I've written seven books and published five. I don't know why anybody with an ounce of self-preservation would ever want to publish.
To keep my sanity, I bake.
."
by Writing Workshops Staff
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Find 52 excellent writing contests below with deadlines between now and February 15th, 2023. Polish your manuscript and submit it to one of these great writing contests (and, if you're looking for a class in fiction , poetry , nonfiction , or screenwriting , we've got you covered).
Writing contest.
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $11
Application Deadline: 1/10/23
Genre: Poetry , Fiction , Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Winter Anthology is given annually for a group of poems, a story, a novel excerpt, or an essay. Ann Lauterbach will judge. Using...
Translation projects fellowship.
Cash Prize: $25,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 1/12/23
Genre: Poetry
Around 20 grants of up to $25,000 each are given annually to translators of poetry and prose from any language into English. Applicants must have published, alone or in...
Discovery poetry contest.
Cash Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 1/13/23
Four prizes of $500 each and publication in Paris Review Daily are given annually for a group of poems. Winners also receive lodging and travel expenses to give a reading at...
Translation prize.
Cash Prize: $10,000
Genre: Fiction , Creative Nonfiction
Two prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for translations from French into English of a book of fiction and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published...
Colorado prize for poetry.
Cash Prize: $2,500
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 1/14/23
A prize of $2,500 and publication by the Center for Literary Publishing is given annually for a poetry collection. Felicia Zamora will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 100...
Desert writers award.
Cash Prize: $5,000
Application Deadline: 1/15/23
Genre: Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $5,000 is given annually to enable a creative nonfiction writer “whose work reflects the spirit and passions for the desert embodied in Ellen Meloy’s writing” to...
Rose post creative nonfiction competition.
Entry Fee: $12
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for an essay “that is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians.” The winning essay will also be...
William matthews poetry prize.
Entry Fee: $20
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Asheville Poetry Review is given annually for a single poem. The winner is also invited to give a reading at Malaprop’s Bookstore in...
Levis reading prize.
A prize of $5,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to give a reading at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond is given annually for a first or second book of poetry...
North american book award.
Entry Fee: $36
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poetry collection published during the previous year. The winner is also invited to read at the organization’s annual Spring Poetry...
Entry Fee: $5
Application Deadline: 1/24/23
Genre: Poetry , Fiction
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Sixfold are given quarterly for a group of poems and a short story. Using only the online submission system, submit up to...
Application Deadline: 1/30/23
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a short story or a self-contained novel excerpt. Judy Goldman will judge. The winning work of fiction will also be considered for...
Screw turn flash fiction competition.
Application Deadline: 1/31/23
A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Ghost Story website and in the 21st Century Ghost Stories anthology is given twice yearly for a work of flash fiction with a...
Terry j. cox poetry award.
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Regal House Publishing is given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages with a $25 entry fee by January 31...
Iowa review awards.
Cash Prize: $1,500
Three prizes of $1,500 each and publication in Iowa Review are given annually for works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Using only the online submission...
Joe gouveia outermost poetry contest.
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a single poem. Marge Piercy will judge. Submit up to five poems totaling no more than seven pages with a $15 entry fee by January 31....
New millennium writing awards.
Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in New Millennium Writings are given twice yearly for a single poem, a short story, a work of flash fiction, and a work of...
James welch prize for indigenous poets.
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Poetry Northwest are given annually for a single poem by an Indigenous poet. The winners will also receive an all-expenses-...
Dorset prize.
Cash Prize: $8,500
Entry Fee: $30
A prize of $8,500, publication by Tupelo Press, and 20 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner also receives the option of either a weeklong...
Nicholas schaffner award for music in literature.
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Schaffner Press is given annually for a poetry collection, a novel, a story collection, an essay collection, or a memoir that “deals in...
Short story award for new writers.
Cash Prize: $3,000
A prize of $3,000 and online publication in Masters Review is given twice yearly for a short story by an emerging writer. Writers who have not published a book or who...
Short memoir prize.
Cash Prize: $1,035
Entry Fee: $19
A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,035) and publication in the Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short memoir. The winner is also invited to give a reading at...
Eliud martínez prize.
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Inlandia Books will be given annually for a book of fiction or creative nonfiction by a writer who identifies as Hispanic, Latino/a/x, or...
Cash Prize: $2,000
Three prizes of $2,000 each and publication in swamp pink are given annually for a single poem, a short story, and an essay. Matthew Olzmann will judge in poetry, Jamil...
Emerging voices fellowship.
Twelve fellowships of $1,500 each and participation in a virtual five-month mentorship program, which includes one-on-one mentorship with an established writer; introductions...
Imagine little tokyo short story contest.
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Rafu Shimpo and on the Discover Nikkei and Little Tokyo Historical Society websites are given annually for short stories...
Big moose prize.
Entry Fee: $27
A prize of $1,000, publication by Black Lawrence Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a novel. The contest is open to traditional novels as well as “novels-in-...
Yeats poetry prize.
Application Deadline: 2/1/23
A prize of $1,000 and publication on the WB Yeats Society of NY website is given annually for a single poem. The winner also receives a two-year membership to the organization...
Philip roth residencies.
Two four-month residencies, which include a stipend of $5,000 each, at the Stadler Center for Poetry & Literary Arts at Bucknell University are given annually to writers in...
Paterson poetry prize.
A prize of $2,000 is given annually for a poetry collection published in the previous year. The winning poet is expected to participate in an awards ceremony, give a reading,...
Frances “frank” rollin fellowship.
Two prizes of $5,000 each will be given annually to writers “working on a biographical work about an African American figure (or figures) whose story provides a significant...
American short(er) fiction prize.
A prize of $1,000 and publication in American Short Fiction is given annually for a work of flash fiction. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three...
Michael waters poetry prize.
A prize of $5,000 and publication by Southern Indiana Review Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Michael Waters will judge. Submit 40 to 100 pages of poetry (no...
Prizes in poetry and prose.
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Slippery Elm are given annually for a single poem and a short story or essay. Using only the online submission system,...
Claire keyes poetry award.
Entry Fee: $10
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Soundings East is given annually for a group of poems. Naomi Shihab Nye will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit...
Entry Fee: $18
A prize of $2,000 and publication in Paterson Literary Review is given annually for a single poem. A second prize of $1,000 and publication in Paterson Literary...
Courage to write grants.
Cash Prize: $7,000
Entry Fee: $22
Application Deadline: 2/12/23
Seven grants of $7,000 each will be given annually to emerging poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers with works-in-progress and “for whom a monetary boost...
First/second poetry book contest.
Entry Fee: $35
Application Deadline: 2/13/23
A prize of $3,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 20 author copies is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. Sawako Nakayasu will judge. Using only...
Ambroggio prize.
Application Deadline: 2/15/23
A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Arizona Press is given annually for a poetry collection originally written in Spanish by a living writer and translated into...
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poetry collection translated from any language into English and published in the United States during the previous year. Anna Deeny...
Furious flower poetry prize.
A prize of $1,500 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...
New american poetry prize.
A prize of $1,500, publication by New American Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Jamaica Baldwin will judge. Writers of any citizenship...
Morton and mccarthy prizes.
Entry Fee: $29
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, using only the...
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...
Derek walcott prize for poetry.
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poetry collection published in English during the previous year by a writer who is not a citizen of the United States. Poets who are...
Veterans writing award.
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Syracuse University Press is given biennially in alternating years for either a debut fiction or a debut nonfiction manuscript written by a...
A prize of $3,000 and publication by Autumn House Press is given annually for a first or second poetry collection or a work that intersects with poetry, including hybrid text,...
Willow run poetry book award.
Application Deadline: 2/20/23
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Hidden River Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Works translated into English are eligible, but the author must submit. The...
Writing awards.
Application Deadline: 2/24/23
Up to 20 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 18...
Chautauqua janus prize.
Application Deadline: 2/28/23
A prize of $5,000 and publication in Chautauqua is given annually for a single work of fiction or nonfiction by an emerging writer displaying “daring formal and...
Confidence competition.
Cash Prize: $1,031
Entry Fee: $3
A prize of $1,600 AUD (approximately $1,031) and publication in the Confidence Minds Shine Bright anthology will be given annually for works of poetry or fiction exploring the...
A prize of $1,000, publication by Tupelo Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Submit a manuscript of 20 to 36 pages with a $25 entry fee by...
Self-publishing literary awards.
Two prizes of $2,500 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...
Entry Fee: $14
A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,035) and publication in the Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short short story. The winner is also invited to give a...
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. Cai Emmons will judge. Using...
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...
Award series.
Cash Prize: $5,500
Two prizes of $5,500 each and publication by a participating press are given annually for a poetry collection and a story collection. In addition, two prizes of $2,500 each and...
Literary artist fellowships.
Application Deadline: 3/1/23
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...
Maya angelou book award.
A prize of $10,000 is given in alternating years for a poetry collection or a novel by an author whose work “demonstrates a commitment to social justice in America and/or the...
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...
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...
A fellowship of $25,000 is given biennially for the translation into English of a work of modern Italian poetry. The winning translator will also receive a five-week residency...
A prize of $5,000 is given annually for a work-in-progress by a writer who has not published a biography. The winner will also receive review of their proposal by an agent,...
Literary arts fellowships.
Approximately two 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...
Wisconsin institute for creative writing fellowships.
Cash Prize: $39,000
Entry Fee: $50
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...
Lexi rudnitsky editor’s choice award.
Application Deadline: 3/7/23
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...
Wild women story contest.
Application Deadline: 3/8/23
A prize of $1,000 and publication in TulipTree Review is given annually for a single poem, a short story, or an essay “whose main characters embody the Wild Woman spirit...
Around 35 grants of $25,000 each are given annually in alternating years to poets and prose writers to “enable the recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel,...
Literary awards.
Entry Fee: $100
Application Deadline: 3/10/23
Two prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for a book of fiction and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published in the previous year that “foster peace,...
Stella kupferberg memorial short story contest.
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...
Application Deadline: 3/15/23
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...
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. Works translated into English are eligible...
First novel fellowship.
Entry Fee: $33
A prize of $10,000 is given annually for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. The first runner-up will receive $3,000 and the second runner-up...
Poetry prize.
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a single poem. Juan Felipe Herrera will judge. Submit up to three poems of no more than three pages each with a $10 entry fee by March...
Raz-shumaker book prizes.
Two prizes of $3,000 each and publication by University of Nebraska Press are given annually for a poetry collection and a story collection. Kwame Dawes will judge. Submit a...
2 weeks ago
How to get published.
Opens: July 1, 2024 Deadline: November 1, 2024 Results: Announced April 2025 Prizes: Win $1,600 in Prizes! Guest Judges: Lindz McLeod, KRISTINE ESSER SLENTZ, and Catherine McNamara Categories: Short Story, Poetry, and Flash Fiction
For full Submission Guidelines , please read the information on our Submittable page carefully . And please visit our formatting guidelines page to properly format your work for submission.
An insider tip for you all: We seek work that actively pushes boundaries, that forces us to question traditions and tastes. If your work takes risks, we want to read it. We like strong narratives that make us feel something and stories we haven’t seen before. To get an idea of the kind of work we look for , please check out this page from our editors detailing what we look for in our submissions.
We also strongly recommend checking out a past issue of F(r)iction before submitting to our contests to get an idea of our general publishing aesthetic. We have several pieces available online , but there’s nothing like holding a glossy, full-color issue in your hands. You can check out all of our issues in our shop .
Lindz mcleod.
Lindz McLeod is a queer, working-class, Scottish writer and editor who dabbles in the surreal. Her short prose has been published by Apex, Catapult, Pseudopod, and many more. Her longer work includes the short story collection TURDUCKEN (Spaceboy, 2023), as well as her books BEAST (Hear Us Scream, 2023), SUNBATHERS (Hedone Books, 2024), THE UNLIKELY PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET (Harlequin, 2025), WE, THE DROWNING (Android Press, 2026), and the collaborative anthology AN HONOUR AND A PRIVILEGE (Stanchion, 2025). Her work has been taught in schools, universities, and turned into avant-garde opera. She is a full member of the SFWA, the club president of the Edinburgh Writers’ Club, and is currently studying for a PhD in Creative Writing.
Website: www.lindzmcleod.co.uk Twitter/bluesky: @lindzmcleod
Kristine esser slentz.
KRISTINE ESSER SLENTZ is a Maltese descendent, queer, cult escapee, and author of woman, depose (FlowerSong Press 2021) and EXHIBIT: an amended woman, depose (FlowerSong Press 2024). She grew up in both northwest Indiana and the Chicagoland area—what her father calls the ‘bottom of the blue-collar.’ After receiving her GED, she completed her undergraduate degree at Purdue University, double-majoring in English Literature and Creative Writing, before earning a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (poetry) from City College of New York (CCNY). She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at CCNY, among other places. KRISTINE is a Pushcart Prize nominee, finalist in the Glass Poetry Chapbook, recipient of a CCNY English Department Teacher-Writer Award, a City Artist Corps Grant, and former Rifkind Fellow and Poets Afloat resident. She has had artwork displayed in exhibits at the 5547 Project and recently in Pride & Joy at the Athenaeum Indy. She is the co-founder and organizer/host of the monthly experimental artist series, Adverse Abstraction, in New York City’s East Village. You can follow KRISTINE’s art on her substack, Carnations & Car Crashes .
Instagram: @keslentz
Catherine mcnamara.
Catherine McNamara grew up in Sydney, ran away to Paris to write and ended up co-running a bar in Ghana, working in Mogadishu and Milan along the way. She is the author of the short fiction collections The Carnal Fugues , The Cartography of Others , Love Stories for Hectic People and Pelt and Other Stories , and her stories have been widely published. She is Flash Fiction Editor and a Masterclass tutor for Litro Magazine, and was Guest Editor for the Best Small Fictions Anthology 2023 . Catherine lives in Italy.
X and Instagram: @catinitaly for X and Instagram FB: Catherine McNamara www.catherinemcnamarawriter.com
Please note: We are unable to offer refunds for contest submissions, so please read the options and choose your submission category carefully. For poetry and flash fiction, you can submit ONE ENTRY or a THREE PACK.
F(r)iction reserves the right to not award a winner in any categories if the submissions do not reach a publishable standard. In this case, reading fees will NOT be refunded and a winner will not be announced. Although this has rarely come to pass in our six-year-publishing history, our top priority must remain with the quality of work we publish.
No AI Submissions
We currently do not accept work from artificial intelligence (“AI”) generators or similar. By submitting your entry, you are attesting that your work was not created, in whole or in part, with an AI generator or similar. Should any portion of your work be discovered to be the product of an AI generator or similar, by submitting, you agree to indemnify Brink Literacy Project for all losses, fees, and damages it suffers relating to your submission and/or misrepresentation, including but not limited to, direct and indirect damages, loss of sale, reputational damages, attorney fees, and other expenses. You further agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Brink Literacy Project against any third-party claims relating to the work you submit.
By Hannah Yang
Writing contests can be a useful way to send your work out into the world. With a strong submission and a bit of luck, you can win publication, recognition, and even cash prizes.
This article will give you the inside scoop on the most high-quality writing contests to enter.
What are some writing contests that are free to enter, how can i increase my chances of winning, where can i find more writing contests.
Entering writing contests can be useful for several reasons:
On the other hand, it’s important to keep in mind that it takes a lot of luck to win a contest, since there are usually only a few winners chosen from among hundreds of strong contestants.
If your goal is to get your writing published, you’ll likely fare better by submitting to magazines and anthologies than by entering contests.
If your goal is to make money, you should prioritize freelance writing jobs instead.
With that being said, there are many incredible writing contests out there that can absolutely be worth your while, as long as you enter with realistic expectations.
Many writing contests cost fees to enter, since they give out cash prizes and hire guest judges that they need to pay for their time.
Charging an entry fee doesn’t necessarily mean the contest is a scam. It does mean, however, that you need to be judicious about which contests to submit your work to.
Free writing contests are more accessible to all writers, and there’s nothing to lose from giving them a shot.
We’ve compiled a list of legitimate, high-quality writing contests that charge no entry fees.
Prose, a social network for readers and writers, offers weekly challenges meant to spark your creativity. This is a fun, low-stakes challenge, with a small cash prize to sweeten the deal.
Prize: Each week’s winner receives $100. Guidelines: Submit a short piece of writing (up to 500 words) related to the weekly prompt. Deadline: Weekly.
Press 53’s Prime Number Magazine hosts a monthly micro-fiction contest based on a theme.
All stories must be exactly 53 words long. There’s no cash prize, but this can be a fun and low-stakes contest to participate in if you’ve got some spare time and are looking for a writing prompt.
Prize: Publication, a free book from Press 53. Guidelines: Submit a 53-word story based on a monthly prompt. Open to writers around the world who write in English. Deadline: Monthly on the 15th of each month.
The Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction is an annual short story contest co-hosted by Comma Press and the University of Central Lancashire.
If you live in the UK and are interested in crime stories, this is a great contest to consider, with a £500 for the winner and publication for the runners-up.
Prize: £500 ($692) for first place, and publication for 10 shortlisted authors. Guidelines: Submit a short story (between 2,000 and 6,000 words). The theme for the 2022 Prize is "Crime Stories." Only residents of the UK age 18 or older are eligible. Deadline: October 29, 2021.
The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is an annual short fiction contest administered by the Commonwealth Foundation.
If you’re a short story writer and a citizen of a Commonwealth country, this contest is a fantastic option, with a generous £5,000 cash prize for the winner.
Prize: £5,000 ($6,922) for the overall winner and £2,500 ($3,461) for regional winners. Guidelines: Entrants must be citizens of a Commonwealth country and age 18 or over. Submit a short story (between 2,000 and 5,000 words). As well as English, stories are accepted in the Bengali, Chinese, French, Greek, Kiswahili, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Tamil, and Turkish languages. Translated entries from any language into English are also eligible. Deadline: November 1, 2021.
ServiceScape is a platform that matches freelance writers, editors, and graphic designers with clients. They offer a yearly Short Story Award with a $1,000 prize.
Prize: $1,000 for first place and publication on the ServiceScape blog. Guidelines: Accepts original, unpublished work (5,000 words or fewer) in any genre, fiction or non-fiction. Writers must be age 18 or older. Deadline: November 29, 2021.
The Roswell Award is an annual science fiction contest with a $500 prize, co-presented by Sci-Fest L.A. and the Light Bringer Project.
This is a great option if you like using your writing to unite the worlds of science and art.
Prize: $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third place. Guidelines: Submit a science fiction story. Open to writers around the world age 16 or older. 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. Deadline: December 21, 2021.
The Writers of the Future Contest is the most enduring and influential contest in the history of science fiction and fantasy.
The contest is held once every three months, with a generous $1,000 prize.
Prize: $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place, and $500 for third place. Guidelines: Submissions must be short stories or novelettes (up to 17,000 words) in the genre of science fiction or fantasy. Open to new and amateur writers around the world. Deadline: Quarterly on December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30.
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The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award is an annual contest, co-hosted by the National Space Society and Baen Books, for stories about manned space exploration.
If you’re interested in the role that science fiction plays in advancing real science, this is a great option that pays professional rates.
Prize: Professional paying rates (8 cents per word). The winner’s story will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website. The winner will also receive free entry into 2020 International Space Development Conference and a prize package with various Baen Books and National Space Society merchandise. Guidelines: Submit a short story (up to 8,000 words) that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. The judges want to see moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, artificial intelligence, nano-technology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, and/or adventure. Open to writers around the world who write in English. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was February 1, 2021).
Fountain Magazine holds an annual contest for essays related to the personal challenges you’ve faced in your life.
Challenges can span from moving across the country and starting at a new high school or getting out of bed in the morning while undergoing depression. There are generous cash prizes for the winners.
Prize: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place, $300 for third place, and $150 each for two honorable mentions. Guidelines: Submit a personal essay (between 1,500 and 2,500 words) on the annual theme. All writers worldwide are eligible. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was March 1, 2021).
Every year, The Alpine Fellowship awards writing, visual arts, and theater prizes related to an annual theme.
This is an extremely competitive fellowship, with global recognition for the winner and a whopping £10,000 first place prize.
Prize: £10,000 ($13,840) for first place, £3,000 ($4,150) for second place, and £2,000 ($2,770) for third place. Guidelines: Submit a piece of writing related to the annual theme (2021’s was "Untamed: On Wilderness and Civilization"). Entries must be unpublished and a maximum of 2,500 words. Poetry, prose, or non-academic essays welcome. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was April 1, 2021).
The Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest is a contest for humor poems. This is a really fun contest if you like wordplay and witticisms, and you might even win $2,000.
Prize: $2,000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $100 each to 10 honorable mentions. Guidelines: Writers of all ages can submit an original, humorous poem with 250 lines or less. The poem you submit should be in English. Inspired gibberish is also accepted. Deadline: April 1, 2022.
Parsec Ink holds an annual contest for science fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories from non-professional writers, with a small cash prize for the winners.
Prize: $200 for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place. Guidelines: Submit a short story (up to 3,500 words) based on the annual theme. The 2022 theme has not yet been announced. (The 2021 theme was "Still Waters, Deep Thoughts"). Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was April 15, 2021).
Bacopa Literary Review is an international journal published by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. They hold an annual contest that welcomes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.
Prize: $300 for first place and $100 for second place in each of four genres: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, and Prose Poetry. Guidelines: Submit a piece of writing in one of the four genres. You can find detailed guidelines for each genre on the website. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was May 31, 2021).
The Stony Brook Southampton Short Fiction Prize is a short story contest specifically for college students.
If you’re an undergraduate and want to try a writing contest, this is a fantastic option because you have a smaller set of competitors.
Prize: $1,000, a scholarship to the 2021 Southampton Writers’ Conference, and consideration for publication in TSR: The Southampton Review . Guidelines: Only full-time undergraduates in United States and Canadian universities and colleges are eligible. Submissions must be short fiction (7,500 words or less). Deadline: June 1, 2022.
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group holds an annual contest for short stories based on a theme.
There’s no cash prize, but all winning stories are published in their anthology, and you can receive royalties from sales.
Prize: Winning stories will be edited and published, and authors will receive royalties from the anthology. Guidelines: Submit a short story (between 5,000 and 6,000 words) related to the annual theme. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was September 1, 2021).
Hektoen International, an online journal dedicated to medical humanities, holds an annual contest for essays related to medicine, with a generous $5,000 cash prize.
Prize: $5,000 for the winner and $2,500 for the runner-up. Guidelines: Submit a short essay (up to 1,500 words) on any topic so long as it has a relation to medicine. The essay can include art, history, literature, education, and more. Writers must be age 18 or older. Deadline: TBD 2022 (the previous year’s deadline was September 15, 2021).
Owl Canyon Press holds an annual “ hackathon ” for 20-paragraph stories, with a $1,000 prize.
The contest provides the first and last paragraph and the short story writer crafts the rest.
Prize: $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place, and $500 for third place. Publication in a short story anthology for 24 finalists. Guidelines: Writers are invited to create and submit a short story consisting of 20 paragraphs. The contest provides the 1st and 20th paragraphs, and the short story writer crafts the rest. There is no entry fee for submissions received during the first month of the contest. Deadline: TBD 2022 (last year’s deadline was September 30, 2020).
The Transitions Abroad Writing Contest is an annual contest for essays related to your experience abroad. If you’ve ever lived and worked abroad, this is a great contest with a $500 cash prize.
Prize: $500 for first place, $150 for second place, $100 for third place, and $50 for all finalists. Guidelines: Submit a practical and inspiring essay or mini-guide (between 1,200 and 5,000 words) that provides in-depth descriptions of your experience moving, living, and working abroad (including any form of work such as teaching English, internships, volunteering, short-term jobs, etc.). The contest is open to writers from any location around the globe. Deadline: TBD 2022 (last year’s deadline was October 15, 2020).
Writing Battle is a quarterly contest where writers are assigned prompts and have 2 days to write 1000 words. You are guaranteed feedback from you writing peers, plus you can win some money
Prize: $5,000 split between the four winners and publication.
Guidelines: Accepts original, unpublished work that matches the prompts and genre assigned. Writers must be aged 18 or older.
Deadline: August 7, 2022
The Atlas Shrugged novel essay contest is open to all students globally. Atlas Shrugged is a heroic mystery novel written by Ayn Rand. Choose a prompt and write a 800-1,600 word essay in English. First prize: $10,000; 3 second prizes: $2,000; 5 third prizes: $1,000; 25 finalists: $100; 50 semi-finalists: $50.
Prize: First prize: $10,000, 3 second prizes: $2,000, 5 third prizes: $1,000, 25 finalists: $100, 50 semi-finalists: $50.
Guidelines: Choose a prompt and write an 800–1,600 word essay in English. All students globally can apply.
Deadline: Annually on November 6
Each of these contests has different requirements. What works for one probably will not work for another.
But what will increase your chance in every contest is good grammar and a solid structure. This is where ProWritingAid can help.
We may not be able to write your story for you, but we can help you submit your best work.
ProWritingAid’s 25 reports provide personalized, in-depth feedback on everything from grammar and spelling to pacing, word choice, passive voice, and more.
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There are many resources for writers that compile lists of writing contests. You should check these regularly, as different writing contests have different submission periods. Some of my favorite resources include:
With many writers’ sites, you can filter for free contests specifically, and you can also filter by the type of work you want to submit. I usually check these sites once a season (fall, winter, spring, summer) to compile a list of the contests I want to submit to. Do you have a favorite writing contest? Let us know in the comments. FREE WEBINAR: How to Improve Your Chances of Winning the Debut Dagger , Nov 11, 2pm ET / 7pm UKHave you been thinking about entering your story for the CWA Debut Dagger this year? The deadline isn’t until the end of February but we want to help you prepare. We’ve invited Dea Parkin, Secretary of the Crime Writers’ Association, and Leigh Russell, Chair of the Debut Dagger judges, to come and share their insider information. Learn what the judges are looking for and how to give your story the best shot at winning. Be confident about grammarCheck every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send. Hannah YangHannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates. Get started with ProWritingAidDrop us a line or let's stay in touch via: Sign Up For Paid Writing Opportunities32 free writing contests with cash prizes (up to $40,000). These are contests for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, cross-genre work, playwriting, and journalism, with prizes up to $40,000. They are, very loosely, divided geographically. A couple of the deadlines are in March. – S. Kalekar INTERNATIONAL SUBMISSIONS Tales to Terrify: Changing Seasons For their 2023 contest, they want horror fiction of up to 1,500 words on the Changing Seasons theme, for their podcast. “The story must have horror elements and relate to the theme of changing seasons. How you choose to interpret that theme is up to you, but it must be central to the story. Simply setting your tale during a change in seasons or having a tale take place across seasons is not adequate. It must play a crucial role in the development of the narrative.” Please read their note about shortlisted stories. Value: $50 Deadline: 1 April 2023 Open for: Unspecified Details here . The Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship for Writers These three-month fellowships are to afford writers uninterrupted time to focus on their work at an apartment in Carson McCuller’s childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. A spouse or companion is welcome. The application includes a writing sample of up to 20 pages. Value: $5,000 Open for: Unspecified Deadline: 1 April 2023 Details here (scroll down to Academic Opportunities and click on Fellowships). Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest This prize is for humor poetry. Submit a poem of up to 250 lines. Value: $2,000 and a subscription to Duotrope; second prize of $500; 10 prizes of $100 each Deadline: 1 April 2023 Open for: All poets Details here . The Mike Resnick Memorial Award This award is sponsored by Galaxy’s Edge magazine and Dragon Con. They want a science fiction story by a new writer (who has not been paid a per-word rate of 6 cents a word or more or received a payment for any single work of fiction totaling more than $50). Send stories up to 7,499 words. Apart from the cash prize, the first-prize winner will have their story bought by Galaxy’s Edge magazine at their current prevailing rates. Writers do not need to be members of Dragon Con. Value: $250, $100, $50 Deadline: 1 April 2023 Open for: New writers Details here (scroll down), here , and here . Green Stories Project: Superhero Competition They want a short story (2,000 words) on superheroes saving the planet; this contest is open to writers ages 14+. They want writers to “create an uplifting short story of superheroes that respond to climate change. Imagine your target audience to be teens and young adults that enjoy watching superhero films. Drawing on your own experiences of climate change, entries from adults that live /have lived in the following countries are especially welcome (but not essential): India, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Niger, Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, or Brazil.” They have detailed guidelines/suggestions on the theme. You can add your own illustrations, but this is not necessary; apart from a cash prize, one of the scenes from the winning story will be turned into a 1-page comic strip, made by a professional artist. Value: £500 Reading period: The submission link will open on their website on 1 st April, and the deadline is 15 April 2023. Open for: All writers (see above) Details here . The Sunlight Press: Flash Fiction Contest They want a piece of flash fiction, of 1,000 words or fewer. The contest will open on 3 rd April; it will close on 1 st May, or when they receive 175 entries. (Do not send submissions before the start of contest entry date.) Shortlisted entries which are published will receive their standard rate ($40 for fiction). Value: $750, $100 Submission period: 3 April-1 May 2023, or until filled Open for: All writers Details here Invisible City Blurred Genres Contest Invisible City is an online publication of the MFA in Writing Program at the University of San Francisco. For the contest, they want flash fiction/nonfiction, prose poetry, or a unique combination of the three, on the ‘Levity’ theme, of up to 750 words. (General magazine submissions are also open, and pay $20.) Value: $750, $350, $150 Deadline: 7 April 2023 Open for: All writers Details here . If There’s Anyone Left micro fiction contest This is a contest for marginalized writers only (people of color, the LGBTQ2S+ community, members of marginalized genders, and disabled and neurodiverse people). They want stories, of up to 500 words – science fiction or speculative fiction. Value: $250, $100, $50 Deadline: 15 April 2023 Open for: Marginalized writers Details here . (They will open in spring for non-contest submissions.) Brilliant Flash Fiction Writing Contest They want a piece of flash fiction of up to 400 words. There is no theme. Apart from the three prizes, they pay $20 for the shortlisted entries which are published. Value: $200, $100, $50 Deadline: 15 April 2023 Open for: All writers Details here . Bacopa Literary Review Writing Contest This is an international contest, and writers can submit to one category. Apart from prizes in fiction, creative nonfiction, and humor, they have three poetry prizes: formal poetry, free verse poetry, and visual poetry. Please see the guidelines for submission requirements in the category you wish to submit. Value: $200, $100 in each of the six categories Deadline: 16 April 2023 Details here and here . ALTA Travel Fellowship Each year, fellowships are awarded to emerging translators (someone who does not yet have a book-length work of translation published or under contract) to help them pay for hotel and travel expenses to the annual American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) conference. Part of the application requirement is up to 10 pages of translated work (poetry or prose – see guidelines). Also see the Jansen Fellowship for an emerging translator of color or a translator working from an underrepresented diaspora or stateless language. Also see ALTA’s other awards for published works. Value: $500-1,000 each Deadline: 17 April 2023 Open for: Unspecified Details here and here (scroll down). Casa Africa micro-story contest For this contest, they want micro-stories that are related to Africa in some way. Stories can be in Spanish, English, French or Portuguese, with a maximum length of 1500 characters (not words) including spaces and excluding the title. Value: €750, €375, €225 Deadline: 21 April 2023 Open for: All writers Details here . Whiting Foundation: Creative Nonfiction Grant Up to 10 grants will be awarded to writers of creative non-fiction books – projects must be under contract with a publisher in the US, UK, or Canada to be eligible. Contracts with self-publishing companies are not eligible. The subjects are history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, the sciences, philosophy, criticism, food or travel writing, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays, among other categories. It is intended for multiyear book projects requiring large amounts of deep and focused research, thinking, and writing, after significant work has been accomplished. The work should be intended for general, not academic, audiences. One of the application requirements is sample chapters, up to 25,000 words. Value: $40,000 each Deadline: 25 April 2023 Open for: Nonfiction books contracted with a publisher in the US, UK, or Canada Details here and here . Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation: Author of Tomorrow Award This international contest is designed to find the adventure writers of the future. Writers must enter a piece of short fiction. The work must fall within what can be defined as adventure writing (see guidelines). There are three categories: for writers ages 16-21, 12-15, and under 11. Value: £1,000 in the 16-21 group, £100 in the 12-15 group, £100 in the under-11 group Deadline: 30 April 2023 Open for: All writers ages 21 and under Details here . The Baen Fantasy Adventure Award They want stories in all fantasy genres. “It must be a work of fantasy, though all fantasy genres are open, e.g. epic fantasy, heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, contemporary fantasy, etc.” The winner gets $0.08/word for work up to 8,000 words. Second- and third-place winners get books. They would prefer for the winners to attend DragonCon at Atlanta, Georgia, in August 2023, but this is not required. Value: $0.08/word Deadline: 30 April 2023 Open for: All writers Details here . Terrain.org Editor’s Prize This magazine focuses on place, climate, and justice. They publish nonfiction, fiction, and poetry by all writers, and pay a minimum of $50. Also, “All accepted submissions by writers of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and/or other marginalized communities whose contributions explore place particularly in the context of social, environmental, or climate justice are considered for our annual Editor’s Prize of $500 per genre.” Value: $500 each for fiction, non-fiction, poetry Deadline: 30 April 2023 Open for: Underrepresented writers (see above) Details here Preservation Foundation Contest: Non-fictional Animal Stories This is an international contest for unpublished writers (see guidelines). Their upcoming deadline is for the non-fiction animal stories category: “Stories should be factual and true accounts of an encounter or encounters by the author with a wild animal or animals. These include, but are not limited to, birds, fish, butterflies, snails, lions, bears, turtles, wombats, etc., as long as it is not a pet.” Entries should be 1,000-5,000 words. They want all entries, regardless of whether or not they win, to be on their website as long as the Foundation exists (see guidelines). Also see contests in other genres, which will have deadlines later in the year. Value: $200, $100 Deadline: 30 April 2023 Open for: Unpublished writers Details here . New England Crime Bake: Al Blanchard Award This is a short story award. Their guidelines say it must be a crime story, of up to 5,000 words, by a New England author or have a New England setting if the author is not from New England (the New England states are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island). The story may include the following genres: mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror. (No torture/killing of children or animals.) Apart from the cash award, the winner also gets publication in Level Best Books’ Crime Fiction anthology, and admission to the Crime Bake Conference (though conference attendance is not a requirement). Value: $100 Deadline: 30 April 2023 Open for: All writers Details here . Waterston Desert Writing Prize This prize is for a proposed book of literary non-fiction that illustrates artistic excellence, sensitivity to place, and desert literacy – with the desert both as subject and setting. Writing samples about deserts and natural settings are more likely to be reviewed favorably. Apart from the cash award, there is also a residency at PLAYA at Summer Lake and a reading and reception at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. Value: $3,000, residency Deadline: 1 May 2023 Open for: All writers Details here and here . CINTAS Foundation: Fellowship in Creative Writing This is a creative writing fellowship for writers having Cuban citizenship or direct lineage (having a Cuban parent or grandparent). Applications can be in English or Spanish. Fellows who are not U.S. citizens and who are living abroad must provide a U.S. taxpayer identification number when they accept the fellowship to receive payment. The foundation also offers fellowships for other disciplines – architecture & design, music composition, photography, and visual arts (click the ‘Fellowships’ tab on the page). Value: $20,000 Deadline: 1 May 2023 Open for: Writers having Cuban citizenship or direct lineage Details here . Queer Sci Fi: Rise They want to see science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, or horror LGBTQIA stories of up to 300 words on the theme of Rise. They have detailed guidelines, please read them carefully. Value: $100, $75, $50 Deadline: 1 May 2023 Open for: All writers Details here . Parsec Ink Short Story Competition: Preserve or Purge They want short speculative fiction (up to 3,500 words) on the theme Preserve or Purge. There is also a Youth category, for those aged up to 19 years, or currently enrolled in high school. Value: $200, $100, $50; and $50 for the Youth category winner Deadline: 1 May 2023 Open for: Non-professional writers (see guidelines) Details here and here . A couple of contests with later deadlines: — ABA Journal / Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction: This is a fiction contest for US writers (see guidelines). The ABA Journal is the flagship magazine of the American Bar Association. Send a story of up to 5,000 words that illuminates the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society. The prize is $5,000, and the deadline is 15 May 2023. Details here . — The Fountain Essay Contest: How to focus in an era of distractions: They want an essay on the topic, ‘How to focus in an era of distractions’. See guidelines for details on the theme. Ideal length is 1,500-2,500 words. Also, “There is no age limit or a condition to fulfill for entry.” Read the FAQ carefully, any of the entries may be published, whether or not they win the prize. The prizes are $1,000, $500, $300, two prizes of $150 each. The deadline is 31 May 2023. Details here . — Drue Heinz Literature Prize : This is for previously published writers of short fiction (see guidelines), and the submission period is 1 May-30 June 2023. The prize is for a short story collection, or for two or more novellas, and the award is $15,000. Details here , here , and here . PRIZES FOR WRITERS IN US AND CANADA (Also see the CINTAS Foundation: Fellowship in Creative Writing for Cuban writers, Whiting Foundation: Creative Nonfiction Grant , and the New England Crime Bake: Al Blanchard Award , in the international section above.) Maya Angelou Book Award This award is for a work that has demonstrated a commitment to social justice. It is for books published in 2022, or scheduled to be published until November 2023. The award alternates between poetry and fiction, and for this cycle, books of poetry are eligible. Entrants must be available for a two-week reading tour at partnering educational institutions in Missouri. Entries have to be made by publishers. Value: $10,000 Deadline: 31 March 2023 Open for: US writers Details here . The Great American Think-Off This is an essay contest for US-based writers. This year the theme is, “Which is more important to protect: the environment or the economy ?” Their website says, “The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level. … People of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to submit an essay of no more than 750 words for a chance to win one of four $500 cash prizes and participate in the live debate to ultimately answer the question, determined by audience vote. … The debate is held each year on the second Saturday in June. Writers are encouraged to ground their essays in personal experience rather than philosophical abstraction. Each year, four writers will be selected as finalists and invited to debate the question on the second Saturday in June in New York Mills, MN. Costs for winners’ travel, food, and lodging will be covered by the Cultural Center.” Value: $500 for four writers, and other prizes – see above Deadline: 1 April 2023 Open for: US-based writers Details here and here . PEN America: US Writers Aid Initiative This is intended to assist fiction and non-fiction authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists. To be eligible, applicants must be based in the United States, be professional writers, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in helping them to address an emergency situation. Various deadlines are listed for 2023, and the next one is 1 st April. Other deadlines are in July and October. Writers do not have to be PEN members to apply. Value: Unspecified Deadline: 1 April 2023 Open for: US writers Details here . Poetry Foundation: Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships These are for US poets ages 21-31 years. One of the application requirements is a writing sample, up to 10 pages of poetry. Value: $27,000 Deadline: 14 April 2023 (please register on the online portal by 10 th April, and the deadline to apply for alternative formats is 3 rd April – see guidelines). Open for: US writers Details here . League of Canadian Poets: Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize This is a poetry prize for Canadian youth; there are two categories, the Junior (grades 7-9) and Senior (grades 10-12), with three prizes in each category. Writers can submit one poem, up to one page long. Homeschooled students are welcome to submit. Value: CAD400, CAD350, CAD300 Deadline: 30 April 2023 Open for: Canadian youth Details here . Fund for Investigative Journalism Grants They are open for regular grants, and for expedited grants, as well (see guidelines). These are for articles by US journalists that break new ground and expose wrongdoing – such as corruption, malfeasance, or abuse of power – in the public and private sectors. FIJ encourages proposals written for ethnic media as well as those submitted by journalists of color. Also, “To be considered, foreign-based story proposals must come from US-based reporters or have a strong US angle involving American citizens, government, or business; all stories must be published in English, in a media outlet in the United States.” (See FAQ ). Value: Up to $10,000 Deadline: 1 May 2023 Open for: US-based journalists and writers; and see guidelines for foreign-based proposals Details here . PRIZES FOR WRITERS IN UK AND IRELAND (Also see the Whiting Foundation: Creative Nonfiction Grant in the international section above.) The Orwell Society/NUJ Young Journalist’s Award This is an opportunity for young UK-based journalists/those studying journalism in the UK (your birth should be after 1993). Send “an arts review on a subject of your choice (e.g. book, film, play, art exhibition, etc) of no fewer than 600 and no more than 700 words. Your review should include a headline and an indication of the target audience/publication. OR a column on a political subject of your choice of no fewer than 600 and no more than 700 words. Your column should include a headline and an indication of the target audience/publication.” Also send “a reflection of no fewer than 250 and no more than 300 words, on how your review or column is informed by Orwell’s influence.” Value: £1,500 for winners, £500 for runners-up Deadline: 30 March 2023 Open for: Young UK-based journalists Details here . The Big Finish Comedy Playhouse Script Writing Competition They want “original and hilarious scripts which are suitable for a pilot episode of an audio production.” Scripts should be no more than 30 pages. Value: £500; £350 for 5 runners-up Deadline: 1 April 2023 Open for: UK writers Details here . Audio Drama North and BBC Writersroom: The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award This is an opportunity for writers based in the North of England who are new to writing for audio. The winner gets a bursary, and the chance of a Radio 4 Drama commission. “Submit an original and complete Drama or Comedy/Drama script written for radio, TV, stage or film at a minimum length of 30 pages (excluding title or character pages). Please be mindful that scripts will be assessed on their suitability for Audio Drama. Pure narrative comedy or sitcoms are not eligible.” Value: £5,000 + chance for a Radio 4 Drama Commission Deadline: 11 April 2023 Open for: Writers based in the North of England (see guidelines) Details here . Women’s Prize for Playwriting This is for a play by UK/Ireland based writers who identify as women and nonbinary, and are aged 16 or older. Plays have to be written for the stage (not for radio or screen), can be co-written, and can be in any genre except musicals (though plays with music are accepted). Value: £12,500 Deadline: 17 April 2023 Open for: UK/Ireland based women and nonbinary playwrights Details here , here , and here . Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here . We send you writing jobs.Sign up and we'll send you 3 companies hiring writers now. Plus, we'll send more companies as we find and review them. All in our free email magazine. We're the magazine for freelance writers.We send you companies hiring writers., subscribe and we'll send you 3 companies hiring right now., we'll also send you a guide that gets you started., we're completely free., subscribe now. (it's free.). We're dedicated to helping freelance writers succeed. We send you reviews of freelance writing companies, assignments, and articles to help build your writing career. 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Writing prizes and opportunitiesThere are many awards and development schemes available for authors at all stages of their careers. Below is a list of monetary awards, sponsored retreats, mentorships and training opportunities. If you're looking for help both in development or funding from organisations near you, find information about local support here. Take a look through the opportunities for new writers: - Opportunities from Penguin - From other organisations - For published writers - Writing retreats For new writersFrom Penguin WriteNow is run by Penguin Random House and aims to find, nurture and publish new writers from communities under-represented on the nation's bookshelves. It offers workshops and feedback, and includes the chance to join a year-long programme. #Merky New Writers' Prize#Merky Books is a home for underrepresented voices and provides a platform where their stories can be told, heard and uplifted. The winner of the New Writers’ Prize receives a publishing contract. All longlisted writers are invited to our Writers’ Camp, where they participate in writing workshops, panel talks, editorial one-to-ones, and meet the #Merky Books team. Penguin Michael Joseph Undiscovered Writers' PrizePenguin Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Books, is a leading publisher of commercial fiction and non-fiction. The aim of the Penguin Michael Joseph Undiscovered Writers' Prize is to find new authors from underrepresented backgrounds who we can bring to the widest possible readership. The winner will receive a publishing contract worth at least £10,000, and representation by the Janklow & Nesbit agency. All shortlisted writers will also receive one-to-one editorial feedback and guidance from an editor or agent. Harvill Secker Young Translators' PrizeThe Harvill Secker Young Translators’ Prize aims to recognise the achievements of young translators at the start of their careers and to encourage and support the next generation of literary translators. It focuses on a different language each prize year and is open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 34, with no more than one full-length translation published. Fern Academy PrizeThe Fern Academy Prize, in association with Tortoise Media, is designed to find and nurture emerging non-fiction talent and will be awarded to an essay of literary merit with an international and multicultural interest. The prize is open to unagented and unpublished writers from around the world, writing in the English language. From other organisations The Alpine Fellowship Writing PrizeAwarded for the best piece of writing on an annual theme. The winner of the Writing Prize receives a cash prize, and the runners-up receive travel expense support that must be used to attend their annual symposium which is hosted in a European country. All genres of writing are permitted, including fiction, non-fiction and non-academic essays. Open to unpublished writers only. Anthology Poetry CompetitionEstablished to recognise and encourage excellence in the craft of poetry writing and to provide a platform for publication, the Anthology Poetry Competition is open to original and previously unpublished poems in the English language. Anthology Short Story CompetitionEstablished to recognise 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. Aurora Prize For WritingThe Aurora Prize for Writing is a national competition run by Writing East Midlands, in partnership with the Society of Authors. It seeks outstanding new writing in short fiction and poetry. The Bracken PrizeThe Financial Times and McKinsey want to encourage young authors to tackle emerging business themes and ask entrants to submit a business book proposal. The prize aims to encourage a new generation of business writers and has already seen a number of shortlisted and longlisted proposals emerge as published books. The Bath Novel AwardsThe Bath Novel Award and The Bath Children’s Novel Award spotlight emerging writers, and are open to unpublished and independently published novelists worldwide. Blue Pencil Agency First Novel AwardThe First Novel Award is open to unrepresented and unpublished authors for a novel in any adult fiction genre. Breakthrough Writers' ProgrammeCurtis Brown Creative, supported by the Curtis Brown and C&W agencies, run a programme of creative writing courses, mentoring opportunities and scholarships for under-represented writers – with all opportunities fully funded for the writers taking part. Breakthrough scholarshipsCurtis Brown Creative, supported by the Curtis Brown and C&W agencies, regularly offer funded places on their courses to talented writers facing barriers to entry. Breakthrough Mentoring ProgrammeThis mentoring programme is for talented writers who fulfil the eligibility criteria and are seeking targeted, detailed one-to-one feedback on a work-in-progress, plus industry advice. You can apply to be mentored for a project at any writing stage. Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story PrizeEntries of original short fiction between 1000 and 5000 words can be entered into the Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize. The winner will receive £1,000 and 12 shortlisted writers will be included in an anthology. The Bridport PrizeThe Bridport Prize has a number of categories: novel, poetry, short story and flash fiction. All the awards are for work which has not previously been published, while the novel award is only open to writers who are not represented by a literary agent. The Bristol Short Story PrizeThis is an annual international writing competition open to all published and unpublished, UK and non-UK-based writers. The Caledonia Novel AwardAn Edinburgh-based, international writing competition for unpublished and self-published novelists in all genres for adults and YA. The Commonwealth Short Story PrizeThe prize is open to all Commonwealth citizens aged 18 and over entering a story of between 2,500 and 5,000 words. The regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives a total of £5,000. The winning stories are published online by Granta and in a special print collection by Paper + Ink. Creators of Justice Literary AwardsThe Creators of Justice Literary Awards is an annual, international contest featuring works which highlight the struggle for human rights and social justice across the world. Writers can submit one poem, essay, or short story on an annual theme. The Creative Future Writers’ AwardThe Creative Future Writers’ Award (CFWA) is a national writing development programme which celebrates talented, underrepresented writers who lack opportunities due to mental health issues, disability, health or social circumstance. Prizes include £20,000 of cash and top writing development prizes supplied by prominent publishers and development agencies. Criptic x Spread The WordCRIPtic Arts x Spread the Word collaboratively produce a range of activities including salons, a retreat and research for deaf and disabled writers. Their work together aims to offer a range of activities to support, develop and empower deaf and disabled writers. DiscoveriesThe Women’s Prize Trust, NatWest, Curtis Brown Literary Agency and Curtis Brown Creative Writing School have partnered to create Discoveries, a unique initiative searching for the most talented and original new female writing voices in the UK and Ireland. The winner will be offered representation by Curtis Brown Literary Agency and a cash prize of £5,000. Footnote x Counterpoints Writing PrizeFootnote Press and Counterpoints Arts have partnered to launch the Footnote x Counterpoints Writing Prize for writers from refugee and migrant backgrounds. The £15,000 award, which includes an advance of £5,000 and a publication agreement with Footnote Press, is for narrative non-fiction centred around themes of displacement, identity and/or resistance. Writers can be published or unpublished. Green Stories Writing CompetitionsGreen Stories writing competitions are a series of free writing competitions open to all across various formats to solicit stories that showcase what a sustainable society might look like. Grindstone Literary International Novel PrizeThe 2023 Novel Prize is open to authors from all countries, provided their submissions are in English. To be eligible to enter, authors must be unrepresented . Entrants are asked to submit the first 5,000 words of their manuscript. The London Library Emerging Writers ProgrammeGeared towards supporting writers at the start of their careers, the programme includes writing development masterclasses, literary networking opportunities, peer support and guidance in use of the Library’s resources. With its extensive open-access book collection, dedicated writing spaces and diverse community of established writers, the benefits of Library membership are very valuable. The London Writers’ AwardsThis is a development programme run by Spread the Word which aims to increase the number of writers from under-represented communities being taken up by agents and publishers. The awards support 30 London-based writers of colour and working class, LGBTQ+ and disabled writers each year, and bursaries are available for writers in need. There is also an Access Fund for disabled writers. Writers on the awards scheme take part in group feedback sessions on their work and also attend one-to-one professional development sessions. Mairtín Crawford AwardsThe Mairtín Crawford Awards are aimed at writers working towards their first full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel. Both published and unpublished writers are invited to submit between 3-5 poems for the poetry award, and a short story of up to 2,500 words for the short story award, with the only stipulation being that they have not yet published a full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel. The Malorie Blackman Scholarships for Unheard VoicesCity Lit’s Malorie Blackman Scholarships for Unheard Voices provide three annual awards worth up to £1000 each, to fund one year’s study within the Creative Writing department at City Lit. The Manchester Writing CompetitionThe Manchester Writing Competition for poetry and fiction, offers the UK’s biggest literary awards for unpublished work, with each category awarding £10,000. Mogford Prize for Food and Drink WritingThe Mogford Prize for Food and Drink Writing is an annual short story competition open to writers across the globe. The prize awards £10,000 to the best short story that has food and drink at its heart. Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of ColourJointly run by Morley College London and the Rachel Mills Literary Agency, the prize is awarded to unpublished aspiring authors of colour. There are two prizes – one for works of fiction and one for Life Writing and Creative Non-fiction. The Moth PrizesThe Moth Magazine runs an annual short story prize, nature writing prize and poetry prize open to anyone from anywhere in the world, as long as their writing is original and previously unpublished. The National Poetry CompetitionThe National Poetry Competition is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for an unpublished poem of up to 40 lines, open to anyone 18 or over. New Writers Poetry CompetitionOpen to poets from around the world, the winner receives £1,000, with a second prize of £300 and a third prize of £200. The Nine Dots PrizeThe Nine Dots Prize is a prize for creative thinking that tackles contemporary societal issues. Entrants are asked to respond to a question in 3,000 words, with the winner receiving $100,000 to write a short book expanding on their ideas. The aim of the Prize is to promote, encourage and engage innovative thinking to address problems facing the modern world. Its name references the nine dots puzzle – a lateral thinking puzzle which can only be solved by thinking outside the box. The Oxford Poetry PrizeThe winner of the Oxford Poetry Prize receives £1,000, the runner-up £200, and third place £100. The winning poets are also offered publication in Oxford Poetry. Poetry London PrizeThe Poetry London Prize is a major, internationally renowned award for a single outstanding poem. The first prize is £5,000. Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing PrizeRun by Wasifiri , the magazine of international literature, in conjunction with Queen Mary University, this prize supports new writers. Rhys Davies Short Story CompetitionThe Rhys Davies Short Story Competition is a distinguished national writing competition for writers born or living in Wales. The first prize is £1,000 and publication in a short story anthology to be published by Parthian Books. The Royal Society of Literature V. S. Pritchett Short Story PrizeThe annual prize of £1,000 goes to the best unpublished short story of the year. The winning entry is also published in Prospect magazine and the RSL Review. Scottish Book Trust New Writers AwardsThe New Writers Awards is an annual awards programme supporting individuals committed to developing their writing. The award includes a cash award, a week-long retreat, training and mentoring. Scottish Book Trust Next Chapter AwardThe Next Chapter Award is an annual award supporting an emerging writer over the age of 40. The Award includes a cash reward, 2-week writing retreat, training and mentoring. The Society of Authors' AwardsThe Society of Authors runs annual awards, which are open to writers at all stages of their careers. Among them is The ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award for a short story (applicants need to have had at least one short story accepted for publication); and The McKitterick Prize, which is given annually to an author over the age of 40 for a first novel, published or unpublished. Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story CompetitionThe competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast short stories in the English language of 3,000 words or fewer. The first prize is €2,000 and a one-week residency at Anam Cara Retreat. Searchlight AwardsSearchlight Writing for Children Awards is an international competition for aspiring authors writing for children or young adults. Categories are 'Best Children’s Picture Book Text' and 'Best Novel Opening for Children or Young Adults'. The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction CompetitionChicken House are looking for original ideas, a fresh voice, and a diverse range of entries and stories that children will love! They'd particularly like to encourage entry from writers from underrepresented backgrounds. The first prize is a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £10,000, plus an offer of representation from an agent. The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing PrizeThe Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize is an international prize that supports and celebrates the best adventure writing today. The Prize is open to writers of any nationality, writing in English. Awards are presented in three categories: Best Published Novel, New Voices and Author of Tomorrow. W&A Working-Class Writers' PrizeWriters & Artists run the W&A Working-Class Writers' Prize – a celebration of stories as a mode of communication, and a reminder of how vital it is that everyone can share their ideas and experiences via the written word. The prize includes a cash prize and mentoring sessions with an acclaimed author. The Writers AwardRun by The Deborah Rogers Found - set up in memory of a late literary agent - The Writers Award gives £10,000 to an unpublished writer to enable them to complete a first book. It is run biannually. For published writersThese awards are for published writers only, and in order to be considered books must be nominated by their publisher or agent - authors cannot usually enter themselves (with the exception of the fellowships). However, as a writer looking to get published, it's always worth taking stock of the titles being longlisted and shortlisted for some of the top literary awards to give you a sense of which types of books are receiving critical acclaim. We've included prizes for fiction and non-fiction titles here. Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-FictionThe Baillie Gifford Prize rewards excellence in non-fiction writing across current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. BBC National Short Story AwardAn annual prize, entrants must have a prior record of publishing creative work in the UK. Stories up to 8,000 words are accepted and may be submitted by the author or by their agent. Shortlisted stories are awarded a prize of £600. The Booker PrizeThe leading literary award in the English-speaking world, which has brought recognition, reward and readership to outstanding fiction for over 50 years. Awarded annually to the best novel of the year written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. Although you have to be nominated by your publisher, many debut novels have been longlisted and shortlisted in the past. The Desmond Elliot PrizeThe Desmond Elliott Prize encourages publishers from across the UK and Ireland to submit literary fiction debuts for consideration, awarding one winning author £10,000 to shape their developing career. Forward Prizes for PoetryThe Forward Prizes for Poetry honour excellence in contemporary poetry published in UK and Ireland. FT & McKinsey Business Book of the YearThis prestigious £30,000 prize goes to the book that is judged to have provided the most compelling and enjoyable insight into modern business issues, with £10,000 awarded to each runner-up. Nero Book AwardsCelebrating outstanding writing by great authors living in the UK and Ireland, these awards list the best books of the year for their quality of writing and readability. There are four categories: Children’s Fiction, Debut Fiction, Fiction and Non-Fiction. An overall winner, given the Nero Gold Prize for the “Book of the Year”, is also be named. Swansea University Dylan Thomas PrizeAwarded for the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under, the prize celebrates the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories, and drama. The winner receives a prize of £30,000. The Royal Society of Literature Christopher Bland PrizeThe RSL Christopher Bland Prize is an annual award of £10,000 to a debut novelist or non-fiction writer first published aged 50 or over. The Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje PrizeThe annual award of £10,000 for a distinguished work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry, evoking the spirit of a place. Scottish Book Trust Ignite FellowshipThe Ignite Fellowship supports established writers who are embarking on or working through a significant project. You can apply whether the project is in its very earliest stages or already a work in progress. Women's Prize for FictionThe Women's Prize for Fiction is the UK's most prestigious annual book award celebrating and honouring fiction written by women. Writing retreatsArvon runs an annual programme of creative writing courses and retreats for schools, groups and individuals. Their courses, tutored by leading authors, are held at three rural centres and include a mix of workshops and individual tutorials, with time and space to write, free from distractions of everyday life. Arvon courses are in a range of genres and they have different styles of courses. Grants are available to help with course fees. The Garsdale RetreatThe Garsdale Retreat is a creative writing centre in the Yorkshire Dales. It provides inspirational courses tutored by professional writers, enabling participants to develop their individual creativity in a place of peace and tranquillity, away from the distractions and stresses of everyday life. Gladstone's LibraryGladstone's Library is a residential library and meeting place which is dedicated to dialogue, debate and learning for open-minded individuals and groups, who are looking to explore pressing questions and to pursue study and research. They offer a programme of courses and events that keep them connected with a wide range of writers and thinkers. Moniack Mhor Creative Writing CentreMoniack Mhor is Scotland’s National Writing Centre. Based in the Scottish Highlands, they run courses in a range of genres tutored by some of the finest authors in the UK and beyond. They also sponsor awards, bursaries, and professional residencies to develop works in progress and a programme for young writers. The River MillThis former flour mill in South Down, Northern Ireland is now a boutique reading and writing retreat. They offer individual residencies and workshops. Tŷ Newydd Writing CentreTŷ Newydd is the National Writing Centre of Wales, run by Literature Wales specialising in residential creative writing courses. Urban Writers RetreatProviding residential retreats in Devon and one-day courses in London, they offer guidance and space away from everyday life. We will keep this page updated with new opportunities as and when they become available. If you want to let us know about a new opportunity, please email us: [email protected] Sign up to the Penguin NewsletterBy signing up, I confirm that I'm over 16. To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy Your Ultimate Guide to Writing Contests Through 2024Regardless where you are on your writing journey, you can benefit from entering contests. The right contest can tell you:
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.
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.”
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/ Faith-Based Words and PhrasesWhat You and I Can Learn From Patricia RaybonA Guest Blog from Stephen King—Yes, that Stephen KingBefore you go, be sure to grab my FREE guide: How to Write a Book: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Steps Just tell me where to send it: Enter your email to instantly access my ultimate 12-step guide to writing a novel.16 Recurring Writing Contests — No entry feesErica Verrillo The Writing Cooperative W inning a writing contest is a huge boost to the ego. Nothing makes a writer feel more confident than having a group of judges (who are also writers) find your work to be worthy of a prize. But contests can serve another purpose. They are one of the best ways to get us off our duffs and locked to a keyboard, especially flash fiction contests. Unlike journalists, fiction writers compose in a vacuum. There we are, alone in a room, typing away for nobody but ourselves. Sometimes, it’s hard to get up and running. My advice is to use contests as a writing prompt! These contests are recurring, so you will have plenty of opportunity to fail before you succeed. (Each failure is a step toward success.) None of them charge entry fees. Recurring Contests Reader’s Digest 100-Word-Story Competition wants true story about you, in 100 words. Prize : $100. Hennessy New Irish Writing . Restrictions : Open to writers who are Irish or resident in Ireland. Prize : The winner of each category will receive a Hennessy trophy and €1,500. Winners drawn from published stories in The Irish Times on the last Saturday of each month. The Worldwide Flash Fiction Competition . Entries must be 500 words max. Prize : First prize is £100.00 ($122.50) paid through Paypal. Getting Sexy with Food . Entries must be 500 words or less. No profanity, vulgarity, or actual sex. Prize : $50. Enter from the 1st to the 20th of each month. Zero Flash . Flash fiction contest, 300 words max. Enter from the 1st to the last day of every month. Prize : £10. Write the World Competitions . Restrictions : Young writers ages 13–18. Genre : Essay. Prize : Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50. Writing District . Genre : short stories up to 3,000 words. Open theme. Prize : $50. Apparition . Genre : Flash fiction. Prize : $5. 53 Word Story Contest . Genre : Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize : Publication and a free book. Deadline for entry is the 21st day of each month. Stories sent after the 21st will not be considered. The Writing Quarter Competition . Genre : Short stories of up to 3,000 words (open theme). Prize : $30. Furious Fiction . Genre : Flash fiction. Prize : $500AUD. “On the first Friday of every month, a new set of story prompts will be revealed. You will have 55 hours to submit your best 500-word (or fewer) story.” Life of Writers holds a weekly contest. In order to enter, writers must register. (It’s free.) Writers must also agree to reply to comments. Prize : (Nominal ?) Poetry Nook offers a free weekly contest. Prize : $100, with $10 for honorable mentions. You must register to enter, but registration is free. (Thanks to John Reinhart for this tip.) Ad Hoc Fiction is a weekly free flash fiction contest. Prize : Winning will give you free entry into the Bath Flash, a contest with a top award of 1,000 pounds. Microcosms is a weekly, microfiction contest, the primary goals of which are to inspire creativity, get writers in the habit of writing, and entertain readers! Prize : They aren’t sure yet! Camera Obscura awards a $1000 prize to the writer of a story selected for publication in each issue as determined by the editors. There is no fee for this award. All stories are eligible. Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity . Written by Erica VerrilloHelping writers get published and bolstering their flagging spirits at http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/ Text to speech 🎉 Our next novel writing master class starts in – ! Claim your spot → WEEKLY WRITING PROMPTSJoin (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts. Showing 2229 promptsReap what you sow, center your story around a character’s attempt to escape a bad situation that inadvertently leads them back to the source of their problems.. LIVE – Short Story Start a story with someone receiving a message from their past self, warning them of the consequences of their actions.A character’s life of deceit unravels as their past catches up with their present. what are the consequences, write a story about someone seeking forgiveness for their past actions., your character gets everything they ever wanted — only to realize the true cost.. Introducing Prompted , a new magazine written by you!🏆 Featuring 12 prize-winning stories from our community. Download it now for FREE . Your character wants something very badly — will they get it?Write a story set against the backdrop of a storm., there’s been an accident — what happens next, your character overhears something that changes their path., write a story with two characters who meet for the first time — and one of them has a secret., subscribe to our prompts newsletter. Never miss a prompt! Get curated writing inspiration delivered to your inbox each week. Write about someone who summons the creative muse through a convoluted ritual or method.Your protagonist has the perfect day scheduled — but things don’t go according to plan., write from the pov of a character in a story who keeps getting re-written by their second-guessing author., your protagonist discovers that everything they type comes true. what happens next, start your story with someone who wants to give up on their career right before their big break., follow a group of strangers touring a city on some kind of vehicle — a bus, a duck tour boat, a party bike… anything that transports passengers, write about someone who’s traveling away from their hometown for the first time., write about someone’s journey to retrieve an important object that’s been out of their possession for a long time., set your story in an airport where all flights have been canceled and all the passengers and crew members are stranded., write about someone who’s traveling to a place they’ve never been to meet someone they’ve never met., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆. We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250! Contest #268 LIVEEnter our weekly contest. This week's theme: Reap What You Sow Prize moneyContest entries, closes at 23:59 - sep 20, 2024 est, recent contests ✍️. #267 – Overcoming Obstacles with Writers Ink #266 – The Write Stuff #265 – Bon Voyage with Aja Pollock #264 – Save the Date Recent winners 🏆Derrick M Domican – read Victor David – read Lonnie Russo – read Eliza Entwistle – read Leaderboard 🥇#1 Zilla Babbitt 32412 points #2 Deidra Whitt Lovegren 28772 points #3 Abigail Airuedomwinya 22433 points #4 Graham Kinross 14741 points #5 Scout Tahoe 13200 points #6 Chris Campbell 11782 points #7 Thom With An H 10711 points #8 Rayhan Hidayat 10221 points #9 Michał Przywara 9972 points #10 Story Time 9769 points Bring your short stories to lifeFuse character, story, and conflict with tools in Reedsy Studio. 100% free. Creative Writing PromptsWhen the idea to start a weekly newsletter with writing inspiration first came to us, we decided that we wanted to do more than provide people with topics to write about. We wanted to try and help authors form a regular writing habit and also give them a place to proudly display their work. So we started the weekly Creative Writing Prompts newsletter. Since then, Prompts has grown to a community of more than 450,000 authors, complete with its own literary magazine, Prompted . Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted on our Reedsy Prompts page. Interested in participating in our short story contest? Sign up here for more information! Or you can check out our full Terms of Use and our FAQ page . Why we love creative writing promptsIf you've ever sat in front of a computer or notebook and felt the urge to start creating worlds, characters, and storylines — all the while finding yourself unable to do so — then you've met the author's age-old foe: writer's block. There's nothing more frustrating than finding the time but not the words to be creative. Enter our directory! If you're ready to kick writer's block to the curb and finally get started on your short story or novel, these unique story ideas might just be your ticket. This list of 1800+ creative writing prompts has been created by the Reedsy team to help you develop a rock-solid writing routine. As all aspiring authors know, this is the #1 challenge — and solution! — for reaching your literary goals. Feel free to filter through different genres, which include... Dramatic — If you want to make people laugh and cry within the same story, this might be your genre. Funny — Whether satire or slapstick, this is an opportunity to write with your funny bone. Romance — One of the most popular commercial genres out there. Check out these story ideas out if you love writing about love. Fantasy — The beauty of this genre is that the possibilities are as endless as your imagination. Dystopian – Explore the shadowy side of human nature and contemporary technology in dark speculative fiction. Mystery — From whodunnits to cozy mysteries, it's time to bring out your inner detective. Thriller and Suspense — There's nothing like a page-turner that elicits a gasp of surprise at the end. High School — Encourage teens to let their imaginations run free. Want to submit your own story ideas to help inspire fellow writers? Send them to us here. After you find the perfect story ideaFinding inspiration is just one piece of the puzzle. Next, you need to refine your craft skills — and then display them to the world. We've worked hard to create resources that help you do just that! Check them out:
Beyond creative writing prompts: how to build a writing routineWhile writing prompts are a great tactic to spark your creative sessions, a writer generally needs a couple more tools in their toolbelt when it comes to developing a rock-solid writing routine . To that end, here are a few more additional tips for incorporating your craft into your everyday life.
Arm yourself against writer’s block. Writer’s block will inevitably come, no matter how much story ideas initially inspire you. So it’s best to be prepared with tips and tricks you can use to keep yourself on track before the block hits. You can find 20 solid tips here — including how to establish a relationship with your inner critic and apps that can help you defeat procrastination or lack of motivation. NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉 How to Write a Novel Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months . Learn more → Explore more writing prompt ideas:Adults Writing Prompts ⭢ Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢ Angst Writing Prompts ⭢ Character Writing Prompts ⭢ Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢ Dark Writing Prompts ⭢ Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢ Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢ Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢ Fall Writing Prompts ⭢ Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢ Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢ Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢ Funny Writing Prompts ⭢ Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢ High School Writing Prompts ⭢ Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢ Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢ Horror Writing Prompts ⭢ Kids Writing Prompts ⭢ Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢ Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢ Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢ Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢ Novel Writing Prompts ⭢ Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢ Romance Writing Prompts ⭢ Sad Writing Prompts ⭢ Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢ Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢ Spring Writing Prompts ⭢ Summer Writing Prompts ⭢ Teens Writing Prompts ⭢ Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢ Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢ Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢ Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢ Winter Writing Prompts ⭢ Oops, you need an account for that! Log in with your social account: Or enter your email:
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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 2024February 2024.
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 20241. 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 CompetitionThe 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 PrizeAsheville 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 CompetitionThis 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 2024This 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 20246. 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 20248. 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 20249. 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 AwardRed 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 AwardThe 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 AwardThe 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 ContestThis 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 202414. 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 PrizeThe 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 ContestThis 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 20241. 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 AwardSoundings 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 AwardsThis 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 AwardsThese 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 PoetsHeroica 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 20246. 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 ContestThe 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 ContestThis 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 AwardIn 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 202411. 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 PrizeThis 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 PoetryThis 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 FictionThe 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 202418. 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 2023–24This 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 CompetitionThis 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 contests1. 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 2024The 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 2024The 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 PrizeThis 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 2024The 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 2024In 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 PrizeThe 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 PrizeThis 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 2024This 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 2024Indignor 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 ContestThis 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 2024Peters 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 PrizeAirlie 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 NovelistsGutsy 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 PrizeThis 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 PrizeThis 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 AwardsThis 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 contests19. 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 ChallengeOne 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 PrizeThe 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 PrizeThis 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 2024This 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 2024The 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 2024The 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 PrizeOne 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 FictionThis 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 ContestThis 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 2024This 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 CompetitionOrganized 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 AnthologyThis 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 PrizeNorth 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 202412. 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 PrizeThis 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 ContestThis 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 AwardsAll 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 AwardThis 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 ContestsThis 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 ContestAtlanta 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 PrizeOne 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 PrizeThis 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 PrizeThis 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 PrizeSouthern 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 20248. 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 CompetitionThis 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 ContestOne 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 NonfictionMichigan 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 PrizeThis 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 PoetryThis 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 PrizeThis 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 NovellasRegent 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 2024This 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 ContestThis 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 2024This 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 2024This 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 2024June 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 20241. 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 PrizeThis 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 YearAllowing 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 prizeJudged 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 20247. 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 2200Organized 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 PrizeOpen 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 ContestAccepting 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 CompetitionThis 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 202412. 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 contestAn 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 prizeTo 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 2024Open 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 202416. 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 PrizeThis 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 AwardThis 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 literatureFounded 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 PrizeTo 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 PrizeOrganized 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 PrizeOpen 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 202423. 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 PrizeThis 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 contestInterested 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 ContestThis 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 LiteratureOrganized 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-FictionThis 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 contestWriters 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 2024July 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 PrizeIn 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 2024A 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 PrizeInterested 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 prizeWelcoming 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 PrizeTo 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 ContestJudged 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 PrizeJudged 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 2024Judged 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 ContestThis 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 AwardTo 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 competitionFree 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 FictionOrganized 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 2024Funded 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 ContestThis 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 CompetitionThis 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 CompetitionOpen 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 2024This 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 PrizeThis 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 AwardThis 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 AwardRewarding “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 AwardInterested 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 PrizeTo 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 PrizeEvery 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 PrizeOpen 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 PrizeThis 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 AwardsSimultaneous 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 ContestThis 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 2024Ready 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 PrizeOpen 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 ContestAccepting 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 PrizeJudged 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 PrizeJudged 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 PrizeOpen 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 PrizeOpen 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 ContestThis 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 CompetitionWriters 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 AwardInviting 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 PrizeThis 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 AwardAccepting 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 ContestHosted 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 202415. 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 PrizeThis 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 AwardThis 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 ContestAccepting 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 ContestIn 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 AwardTo 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 ToldThis 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 PrizeThis 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 PrizeTo 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 CompetitionOrganized 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 2024This 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. Frontier Poetry AwardJudged by Nancy Miller Gomez, this contest rewards an unpublished poetry chapbook or manuscript. The winning entry will be published and the author will receive 50 book copies. Prize: $2000 Closing date: 1 September 2024 2. Banyan Review Poetry PrizeSeeking poetry submissions on any topic, this contest awards a single, well-crafted poem. Interested poets can submit 5 unpublished poems in a single file (docx). Closing date: 2 September 2024 3. New Women’s Voices Chapbook competitionWomen who have not yet published a full-length collection are eligible to participate in this contest. To enter, they must submit a poetry chapbook along with a bio, title page, and acknowledgements. Closing date: 15 September 2024 4. Brittingham and Felix Pollak PrizesTo participate, interested poets can submit their original poetry manuscript in PDF format. The winning entry and 4 additional entries will be chosen for publication by the University of Wisconsin Press. Word count: 50-90 pages Closing date: 15th September 2024 5. Troubadour International Poetry Prize 2024Open to writers worldwide, this contest welcomes poetry submissions on any theme. Accepting multiple submissions, this contest will be judged by Jane Yeh and Glyn Maxwell. Word count: 45 lines max Prize: £2,000, £1,000, £500 Entry fee: £6 / €7 / $8 per poem Closing date: 23 September 2024 6. Miller Williams Poetry PrizeCurrently 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 7. X.J. Kennedy Poetry PrizeEvery year, this contest rewards a full-length poetry collection. The winner gets a fellowship at Vermont Studio Center, a royalty contract and 10 published book copies. Wordcount: 50-100 pages Entry fee: $28 8. One Page Poetry ContestThis contest welcomes entries of single-page poems in any genre and form. The first 100 entries will be published in an anthology by One Page Poetry. Prize: $2,000, $1,000, $500. Entry fee: $25 per poem Closing date: 30 September 2024 9. 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 10. Lorian Hemingway Short Story ContestOpen to writers worldwide, this contest awards the best, original, unpublished fiction stories. Interested participants can submit stories in any theme or style. Multiple submissions are allowed. Word count: 3500 words or less Prize: $1500, $500 each (2 prizes) 11. The Fiddlehead Fiction ContestJudged by Zilla Jones, this contest is seeking submissions of original, unpublished short stories. The winning entries will be published in The Fiddlehead magazine. Wordcount: 6000 words or less Prize: $2000 Entry fee: $35 (first entry), $10 (each additional entry) Closing date: 3 September 2024 12. SIWC Writing ContestOrganized 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) 13. Ink of Ages Fiction Prize (Free writing contest!)Open to all writers who are 13 years old and above, this contest seeks historical and mythological story submissions. The story must “be set 50 years ago”. Wordcount: 1500-2000 (18+ entrants), 800-1000 (13-17 years old) 14. Solas AwardsAccepting submissions of the best travel stories, this contest is open to US and Columbia’s writers above 18 years of age. The stories submitted must be true accounts of any events you’ve experienced. Word count: 750 words max Prize: $1000, $750, $500 Entry fee: $35 Closing date: 21 September 2024 15. Mslexia Women’s Short Story CompetitionJudged 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 16. Bardsy Short Story ContestThis contest recognizes the most well-written, unpublished short story. All entrants receive in-depth feedback for their submission, allowing them to make revisions before the judges final review. Wordcount: 1500-2000 words 17. Anthology Flash Fiction AwardThis 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 18. Writers College Short Story ContestWriters whose works are unpublished or whose writings are published less than 4 times are eligible to participate. Open to writers worldwide, only one entry per author is allowed. Theme: It didn’t have to be this way Wordcount: 1400-2000 words 19. 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 20. Ayn Rand Essay ContestsInternational contests related to two Ayn Rand books ( The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged ) are open. To participate, interested students must select an Ayn Rand book to receive an essay topic about the chosen book. Prize: $25000 (The Fountainhead essay contest), $2500 (Atlas Shrugged essay contest) Closing date: 13 September 2024 (The Fountainhead essay contest), 20 September 2024 (Atlas Shrugged essay contest) 21. Boulevard Nonfiction ContestCurrently seeking entries of unpublished essays, this contest accepts simultaneous submissions. The winning entry will be published in the Boulevard magazine. Wordcount: 8,000 words max 22. First Book AwardTo 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. 23. Lightscatter Press PrizeJudged by John Murillo, this contest rewards the best full-length poetry manuscript. Writers can submit entries on any genre and theme. Wordcount: 48-64 pages Closing date: 17 September 2024 24. Surrealist Art PrizeOrganized by the museum dAda mUse in Launceston, Tasmania, this contest is open to Australian poets. The submitted entries must be unpublished and should center around the theme surrealism. Prize: $1500, $750 Entry fee: $22 Closing date: 20 September 2024 25. George Garrett PrizeOpen to all writers above 18 years of age, this contest accepts manuscripts of novels and short story collections. The winner will receive a standard royalty contract and 10 published book copies. Wordcount: 40,000-100,000 Prize: $2,000, $1,000 (runner-up) 26. Iowa and John Simmons Short Fiction Awards (Free writing contest!)These awards are annually given to the two best short story collections. The winning entry is published by the University of Iowa Press. Wordcount: 150 pages or more 27. Hunger Mountain Literary PrizesThis contest features 3 categories: short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. The winning entries will be published in the Hunger Mountain. Wordcount: up to 3 poems (poetry), less than 6000 words (short story or creative nonfiction) Prize: $500 (per category) Entry fee: $20 (per category) 28. Dogwood Literary AwardsEvery 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 29. Aesthetica Creative Writing AwardInviting 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 30. Fractured Lit 2024 Elsewhere PrizeJudged by Tara Campbell, this contest invites micro, flash, and sudden fiction submissions. Seeking submissions revolving around “the forgotten, the hidden, the otherworldly”, the winning entries will be published. Word count: 100-1500 words Prize: $3000, $300, $200 31. Lazuli Literary Group Writing ContestThis contest accepts entries of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays, philosophical works, stageplays, fragments, etc. The winning entry will be published online in Azure: A Journal of Literary Thought . Word count: 150 pages max Closing date: 24 September 2024 32. Dreamquest Poetry and Writing ContestOpen 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) 33. The Paul Cave PrizeThis 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) 34. Break Out! Writers PrizeSeeking poetry and prose submissions, this contest is open to students who have enrolled in an accredited university. The winning entries will be published in the Summer Issue of Epiphany . 35. Hackney Literary AwardsThis writing contest rewards original works of poetry, short stories, and unpublished novels. Open to Alabama’s writers, interested participants can upload their entry in PDF, doc, or docx formats. Prize: $2500 (poetry and short fiction), $5000 (unpublished novel) Entry fee: $15 (poetry), $20 (short story), $30 (novel) 36. Philip Levine PrizeAccepting writing contests from writers worldwide, this contest awards the best unpublished full-length poetry manuscript. The winning entry is published by Black Lawrence Press. Wordcount: 48-80 pages 37. The Moth Nature Writing PrizeOpen to writers above 16 years of age, this contest annually awards poetry and prose submissions. Judged by Can Flyn, the winner also gets a week’s staycation at the Circle of Misse in France. Prize: €1,000, €500, €250 Entry fee: €15 38. Anthology Nature Writing CompetitionAccepting submissions of unpublished, original short stories and essays, this contest allows multiple entries. The winning entry will be published in the Anthology magazine. Theme: Nature Prize: €500 39. Montana Prize for HumorJudged by Molly McNearney, this contest accepts fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submissions. The winning entries will secure publication in the Whitefish Review . 40. Lascaux Prize in Creative NonfictionInterested participants can submit memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism, or short stories of any genre. The winner will receive a bronze medal and the winning entry will be published in The Lascaux Review . Wordcount: 10,000 words or less 41. Juniper PrizesThis contest annually awards a short story collection and novel. The winning entry is published by the University of Massachusetts Press. 42. PEN/Faulkner AwardThis contest accepts submissions of short story collections, novellas, and novels published between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2024. Open to U.S. citizens, submitted entries must be traditionally published by “commercial, university, or independent presses in the U.S”. Prize: $15000, $5000 each (finalists) Entry fee: $95 43. Willie Morris awardsThis contest invites submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry works exploring the perspectives of the American South. The winner gets a paid trip to Oxford, Mississippi, where they can read their work at an Oxford conference for the book. Prize: $12,000 (fiction and nonfiction), $3,000 (poetry) October 2024October brings a flood of amazing writing opportunities! We’ve handpicked diverse writing contests for essays, poetry, books, short stories, and more. Check back often: we’ll be adding new contests regularly! 1. Litmag’s Emily Dickinson AwardTo 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 2. Vivian Shipley Poetry AwardOpen to poets of all nationalities, writers can submit unpublished poems in a single document. There should only be one poem per page. Prize: $1,000, $100, $50 3. Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry ContestWhile the Tom Howard Prize is given to unpublished poems of any genre/form, the Margaret Reid Prize is given to poems that rhyme or have a traditional style. The 12 best entries will be published online. Wordcount: 250 lines Prize: $3500, $3500 Closing date: 2 October 2024 4. Peter Porter PrizeThis 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. Steve Kowit Poetry PrizeTo participate, poets need to submit a single, unpublished poem which is not submitted to other publications. The winning entry will be published in the San Diego Poetry Annual . Prize: $1000, $250, $100 Closing date: 15 October 2024 6. Gerald Cable Book AwardSponsored by Silverfield Book Press, this contest rewards an original book-length poetry manuscript. Judged by Rodger Moody, the winning entry secures publication and 25 book copies. Wordcount: 48 pages or more 7. Jake Adam York PrizeAccepting submissions of full-length poetry collections, this contest is open to writers residing in the US or are US citizens. The winning entries will be published by Milkweed Editions. Closing date: 19 October 2024 8. Supernatural Fiction AwardThis contest invites submissions of stories on magical realism, paranormal, and supernatural themes. The winning entries will be published in the anthology 21st Century Ghost Stories – Volume III . Word count: 1500-10,000 9. All-Story Short Fiction CompetitionTo participate, writers can submit their unpublished short stories in Word or PDF format. Open to writers from all over the world, the entries will be judged by C Pam Zhang. Prize: $1000, $500, $250 Entry fee: $30 per story 10. A Story InitiativeInviting story submissions related to money and personal finance, this contest is open to U.S. residents who are 18 years and older. The winning and finalists’ entries will be distributed in 300+ outlets worldwide. Prize: $1000, $150 each (finalists) 11. Galley Beggar Short Story PrizeJudged by Claire Armistead, Mathilde Merouani, and Clare Pollard, this contest is open to writers of all nationalities. The stories must be unpublished and written in English. Word count: 6000 words or less Prize: £2500 Entry fee: £11 per story Closing date: 13 October 2024 12. Personal Essay AwardsWriter’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 (final deadline) Book writing contests 202413. spokane prize 2024 . This contest encourages submissions of unpublished fiction manuscripts containing short stories. The winning manuscript is published by Willow Spring Books. Word count: 98 pages or more, minimum 3 stories 14. Permafrost Book PrizeOrganized by Permafrost magazine, this contest will award the best manuscript in fiction this year. The winning entry will be published by the University of Alaska Press. Word count: 45,000-90,000 words 15. Honickman First Book PrizeJudged by Nicole Sealey, this contest is open to poets who have not yet published a book-length collection of poems. The winning book will be distributed by Copper Canyon Press. Word count: 48 pages or more 16. Alice James AwardOpen to US residents, this contest invites submissions of unpublished, full-length poetry manuscripts. Make sure to include a numbered table of contents with your manuscript! Closing date: 11 October 2024 17. Barbara Stevens Poetry Book Manuscript CompetitionOpen to poets worldwide, this contest awards the best poetry book manuscript. Judged by Diane Seuss, each entry must include a title and table of contents. Word count: 48-80 pages Entry fee: $20 (for National Federation of State Poetry Societies’ members), $25 (for non members). 18. Novel Excerpt ContestThis contest allows writers to submit any excerpt from their novel “with a clear grasp of craft: character, setting, and most importantly story”. The winning entry will be published online. Prize: $3000, $300 (second place), $200 (third place) Closing date: 27 October 2024 19. River Teeth Book PrizeThis contest annually awards a book-length manuscript of nonfiction. The winning entry will be published by The University of New Mexico Press. Entry fee: $27 Closing date: 31 October 2024 20. Comstock Review Chapbook ContestThis contest rewards a poetry collection that has not been previously published. The winning entry will be published and the winner will receive 50 copies. 21. Helena Whitehill Book AwardJudged by Ilya Kaminsky, this contest is open to all writers worldwide. Interested participants can submit an unpublished “full or chapbook-length manuscript or a creative nonfiction manuscript with a table of contents”. Entry fee: $30 per entry Closing date: 31st October 2024 Mixed writing contests 202422. the letter review prize . This contest features four categories: short fiction, non fiction, poetry, and unpublished books. Open to writers all over the world, the first entry of every category is free. Entry fee: $5 for every additional entry after the 1st entry 23. Eyelands Book AwardsOne of the rare contests based in Greece, this international book writing contest accepts submissions of novels, poetry, novellas, short story collections, YA books, historical fiction, memoirs, and graphic novels. Prize: 5-day trip to Athens, video promotion, publication of unpublished books Word count: 250.000 words (all categories of published books), 150.000 words (unpublished text), 250 pages (text/poetry collection by a single author) Entry fee: 40 euros ($ 45), Early bird submission 30 euros ($ 35) till 1 September 2024 Closing date: 20 October 2024 24. American Literary Review AwardsThis contest will reward the best short story, poem, and essay. The winning entry will be published in the Spring online issue of the American Literary Review . Word count: 8000 words max (short fiction), 6000 words max (creative nonfiction Prize: $1,000 each (3 prizes) 25. Dzancs Book Prize for FictionThis 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) 26. Jeffrey E. Smith Editors PrizeThis contest accepts poetry, fiction, and nonfiction submissions. The winning entries will be published in the Spring issue of the Missouri Review. Word count: Up to 8000 words (fiction or nonfiction), 6-12 pages (poetry) Prize: $5000 per category (poetry, fiction, and nonfiction) Entry fee: $25 (Standard) / $30 (All Access) 27. Tennesssee Williams & New Orleans Literary FestivalThis festival features 2 categories: SAS Fest contests (short fiction and poetry), TWFest writing contests (one act plays, short fiction, poetry, very short fiction). While TWFest writing contests are organized to encourage the works of emerging writers, SAS fest writing contests are for promoting works of LGBTQ+ writers. Prize: $1500 (one-act play), $1,000 (poetry), $1,500 (fiction), $500 (very short fiction) Entry fee: $25 (one-act play), $20 (SAS Poetry Contest), $20 (SAS Short Fiction Contest), $25 (TW Fest Fiction Contest), $10 (very short fiction) Closing date: 2 October 2024 (SAS Short Fiction Contest, TWFest Fiction Contest, TWFest One Act Play Contest), 16 October 2024- (SAS Poetry Contest, TWFest Poetry Contest, TWFest One Act Play Contest.TWFest Very Short Fiction Contest) 28. Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship (Free writing contest!)This contest annually supports one writer who hasn’t yet published a book or enrolled for an advanced degree program. The winner will receive a 1-year mentorship at the One Story magazine, plus an opportunity to participate in One Story’s 1-week summer writers’ conference. Word count: 3000-5000 words Closing date: 9 October 2025 29. Sixfold Poetry and Short Story AwardsTo participate in these contests, writers must submit their fiction or poetry manuscript in PDF format. Consisting of 3 rounds, participants must vote on 6 randomly assigned manuscripts of their genre. The best 15 short stories and top 30 poems will be published. Closing date: 24 October 2024 30. John Lewis Writing Grants (Free writing contest!)Featuring fiction, nonfiction, and poetry categories, this contest is organized to “inspire the voices of Black writers in Georgia”. Open to Afro-American and emerging Black writers in Georgia who are 18 years or older, participants can only apply in one genre. Prize: A grant of $500 Closing date: 29 October 2024 31. Bedford CompetitionOpen to all writers above 17 years old, this contest invites submissions of short stories and poems. Interested participants can submit 1-3 short stories/poems. Prize: £1500, £300, £200 Entry fee: £17 32. Tuscon Festival of Books Literary AwardsTo participate, writers who are 18 years or older can submit poetry, fiction, and nonfiction works. This contest does not accept children’s stories, academic, and “how-to” nonfiction. Other writing contests1. 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 2. Benjamin Saltman Poetry AwardFounded in 1998, this contest accepts submissions of unpublished poetry collections. Judged by Jason Schneiderman, the winning manuscript shall be published by Red Hen Press. Wordcount: 48-96 pages 3. Cloudbank’s Literary ContestsCloudbank Books has organized 3 contests: a poetry contest, a flash fiction contest, and the Vern Rutsala Book Prize contest . Accepting submissions from writers worldwide, the winning entries will secure publication. Word count: 5 poems (poetry), 500 words max (flash fiction), and 60-90 pages (Vern Rutsala Book Prize) Prize: $1000 (Vern Rutsala Book Prize), $200 (winning poem or flash fiction work), Entry fee: $3 per entry (poetry and flash fiction), $25 per entry (Vern Rutsala Book Prize) Closing date: 1 November 2024 (Vern Rutsala Book Prize) 4. Edwin Markham Poetry PrizeThis 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! 5. James Hearst Poetry PrizeTo 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 6. Servicescape Short Story AwardThis 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 7. Bath Children’s Novel AwardThis contest is currently looking for “novels for children or teens, chapter books and picture book texts”. Unpublished, self-published and independently published books from writers all over the world are welcome. Prize: £5,000 Entry fee: £29.99 Closing date: 30 November 2024 8. Lascaux Prize for Short FictionThis contest accepts both, published and published short fiction stories. The winning entry will be published in The Lascaux Review . 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:
Frequently Asked QuestionsWho 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 👍 Leave a Comment: Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Your vs. You’re: When to Use Your and You’reYour organization needs a technical editor: here’s why. Subscribe to our Newsletter Get carefully curated resources about writing, editing, and publishing in the comfort of your inbox. How to Copyright Your Book? If you’ve thought about copyrighting your book, you’re on the right path. © 2024 All rights reserved
Upcoming Conferences & EventsCheck here for the latest list of upcoming conferences and events of interest for writers and publishing professionals. The listing is in order of calendar date and is updated monthly. Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, Nashville, TN, Aug. 28 – Sep. 1, 2024Bouchercon is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization which holds an annual convention in honor of Anthony Boucher, the distinguished mystery fiction critic, editor and author. The convention brings together all parts of the mystery and crime fiction community: readers, writers, publishers, editors, agents, booksellers and other lovers of crime fiction. DragonCon, Atlanta, GA, Aug. 29 – Sep. 2, 2024DragonCon.org DragonCon is a multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film. ACFW Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, Sep. 5-8, 2024American Christian Fiction Writers Workshops for writers are designed with five different experience levels in mind, from “just starting out” to “published.” The event includes Early Bird and Post Conference sessions. HNS Conference, Devon, UK, Sep. 6-8, 2024Historical Novel Society The society has over 900 members worldwide including authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians and general readers. The conference location alternates between the USA and the United Kingdom. See their website for more information. Printers Row Lit Fest, Chicago, IL, Sep. 7-8, 2024Chicago Tribune The Printers Row Lit Fest is considered the largest free outdoor literary event in the Midwest, drawing 125,000 book lovers to the two-day showcase . More than 200 booksellers from across the country display new, used and antiquarian books, and more than 200 authors participate in panels, discussions and a variety of other programs. Bloody Scotland, Sterling, Scotland, Sep. 13-15, 2024The Caledonian Crime Writing Festival Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival. Choose from over 40 events to attend including crime films, a crime play, sessions by crime authors, a masterclass, a ceilidh, and the McIlvanney prize. Self Publishing Conference, Knighton, Leicester, UK, Sep. 14, 2024The event aims to educate, inform and inspire authors who are publishing their own work, or who are considering that as a route to publication. The Self-Publishing Conference offers something for most authors, with sessions on all aspects of publishing, ranging from writing through production, marketing and distribution. Novelists, Inc., St. Petersburg Beach, FL, Sept. 18-22, 2024Novelists, Inc. is devoted exclusively to the needs of published authors and concentrates its efforts on the business of the business for career novelists. Speakers at the Master Class Conference will address business, craft, creativity, marketing and sales. International Dublin Writers’ Festival, Dublin, Ireland, Sep. 20-22, 2024Advanced Social Media Services, LTD. The Dublin Writers’ Conference is the first and so far only conference in Dublin, aimed at attracting writers as an audience and promoting Dublin as a cultural destination for authors from around the world. Improving writing craft and self publishing, key skills for a modern writer, are the two main tracks at this conference. SleuthFest, St. Petersburg, FL, Sep. 26-29, 2024Mystery Writers of America – Florida Chapter The organization presents a regular four-day conference that features panels, agent and editor appointments, manuscript critiques, and a short story contest. Writing Sisters Summit, Merida, Mexico, Sep. 26-30, 2024Writing Sisters The Writing Sisters Summit is designed to spur your creativity and comfort your soul, featuring writing seminars focusing on craft and the business of writing. The summit is open to women and men. Colorado Gold Writers Conference, Aurora, CO, Sep. 27-29, 2024Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers The conference typically hosts over 60 writer workshops, 5 master classes and visiting agents and editors. Moonlight and Magnolias, Norcross, GA, Oct. 3-5, 2024Georgia Romance Writers The conference features over 35 workshops including “Digital Track” workshops (small press, e-publishing, self-publishing, backlist publishing). Decatur Book Festival, Decatur, GA, Oct. 4-5, 2024Emory University Decatur Book Festival is an annual, free book festival that takes place over Labor Day weekend in Decatur, Georgia at several venues located in and around the downtown Decatur Square. Authors give readings, talks, and panel discussions. The event is free and open to the public. DFW Writers Conference, Hurst, TX, Oct. 5-6, 2024DFW Writers Workshop The conference features agent pitch sessions, classes, workshops, and a one-day writing seminar for teens ages 13 to 17. The Heartland Fall Forum, Milwaukee, WI, Oct. 7-9, 2024Midwest Booksellers Association, Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association This is the largest regional trade show in the country to serve the independent book selling market. Members include locally owned and operated independent bookstores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and surrounding the Great Lakes. The trade show is a conference that gathers booksellers, publishers, distributors, reps, vendors, authors, librarians, teachers, and other book business colleagues. 30th Annual Women Writing the West Conference, Denver, CO, Oct. 10-12, 2024Women Writing the West The conference features workshops and presentations from authors, editors, agents, publishers, and bookstore owners. FantasyCon, Chester, England, UK, Oct. 11-13, 2024The British Fantasy Society This UK Fantasy, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction and Horror conference is the largest regional romance writing conference in the West. There are editor and agent guests, workshops and master classes. Please see the website for programming information. RWA Annual Conference, Austin, TX, Oct. 11-13, 2024Romance Writers of America Join more than 2,100 published and aspiring romance writers, editors, agents, and other industry professionals. Writers can choose from more than 100 workshops, panels and round-tables with publishing professionals or schedule a one-on-one pitch meeting with an editor or agent. Frankfurt Book Fair, Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 16-20, 2024Frankfurter Buchmesse The Frankfurt Book Fair is a meeting place for publishers, booksellers, agents, film producers and authors. It boasts 7,400 exhibitors from 106 countries, 280,194 visitors and over 10,000 journalists focusing on current trends. Writer’s Digest Conference, Cincinnati, OH, Oct. 17-20, 2024Writer’s Digest The conference features sessions about writing, publishing, marketing and more, as well as the 3-hour Agent Slam with 60 professional agents. Florida Writers Con, Altamonte Springs, FL, Oct. 18-20, 2024Florida Writers Association This is a three-day event, where members find agents, meet publishers, and get the scoop on the industry. Also see their website for mini-conferences throughout the year. Indie Romance Convention, Lebanon, TN, Oct. 23-26, 2024The Indie Romance Convention is designed to fit the needs of indie authors. In addition, the event is open to readers, bloggers, editors, and cover artists. Surrey International Writers’ Conference, Surrey, British Columbia, Oct. 25-27, 2024The conference features Agent/Editor/Producer interviews, workshops and the Blue Pencil Cafe (have a sample of your work critiqued on the spot). Master Classes take place Oct. 23rd & 24th. Indie Author Day, Libraries Across America, Nov. 1-2, 2024During the Indie Author Day, libraries from all across North America will host their own local author events with the support of the Indie Author Day team. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for libraries and authors to connect on both local and global levels. New England Crime Bake, Dedham, MA, Nov. 8-10, 2024New England Chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime The conference includes three days of workshops for crime-loving authors with a focus on craft and connecting with agents and editors. Kauai Writers Conference, Kauai, HI, Nov. 11-17, 2024Kauai Writers Polish your writing skills while increasing your chances of publication by working top authors, agents and editors…in Hawaii. Pitch sessions and Advance Critique Sessions are also available. Attendance is limited to 150 participants. Workshops begin four days before (see the website for more information). Authors’ Expo & Readers’ Extravaganza, Fernandia Beach, FL, Feb. 22, 2025Amelia Island Book Festival The day includes a free Reader’s Festival with authors, readings and book signings. Coastal Magic Convention, Daytona Beach, FL, Feb. 23-25, 2025Jennifer Morris This convention is for readers and writers of Urban Fantasy, Paranormal and Romance. The 2024 conference took place in February in Daytona Beach, FL. London Book Fair, Olympia, London, UK, Mar. 11-13, 2025Reed Exhibitions Books and Publishing Group International exhibition hosting publishing professionals from around the world, this is a global marketplace for rights negotiation. The fair includes 250+ seminars and events and hosts 2,000+ exhibitors and boasts an attendance of 24,000+. AWP Annual Conference & Bookfair, Los Angeles, CA, Mar. 26-29, 2025Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) This conference celebrates authors, teachers, writing programs, literary centers and small press publishers. Each year it features 400 presentations including readings, lectures, panel discussions, and forums—plus book signings, receptions and informal gatherings. Chanticleer Authors Conference, Bellingham, WA Apr. 3-16, 2025Chanticleer Book Reviews CAC22 features panels on Multichannel Marketing and the Business of Being a Writer, with special focus on The New Era of Content Creation in All Its Forms and Honing Your Writing Craft. Scheduled are experts in marketing, book publicity, publishing, and advanced writing craft. Conference offers virtual attendance as well. Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference, Hampton, NJ, Apr. 5, 2025Liberty States Fiction Writers offer a one-day workshop for writers including an editor/agent panel, a book signing and a vendor fair. Norwescon, Seattle, WA, Apr. 17-20, 2025Norwescon Norwescon features over 500 hours of panel programming presented by more than 200 panelists, covering subjects as science fiction, fantasy, science, costuming, art, writing, genre television, and movies. Southeastern Writers Festival, St. Simon’s Island, GA, June 6-10, 2025Southeastern Writers Association Previous workshops included Poetry and Dramatic Monologues; Short Stories, Novellas & Self-Publishing; Steampunk, Fairy Tales & E-Pub Tips; Humor & Memoirs; and Crime & the FBI. ThrillerFest XX, New York, NY, June 17-21, 2025International Thriller Writers A celebration of thriller books, the authors who write them, and the fans who read them. The four-day event includes author panels, classes, workshops, the CraftFest and AgentFest. Readercon 34, Burlington, MA, July 17-20, 2025Readercon Readercon is an annual conference devoted to “imaginative literature” — literary science fiction, fantasy, horror, and the unclassifiable works often called “slipstream.” Although modeled on “science fiction conventions,” there is no art show, no costumes, no gaming, and almost no media. Instead, Readercon features a near-total focus on the written word. Writers on the River, East Peoria, IL July 19, 2025Healing with Words This non-profit organization hosts a public reader event with over 90 attending romance authors in one room for a book signing. Meet New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, chat with them, get selfies together, or buy a signed book. And all proceeds support Thistle Farms , an organization that helps women who have survived prostitution, trafficking and addiction. Digipalooza, Cleveland, OH, Aug. 12-14, 2025OverDrive Digipalooza is a conference for partner libraries that offers education and networking geared toward increasing circulation of digital audiobooks, eBooks, music and video. Below are conferences that have not yet posted specific dates for their next event. Digital Book World ConferenceDigital Book World brings together 1500 professionals focused on developing, building and transforming their organizations to compete in the new digital publishing environment. The January 2024 conference in New York was postponed. New Voices, New RoomsNew Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association NAIBA is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information among independently owned bookstores. The annual fall gathering is two full days of bookseller education, networking, author events, and awards ceremonies. The 2024 event took place in August in Arlington, VA. When Words Collide FestivalWhen Words Collide When Words Collide is a festival for readers, writers, artists and publishers of commercial and literary fiction, including genre, YA, Childrens books, and Poetry. A writers’ workshop is held just prior to the conference. The 2024 festival took place in August in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, The Writers’ Police Academy offers the hands-on, interactive and educational experience for writers to enhance their understanding of all aspects of law enforcement and forensics. The event features police, fire, and EMS training at an actual police academy. The 2024 convention took place in Green Bay, WI in June. Writing for Success ConferenceFlorida Star Fiction Writers offers classes and special all-day workshops throughout the year. Please see the website for specific programming. The 2024 conference took place in April in Melbourne, FL. Spring Fling Writers’ ConferenceChicago-North Romance Writers The conference is a weekend of keynote speeches, workshops, panels, publishing spotlights, pitch appointments with editors and agents, a public book signing, librarian and bookseller brunch, and entertainment. The 2024 conference took place in April in Chicago, IL IBPA Publishing UniversityIndependent Book Publishers Association offers a conference with education relevant to small presses and author publishers including speakers and programming on how to start, grow, and succeed in the publishing world. The 2024 conference took place in April in Denver, CO. Craft & Publishing VoyageRebirth Your Book Craft classes, publishing panels and career advice for novelists, memoirists, essayists and nonfiction writers aboard the Queen Mary II. Spouses, partners and friends welcome. The 2024 cruise took place in April and May in the Atlantic Ocean. The Power of Narrative WorkshopBoston University College of Communication Over 30 journalists, directors, producers and editors lead three days of lively discussions geared to advance the knowledge of narrative storytellers. Approximately 500 persons attend. Early registration is encouraged. Now in its 22nd year, the conference attracts a mix of veteran practitioners engaged in narrative journalism careers, early career professionals hoping to build narrative skills, and students of the genre. Attendees identify as writers, visual media creators, and audio journalists. They work on every imaginable platform, from newspapers to magazines, books to the web, podcasts to multimedia, sometimes pushing the boundaries with innovative start-ups. The 2024 workshop took place in March in Boston, MA. You Wrote a Book… Now What? Book Marketing WorkshopJoin authors Bruce E. Mowday and Mary Walsh from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. for a workshop for writers newer to publishing. Topics include: Are you ready to publish?, self-publishing options, what it’s like to be an author, marketing and building a following. Limited to 50 attendees, cost is $49, light refreshments will be served. Register here or contact the authors with questions. The 2024 workshop took place in February in Lancaster, PA. The Writer Unboxed UnConferenceThe Writer Unboxed This unconference is “part symposium, part interactive workshop, part networking affair, part retreat” focusing on advancing the craft of writing and making meaningful connections between authors. The 2023 unconference took place in November in Salem, MA. West Virginia Book FestivalKanawha County Public Library The Festival brings people and books together in a two-day event celebrating West Virginia writers. Each year the festival includes a marketplace, a special section just for children, a used book sale, “meet the author” events, and panel discussions. The event is free. (Some sessions require tickets.) The 2023 festival took place in October in Charleston, WV. California Crime Writers ConferenceSisters in Crime/Los Angeles and SoCal Mystery Writers of America Geared toward emerging and established mystery and crime fiction writers, the 2020 California Crime Writers Conference includes workshops, presentations, and sessions with agents, editors, award-winning authors, publishing industry insiders and crime investigation professionals. The 2023 event took place in Culver City, CA in June. Ignite Your Imagination ConferenceFlorida West Coast Writers, Inc. The 2-day event includes a day of seminars lead by professional authors and a book signing event on the second day. The 2023 conference took place in May in Tampa, FL. FutureBook ConferenceThe Bookseller The United Kingdom’s definitive conference on digital publishing features industry professionals, publishing executives, literary agents and booksellers. Topics include the all-important content strategies, discoverability and pricing, gamification, global distribution and more. Also, please see their conferences website for other Bookseller event dates: Marketing and Publicity Conference; Design Conference; Children’s Conference. The 2022 conference took place in November in London, UK. Emerald City Writers’ ConferenceGreater Seattle Romance Writers Emerald City is the largest regional romance writing conference in the West. There are editor and agent guests, workshops and master classes. The 2022 conference was VIRTUAL and took place in October. Back to Top Author E.M.S. is a website operated by Rainmaker E.M.S. LLC, a Florida limited liability company. Terms & PrivacySubscribe to our newsloop, make it rain…. Fright Club (11-18 Year-Olds) | Creative Writing Competition | Ideal for ages 11-18What lurks in your imagination...? Get involved today in this ghost story writing competition for writers aged 11-18 years!From creepy tales, urban legends and supernatural spine-chillers... what lurks in your imagination. A ghost story is a timeless classic style of creative writing and we're inviting you to write your own short story inspired by things that go bump in the night! You could be inspired by a real place that is rumoured to be haunted, choose a supernatural being to be the star of your story or even be a ghost hunter telling us of their experiences. Use atmosphere, tension and suspense to create your own hair-raising tale, then enter it & you could be published in a real book! There is 250-word limit, prizes up for grabs and it's free to enter, get involved today! If you're looking for some inspiration or writing tips to help create your short story, check out these blogs: 👻 Hayley Hoskins - Ghost Story Author Guest Blog 📓 Natasha Farrant - How To Find "THAT" One Idea To Start Writing A Story ✍️ Creative Writing Tips: How To Write A Story If you are aged 5-11, check out this Ghost Story Competition for your age group! Closing Date: Tuesday 31st Dec 2024The students really enjoyed the activities and responded really well to all the resources We really enjoyed this challenge and it inspired the pupils to write with enthusiasm and creativity. Thank you so much for doing this for all the children. They absolutely love seeing their work published and proud! Thank you for these wonderful opportunities for our students! Keep them coming please! Thank you for organising such a brilliant writing competition! The children really enjoyed this competition. It has given them motivation to write! A great opportunity for our pupils to explore riddles. This competition allows us to show our pupils we value their writing and want to celebrate their achievements. I think what you do is amazing! Giving children opportunities to share their work is wonderful. Thank you for a great, well organised resource. The Class really enjoyed doing this. It made them very excited. Fantastic opportunity for cross-curricular writing. Our Year 1’s loved it. Very engaging suitable all across KS2. Resources are great! Brilliant topic to write about and resources to share. Excellent communication from all! Well organised with a great theme! The children have loved creating their stories. The children have loved writing their sagas. Thank you for giving them such a wonderful opportunity. Children really enjoyed this cross-curricular writing opportunity. The support resources were high quality, allowing all children to participate. Our children loved having the opportunity to write about a historical event with a 100 word limit. It was a great challenge for them. We love taking part in the Young Writers competitions. Great fun as always! Fantastic opportunity for cross-curricular writing. Our Year 1s loved it. Thank you for giving us such a lovely engaging activity. The video lesson plan was great fun too! Our children have loved doing this competition. The resources on the website were fantastic and helped my year 4s develop their poetry writing skills. They have flourished with the creativity of this competition. Great opportunity for children to be creative - the ideas page really helped focus thoughts. The children have been really inspired writing these and the English lead was really impressed! We really enjoyed it. Children who don't normally enjoy writing engaged fully in the task and said they enjoyed it. The children enjoyed the freedom to invent their own monster; they came up with fantastic ideas. Building their acrostics was fun - they exchanged ideas and improved their writing. Fantastic resources, everything was seamless and easy. Thank you! Great to inspire the pupils. It shows them what is possible in the world of literacy. Great resources which really helped to deliver the expectations and break it down in stages for the children. Y5 love doing these competitions, their imaginations go wild! Our Year 5s loved preparing for this competition as part of our work on chocolate. We found the resources very useful. Class really liked the theme of dreams, could be very creative with it. My class loved taking part in the 'Monster Acrostics' competition. It really gave them the opportunity to be creative and excited about poetry. Such a wonderful way to get the children involved and interested in poetry. We loved watching their imaginations go wild. Everyone was so proud of their fantastic poems. A lovely competition for the children to engage with. They loved creating their poems ad feel excited to see them produced into a book! Thank you! The yr1 children loved the writing experience. The children really enjoyed this challenge. They loved drawing their monsters and their huge range of adjectives were amazing. So proud of them! Absolutely fantastic. The children thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. We would love more of these opportunities. The children loved creating their monsters. Thank you for this great opportunity! The children really loved the topic for the poems! Great for engaging hard to reach pupils. We've loved this theme! Thank you for the lovely resources also. Our Year 4 students were very motivated and engaged with this poetry competition. It gave the pupils an opportunity to delve deeper into their weird and wonderful dreams. Our children have really immersed themselves in this poetry theme. A massive thankyou! A lovely competition that really inspired our children. It led to interesting discussion about our dreams. Good form - jars helpful prompt. Attractive appearance excited positive response from pupils. Children loved doing this and took pride in doing it at home! I always love the YW competitions as it is well resourced and it gives the children a real life context of writing and a good incentive. The children were so excited. Thank you! My class absolutely loved the preparation and writing for this competition - the prizes and incentives are so motivating. The children really enjoyed this activity and got really creative with it! Our students have loved learning about acrostic poems in Year 2. Thank you! An excellent, stimulating, engaging resource for children we all really enjoyed this activity. A great opportunity for children to write for pleasure. Thank you! The children really enjoyed this poetry writing lesson and had great fun describing and creating their monsters. We loved doing 'This Is Me' so it's great that you offer an opportunity for a younger age group too. Thank you for this fun opportunity. My class loved the idea to be creative and has allowed their imaginations to come to life on paper. I've read so many amazing animal diary entries. Such wonderful resources, providing a stimulating lesson for both year groups. Thank you Young Writers! Children enjoyed this writing activity and they enjoyed researching their chosen animal and an opportunity to showcase their skills. Great company - feedback was instant and so much information provided - will definitely work with you again. Fun competition. Children really enjoyed the choices of writing. Very inclusive competition. My class really enjoyed this, particularly the idea generator craft! This made our planning very engaging. The children LOVED doing this. They are so proud of their progress and loved writing about our school dog Maggie. Thank you! The pupils really enjoyed this lesson and had great fun talking about their animals. The children really enjoyed using the plan to help write their story. The children have thoroughly enjoyed being creative and imaginative. One child said they had "let my mind explode". Fantastic, engaging resources. The children loved using their fortune tellers. Thank you, we are grateful these kind of competitions exist. The children in my class loved completing this activity. Their imaginations ran wild! Thank you for the helpful and stimulating resources. Kids loved this theme too! Motivating and fun for pupils. Great resources available - planning sheet fantastic to help imagination. The kids really enjoyed this! It provided lots of fun and enjoyment in writing. Our school loved doing this, especially those who struggle with writing stamina! Thank you. The children were very excited and motivated to take part in the competition. The children were very excited to complete this - having seen the other children have their work published in a previous competition. Really inspiring a love for writing! The children had fun with this and it gave them freedom to express themselves. Thanks! The children enjoyed writing their sagas. It helped to have example pieces to share with the class. Fantastic competition! Children really enjoyed writing their stories! They showed imagination, enthusiasm and love for writing in their work! What a lovely opportunity for the children. This is the 2nd competition we have taken part in and can't wait to hear the results. Fabulous idea to build writing The children enjoyed the challenge of condensing their story into only 100 words. It gave our children a great purpose to draft and write. The 100 words challenged greater depth writers to think about word choice. The children loved the video and found the writing challenge very engaging. A great idea to get the children thinking creatively! Class were very engaged with the theme and lesson materials. Nice resource, children love using them and being free to write what they please. Great competition, my class loved the Crazy Creatures theme! Our students absolutely LOVED this competition - and so did we. Not only was the 'catastrophe' premise excellent for stirring a range of ideas, but the 100-word limit also compelled students to consider each word more carefully than ever. The pupils in my creative writing class LOVED this competition. It produced a great interest in writing throughout the school! Our students loved the challenge of 100 words. It made them choose carefully. Thank you for such inspiring competitions and resources! It is so wonderful to see students' work published. Brilliant way to get students writing creatively! Students loved the dystopian theme. A fantastic competition that really helped children celebrate their individualities. Excellent resources and examples included in the presentation! We love the Young Writers competitions! Keep them coming! We are very excited about seeing the poems in a book! The students loved completing the competition, even those who usually don’t like to write. Changing an existing story rather than starting from scratch helped them be more creative and confident. The resources were great and gave students lots to discuss. They were really inspired by the topic! A lovely creative writing opportunity to inspire pupils' imaginations - thank you! My students absolutely love your competitions. Please continue to send me more. Thank you for an opportunity for our young people to creatively explore issues which matter to them and the world. Really good topics that interest many students! Thank you. Great pack with everything we need, everyone loved the activity - thank you. The children loved having the opportunity to write in different styles. It fitted with our project perfectly. All of the children really enjoyed getting involved in this - a nice way to celebrate who we are! The children have loved this! Thank you. Always great ideas and opportunities for the students to convey their creative streak! The pupils loved the activities! Great child-friendly competitions. It has been lovely to see the joy on their faces if they are chosen to be published. Very engaging competition, accessible for all pupils. This has been a fantastic opportunity for our school and the children loved exploring different poems & techniques. The children in Year 1 loved the activity! Fantastic resources for teachers to use in their poetry unit. A great way to promote and inspire poetry at home and in school. This is our third entry into one of your competitions! It has encouraged children to write. We have all really enjoyed the opportunity to engage with poetry! Thank you for this inspiring challenge! Our Year 2 poets LOVED completing this! A fantastic competition that really got the children engaged & enthused about poetry writing! The children really enjoyed the freedom. Well resourced with PowerPoints to support. Access Free DownloadsPlease fill in your details.... If you can't find your school/nursery, enter it manually or search again . You'll get access to...Competition rules. To make sure your entries are valid, please follow the rules listed below:
If you are unsure on any rules or have any queries, please don't hesitate to Contact Us . For SchoolsEvery participating school receives a complimentary copy of the book their pupils feature in! Our favourite writer will receive a £25 National Book Token! Every entrant receives a bookmark and a certificate is awarded to all writers chosen for publication in the ghost story book. Participating schools receive a complimentary copy of the book their pupils feature in. Enter Onlineemail. Email your entries to [email protected] UploadUpload your entries Entrants type their entries onlineWhy not combine literacy and ICT by using the online writing portal? Entrants can type their work and you can submit them at the click of a button! Writing Portal Send by FreepostSend your entries, along with your school entry form , to: FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY Young Writers SS Remus House Peterborough PE2 9BF Writing TipsGet free writing tips sent straight to your inbox. Tips will be added here each week that the competition is running.
Email [email protected] Tel 01733 890066 Post FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY Young Writers SS Remus House Peterborough PE2 9BF Remus House, Coltsfoot Drive, Peterborough, PE2 9BF [email protected] | 01733 890066
WRITERS IN PARADISEThe conference. January 18 – 25, 2025 Located on the beautiful waterfront campus of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, this writers’ conference features professional writers at the top of their form spending quality time with motivated and talented participants seeking an intimate, unhurried climate for learning…in paradise. 2025 WORKSHOPSSupernatural/suspense/horror with michael koryta (full week) $950. This workshop is open to writers working on a suspense novel, particularly one with a supernatural or paranormal element — think Shirley Jackson, Ira Levin, Stephen King, Megan Abbott, and Joe Hill. Our focus will be on the handling of core issues such as character, structure, scene building, and how supernatural suspense is built through grounded stories with emotional realism. Crime Fiction with Laura Lippman (full week) $950Looking for the formula for writing great crime fiction? Alas, it doesn’t exist. But this workshop can help writers with novels in which a crime is the engine that moves the story forward. Counter-intuitively, the emphasis will be on character, not plotting. Crime novels work best when characters are true to themselves. Then again, per Raymond Chandler, it never hurts to send a man through the door with a gun. Memoir with Andre Dubus III (full week) $950If I teach nothing else in my writing classes, I teach this: do not outline your novel or novella or short story or essay. Do not think out the plot, the narrative arc, the protagonist’s journey, whatever you want to call it. Instead, try to find the story through an honest excavation of the characters’ total experience of the situation in which they find themselves. Do that, and I promise the story will begin to write itself with little need for the controlling hand of the godly, intelligent, well-read, and ambitious author. But how, precisely, does one go about this “excavation”? And how, technically speaking, can we ignite a story into “writing itself”? Come to this workshop, and I will seek to demystify those writerly tools and skills that time and time again, if they are sharp enough, and if the writer can summon enough daily faith and nerve, can penetrate the mystery of story itself. Nonfiction with Luis Alberto Urrea (full week) $950Paradise writing non-fiction. A teacher I like calls our genre “Verity.” So, welcome to our Verity workshop. We will not only share our work, but we will also explore techniques that can make nonfiction as hypnotic as a juicy novel. Guess what: the really good stuff is often hidden to readers. It’s a Jedi mind-trick. In short—your writing is not only what is on the page, but also what lurks beneath the page – that shadow realm that can make your readers dream. I’m going to show you the big river of story…even if your story is humble, closely observed. It doesn’t have to be a world-war. It can be about a grandmother’s hands. We will learn to love and trust what lies beneath. Expect great handouts, examples, and maybe some gifts. Bring your best light. Bring your best shadow. Don’t be shy. Do not fear. We won’t let you fall. Short Story with Stewart O’Nan (full week) $950The class will be primarily a workshop. Students will read one another’s stories, interrogating character, action, language, ideas, and setting with an eye toward revision. Novel with Ann Hood (full week) $950“The page is still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible,” Nabokov said of writing a novel. That’s our goal in this workshop—to bring that miracle of words that tells a story to the page. We will discuss the architecture of novels, the best ways to begin, the muddle of the middle, rising tension, character development, situation versus story, making characters breathe on the page, where to end, and more. Through examples from published novels and close reads of your own work, we will investigate, explore, and celebrate writing your novel. Graphic Novel with Alex Segura (full week) $950This workshop will introduce interested writers to the nuts and bolts of the graphic novel medium, from pacing and script format to various genres within the form, an all-purpose tour of a beloved medium that touches on many aspects of the craft. Artistic capability is not a prerequisite. The focus will be on the story elements, the crafting of a high concept, and a loose breakdown of plot. This is primarily a generative workshop, though applicants with experience in the genre will find much to gain. (Submit either a completed short story; the first chapter of a novel, with a synopsis of the remainder; or a sample of work in the genre—25 pages, maximum. Exact guidelines can be found on Submittable starting in August with the opening of our application period.) 3-Day Poetry Workshop with Didi Jackson (January 19-21) $495In our time together, we will hone down each workshopped poem to its essential strengths. What image, metaphor, simile, etc. … makes a lasting imprint on the mind’s eye? What part of the poem could be let go? Where is the best place to begin or end? Is the poem missing something crucial? Does the poem provide a moment of critical vulnerability? We will focus our attention on the avoidance of cliché and how to spy the extraordinary in the everyday. With support, kindness, and respect, we will all commit to help make each poem a better version of itself. 3-Day Poetry Workshop with Major Jackson (January 23-25) $495In this revision workshop, we will discuss poems and offer feedback with an eye on aesthetic risk-taking. Please arrive to the conference with three poems, preferably 1-2 pages (exact submission guidelines on Submittable starting in August). We will discuss strategies to push our drafts to next-level thinking and exploration. Students will enter a community of writers whose collective aim is to contemplate growth by way of radical experimentation. 3-Day Generative Short Story with Ana Menéndez (January 19-21) $495From anecdote to story in three days. That image you can’t get out of your mind. That anecdote you’ve been telling for the last 10 years. That thing that happened in 2003 that changed everything – all these can be the beginning of a moving and well-crafted work of fiction. This fully generative workshop will take you from telling a personal anecdote to crafting a working draft for a short story. We’ll discuss the difference between anecdote and short story, learn the most basic of story structures, and discuss motif, binary constructions, and other details that will help you deepen subsequent drafts. You’ll leave the three days with at least a rough draft and some basic tools that will allow you to continue shaping the story long after you return home. 3-Day Mythic Structure with Les Standiford (January 23-25) $495This workshop will focus on the structure of book-length projects–novel, memoir, or general interest non-fiction, either completed or in progress. Discussion will be guided by the principles of mythic structure and archetype, and will center on the clarity and substance of a summary of the project and the efficacy of the 25 pages that open the work. Recommended reading: Christopher Vogler, THE WRITER’S JOURNEY . Joseph Campbell, HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES . MANUSCRIPT CONSULTATIONS with Sterling Watson ($450)During our meeting, the participant and I will discuss the manuscript including my thoughts on what I think works and doesn’t work. I will give the participant a brief report on the manuscript, which will be the basis for my spoken comments. Additionally, I will provide the participant with a line-edited copy of the manuscript (participants may decline line-edits if they wish to). Finally, we will address any questions that the participant prepares for the meeting. by application only via Submittable from August 1 – November 1 novels in progress, up to 35pp plus synopsis one-hour consult may be combined with a 3-day workshop or stand-alone only may not be combined with a full week workshop due to scheduling conflict accepted manuscript consultees will be considered full participants and thus be eligible to attend all conference events (except workshops) meeting must take place during the conference week (Jan 18-25) participant will work directly with Sterling Watson to arrange meeting time and location NEW FOR 2025Keynote speaker, karen russell , pulitzer-prize finalist, guggenheim and macarthur fellow, nyt best-selling author. Karen Russell will open the 2025 conference with a reading on Saturday 1/18 at 8pm, followed by a Q&A with Conference Director, Les Standiford, and ending with book sales and signings. Closing Speaker, three-time National Book Award finalist and NYT best-selling author, Lauren GroffRounding out a full week of workshops, lectures and gatherings, we welcome Lauren Groff to close out the week. Her reading will take place on Saturday 1/25 at 8pm, followed by a Q&A with Conference Director, Les Standiford, and ending with book sales and signings. Food writer, author, and three-time James Beard Award recipient, Michael RuhlmanFor accepted participants interested in learning the ins-and-outs of food writing, chef and author, Michael Ruhlman, will lead a 2-part craft talk describing and discussing how best to bring the savory and sweet to life in writing. The second part of the talk will include writing and workshopping. Graphic NovelWriters in Paradise is thrilled to welcome Alex Segura , award-winning graphic novelist, as first-time faculty, to teach our very first workshop in Graphic Novel. For writers who’ve been curious and are ready to give this exciting genre a try, we’ve heard you! Generative WorkshopsFor the first time, Writers in Paradise will offer generative workshops! Fully-generative Short Story (with Ana Menéndez ) and a partially-generative workshop in Graphic Novel (with Alex Segura ) will give aspiring writers the chance to explore, learn, and create drafts while in workshop. Descriptions of both workshops appear above and exact submission guidelines will be available on Submittable beginning in August with the start of our application period. Supporting Writers in ParadiseWe at WIP have learned throughout the years that we are part of the best community of writers! For those of you who would like to support our conference, we’ve created a donation page to make the process easy. If you have any questions or prefer supporting in other ways, please contact the conference coordinator. Applications DeadlineOur applications period runs from August 1 to November 1 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time). Apply starting August 1 on Submittable . View more about workshop selection, deadlines and conference costs . Les StandifordDennis lehane. Co-founded by Dennis Lehane and Sterling Watson , and co-directed by Les Standiford , Writers in Paradise offers an intensive eight-day experience of workshop classes, roundtables, panel discussions, Q&As, readings, book signings, and receptions with our award winning-faculty and guest speakers. The tranquil seaside landscape sets the tone for this informal gathering of writers, teachers, editors, and literary agents. The size and secluded location of the Eckerd College Writers’ Conference allows you the time and opportunity to share your manuscripts, critique one another’s work, and discuss the craft of writing with experts and peers who can help guide you to the next level. Why You Should AttendAfter eight days of workshopping and engagement with peers and professionals in your field, you will leave with a refreshed understanding of your craft and solid ideas about how to find an agent and get published. At the heart of the conference are six days of workshops led by master faculty in various genres where techniques are discussed and participant manuscripts are closely examined. 2025 Faculty & Guests Writers in Paradise offers a wide array of Fellowships and Scholarships. Additional InformationThe 21st edition of Writers in Paradise will take place in January 18-25, 2025. Esteemed faculty and selected participants workshop for three hours in the morning, attend panels and craft talks in the afternoon, and attend evening readings and events. Participants are actively engaged with our faculty and guests from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information about Writers in Paradise, please visit our FAQ or contact Conference Coordinator, Marina Pruna, at [email protected] . If you’d like to be added to our email list to receive news about the conference including deadline reminders, please sign up here. Writers in Paradise at Eckerd College 4200 54th Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33711 The Eckerd College Writers’ Conference: Writers in Paradise is organized by Marina Pruna, conference coordinator, and by Les Standiford, conference co-director. 727.241.2802 [email protected] Accessibility | Non-Discrimination | Privacy Report It
Book Publicist Scott Lorenz offers Authors Book Marketing Tips and Techniques on his Blog “The Book Publicist” The Top Writers’ Conferences for 2024 by Book Publicist Scott Lorenzby Scott Lorenz | Blog , Book Promotion , Book Publicity , Marketing a Book , Promoting a Book , Writers Conferences , Writing a Book | 5 comments By Scott Lorenz Westwind Communications If you are a serious writer with high aspirations, then you’ll want to go to a writers’ conference. Want to meet authors and exchange ideas, tips and techniques? Then sign up for a writer’s conference today. A writers’ conference is a think tank for authors to build on each other’s ideas and inspire new achievements in their own work. For the cost of lodging and registration, the payoff for attending a writers’ conference could be tremendous. Attending a writers’ conference gives you a chance to pitch your book, learn about the various publishing options and meet book editors, agents and book marketing specialists. If your book is six months or a year from being finished, you can talk to people with valuable input on shaping your book. At a writers’ conference, you’ll get all sorts of advice to help you wrap up your project when you return home. Of course, you will want to prepare for any writers’ conference you attend by having a plan of what you want to find out and what you will do while there. I suggest you develop an ‘elevator pitch’ about your book that you can deliver in 30 seconds. Have a one-pager available with your book cover, author headshot, short 50-word synopsis, short bio, website URL, Twitter handle and your contact information. You never know who you’ll meet so be prepared for that moment! Here are some upcoming writers’ conferences in 2024:February 5-15, 2024: 2024 Sierra Writers Conference (Rocklin, CA). The 2024 Sierra Writers Conference celebrates the 21st anniversary of Sierra College Press and Standing Guard, its landmark book of stories about Japanese internment during WWII. This year’s conference draws on the spirit of the Sierra College Press, its first publication, and the talent of a diverse group of speakers who will discuss and provide instruction on stories of social justice, the environment, and the craft of writing. https://sierrawritersconference.wordpress.com/ February 7-10, 2024: AWP Conference 2024 (Kansas City, MO). The AWP Conference & Bookfair is the annual destination for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers of contemporary creative writing. It includes thousands of attendees, hundreds of events and bookfair exhibitors, and four days of essential literary conversation and celebration. The AWP Conference & Bookfair has always been a place of connection, reunion, and joy, and we are excited to see the writing community come together again in Kansas City, Missouri in 2024. https://www.awpwriter.org/awp_conference/ February 15–18, 2024: 20th Annual San Francisco Writers Conference (San Francisco, CA). The San Francisco Writers Conference (“SFWC”) enjoys a rich literary culture. Over the course of four days, over 500 attendees and renowned keynote authors, presenters, editors, and agents, attend SFWC, combining the best of both the traditional publishing industry with the latest technology to empower authors to publish anywhere. Situated just north of Silicon Valley, the SFWC is truly a one-of-a-kind celebration of craft, commerce, and community. https://www.sfwriters.org/ February 16-18, 2024: Southern California Writers Conference (San Diego, CA). Founded and run by professional writers the SCWC provides veteran and emerging talent with authoritative guidance to help distinguish those manuscripts that are ready for market consideration, having facilitated well over $4 million worth of first-time authors’ book and screen deals. https://writersconference.com/sd/ February 20-23, 2024: 29th Annual Writers at the Symposium by the Sea (San Diego, CA). Writer’s Symposium by the Sea is an annual event to inspire readers and writers alike, featuring evocative conversations with exemplary writers from various genres, backgrounds, and perspectives. During each interview, the audience is invited to actively listen in as writers share what inspires their writing and delve into the practices that propel their success. https://www.pointloma.edu/opportunities/writers-symposium-sea February 29 – March 1, 2024: 27th ASU Writers Conference in Honor of Elmer Kelton (San Angelo, TX). The 2024 conference will commemorate the 27th Angelo State University Writers Conference in Honor of Elmer Kelton. Our two-day conference is one of the few in the state that requires no registration or attendance fees for presenters and guests. https://www.angelo.edu/departments/english-modern-languages/writers_conference.php March 3-4, 2024: I Write Writing Conference (Denver, CO). Whether you are a Creator, Author, or Soon-to-Be, this conference was designed with you in mind. Giving you a 2-Day Experience for you to network with others in your field. Come Learn, Create, and Thrive with us! https://www.iwriteconference.com/ March 7-8, 2024: Write to Learn Conference (Columbia, MO). This year’s conference theme will be “The Kids ARE the Curriculum.” “I chose this theme because one of the best pieces of advice I ever got as a teacher was, “Don’t teach the curriculum; teach kids.” Sure, you have to teach some content—English, or Math, or History. But if you keep the focus on the biological units in front of you, everything works better.” – says Willy Wood, Write to Learn Conference Coordinator. https://10times.com/e1z5-k0p1-sgz9 March 8-9, 2024: 22nd Annual Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference (Las Vegas, NV). The Rocky Mountain Regional Legal Writing Conference began in 2000 at University of Arizona Law as the brainchild of Professor Suzanne Rabe (University of Arizona Law), Professor Judy Stinson (Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU) and Professor Terrill Pollman (William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV). The three professors designed the conference as an informal exchange of teaching ideas among legal writing professors from schools in the loosely defined “Rocky Mountain” region, but it quickly grew into one of the largest and most popular regional legal writing conferences in the nation, drawing participants from across the nation and, indeed, across the globe. https://cal.lmu.edu/event/22nd_annual_rocky_mountain_legal_writing_conference March 9, 2024: Bay to Ocean Writers Conference 2024 (Wye Mills, MD). Now celebrating its 26th year, the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference is a one-day event that has attracted more than 4,000 writers over its history. It is sponsored by the Eastern Shore Writers Association (ESWA), a non-profit organization of writers from across the Delmarva Peninsula. https://www.easternshorewriters.org/event-5501034 March 16, 2024: The 2024 Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA). The title of the Atlanta Writing Workshop is “How to Get Published.” It focuses on classes and advice intended to help you get your works published. https://atlantawritingworkshop.com/ March 20-23, 2024: Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference (Andalusia, AL). At Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat, you’ll experience the benefits of a large writers’ conference, but on a more personal level. Whether you’re a beginning or experienced writer, interested in fiction or nonfiction, our faculty of seasoned professionals can teach you how to improve your writing skills, market your work, and get published. https://bluelakecwr.com/ March 20-22, 2024: 55th Annual UND Writers Conference (Grand Forks, ND). Founded in 1970 and held every year since, the UND Writers Conference is a three-day event featuring six to eight authors annually ranging from Gwendolyn Brooks and August Wilson to Tommy Orange and Colson Whitehead. The UND Writers Conference is committed to community outreach, engagement, and finding ways to increase audience access to literature. https://und.edu/writers-conference/index.html March 21-23, 2024: Moravian Writers Conference (Bethlehem, PA). To celebrate the conference’s 10-year anniversary, this FREE conference (featuring in-person and live streamed events) will focus on different approaches for thinking about story and story sharing. https://www.moravian.edu/writersconference March 22-24, 2024: Let’s Just Write! An Uncommon Writers Conference (Chicago, IL). Let’s Just Write! An Uncommon Writers Conference was named one of the best conferences in the U.S. by The Writer Magazine two years in a row! Two days, twenty-plus presenters, workshops, sessions, panels…and more. https://www.chicagowrites.org/conference March 22-26, 2024: Vision Christian Writers Conference (Felton, CA). The Vision Christian Writing Conference is the response to the devastating news that Mt. Hermon was ceasing their legacy 50-year writing conference at the beginning of the pandemic. https://vcwconf.com/ April 3-7, 2024: Monterey Writers Retreat Conference (Pacific Grove, CA). Join us on the wondrously scenic and soothing Monterey Peninsula in Pacific Grove for the express purpose of working intimately with experienced author and agent professionals. Know that writers of every kind have journeyed for over a century to this location on the California west coast. They come in search of inspiration, individuality, purpose and vision, but more importantly, to share an understanding that art has preceded their arrival in the form of a brutally beautiful sea and windswept shore. https://montereywritersretreat.com/ April 6-7, 2024: South Asian Literary Association Annual Conference (Virtual). In the 2024 annual meeting of SALA, we take seriously the call for collective action, coalition building and solidarity between Black and South Asian peoples across the world in the aftermath of Black Lives Matter and new awareness about anti-Asian racism. https://southasianliteraryassociation.org/cfps/sala-conference-ethics-of-representation-forms-of-resistance-and-narratives-of-discomfort/ April 11-13, 2024: 21st Las Vegas Writers Conference (Las Vegas, NV). This year – and every year – the 21st Las Vegas Writers Conference is dedicated to helping writers of all genres improve their craft, sharpen their business skills, and network with publishing professionals. Held each spring, this year’s conference will draw virtual attendees from around the world. Pitch sessions with literary agents and editors are included in the price of registration. Writers will have the opportunity for one-on-one mentoring sessions with faculty members and other published authors. https://lasvegaswritersconference.com/ April 18-21, 2024: The 2024 Chanticleer Authors Conference (Bellingham, WA). What makes the Chanticleer Author Conferences so special? Most importantly, the attendees! You are what makes this conference so special. Learning from the experts – Learn from the Best! Learning from each other and Networking and making new friends and connections. https://www.chantireviews.com/chanticleer-conference/ April 19-20, 2024: American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW)- Colorado Springs Chapter (Colorado Springs, CO). American Christian Fiction Writers, Colorado Springs Chapter, has offered an affordable conference experience for Christian writers annually since 2009. We invite you to join us at Glen Eyrie Castle in the foothills of Colorado Springs, Colorado, for an unforgettable weekend of teaching, fellowship and inspired writing, whether you are already an established author or just starting your journey to publication. https://acfwcosprings.net/ April 22-23, 2024, International Conference on Corpus Design, Compilation and Linguistics (Boston, MA). International Conference on Corpus Design, Compilation and Linguistics aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Corpus Design, Compilation and Linguistics. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered, and solutions adopted in the fields of Corpus Design, Compilation and Linguistics. https://waset.org/corpus-design-compilation-and-linguistics-conference-in-april-2024-in-boston April 25-27, 2024: NWG Annual Conference (Omaha, NE). The Nebraska Writers Guild offers three days of consultations, critique boot camps, and shop talk seminars. Appointments with literary agents like Kristina Slater are first-come, first-served, and have no extra cost. This conference is perfect for writers who would rather focus on intimate group or pair discussions rather than large panels. Workshops are capped to allow for in-depth discussion and a focus on networking without small talk. https://nebraskawriters.org/news-events/annual-events/annual-conference.html April 25-28, 2024: 31st Annual Pikes Peak Writers Conference (Colorado Springs, CO). Jazz up your Writing: The Roaring 20s comes to the Pikes Peak Writers Conference! Pull out your flapper dresses, fedoras & channel your inner Gatsby. We’re going to Paris 1920 to learn from the best: Hemingway, Stein, Joyce, Beach, Eliot, the Fitzgeralds. https://conference.pikespeakwriters.org/ April 26–28, 2024: 7th Annual Sonoma Valley Authors Festival (Sonoma, CA). The Sonoma Valley Authors Festival Brings people together to hear authors from a variety of literary genres and speakers who discuss advances being made in science, technology, and medicine. https://svauthorsfest.org/ April 27, 2024: Atlanta Self-Publishing Conference (Atlanta, GA). They offer the Atlanta Self-Publishing Conference annually for authors who are interested in self-publishing or who have self-published and want to get the most out of their publishing business. https://atlantawritersclub.org/aspc/ May 2-4, 2024: 2024 OWFI Writers Conference (Oklahoma City, OK). Founded in 1968, the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI) is a non‑profit federation of writers’ groups dedicated to promoting higher standards for the written word. We believe that the literary profession has come of age and merits a fair share of the critical acclaim so generously lavished on other worthwhile arts. OWFI shall seek to coordinate and encourage professional writing within and without its organization and promote the recognition of outstanding contributions to the written language. https://www.owfi.org/ May 3-4, 2024: Lakefly Writers Conference, (Oshkosh, WI). EVERYONE HAS A STORY! Come to the Oshkosh Premier Waterfront Hotel and Convention Center for a two-day conference. They offer workshops on the craft and business of writing designed to inspire and guide your creative journey. https://lakeflywriters.org/ May 4, 2024: The 2024 Michigan Writing Workshop (Detroit, MI). At this writers’ conference, participants will enjoy a day of intense instruction on how to get their works published. https://michiganwritingworkshop.com/ May 4, 2024: The 2024 Washington Writers Conference (Rockville, MD). The Washington Independent Review of Books presents the 11th annual Washington Writers Conference, the DC area’s premier literary gathering! Visit www.wirobooks.com for complete conference information. https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/f3500c50-8eb2-4071-9762-a5a73f256ad8 May 9-11, 2024: Storymakers Conference (Provo, UT) . The Storymakers Conference will consist of various classes that cover various topics such as cover design, marketing, creating a writing business, and the nuts and bolts of screenwriting. The Storymakers conference features over a hundred classes geared toward aspiring and established writers alike, taught by some of the best presenters in the publishing industry. https://storymakersguild.org/storymakers-conference/ May 10-12, 2024: Muse and the Marketplace (Boston, MA). It will include goal setting, small cohorts of writer friends and those working in your genre, and 70 sessions given by excellent guest authors on the craft of the novel, memoir, poetry, and more, plus sessions on navigating the publishing world led by premiere literary agents, editors, publicists, and more. https://museandthemarketplace.com/muse-2024/ May 16-19, 2024: Looking Glass Rock Writers Conference (Brevard, NC). Exploring the theme “A Sense of Place,” small select groups of conference attendees experience working under the guidance of notable writers. Founded in 2016 as a partnership between the Transylvania County Library and Brevard College, the annual conference consists of writing workshops for select participants and public readings by the workshop leaders free to the community. https://www.lgrwc.org/ May 17-19, 2024: Technical Communication Summit (Minneapolis, MN). In 2024, STC is excited to offer a Summit experience that breaks the mold, providing more opportunities to network and learn from fellow practitioners, dive deeper into intensives on important topics, and keep up with the industry. This in-person event will provide knowledge-building, skill-building, and networking building every hour of the day to meet the ongoing educational needs of technical communication professionals. https://summit.stc.org/ May 18-21, 2024. Kachemak Bay Writers Conference (Homer, AK). The Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference has been the place where writers from Alaska and beyond come together to create community and learn how to be better writers. https://writersconf.kpc.alaska.edu/ May 26-30, 2024, Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (Black Mountain, NC). The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference began nearly four decades ago as a spirit-filled environment where writers could move forward in their writing journey and publishing dreams. The legacy event is focused on God’s path for each writer, and the conference is dedicated to meeting professional and spiritual needs. https://www.blueridgeconference.com/blue-ridge-mountains-christian-writers-conference/ May 28–June 1, 2024: ThrillerFest XIX (New York, NY). Notable thriller writers like Dennis Lehane will join other experts to offer Master Classes, workshops, pitches, panel discussions, and more. The conference’s PitchFest and QueryFest offer opportunities for self-published authors, traditionally published authors, and unpublished authors seeking query letter or manuscript help. Pricing is via day passes, per event, or with packages. https://thrillerfest.com/ June 5-11, 2024: TWH MAINE “Mini MFA” Writers Conference (Boothbay Harbor, ME). Serious writers attend our program and go on to publish. There is no other writing program like it. The Writer’s Hotel Maine “Mini MFA” is a unique, hybrid, comprehensive writing program. Our programming includes our TWH two-editor pre-conference Team Reading and our conference, to be held IN-PERSON at the Spruce Point Inn Resort and Spa in Boothbay Harbor, Maine! https://thenewguard.submittable.com/submit/260397/apply-to-our-twh-2024-maine-mini-mfa-all-genre-writers-conference June 7-9, 2024: Between the Pages Writers Conference (Springfield, MO). Springfield Writer’s Guild, Sleuths’ Ink, and Ozarks Romance Authors are pleased to present the second annual Between the Pages Writers Con, June 7-9, 2024. Join us for an exciting lineup of guest speakers, workshops, and the opportunity to network with industry professionals. https://btpwriterscon.com/ June 10-14, 2024: 25th Anniversary – Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference (Draper, UT). Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers presents an exciting five-day conference every June, consisting of intensive, week-long classes and daily breakout sessions. The heart of Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers is its morning workshops, where attendees have the opportunity to workshop their manuscripts with an industry professional. In the afternoon workshops, registrants have the opportunity to attend plenary and breakout sessions to learn more about the craft of writing.” https://www.wifyr.com/ June 11-14, 2024: Write-to-Publish Conference (Wheaton, IL). Since 1971, Write to Publish has been training, inspiring and encouraging writers like you, connecting them with editors to help them improve their craft, with publishers who are looking for good books to publish, and with literary agents who can represent them. https://writetopublish.com/ July 19-20, 2024: 2024 Writing Heights Writers Conference (Fort Collins, CO). Starting in 2024, the Writing Heights conference is taking on a new tone and focusing on the business and professional aspects of being an author. Our hybrid format will ensure that attendees have an engaging and interactive experience, whether they attend in-person or from the comfort of their own home. https://www.facebook.com/WritingHeightsWritersConference/ June 19-23, 2024: St. Davids Christian Writers’ Conference (Meadville, PA). St. Davids is special. They’re an intimate gathering of writers that provides an opportunity to build a network, not by exchanging business cards in a busy hallway. Here they connect, like real people – laughing over lunch, chatting about their projects in the lounge, or giving their elevator pitch in genre group meetings. Writing is a different beast with the digital world but connecting with people is still done face to face. http://stdavidswriters.com/ June 24-29, 2024: Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference (Bemidji, MN) . The Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference has given hundreds of participants from Minnesota and across the United States the opportunity to work closely with award-winning faculty. We offer a range of scholarships to support emerging writers, important voices, and community leaders. This writing conference is full of workshops, Q&A sessions, panel talks. https://www.northwoodswriters.org/ June 7-11, 2024, SWA 2024 Writers Conference (St. Simon’s Island, Georgia). This low-key summer conference for Southeast-based writers features book signing, socializing, and workshops on writing, publishing, and marketing works. https://www.southeasternwritersassociation.org/ July 7-13, 2024: Leopardi Writing Conference (Recanati, Italy). An immersive program for new and experienced authors, the Leopardi Writing Conference offers workshops and craft talks in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. As writing tends to be a solitary endeavor, the Leopardi Writing Conference will serve the inspiring purpose of community and place. We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to receive expert feedback on your writing project, and get to know your fellow writers, including the distinguished members of our faculty. https://www.leopardiwc.org/ July 10-14, 2024: GCLS Annual Conference (Denver, CO). The GCLS’s annual conference is the premier literary event for both authors and readers. The event brings together readers, fans, writers, editors and publishers to celebrate women-loving-women and sapphic literature. https://www.goldencrownliterarysociety.org/coming-soon-03 July 11 – 13, 2024: Midwest Writers Workshop (Muncie, Indiana). MWW’s primary goal is to nurture aspiring and accomplished writers to improve their craft and achieve their writing and publishing goals in an inclusive community that welcomes and uplifts all voices. At our annual hybrid summer conference, you’ll find a thriving and lively community eager to welcome new faces and catch up with old writer friends from across the Midwest–and beyond! We offer sessions and panels covering a wide array of genres, topics, and approaches to craft, all led by top-notch faculty. https://www.midwestwriters.org/mww24-summer-conference/ July 11-14, 2024: Readercon 33 Conference (Quincy, MA). Although Readercon is modeled on “science fiction conventions,” we have no art show, no costumes, no gaming, and almost no media. Instead, Readercon features a near-total focus on the written word. In many years the list of Readercon guests rivals or surpasses that of the Worldcon in quality. Readercon is the only small convention regularly attended by such giants of imaginative literature as Samuel R. Delany, Ellen Datlow, Amal El-Mohtar, John Crowley, Greer Gilman, and Catherynne M. Valente. https://readercon.org/ July 12-14, 2024: SAGA 2024 Genre Fiction Writers’ Conference (Winston-Salem, NC). SAGA is fast becoming the premier genre fiction writing conference east of the Mississippi. With a concentration on genre writing (science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.), SAGA brings the master class-style presentation of a professional writers’ conference to commercial fiction, with presentations and workshops focused both on craft and on the business of writing. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saga-2024-tickets-677588795327 July 14-20, 2024: Port Townsend Writers Conference (Port Townsend, WA) . The Port Townsend Writers Conference will feature guided free writes as well as readings and lectures by contemporary writers in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. In 2024, Centrum’s writing programs will offer participants vital support for the creation and revision of new and existing work from PTWC Artistic Curator Gary Copeland Lilley and award-winning faculty (listed alphabetically) Kim Addonizio, Quenton Baker, Elizabeth Colen, Alice Derry, Melissa Febos, CMarie Fuhrman, Tess Gallagher, Jennifer Givhan, Derrick Harriell, Arna Bontemps Hemenway, Brandon Hobson, Ravi Howard, Sasha LaPointe, Sam Ligon, Rena Priest, Sebastian Matthews, Laura Read, Anastacia Reneé, Shawn Vestal, and Kristen Millares Young. https://centrum.org/program/writers-conference/ July 19-21, 2024: Imaginarium (Louisville, KY). Imaginarium 2024 proudly welcomes author, publicist, podcaster, publisher and book marketing expert Stephanie Feger as a Spotlighted Guest! The founder of the emPower PR Group, following a 15-year career in the communications and marketing industry, Stephanie and her team of marketing experts help authors build or grow meaningful businesses around their books’ empowering messages! https://www.entertheimaginarium.com/ July 20-22, 2024: Sun Valley Writers’ Conference (Sun Valley, ID). The Sun Valley Writers’ Conference (SVWC) began with a conversation among four friends – journalist Reva B. Tooley, Sun Valley Community School leaders Jon and Leslie Maksik, and venture capitalist Gordon Russell, who sat around a kitchen table in 1994 and fantasized about starting a writers’ conference. One year later, SVWC held its first event in a tent at Sun Valley Community School, featuring 12 writers, 108 attendees, and an opening talk by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, David Halberstam. https://svwc.com/ July 21 – July 26, 2024: Napa Valley Writers Conference (Napa, CA) . Since 1981, the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference has provided literary fellowship and a craft-focused experience among the foothills and vineyards that have made this region famous. http://www.napawritersconference.org/ July 31 – August 4, 2024: Willamette Writers Conference (Portland, OR). Willamette Writers is the largest writers’ organization in the Pacific Northwest. Writers of all genres and at all stages of their careers come to our meetings, annual conference, and workshops to connect with their community, develop their craft, and advance their career. https://willamettewriters.org/ August 1-3, 2024: Mendocino Coast Writers Conference (Mendocino, CA). The Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference is a vibrant gathering that offers morning workshops in a wide range of genres. Afternoons are packed with craft seminars, panels, one-on-one consultations, and open mics; and every evening offers an opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie and connection that make this conference, in the words of one participant, “life changing.” At this conference, writers can participate in morning workshops that are related to various genres. https://mcwc.org/ August 1-4, 2024. The 60th Cape Cod Writers Center Conference (Barnstable, MA). The Cape Cod Writers Center is committed to assisting published and aspiring writers of all genres, abilities and ages to develop their writing skills and learn the business of editing, publishing and promotion. https://capecodwriterscenter.org/mark-your-calendars-for-upcoming-ccwc-events/ August 2-4, 2024: Advanced Speakers & Writers Conference (AWSA). AWSA is a special fellowship of over 800 Christian women. We are professional authors, entertainers, publishers and speakers who encourage and train one another. https://awsa.pages.ontraport.net/conference August 3–9, 2024: 29th Annual Postgraduate Writers’ Conference (Montpelier, VT). VCFA’s annual Postgraduate Writers’ Conference is a haven for serious, emerging practitioners seeking to connect, recharge, and lift their process and craft to new levels. https://vcfa.edu/postgraduate-writers-conference/ August 22-25, 2024: 2024 Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference (Franklin, TN). Killer Nashville is the premier forum for all genres incorporating mystery, thriller, or suspense elements; learn, present, meet agents & editors, sign books, mingle with forensic experts, and network. Writers who attend the Killer Nashville Writers Conference can expect writing workshops, pitch sessions, panel discussions, author signings, and a book fair. https://www.killernashville.com/ September 5-8, 2024: American Christian Fiction Writers Conference St. Louis (St. Louis, MO). If you’ve attended an ACFW conference before, you understand what the excitement’s about. Each year, hundreds of veteran authors and those just learning the craft of Christian fiction gather in a setting like this to hear skilled instructors, inspiring keynoters…to gain from the insights of industry professionals…to interact with other writers…and to present their ideas to agents and editors looking for stories like theirs, or to mentors who can help them move forward in their writing career. If you write Christian fiction—or want to learn how—the ACFW conference is an investment worth making. We hope you’ll join us on this exciting journey, taking a major step forward in your writing career. ACFW, the Voice of Christian Fiction. https://acfw.com/acfw-conference/ September 27-29, 2024: Colorado Gold Writers Conference (Denver, CO). They want to help you “lift up and lift off” your writing career at 2024’s Colorado Gold Writers Conference with a smashing line-up of keynotes, super-star agents (including for film adaptation), workshops for a variety of topics and genres, and networking galore. (Did someone say Bar-con?). https://rmfw.org/conference/ September 28-29, 2024: Gotham Writers Children’s Lit Conference (Via Zoom). This online conference features a lot of great people in kid-lit, including agents and publishers. Attendees can pay a bit extra and have pitch sessions, too. https://www.writingclasses.com/childrens-book/writers-conference/index October 10-12, 2024: Ozarks Creative Writers Conference (Eureka Springs, AR). This conference is for new, emerging, and accomplished writers focusing on the craft of writing, further developing skills, as well as stimulating and encouraging participants. OCW also focuses on opportunities for the participants to interact with editors, agents, and publishers. https://www.ozarkcreativewriters.com/ October 17-20, 2024: Writer’s Digest Annual Conference (New York, NY). Writer’s Digest Annual Conference is excited to meet in person this October in the hometown of Writer’s Digest! More details will be available soon including a call for speakers, registration, etc. As time evolves, we will post updates so be sure to check our website for the latest information. https://writersdigestconference.com/ November 1-2, 2024: Atlanta Writers Conference (Atlanta, GA) . AWC’s 31st conference offers an in-person experience for all activities—critiques and pitches, a workshop, Q&A panels, free talks, an award ceremony, a book fair & more—and a virtual option for agent/editor meetings https://atlantawritersconference.com/ November 15-17, 2024: Kauai Writers Conference, (Lihue, Kauai). The Kauai Writers Conference attracts major authors of both literary and popular fiction, memoir, poetry, non-fiction and screenplay. A three-day conference including about 40 workshops, lectures and panels with each of the author faculty. https://kauaiwritersconference.com/ Select a writers’ conference of interest to you and be prepared to enjoy the benefits of meeting other writers. You may acquire knowledge you can use immediately, find a new market for your book, elevate your professional effectiveness, meet editors, agents and publishers, become inspired and return home energized. The Bottom Line: Take a little working vacation and hit some writers’ conferences. Make it a priority to sign up for one in the coming weeks and months. You’ll be glad you did! About Book Publicist Scott LorenzBook publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few. Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist . Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net . Would you like help promoting your book?If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else? Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you! Writing conferences are great for new writers, and writers who don’t have much support or know what to do next, but they’re good for experienced writers too, to network or brush up on new trends or changes in the publishing world. Thanks for this great list! Glad you liked the list. Sometimes it’s just good to get out and about and commiserate with fellow authors. Most authors share info, agents and help one another. I highly recommend that authors attend a writer’s confab. This is a great list! If your favorite gets canceled, just go to their website and see if they put it on the next year, or month, etc. Sometimes there are online conferences too. You can meet a diverse group of writers, agents, publishers, and PR people at one of these. Thank you for your kind words I’m glad you found it informative it’s a major project to keep up with all these not to mention the fact that it’s a moving target with COVID-19. Thanks so much for including our conference on your list. We just sold out! This is our 4th year and it gets bigger and better every year. It’s inspiring and motivating being in the company of other writers. Thank you for acknowledging us. – Samantha Hoffman https://www.chicagowrites.org/ FOLLOW ME ON TWITTERMy latest articles.
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Maximum word count is 2,500, and this is open to all nationalities and to anyone 18 or older. The winner gets a £10,000 cash prize, second place gets £3,000 and third place gets £2,000. Deadline: Applications open at the beginning of each year. Follow the Alpine Fellowship on Instagram for updates.
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Romance, and Short Story. The Booksie 2024 Short Story Contest invites writers to submit original short stories, with a maximum length of 5,000 words. The contest offers a grand prize of $500, along with badges for winners encoded on the blockchain.
The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we've published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it.
The organizers of this short story contest in 2023 seek "content that takes risks, screams with honesty, and celebrates life's extraordinary moments". Winning and shortlisted stories will be published in Folly Journal. Word count: 10,000. Prizes: $2000, $500, $250, two prizes of $125. Entry fee: $18.
Deadline: August 27-October 1, 2023. Period: One to three-week periods from June to December 2024. Financials: $900 fee for one week, $1,500 for two weeks, or $2,200 for three weeks. Entry Fee: $25. The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow. Location: Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Deadline: Rolling.
A variety of creative approaches and formats to writing on the visual arts are encouraged, and can include thematic essays, exhibition reviews, and scholarly essays.". Value: $3,000; two prizes of $1,000 each. Deadline: 31 August 2023. Open for: All writers. Details here and here.
This contest is only for those who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). Entrants may submit up to three poems (2 pages each) in the Poetry Category or one piece of fiction or creative nonfiction (up to 3,000 words) to the Prose Category. Deadline: 1 January 2023. Value: $200 for poetry, $200 for prose. Open for: BIPOC writers.
The contest is open to all writers in English except current or former students or employees of The University of Southern Mississippi. Fiction and non-fiction entries should be 1000-8000 words; poetry entries should be three to five poems, totaling ten pages or less. Genre. Fiction/Non-Fiction/Poetry. Sub-Genre.
This December there are more than four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $40,000 to publication. ... Genres: Books can be fiction or creative non-fiction and published in 2023. Self-published and e-Books are not eligible. Prize: $500 - $2000.
Writing Contest. Cash Prize: $1,000. Entry Fee: $11. Application Deadline: 1/10/23. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction. A prize of $1,000 and publication in Winter Anthology is given annually for a group of poems, a story, a novel excerpt, or an essay. Ann Lauterbach will judge.
F (r)iction Contests. Opens: July 1, 2024. Deadline: November 1, 2024. Results: Announced April 2025. Prizes: Win $1,600 in Prizes! Guest Judges: Lindz McLeod, KRISTINE ESSER SLENTZ, and Catherine McNamara. Categories: Short Story, Poetry, and Flash Fiction. For full Submission Guidelines, please read the information on our Submittable page ...
The Roswell Award is an annual science fiction contest with a $500 prize, co-presented by Sci-Fest L.A. and the Light Bringer Project. This is a great option if you like using your writing to unite the worlds of science and art. Prize: $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third place.
Bacopa Literary Review Writing Contest This is an international contest, and writers can submit to one category. Apart from prizes in fiction, creative nonfiction, and humor, they have three poetry prizes: formal poetry, free verse poetry, and visual poetry. Please see the guidelines for submission requirements in the category you wish to submit.
Writing prizes and opportunities. There are many awards and development schemes available for authors at all stages of their careers. Below is a list of monetary awards, sponsored retreats, mentorships and training opportunities. If you're looking for help both in development or funding from organisations near you, find information about local ...
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.".
Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline for entry is the 21st day of each month. Stories sent after the 21st will not be considered. The Writing Quarter Competition. Genre: Short stories of up to 3,000 words (open theme). Prize: $30. Furious Fiction.
Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted ...
Join the supportive peer-powered writing community today! Enter our quarterly writing contest, where each story receives oodles of feedback. Write one. Read ten. Win thousands. Join the most supportive writing community on the web. You up for the challenge?
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.
Kauai Writers Conference, Kauai, HI, Nov. 11-17, 2024. Kauai Writers Polish your writing skills while increasing your chances of publication by working top authors, agents and editors…in Hawaii. Pitch sessions and Advance Critique Sessions are also available. Attendance is limited to 150 participants.
A ghost story is a timeless classic style of creative writing and we're inviting you to write your own short story inspired by things that go bump in the night! You could be inspired by a real place that is rumoured to be haunted, choose a supernatural being to be the star of your story or even be a ghost hunter telling us of their experiences.
The 21st edition of Writers in Paradise will take place in January 18-25, 2025. Esteemed faculty and selected participants workshop for three hours in the morning, attend panels and craft talks in the afternoon, and attend evening readings and events. Participants are actively engaged with our faculty and guests from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
July 7-13, 2024: Leopardi Writing Conference (Recanati, Italy). An immersive program for new and experienced authors, the Leopardi Writing Conference offers workshops and craft talks in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. As writing tends to be a solitary endeavor, the Leopardi Writing Conference will serve the inspiring purpose of community and ...