restrictions as to form, style, or content; all entries will be considered for publication. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable under the condition that you notify us if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.” 

Salamander 2024 Fiction Prize

Prize: First Place: $1,000 and Publication

 Second Place: $500 and Publication

Deadline: TBD 2024 

Sponsor: Salamander Magazine

From Website: “All entries will be considered for publication and will be judged anonymously. Each story must not exceed 30 double-spaced pages in 12-point font. Previously published works and works accepted for publication elsewhere cannot be considered. Salamander’s definition of publishing includes electronic publication.”

BOA Short Fiction Prize

Prize: $1,000 and publication by BOA Editions, Ltd.

Deadline: May 31, 2024

Sponsor: BOA Editions, Ltd.

From Website: “Entrants must be U.S. citizens, legal residents of the U.S., or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or Legal Permanent Status (LPS). Entrants must be at least 18 years of age. Minimum of 90 pages; maximum of 200 pages. Manuscript text should be at least 12 pt. font, double-spaced. As with all BOA fiction titles, our prize-winning short story collections are more concerned with the artfulness of writing than the twists and turns of plot. It is our belief that short story writing is a valuable and underserved literary form that we are proud to support, nurture, and celebrate.”

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Prize: First Place: $3,000 

Entry Fee: $22

Deadline: May 1, 2024

Sponsor: Winning Writers (Co-sponsored by Duotrope)

From Website: “For this contest, a story is any short work of fiction, and an essay is any short work of nonfiction. All themes accepted. Entries may be published or unpublished. Length limit: 6,000 words maximum. No restriction on the age of the author.”

Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction

Prize: $1,333

Deadline: November 1, 2024

Sponsor: Reed Magazine

From Website: “C reative nonfiction, such as personal essays or narratives, not scholarly papers or book reviews. All works should be stand-alone essays, not chapters of a longer work. Previously published work is not eligible. Up to 5,000 words.”

53-Word Story Contest

Prize: Publication in Prime Number Magazine and a free book from Press 53.

Deadline: Ongoing. 15th of each month

Sponsor: Prime Number Magazine

From Website: “New prompt each month. Judges are looking for stories with a surprising approach to the prompt, something unusual and creative. Stories must be 53 words—no more, no less. Stories with fewer than or more than 53 words will be disqualified. Send only stories; poetry with line breaks will not be considered.”

Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction

Prizes: Three Winners are announced who are published and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are Longlisted. All entries considered for publication, and for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other anthologies.

Deadline: Awarded every two months

Sponsor: Letter Review

From Website: “Word Length: 0 – 5000 words. Open to anyone in the world. There are no genre or theme restrictions.”

Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

Entry Fee: $20.

From Website: “0 – 5000 words. Open to anyone in the world. We welcome all forms of nonfiction including: Memoir, journalism, essay (including personal essay), fictocriticism, creative nonfiction, travel, nature, opinion, and many other permutations.”

University of New Orleans Press Lab Prize

Prize: $10,000 advance on royalties and a contract to publish with the University of New Orleans Press

Entry Fee: $28

Sponsor: University of New Orleans

From Website: “Entries must be unpublished novels or short story collections. The work does not have to be regionally focused. There is no word limit. There is no restriction on subjects covered. The contest is open to all authors from around the world, regardless of publishing history.  Works of fiction (novels and short story collections) only. Submissions must be your entire manuscript.”

The Bath Novel Awards 

Prize: Two £3,000 (~$3738) prizes are awarded annually for the best manuscript as judged by literary agents

All shortlistees win feedback on their full manuscript.

Entry Fee: £29 (~$36)

Deadline: May 31st 2024

Sponsor: The Bath Novel Award (co-sponsored by Cornerstones Literary Consultancy and Professional Writing Academy)

From Website: “Submit the opening 5,000 words plus one-page synopsis of novel manuscripts for adults or young adults. Completed works must be over 50,000 words. Novels can be for adult or young adult readers and any genre. Must be your original work and submitted in English. Novels can be unpublished, self-published, or independently published.”

The Times/Chicken House Competition

Prize:  First Place: worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £10,000 (~$12,459), plus an offer of representation by this year’s agent judge, Davinia Andrew-Lynch of Curtis Brown. 

Second Place: Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award. A publishing contract with a royalty advance of £7,500 (~$9,344) plus an offer of representation by Davinia Andrew-Lynch.

Entry Fee: £20 (~$25)

Deadline: June 1, 2024

Sponsor: The Times and Chicken House 

From Website: “To enter, you must have written a completed full-length novel suitable for children/young adults aged somewhere between 7 and 18 years. A minimum of 30,000 words and a maximum of 80,000 words suggested.”

The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction

Prize: $5,000 advance and publication by Dzanc Books

Deadline: September 30, 2024

Sponsor: Dzanc Books

From Website: “The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction recognizes daring, original, and innovative novels (generally over 40,000 words, but there is no hard minimum). The contest is open to new, upcoming, and established writers alike. Agented submissions are also eligible, and we ask that you include all agency contact information with the application. All submitted works must be previously unpublished novel-length manuscripts and should include a brief synopsis, author bio, and contact information.”

Claymore Award

Prize: Discounted admission to Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference, with introductions to agents/editors (And probably publishing contract)

Entry Fee: $45 (Full critique included for $125)

Deadline: April 1, 2024

Sponsor: Killer Nashville

From Website: “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. These can include Action Adventure, Comedy, Cozy, Historical, Investigator, Juvenile/YA, Literary, Mainstream/Commercial, Mystery, Nonfiction, Sci-fi/Fantasy, Short Story Collections, Southern Gothic, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller, and Western manuscripts, and any of their derivatives. (Self-published manuscripts are considered already published and are not eligible.)”

St. Martin’s Minotaur / Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition

Prize: Publication and a $10,000 advance

Sponsor: Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America

From Website: “Open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any published novel and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. All Manuscripts submitted must be original works of book length (no less than 220 typewritten pages or approximately 60,000 words), written in the English language, written solely by the entrant, and must not violate any right of any third party or be libelous. Murder or another serious crime is at the heart of the story.”

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing

Prize: $10,000 advance and publication

Sponsor: Restless Books

From Website: “Created in 2015 to honor outstanding debut literary works by first-generation immigrants, awarded for fiction and nonfiction in alternating years. Fiction manuscripts must be complete. Nonfiction submissions must consist of either a complete manuscript or a sample of at least 25,000 words and a detailed proposal that includes a synopsis and an annotated table of contents. All submissions must be in English (translations welcome). Fiction candidates must not have previously published a book of fiction in English. Nonfiction candidates must not have previously published a book of nonfiction in English.”

New American Fiction Prize

Prize: $1,500 and a book contract, as well as 25 author’s copies and promotional support

Deadline: January 15, 2024

Sponsor: New American Press

From Website: “Manuscripts should be at least 100 pages, but there is no maximum length. All forms and styles of full-length fiction manuscripts are welcome, including story collections, novels, novellas, collections of novellas, flash fiction collections, novels in verse, and other hybrid forms.”

Your Next Best Read

Prize: First Place (Fiction & Nonfiction): $100 Cash Price, 6-month Advertising Package, Press Release, Editorial Review, Newsletter Announcement, Promotional Creatives

Second Place Awards (Fiction & Nonfiction): 6-month Advertising Package, Editorial Review, Newsletter Announcement

Third Place (Fiction & Nonfiction): 3-month Advertising Package, Editorial Review, Newsletter Announcement

Deadline: May 5, 2024

Sponsor: Excalibre Publishing

From Website: “ The contest is open to writers of all backgrounds, ages, and nationalities. Both published and unpublished works are welcome. We encourage submissions in various/ALL genres –  fiction, non-fiction, poetry (submit in nonfiction), and short stories. No specific wordcount requiered. Submissions must be in English.”

Letter Review Prize for Manuscripts

Prizes: Three Winners are announced who have a brief extract published, receive a letter of recommendation from our Judges for publishers, and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are Longlisted.

Entry Fee: $25.

Deadline: Awarded Every two months

From Website: “Please submit the first 5000 words of your manuscript, whether it be prose or poetry. Open to anyone in the world. The entry must not have been traditionally published. We are seeking all varieties of novels, short story collections, nonfiction, and poetry collections. We will accept manuscripts which are unpublished, self published, and some which are indie published. Review full entry guidelines for further details.”

2nd place in fiction & non-fiction $750 cash prize and trophy

3rd place in fiction & non-fiction $500 cash prize and trophy

Winner of each of the 80+ categories $100 cash prize and gold medal

Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize

Prize: $2,500 plus publication

Entry Fee: $30

Sponsor: Kent State University Press

From Website: “Offered annually to a poet who has not previously published a full-length collection of poems. The winner and the competition’s judge will give a reading together on the Kent State campus. The competition is open to poets writing in English who have not yet published a full-length collection of poems (a volume of 50 or more pages published in an edition of 500 or more copies).”

Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry

Prize: $2,000 plus publication

Sponsor: Lynx House Press

From Website: “Awarded for an unpublished, full-length volume of poems by a U.S. author, which includes foreign nationals living and writing in the U.S. and U.S. citizens living abroad. Manuscripts may include poems that have appeared in journals, magazines, or chapbooks. Poems that have previously appeared in full-length, single-author collections, are not eligible.”

Ó Bhéal Five Words International Poetry Competition

Prize: First Place: €750 ($890) 

Second Place: €500 ($590) 

Third Place: €250 ($295)

Entry Fee: €5 ($6)

Deadline: Every Tuesday at 12pm (Irish time) from April 11, 2023 – January 30, 2024

Sponsor: Ó Bhéal

From Website: “Five words will be posted on this competition page. Entrants will have one week to compose and submit one or more poems which include all five words given for that week. Entry is open to all countries. Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and must include all five words listed for the week.”

Letter Review Prize for Poetry

Prizes: Three Winners are announced who are published and share in the $800 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are Longlisted. All entries considered for publication, and for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other anthologies.

Entry Fee: $15.

From Website: “70 lines max per poem Open to anyone in the world. There are no style or subject restrictions.”

• Advice for Researching Writing Competitions

This list includes only a few of the many writing contests you can find online.

Here are some tips for looking into options on your own:

1. Narrow your search with details that are relevant to you, for example, “writing contests in Texas,” “writing contests for women authors,” or “writing contests for veterans.” 

2. Be genre-specific.

3. Include the year in your search to ensure the most up-to-date results. 

4. Carefully read the guidelines and eligibility requirements. 

5. Pay attention to the contest sponsor. Only submit to reputable hosts.  

Worried your writing isn’t quite ready to compete? Take my free writing assessment and see personalized guidance on how to improve your skills. https://jerryjenkins.com/quiz/

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35 Writing Contests to Enter Right Now (2022)

Find 35 excellent writing contests below for 2022. They're all open to direct, unagented submissions. Polish your manuscript and submit it to one of these great publishers (and, if you're looking for a class in fiction , poetry , nonfiction , or screenwriting , we've got you covered): New American Press

Poetry Prize

A prize of $1,500, publication by New American Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Eduardo C. Corral will judge. Using only the online...

Hippocrates Prize

Prizes for poetry and medicine.

A prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,379) and publication in the Hippocrates Prize anthology and as a video recording on the Hippocrates website is given annually for a single...

Arrowsmith Press

Derek walcott prize for poetry.

A prize of $1,000 will be given annually for a poetry collection published in English by a writer who is not a citizen of the United States. The winner will also receive an...

Academy of American Poets

Raiziss/de palchi book prize.

A prize of $10,000 is given biennially for the translation into English of a significant work of modern Italian poetry published in the United States. Books by living...

Ambroggio Prize

A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Arizona Press is given annually for a book of poetry originally written in Spanish by a living writer and translated into...

Furious Flower Poetry Prize

Furious flower poetry center.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Obsidian , the literary journal of Illinois State University, is given annually for a group of poems. The winner also receives a $500...

Milkweed Editions

Ballard spahr prize for poetry.

A prize of $10,000 and publication by Milkweed Editions is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet currently residing in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South...

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry translated from any language into English and published in the United States during the previous year. David Shook will...

Sarabande Books

Morton and mccarthy prizes.

Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication by Sarabande Books are given annually for collections of poetry and fiction. For the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry, submit a...

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

A prize of $1,500 and publication on the competition website is given annually for a short story by a writer whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally distributed...

Hidden River Arts

Willow run poetry book award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Hidden River Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a...

Sustainable Arts Foundation

Writing awards.

Up to twenty awards of $5,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers with children. Writers with at least one child under the age of...

Black Caucus of the American Library Association

Self-publishing literary awards.

Two prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for a poetry e-book and a fiction e-book by an African American writer self-published in the United States during the previous year...

Fish Publishing

Flash fiction prize.

A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,164) and publication in the Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short short story. The winner is also invited to give a...

Omnidawn Publishing

First/second poetry book contest.

A prize of $3,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. Mary Jo Bang will judge. Submit a...

Little Tokyo Historical Society

Short story contest.

A prize of $500 and publication in Rafu Shimpo and on the Discover Nikkei website is given annually for a short story that takes place in the Little Tokyo district of...

Association of Writers & Writing Programs

Award series.

Two prizes of $5,500 each and publication by a participating press are given annually for a poetry collection and a short story collection. In addition, two prizes of $2,500...

Austin Community College

Balcones prizes.

Two prizes of $1,500 each are given annually for a poetry collection and a book of fiction published during the previous year. Authors or publishers may submit three copies of...

Tupelo Press

Snowbound chapbook award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Tupelo Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Submit a manuscript of 20 to 36 pages with a $25 entry fee by February 28. All...

Red Hen Press

Women’s prose prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a book of fiction or nonfiction by a writer who identifies as a woman. Melanie Conroy-Goldman will...

University of Wisconsin

Wisconsin institute for creative writing fellowships.

An academic year in residence, which includes a stipend of at least $39,000, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison is given annually to at least five writers working on a...

Alabama State Council on the Arts

Literary arts fellowships.

Fellowships of $5,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in the state of Alabama for at least two years. Using...

Broadside Lotus Press

Naomi long madgett poetry award.

A prize of $500 and publication by Broadside Lotus Press is given annually for a poetry collection by an African American poet. Submit two copies of a manuscript of 60 to 90...

Mississippi Arts Commission

Literary artist fellowships.

Grants of up to $5,000 each are given in alternating years to Mississippi poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. This year the fellowships will be offered in...

Poets & Writers

Maureen egen writers exchange award.

Two prizes of $500 each are awarded annually to a poet and a fiction writer from a select state. Each winner will also receive a monthlong residency at the Jentel Artist...

Selected Shorts

Stella kupferberg memorial short story prize.

A prize of $1,000 and tuition for a 10-week writing class through New York City's Gotham Writers Workshop is given annually for a short story. The winning work will be...

Persea Books

Lexi rudnitsky editor’s choice award.

A prize of $2,000 and publication by Persea Books is given annually for a poetry collection by a U.S. poet who has published at least one book of poetry. Using only the online...

Colorado Review

Nelligan prize for short fiction.

A prize of $2,500 and publication in Colorado Review is given annually for a short story. Ramona Ausubel will judge. Submit a story between 2,500 and 12,500 words with a...

University of Notre Dame

Andrés montoya poetry prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Notre Dame Press is given biennially for a debut poetry collection by a Latinx poet residing in the United States. John...

National Poetry Series

Open competition.

Five prizes of $10,000 each and publication by participating trade, university, or small press publishers are given annually for poetry collections. The 2022 publishers are...

Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a single poem. Forrest Gander will judge. Submit up to three poems of no more than three pages each with a $10 entry fee by March 15....

Airlie Press

Airlie prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Airlie Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a...

Prairie Schooner

Raz-schumaker book prizes.

Two prizes of $3,000 each and publication by University of Nebraska Press are given annually for a poetry collection and a short story collection. Kwame Dawes will judge....

Eludia Award

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Sowilo Press is given annually for a first book of fiction by a woman writer over the age of 40. Using only the online submission system,...

James Jones Literary Society

First novel fellowship.

A prize of $10,000 is given annually for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. Runners-up will each receive $1,000. Using only the online...

A Public Space

Writing fellowships.

Three six-month fellowships of $1,000 each are given annually to emerging fiction and nonfiction writers who have not published a full-length book. The fellows will work with...

First Pages Prize

A prize of $2,000, developmental editing support, and an agent consultation will be given annually for the first five pages of a work of fiction or creative nonfiction. A...

Bauhan Publishing

May sarton new hampshire poetry prize.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Bauhan Publishing, and 50 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Rebecca Kaiser Gibson will judge. Submit a manuscript of 50...

Fordham University at Lincoln Center 

Poetic justice institute prizes.

Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Fordham University Press are given annually for poetry collections. The winners also receive a publicity consultation and headline...

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How to get published.

50+ Writing Contests in 2024 with Awesome Cash Prizes

by Karen MacKenzie

on Aug 16, 2024

So you want to compete in writing contests for prizes and recognition?

Writing contests are a fun way to evolve your writing skills — and, yes, cash prizes are a nice bonus.

But remember, the emphasis is on fun .

If cash is your primary goal, you should focus your time and energy on landing freelance writing jobs .

However, if you’re looking for writing competitions and an enjoyable way to improve your writing skills , read on.

This roundup post includes both writing contests that are free to enter and writing contests with nominal entry fees.

Let’s begin!

Free Writing Contests with No Entry Fee (i.e. Free to Enter!)

Ernest j. gaines award for literary excellence.

“The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence honors Louisiana’s revered storyteller, Ernest J. Gaines, and serves to inspire and recognize rising African-American fiction writers of excellence at a national level. The book award, initiated by donors of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, is now in its 13th year and has become nationally recognized in its role of enhancing visibility of emerging African-American fiction writers while also expanding the audience for this literature. The annual award of a $15,000 cash prize is to support the writer and help enable her/him to focus on her/his art of writing.”

Prerequisites for Entrants

• African American writers who have published a work of fiction

Submission Deadline

• $15,000 plus paid travel to Louisiana to receive the prize

Who Should Enter This Contest

African-American fiction writers who want to inspire kids to develop their own creativity. The award winner will work with students in small creative writing workshops held in Louisiana.

53-Word Story Contest

“It’s free, it’s fun, and the winner gets published in Prime Number Magazine and receives a free book from Press 53.”

Prerequisites for Contest Entry

• Open to all writers
• 15th day of each month
• Publication in Prime Number Magazine, along with your photo and a 53-word bio (plus a free book from Press 53)

Writers who enjoy the challenge of a 53-word short story competition based on a prompt.

Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

“The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognizes outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity. Awards are given for fiction, poetry and nonfiction.”

• Published authors ( self-published books excluded)
• Not yet open (previous year’s deadline was December 31)

Book authors who wish to compete for a generous book award. Your book must be written in English and published and copyrighted in the same year that you enter the contest.

Cabell First Novelist Award

“The VCU Cabell First Novelist Award honors an outstanding debut novel published in the preceding calendar year. Symbolized by a three-dimensional compass, the award is a tribute to writers who have navigated their way through the maze of imagination and delivered a great read, taking the reader someplace new.”

• First-time novelists only. You can have previously published poems or short stories, but this must be your first published novel. Novels distributed via self-publishing aren’t eligible.
• TBD (previous year’s deadline was December 30)

Novelists who have published a book in the year previous to the contest date, and feel that they have achieved something “notable and enduring.”

Short Fiction Prize

Stony Brook Southampton is accepting submissions of short fiction (7,500 words or less).

“Southampton Arts is a vibrant community within SUNY Stony Brook that gathers together graduate programs in creative writing, children’s lit, podcasting and film. Today’s professional practice as an artist demands well-rounded, independent, imaginative entrepreneurs, ones with the resourcefulness to draw on a range of media, technologies and genres.”

• Only full-time undergraduates in United States and Canadian universities and colleges are eligible.
• June 1 (Submissions open on March 1)
• $1,000 and a scholarship to the Southampton Writers’ Conference.

Undergraduate short story fiction writers who want to compete for both cash and a chance to participate in a writers’ conference.

The Wallace Stegner Prize in Environmental Humanities

“The Wallace Stegner Prize will be awarded to the best monograph submitted to the Press in the broad field of environmental humanities. (…) Preference will be given to projects that discuss issues related to the American West. We welcome book-length manuscripts that emphasize narrative form and draw on the humanities, as well as the particular methods and perspectives of history, geography, natural history, environmental science, creative nonfiction, or related disciplines to consider environmental subjects, broadly defined. These criteria reflect the legacy of Wallace Stegner as a student of the American West, as a spokesman for the environment, and as a teacher of creative writing.”

• Open to all writers except those associated with the University of Utah (current students, faculty, staff, or employees).
• TBD (previous deadline was December 31)
• $5,000 and a publication contract with the University of Utah Press.

Writers of monographs (essay or book-length) who have not previously submitted their work for publication.

W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction

“This award honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction. Donated by William Young Boyd II.”

• Novelists who have been published in the year prior to the contest. Young adult and adult novels only.
• TBD (previous year’s deadline was December 1)
• $5,000 and a 24k gold-framed citation of achievement.

Writers who have published a novel of war-related fiction.

ServiceScape Short Story Award

“Calling all short story writers: Are you a short story writer interested in gaining more exposure and a bigger audience for your creative work? Would an extra $1,000.00 USD in your pocket be a great thing right now?”

• Open to all writers. Only original and unpublished work can be submitted.
• November 30
• $1,000 plus publication on the ServiceScape blog.

Short story writers (word count up to 5,000 words) of either fiction or nonfiction who are excited about entering a writing competition for cash and exposure.

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

“Since its early days, science fiction has played a unique role in human civilization. It removes the limits of what “is” and shows us a boundless vista of what “might be.” Its fearless heroes, spectacular technologies and wondrous futures have inspired many people to make science, technology and space flight a real part of their lives and in doing so, have often transformed these fictions into reality. The National Space Society and Baen Books applaud the role that science fiction plays in advancing real science and have teamed up to sponsor this short fiction contest in memory of Jim Baen.”

• Open to all writers who are not employees of Baen Books (or previous grand prize winners)

Grand prize winner:

• Paid .08 word, plus your story will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website
• An engraved award
• Free entry into International Space Development Conference
• A year of membership in the National Space Society
• A prize package with various Baen Books and National Space Society merchandise

Second and Third Place winners:

Science fiction short story writers who want to see their work in print and who would enjoy the prizes listed above.

James Laughlin Award

“Offered since 1954, the James Laughlin Award is given to recognize and support a second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. The award was endowed in 1995 by a gift to the Academy from the Drue Heinz Trust. It is named for the poet and publisher James Laughlin (1914-1997), who founded New Directions in 1936.”

• Poets who have already published their first book
• Submissions are accepted from January 1st to May 15th each year
• $5,000 plus an all-expenses-paid week at The Betsy Hotel in Florida. Also, the winner’s book is distributed to the members of the Academy of American Poets (approximately 1,000 members).

Poets who are working on their second book and want to earn a sweet prize of cash and recognition.

L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest

“L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is an opportunity for new writers of science fiction and fantasy to have their work judged by some of the masters in the field and discovered by a wide audience.”

• Only amateur writers who have not been professionally published may participate. (See #5 in contest rules for more details.)
• Quarterly writing contests
• June 30, for 3rd Quarter contest

Cash Prizes

• Three prizes each quarter for $1,000, $750, and $500
• Quarterly first-place winners compete for the $5,000 annual contest prize

Science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write prose up to 17,000 words in length. Note that works intended for children are not eligible.

Poetry Foundation Emily Dickinson First Book Award

“The Emily Dickinson First Book Award is designed to recognize an American poet of at least 40 years of age who has yet to publish a first collection of poetry. The Poetry Foundation seeks one book-length poetry manuscript to be published as the winner of the Emily Dickinson First Book Award.”

• Poets over 40 years old who have not yet published a poem book
• TBD (contest is intermittent, with previous prizes awarded in 2017 and 2012)
• $10,000 plus publication and promotion by Greywolf Press

Late-blooming poets who have enough poems in them to fill a book of poetry .

Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize

“Graywolf Press publishes about 30-35 books annually, mostly poetry, memoirs, essays, novels, translations, and short stories. Our editors are looking for high quality literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that combine a distinct voice with a distinct vision.”

• Writers “ not yet established in the genre ” of their nonfiction project
• Graywolf accepts submissions for the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize every other year; the next open submission period will be in 2024.
• A $12,000 advance and publication by Graywolf

Authors willing to take on a project outside their established genre. If you don’t have one yet, here’s your chance to get started.

New Voices Award

“New Voices Award is given annually by children’s book publisher Lee & Low Books for a children’s picture book manuscript by a writer of color or Native/Indigenous writer.”

• Writers of color or Native/Indigenous writers who have not previously published a children’s picture book. Must be a United States resident.
• $2,000 and a publication contract, including royalties
• $1,000 for the Honor Award Winner

Authors who’d like to write stories to address the needs of children of color and Native nations. The children’s picture book manuscript can be fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.

Young Lions Fiction Award

“Established in 2001, The New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award is a $10,000 prize awarded each spring to a writer age 35 or younger for a novel or a collection of short stories. Each year, five young fiction writers are selected as finalists by a reading committee of Young Lions members, writers, editors, and librarians.”

• Fiction writers up to 35 years old
• TBD (previous year’s deadline was September 11)

Young writers who want to be recognized for their novel or collection of short stories.

PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

Overview “The PEN/Faulkner Foundation celebrates literature and fosters connections between readers and writers to enrich and inspire both individuals and communities.” “The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is a national prize that honors the best published works of fiction by American citizens in a calendar year.”

• American authors published in the U.S. during the calendar year of the award
• October 31st for books published in that calendar year
• $15,000 for the winner
• 4 finalists receive $5,000 each.

Published authors who believe they can compete with the top writers in the United States. Novels and short story collections are considered.

PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers

“The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers recognizes twelve emerging writers each year for their debut short story published in a literary magazine or cultural website and aims to support the launch of their careers as fiction writers. Each of the twelve winning writers receives a cash prize of $2,000 and the independent book publisher Catapult will publish the twelve winning stories in an annual anthology entitled The PEN America Best Debut Short Stories, which will acknowledge the literary magazines and websites where the stories were originally published.”

• New fiction writers. Note that submissions are only accepted from the editors of eligible publications.
• Submissions for the cycle close November 8.
• $2,000 plus publication for the 12 winning writers

Debut short story writers who aren’t afraid to ask their editor to enter them in this writing competition.

The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans

“This creative writing contest for U.S. military veterans and active duty personnel is hosted by The Iowa Review and made possible by a gift from the family of Jeff Sharlet (1942–69), a Vietnam veteran and antiwar writer and activist. The contest is open to veterans and active duty personnel writing in any genre and about any subject matter.”

• U.S. military veterans and active-duty personnel only
• Check the website for the latest deadlines
• First Place: $1,000 plus publication in The Iowa Review
• Second Place: $750
• Third Place (3 selected): $500

Any writers who have served in the military and wish to compete in this creative writing contest.

Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Competition

Content announcement: “We invite you to participate in the 2021 Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Competition in honor of Hektoen Institute Board Member Mrs. Hella Mannheimer (1924-2020).”

• Essays should be under 1,500 words
• September 15
• $5,000 for the winner
• $2,500 for the runner-up

Creative non fiction writers looking to enter an essay contest by writing on art, history, literature, education, etc. as they relate to medicine.

The Fountain Essay Contest

“We at The Fountain believe that every voice should be heard, and that every challenge should be respected and can offer insight into our own lives. We all face new challenges in our lives. They can be massive undertakings, such as moving across a country and beginning a new high school. Or sometimes the more routine tasks, such as getting out of the bed in the morning while undergoing depression, can themselves be massive challenges. We want to hear about your challenges and how you mentally, physically, and/or spiritually prepare for them.”

• Open to all (even high school writers)
• TBD (previous year’s deadline was March 1)
• First Place: $1,000
• Second Place: $500
• Third Place: $300
• Two Honorable Mentions: $150 each

If you are up to the challenge of writing a personal essay between 1,500 and 2,500 words on the topic of “facing challenges,” this essay contest is for you.

Tufts Poetry Awards

“Any poet will tell you that the only thing rarer than meaningful recognition is a meaningful payday. For two outstanding poets each year, the Kingsley and Kate Tufts awards represent both. The Tufts poetry awards – based at Claremont Graduate University and given for poetry volumes published in the preceding year – are not only two of the most prestigious prizes a contemporary poet can receive, they also come with hefty purses: $100,000 for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and $10,000 for the Kate Tufts Discovery Award.”

• Published poets who are citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States.
• Only mid-career poets are eligible for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award.
• Poets with their first published full-length book are eligible for the Kate Tufts Poetry Award.
• $100,000 for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award
• $10,000 for the Kate Tufts Poetry Award

Published poets who want recognition and a shot at a very generous award that will pay the bills and allow them to write more poetry.

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing

“The ethos of the modern world is defined by immigrants. Their stories have always been an essential component of our cultural consciousness (…) In novels, short stories, memoirs, and works of journalism, immigrants have shown us what resilience and dedication we’re capable of, and have expanded our sense of what it means to be global citizens. In these times of intense xenophobia, it is more important than ever that these boundary-crossing stories reach the broadest possible audience.”

• The author must be a first-generation immigrant who has not previously published a book

Submission Deadlines

• March 31for the Prize in Nonfiction
• Fiction and nonfiction prizes alternate years
• $10,000 and publication by Restless Books

Authors who wish to “address some combination of identity, the meeting of cultures and communities, immigration and migration, and today’s globalized society,” in their first book.

St. Francis College Literary Prize

“The biennial $50,000 Literary Prize is sponsored by St. Francis College to offer its support and encouragement to the literary community and mid-career authors who have recently published their 3rd to 5th work of fiction.”

• Established fiction authors who have published at least 3 books already.
• Contest won’t be held in 2021 (content also wasn’t held in 2020; the 2019 winner was announced September 2019)

Published fiction authors who want to enter a writing competition for a very generous prize.

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

“Now in its 19th year, this contest seeks today’s best humor poems.”

• Authors from all eligible countries (Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea excluded due to U.S. government restrictions)
• First prize: $1,000
• Second prize: $250
• 10 Honorable Mentions: $100 each

Poets with a sense of humor and a competitive drive to win poetry prizes.

Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award

“Established in 1984, the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community. The prestigious award, which aims to provide promising writers a network for professional advancement, has helped to launch the careers of Sue Monk Kidd (The Invention of Wings, The Secret Life of Bees), Lidia Yuknavitch (The Book of Joan), Bryn Chancellor (Sycamore: A Novel), David Mura (Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei), and others.”

• Poets and fiction writers who are residents of Oklahoma and have published no more than one full-length book in their genre
• $500 cash prize
• Expenses paid for travel to New York City to meet with editors, literary agents, publishers, and other writers.
• A one-month residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming.

Poets or fiction writers who live in Oklahoma.

The Gabo Prize

“Lunch Ticket is honored to host The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts. The Gabo Prize is funded by writers, translators, and Antioch University Los Angeles MFA Alumni Allie Marini and Jennifer McCharen, who launched the prize to support the work of peer translators.”

• Original bilingual work only (previously published work not accepted)
• The contest is held in February and August
• $200 plus publication in Lunch Ticket

Authors and translators of multilingual texts containing either poetry or prose.

Transitions Abroad Expatriate and Work Abroad Writing Contest

“Professionals and freelancers are encouraged to write non-fiction inspirational and practical articles that describe their experience living, moving, and working abroad. Often your experience is extended and transformed by activities in the host country, so living, working, studying, and traveling abroad are often inextricable — and we are interested in exploring all such organic interconnections.”

• TBD (previous year’s deadline was September 15)
• First Place: $500
• Second Place: $150
• Third place: $100
• All finalists: $50

Nonfiction writers who have lived and worked abroad who are interested in creating a helpful article about their experiences.

Drue Heinz Literature Prize

“The Drue Heinz Literature Prize recognizes and supports writers of short fiction and makes their work available to readers around the world. The award is open to authors who have published a book-length collection of fiction or at least three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals.”

• Published writers only
• Manuscripts must be received during May and June.
• $15,000 plus publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press, and promotion of your book

Previously published short fiction authors looking to enter their latest creation in this writing contest.

Brooklyn Nonfiction Prize

“The Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize, a cash award of $500, will be awarded to the best Brooklyn-focused non-fiction essay which is set in Brooklyn and is about Brooklyn and/or Brooklyn people/characters. We are seeking compelling Brooklyn stories from writers with a broad range of backgrounds and ages who can render Brooklyn’s rich soul and intangible qualities through the writer’s actual experiences in Brooklyn.”

• December 10

Nonfiction writers who have had experiences in Brooklyn, New York to share with the world, and potentially win a prize in the process.

VI International Flash Fiction Competition

“Once again, the César Egido Serrano Foundation returns to record figures in the call for its famous International Micro-Story Contest, which has been running for five editions.”

• Open to all fiction writers
• $20,000 first prize
• $2,000 each for the 3 runners-up

Fiction writers who wish to enter an international competition for hefty prize money.

John Gardner Fiction Book Award

“Sponsored by the Binghamton Center for Writers-State University of New York with support from the Office of the Dean of Binghamton University’s Harpur College of the Arts & Sciences”

• Published fiction writers

Writers who have published either a novel or a book of fiction in 2019 (for the 2020 contest).

St. Martin’s Minotaur / Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition

“Sponsored by Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America (MWA)”

• First-time novelists only
• $10,000 advance against future royalties and publication by Minotaur Books

Mystery writers who have finished their first crime novel and want to compete for a publishing contract.

Stowe Prize

“The Stowe Prize recognizes a distinguished book of general adult fiction or non-fiction that illuminates a critical social justice issue in contemporary society in the United States. (…) The book should apply informed inquiry, be accessible and engaging to a general audience, and promote empathy and understanding. Because Stowe’s writings challenged slavery and promoted women’s education, social issues impacted by racism and gender discrimination will be prioritized. In making this award, the Stowe Center recognizes the value of diversity to strengthen our communities and encourages submissions by authors from populations that have historically faced discrimination or marginalization.”

• Published U.S. authors

Fiction or nonfiction authors who have published a book within three years of the contest year. Note: That book must meet the criteria in the “Overview” to be considered for this book award.

Steinbeck Fellowships in Creative Writing

“The Steinbeck Fellows Program of San José State University was endowed through the generosity of Martha Heasley Cox. It offers writers of any age and background a $15,000 fellowship to finish a significant writing project. Named in honor of author John Steinbeck, the program is guided by his lifetime of work in literature, the media, and environmental activism. Fellowships are currently offered in Creative Writing (excluding poetry) and Steinbeck Studies. Fellows may be appointed in many fields, including literary scholarship, fiction, drama, education, science and the media.”

• Residency in the San Francisco Bay Area is required for the academic year (September through May)
• A $15,000 stipend

This program helps writers who have promising work, but who haven’t published extensively.

The Roswell Award

“Light Bringer Project and Sci-Fest L.A. present two science fiction writing competitions designed to identify and nurture the up-and-coming science fiction writing talent of Los Angeles and worldwide. Science fiction is a uniquely inspiring medium that has enabled many of our great thinkers and scientists to imagine the heights and limits of human achievement, leading to important moral and ethical debate, long range planning for humanity, and scientific innovation. Writers are encouraged to explore scientific, social, technological, environmental, and philosophical themes in their writing and always, at the core, to master the art of great storytelling.”

• Open to all writers over 18 years old
• First, Second, and Third place Roswell Award winners receive $500, $250, and $100 (USD) cash prizes

Science fiction writers in search of writing competitions. There is also a contest for the best feminist-themed science fiction story for an additional $100 prize.

Black Orchid Novella Award

“An important part of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe’s opus are novellas. To celebrate this format, the Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine have partnered to sponsor the Black Orchid Novella Award.”

Entrant Fee

• May 31 each year
• $1,000 and publication in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

Mystery fiction writers who wish to write a novella in the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series.

Parsec Short Story Contest

“The theme for the contest is: Forging. This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue…the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing. (…) All stories must be of the Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror genres.”

• Amateur writers only
• First Place: $200
• Second Place: $100
• Third place: $50

Non-professional writers who want to enter a short story contest for the opportunity to win book money.

Tony Hillerman Prize

“Welcome to the Tony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Set in the Southwest Competition!”

• Writers who have not yet published a mystery novel
• $10,000 advance against future royalties and publishing by Minotaur Books

Unpublished mystery novel writers who are looking to compete for a potential publishing contract.

Owl Canyon Press Short Story Hackathon

“Writers are invited to create and submit a short story consisting of 50 paragraphs. The contest provides the 1st and 20th paragraphs, and the short story writer crafts the rest.”

• First Place: $3,000
• Second Place: $2,000
• Third Place: $1,000
• All finalists (24) will have their short stories included in an anthology

Short story writers of all genres, as long as you can make your story work with the provided paragraphs!

Marfield Prize (a.k.a. National Award for Arts Writing)

“Books must be nonfiction titles written in English for a general audience by a single, living author and originally published in the United States during the current calendar year. Books may be about any artistic discipline (visual, literary, performing, or media arts, as well as cross-disciplinary works). We seek art history and criticism, biographies and memoirs, and essays.”

• Published authors (self-published books excluded)

Authors who enjoy writing nonfiction regarding artistic disciplines and have a book scheduled to be published in the year of the contest.

Writing Contests with Entry Fees (i.e. Costs Money to Enter)

Don’t mind having a little skin in the game?

Here are writing contests that require an entry fee to enter:

Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition

“Writer’s Digest has been shining a spotlight on up and coming writers in all genres through its Annual Writing Competition for more than 80 years. Enter our 89th Annual Writing Competition for your chance to win and have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen. The top winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the 89th Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection.”

• Poetry competition entry: $20 for first entry, $15 each additional entry
• Manuscript competition entry: $30 for first entry, $25 each additional entry
• Grand Prize winner receives $5,000 (plus additional prizes)
• First Place winner in each category: $1,000
• Second Place winner in each category: $500
• Third Place winner in each category: $250
• Fourth Place winner in each category: $100
• Fifth Place winner in each category: $50
• Sixth through Tenth Place winners in each category: $25

Multiple genres are available, so any writer who has a competitive spirit and doesn’t mind paying an entry fee.

Desert Writers Award

“The Fund supports writing that combines an engaging individual voice, literary sensibility, imagination and intellectual rigor to bring new perspectives and deeper meaning to the body of desert literature. All applications will be reviewed through a peer-panel process.”

• All writers in the field of literary nonfiction can apply

Literary nonfiction writers fascinated by the desert. You’ll be submitting a proposal for a writing project based on your travel to and experience in a desert region.

The Breakwater Fiction Contest

“We are seeking submissions for pieces that breathe freshness to the form. We are interested in previously unpublished prose ranging from 1,000 – 5,000 words, each with a $10 entry fee.”

• Open to everyone not associated with the MFA program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, or Susanna Kaysen
• Open October 1 through December 1
• $1,000 plus the Winner and Finalists are published in Breakwater’s Winter issue

Fiction and short story writers who are interested in competing for a cash prize plus publication.

The Peseroff Prize Poetry Contest

“The Peseroff Prize honors Joyce Peseroff’s work as a poet, teacher, editor, innovator, and mentor. She helped found the MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of Massachusetts Boston, served as its first director, and retired from teaching in 2014.”

• $10 for up to three poems
• Open February 1 to May 1
• $1,000 plus both the Winner and Finalists are published in the Breakwater Spring issue

Poets with previously unpublished poems with both a competitive drive and $10 for a poetry contest.

Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize

“Beginning December 1, 2019, Marsh Hawk Press is accepting submissions of poetry manuscripts to the annual Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prizes.“

• $25 per submission
• Open to all poets
• $1,000 and publication by Marsh Hawk Press

Poets with a manuscript of poems ready for publication.

2021 Microfiction Contest

“Since 1975, River Styx has published an international, award-winning magazine of poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, and art. Work first published in its pages has been included in many editions of The Best American Poetry, Best New Poets, New Stories from the South, and Pushcart Prize anthologies.”

• $20 for up to 3 stories (includes a one-year subscription to River Styx )
• $15 fee if you only want the issue the winners are published in
• Open to all writers, but only unpublished stories qualify

Writers who enjoy writing micro-fiction stories of up to 500 words and who would be interested in subscribing to a literary magazine.

Horror Writing Contest

“Write a horror or thriller story for this writing contest. Put your readers on edge or terrorize them.”

• Only consider this contest if membership in FanStory.com interests you. Membership is $9.95 a month or $69 a year. (Note: this gives you access to multiple contests a year with varying prizes.)
• FanStory.com membership required
• $100 Visa gift card

Writers who are interested in joining a paid community to network with other readers and receive feedback on their stories.

Morton and McCarthy Prizes

“This contest is open to any short fiction writer of English. (…) Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a short novel.”

• Open to short fiction writers excluding employees and board members of Sarabande Books, Inc.
• February 15
• $2,000 plus publication of the winning manuscript and a standard royalty contract with Sarabande Books, Inc.

Short fiction writers who are looking for the opportunity to participate in a writing competition that could get their work published.

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

“For this contest, a story is any short work of fiction, and an essay is any short work of nonfiction. (…) Please submit as many entries as you like. All themes accepted. Entries may be published or unpublished. Length limit: 6,000 words maximum.”

• $20 per entry
• Open to all writers (except in countries excluded due to U.S. government restrictions)
• $3,000 for Story (fiction) category
• $3,000 for Essay (nonfiction) category
• $200 for each Honorable Mention

Fiction or nonfiction writers who are willing to spend $20 for a shot at winning the $3,000 prize.

Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest

“The Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest encourages writers to submit stories related to Judaism or Jewish culture or history.”

• $25 per entry
• Open to all writers (submissions must not have been published elsewhere)
• 3 prizes in total, including $1,000 for first place (other prize amounts are not given)

Short story writers interested in writing a story of up to 5,000 words with a Jewish theme.

K. Maragaret Grossman Fiction Awards

“In a world where it is harder than ever for new writers to get a foot in the door of the traditional publishing world, Literal Latté remains committed to finding and nurturing great talents, both on its website and in its new anthology, in book format.”

• $10 per story ($15 for two stories)
• 1st Prize: $1,000
• 2nd Prize: $300
• 3rd Prize: $200

All subjects and styles are welcome, so any writers with an unpublished story of up to 10,000 words.

James Jones First Novel Fellowship

“The award is intended to honor the spirit of unblinking honesty, determination, and insight into cultural and social issues exemplified by the late James Jones, author of From Here to Eternity and other prose narratives of distinction. Jones himself was the recipient of aid from many supporters as a young writer and his family, friends, and admirers have established this award of $10,000 to continue the tradition in his name.”

• $30 (plus $3 processing fee) per entry
• U.S. citizens who have never published a novel
• Runners-up receive $1,000

Writers with either unpublished or work-in-progress novels. To enter, you need to submit an outline and the first 50 pages of your novel.

WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest

“The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, great writing, and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants.”

• $10 (if you’d also like a critique of your entry, the total is $20)
• Entries must be written in English
• FALL: September – November 30th 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)
• WINTER: December – February 28th, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)
• SPRING: March – May 31st, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)
• SUMMER: June – August 31st, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)
• $25 Amazon Gift Certificate
• Entry published on WOW! Women On Writing
• Interview on the WOW! Women On Writing Blog
• Name, state, and title entry published on WOW! Women On Writing

All styles and genres of flash fiction are welcomed. Entries need to be a minimum of 250 words (750 maximum).

WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

“The mission of this contest is to inspire creative nonfiction and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. (…) Your story must be true, but the way you tell it is your chance to get creative.”

• $12 (if you’d also like a critique of your entry, the total is $25)
• Q1: August 1 – October 31st, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)
• Q2: November 1 – January 31st, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)
• Q3: February 1 – April 29th, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)
• Q4: May 1 – July 31st, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time)

All styles of essay — from personal essay to lyric essay to hybrid essay to critical essay (and beyond) are welcomed. Maximum length of 1,000 words.

Common Questions and Answers (and Resources)

Why should i enter writing contests (besides the cash prizes).

Because entering writing contests gives you a way to practice writing  — the best way to improve your skills. You may even get feedback from some of the contests, and of course, the ultimate positive feedback if you win!

If you’ve wanted to experiment with different genres or different writing styles, this is your chance to play.

The deadlines in writing contests can make the difference between actually writing that next piece and doing it “someday.”

Plus, depending on the contest, entering is an automatic win since you’ll be creating another sample for your writing portfolio . And if you win the writing contest, even better!

What Happens After I Enter a Writing Contest?

Now you get to practice patience and the skill of waiting.

Not all contests will contact you to let you know who won. Some only contact the finalists or the winner(s).

In the contest instructions, you may find dates for when the finalists or winners will be announced. Add these dates to your calendar so you’ll know that if you aren’t contacted by then, you didn’t win this writing contest.

If you do win, and you’ve submitted the same piece of content to multiple contests, you should withdraw your submission(s) from the other contests.

And then celebrate!

What Are Some Good Resources That’ll Help Me Win Writing Contests?

The number one tip to help you win? Pay attention to the details! Ignoring or missing any of the contest rules or requirements could mean instant disqualification.

Merely following the rules can give you an edge over the competition.

Here’s a collection of blog posts to help you improve your writing skills.

• 18 Writing Tips That’ll Actually Make You a Better Writer
• Proofreading: 7 Editing Tips That’ll Make You a Better Writer
• 583 Sensory Words to Take Your Writing from Bland to Brilliant
• 57 Metaphor Examples That’ll Pack Your Prose With Persuasion
• 20 Stephen King Quotes to Turn You Into a Scary Good Writer
• How to Start a Blog: Easy, Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
• 27 Creative Writing Exercises That’ll Punch Up Your Writing
• A 5-Minute Guide to Fast-Paced Storytelling
• How to Put Your Thoughts Into Words: 3 Proven Strategies
• Writing Tips: 5 Ways to Quiet Your Inner Editor
• How to Practice Writing Fiction: 5 Core Skills to Improve Your Writing
• How Social Media Can Help Teach Good Writing
• Stuck? Try These 72 Creative Writing Prompts (+ 6 Bonus Tips)

Game on: Time to Enter Writing Contests For Fun and Money

Imagine how you’ll feel as a contest winner.

The confirmation of your writing skills. The recognition, the charge of seeing your work published.

You could use your winnings towards writing books , courses, or coaching to develop your talent and skills further.

A fun part of life is trying new things, and here is your opportunity.

So before you close out of this post, pick one contest. Then bookmark it and start working on your contest entry.

Karen MacKenzie

The ultimate toolkit for becoming one of the highest-paid writers online. Premium training. Yours for free.

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Top 45 Writing Contests for Authors

Writing contests are a great way to get published, win a cash prize, and add another accomplishment to your resume, making it a valuable tool for authors to gain exposure and notoriety in their chosen niche.

There are as many different types of writing competitions as there are genres of content, from short story and poetry contests to science fiction, picture book, and chapbook competitions. Submitting your best work to a writing contest can help you build your reputation as an author, network with other industry professionals, and build your resume.

Here are the top writing contests to apply for and answers to your most frequently asked questions about writing competitions.

Short Story Contests

Flash fiction contests, novella contests, creative nonfiction writing contests, personal essay contests, children’s books competitions, poetry competitions, writing competitions for young writers, free writing contests, contests for emerging writers, high school writing contests, literary magazine writing contests, full-length book contests, the final word on writing contests, do writing competitions always have a cash prize, how are finalists chosen from contest entrants, what do i need to win a short story award, how do i win a poetry prize, how can i submit my best work to win first prize, what can winning writers expect after becoming a contest prize winner, what are honorable mentions, can fiction writers win a creative writing contest, creative writing contests.

1. The Iowa Short Fiction Award & John Simmons Short Fiction Award by the University of Iowa Press

The  Iowa Short Fiction Award & John Simmons Short Fiction Award  offers two authors of short fiction works under 150 double-spaced pages publication in the University of Iowa Press and in an anthology of winning works that can be purchased.

Application Deadline:  September 2023

Entry Fee:  $0

Grand Prize:  Unknown

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Not applicable

2. Zizzle Literary Flash Fiction Contest

The Zizzle Literary Flash Fiction Contest is open to authors of flash fiction between 500 and 1,200 words or short stories between 2,000 to 4,500 words.

Application Deadline:  March 2023

Entry Fee:  $5

Grand Prize:  $1,000

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $500 second-place prize and $150 third-place prize for three (3) finalists

3. L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest

The  L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest  accepts outstanding science fiction and fantasy novellas and short stories under 17,000 words. New writers are welcome to apply.

Application Deadline:  Every quarter on the last day of the month

Grand Prize:  $5,000 annually

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $1,000. Second and third place winners are awarded $750 and $500, respectively.

4. Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

The  Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize  is a writing contest sponsored by the long-running New York radio show Selected Shorts. Entries must be less than 750 words and winners will have their work read and recorded by a professional actor for airing on the radio. Writers of any age and from any country are eligible to submit their flash fiction story for consideration.

Application Deadline:  Ongoing

Entry Fee:  $25

Grand Prize:  $1,000 plus access to a 10-week writing course by Gotham Writers

5. The Ernest Hemingway Short Fiction Prize

The  Ernest Hemingway Short Fiction Prize  offers a modest cash award for winning writers who submit flash fiction works under 1,500 words. Authors can submit multiple entries and all will be considered for publishing. Each year, one grand prize winner and three runners up are announced.

Application Deadline:  April 2023

Entry Fee:  $10

Grand Prize:  $200 cash prize and publication in Fiction Southeast

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Publication in Fiction Southeast

6. Drue Heinz Literature Prize

The  Drue Heinz Literature Prize  is a prestigious award from the University of Pittsburgh Press offered to published writers with a minimum of three (3) short stories or novellas printed in literary journals or magazines. Famous authors who have judged works for the Drue Heinz Literature Prize include Joyce Carol Oates , Margaret Atwood, Robert Penn Warren, and more.

Application Deadline:  Annually between May 1 and June 30

Grand Prize:  $15,000

7. The Miami University Press Novella Prize

The  Miami University Press Novella Prize  offers publication and a cash prize to novella authors who submit works between 18,000 and 40,000 words. Entries must not have been previously published online or in print and writers should inform the Miami University Press if their submitted work has been published elsewhere as soon as possible as it will no longer be eligible for award consideration.

Entry Fee:  $25

Grand Prize:  Winning writers receive $750, publication, and 10 copies of their novella

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Not applicable

8. Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

The  Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest  offers nonfiction, fiction, essay, poetry, and play writers $500 and publication. Submission limit is a maximum of 150 pages and authors may submit either published or previously unpublished works.

Application Deadline:  January 2023

Entry Fee:  $15

Grand Prize:  $500

9. Hunger Mountain Creative Nonfiction Prize

The  Hunger Mountain Creative Nonfiction Prize  is an award offered to entrants who submit creative nonfiction works of less than 10,000 words. Both grand prize and runner up winners receive online publication by Hunger Mountain. Submissions are sent via traditional mail and may not be electronically submitted. Authors can submit multiple entries but must notify the publisher if the work is accepted for publication elsewhere during the review process.

Entry Fee:  $20

Grand Prize:  $1,000

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $100

10. The Page Prize from The Pinch Journal

The Page Prize by The Pinch Journal  is a small nonfiction writing competition that offers $1,000 to winning writers who submit flash nonfiction essays with fewer than 1,000 words. Entrants can submit multiple essays.

11. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

The  John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest  awards one high school student writer with $10,000 and a trip to Boston, Massachusetts to visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Essays must be between 700 and 1,000 words on the topic of a politically courageous act by an elected U.S. official between 1917 and now.

Entry Fee:  $0

Grand Prize:  $10,000

12. Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

The  Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest  is available for Canadian authors of personal essays. To be considered eligible, works must not be published elsewhere and must fall between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

Entry Fee:  $40 per essay

13. Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

The  Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest  is one of the top writing contests available for authors of both personal essays and short stories. Entrants can be any age and most countries are eligible, with the exception of North Korea, Iran, Syria, and Crimea. Submissions may be as long as 6,000 words.

Entry Fee:  $20

Grand Prize:  $3,000 each for the winning story and essay

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $200

14. New Millennium Writing Awards

The  New Millennium Writing Awards  offers a moderate cash prize to writers of short content under 7,499 words. Essays are submitted under the awards’ nonfiction category, and there are no restrictions or guidelines on the essay topic or writing style.

Application Deadline:  November 30, 2023

Entry Fee:  $20 for 1 entry, $35 for 2 entries, $45 for 3 entries, $60 for 4 entries, or $80 for 5 entries

15. The Preservation Foundation, Inc. General Nonfiction Contest

The Preservation Foundation, Inc. holds an annual  General Nonfiction Contest  that awards two writers with small cash prizes for outstanding short nonfiction pieces between 1,000 and 10,000 words. Submissions must include a short introduction and the author’s biography at the end of the piece. No editing services are provided.

Application Deadline:  October 31, 2023

Grand Prize:  $200

16. Institute for Children’s Literature Middle Grade Mystery

The  Institute for Children’s Literature  offers a small cash prize for Middle Grade Mystery writers who can captivate their target audience of 8-12 year old children with a one-line summary and the first 1,000 books of their young adult mystery novella. Entries must be unpublished.

Application Deadline:  November 15, 2023

Entry Fee:  $19

Grand Prize:  $650

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Second Prize is $350 and Third, Fourth, and Fifth Place Prizes are $100 each

17. Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards

The  Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards  is an excellent opportunity for children’s book authors to gain notoriety and accolades in their chosen niche. Winning writers do not receive a cash prize, however, they are recognized at Moonbeam’s annual awards ceremony and are provided with a medal, certificate, and title of honor for their work.

Application Deadline:  August 2023

Entry Fee:  $95 in each category

Grand Prize:  A display medal, a personalized award certificate, and an invitation to Moonbeam’s prestigious awards celebration

18. Golden Kite Award

The  Golden Kite Award  is given twice per year to two authors of children’s books in one of seven (7) categories including middle grade and young adult fiction, young adult nonfiction, picture books, and more.

Application Deadline:  July and December

Entry Fee:  Cost of SCBWI membership

Grand Prize:  $2,500 cash prize plus $1,000 paid to a non-profit of the author’s choice

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $500 cash prize plus $250 paid to a non-profit

19. Mom’s Choice Awards

The  Mom’s Choice Awards  reviews products and media for children and selects only the best to boast the Mom’s Choice Awards seal of approval.

Entry Fee:  $500 (nonrefundable)

Grand Prize:  Lifetime rights to the Mom’s Choice Awards seal for marketing, plus advertising materials

20. Cybils Awards Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards

The  Cybils Awards Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards  offers their seal of approval to authors of children’s and young adult books that best marry popularity with literary quality.

Application Deadline:  Annually between October 1st – 15th

Grand Prize:  Lifetime rights to the Cybils Awards seal for marketing

21. Troubadour International Poetry Prize

The  Troubadour International Poetry Prize  is awarded every year to a writer from any country for one poem written in English. Poems must be 45 lines or less and cannot have been published previously. Entries are accepted via email only and writers may submit an unlimited number of poems for consideration.

Entry Fee:  $7

Grand Prize:  $2,830

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $1,415

22. Poetry Nation Prime Poetry Contest

Poetry Nation’s Prime Poetry Contest  awards two poets per year who are over the age of 13 with a generous cash prize and display plaque.

Application Deadline:  Annually between January 1 – June 30 and July 1 – December 31

Grand Prize:  $2,000

23. Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

The  Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest  award is offered to one poet in any genre and one poet written in a traditional or rhyming style each year, along with ten (10) honorable mentions.

Grand Prize:  $3,000

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Two-year gift certificates to Duotrope

24. Tupelo Press Sunken Garden Chapbook Poetry Prize

Every year, one poet will be awarded the  Tupelo Press Sunken Garden Chapbook Poetry Prize , which offers a cash prize, publication, a poetry book launch with national distribution and press, and 25 copies of the book to the author.

Application Deadline:  Annually between August 1 – October 31

25. Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize

The  Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize , organized by the University of Pittsburgh Press, is offered to one writer of a previously unpublished full-length book of poetry with more than 48 pages.

Application Deadline:  Annually between March 1 – April 30

Grand Prize:  $5,000 and publication in the Pitt Poetry Series by the University of Pittsburgh Press

26. Young Lions Fiction Award

The  Young Lions Fiction Award  from the New York Public Library is offered to young writers under the age of 35. Although authors can be under the age of 18, the work must be written for an adult audience; YA fiction and children’s books are not eligible for this contest.

Application Deadline:  Annually in May

27. Bluefire 1,000 Words Writing Contest

The Bluefire 1,000 Words Writing Contest by The Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation awards a modest cash prize to young authors in 6th through 12th grade.

Application Deadline:  Annually between November 1 and February 1

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $100 cash prize for seven (7) writers and $50 payment for stories accepted for publication in the Bluefire Journal.

28. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Students over the age of thirteen (13) and who are in grades 7 through 12 can enter the  Scholastic Art and Writing Awards  for fantasy and science fiction writing, scriptwriting, essay writing, and works in a total of 28 categories.

Application Deadline:  December 2023 and January 2023 depending on region

Entry Fee:  $7 per entry or $25 to enter a portfolio

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $1,000

29. Ocean Awareness Contest

The  Ocean Awareness Contest  was developed to help young adults learn about environmental and climate issues facing the world’s oceans today. Submissions are open to students between the ages of 11 and 18.

Application Deadline:  June 13, 2023

Grand Prize:  Junior Division — $1,000 for first place. Senior Division — $1,500 for first place.

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Junior Division — $750 for second place, $250 for third place, and $50 honorable mention. Senior Division — $1,000 for second place, $500 for third place, and $100 honorable mention.

30. Young Writers Awards

The  Young Writers Awards , sponsored by Bennington College, are open to students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in the genres of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Application Deadline:  Annually between September 3 to November 1

Grand Prize:  $500 in each category

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $250 second-place prize, $125 third-place prize

31. St. Francis College Literary Prize

The  St. Francis College Literary Prize  offers mid-career authors with three (3) or more fiction publications under their belt with a cash prize of $50,000 and the opportunity to teach a class or deliver a lecture on their work at the St. Francis College campus in Brooklyn, New York.

Application Deadline:  To be announced for 2023

Grand Prize:  $50,000

32. The Nine Dots Prize

The  Nine Dots Prize  is a free writing contest open to authors of provocative essays under 3,000 words. Entrants must respond to a predetermined question that addresses significant problems faced by society today. The 2021/22 question for the Nine Dots Prize was, “What does it mean to be young in an aging world?”

Grand Prize:  $100,000

33. Center for Fiction NYC Emerging Writer Fellowships

The  Center for Fiction NYC Emerging Writer Fellowship Award  is offered to eligible fiction writers in New York City. In addition to a $5,000 grant, winning writers receive a fellowship opportunity for one year and may have their manuscript edited and revised by an experienced staff member. The Center for Fiction is funded in part by the Amazon Literary Partnership.

Application Deadline:  May 2023

Grand Prize:  $5,000

34. Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest

The  Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest  is open to unpublished writers in the genres of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Entrants may only submit one work in any genre per contest year. Poetry submissions must be between three (3) to five (5) pages and fiction/nonfiction submissions must be under 6,000 words.

Entry Fee:  $0 for subscribers, $24 for nonsubscribers

35. Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

The  Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose  offer two students in either high school or college a cash prize of $200. Entries can include up to six (6) poems or up to three (3) works of prose totaling no more than 9,000 words.

Entry Fee:  $13, financial aid available

36. The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest

The  American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest  awards one writer annually with a cash prize for an outstanding essay on the topic of establishing peace in foreign countries.

Application Deadline:  April 2023

Grand Prize:  $2,500, a Semester at Sea scholarship, and a paid trip to Washington D.C.

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $1,250 and a International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference scholarship

37. We the Students Essay Contest

The Bill of Rights Institute hosts the  We the Students Essay Contest  yearly, awarding one student writer between age 14 and 19 a substantial cash prize. The essay must answer the question, “What essential qualities must a citizen in your community have in 21st century America?”

Grand Prize:  $5,000 and a Constitutional Academy scholarship

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $1,250 for second place, $500 for honorable mention

38. Boulevard Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers

Boulevard offers a modest cash prize every year to an unpublished emerging writer in the nonfiction genre. Essays for the  Boulevard Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers  must be 8,000 words or less.

Entry Fee:  $16

Grand Prize:  $1,000 and publication in Boulevard

39. Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize

The Missouri Review awards the  Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize  to three (3) writers annually with a generous cash prize and publication in The Missouri Review. Entries are limited to poetry, essays, and short stories.

Application Deadline:  October 2023

40. TulipTree Publishing Disrupters Issue Contest

The  Disrupters Issue Contest by TulipTree Publishing  offers poem and prose writers a modest annual award for exceptional work on a provided topic.

Grand Prize:  $1,000 and publication in TulipTree Review

41. Tamaqua Award

The Tamaqua Award is organized by Hidden River Arts and provides one writer with a cash prize and publication for manuscripts of any length. Entries must include a synopsis, biography, and an outline.

Grand Prize:  $1,000 and publication by Hidden River Press

42. North Street Book Prize

The  North Street Book Prize  is a substantial award given to one writer who has self-published a book in the genres of fiction, creative nonfiction, picture books, graphic novels, memoirs, and poetry books. Submissions may not be over 200,000 words, and winners also receive top-level marketing services from industry professionals.

Application Deadline:  June 2023

Grand Prize:  $8,000

Entry Fee:  $70 per book

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $1,000 for the top winning writer in each genre and a $250 honorable mention to the third place winner.

43. The Restless Books Prize For New Immigrant Writing

The  Restless Books Prize For New Immigrant Writing  awards first-generation American immigrants with a $10,000 cash prize and manuscript publication for stories highlighting the immigration experience.

Application Deadline:  September 2023 to March 2023

Grand Prize:  $10,000 and publication by Restless Books

44. Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

The  Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards  offer one author of a recently published work with a substantial monetary award for exceptional writing that improves society’s understanding of racism and its appreciation of diverse cultures.

Application Deadline:  Annually between September 1 and December 31

Grand Prize:  $10,000 and media appearance opportunities

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Not applicable

45. Creative Writing NZ Short Story Prize 2024

The Creative Writing NZ Short Story Prize 2024 is open for entries from January 30th, 2024! Entries will only be accepted through Duosuma.

Application Deadline:  11.59pm(NZST) on April 30, 2024

Entry Fee:  $9

Grand Prize:  $1,000, a free creative writing course of the winners choice and publication on our website.

Runners Up Prize: $200 each and a free creative writing course of choice.

Word count:  3,000 words maximum.

Open theme/subject/genre

Whether you’re writing a book of poetry, children’s books, a short story collection, a full-length book, or a work of fiction, writing contests can help you establish more secure footing in your chosen niche.

FAQs About Writing Contests

Although most writing contests offer a cash prize to the winning writers, some competitions offer other types of incentives. For example, a prestigious literary journal may offer a writing fellowship to annual contest winners versus a lump sum award.

Typically, finalists are selected from a pool of contest entrants by initially narrowing down the pool of eligible candidates. Applications will be reviewed to determine which do not meet basic eligibility criteria, such as minimum word count or following the assigned writing prompts.

To win an award for an outstanding short story, you must submit your best work to a short story competition in your niche. Depending on the writing contest, you may need to pay an entry fee and submit the entirety of your short story for publication if it wins. If the contest you entered offers a cash prize, you will typically be awarded a check several weeks following the announcement of your win.

A poetry prize is awarded by hundreds of different creative writing contests every year. Some awards are small while others are substantial enough to fund an author’s work for a short period of time. Submit your poem or collection of poems to a poetry contest you meet the eligibility requirements for.

Writing awards are offered to established and emerging writers who have submitted exceptional work in a chosen niche, such as creative writing, creative nonfiction, short fiction, and more.

To earn the top prize in any writing contest, you should proofread your work multiple times and ensure your spelling, English grammar, and formatting are free of errors. Your content should be compelling, engaging, and easy for your target audience to read and identify with.

New writers often want to know what to expect after becoming a contest prize winner before submitting their work for a literary prize. Winning writers should be prepared to quickly grow their social media networks as they gain increased notoriety. Young adults and authors new to the industry should consider working with a professional agency to secure adequate representation.

Writers who are not among the first, second, or third place winners may be given an honorable mention. Honorable mentions are considered excellent works in their own right. Multiple winning writers typically indicates that the competition was stiff and many writers deserved recognition for their work.

There are multiple contests for fiction writers that offer a range of cash prizes to authors that write short fiction, flash fiction, short stories, and other types of fiction. Competition can be stiff for these contests, however, so it’s critical to ensure that the content you submit is award-worthy.

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Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

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Creative Writing Contests & Grants

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Winning a writing contest can bring you recognition and help get your work noticed by agents and editors. Our  Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database  offers a year’s worth of listings from  Poets & Writers Magazine , and connects poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers with the most comprehensive selection of contests that provide publication and/or funding for writers.

We also offer a  Submission Calendar  that includes writing contests arranged by deadline date, as well as Recent Winners, a section from the magazine that features newly announced contest winners. You can stay informed with G&A: The Contest Blog , featuring reports from the world of writing contests, including news of extended deadlines, recent winners of notable awards, new contest announcements, interviews with winners, and more.

We carefully review the practices and policies of each writing competition and awards program before including it in our listings, both in print and online, ensuring that Poets & Writers is the most trusted resource for legitimate grants and awards for writers.

Use our Submissions Tracker to easily keep track of which contests you’ve submitted to, the amount of money you’ve spent on fees, the status of your submissions, and how much time has passed since you submitted your work—all in one place.

The Poets & Writers Guide to Writing Contests is an essential guide to everything you need to know about writing contests, including expert advice from contest series editors, recent winners, and judges.  The Poets & Writers Complete Guide to Being a Writer (Avid Reader Press, 2020) by Kevin Larimer and Mary Gannon offers a chapter dedicated to writing contests.

PEN America offers a list of grants, awards, fellowships, and residencies on its website. The NewPages Big List of Writing Contests lists magazine contests, book contests, chapbook contests, writing contests, and competitions from independent publishers. You can also contact your state or local arts council to learn about grants for writers available in your area.

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• Tags: Essay , Novel , Poetry , Short Story , Writing Contests

If you have great ideas but struggle to pen them, don’t worry. Almost all poets and writers fail at writing consistently, and we have a solution. We’ve listed the best creative writing contests in 2024!

You can go through the list to find any writing competitions in 2024 that inspire you to write. If you aren’t confident in your draft, try looking for some free writing contests! Whether you’re looking for poetry contests, short story writing competitions, or essay contests, we’ve listed them all. So, which one will you enter?

Elevate your book, essay, short story, or poem with perfect editing! Learn more

Here is a month-wise list of the best writing contests in 2024:

January 2024

February 2024.

• August 2024
• September 2024
• Other Writing Contests

The new year opens with plenty of poetry competitions but few essay contests and almost no free writing contests. With several mixed contests listed this month, however, we’re sure our poets and writers will be satisfied!

Poetry contests 2024

1. gemini poetry open contest 2024.

Gemini Magazine has organized this poetry contest 2024 to offer six finalists with publication in its March/April 2024 issue. The poems may have been uploaded on personal blogs, but previously published poems are ineligible.

Word count: 3 poems of any length

Prizes: $1,000, $100, four prizes of $25

Entry fee: $9

Closing date: 02 January 2024 

2. 2024 Poetry Competition

The organizers of this poetry contest seek to honor James Allen, the first person to breed Snowdrops from the wild. This is one of the free poetry contests for children and teens, who can participate through separate categories.

Theme: Nature unbound

Word count: 30 lines

Prize: £300

Entry fee: £4

Closing date: 07 January 2024

3. 2024 William Matthews Poetry Prize  

Asheville Poetry Review has organized this contest to offer three deserving poets with publication. Previously published poems and works of translations are not eligible. All entries will be considered for publication!

Prizes: $1,000 and $250

Entry fee: $20

Closing date: 16 January 2024

4. Magma 2023/24 Poetry Competition  

This poetry contest is held in two categories: The judge’s prize and the editor’s prize. Three winners from both categories will be published in Magma . The winners and ten commended poets will be invited to read their poems at a contest event.

Category 1: 11–50 lines

Category 2: Up to 10 lines

Prizes: £1000, £300, £150 per category

Entry fee: £5

Closing date: 31 January 2024

5. Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Poetry Competition 2024  

This is one of the poetry competitions that does not allow simultaneous submissions, at least for contests that announce results before 16 April 2024. Winning entries will be published online and included in an annual Folio publication.

Word count: 40 lines

Prizes: £1000, £300, £100, 4 prizes of £50

Short story writing contests 2024

6. the not quite write prize for flash fiction   .

Running between 19–21 January 2024, this unique flash fiction contest challenges authors to break a specific rule of writing. It’s called an anti-prompt, and you’ll have to pair this with two prompts to write your entry in 60 hours. Exciting, isn’t it? 

Word count: 500

Prizes: $1,000 AUD, $500 AUD, $200 AUD, $100 AUD, 4 prizes of $50 AUD

Entry fee: $25 AUD

Closing date: 21 January 2024

7. Story Unlikely Short Story Contest [Free writing Contest!]

This is one of the best short story competitions that welcome all genres: fantasy, sci-fi, memoir, and even nonfiction! All winning entries are published in the monthly issue of Story Unlikely and the winning entry may be published in the annual print issue.

Word count: 4,500

Prizes: $750, $500, $250

Entry: Free!

Essay contest 2024

8. the 2024 calibre essay prize   .

One of the best essay contests of 2024, this competition promotes nonfiction of all kinds: “personal or political, literary or speculative, traditional or experimental.” You may include illustrations in your essay, but the total file size should be below 3 MB.

Word count: 2,000–5,000

Prizes: $5,000 AUD, $3,000 AUD, $2,000 AUD

Entry fee: $30 AUD

Closing date: 22 January 2024

Book writing contests 2024

9. 2023 exeter novel prize.

This novel writing contest invites non-agented writers to submit a previously unpublished manuscript. Send the first 10,000 words of your novel and include a 500-word synopsis. Self-published writers are welcome to enter!

Word count: 10,000 

Prizes: £1000, five prizes of £100

Entry fee: £20

Closing date: 01 January 2024

10. Cai Emmons Fiction Award   

Red Hen Press has organized this novel writing contest 2024 to honor the late novelist Cai Emmons. All authors who haven’t published a full-length work with Red Hen Press are eligible to enter.

Word count: At least 150 pages

Prize: $5,000

Entry fee: $25

Closing date: 15 January 2024

11. Desert Writers Award  

The organizers of this award support one deserving writer of creative nonfiction while they work on their book. Make sure to highlight your interest in desert literature in your biographical statement and project description!

Word count: 10 pages

Entry fee: $15

12. North American Poetry Book Award  

The Poetry Society of Virginia has organized this poetry competition to award one full-length book of poetry. Self-published and audiovisual works are ineligible, but books that have won other pre-publishing awards are allowed. 

Word count: At least 64 pages

Prize: $1,000

Entry fee: $36

13. Bardsy Winter Anthology Contest  

This unique fiction writing contest invites authors to send the first chapters of their in-progress novel or memoir. The best thing is, that you receive feedback on your entry and you can revise it accordingly before judging begins!

Word count: 2,500–3,000

Prizes: $1000, some prizes of $50

Mixed writing contests 2024

14. mississippi review writing contest 2024.

Mississippi Review has organized this poetry, short story, and essay contest 2024 to award publication to three winners. You can submit online or via post, and the postal entry fee is $15. All the best!

Categories: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction

Word count: 3–5 poems (10 pages) for poetry; 1,000–8,000 words for prose

Prizes: 3 prizes of $1,000

Entry fee: $16

15. The DISQUIET Prize   

The organizers of this writing competition offer one winner a fully paid trip to attend the DISQUIET International Literary Program in Lisbon. Three additional winners receive fee waivers for the program and they can opt for a cash prize of $1,000 in its stead.

Word count: 10 pages for poetry; 25 pages for prose

Prizes: A paid trip to Lisbon and other prizes

Closing date: 05 January 2024

16. The Winter Anthology Contest  

This unique writing competition 2024 welcomes poets and writers to submit any published or unpublished piece of any length! The winner will be published in Volume 14 of The Winter Anthology and finalists will be considered for publication.

Categories: Poetry and prose

Entry fee: $11

Closing date: 10 January 2024 

February features a good balance of poetry and short story competitions, but essay contests are, as always, quite rare. What’s more, we’ve managed to find six free writing contests, perhaps the highest this number has been in a single month!

Poetry competitions 2024

1. yeats poetry prize   .

WB Yeats Society of NY has organized this poetry competition to honor the “valuable contributions poets and poetry make to human consciousness”. The judge may recognize some honorable mentions aside from the top two prizes.

Word count: 60 lines

Prizes: $1,000, $500

Entry fee: $15 per poem

Closing date: 01 February 2024 

2. Claire Keyes Poetry Award

Soundings East , the literary journal of Salem State University has organized this poetry competition 2024. The final judge, Maria Mazziotti Gillan, will select a group of poems that will be awarded with publication in the journal.

Word count: 1 page per poem

Entry fee: $10 (8–10 poems)

Closing date: 01 February 2024  

3. Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards  

This poetry contest awards three poets with publication in Paterson Literary Review . Entries to this contest must be submitted via mail. Although the competition honors Ginsberg, the organizers urge you not to emulate his style in your entry.

Word count: 2 pages per poem

Prizes: $2,000, $1,000, $500

Entry fee: $18 (3–5 poems)

4. West Chester University Poetry Awards  

These free poetry competitions are open to undergraduate poets enrolled in a US college or university. You can submit up to three poems for each award with the contact information of a referring professor.

Word count: Various

Prizes: 2 prizes of $1,500, 3 prizes of $1,000, 2 prizes of $500

Closing date: 16 February 2024 

5. Heroica Poetry Prize for Women and Non-Binary Authors and Poets  

Heroica has organized this poetry competition in 2024 for women and non-binary poets. The prize-winning and longlisted entries will be published in print in the first Heroica Poetry Anthology.

Word count: —

Prizes: £125, £50, £25

Entry fee: £2 for 1 poem, £5 for 3 poems; £10 for unlimited series

Closing date: 29 February 2024 

Short story contests 2024

6. american short(er) fiction prize  .

American Short Fiction has organized this flash fiction contest to award one writer with a cash prize and publication. Dantiel W. Moniz—writer of the story collection Milk, Blood, Heat —will judge the competition. All entries will be considered for publication!

Word count: 1,000

Entry fee: $18

7. Short Short Story Contest

The organizers of this short story contest help immigrants achieve their dreams by teaching them various courses. Alongside one overall winner and four winners for each topic, one prize will be awarded to a teen writer. 

Themes: bicycle(s), eclipse, fire, suitcase(s)

Word count: 100

Prizes: $300, 5 prizes of $100

8. WOW! Winter 2024 Flash Fiction Contest  

This women-centric flash fiction contest 2024 offers 17 prizes aside from the top three entries. You can opt for a critique of your work with an entry fee of $20. The entries are limited, so make sure to submit your entry soon!

Word count: 250–750

Prizes: $400, $300, $200

Entry fee: $10

Closing date: 28 February 2024  

9. Edinburgh Short Story Award

In its tenth year, this short story competition offers five top prizes and publication to the top 20 (or more) entries. The contest offers free entries to Scottish writers who receive some form of income support. 

Word count: 2,000

Prizes: £3,000, £500, £250, special prizes of £750 and £300

Entry fee: £10

Closing date: 28 February 2024 

10. Imagine Little Tokyo 2024 Short Story Contest [Free Writing Contest!]

The Little Tokyo Historical Society has organized this free short story contest in two categories: English and Japanese. These short stories should be set in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles and reflect the neighborhood’s culture. Now here’s a worldbuilding challenge like no other!

Word count: 2,500

Prizes: 2 prizes of $500

Essay contests 2024

11. the sarabande prize in essay.

One of the rarer essay writing competitions, the winner gets a collection of essays with a publishing contract. You may edit your entry within a week of submission, but not after that. The selected work will undergo the complete book editing process before publication with Sarabande Books.   

Word count: 100–250 pages

Prize: $3,000

Entry fee: $29

Closing date: 15 February 2024

12. Paterson Poetry Prize

This writing contest awards publication to one poet with the strongest collection of poems. The winner can claim the prize only if they’re available for an in-person or virtual reading at the Poetry Center in Paterson. 

Word count: At least 48 pages

Prize: $2,000

Entry fee: $18 per story

13. Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry

This poetry competition awards one poet with a cash prize and publication with a standard royalty contract. Translations and previously published manuscripts are not eligible. Sarabande Books will consider all finalists for publication!

14. Ambroggio Prize [Free Writing Contest!]

This one-of-a-kind free poetry contest awards a manuscript “originally written in Spanish and with an English translation”. Make sure to exclude the “Acknowledgements” page from your entry while submitting! The contest is open to US citizens only.

Word count: 48–100 pages

15. Center for African American Poetry and Poetics Book Prize [Free Writing Contest!]

Autumn House Press has organized this free writing competition to honor one poet-writer of African descent. The book may be of any genre that “intersects with … poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation.”

Word count: 48–168 pages

16. Harold Morton Landon Translation Award [Free Writing Contest!]

This free poetry contest 2024 honors a manuscript translated into English from any other language. Collaborations of up to two translators are eligible but self-published works will not be considered. The contest is open to US citizens only.

17. Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction  

The organizers of this short fiction contest welcome you to submit a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a short novel. The manuscript must be unpublished, but individual works may have appeared in magazines or anthologies.

Word count: 150–250 pages

Closing date: 15 February 2024 

Mixed writing competitions 2024

18. slippery elm prize for poetry and prose  .

Slippery Elm has organized this writing contest to offer publication to poets and writers in their online and print issues. All entrants will receive a copy of the winning issue and be considered for publication!

Word count: None for poetry; 5,000 words for prose

Prizes: $500 per category

Entry fee: $15 (3 poems; 1 prose entry)

19. Elmbridge Literary Competition 2023–24  

This contest features four categories for children and teens and only the adult category has an entry fee. Sampson Low will publish the winning entries from all categories together in a chapbook.

Categories: Poetry and short story

Theme: Fame

Word count: 30 lines for poetry; 1,500 words for a short story

Prizes:   £250,  £150, £100 per category

Closing date: 23 February 2024

20. 2024 Writing Competition

This writing contest is part of the Bournemouth Writing Festival and offers anthology publication to 40 poets and writers. All winners will be invited to the launch party, receive a free copy of the anthology, and get two tickets to a BWF event.

Categories: Poetry and flash fiction

Theme: Lines in the sand

Word count: 30 lines for poetry; 400 words for prose

Prize: Anthology publication

21. The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition 2023/24 [Free Writing Contest!]

This free writing competition offers young poets and writers prize not only for themselves but also for their school library! There are three age groups and the top three prizes in each group for both, students and their libraries. Exciting, right?!

Theme: Being part of a group

Prizes: £300, £150, £100 (to the student); 1000, £500, £250 (to the school library)

March is overloaded with poetry competitions, perhaps in anticipation of April, the poetry writing month. Short story contests were hard to come by, but we did manage to find some free poetry contests!

Poetry contests

1. bsfs poetry contest 2024 [free writing contest].

Baltimore Science Fiction Society has organized this poetry competition. You may submit up to three poems exploring themes of science fiction/fantasy/horror/science. The winners also receive convention membership.

Prizes: $100, $75, $50 

Closing date: 01 March 2024 

2. The Alpine Fellowship Poetry Prize 2024 [Free Writing Contest!]

This free poetry contest welcomes you to submit a single poem or a collection, as long as all the poems relate to the theme. Prize winners will be invited to attend The Alpine Fellowship’s annual symposium, offering up to £500 as travel expenses.

Theme: Language

Prizes: £3,000, £1,000, £1,000 

Closing date: 01 March 2024

3. The Desmond O’Grady International Poetry Competition 2024

The Limerick Writers’ Centre has organized this international poetry contest and invites entries in Irish or English. Poet Arthur Broomfield will judge the English poems while Tomás Ó Coileáin will judge the Irish ones.

Prizes: €200, €50

Entry fee: €3.5

Closing date: 16 March 2024

4. The London Magazine Poetry Prize 2024

The London Magazine offers cash prizes and publication to three poets through this poetry competition. Students and poets with a low income can submit entries at an entry fee of £5!

Prizes: £500, £300, £200

Closing date: 31 March 2024

5. The E.H.P. Barnard Poetry Prize

This poetry contest, organized by the artist Tom Niell, is open only to UK-based poets. Along with the cash prize, the winner also gets a poem video, performed, produced, and promoted. Exciting, right?

Location: UK

Theme: Travel

Word count: 400

Prizes: £100, £75, £50

Entry fee: £2

Closing date: 31 March 2024 

6. The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2024  

The Caterpillar has organized this poetry competition with Joseph Coelho as the judge. The winning entries will be published in the Irish Times online and the first prize winner also gets a week at Circle of Misse in France.

Prizes: €1,000, €500, €250

Entry fee: €15

7. The Plough Prize 2024  

In its twenty-first year, this renowned poetry contest will be judged by Roger McGough. There is no restriction on the subject. You may send your entry via post, but make sure it reaches the organizers before the deadline.

Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250

8. The Plaza Prose Poetry Prize  

The Plaza Writers has organized this poetry competition to highlight prose poetry. The top ten entries will be selected for anthology publication. Contest judge Carrie Etter is looking for “thrilling experiments with the prose poem form”.

Word count: 450

Prizes: £750, £200, £50

Entry fee: £11

9. Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize  

This short story competition has been organized by Symphony Space and sponsored by Selected Shorts. The winning entry will be performed by an actor and published in Electric Literature . 

Word count: 750

Prize: $1,000 and a 10-week course with Gotham Writers

10. Peter Carey Short Story Awards 2024

This short story contest awards two Australian authors with cash prizes, digital publication in Meanjin , as well as the magazine’s standard contributor fee. An additional prize of 500 AUD will be awarded to a writer who lives, works, or studies in Moorabool Shire.

Location: Australia

Word count: 2,000–3,000

Prizes: 2,000 AUD, 1,000 AUD

Entry fee: 15 AUD

Closing date: 14 March 2024

11. Indignor House Writing Competition 2024  

Indignor House Publishing has organized this short story writing contest to support emerging voices in fiction. 25 entries will be selected for publication in an anthology, of which winners will receive a hardcover copy.

Theme: Fear

Word count: 5,000

Prizes: $500, $250, $150

12. Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

This essay contest welcomes you to submit outstanding personal essays. All entries will be considered for publication in The New Quarterly and the organizers will pay an honorarium of $250 upon publication.

Location: Canada

Entry fee: $40

Closing date: 28 March 2024 

13. PFD Queer Fiction Prize back for 2024

Peters Fraser + Dunlop, a London-based literary agency, has organized this book writing contest to support emerging queer writers. The submissions do not have to be on LGBTQIA+ experiences as long as the author identifies as such.

Categories: Adult and YA/children’s fiction

Word count: Three chapters and a synopsis

Prize: Agency representation

14. 2024 Airlie Prize  

Airlie Press has organized this poetry contest to award one book of poetry with publication. The editors at Airlie Press, previous winners, and guest readers will form the panel of judges. Translated works are not eligible.

Word count: 48–90 pages

15. The 2024 Chapter One Prize for Novelists  

Gutsy Great Novelist has organized this novel writing competition to award three novelists writing in any genre. They have some strict submission guidelines, so make sure you go through them before submitting your entry!

Word count: The first chapter

Prizes: $1,000, $500, $250

16. The Hazel Rowley Prize

This contest awards the best book proposal by a first-time biographer. Along with the cash prize, the winner receives agent exposure and publicity for the project through the Biographers International Organization website and newsletter.

Word count: 20 pages

17. Raz-Shumaker Book Prize  

This book writing contest awards one poetry and one short story collection with publication by the University of Nebraska Press. Poets and writers are free to enter both contests. Self-published books are not eligible for this contest.

Word count: At least 50 pages for poetry; at least 150 pages for fiction

Prizes: $3,000 per category

Closing date: 15 March 2024

18. Rubery Book Awards  

This book writing competition is for indie writers, self-published authors, and writers who have published with independent presses. The categories for the contest are decided after all submissions have been collected.

Prizes: £2,000, some prizes of £200

Entry fee: £45 

Mixed writing contests

19. wild women contest  .

Open to poets and writers of all gender identities, this writing competition only requires entries to celebrate the “wild woman spirit”. All submissions will be considered for publication in TulipTree Review and all collaborators will be paid $50. 

Word count: 5 pages for poetry; 10,000 words for prose

Prizes: $1,000

Closing date: 08 March 2024

20. The Screenwriting Challenge

One of the more interesting writing competitions in 2024, this contest randomly assigns you a genre for round one. The top five from each genre group move on to round two, from which the top three move on to round three. Go check it out!

Word count: 12 pages for round 1

Prizes: $4,500, $1,750, $1,000, $500, $350, $250, $225, $200, $175, $150

Entry fee: $55

Contest duration: 15–23 March 2024 

21. The 2024 Perkoff Prize  

The Missouri Review has organized this poetry, short story, and essay contest to recognize emerging poets and writers. You may submit your entry online or via post. The entry fee includes a one-year subscription to the magazine.

Categories: Poetry, short story, and essay

Word count: 10 pages for poetry; 8,500 words for a short story and an essay

Prizes: $1,000 per category

22. The Hope Prize

This short story and essay contest offers anthology publication to the winners and some shortlisted writers. The royalties from the anthology will be donated to Beyond Blue, an Australian mental health charity.

Categories: Short story and essay

Theme: Hope

Prize: 10,000 AUD, 2,000 AUD, 1,000 AUD

Entry fee: 22 AUD

Closing date: 22 March 2024 

23. Seasons Writing Competition 2024  

This writing contest awards the best pieces of poetry and fiction from the submitted entries and no category prizes are awarded. All shortlisted poets and writers will be published in a contest anthology!

Categories: Poetry, short story, flash fiction, script

Theme: Light and Shadow

Word count: 2,500 words for a short story; 1,000 words for flash fiction

Prizes: 500 AUD, 400 AUD, 300 AUD, 200 AUD, some prizes of 100 AUD

Entry fee: 5 AUD

As if to make up for March, April features a ton of short story writing contests but only two poetry competitions. As always, essay writing contests are few and far between. Don’t worry though, we’ll keep adding to this list every month!

1. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest [Free Writing Contest!]

Unique among free poetry contests, this competition invites you to submit one humorous poem. The winner will receive a Duotrope gift certificate and the top 13 entries will be published online. Both unpublished and previously published works are eligible!

Word count: 250 lines

Prizes: $2,000, $500, $250, 10 prizes of $100

Closing date: 01 April 2024

2. Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2024  

The Rialto has organized this poetry contest, inviting poets to dwell on any aspect of nature and place. While judging, Zaffar Kunial will interpret these terms widely. All longlisted entries will be published on The Rialto website.

Entry fee: £7

3. Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize 2024  

The grand prize winner of this short story competition gets a week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, literary feedback, and agent consultation. The contest offers 40 free entries and 60 half-priced entries!

Prizes: €2,000, 2 prizes of €1,000

Entry fee: €20

Closing date: 14 April 2024

4. Purorrelato 2024 Micro-Story Contest [Free Writing Contest!]

Casa África has organized this micro story writing contest to encourage writers to write about Africa in newer ways. The micro story must relate to Africa in some way and may be written in Spanish, English, French, or Portuguese.

Word count: 1,500 characters

Prizes: €750, €375, €225

Closing date: 16 April 2024 

5. 2024 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

One of the world’s leading short story contests, the Jolley Prize is in its fifteenth year. The three winning stories will be published in the August or September 2024 issue of the Australian Book Review .

Prizes: 6,000 AUD, 4,000 AUD, 2,500 AUD

Entry fee: 30 AUD

Closing date: 22 April 2024 

6. SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction

This flash fiction contest has been running twice yearly since 2018. The grand prize winner is automatically nominated for The Best Small Fiction, The Pushcart, Best of the Net, and other contests.

Prizes: 2,500, $1,000, $500, some prizes of $100.

Closing date: 30 April 2024 

7. Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest

This short story competition challenges you to pack a punch in 100 words. The second runner-up wins a writing coaching package valued at $450 and the third, a developmental and diversity editing package valued at $250.

Prizes: $2,000 and others

8. The Creative Writing NZ Short Story Prize 2024  

This short story contest accepts only online entries. Lucie Brownlee is the guest judge this year. The winner and runners-up receive a free online course and publication on the Creative Writing NZ website.

Location: New Zealand

Word count: 3,000

Prizes: $1,000, 2 prizes of $200

9. Short Story Competition  

Organized by Cranked Anvil Press, this quarterly short story competition welcomes all genres and themes. The winning entries will be published online, and all longlisted entries will be considered for eventual anthology publication.

Word count: 1,500

Prizes: £100, £50

Closing date: 30 April 2024  

10. Los Angeles NaNo Anthology

This free short story contest is a golden opportunity for writers worldwide. Writers must submit a story revolving around the theme “Utopia- or is it?” and the prompt “You must include something/someone that gets stuck”.  The winning entries will be published in the Los Angeles NaNo Anthology’s 10th edition “Trouble in Paradise”.

Wordcount: 4,000

Closing date: 30 April 2024

11. Terry Tempest Williams Creative Nonfiction Prize

North American Review has organized this essay contest to offer publication to the winners and honorable mentions. The organizers welcome “the lyric essay, the hermit crab essay, the braided essay, the memoir, the personal essay, literary journalism, and everything in between.” 

Word count: 500–10,000

Entry fee: $23

Closing date: 02 April 2024

Book writing competitions 2024

12. self-published book awards  .

This book writing contest only accepts self-published books that are printed and bound. If you’ve published an eBook, there’s still time enough to print your book through self-publishing services ! The contest accepts entries in seven categories.

Prizes: $10,000, 7 prizes of $1,000

Entry fee: $100

13. First Pages Prize   

This book writing contest seeks to support un-agented writers. The top three winners in both categories receive a developmental mentorship and agent consultation via Zoom. Edwidge Danticat will judge both categories. 

Categories: Fiction and creative nonfiction

Word count: 1,250 (First five pages of your book)

Prizes: $2,000, $1,500, $1000 per category

Closing date: 10 April 2024

14. Jonathan Holden Poetry Chapbook Contest

This poetry competition is open to poets who haven’t yet published a full-length work of poetry. Self-published books are not eligible. All participants receive an eBook copy of the winning chapbook.

Word count: 25 to 40 pages

Prize: $250 and 10 copies of the printed chapbook

Closing date: 10 April 2024 

15. Nimrod Literary Awards  

All shortlisted poets and writers for this writing competition will be published and offered a standard publishing rate of $10/page. Poets may submit one long poem or a few short poems within the page limit.

Categories: Poetry and fiction (short story or self-contained novel excerpt)

Word count: 3–10 pages of poetry; 7,500 words for fiction

Prizes: $2,000 and $1,000 per category

Entry fee: $20 

16. Mairtin Crawford Award 

This writing contest is for poets and writers “working towards their first full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel.” Both published and unpublished writers are welcome to enter, but they must not have published full-length works.

Word count: 3–5 poems for poetry; 2,500 for short story

Prizes: £500, 2 prizes of £250 per category

17. F(r)iction Contests

This is essentially four writing competitions rolled into one. Wole Talabi, Sherrie Flick, C. S. E. Cooney, and Marin Sardy form the panel of judges. All submissions are considered for publication!

Categories: Poetry, short story, flash fiction, and essay

Word count: 3 pages for poetry, 1,001–7,500 for short story; 1,000 for flash fiction; 6,500 for essay

Prizes: $300 for poetry, $1,000 for short story, $300 for flash fiction, $500 for essay 

Entry fee: $10 for poetry and flash fiction, $15 for a short story and essay

As is the trend now, May has made up for the dearth of poetry competitions in April. While there are few short story contests this month, we did find two essay contests. Surprisingly, May features a wealth of book writing competitions!

1. International Poetry Contest

Atlanta Review invites you to submit five poems of any length in your entry. Aside from the grand prize winner, 20 poets will be published in the contest issue and 30 more will receive honorable mentions. All 50 poets will receive awards and a free copy of the contest issue.

Entry fee: $15 (for five poems)

Closing date: 01 May 2024 

2. The Letter Review Prize for Poetry [Free Contest!]

The organizers of this poetry competition welcome poems of all kinds, with no restrictions on subject or style. Two to four winners are announced, among whom the cash prize is equally distributed. 

Word count: 70 lines

Prize: $1,000 (total prize pool)

Closing date: 03 May 2024

3. Montreal International Poetry Prize  

One of the most well-known poetry contests, the Montreal Prize awards one poet each year. The judges will shortlist 60 poems, all of which will be published in The Montreal Poetry Prize Anthology . Translations aren’t allowed unless a poet translates their own work.

Prize: $20,000 CAD

Closing date: 15 May 2024

4. Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize  

This poetry competition awards one poem with publication in The American Poetry Review . All entrants receive a copy of the magazine. You may submit up to three poems, as long as the entire entry is no larger than 3 pages.

Word count: 3 pages

5. James Laughlin Award [Free Writing Contest!]

This poetry competition is for a second book of poetry, to be published in the coming year. Publishers that have previously published at least four books of poetry are welcome to enter. Translated books are not eligible.

Location: US

Prize: $5,000 

6. Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize

This contest awards a book of poetry published in a standard edition in the previous year (2023). Self-published and translated books are not eligible. Publishers may submit more than one title.

Prize: $25,000 

Entry fee: $75

7. Guy Owen Prize  

Southern Poetry Review has organized this poetry contest, inviting you to submit three to five poems. You may submit online or via post, and the entry fee includes a one-year subscription to the magazine.

Closing date: 31 May 2024

Short story competitions 2024

8. the letter review prize for short fiction [free contest].

This short story writing contest will shortlist 20 entries, of which 2–4 will be announced as the winners. All entries will be considered for publication, future anthologies, and submission to the Pushcart Prize!

9. Twist in the Tale Writing Competition  

This interesting short story contest will assign you a genre, a “twisted” subgenre, and an event/character/object/subject. The contest also features weekly challenges and monthly mini-contests. It’s a community experience like no other!

Prizes: $1,200, $400, $250, $150, $100, and others

Entry fee: $30

Closing date: 13–19 May 2024 (6-day contest)

10. WOW! Flash Fiction Contest  

One of the WOW! 2024 writing contests, this is an open-prompt competition, open to women worldwide. You can opt for a critique of your writing at a $20 entry fee. The contest features only 300 entries, so hurry up and submit yours!

Prizes: $400, $300, $200, and others

11. The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction [Free essay writing contest!]

One of the few essay contests in May 2024, this competition is open to essayists worldwide. Entries are judged blind and all entrants receive judges’ feedback on their essays. If you’d like to enter more than one essay, the fee is $5 per additional entry.

12. James A. Winn Prize in Nonfiction  

Michigan Quarterly Review has organized this essay contest in memory of English Professor James A. Winn. Ten shortlisted entries will be presented to Judge Elizabeth Goodenough. All entries will be considered for publication.

Word count: 1,500–7,000

Prize: $1,500

13. Cheshire Novel Prize  

This international book writing competition invites un-agented authors to submit an excerpt and a 500-word synopsis of their novel. Shortlisted authors will be asked to submit their entire manuscript. Self-published writers are welcome to enter!

Word count: The first 5,000 words

Prize: £1500

Entry fee: £29

Closing date: 01 May 2024

14. The Backwaters Prize in Poetry   

This poetry book contest invites you to submit a collection of poems or a single long poem. The Backwaters Press will offer publication to both winning manuscripts. Only collections with 95% unpublished material are eligible to enter.

Word count: 60–85 pages

Prizes: $2,000, $1,000

Entry fee: $32

15. The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books [Free Contest!]

The Letter Review invites poets and writers to submit excerpts of their unpublished books. The organizers may request entire manuscripts only from the winners. Make sure to include a one-page synopsis/abstract and a 200-word bibliography!

Word count: The first 15 pages for poetry; the first 5,000 words for prose

16. Leapfrog Global Fiction Prize  

This international book writing contest is open to literary and mainstream fiction, including science fiction. Short story collections are allowed. Self-published books are allowed, as long as they haven’t sold more than 200 copies!

Word count: Minimum 22,000

Prize: Publication with Leapfrog Press and $150 for all finalists

Entry fee: $35

Closing date: 05 May 2024

17. The Fugere Book Prize for Finely Crafted Novellas

Regent House Publishing has organized this novella competition with its panel of editors as the judges. English translations of novellas written in other languages are allowed. Make sure not to send artwork or photographs, however!

Word count: 17,000–40,000

18. Goldfinch Novel Award 2024

This novel contest invites manuscripts written for adults or young adults. Submit an excerpt of your novel with a one-page synopsis. Along with the cash prize, the winner gets a free Goldfinch membership and a Creative Writing Course worth £150.

Location: UK and Ireland

19. Changing Light Prize for a Novel-in-Verse [Free Contest!]

This interesting book writing contest combines the forms of poetry and novel. Along with the cash prize, the winner receives 20 copies of their book and a standard royalty contract. The winning manuscript will be published in three formats: trade paper, eBook, and Kindle.

Word count: 90–160 pages

Prize: $500

Closing date: 25 May 2024 

20. The Untold Tales Youth Writing Competition [Free Contest!]

The organizers of this writing contest invite poets and writers under 25 years of age to submit entries in English or Spanish. The writing should be “focused on a true, fact-based untold tale celebrating and/or illuminating the importance of human rights.”

Categories: Poetry, short story, short narrative

Word count: 500 words for poetry; 1,000 words for prose

Prizes: $100 per category

21. Leeway Transformation Award [Free Contest!]

Open to women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming artists, poets, and writers, this award isn’t project-based. Rather, it seeks to honor a creative based in Greater Philadelphia who has been working for social change.

Categories: Various

Prizes: $15,000

22. Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest  

This short story and essay contest offers online publication to 12 outstanding writers of fiction and nonfiction. Both published and unpublished entries are welcome. The top two winners receive two-year gift certificates from Duotrope.

Word count: 6,000

Prizes: $3,500 per category and 10 prizes of $300

Entry fee: $22

23. Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition 2024

This writing contest features nine categories, awarding almost 500 poets and writers with various prizes. As if that wasn’t enough, the names and titles of honorable mentions will be listed on the Writer’s Digest website. Quite the exposure for new writers!

Word count: 40 lines for poetry; 4,000 words for a short story, and 2,000 for an essay 

Prizes: $5,000, 9 prizes of $1,000, $500, $250, $100, and $50 (per category)

Entry fee: $20 for poetry; $30 for manuscript

Closing date: 06 May 2024

24. The Bridport Prize 2024  

This esteemed writing competition offers anthology publication, agent consultation, and editorial advice to the winning poets and writers. It also offers other prizes such as the Young Writer Award and the Dorset Award.

Categories: Poetry, short story, flash fiction, novel, memoir

a. Poetry Contest 2024

Word count: 42 lines

Prizes: £5,000, £1,000, £500

Entry fee: £12

b. Short Story Contest 2024

Entry fee: £14

c. Flash Fiction Contest 2024

Word count: 250

d. Novel Contest 2024

Word count: 5,000–8,000

Prizes: £1,500, £750, 3 prizes of £150

Entry fee: £24

e. Memoir Contest 2024

June 2024 

June is bursting with creative opportunities! From free to paid, there are exciting poetry, short story, and book-writing contests waiting for you. For essay writing enthusiasts, we also managed to find four amazing essay writing contests.

Poetry contests 2024 

1. boulevard magazine poetry contest .

This poetry contest invites writers to submit a group of 3 poems. The winning group of poems will be published in the Boulevard magazine. 

Prize: $1000

Entry fee: $18 

Closing date: 1 June 2024 

2. Dan Veach Prize [Free Writing Contest!] 

Organized by the Atlanta Review magazine, this is a free poetry contest. Currently accepting submissions from college students aged 18-23, the winning entries will be published in the Atlanta Review’s Fall/Winter issue. 

Prize: $100 

3. Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Awards [Free Writing Contest!] 

This free contest welcomes writers to submit a maximum of 2 unpublished haiku poems. Open to haiku poets globally, winners will receive a cash prize and a copy of Red Leaves: Selected Haiku of Peggy Lyles . 

Prize: $200, $100, $50 

4. McLellan Poetry Prize

This contest invites writers to submit any number of poems on their choice of subject or theme. The poems must be unpublished and not accepted for publication. 

Word count: 90 lines 

Prize: £1000, £250 

Entry fee: £7 for the 1st poem, £5 per poem for 2nd and subsequent poems

Closing date: 2 June 2024 

5. Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year 

Allowing poets to submit poems on any subject, 35 poems will be chosen from all the submitted entries. The shortlisted poems will feature in the Poet of the Year Anthology . 

Word count: 60 lines 

Prize: £200, £100, £50 

Entry fee: £5 per poem 

Closing date: 7 June 2024 

6. Poetry London prize

Judged by Hannah Sullivan, this contest is open to poets anywhere in the world. The submitted poems must be in English. Winning entries will be published in the Poetry London magazine. 

Prize: £5000, £2000, £1000

Entry fee: £5 for Poetry London magazine subscribers, £10 for non-subscribers 

Closing date: 30 June 2024 

Short story competitions 2024 

7. defenestrationism contest.

This competition is looking for stories that “include an incident of Defenestrationism– the art, or -ism, of throwing people out of windows”. This need not be literal and the incident can be sudden, a violent shift or change. Zombie fiction is discouraged. 

Prize: $75, $30, $30 

Closing date: 2 June 2024

8. Imagine 2200

Organized by the American magazine Grist , this contest is looking for “stories rooted in creative climate solutions”. Anyone who is 18 years or older can participate. 

Word count: 2,500-5,000 words

Prize: $3000, $2000, $1000, 9 prizes of $300 

Closing date: 24 June 2024 

9. Moth Short Story Prize

Open to any writer over 16 years of age, the winning entries will be published in the Irish Times . Prizes also include a trip to Circle de Misse in France plus open travel stipend! This contest will be judged by Louise Kennedy. 

Prize: £3000, Circle de Misse trip, £1000 

Entry fee: £15 per entry 

10. Salamander 2024 Fiction Contest

Accepting unpublished stories from writers worldwide, the winning entries will be published in the Salamander magazine. The story submitted must not exceed 30 double-spaced pages in 12-point font. 

Prize: $1000, $500 

Entry fee: $15 

11. FFF Competition 

This flash fiction contest invites writers to submit stories on any theme. The winning entries will be published on the Free Flash Fiction website. 

Wordcount: 100-300 words 

Prize: £150, 2 prizes of £50, 3 prizes of £40 

Entry fee: £3.95, £2.55 

Closing date: 23 June 2024 

Essay contests 2024 

12. goi peace foundation international essay contest .

Open to anyone who is 25 years old or under, this essay writing contest only accepts one entry per person. Participants can submit their essays written in English, Japanese, or French. 

Theme: Experience of overcoming conflict 

Word count: 700 words 

Prize: 100,000 yen, 50,000 yen

Closing date: 15 June  2024 

13. Solid essay contest 

An amazing opportunity for new writers, the winning essay entries will receive a scholarship. To participate, writers will have to write an essay on technology’s role in shaping the future or select the topic of climate change. 

Word count: 600-800 

Prize: $1000, $700, $500

Closing date: 19 June 2024

14. Hubert Butler Essay prize 

To participate in this essay writing contest, the author must be above 18 and should be a European or UK citizen. The subject for the essay is: “With narratives of conflict currently distorted by misinformation and the substitution of memory for history, what are the chances of reconciliation?” 

Wordcount: 3,000

Prize: 1 prize of €1,500, 2 prizes of €500 

Closing date: 28 June 2024 

15. Fountain Essay Contest 2024 

Open to writers worldwide, interested participants can submit 1 entry per person.  While the Chicago Manual of Style is preferred for essay writing, other styles can also be used. 

Theme: Where is home? 

Wordcount: 1500-2000

Prizes: $1000, $500, $300, 2 prizes of $150 

Book writing contests 2024 

16. the novel prize .

This contest rewards unpublished fictional works that “explore and expand the possibilities of the form, and are innovative and imaginative”. The winning entries will be published in North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. 

Prize: $10,000

17. Chicken House Prize 

This contest invites writers to submit a “complete fiction manuscript of any genre for children aged 7 up to YA”. The winner will receive a publishing contract plus an offer of representation. 

Prize: £7,500 

18. Creative Arts Book Award 

This contest allows writers to submit original works of fiction or non-fiction. Poetry books cannot be submitted to this contest. 

Prize: $25,000, 2 prizes of $250 

19. Towson prize for literature 

Founded in 1979, this contest accepts manuscript submissions of poetry, fiction, drama, and imaginative non-fiction. Open to Maryland (USA) writers only, the manuscript must be published 3 years before the time of nomination or scheduled for publication within the year it’s nominated.  

Prize: $1,000 

Closing date: 15 June 2024 

20. Scotiabank Giller Prize 

To be eligible to participate in this contest, the writer must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. The book should be a first-edition novel, graphic novel, or collection of short stories published between 1st May and 30th June 2024. Unfortunately, self-published books aren’t eligible. 

Prize: $10,000, shortlisted translation ($7,000-author, $3,000-translator), (translation wins- $70,000-author, $30,000- translator) 

Closing date: 21 June 2024 

21. Atwood Gibson Prize 

Organized to encourage Canadian writers, this contest awards the best Canadian novel or short story collection. Funded by the Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, the authors receive a generous cash prize. 

Prize: $60,000, $5000  

Closing date: 25 June 2024 

22. Drue Heinz Literature Prize 

Open to writers all over the world, participants can submit a manuscript of short stories, 2 or more novellas, or a combination of novellas and short stories. Winning entries will be published by the University of Pittsburgh Press and receive support in book promotion. 

Prize: $15000

Mixed writing contests 2024 

23. arizona authors association literary contest  .

Arizona Literary Magazine has organized this poetry, short story, and essay writing competition in three categories and several subcategories. The 24 winning poets and writers will be published in the magazine.

Location: US and Canada

Categories: Unpublished poetry, short story, essay, novel; Published books of fiction and nonfiction, others

Word count: 50 lines for poetry; 5,000 for short stories and essays; 25 pages for a novel

Prizes: $500, 3 prizes of $200, $100, $75, $50 each , 11 prizes of $25

Entry fee: $35 for unpublished and $45 for published poets and writers

Closing date: 01 June 2024

24. Questions Writing Prize 

This contest welcomes writers to submit fiction/non-fiction works on any topic. Only young Australian writers, aged 18-30 years are open to participate in this contest. 

Prize: $3000

Word count: 1,500-2000

25. Manitoba poetry and short story contest 

Interested participants can either submit 3 poems or 1 story to participate in this exciting contest. The winning entries will be published on the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba website and winners will be given cash prizes. 

Prize: $125, $75, $50 

26. International Wizard of Oz Club Contest 

This contest has 3 categories: fiction, non-fiction, and art. All the entries must be about the land of Oz created by Frank Baum in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz . 

Prize: $100, $50 

Word count: 10,000 words 

27. Wells Festival of Literature 

Organized as a part of the Wells Festival of Literature, this contest awards amazing fictional works of poetry and prose. The winners will receive amazing cash prizes and will be invited to the celebratory event of the festival on 25th October 2024. 

Categories: Open Poetry, Short Story, Book for Children, Young Poets 

a. Wells Festival Open Poetry Contest 2024 

The poems can be on any subject. Each poem submitted must not exceed more than 35 lines of text in length. Multiple submissions are allowed. 

Prize: £1000, £500, £250 

Entry fee: £6

b. Wells Festival Short Story Contest 2024 

You can submit 1 or more short stories on any topic of your choice to participate in this content. Make sure to mention the story’s word count on the first page! 

Prize: £750, £300, £200, £100 

Entry fee: £6 per story 

c. Wells Festival Book for Children Contest 

This competition requires you to submit either the first two chapters or the first 20 pages of the children’s book you’ve written. You also need to attach your book’s synopsis. 

Prize: £750. £300, £200 

Entry fee: £6 per book 

d. Young Poets Contest 

Open to writers aged 16-22 years old, this contest allows participants to submit poems on any subject. The poems must not exceed 35 lines of length. 

Prize: £200, £150, £100 

Entry fee: £3 per poem 

28. Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-Fiction 

This contest rewards the best Canadian non-fiction of the year. Participants can submit a biography, memoir, or non-fiction book of essays, commentary, and criticism. 

Prize: $75,000, $5,000

29. Writers of the future contest

Writers who have not professionally published “a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium” are eligible to participate. Manuscripts belonging to the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and dark fantasy are also accepted. 

Prize: $5000, $1000, $750, $500

July 2024 

July is the perfect month to let your creativity soar! We’ve found exciting poetry, book, and short story competitions for you! As always, essay writing competitions are scarce. Don’t worry though, we’ll keep adding to this list every month! 

1. Local Word Poetry Prize

In its second year, this contest is open to Australian residents who are 16 years or older. The winning entry will be  published on the Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC) website. 

Wordcount: 75 lines 

Prize: $2,000, $250 

Entry fee: Free! 

Closing date: 1 July 2024 

2. Ledbury Poetry Competition 2024 

A part of the Poetry Ledbury Festival, this contest is open to writers who are 18 years or older. Judged by Maya C. Popa this year, participants can submit unpublished poems up to 40 lines. 

Location: UK 

Prize: £1000, £500, £259 

Entry fee: £6 

Closing date: 8 July 2024 

3. Vice Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize 

Interested participants can submit 1-6 poems. 60 longlisted poems will be published in an online prize anthology. 

Prize: AUD$15,000, AUD$5,000, AUD$5,000

Entry fee: $AUD25 

Closing date: 14 July 2024 

4. Rattle poetry prize

Welcoming writers worldwide to participate, this contest accepts poems primarily written in English. Participants can send 4 poems per entry on any topic of their choice. 

Prize: 1 prize of $15000, 1 prize of $5000, 10 prizes of $500 

Entry fee: $30 

Closing date: 15 July 2024 

5. The Tenth Gate Prize  

To participate, writers must have two previously published full-length poetry collections. The winning entry will be published. 

Entry fee: $25 

6. Muriel Craft Bailey Poetry Contest  

Judged by Charles Rafferty, this contest accepts original, unpublished submissions. The winning entry will be published in the Comstock Review . 

Prize: $1.000, $250, $100 

Entry fee: $27.50 (per submission) 

7. Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize 

Judged by Kim Addonizio, this contest is open to writers worldwide. The top 5 finalists’ entries will be published in the Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine . 

Prize: $1,000, $500, $250

Closing date: 31 July 2024 

8. Winchester Poetry Prize 2024 

Judged by Clare Shaw, this contest encourages poets worldwide to submit poems on any subject. The results will be announced on 5th October 2024 and winning entries will be published in a competition anthology. 

Wordcount: Not more than 40 lines 

Entry fee: £6 for the 1st poem, £5 for each subsequent poem

9. Experimental Poetry Contest 

This exciting contest allows participants to submit poems of any form and style. The winning entry will be published in the Connecticut River Review. 

10. HWA Short Story Award

To participate in this contest, writers must submit a story that is set atleast 35 years in the past. The stories of 6 shortlisted writers will be published together in an eBook. 

Wordcount: 3,500 words 

Prize:  £500 

Closing date: 1 July 2024. 

11. HG Wells short story competition 

Free for writers 21 years or under, this contest accepts original, unpublished short stories. The winning entries will be published in the HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology. 

Theme: The Fool 

Prize: £1,000

Entry fee: £10 for writers over 21, £5 for writers with a student ID 

12. The Paul Cave Prize for Teenage Fiction 

Organized to encourage teenage fiction, writers can submit stories about a murder mystery, science, technology, sports, etc. Winning entries will be published on the contest website and in the Paul Cave Prize for Teenage Fiction 2024 book. 

Prize: £100, £50, £25

Entry fee: £30 (1 entry), £40 (2 entries)

Closing date: 30 July 2024 

13. Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition 2024

Funded by the Munster Literature Centre, this contest invites writers of all nationalities to submit their stories. The selected stories will be published in the literary journal Southward. 

Word count: 3,000 

Prize: €2,000, €500, €250 

14. Inspiring Fiction Contest 

This contest is seeking submissions for “thrilling and thought-provoking short stories”. To participate, writers will have to explore the theme of freedom through genres like crime, fantasy, and speculative fiction. 

Wordcount: 1000-2500

Prize: £100

15. Fiction Factory Competition 

This competition welcomes all stories except those related to children and young adult fiction. Stories must be submitted in a MS Word document. 

Wordcount: 3000 words

Prize: £500

Entry fee: £7.00 (1 story), £13 (2 stories), £18 (3 stories) 

16. Anthology Short Story Competition 

Open to writers worldwide, this short story competition welcomes submissions on any theme or style. The winning entry will be published in the future issue of Anthology. 

Word count: 1,500 words

Prize: €1000, €250, €150 

Entry fee: €18 per entry 

17. Forum Essay Prize 2024 

This contest is seeking submissions of “bold, visionary, and persuasive essays”. The winning essay will be published in the issue of Forum for Modern Language Studies. 

Theme: The Art(s) of Delight 

Wordcount: 6000-8000 words 

Prize: £500, £200

18. Wasifiri New Writing Prize 

This contest is open to all writers who have not yet published a book. The winning entries will be published in the Wasafiri magazine. 

Prize: £1000

Entry fee: £12 (single entry), £16 (double entry) 

19. The St. Laurence Book Award 

This contest rewards an unpublished collection of poetry or prose. The winning entry will be published and the author will receive 10 copies. 

Prize: $1.000

Entry fee: $14 

20. Press 53 Award 

Rewarding “outstanding, unpublished collection of poems”, this contest welcomes submissions of writers 18 years or older. The participant must reside in the United States. 

21. Kingsley Tuft Poetry Award

Interested participants must submit their first book of poetry published between 1st July 2023 and 30th June 2024. Make sure to mail 8 copies of the book and the entry form before the deadline! 

Prize: $100,000

22. North Street Book Prize 

To participate, writers must submit self-published/hybrid published books. Winning writers will also receive a $500 credit at the self-publishing platform BookBaby and book cover consultation from Laura Duffy Design. 

Categories: mainstream/literary fiction, romance, mystery, thriller, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, poetry, children’s picture books, middle grade, art books, creative non fiction, graphic novels, and memoirs 

Prize: $10,000, $1,000, $300

Entry fee: $79 per book 

23. Marystina Santiestevan First Book Prize 

Every year, this contest awards a poet who hasn’t yet published a full-length poetry book. Interested poets must submit an unpublished manuscript of 48-90 pages. 

Prize: $1,500  

Closing date: 7 July 2024 

24. Petrichor Prize 

Open to writers 18 years or older, participants can submit more than 1 manuscript. The winning entry will be published by Regal House Publishing. 

25. Bellevue Literary Review Prize 

This contest is currently accepting submissions in 3 categories: poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. 

Wordcount: 5,000 words 

Prize: $75 (poetry), $150 (prose) 

Entry fee: $5 

26. Robert and Adele Schiff Awards 

Simultaneous submissions of fiction and non-fiction works are accepted by this contest. Writers can submit 8 pages of poetry (5 poems), a 10,000-word fictional work or a 5,000-word work of literary non-fiction. 

Prize: $1,000 (per category) 

27. Work-in-Progress Contest 

This contest supports writers to complete a book of fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Winning writers will also get guidance from editors and their interview will be featured in Unleash Lit . 

Prize: $500 

August 2024 

Ready to unleash your creativity and showcase your talent? We’ve found amazing poetry, book, and short story competitions for you. Although there aren’t many essay writing competitions, we’ll continue updating this list every month. 

1. Coniston Prize 

Open to female poets worldwide, this contest awards a group of exceptional poems. The poems of all winners and finalists will be published in the October Coniston’s Prize issue. 

Prize: $1,000, $175 for 10 finalists 

Closing date: 1 August 2024 

2. Waterford Poetry Prize (Free poetry writing contest!) 

Only writers staying in Ireland are eligible to participate in this contest. This concept accepts unpublished poems in PDF/Word format. 

Wordcount: 40 lines max 

Prize: €400, €300, €200 

Closing date: 12 August 2024 

3. Grayson Books Poetry Contest 

Accepting electronic submissions only, this contest looks for poetry submissions of 50-90 pages. The winning entry will be published by Grayson Books. 

Entry fee: $26 

Closing date: 15 August 2024 

4. Cantor Prize

Judged by Juan Morales, this contest is open to Colarodo writers and global writers submitting a poem about Colorado. Previously published poems and simultaneous submissions are allowed. 

Prize: $1,000, $100 each (5 prizes) 

Entry fee: 1 poem ($10), 2 poems ($20), 3 poems, (25), 4 poems ($35) 

Deadline: 31 August 2024 

5. Oxford Poetry Prize 

Judged by Rachel Long, this contest rewards a single poem written in English. The winning poems will also receive the opportunity for publication in Oxford Poetry . 

Wordcount: 50 lines (maximum) 

Prize: £1000, £200, £100

Closing date: 31 August 2024 

6. Off the Grid Poetry Prize 

Open to poets 60 years or older, manuscripts submitted for this contest must be of atleast 50 pages. The winner will also receive additional services of book promotion, book printing, audiobook creation. 

7. Richard-Gabriel Rummonds Poetry Prize

Open to writers residing in the United States, entrants need to be 18 or older to participate. The winning entry will secure publication by Ex Ophidia Press. 

8. Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize (Free poetry contest!) 

Only New York residents who have published a poetry collection between 1st July 2023 and 30th June 2024 are eligible to participate in this contest. The winner will get an opportunity to read their poetry and teach at Utica University in April 2025. 

9. George Dila Flash Fiction Contest 

This contest welcomes submissions of unpublished flash fiction works. Three winning stories will be published in September 2024’s contest issue. 

Wordcount: Less than 1,000 words 

Prize: 3 prizes of $100 

Entry fee: $6 per entry 

10. Free Flash Fiction Competition 

Writers who are16 years or older are eligible to participate in this contest. Welcoming submissions of fiction works on any theme, the winning entry also secures publication. 

Word count: 100-300 words 

Prize: £150, £50.00 (2 prizes), £40.00 (3 shortlisted stories) 

Entry fee: £2.55 via BACS, £3.95 via PayPal or Stripe 

Closing date: 23 August 2024 

11. Summer Short Story Award  

Inviting submissions of unpublished fiction or creative nonfiction, this contest will be judged by Colin Barrett. Simultaneous and multiple submissions are allowed. The winning entry will secure an agency review and online publication. 

Word count: Less than 6000 words 

Prize: $3000, 2 cash prizes for finalists ($200, $300)

Entry fee: $20 per entry 

Closing date: 25 August 2024 

12. Gemini Flash Fiction Prize

This flash fiction contest invites writers to submit literary works on any subject and style. The maximum word-limit is 1,000 words. 

Prize: $1,000, $100, $25 each (4 honorable mentions) 

Entry fee: $8 

13. Edinburgh Flash Fiction Award 

Accepting stories in all genres, this contest is open to writers worldwide. The authors of the top 20 stories will secure publication in an anthology. This contest also rewards one writer living in Scotland with the Golden Hare award and a bizarre, quirky story with the Write Mango Flash Award. 

Wordcount: Up to 200 words 

Prize: £2,000, £300, £150, £500 for Golden Hare award, £300 for Write Mango Flash award 

Entry fee: £10.00 per story

14. Summer Flash Fiction Contest

Hosted by WOW!, this quarterly writing contest accepts submissions in any style and genre. The winning entry will be published. Top 10 entries will each receive a $25 Amazon gift certificate. With this, 10 honorable mentions will each get a $20 Amazon gift certificate. 

Prize: $600, $300, 200, $25 worth Amazon gift certificates to 7 runner-ups,  

Wordcount: 250-750 words 

Entry fee: $10 

Essay writing contests 2024 

15. creative non fiction essay contest .

Judged by Safiya Sinclair, this contest seeks submissions of creative, non-fiction essays of 5,000 words. Every entry must include a cover letter, an essay manuscript, and the entry fee. 

Closing date: 2 August 2024 

16. Platt Family Essay Contest (Free essay contest!) 

Under-graduate students who are currently enrolled in an American University or college during the Spring semester are eligible to participate in this contest. Make sure to include a works cited page or bibliography with the essay! 

Prize: $1,000, $500, $250 

17. Aspen Words Literary Prize 

This prize is annually given to “an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue”. Welcoming writers worldwide, works about violence, religion, race, immigration, or any other social issues are eligible for submission. 

Prize: $35,000

Entry fee: $105 per book 

Closing date: 7 August 2024 

18. Other Futures Award

This contest rewards a manuscript that “challenges conventions of genre and language, content and form”. The chosen manuscript will secure publication by FuturePoem, a standard royalty contract and 25 author copies. 

Entry fee: $28, ($18, $9 need-based fees), $35 to sponsor someone’s fees

19. Open Poetry Book Contest

Accepting only online submissions, this contest is open to writers worldwide. The winning entry is published and the winner gets 20 printed copies. 

Entry fee: $30 per entry

Closing date: 16 August 2024 

20. Book of the Year Awards Contest 

In its tenth year, this contest welcomes authors to submit fictional/non-fictional books. The entries must be already published and available for sale/presale on Amazon or other online publishing platforms. 

Prize: $2,500, $1,000 each (2 prizes), $500 each (2 prizes) $250 each (2 prizes) (totaling to $6000) 

Entry fee: $49 (1st category), $35 (additional category) 

21. Kenneth Patchen Award

To participate, writers can submit a manuscript of any length in Word or PDF format. The winning entry will be published by the Journal of Experimental Fiction. 

22. Granum Foundation Prize (Free writing contest!) 

This contest invites submissions of poetry books, essay collections, short story collections, novels, and memoirs. Additionally, the Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be awarded to a work translated in English. Open to US-based writers, only one entry per person is allowed. 

Prize: $5.000 (Granum Foundation prize), $1500 or more (Granum Foundation Translation Prize), $500 or more (3 finalists)

23. Stories That Need to Be Told 

This contest welcomes submissions of poetry and prose works. Five additional prizes will be given to stories related to humor, passion, depth, or any form of love. 

Wordcount: Poetry (5 pages per poem), prose (10,000 words) 

Prize: $1,000, $200 each (5 prizes), $200 (wild card) 

Closing date: 9 August 2024 

24. Gulf Coast Prize 

This prize rewards a novel or short story collection that “illuminates a vital contemporary issue”. Writers can submit a literary work that explores violence, religion, race, or any other social issue. Only 4 submissions are allowed per publishing house. 

Entry fee: $26 per entry 

25. Lab Prize 

To participate, writers can submit their unpublished novel or short story collection on any topic. The winning entry will be published by The University of New Orleans Press. 

Entry fee: $28 

26. SaveAs Writers International Writing Competition

Organized to pay a tribute to climbers U.K.’s 1924 Everest expedition climbers, this contest accepts poetry and short story submissions. Judged by Frances Knight, the entry needs to be centered around the theme “Risking All”. 

Wordcount: 60 lines max (poems), 3,500 (short stories) 

Entry fee: £4 per poem, £10 for 3 poems, £5 for a short story, £12 for 3 short stories 

27. Northwind Writing Award (Free writing contest!) 

This contest includes the following categories: prose poetry, poetry, short fiction, nonfiction/essay/memoir. Only writers residing in the US, Canada, U.K., and Canada are eligible to participate. 

Prize: $ 100 per category

September 2024 

This September, gear up for some exciting writing contests and showcase your creativity! We’ve discovered amazing poetry, essay, book, and short story contests, both free and paid.  Dive in, participate, and stay tuned: We’ll continue updating this list as we find new contests! 

1. Miller Williams Poetry Prize

Currently accepting poetry manuscript submissions, this contest only allows one entry per author. The winning entry will also secure publication. 

Wordcount: 60-90 pages 

Closing date: 30 September 2024 

2. Stories Out of School Contest (Free short story contest!) 

Open to adults who are 18 years or older, this contest is seeking submissions of original, unpublished works. The story’s protagonist or narrator must be a K-12 teacher. 

Wordcount: 6-499 words

Closing date: 1 September 2024 

3. SIWC Writing Contest 

Organized as a part of the Surrey International Writing Conference, this contest invites writers from all over the world to submit their stories. Allowing authors to submit stories in any genre, every entry must also include an attached cover letter. 

Wordcount: 2,500-5000 words 

Prize: $1,000, $150 (honorable mention) 

Closing date: 15 September 2024 

4. Mslexia Women’s Short Story Competition

Judged by Leone Ross, this contest is open to all female writers worldwide. The entries of the winner and top 3 finalists will be published in December 2024’s Mslexia edition. They’ll also be included in the eBook anthology Best Women’s Short Fiction 2024 . 

Prize: £3,000, £100 (3 prizes)

Entry fee: £12.00

Closing date: 23 September 2024 

5. Anthology Flash Fiction Award

This contest welcomes writers of all nationalities to submit unpublished flash fiction works on any theme or genre. Seeking “clever and unique writing”, the winning entry will be published in the future issue of Anthology . 

Prize: €300 

Entry fee: €12

Essay Writing Contests 2024 

6. immerse education essay competition (free essay contest) .

Students who are 13-18 years old are eligible to participate in this essay contest. 10 winners and runner-ups will get scholarships to pursue their education with Immerse. 

Closing date: 12th September 2024 

Book Writing Contests 2024 

7. first book award.

To be eligible to participate, the entrant must reside in the US or must have been a US resident 10 years before the submission deadline. The winner will also receive a 6-week paid trip to Civitella Ranieri Center Italy where they’ll join a group of artists, writers, and publishers. 

Entry fee: $35 

Mixed Writing Contests 

8. dogwood literary awards.

Every year, this contest rewards an outstanding story, essay, or poem. Make sure to include a brief bio and contact information in the attached cover letter! 

Wordcount: 22 pages (fiction/ non-fiction prose works), 10 pages max. (poetry) 

Prize: $1000 per category 

Entry fee: $12 

Closing date: 5 September 2024 

9. Aesthetica Creative Writing Award

Inviting submissions of poetry and short fiction on any theme, this contest is “looking for the best new writing talent”. Multiple submissions are allowed. The winning entry will be published by Aesthetica. 

Wordcount: Poetry (40 lines max.), short fiction (up to 2,000 words) 

Prize: £5000

Entry fee: £12 (poetry),  £18 (short fiction) 

Closing date: 8 September 2024 

10. Dreamquest Poetry and Writing Contest 

Open to all writers worldwide, this contest invites submissions of poems and short stories. The literary work can be in any style and theme. 

Wordcount: 30 lines or less (poetry), 5 pages max (prose) 

Prize: Poetry ($250, $125, 50), Prose ($500, $250, $100) 

Entry fee: $10 (per short story), $5 (per poem) 

11. The Paul Cave Prize

This contest welcomes submissions of poetry, flash fiction, short stories, and novellas from writers all over the world. The winning entry will be published in the Paul Cave Prize for Literature 2024 book. 

Wordcount: 30 lines max (poetry), 300 words max (flash fiction), 1,000 words max (short stories), 10,000 words max (novellas) 

Prize: £150 (novella), £75 (short story), £35 (flash fiction), £35 (best poem) 

Entry fee: £13 (1 short story), £20 (2 short stories), £26 (1 novella), £42 (2 novellas), £10 (up to 3 poems/ flash fiction), £20 ( up to 8 poems/flash fiction) 

Other writing contests 

1. personal essay awards.

Writer’s Digest welcomes all essayists to submit their best work. The top ten entries will be published in the magazine’s May/June 2024 issue. The grand prize winner also receives a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference!

Prizes: $2,500, $1,000, $500, 7 prizes of $100 

Entry fee: $25 (early bird deadline)/ $30 

Closing date: 03 September 2024 (early bird deadline)/01 October 2024

2. Litmag’s Emily Dickinson Award 

To participate, writers can submit 1-3 poems. The winning entry will secure publication in LitMag and receive an agency review by Amy Bishop-Wycisk. 

Prize: $1,500, $100 each (for 3 finalists) 

Closing date: 1 October 2024 

3. Dzancs Book Prize for Fiction

This contest has 3 categories: fiction novels, poetry, and short story collection. The winning entries will secure publication

Prize: $5000 (fiction novels), $2500 (short story collection), poetry ($1000) 

4. Peter Porter Prize

This contest invites writers of all nationalities to submit unpublished poems. Each entry must be a poem written by a single author of not more than 60 lines. 

Prize: AU$6000, $1000 each (4 shortlisted poets) 

Entry fee: $20 (current Australian Book Review subscriber), $30 (standard/non subscriber)

Closing date: 7 October 2024

5. Eyelands Book Awards 

One of the rare contests based in Greece, this international book writing contest accepts submissions of novels, poetry, novellas, short story collections, YA books, historical fiction, memoirs, and graphic novels. 

Prize: 5-day trip to Athens, video promotion, publication of unpublished books 

Word count: 250.000 words (all categories of published books), 150.000 words (unpublished text), 250 pages (text/poetry collection by a single author 

Entry fee: 40 euros ($ 45), Early bird submission 30 euros ($ 35) till 1 September 2024

Closing date: 20 October 2024 

6. Bennington Young Writers Award (Free writing contest!) 

This international writing contest encourages students from the 9th-12th grades to participate. Students can submit their creative works in 3 categories: poetry, fiction (short story), and nonfiction (essays). 

Wordcount: Poetry (a group of 3 poems), short story and essay (1,500 words or less) 

Closing date: 1 November 2024 

7. Edwin Markham Poetry Prize 

This contest accepts unpublished works in any form and style. Writers can submit up to 5 poems per submission. Make sure to include a 50-word bio with your submission! 

8. James Hearst Poetry Prize  

To participate, writers can submit up to 5 poems per submission. All winning entries, runner-ups, honorable mentions, and finalists will be offered publication in North American Review’s spring issue. 

Entry fee: $23 

Closing date: 2 November 2024 

9. Servicescape Short Story Award 

This contest awards original works of short fiction and non-fiction. Writers can submit a story on any theme and genre. 

Word count: 5,000 or lower 

Closing date: 30 November 2024 

10. Lascaux Prize 

Currently, this contest is open for submissions for two categories: Creative Non Fiction and Short Fiction. Interested participants can submit memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism, or short stories of any genre. 

Closing date: 31 December 2024 

We’ll keep updating this list every month, adding more paid and free writing contests in 2024. If you’d like us to look for some specific types of contests, feel free to let us know in the comments! As providers of expert self-publishing services , it’s our duty to help you out and we take it very seriously!

Want to stick around and read more about writing? Here are some articles to begin with:

• What Is Show, Don’t Tell? (Meaning, Examples & 6 Tips)
• How to Write a Book Review (Meaning, Tips & Examples)

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to participate in writing contests, can i submit previously published work to writing contests, what genres are typically covered in free writing competitions, where can i get updates on the results of the contest, what are the submission guidelines for free writing contests.

Found this article helpful?

11 comments on “ Writing Contests 2024: Cash Prizes & Free Entries! ”

Thank you for this list. I will try a few.

Please, keep me updated on single poetry contests. Because I have not written enough for a book as of yet!

We’ll keep updating the list.

i liked your list!

Greatly appreciated

This is a fantastic list! 🙂 What is the best way to submit a contest to the list?

Thanks Alex, You can check the contest submission guidelines on the website. Keep reading for the upcoming writing contests!

It is awesome!

Thank you for the list 😉 Great opportunity to get my feet wet; I will try a couple

Thank you to give opportunity to teenagers.

Cool paper true 👍

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How To Win a Writing Contest

by Joe Bunting | 33 comments

Start Your Story TODAY! We’re teaching a new LIVE workshop this week to help you start your next book. Learn more and sign up here.

Writing contests are a great way to practice your writing skills and win prizes. Do you want to learn how to win a writing contest? 

If you enter a writing contest, there are a ton of benefits. It's a chance to practice your writing. It motivates you to write more and finish  stories.

And, of course, most writing contests come with grand prize winners and prize money.

In this article, you can learn how to enter a writing contest and how to win one. Read on to learn more!

How NOT to Win a Writing Contest

Before you learn how to become a contest winner, it's worth knowing what will prevent you from winning a contest. Let's get the obvious out of the way.

Submitting a proofed entry that is free of writing errors and follows the contest guidelines is  the minimum requirement you need to meet if you want to win a writing contest.

Here are some common mistakes that prevent writers from winning, entry after entry:

• Don't proofread . Do I really need to tell you to proofread? Personally, I'm lenient when it comes to some typos. If the piece is excellent but has two or three mistakes. I recognize that there is time to fix them before we publish the story. A grammatical error every once in a while won't break your story, but enough that clutters the story will.
• Knowingly or unknowingly break grammar rules . If you want to win, observe proper grammar . Again, I don't really need to tell you this, do I?
• Write 1,000 words more than the word count limit . You will  not  win a writing contest if you submit a 2,500 word story to a writing contest asking for contest entries 1,500 words or less. Don't waste your entry fee.
• Submit a literary fiction masterpiece to a supernatural romance contest . Yes, that's a recipe for failure. Writing contests generally lean toward certain genres. If the genre is not explicitly stated, read previously published stories from the contest to get a sense of what the judges will be looking for.
• If there is a theme, ignore it . Writing contests often ask for pieces that fit a certain theme or even follow a prompt. A good way to lose a writing contest is to ignore the contest theme requirements and write whatever you feel like.

These are  obvious, right? I would like to believe that they are, but I've judged enough writing contests to know that many people  don't  seem to understand these tips.

Now, on to the bulk of this article: how to win a writing contest.

Note: These are just the base requirements. Following them will only ensure that your piece is considered, not chosen as the winner.

How to Write a Winning Short Story Idea

How do you write a story that could win a writing contest? And how do you find a really great short story idea? In this coaching video, Joe gets coached by author Sarah Gribble, the #1 bestselling author of SURVIVING DEATH.

She helps Joe workshop his short story to turn it into what will hopefully be a winning short story. If you've ever wanted to win a writing contest, this is absolutely going to help you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBQXbNje0ec

5 Tips to Win a Writing Contest

When it comes to winning story contests, follow these five tips:

1. Recognize you are human

This may be a strange way to begin a list of tips on how to win a writing contest, but let me explain.

Stephen King once said, “To write is human, to edit is divine.” But instead of the word “edit,” you could substitute the phrase “judge writing contests,” because editors and writing contest judges play a similarly godlike role.

To scrutinize the actions of the judges of a writing contest is impossible.

All writing is subjective. A judge attempts to say, “This story is good,” or “This story is bad,” but really, they are just choosing based on their own idiosyncratic taste. Winning comes down to a judge's experience—and luck.

What is the writer to do, then? Submit your piece, pray it wins, and then go write your next story (and find a new contest to submit to). Nothing else can be done for a creative writing competition.

This is why winning—although ideal (it comes with cash prizes or an honorable mention)—isn't the only reason you should enter a writing contest. There are other benefits like getting constructive feedback and giving yourself a time commitment that will motivate you to finish writing your story.

In a real life writing career, you have to keep writing and submitting based on the guidelines. A contest is great practice. 

2. Your main character must be fascinating

What fascinates humans the most is contrast.

Light vs. Darkness. Good vs. evil. A good character trait for a hero battling the evil in the world. A normal person battling the evil inside themselves. An evil person drawn, despite themselves, to a moment of goodness.

Life vs. death. A woman's struggle against cancer, against a villain that wants to kill her, against the deathly banality of modern life.

Love vs. loss.

Neat vs. messy.

Contrast fascinates readers. Does your main character have contrast? If you want to win a writing contest, they should.

3. Surprise endings

I love surprise endings. All judges do. However, I hate  out of the blue endings.

A good surprise ending can be predicted from the very beginning, but the author skillfully distracts you so that you never expect it (the traditional method of distracting the reader is to use red herrings ).

Bad writing is creating a surprise ending that cannot be predicted and feels like the writer is simply trying to give the reader something they would never expect.

Instead, surprise the reader. Don't make up the most shocking ending without providing the clues to this ending earlier in the story.

4. Repeat with a twist

In the last few lines of your story, repeat something from earlier in the story with a twist. This echoed ending will reverberate with your reader giving closure and emotional power.

For example, you might repeat the opening image . If the snow is falling in the first lines of the story, you might say, “As night closed, the snow continued to fall. He thought it would fall for all his life.”

You might repeat an action . If your character is eating at a diner with his wife in the first scene, perhaps in the last scene he is eating alone at the same diner all alone.

You might  repeat a character . If your heroine has a meet-cute with an attractive man early in the story, you can end the story with him unexpectedly showing up at her workplace.

Repeating with a twist gives your ending an artful sense of unity. It's also really fun!

5. Write what you know (even if what you know never happened)

In one writing contest, I read a story written by a Brazilian writer about American kids driving around, eating hamburgers, and going to prep school.

“Write what you know,” I wrote to her over email. “I'm sure there are fascinating stories where you live. But don't regurgitate stories you see on American television. You will never know that world as deeply as you know your own.”

On the other hand,  Ursula Le Guin said this about the advice to write what you know :

I think it’s a very good rule and have always obeyed it. I write about imaginary countries, alien societies on other planets, dragons, wizards, the Napa Valley in 22002. I know these things. I know them better than anybody else possibly could, so it’s my duty to testify about them.

How to (Really) Win a Writing Contest

There is, of course, no guaranteed way to win a writing contest. All you can do is write your best piece, follow the contest rules and submit. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts.

All that's to say, don't over think this.

If You Want a Little More Help…

In case you're feeling stuck, we offer a free guide to help you come up with better short story ideas, and thus have a better shot at winning writing contests.

You're welcome to download the guide, for free, here:

Click here to get 10 Questions for Better Story Ideas free »

I hope you enjoy the guide, and most of all, I hope you write some really great stories.

Want more tips? Here are a few good resources:

• Upcoming Writing Contests from The Write Practice
• Ten Secrets To Write Better Stories
• How to Write a Short Story With Deep Structure (And Win a Prize for It)
• How do contest judges pick the winners?
• 20 Tips For Winning Writing Contests

Have you ever entered a writing contest? How did it go?  Let us know in the comments section .

As you prepare for your next writing contest, get a free copy of our 1-page guide, 10 Questions for Better Story Ideas here »

Spend fifteen minutes creating two characters with high contrast (see Tip #2). Write one paragraph describing the first character and another paragraph describing the second.

Then, post your two paragraphs in the Pro Practice Workshop . And if you do post, please be sure to give feedback to your fellow writers.

Have fun and happy writing!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

Work with Joe Bunting?

WSJ Bestselling author, founder of The Write Practice, and book coach with 14+ years experience. Joe Bunting specializes in working with Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, How To, Literary Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Nonfiction, Science Fiction, and Self Help books. Sound like a good fit for you?

33 Comments

I haven’t entered many contests before but am trying for the flavor of the month contest on unigo. I am stuck with finding a unique and captivating story idea because it has to be under 250 words.

To win? Yes that is a goal. However, more than that I would absolutely love feedback from the judges. That was one thing that as a swim referree I ALWAYS had to do. If I disqualified a swimmers race, I absolutely had to talk to the swimmer and explain why I called what I called.

I miss that here. I get great feedback from the group, but I would love to hear why my story fell in the place it fell. It’s ok, if it lost the toin coss … uh … coin toss. That means it was close and the next time it might be me. However, if I have a writing habit that will always get my story tossed in the round file, I want to know that, even more so.

I do appreciate always getting published, but I’d love to see the judges crib notes on my submittals.

thank you so much I just got an idea how to end my story while reading this. concerning writing contest to be honest I never did the how to loose rules but didn’t do the how to win either so I need to work on that. thank you again

I’ve never entered a writing contest. One reason is that I haven’t really researched writing contests. I assume that most contests are not in my genre like sci-fi or horror. I guess that’s what make them “Creative Writing” contests. The overlying reason, however, is fear of rejection, and I’ve never submitted anything. When I read literary magazines, I get so envious o what others write, I doubt myself as a writer. I get everyone has their own style and voice. I guess I’m not confident in myself to enter a contest.

I can relate to everything you’re saying here. I entered the Becoming Writer contest (associated with this blog) because the email came to my inbox and it includes 6 weeks access to the critique group forum. (I promise I’m getting no kickback for plugging their contest.)

I haven’t submitted my story yet. They’re not due until the 20th, and we get to workshop them first. I’ll be posting it for feedback today. We’ll see how it goes.

I’ve never entered a competition before, until the short story one you have going now. I’ve written for myself all along though and only in the last year or so have thought of publishing. I love the fact that we can all have critique and be published, no matter who wins. I have no allusions as to winning though, as you say, writing is very subjective so you never know. Not all subject matter is everyone’s ‘cup of tea’

Thanks for all the tips…. Though I’ve written my short story and put it on the site and can’t see any major changes I will make. Next time…….

The United Authors Association has one going this summer. Any genre. Prizes totaling $500. Visit http://www.TheUAA.ORG if you are interested.

Thanks Robert.

I’m doing the Becoming Writer contest largely because I got the email in my inbox. And because it includes 6 weeks access to the critique group forum. I’m more interested in trying out the community, but the contest will be fun too.

Very cool Ric. Have fun!

What’s interesting to me is that I have just signed up for entering this contest. I had mentioned to Joe that I’m so so scared and I am. But, I believe that it’s normal to be scared sometimes and admit this. As long as you confront the fear. At my age, I’ll always remember what Roosevelt said. The only fear that you have is fear itself. KEN Thanks again, JOE

Honestly, I get scared about this kind of thing all the time. The fear tells me it’s important.

The fear is the reason to write even more.Love the quote,it inspires me too!!

I’ve been meaning to do another round of submissions, so this was the kick in the pants I needed! I entered a flash fiction contest run by Tethered By Letters. They had an option for 3 submissions, so I did that.

It always makes me feel vulnerable to enter contests, or to post my writing at all. But being a member of Becoming Writer and having my own blog have helped.

Good luck to all entering the latest BW contest!

Hi..wonderful post,Joe…In fact,speaking for myself,i would not think about writing contests till now..for i have often felt that submitting my pieces of writing would halt the process of my writing projects…but every writer deserves a break–to overcome their writer’s block…For me,the deviation is these opportunities that come by my way.I have submitted my work for some anthologies and have enjoyed the process despite fruitless results.We just need to continue believing in our stories and keep writing!!!

Cheers, Jassie

OKay, Joe, I have emailed you a time or two and I have a story to go. I had the story ready a few hours after paying the fee for the contest.

However, I have been unable to upload to the forum or find a way to get feedback. I have not received an invite and the clock ticks. I request some assistance.

Practice, practice and even more practice. If you are not a wonderkid of some sort you can never expect to excel at anything without a lot of work. Use Help from outsources and from the friends. And start practicing!)

I’ve entered a few writing contests, and I value them the most because of what they teach you. The ones requiring a synopsis have taught me how to format a synopsis and recognize the core points of my plots, and contests with short word count limits taught me how to chop down my writing to what really matters. That’s more important to me than winning anything immediately. It definitely helps writers advance long-term, whether they win or not.

Ya I agree. It’s really annoying when a writing contests is so huge and there are so many people joining it, that I don’t even know if my story will get read. It would actually be nice to get feedback even if I didn’t win, ya know? But I heard from a friend about a writing contest that has limited entry. They only allow 100 people in the contest so that people have a better chance of winning and you get feedback, even if you don’t win. Do you think they’re legit?

:/ I can never find any fantasy novel writing contests most of them are everything else and almost always for novelettes, short stories or poems. XP Except for Wattpad, that’s over now to. (Lost.)

I lost the Wattpad, Wattys 2016 so after eating much chocolate I’m trying to figure out why. I didn’t make any of the mistakes listed here. So, now what? Does my writing just plain suck donkey flop? *Sigh*

I wouldn’t look at it like that. Losing definitely doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. Instead, get to work on your next story (and your next contest), and use what you learned from the last to practice for the next one. It’s less about winning and losing and more about getting better as a writer.

(Try #2, fixing typos.)

Okay I will ^;^ What also made it hard what that they also to the number of reads, comments and votes into account so I guess that had a part in it too. They said that it wouldn’t decide if a book won or not, but I’m thinking that that stuff plays a bigger part than they are letting on.Ooh well, I joined to get help with my writing and get feedback, so it’s all good.

Yes, I want to grow and get better at this.

I’ll just wait for next years Wattys; when it comes to contests most just want short stories. I don’t know how to do those yet. Or even worse are a scam. ;-; No thanks, I don’t need that kind of a headache.

(Try #3 fixing typos, I’m not that great at typing comments for some reason.)

Okay, I will ^;^ What also made it hard was that they also take into account the number of reads, comments and votes a book has. Mine only had 14k reads when the ones that won have millions. X.X They said that you could still win even if you don’t have many reads and such, but I’m thinking that that stuff plays a bigger part than they are letting on. Oh well, I joined to get help with my writing and get feedback, so it’s all good.

And thanks for replying. ^^

Agree with everything you said here. And you’re right about twists. They must be set up properly, and not just done out of the blue for shock value. I’d also like to say that your advice here is good for all submissions, not just contests. Great post!

Could this be anymore blatant clickbait? Claims to be about advice for winning contests, instead lists obvious do not points then says “git gud go write”

Every time I open “Upcoming Writing Contests,” I get this message: “This site is not private. Someone may be trying to hack into …” I don’t get this message for the other 4 links, only for the list of contests. Is this happening to others?

The best advice I’ve ever had is to write what I know. I once tried to write a story pretending I lived in a town in America. I got it all wrong; descriptions of people, their clothing, dialogue, descriptions of the street, bars, diners. Everything. Then I was stuck. I won’t try writing about being in line at Starbucks. I’ve never been to Starbucks and don’t know a thing about it, except that they serve coffee. Anything that is fantasy is easier for me because I have a gift for creating fantasy, of places and happenings which no one has ever seen. I must strive to be convincing and make the story unputdownable. Joe, I’m at a stage where I don’t dream of being a winner. I want to participate, have somebody read my story and give feedback, and read stories members submit for the contest. Sorry that I’m not active on TWP as much as I’d like to be, but I have a time limit now due to health issues. Cheers everybody. Happy writing.

Not sure if I should ask this, but since I´m not an English native can I send a copy of my work to any contest? If so, one of my works are not done yet.

I am working on a story for a while for a contest this helped a lot but can you give me a list of what they look for?

this is the very first time,I’ve ever gotten the gallantry to actually press the dreaded submit button for a writing contest without the wrath of inhibition drown me in regret of what could have been ! honestly, i have never been more relieved, then i have today! thank you for the amazing pointers , they have been put into action, i hope!

and now, i shall wait heh

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25 Best Writing Competitions for High School Students – 2024

April 12, 2024

Over the past several years, the number of college applicants has been steadily rising. [i] As college admissions become more competitive, there are many steps a student can take to achieve high school success and become an outstanding candidate for college admissions: earning high SAT scores, securing strong letters of recommendation , and participating in various competitions will all boost your admissions prospects. [ii] In particular, writing competitions for high school students are a popular way to win scholarships and prize money, receive feedback on writing, build a portfolio of public work, and add to college application credentials!

Below, we’ve selected twenty-five writing competitions for high school students and sorted them by three general topics: 1) language, literature and arts, 2) STEM, environment and sustainability, and 3) politics, history and philosophy. It’s never too soon to begin thinking about your future college prospects, and even if you are a freshman, many of these writing competitions for high schoolers will be open to you! [iii]

Writing Competitions for High School Students in Language, Literature, and Arts

1) adroit prizes for poetry and prose.

This prestigious creative writing award offers high school students the opportunity to showcase their work in Adroit Journal . Judges are acclaimed writers in their respective genres.

• Eligibility: All high school students (including international students) are eligible to apply. Poetry contestants may submit up to five poems. Prose contestants may submit up to three pieces of fiction or nonfiction writing (for a combined total of 3,500 words – excerpts accepted).
• Prize: Winners will receive $200 and their writing will be published in Adroit Journal . All submitted entries will be considered for publication!
• Deadline: May 1st (specific deadline may vary by year).

2)  Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

This unique essay competition allows writers the chance to explore and respond to Ayn Rand’s fascinating and polemic 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged . Specific essay topics are posted every three months; prizes are granted seasonally with a grand prize winner announced every year.

• Prize: Annual grand prize is $25,000.
• Deadline: Deadlines occur every season, for each seasonal prompt.
• Eligibility: Essays must be written in English and be 800-1,600 words in length.

Writing Competitions for High School Students (Continued)

3)  the bennington young writers awards.

Through Bennington College, this high school writing competition offers three prizes in three different genre categories: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Winners and finalists who decide to attend Bennington College will ultimately receive a substantial scholarship prize.

• Eligibility: U.S. and international students in grades 9 through 12 may apply.
• Prize: First place winners receive $1,000; second place wins $500; third place winners receive $250. YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington receive a $15,000 scholarship per year (for a total of $60,000). YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship per year (for a total of $40,000).
• Deadline: The competition runs annually from September 1st to November 1st.

4)  Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Student Essay Contest

Do you love Jane Austen? If so, this is the high school writing competition for you! With the JASNA Student Essay Contest, high school students have the opportunity to write a six to eight-page essay about Jane Austen’s works, focused on a specific, designated topic for the competition year.

• Eligibility: Any high school student (homeschooled students also eligible) enrolled during the contest year may submit an essay.
• Prize: First place winner receives a $1,000 scholarship and two nights’ lodging for the upcoming annual JASNA meeting. Second place wins a $500 scholarship and third place wins a $250 scholarship. All winners will additionally receive a year membership in JASNA, the online publication of their article, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.
• Deadline: Submission accepted from February-June 1st (specific dates may vary by year).

5)  The Kennedy Center VSA Playwright Discovery Program

Young aspiring writers with disabilities are encouraged to apply to this unique program. Students are asked to submit a ten-minute play script that explores any topic, including the student’s own disability experience.

• Eligibility: U.S. and international high school students with disabilities ages 14-19 may apply.
• Prize: Multiple winners will receive exclusive access to professional development and networking opportunities at The Kennedy Center.
• Deadline: January (specific deadline date may vary by year).

6)  Leonard M. Milburg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Through Princeton’s Lewis Center for the Arts, this prestigious writing competition for high school students recognizes outstanding poetry writing and is judged by creative writing faculty at Princeton University.

• Eligibility: U.S. or international students in the eleventh grade may apply. Applicants may submit up to three poems.
• Prize: First place wins $1,500; second place wins $750; third place wins $500.
• Deadline: November (specific deadline date may vary by year).

7)  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Nancy Thorp was a student at Hollins University who showed great promise as a poet. After her death, her family established this scholarship to support budding young poets.

• Eligibility: Female high school sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• Prize: First place wins $350 and publication in Cargoes literary magazine, along with a $5,000 renewable scholarship (up to $20,000 over four years) if the student enrolls in Hollins University, and free tuition and housing for Hollins University’s summer creative writing program (grades 9-12). Second place wins publication in Cargoes, along with a $1,000 renewable scholarship ($4,000 over four years) if the student enrolls at Hollins and $500 to apply toward Hollins’ summer creative writing program.
• Deadline: October (specific deadline date may vary by year).

8)  National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards in Writing

Students may be nominated by their English teachers to win this prestigious writing award. Winners “exhibit the power to inform and move an audience through language” and prompts and genres may vary by competition year.

• Prize: A certificate will be awarded to students who are judged to have exceptional writing skills. Student names will be displayed on the NCTE website.
• Eligibility: U.S. high school sophomores and juniors are eligible for nomination.
• Deadline: February (specific dates may vary by year). Contest prompts released in August.

9)  National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

At Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, numerous opportunities for scholarships and awards await those who submit writing in various genres: literary criticism, drama, poetry, and fiction. In all, there are 28 generic categories of art and writing to choose from!

• Eligibility: Teens in grades 7-12 (ages 13 and up) may apply.
• Prize: Various types of recognition and scholarships (up to $12,500) are offered for these award winners.
• Deadline: Scholastic Awards opens for entries in September; deadlines range from December to January.

10)  National Society of High School Scholars Creative Writing Scholarship

In this creative writing competition for high schoolers, students have the opportunity to submit a piece poetry or fiction (or both – one in each category!) for the opportunity to be published on the NSHSS website and win a monetary prize.

• Eligibility: Rising high school students graduating in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 may apply.
• Prize: There will be three $2,000 awards for the fiction category and three $2,000 awards for the poetry category.
• Deadline: Submissions Accepted from May to October (specific dates may vary by year).

11)  National Writing Award: The Humanities and a Freer Tomorrow

This writing competition allows high school students the chance to be nominated by a teacher for a piece of writing in response to Ruth J. Simmons’ “Facing History to Find a Better Future.” Specific prompt topics may vary by year.

• Eligibility: Nominating teachers can submit work from 11th and 12th graders in one category (fiction, poetry, prose, or essay).
• Prize: One top prize of $1,000. Four additional prizes of $500 each. Winners will have the opportunity to have their work published by NCTE.
• Deadline: Applications are open September to October (specific dates may vary by year).

12)  New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award

Although this prestigious award isn’t exclusively for high schoolers (anyone younger than 35 may submit a work of fiction), if you’ve written a collection of short stories or even a novel, you should certainly consider applying!

• Eligibility: Any writer below the age of 35 may submit a novel or collection of short stories to participate in this competition.
• Prize: $10,000 award.
• Deadline: September (specific date may vary by year).

13)  Princeton University Ten-Minute Play Contest

This writing competition for high school students awards three annual top prizes for the best ten-minute play. Play submissions are judged each year by an acclaimed guest playwright.

• Eligibility: U.S. or international students in the eleventh grade may apply. Students may submit one play entry; entries must be ten pages or less. Plays must be written in English.
• Prize: First place prize is $500; second place is $250; third place is $100.
• Deadline: Varies by year. However, students are recommended to submit before the deadline date – the submission portal will close when a maximum of 250 applicants have applied.

14)  YouthPLAYS New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

In this exciting writing competition, students have the chance to submit an original play script for a play of around 10-40 minutes in length. An excellent competition choice for any student considering a future in the theatre!

• Eligibility: Prospective authors ages 19 and under may submit a script for consideration in the competition. See specific writing guidelines here .
• Prize: First prize wins $250 and publication with YouthPLAYS; second prize wins $100.
• Deadline: Submissions run from January 1st to May 1st.

STEM, Environment, and Sustainability High School Writing Competitions

15)  engineergirl essay contest.

This wonderful essay contest invites students to explore topics related to engineering and science. Each year a new, specific prompt will be chosen for young writers who wish to compete.

• Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply. Previous winners and close family members of employees of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine are not eligible.
• Prize: First place winners receive $1,000; second place receives $750; third place receives $500.
• Deadline: Competition opens in September and submissions are due February 1st of the following year. Winners are announced in the summer.

16)  Ocean Awareness Contest

The Ocean Awareness Contest is an opportunity for students to create written and artistic projects that explore sustainability, environmentalism, and positive change. High school freshmen (up to age 14) may apply to the Junior Division. Students ages 15-18 may enter the Senior Division.

• Eligibility: Students ages 11-18 may apply (international students included).
• Prize: Monetary prizes ranging from $100-$1000 will be awarded each year. Additionally, $500 will be awarded to ten students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Latino via the We All Rise Prize program.
• Deadline: June 10, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

17)  Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder / Sense of Wild Contest

If you are interested in issues of sustainability, environment, biology and the natural world, this is one of the high school writing competitions that is just for you! Essay prompts explore the natural world and our place within it and may include poetry, essays, and photography.

• Eligibility: Students must pair with an adult from a different generation (e.g. parent, grandparent or teacher – contestants need not be related). Entries must be submitted as a team.
• Prize: Winners will receive a certificate from RCLA; their first names, ages, and entry titles will be posted on the RCLA website.
• Deadline: November 16th, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

18)  River of Words Competition

This writing competition for high school students is another top choice for those thinking of pursuing majors or careers in biology, environment, and sustainability; this specific contest hopes to promote positive education in sustainability by “promoting environmental literacy through the arts and cultural exchange.”

• Eligibility: Any U.S. or international student from kindergarten through 12th grade may apply.
• Prize: Winners will be published in the River of Words
• Deadline: January (specific deadline may vary by year).

Writing Competitions for High School Students in Politics, History and Philosophy

19)  american foreign service association essay contest.

With this writing competition for high school students, entrants may submit essays ranging from 1,000-1,500 words about diplomacy, history, and international politics (specific prompts vary by year).

• Eligibility: Students in grades nine through twelve may apply. Students whose parents are in the Foreign Service Association are not eligible.
• Prize: The first-place winner will receive $2,500, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the winner and the winner’s parents, and an all-expense paid voyage via Semester at Sea. The second-place winner receives $1,250 and full tuition for a summer session at the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.
• Deadline: Early spring (specific deadline may vary by year).

20)  Bill of Rights Institute We the Students Essay Contest

In this writing competition for high school students, civic-minded U.S. high schoolers may explore the principles and virtues of the Bill of Rights Institute. Interested applicants should review the specific submission guidelines .

• Eligibility: Any high school student aged 13 to 19 may apply.
• Prize: Prizes range from $1,500 to $10,000.
• Deadline: Submissions for 2024 due May 19th (specific deadline may vary by year).

21)  JFK Presidential Library and Museum Profile in Courage Essay Contest

For students interested in history and political science, this competition offers the chance to write about U.S. elected officials who have demonstrated political courage.

• Eligibility: U.S. high school students from grades 9-12 may apply.
• Prize: First prize is $10,000; second prize receives $3,000; five finalists receive $1,000 each; ten semifinalists receive $100 each; eight students receive honorable mention.
• Deadline: Submissions accepted from September to January (specific deadline may vary by year).
• Sample Essays: 2000-2023 Contest Winner Essays

22)  John Locke Institute Essay Competition

This essay competition is for students who would like to write about and cultivate “independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style” from one of seven intellectual categories: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology or law.

• Eligibility: Students from any country may submit an essay.
• Prize: $2,000 for each subject category winner toward a John Locke Institute program; winning essays will be published on the Institute’s website.
• Deadline: Registration must be completed by May 31st, 2024; essay submission due June 30th, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

23)  Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association Essay Contest

This exciting writing competition for high schoolers allows students to explore topics related to journalism, democracy and media literacy. Specific prompts will be provided for contestants each year.

• Eligibility: All U.S. students from grades 9-12 may submit original writing to participate in this contest.
• Prize: First-place winners will receive $1,000; second place is awarded $500; third place receives $300.
• Deadline: February (specific deadline may vary by year).

24)  Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Youth Scholarship Essay

This audio essay allows high school students the opportunity to “express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriot-themed recorded essay.” One winner will be granted a $35,000 scholarship to be paid toward their university, college, or vocational school of choice. Smaller prizes range from $1,000-$21,000, and the first-place winner in each VFW state wins $1,000.

• Prize: College scholarships range from $1,000-$35,000
• Eligibility: U.S. students in grades 9-12 may submit a 3-5-minute audio essay.
• Deadline: October 31st
• Sample Written Essay: 2023-2024 Prize-winning essay by Sophia Lin

25)  World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition recognizes young scholars who explore world historical events and how they relate to the student scholar personally. Ultimately the student writer must describe “the experience of being changed by a better understanding of world history.”

• Eligibility: Internationally, students ages K-12 may submit an entry. See specific prompt and submission guidelines for writing instructions.
• Prize: $500

Writing Competitions for High School Students – Sources

[i] Institute for Education Sciences: National Center for Education Statistics. “Number of applications for admission from first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students were received by postsecondary institutions in the fall.” https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/TrendGenerator/app/answer/10/101

[ii] Jaschik, Scott. “Record Applications, Record Rejections.” Inside Higher Ed . 3 April 2022. https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2022/04/04/most-competitive-colleges-get-more-competitive

[iii] Wood, Sarah. “College Applications are on the Rise: What to Know.” U.S. News & World Report. 21 June 2022. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/college-applications-are-on-the-rise-what-to-know

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15 Creative Writing Competitions for High School Students

By Eric Eng

Creative writing competitions for high school students offer a unique platform to hone their writing skills, express their creativity, and gain recognition. These contests serve as a valuable opportunity for young writers to challenge themselves, explore different genres, and potentially earn awards or scholarships.

1. Ocean Awareness Student Contest

• Location : Online
• Cost : Free
• Contest Date : November 2024
• Application Deadline : June 10, 2024
• Eligibility : Students aged 11-18 from all over the world can join the contest in the Junior Division (11-14) or Senior Division (15-18) based on their age at entry.

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest, aptly themed “Tell Your Climate Story,” invites young individuals aged 11-18 from across the globe to articulate their personal encounters with climate change. This 13th edition of the contest serves as an educational and expressive platform, encouraging participants to delve into the impacts of the climate crisis on both a personal and communal level. Participants are encouraged to convey their insights, experiences, and perceptions of the evolving climate reality through creative mediums such as art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia. Submissions can range from fiction, like short stories, to creative nonfiction, including personal narratives and journalistic pieces.

The contest not only fosters an understanding of environmental issues but also enhances skills in communication, critical thinking, and creativity. It’s a chance for young creators to grow their portfolios, gain recognition through global exhibitions and publications, and earn cash awards up to $1,000. Participants also become part of Bow Seat’s extensive global community, contributing to significant environmental conservation and advocacy efforts. The contest aligns with the interests of prospective college students, offering an opportunity to showcase commitment to environmental issues and creative expression in their college applications.

2. River of Words Poetry and Art Contest

• Location : Saint Mary’s College of California
• Contest Date : Early April 2024
• Application Deadline : February 29, 2024
• Eligibility : Open to students aged 5 to 19 enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade

One of the widely-known creative writing competitions for high school students is the River of Words Poetry and Art Contest. It is an esteemed international youth competition, motivating students to articulate their environmental observations through art and poetry. Organized by River of Words® (ROW), a part of The Center for Environmental Literacy at the Kalmanovitz School of Education, the contest encourages participants to delve into themes that resonate with them, be it a specific aspect of nature, an ecosystem, or reflections of their cultural experiences. Each participant can submit up to 10 entries, with a maximum of five each for poetry and art. These entries are categorized and judged across four age-based groups, ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Approximately 100 finalists in both art and poetry categories are chosen for publication, alongside the Grand Prize winners. Participating in the River of Words Contest not only nurtures creative expression and environmental consciousness but also offers significant benefits for college applications. It aids students in building a robust portfolio and developing skills like critical thinking and global awareness, which are invaluable in college and future career paths.

3. Thespy Playwriting

• Cost : Varies (per chapter)
• Contest Date : June 23-28, 2024 (International Thespian Festival)
• Application Deadline : May 8, 2024 (for Final Round qualification)
• Eligibility : Participants must be active Thespians (grades 9-12) and Junior Thespians (grades 6-8) in chartered Thespian troupes.

The Thespy Playwriting (formerly Thespian Playworks ), a highlight of the Educational Theatre Association’s International Thespian Excellence Awards, offers an exceptional platform for young playwrights. As part of a broader program that acknowledges outstanding achievements in school theatre, both in performance and technical aspects, this competition specifically focuses on the art of playwriting. It invites high school Thespians to submit original short plays, emphasizing the importance of authentic storytelling and deep personal connection to the themes and characters.

Participants who achieve an overall Superior rating gain special recognition, with the top scorers in each category being announced live during a showcase event. What sets this program apart is its emphasis on educational development and the substantial rewards it offers. High achievers can earn a share of over $40,000 annually, a significant incentive that underscores the value placed on artistic excellence. For students aspiring to pursue theatre or writing in college, participation in the Thespy Playwriting competition can be a formidable addition to their college applications. It demonstrates their dedication to their craft, their ability to engage in complex creative processes, and their capacity for original thought – all qualities that are highly regarded in higher education and beyond.

4. Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

• Location : Hollins University
• Contest Date : March 2024
• Application Deadline : October 31, 2023 (Passed)
• Eligibility : Young women who are US citizens and are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school.

The 60th Annual Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest, sponsored by Hollins University, offers a unique opportunity for young women in their sophomore or junior year of high school to gain recognition and scholarships for their poetic talents. This contest encourages participants to submit up to two of their best and unpublished poems, with the promise of substantial rewards for the winners. The first-place winner not only receives a $350 cash prize and publication in Hollins’ acclaimed literary magazine, “Cargoes,” but also ten copies of the magazine, a renewable scholarship of up to $5,000 per year for four years if they enroll at Hollins University, and free tuition and housing for the university’s Hollinsummer creative writing program. 

The second-place winner also enjoys the prestige of being published in “Cargoes,” along with two copies of the magazine, a renewable scholarship of up to $1,000 per year for four years at Hollins, and a $500 scholarship for the Hollinsummer program. Participation in this contest not only bolsters a student’s portfolio for college applications but also offers a glimpse into Hollins University’s vibrant writing community. Winning or participating in the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest can be a significant advantage for college admissions, demonstrating a student’s creative abilities and potential for literary achievement.

5. Princeton University Writing Contests

• Location : Princeton University
• Contest Date : June 2024 (Ten-Minute Play Contest); April 2024 (Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry)
• Application Deadline : April 1, 2024 (Ten-Minute Play Contest); November 26, 2023 (Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry)
• Eligibility : The contests are open exclusively to U.S. and international students who are in the eleventh grade.

Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts annually sponsors prestigious writing contests for high school students, supported by generous donations from alumni and friends of the Arts. The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize, judged by poets from Princeton’s own Creative Writing faculty, celebrates exceptional poetry by student writers. Contestants may submit up to three poems, with the opportunity to win substantial cash prizes: $1,500 for first place, $750 for second, and $500 for third. Similarly, the Ten-Minute Play Contest provides an exclusive opportunity for 11th graders to demonstrate their playwriting skills. Each year, a notable guest playwright judges the submissions. Students can submit one play, competing for prizes of $500, $250, and $100 for first, second, and third place, respectively. 

Winning or even participating in creative writing competitions for high school students can significantly bolster a student’s college application, highlighting their creative abilities and showcasing their affiliation with a prestigious institution like Princeton University, which is known for its excellence in the arts. Participating in these contests displays students’ commitment to their craft and ability to compete at a high level, qualities that are highly valued in the competitive college admissions process.

6. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

• Cost : $10 per individual entry; $30 per portfolio
• Contest Date : January (Regional Awards); March (National Awards)
• Application Deadline : December–January (varies by region)
• Eligibility : Participants must be students in grades 7-12, at least 13 years old, and reside in the United States, U.S. territories or military bases, or Canada.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have fostered creativity in American teens for over a century. This prestigious program allows young artists and writers to explore a wide range of topics freely, encouraging bold and original ideas. Initially, students compete regionally, with the potential to earn various awards. At the national level, winners are celebrated at a star-studded ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City, with past guests including prominent figures like Oprah Winfrey and Amy Schumer. The national stage not only recognizes their talent but also showcases their work in regional and travelling exhibitions. Outstanding works are also featured in the annual art catalog and writing anthology, with all National Medalists listed in the Yearbook.

National Medalists are eligible for scholarships up to $12,500, highlighting the program’s commitment to supporting young talent financially. Full-tuition scholarships are also available for recognized teens to attend summer art or writing programs. Additionally, designated scholarships in partner colleges and universities emphasize the program’s influence on higher education. Participation in this program can significantly enhance a student’s college application, demonstrating their dedication and talent in the arts. The opportunity to earn scholarships and recognition at national and regional levels provides a substantial advantage in the competitive college admissions process, setting these young artists and writers apart.

7. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

• Cost : $15 (submission fee)
• Contest Date : Unspecified (for 2024)
• Application Deadline : Unspecified (for 2024)
• Eligibility : All high school and college students, including those from other countries and those who finished school a semester early, can participate in the contests.

The Adroit Prizes, presented by The Adroit Journal , a literary and arts nonprofit organization established in 2010 by poet Peter LaBerge, stands as a prestigious recognition in the literary world. The journal annually awards two students of secondary or undergraduate status. These students are typically emerging writers from high school or college whose exceptional works make them stand out. Participants are allowed to submit up to five pieces across poetry and prose categories. For poetry, each submission can include up to six poems, not exceeding ten single-spaced pages. In contrast, prose submissions can contain up to three pieces of fiction or creative nonfiction, with a combined word limit of 3,500 words, including excerpts.

Winners of The Adroit Prizes receive $200 each, and their work, along with that of the runners-up, is featured in The Adroit Journal. Additionally, runners-up and finalists are gifted a copy of their judges’ latest book. This recognition sets the program apart among creative writing competitions for high school students as it not only offers financial rewards but also provides significant exposure and publication opportunities for young writers . Being recognized by a well-regarded journal like The Adroit can be a valuable asset in the competitive college admissions process, highlighting a student’s creative abilities and potential for success in higher education and beyond.

8. The Claudia Ann Seaman Award for Young Writers

• Cost : $5 submission fee (for Fall, Winter, and Summer Contests ONLY)
• Contest Date : Varies (depends on Reading Periods and Seasonal Contests)
• Application Deadline : Varies (depends on Reading Periods and Seasonal Contests)
• Eligibility : High school students worldwide aged 14 to 18, are eligible to participate.

The Claudia Ann Seaman Awards for Young Writers, established in memory of a young poet by the Seaman family, celebrate and acknowledge excellence in teen writing across poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Each year, the editorial staff selects nominees from works accepted for publication, and a panel of professional, published authors then chooses a winner in each of the three genres. Winners receive a $200 cash award, and two honorable mentions are also recognized in each genre.

This opportunity is not just about publication and the cash prize; it’s a chance for young writers to engage with a global literary community, receive valuable feedback from experts, and enhance their writing skills. Furthermore, the recognition from this award can significantly enhance a student’s portfolio, making it a noteworthy addition to college applications. Being selected or even nominated for the Claudia Ann Seaman Awards demonstrates a student’s dedication to their craft and ability to produce work that resonates with a broader audience.

9. National Council of Teachers of English

• Contest Date : May 2024
• Application Deadline : February 15, 2024
• Eligibility : Sophomores and juniors can be nominated by their school’s English department for Achievement Awards in Writing. Eighth-grade students can be nominated by a school committee or department for the Promising Young Writers contest. US-accredited schools in the Schools in the United States, its territories, Canada, and American Schools Abroad are eligible to nominate students.

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is dedicated to enhancing the teaching and learning English and language arts at all educational levels. Among its initiatives, the NCTE hosts two significant writing programs for students: the Achievement Awards in Writing for high school students and the Promising Young Writers program for eighth graders. In both competitions, students must create themed writings based on topics set by the respective advisory committees. This approach challenges students to engage with relevant and thought-provoking subjects and helps develop their critical thinking and creativity.

The top-scoring entries in each category are honored with the First Class distinction in the Achievement Awards in Writing or the Promising Young Writers program. All nominated students receive a certificate from their nominating teacher, and those awarded First Class recognition have their names and their schools’ names published on the NCTE website. Being recognized by a national organization like the NCTE can add considerable value to a student’s college application, showcasing their commitment to and excellence in the field of English and language arts.

10. The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

• Contest Date : February 2024
• Application Deadline : November 30, 2023
• Eligibility : High school sophomores and juniors are eligible to join the contest.

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is an esteemed annual contest designed to celebrate and recognize the poetic talents of high school sophomores and juniors. Named to honor Patricia Grodd for her unwavering support of The Kenyon Review and her dedication to education and poetry, the prize stands as a significant opportunity for young poets. The contest’s winners and runners-up earn the honor of having their poems published in The Kenyon Review, one of the most respected literary journals, a testament to the contest’s prestige in the literary world. Additionally, the winner is awarded a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop, further nurturing their literary skills.

Being featured in The Kenyon Review is a notable achievement, as it signals a young writer’s entry into the broader literary community and provides substantial exposure. This recognition can be invaluable for a student’s college applications, highlighting not only their talent in poetry but also their ability to achieve at a high level in competitive environments.

11. NaNoWriMo

• Contest Date : February 1-28, 2024
• Application Deadline : February 28, 2024
• Eligibility : Young writers aged 18 years old and under are eligible for NaNoWriMo’s “Now What?” Young Writers Contest.

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), initiated in 1999, presents a formidable yet exciting challenge: writing 50,000 words of a novel within a month. Annually, starting November 1, hundreds of thousands globally embark on this journey, aiming to complete a first draft by month’s end. The Young Writers Program, a vital part of NaNoWriMo, supports writers under 18 and K-12 educators throughout this event and in smaller challenges throughout the year. January and February are designated as “Now What?” months, focusing on revising and polishing the novels aiming towards publication. The program offers grand prizes to one writer aged 14-18 and another prize for writers aged 13 or younger, along with several runner-up prizes. 

Winners are selected by a special guest judge from official finalists and receive recognition on NaNoWriMo’s blog and social media, along with gift certificates for the NaNoWriMo store. In 2022, NaNoWriMo saw the participation of 413,295 writers, including 21,326 young writers, with 51,670 writers meeting their writing goals. Participating in NaNoWriMo can significantly bolster a student’s college application, showcasing their commitment to a substantial project, their ability to meet deadlines, and their creative writing skills.

12. Writopia Lab Worldwide Plays Festival

• Eligibility : The Worldwide Play Festival accepts submissions from playwrights aged 6 to 18.

Writopia Lab, established in New York City in 2007, is a nonprofit organization that offers creative writing workshops and camps for children and teenagers. Since 2010, it has hosted the Worldwide Plays Festival, an annual Off-Broadway event featuring one-act plays written by young playwrights aged 6 to 18. These plays, which range from comedies and musicals to monologues and historical dramas, are brought to life by professional New York City theater artists. Each year, the festival adopts a different theme, with 2023 focusing on “Bravery, MakeBelieve & Language.” Playwrights are invited to write an 8-minute play of any genre, incorporating at least one specified prop or costume.

The standout feature of this festival is the opportunity for young playwrights to see their work produced if selected as winners. This experience not only provides them with a rare chance to engage with theater professionals but also offers a significant boost to their artistic portfolios. Furthermore, participation in the Worldwide Plays Festival can be a pivotal point for college admissions, demonstrating students’ creative abilities and capacity to engage in complex storytelling. Having a play produced at such a prestigious event underscores a young writer’s talent and commitment, making their college applications stand out.

13. YoungArts Program

• Cost : $35 (application fee)
• Application Deadline : October 2024
• Eligibility : Artists aged 15-18 or in grades 10-12 who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or legally able to receive taxable income in the U.S. (documentation required) are eligible to join. Previous National YoungArts Week award winners are not allowed to apply, regardless of discipline or category.

Founded in 1981, YoungArts has been pivotal in identifying and nurturing outstanding young artists, dedicating itself to enhancing their potential and supporting their creative freedom throughout their careers. Unique in its approach, YoungArts is among the few U.S. organizations that support artists across 10 disciplines, including writing, which encompasses creative nonfiction, novels, plays or scripts, poetry, short stories, and spoken word. Participation in YoungArts offers several benefits, including cash awards ranging from $250 to $10,000, which can be a substantial aid for young artists. One of the key aspects of YoungArts is the mentorship provided by accomplished artists, helping award winners navigate and prepare for a career in the arts. 

Additionally, YoungArts award winners have the opportunity to be nominated as U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, one of the highest honors for high school students in the U.S. This national recognition not only boosts the profile of emerging artists but also significantly enhances their college applications, showcasing their achievements and potential to academic institutions. The prestigious nature of the award and the recognition from respected artists in their field provide a substantial advantage in the competitive landscape of college admissions and artistic endeavors.

14. Young Authors Writing Competition

• Eligibility : Students from grades 9-12, typically aged 14 to 18 years old, are eligible to participate in the competition.

The Young Authors Writing Competition, hosted by the English and Creative Writing Department at Columbia College Chicago, offers a notable platform for young writers to showcase their talents. Participants are allowed to submit up to two works in each of the Creative Nonfiction and Fiction categories, and in the Poetry category, up to two files with 1-5 poems each. This means a total of six files can be submitted across all categories, encompassing a wide range of forms, styles, and subjects. The competition is transitioning to an entirely online and digital format, making it more accessible to a broader range of participants.

Winners of the competition are awarded cash prizes and the opportunity for their work to be published online, providing significant exposure for young writers. What sets this competition apart from popular creative writing competitions for high school students is its affiliation with Columbia College Chicago , a prestigious institution known for its strong writing and creative arts programs. Participating in this competition can significantly enhance a student’s college application, demonstrating not only their writing skills but also their initiative and ability to compete at a high level. Additionally, the chance to have their work associated with a respected college offers young authors a valuable stepping stone in their writing careers, opening doors to further educational and professional opportunities in the literary field.

15. The Bennington Young Writers Awards

• Contest Date : Spring 2024
• Application Deadline : November 2024
• Eligibility : Students in grades 9-12 from the United States and international students are invited to enter the competition.

Bennington College, renowned for its rich literary history that includes twelve Pulitzer Prize winners and three U.S. poet laureates, celebrates this tradition with the Young Writers Award. This prestigious competition is aimed at high school students to foster and recognize exceptional writing skills. Open to both U.S. and international students, participants can enter categories of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, each with specific guidelines. First-place winners in each category receive $1,000, second-place winners get $500, and third-place winners are awarded $250. Moreover, Young Writers Award finalists and winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington College can receive significant scholarships. Finalists are eligible for a $10,000 yearly scholarship for four years, totaling $40,000, while winners can receive a $15,000 annual scholarship over four years, amounting to $60,000.

The Bennington Young Writers Award stands out for its association with a prestigious institution and the opportunities it offers beyond the competition. The scholarships offered to finalists and winners also provide a substantial incentive, easing the financial burden of higher education. For aspiring writers, this award is not just a competition but a gateway to educational advancement and a successful career in the literary field.

Participating in creative writing competitions for high school students enhances writing skills, nurtures creativity, and offers a competitive edge in college admissions. Ultimately, it lays a strong foundation for young writers’ future academic and professional success.

Want to assess your chances of admission? Take our FREE chances calculator today!

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23 Writing Competitions for High School Students

What’s covered:, why should you enter a writing competition, writing competitions for high school students, how do writing competitions affect my admissions chances.

Do you dream of writing the next great American novel? Are you passionate about poetry? Do you aspire to become a screenwriter? No matter what genre of writing you’re interested in—whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or something else entirely—there’s a writing competition focused on it.

Writing competitions provide great motivation to put pen to paper (or finger to key). Moreover, they’re an excellent step toward getting published, and can ultimately start you on the path to becoming a professional writer.

One of the best ways to improve your writing is simply to write—and competitions provide an excellent impetus to do so. Writing competitions also serve as an introduction to what life is like for many writers; participants entering writing competitions will receive a prompt or must think of an original idea, compose a piece of work, and submit it for review.

Another benefit of entering a writing competition for high schoolers is that many offer cash awards and scholarships, which can be used to help with the costs of college.

Additionally, many writing competitions are run by colleges and universities, so submitting them is a great way to introduce faculty to yourself and your work. If you win an award—especially a prestigious award—it can significantly improve your odds of college acceptance.

1. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

Type: Poetry and Prose

Submission Fee: $15

Prize: $200

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Eligibility:

• All secondary and undergraduate students

Guidelines:

• Each student may send up to five total submissions across the genres of poetry and prose
• Each poetry submission may include up to six poems (maximum of ten pages single-spaced). Each prose submission may include up to three works of fiction or creative nonfiction (combined word limit of 3,500 words; excerpts are acceptable).

Adroit Prizes are awarded to emerging high school and college writers in two categories: poetry and prose. Winning pieces are considered for publication in the Adroit Journal and winners receive an award of $200. The 2023 judges are Natalie Diaz and Ocean Vuong.

2. Ten-Minute Play Contest

Type: Plays

Submission Fee: N/A

Deadline: Passed, but the contest will reopen in 2024

Eligibility: Students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. (or international equivalent of the eleventh grade)

Guidelines: Applicants may submit only one play (10 pages maximum)

The Ten-Minute Play Contest is put on by Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts. Applicants are allowed to submit one play that is no longer than 10 pages. Their submissions are judged by members of Princeton University’s Theater Program faculty.

3. Ayn Rand Anthem and The Fountainhead Essay Contests

Type: Essays

• Anthem: $2,000
• The Fountainhead : $5,000
• Anthem: Grades 8-12
• The Fountainhead : Grades 11-12
• Anthem: Essays must be written in English only and between 600 and 1,200 words in length, double-spaced
• The Fountainhead: Essays must be written in English only and between 800 and 1,600 words in length, double-spaced

In this essay competition, students pick one of three prompts about a topic related to Ayn Rand’s books and write an essay that goes through three stages of grading. Students are graded on their clarity, organization, understanding, and ability to stay “on topic.”

4. Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Type: Poetry

Prize: $500-$1,500

Eligibility: Students must be in the 11th grade in the U.S. or abroad

Guidelines: Applicants may submit up to 3 poems

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize is another contest run by Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts. Winners are chosen by judges who are both poets and members of Princeton University’s creative writing faculty. Three monetary awards are available.

5. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Prize: $500

Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs

Guidelines: Essays should be approximately 1,000 words

Winners of this competition receive a $500 prize along with a free yearlong membership to the World History Association . To apply, you must submit an approximately 1,000-word essay responding to the following prompt:

• Submit an essay that addresses the following topic and discusses how it relates to you personally and to World History: Your view of a family story related to a historical event or your personal family cultural background, or an issue of personal relevance or specific regional history/knowledge.

6. Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Prize: $250-$1,000

Deadline: June 1, 2023

Eligibility: Open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students

• Must be submitted by the student through the official Essay Contest Submission website
• Entries may include a statement about the student’s mentor; however, a mentor statement is not required
• The essay must be 6-8 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page
• The essay must use MLA documentation, including a Works Cited page and parenthetical citations in the body of the text. Use endnotes only for substantive notes. Source material that is directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized must be cited. Quotations from the Jane Austen work under discussion should be cited as well.

The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Essay Contest is an annual writing competition aimed at fostering an appreciation for its namesake’s work. The contest is broken down into three divisions—high school, college/university, and graduate school.

First-place winners are awarded a $1,000 prize along with free registration and lodging for two nights at JASNA’s Annual General Meeting—smaller monetary awards are also given to second- and third-place essayists.

This year’s essay topic:

• In Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen’s other novels, we see proposals and marriages that are motivated by love, as well as those that are better described as arranged marriages or marriages of convenience. Many cultures today also expect arranged marriages (not the same as forced). In your essay, compare and discuss the different types of marriages or courtships found in the novels, whether those relationships are new or longstanding.

7. Bennington College Young Writers Awards

Type: Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction

Deadline: November 1, 2023

Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12

• Poetry: A group of three poems
• Fiction: A short story (1,500 words or fewer) or one-act play (run no more than 30 minutes of playing time)
• Nonfiction: A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer)

Bennington College has a strong history of developing writers—it’s produced twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, and countless New York Times bestsellers—and the Bennington College Young Writers Awards celebrate this legacy.

In addition to offering cash awards to winners and finalists in all three categories, winners and finalists who apply and are accepted to Bennington College are also eligible for substantial scholarships.

8. Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder/Sense of the Wild Contest

Type: Poetry and Essays

Deadline: November 16, 2023

• You are required to have a team of 2 or more people
• The team must be intergenerational

Guidelines: Maximum length of 500 words (approximately 2 pages)

This unique writing competition requires that entries must be submitted by a team of two people from different generations—for example, a high school student and a teacher. Contestants can compete in a number of categories and themes, each with unique submission requirements.

9. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

Type: Fiction and Poetry

Prize: $2,000

Deadline: October 2, 2023

Eligibility: Rising high school students graduating in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and recently graduated 2023 seniors

• Poetry: Students may submit their original poetry in any style, from formal verse to free verse to experimental. The poem should be formatted as you wish it to appear in the publication.
• Fiction: Students may submit a piece of short fiction, which must be no more than 5,000 words and should not be single-spaced. The entry may be any genre of the student’s choice, including graphic novel or story.
• Must submit educator recommendation, academic resume, and current transcript with application

Winning works for this competition are chosen based on their creativity, technique, expression, and originality. Three winners are chosen in each category and each winner receives a $2,000 prize.

10. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest

Prize: $100-$10,000

Eligibility: The contest is open to United States high school students in grades 9-12, U.S. students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program,  and U.S. citizens attending schools overseas.

• 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 have a minimum of five sources.

The prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest is one of the most recognizable and prestigious writing competitions for high schoolers in the nation. Essays for the contest are required to describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917. The first-place winner of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest takes home a $10,000 award and second place receives a $3,000 prize.

11. YoungArts National Writing Competition

Deadline: Opens June 2023

Eligibility: 15- to 18-year-old visual, literary, or performing artist based in the United States

Guidelines: To be released

YoungArts supports talented young artists between the ages of 15 and 18 (or grades 10-12) in 10 disciplines, including writing. Applicants can submit entries in six genres—creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word.

12. SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

Submission Fee: $5

Prize: $300-$1,000

Eligibility: All students enrolled in grades 9-12 in U.S. public, private and home schools within the United States

• The essay should be 300-500 words
• Entries may be typed or handwritten but must be double-spaced

This high school writing contest is presented by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Journalism Education Association (JEA) to increase awareness of the importance of independent media.

Last year’s prompt was:

• While consumers are drawn toward tweets and sound bites, how can journalists tell more of the story without losing readers’ interest?

13. VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competitions

Eligibility: High school students with disabilities

• 10-minute script
• Entries may be the work of an individual student or a collaboration between two students that includes at least one student with a disability

This writing competition, presented by the Kennedy Center, is open to students ages 15-18 (or enrolled in high school) with disabilities. Writers may submit a “ten-minute” script in any genre, including plays, musicals, multimedia, video, film, TV, and podcasts.

Entries can be the work of an individual or the product of collaboration—provided that at least one of the collaborators has a disability. Multiple winners are chosen and given the chance to work with industry professionals, attend Kennedy Center professional development activities, and participate in networking opportunities.

14. Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Prize: $350

Eligibility: Women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school

Guidelines: No more than two poems by any one student may be submitted

For almost six decades, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest has provided recognition, scholarships, and awards to the best female high school sophomore and junior poets. Submissions are reviewed by faculty members of Hollins University’s creative writing program and students enrolled in its M.F.A. in creative writing.

The first-place winner receives a $350 cash prize, a renewable $5,000 scholarship to Hollins University if they choose to enroll there, as well as free tuition and housing at the university’s Hollinsummer creative writing program. Their winning work is also published in Cargoes , the university’s student literary magazine.

15. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Type: Various

Submission Fee: $10 for individual entry, $30 for portfolio (can use Fee Waiver Form)

Prize: Varies

Deadline: Opens in September

Eligibility: Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up)

Guidelines: Varies by category

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. They offer 28 submission categories, including writing, critical essay, dramatic scripts, flash fiction, journalism, humor, novel writing, personal essay and memoir, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, and short story.

Works are judged by famous jurors who look for works that show originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Students can earn a variety of scholarships through success in these competitions.

Works that celebrate individual differences or personal grief, loss, and bereavement are eligible for $1,000 scholarships. High school seniors submitting winning portfolios of six works are eligible for up to $12,500 in scholarships.

16. Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

Type: Creative Writing and Poetry

Prize: $100-$1,500

Deadline: June 13, 2023

• Students ages 11-18 from around the world
• Students can participate as an individual or as a club, class, or group of any size
• All students must provide the contact information for an Adult Sponsor (teacher, parent, mentor, etc.)
• Creative Writing: no more than 5 pages (approximately 1,250 words)
• Poetry: no more than 2 pages
• A written reflection is required to accompany your submission, regardless of category. It is like the introduction to a book or an artist’s statement in a museum.

The 12th annual Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Students can participate in six different categories, including poetry and spoken word, and creative writing.

This year’s prompt centers around climate issues:

• Research and choose an inspirational scientist, activist, artist, educator, or other hero who is working to solve climate change issues. Create a piece of art, writing, or media that highlights their efforts, organizations, and/or positive impacts. We are familiar with the amazing work of environmental giants like Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough. We challenge you to introduce the Bow Seat community to a Climate Hero whose work we may not know about yet – but should.

17. John Locke Global Essay Competition

Submission Fee: N/A (unless late entry)

Prize: $2,000-$10,000 toward attending any John Locke Institute program

Deadline: June 30, 2023 (must register by May 31, 2023)

Eligibility: Candidates must be no older than 18 years old on June 30, 2023 (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be no older than 14 on the same date)

Guidelines: Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2,000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration)

Students competing in this competition have the opportunity to write an essay in one of seven categories—philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law. Each category has three prompts, from which students choose and respond to one.

Essays are judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style, and persuasive force.

If you miss the deadline, you can submit a late entry up until July 10. Late entries will be charged a $20 late fee.

18. AFSA National High School Essay Contest

Prize: $2,500

• Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate.
• Students must be in grades 9-12 in any of the 50 states, Washington, D.C, the U.S. territories, or—if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents —attending high school overseas.

Guidelines: Your essay should be at least 1,000 words but should not exceed 1,500 words (word count does not apply to the list of sources)

The AFSA Essay Contest focuses on knowledge of foreign policy and the American Foreign Service. Last year’s prompt was:

• In your essay, you will select a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe, in 1,500 words or less, how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals – including promoting peace – in this country/region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

The first-place winner receives $2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital with their parents from anywhere in the U.S., and an all-expenses-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. The runner-up wins $1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

19. EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Prize: $100-$500

• The contest is open to individual students in the following three competition categories—Elementary School Students (grades 3-5), Middle School Students (grades 6-8), or High School Students (grades 9-12).
• You can also qualify with corresponding homeschool or international grade levels.
• High school student essays must be no more than 750 words
• You must also include a reference list of 3-10 resources

In this competition, students choose one of four prompts related to the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century and explore the technologies that have been developed in the last century and technologies that are being developed today. Students are judged based on their presentation and examples of engineering (~35%), their celebration of diversity (~50%), and their quality of writing (~15%).

20. The Blank Theatre Young Playwright’s Festival

Prize: Play is produced

Eligibility: Playwrights must be 19 years old or younger as of March 15, 2023; co-authored plays are welcome, provided all authors are 19 or younger

• Original plays or musicals of any length or genre and on any subject
• Up to three plays per playwright or team

While winners of this theater competition do not receive a cash prize, they have the unique opportunity to be mentored by leaders in the field, then will have their play directed and performed by professional artists during the following summer. The 12 best submissions are produced and professionally performed.

21. Saint Mary’s College of California River of Words Contest

Type: Poetry and Arts

• The contest is open to K-12 students, ages 5-19
• Students must be enrolled in school to be eligible
• Participants may submit up to 5 entries for poetry and 5 entries for art (total of up to 10 entries)
• Poems should not exceed 32 lines in length (written) or 3 minutes (signed)
• Collaborative poems and artwork are accepted, but only one student (chosen as the group representative) will be eligible for any prizes awarded

The River of Words contest aims to promote environmental literacy through the exchange of arts and culture. River of Words has been inspiring educators and students through this competition for over 25 years.

The goal of River of Words is to connect youth with their watersheds—the environments they live in—through engagement with art and poetry related to the idea of “place.” They look for art and poetry that shows the connection between students and the worlds around them.

22. Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: November 6, 2023

Eligibility: Open to all 12th grade, college, and graduate students worldwide

Guidelines: Essays must be between 800 and 1,600 words in length

In this essay competition, high school seniors pick one of three prompts about a topic related to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and write an essay that goes through three stages of grading. Students are graded on their clarity, organization, understanding, and ability to stay “on topic.”

23. Writopia Lab’s Worldwide Plays Festival

Prize: Play produced

Eligibility: Playwrights ages 6 to 18

• 8 minutes maximum
• Any genre or style
• Plays should have no more than three characters
• There can be no narrator of the play who is not emotionally invested in the story
• Students must incorporate at least one of the following props or costumes —blue plates, a yellow blouse, a Valentine’s heart with the word “Love,” a flower crown, a plush hotdog, a Mardi Gras bead with jester heads, a pack of clothespins, Russian nesting dolls, a set of miniature cymbals, a lavender blouse, a lei, or a roll of aluminum foil

Since 2010, Writopia Lab has been producing, designing, and directing one-act plays submitted by young playwrights. These winning plays are then performed by New York City theater professionals. The contest looks for playwrights who embody fearlessness and imagination. Writopia Lab says, “Write deeply! Write fiercely! Write politically and personally! And don’t be afraid to write with a sense of play – they are called plays, after all.”

While we can’t know exactly how activities outside of the classroom will affect your college admissions odds, the 4 Tiers of Extracurricular Activities provide a helpful framework for understanding how colleges view your extracurriculars.

Extracurricular activities in Tiers 1 and 2 are reserved for the most exclusive and acclaimed awards, and can significantly improve your odds of college admission. By contrast, Tiers 3 and 4 are reserved for more common extracurriculars, and have less of an impact on your chances of college admission.

For example, if you place in a nationally renowned writing competition—a Tier 2 activity—this will positively affect your admissions chances. On the other hand, if you receive an honorable mention in your high school’s poetry contest—a Tier 4 activity—your admissions chances will not be significantly affected.

That said, if you are applying to an English Literature or Creative Writing program with a well-developed essay and recommendations that emphasize your commitment to language, participation in Tier 3 and 4 writing competitions could help admissions officers conceptualize your passion for your future career.

Curious how the writing competition you participated in will affect your college admission chances? CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of factors—including grades, test scores, and extracurriculars—to estimate your odds of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities, while also providing insight into how to improve your profile.

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Winning a contest can give you just the break you need in your writing career. First off, it’s a great point to mention in your resume. Many competitions offer book publishing deals to the winners. And there’s almost always a cash prize involved. 

Even if you don’t win, there’s a lot you can learn about how to improve your writing.

And the process of writing and sharing a competition entry is progress in itself.

Best of all? A lot of the top writing contests are completely free to take part in. 

Whether you’re a first-timer looking to earn your chops as a poet or an experienced writer with published books under your belt, there’s a competition out there for you.

Here’s a list of (free!) writing contests you should consider applying to ASAP.

1. Emily Dickinson First Book Award

What is it about.

This award honors the legacy of the iconic American poet Emily Dickinson by recognizing unpublished American writers over 40 years of age who have a completed book of poetry. 

Who is eligible to apply?

The Emily Dickinson First Book Award is open to any American poet of at least 40 years of age who has not previously published a book-length poetry collection.

What are the guidelines?

Eligible applicants need to submit a book-length (between 48 and 80 pages long) manuscript of poems. The poems can be in any style and of any length.

What’s the prize?

The winner of this poetry contest receives a cash award of $10000. In addition, Graywolf Press will publish and promote the winning manuscript. 

2. PEN/Faulkner Award For Fiction

The PEN/Faulkner Award was founded by the international writers’ organization PEN in honour of renowned American writer William Faulkner. A team of three judges chooses the finalists each year from among the best works of literary fiction. The winner is hailed as ‘first among equals’.

Authors of any age who are permanent residents of the United States can apply. 

Authors must submit a novel, novella, or short story collection for consideration. The book must have been published the previous year by an academic, commercial, or small press, and self-published books are not eligible. The authors should send five copies of the book to the judges for evaluation.

The winner and four finalists get to attend the awards ceremony at Washington DC. The winner gets $15000 and the honorable mentions get $1500 each. All the writers get to read excerpts from their books and the judges share their citations for each.

3. Writers of the Future Contest

The Writers of the Future contest honors the spirit of famed sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard. It’s one of the most influential contests for fantasy and science fiction and a great way to get your work out in front of a large audience.

New writers of sci-fi and fantasy fiction, who have not previously published a novel or more than three short stories, are eligible to apply.

Applicants should share a prose manuscript of up to 17000 words in length. The submission can be either electronic or a hard copy. Prose targeted towards a children’s audience is not eligible.

Every three months, you stand to win prizes of $1000, $750 and $500. At the end of the year, one of the four quarterly first-place writers wins the grand prize. This winner gets the L. Ron Hubbard Golden Pen Award and a $5000 cash prize.

4. Young Lions Fiction Award

Offered by the New York Public Library, the Young Lions Fiction Award celebrates the work of an author 35 years or younger. The award is part of the Young Lions program, which includes people in their 20s and 30s who are committed to supporting and encouraging young artists in New York. 

US citizens who are 35 years of age or younger at the time of the book’s publication the previous year are eligible to apply. 

Applicants should submit either a novel or a collection of short stories published the previous year. Only adult fiction is eligible – no young adult or children’s books should be submitted. All submissions need to come from the books’ publishers and not from the authors themselves.

Every year, the team of judges selects five finalists. The grand prize winner gets money worth $10000. 

5. Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award celebrates the role of science fiction in popularizing and advancing real scientific endeavors. It is offered jointly by Baen Books and the National Space Society in honor of the writer Jim Baen.

Writers from any country may apply, except previous winners of the competition and employees of NSS or Baen Books.

Applicants should submit a short piece of science fiction of up to 8000 words about what the near future of manned space exploration (about 50-60 years from now) might look like. 

The Grand Prize winner’s short story will be published on the Baen Books official website and given an engraved trophy. The winner and the two runners-up will get free entry into the International Space Development Conference, merchandise from Baen Books, and a year’s membership at the National Space Society.

6. Owl Canyon Press Short Story Hackathon

The Owl Canyon Press hosts an annual flash fiction hackathon , designed to support and recognize new writers of short fiction. 

Writers from anywhere around the world can apply to this creative writing contest as long as their entry is in English.

Writers need to submit a short story of 50 paragraphs, with the first and 20th paragraphs provided by the judges in the submission form. There is no maximum word count, but each paragraph should have at least 40 words. 

Twenty-four finalists will have their stories chosen for publication in the annual Owl Canyon Press anthology. The first, second, and third place winners will receive prize money of $3000, $2000, and $1000 respectively. 

7. David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction

The Langum Foundation offers the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize every year to recognize works of American fiction that make American history more accessible to the general reader. 

Fiction writers from anywhere may apply, and either the author or the publisher of the novel may make the submission. The novel should have been published by December of the previous year. 

Writers should submit historical novels that are set primarily in America before 1950. The novel may also take place outside of America, but it needs to include American characters and values. Submissions cannot be self-published or published by a press that the author subsidizes. 

The prize winner receives $1000 in cash, and both the winner and the runner-up receive framed certificates of honor. 

8. Wallace Stegner Prize in Environmental Humanities

Renowned writer Wallace Stegner was passionate about the environment and spent much of his life in the American West. To honor his legacy, the University of Utah Press looks to recognize book-length publications on environmental humanities with the Wallace Stegner Prize . 

All authors are eligible to apply except current and former faculty members and students of the University of Utah, and current and former employees of the University of Utah Press.

Applicants should submit manuscripts of not more than 170,000. Submissions as a whole should not have been previously published. The book should preferably be set in the American West. 

The winner gets a cash award of $5000 and the winning entry is published by the University of Utah Press. 

9. 53-Word Story Contest

Prime Number Magazine hosts a monthly short fiction contest where writers can submit a 53-word story based on the prompt provided.

Writers from anywhere around the world are welcome to apply as long as their story is in English. 

Writers have to submit a story in any genre of not more than 53 words. Story titles are not included in this. 

The winner’s story is published in Prime Number Magazine. He or she also gets a copy of a book by Press 53 as a prize.

10. Cabell First Novelist Award

The Cabell First Novelist Award is given to a previously unpublished novelist for an excellent first novel. It honors the legacy of renowned writer James Branch Cabell and is sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University.

Writers who have not previously published a novel are eligible to apply. They may have previously published other types of books, including short stories or poems. 

Writers should submit first novels of any genre that were published in the previous calendar year. Self-published and young adult novels are not eligible. 

The winning story receives a $5000 cash prize and is invited to a public book reading and signing event at Richmond. It’s an all-expenses-paid event that promotes the winning book to a large audience. 

11. Drue Heinz Literature Prize

The Drue Heinz Literature Prize supports writers of short fiction and brings their work to a global audience. Winners are judged by authors of national repute, and past judges have included luminaries like Robert Penn Warren, Margaret Atwood, and Rick Moody. 

Writers from any country who have published at least one book-length fiction collection or at least three short stories or novellas in literary publications are eligible to apply. 

Writers should submit unpublished manuscripts between 150 and 300 pages long. The manuscripts should feature either a collection of short stories, or a mix of stories and a novella, or two or more novellas. Poetry and children’s literature is not allowed. 

The winner gets a cash prize of $15000 and has the winning book published by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 

12. Nelson Algren Short Story Award

The Nelson Algren Literary Award seeks to recognize great short fiction and is offered by the Chicago Tribune to honor the legacy of famed writer Nelson Algren. The short story contest has been held annually every year since 1981.

Writers aged 18 years and above and legal residents of the United States are eligible to apply.

Writers should submit previously unpublished short stories of no more than 8000 words. 

The winner will receive $3500 and five finalists will get $750 each. 

13. Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans

The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans is a special award for US military writers sponsored by the family of famed antiwar author and Vietnam War veteran Jeff Sharlet. 

Any US military veterans and those on active duty can apply. The submission can be in any genre and touch upon any topic.

Applicants should submit a manuscript of no more than 20 pages in their chosen genre – short fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. Prose submissions need to be double-spaced and the writing should not have been published anywhere else. 

The winner of the Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award gets a cash prize of $1000 and publication of the manuscript in The Iowa Review. The runner-up gets $750 and three third-place holders get $500 each.

Writing competitions are about a lot more than just winning. They’re about improving your craft, learning from other writers, and trying again and again.

At the end of the day, though, winning competitions can do a lot to boost your resume and your confidence.

So pick the free writing contests that excite you the most, open that new page in your diary (or on your laptop) and start writing. Good luck! 

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Best Fiction Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 186 contests that match your search.

The Reedsy Prompts Contest

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Every Friday, Reedsy sends out five writing prompts. Enter your response within a week for a chance at $250. Winners may also be included in a future issue of Reedsy’s literary magazine, Prompted.

Additional prizes:

$25 credit toward Reedsy editorial services

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

WOW! Women on Writing Summer 2024 Flash Fiction Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Genres: Flash Fiction, Fiction, and Short Story

Seeking short fiction of any genre between 250 - 750 words. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity and great writing and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. Guest Judge: Tom Bromley, Head of Learning at Reedsy

$600 cash, Reedsy's How to Write a Novel class ($1249 value), $25 Amazon Gift Card

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024

Parsec Short Story Contest

Parsec Inc.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, and Short Story

2023 Contest Theme is: Preserve or Purge. We ask that authors try and incorporate both concepts into their speculative work. This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue; the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

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IndieReader Discovery Awards

IndieReader

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Novel

Where talented authors meet publishing professionals with the power to make a difference in the success of their books. Every author who enters a title in the IR Discovery Awards will receive a verdict, written by an IndieReader reviewer and based on their assessment after reading the complete book.

First look consideration by a top, NYC-based literary agency

$500, publicist consultation service, Reedsy credit, custom author website

💰 Entry fee: $150

📅 Deadline: February 14, 2024 (Expired)

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Winning Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Welcome to the 31st annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest. Submit published or unpublished work. $9,000 in prizes.

Two-year gift certificate from Duotrope; 10 Honorable Mentions will receive $300 each

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally on both the radio and its weekly podcast. This years entries will be judged by Carmen Maria Machado (In the Dream House, Her Body and Other Parties).

$1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Minds Shine Bright Writing Competition

Minds Shine Bright

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

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

💰 Entry fee: $3

2024 Spring Prose & Poetry Contest

Onyx Publications

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

Our contest provides a First, Second, and Third prize for both prose and poetry. There are no themes or special requirements so just send us your best work. We recommend you read through previous editions or listen to the works and author interviews on our Story Discovery Podcast to get a sense of the range of creativity we enjoy.

$500 + publication and author interview on Story Discovery podcast

2nd: $150 | 3rd: $75

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: May 05, 2024 (Expired)

Hayden's Ferry Review Poetry & Fiction Contest

Hayden's Ferry Review

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Poetry

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

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

To Hull and Back Humorous Short Story Contest

Christopher Fielden

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Non-fiction, and Short Story

July 2022 saw the launch of the 8th To Hull And Back Short Story Competition, a biennial short story contest with a humorous twist that celebrates the most imaginative and amazing short stories from writers all over the world.

2nd Prize: £600 | 3rd Prize: £300 | 3 x Highly Commended: £150 | 14 x Shortlisted: £75

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025

Future Scholar Foundation Short Story Competition

Future Scholar Foundation

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

The Future Scholar Foundation's (FSF) monthly short story competitions are designed to enhance students' communication skills and foster impactful self-expression in their daily lives. The FSF's competitons have reached over 1,500 students in over 8 US states and were featured in The Seattle Times and Northwest Asian Weekly. Participate now for the chance to earn prizes up to $25 and publication on the Future Scholar Foundation's website!

$25 Amazon gift card

Publication on website

📅 Deadline: May 28, 2024 (Expired)

HNS 2024 First Chapters Competition

Historical Novel Society

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Novel, Romance, Thriller, and Young Adult

The HNS UK 2024 First Chapters Competition is for the first three chapters of a full-length historical novel that has not been previously published in any form. We are looking to recognize and promote excellence in storytelling and the craft of historical fiction and its subgenres. The competition coincides with the HNS UK 2024 conference and the overall winner will be announced at the conference.

Category winners: £500 and HNS UK 2024 conference ticket

💰 Entry fee: $50

📅 Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Expired)

The 2022 First Chapter Book Contest

TheNextBigWriter, LLC

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Have a book or a novel idea you've been noodling? Enter your first chapter into the Booksie First Chapter Contest and see how it does. You don't need to have finished the book. You don't even need more than the first chapter. We're looking for a start that will grab our attention, that is original, that is well written, and that makes us want to beg you to see what comes next. And for those we find, we'll provide some awards to inspire you to finish writing the book or, if finished, to help get it published.

Gold contest badge.

📅 Deadline: May 14, 2022 (Expired)

Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest

Unleash Press

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

We aim to assist writers in the completion of an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to aid in the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Writers will also receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit.

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024 (Expired)

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Essay, Memoir, and Novel

Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through a biennial competition, held in even-numbered years, that is open to all writers who identify as women.

Publication by Red Hen Press

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

Best Indie Book Award

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The annual Best Indie Book Award® (or BIBA®) is an international literary awards contest recognizing self-published and independently published authors from all over the world. Entries are limited to independently (indie) published books, including those from small presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.

💰 Entry fee: $65

📅 Deadline: August 15, 2024 (Expired)

Chapter One Prize

Gutsy Great Novelist

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

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

National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award

First Coast Romance Writers

Genres: Fiction and Romance

The National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award celebrates published romance novels and novellas and is judged by romance readers. All entries must have an original copyright date of 2021 and must have been available for purchase in the United States beginning in 2021.

NERFA Winner web logo and trophy

💰 Entry fee: $40

The Raven Short Story Contest

Pulp Literature Press

Genres: Fiction

This contest is for previously unpublished short fiction between 250 and 2500 words in length. Multiple entries welcome. Total entries limited to 300. Show us your most scintillating treasures in the form of short fiction up to 2500 words in length and you could be the one bringing home $300 CAD to line your nest!

Publication in Pulp Literature

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: October 15, 2024

Short Story Competition 2023

Write the World

What truth do you want to convey through your stories? This month, write a short story of up to 1000 words and invite readers into a contained universe. With only a small word limit to work with, you must choose carefully. Remember, as Neil Gaiman once said: “Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams.”

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50

📅 Deadline: November 27, 2023 (Expired)

The Restless Books Prize For New Immigrant Writing

Restless Books

Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing was created in 2016 to honor outstanding debut literary works by first-generation immigrants, awarded for fiction and nonfiction in alternating years. The winner receives $10,000 and publication by Restless Books.

Publication by Restless Books

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025

Short Story Award for New Writers

Masters Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

This bi-annual contest recognizes emerging writers with submissions of previously unpublished fiction or nonfiction up to 6,000 words. Judged by Colin Barrett, it awards $3,000 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third, along with agency reviews for finalists.

Agency review for all finalists

📅 Deadline: August 25, 2024 (Expired)

The Big Moose Prize

Black Lawrence Press

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Short Story

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Big Moose Prize for an unpublished novel. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes will be awarded on publication. The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel.

Publication, 10 copies of your book

💰 Entry fee: $27

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

The Book of the Year Awards

The Independent Author Network

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Crime, and Short Story

The Independent Author Network presents the 10th Annual IAN Book of the Year Awards, an international contest open to all authors with 55 fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners are eligible to receive a share of cash prizes of $6,000 USD. Open to all English language print and eBooks available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors.

$6,000.00 USD in total cash prizes

💰 Entry fee: $49

📅 Deadline: August 16, 2024 (Expired)

Voice.club Monthly Flash Fiction Contest

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

Voice.club Writing Contests: Express yourself in a supportive international community, as you develop your writing skills. We invite you to write a story of 350 words or less, based on our current prompt. Our monthly contests are open to writers aged 13 and older from any country, but each story must be written in English. Our April prompt is "Magic."

$25 USD Amazon Gift Card

Publication

📅 Deadline: July 30, 2024 (Expired)

The Hudson Prize

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Hudson Prize for an unpublished collection of poems or prose. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers.

💰 Entry fee: $28

Writing Peers Summer Short Story Prize

Writing Peers

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Horror, Mystery, Romance, and Thriller

Are you seeking lots of feedback? Ever wondered what it’s like to step into the shoes of a jury? Pick one of our prompts and let your creativity soar. Submit your piece, then review other entries and develop an eye for what makes a story stand out. Receive detailed feedback, evolve as a writer and you might even walk away with the prize money!

📅 Deadline: June 21, 2024 (Expired)

Emerging Writer's Contest

Ploughshares

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The 2024 Emerging Writer's Contest will run from March 1 at noon EST to May 15 at noon EST. The Emerging Writer's Contest is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book. Read past winners of the contest here. We award publication, $2,000, review from Aevitas Creative Management, and a 1-year subscription for one winner in each of the three genres. =

Review from Aevitas Creative Management

💰 Entry fee: $30

Goldfinch Books Novel Award

Goldfinch Books

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

Goldfinch Books, an independent bookshop, café and event space in Alton, Hampshire, UK has announced a UK nationwide literary competition to coincide with the inaugural Alton Arts Festival. The Goldfinch Novel Award 2024 is a prize for emerging authors (aged 16+) with completed young adult or adult novels. This competition is open to authors in the UK and will have a prize of £300 for the winning novel, chosen by judge Kiya Evans, Associate Literary Agent at Mushens Entertainment.

Goldfinch Membership

💰 Entry fee: $14

📅 Deadline: May 27, 2024 (Expired)

Novel Fair 2025

Irish Writers Centre

Genres: Fiction and Novel

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

💰 Entry fee: $59

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest

Book Pipeline

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, and Young Adult

Launched in 2014, Book Pipeline connects writers worldwide with publishers, editors, agents, and the film industry. Through two submission platforms—Unpublished and Adaptation—the company seeks both new and established authors. For over 22 years, Pipeline has bridged the gap between up-and-coming writers and the industry through a unique, long-term, hands-on facilitation process. The result thus far has been $8 million in scripts sold to studios and networks since 1999.

💰 Entry fee: $45

📅 Deadline: August 20, 2024 (Expired)

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.

Write By The Sea Literary Festival 2024

Write By the Sea

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, and Poetry

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

The Bath Children's Novel Award

The Bath Novel Awards

Genres: Children's, Fiction, and Young Adult

The Bath Children's Novel Award is a £5,000 international prize for emerging writers of children's fiction. Submit the first 5,000 words plus a one page synopsis of your chapter book or novel for children or young adults, or up to three picture book texts with summaries. Shortlistees receive feedback on their full manuscript from young judges and all listees receive editorial director feedback on their extract and synopsis.

£1,800 course for one longlistee

💰 Entry fee: $38

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

The Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction

The Lascaux Review

Stories may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Finalists receive $100. Winner and finalists are published in both the online and annual print editions of The Lascaux Review.

Publication in The Lascaux Review

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course : How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

• "How to Craft a Killer Short Story" ( Click here )
• "The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel" ( Click here )
• "Understanding Point of View" ( Click here )
• "Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love" ( Click here )
• "Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character" ( Click here )
• "Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine" ( Click here )

On Editing:

• "Story Editing for Authors" ( Click here )
• "How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro" ( Click here )
• "Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel: Steps From a Bestselling Writer" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Short Story in 9 Simple Steps" ( Click here )
• "100 Literary Devices With Examples: The Ultimate List" ( Click here )
• "20 Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft" ( Click here )
• "How to Write Fabulous Dialogue [9 Tips + Examples]" ( Click here )
• "8 Character Development Exercises to Write 3D Characters" ( Click here )

Bonus resources

• 200+ Short Story Ideas ( Click here )
• 600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You ( Click here )
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors ( Click here )
• Story Title Generator ( Click here )
• Pen Name Generator ( Click here )
• Character Name Generator ( Click here )

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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Member-only story

7 Free and Regular Writing Competitions to Test Your Creative Writing

Sharpen those words, the challengers call for you..

Franko French

SYNERGY [Newsletter Booster]

DISCLAIMER: Most of the following list of competitions is geared towards short fiction. So if you’re looking for poetry competitions, please wait for my next list.

So you’re wanting to see how you stack up against other writers out there, are ya? Earn your self some potential recognition and walk away with some cheeky cash if you’re good enough?

Well, writing competitions are the thing for you!

(you could go into freelancing writing as well I suppose, technically what I just wrote fits that as well)

But I’m here to talk about writing competitions — better yet — free ones. So let’s talk.

If you haven’t done one before, then I can’t encourage you to do so, enough.

Writing competitions — especially the short fiction ones which make up the bulk of the following list — are a great way to improve your skills in writing, experiment with new styles, break out of your writing comfort zone and hone the craft we all love so much. Plus, winning and getting a cash prize and some solid recognition isn’t a bad bonus.

Written by Franko French

A rookie writer paving their path to literary greatness.

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How to … : An Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers

We invite students to explain how to do any task in 400 words or fewer. Contest dates: Feb. 12 to March 12, 2025.

By The Learning Network

Do you know how to fix a brake light ? What about how to memorize Shakespeare ? How to keep a goldfish alive ? Spot a shooting star ? Write a love letter ? Forgive someone ?

These are just a few of the many skills explained in Tip , the how-to column by Malia Wollan which ran weekly in The New York Times Magazine from 2015-2022.

Inspired by this column, which took on topics both serious and silly, we are challenging students to write their own “how-to” for (almost) any task.

As long as the topic is appropriate for a family newspaper, students can explain whatever they like, including tasks that Tip has already taken on. But, just as the column did, they must also find, interview and quote one expert on the subject.

Take a look at the full guidelines and related resources below. Please post any questions you have in the comments and we’ll answer you there, or write to us at [email protected]. And, consider hanging this PDF one-page announcement on your class bulletin board.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The Challenge
• A Few Additional Rules
• Resources for Students and Teachers
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Submission Form

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