Contests

Writing contests provide steps up for a writer – especially a struggling writer. A portfolio that contains contest wins means more than many clips. Can’t afford the entry fees? Consider entering one contest a quarter or something more amiable to your pocketbook. A few are free. Contests provide prizes, prestige and usually publication with many offering book contracts. Denouncing contests from your writing repertoire is like discounting an entire genre or refusing to eat yellow vegetables. You’re giving up something valuable that may serve you and your career well.

NOTE: To have your group’s contest posted, email hope@chopeclark.com with the link to the contest. It must pay a minimum of a $200 first prize, not take all rights for entering, and charge an entry fee of five percent or less. 

NAOMI LONG MADGETT POETRY PRIZE
http://www.broadsidelotuspress.org/2024/09/naomi-long-madgett-poetry-award-guidelines-for-2023.html
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 15, 2025. This competition is open to African American poets only. The poems in the manuscript should total approximately 60-90 pages, exclusive of a table of contents or other optional introductory material. The award winner will receive $500 in cash and publication of the manuscript by Broadside Lotus Press within the first three months of 2025, as well as free copies and discounts.

ANN PETRY AWARD
https://redhen.org/ann-petry-award/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2025. The Ann Petry Award seeks to publish prose literature by Black authors. The Ann Petry Award is for a work of previously unpublished prose, either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, with a minimum of 150 pages, by a Black writer. The Ann Petry Award is for a work of previously unpublished prose, either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, with a 25,000-word minimum (approximately 150 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font). Prize is $3,000 and publication.

ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND CRIME FICTION AWARD
https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/EleanorTaylorBland
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2025. An annual grant of $2,000 for an emerging writer of color. An unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers, from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. Have you published two novels OR ten or more short stories? We’re sorry, that means you aren’t eligible to apply.

THE FOLEY POETRY CONTEST
https://americamedia.submittable.com/submit
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2025. Each entrant is asked to submit one poem of 45 lines or fewer. Poems should not be under consideration elsewhere. Poems may address any topic. The winning poem will be announced in early June and published in the print edition of America. The cash prize is $1,000. Three runners-up will also be published in subsequent issues.  Each year upwards of 1,000 poems are submitted.

PARSEC SHORT STORY CONTEST FOR SCIFI
https://parsec-sff.org/short-story-contest/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2025. The 2025 Contest theme is “ROOTS.” No minimum, no more than 3500 words. The contest is open to non-professional writers who have not met the eligibility requirements for SFWA Full Membership. First-place receives $200 and publication in the Confluence program book. Second-place receives $100. Third-place receives $50. Youth Story Prize receives $50. The Youth Story category is for ages up to 19 years IF you are still enrolled in and attending high school at the time of submission.

BBC NATIONAL SHORT STORY AWARD
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/Tf3PpXMRWPFtyFRz21QLKl/the-2025-bbc-national-short-story-award-is-open-for-submissions-in-its-20th-year
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 17, 2025. The award is open to British Nationals and UK residents only. The short story entered must be unpublished or first published/broadcast after 1 January 2024. The Award, celebrating its 20th year, is worth £15,000 and will be given to one writer demonstrating exceptional skill and artistry in the short story form. The Award is for a single story of up to 8,000 words, written by an established author.

GEMINI SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://gemini-magazine.com/short-story-contest-2025/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2025. First prize $1,000. Second prize $100. Three Honorable Mentions $25. Any subject, style or length. Entries must be unpublished.

THE ALPINE PRIZE
https://alpinefellowship.com/writing-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2025. Awarded for the best piece of writing on the theme of Fear. The winner and runners-up will receive financial support in the following amounts: First place: £3,000, Second place: £1,000, Third place: £1,000. All genres of writing are permitted, including fiction, non-fiction, and non-academic essays. Open to all nationalities. Applicants must be aged 18 or above at the time of entry. All entries must be written in English. A maximum of 1,250 words per entry.

SHORT GRAIN CONTEST
https://grainmagazine.ca/contests/short-grain
ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2025. The Short Grain Contest celebrates poetry and prose from across Canada and internationally. In addition to being published in Grain, cash prizes are available for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each genre. First $1000 & publication in Grain. Second $750 & publication in Grain. Third $500 & publication in Grain. The basic fee for Canadian entrants is $40 (including GST) for a maximum of two entries in one category (i.e. two poems for the Poetry category, or two stories for the Fiction category). The fee for US entrants is $50 and the fee for international entrants is $60, payable in US or Canadian funds.

SLOPE EDITIONS POETRY BOOK PRIZE CONTEST
https://www.slopeeditions.org/2025-book-prize
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2025. The winning poet will have their book of poems published in 2026 by Slope Editions and will receive $1000 and free copies of the book in lieu of royalties. Any poet living in the US and writing in English is eligible. Submit 40 to 90 pages.

DARK POETS PRIZE
https://www.darkpoets.club/darkpoetsprize
£5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2025. This global poetry competition invites you to submit your most captivating poems that explore the beauty within darkness. The winner will receive the prestigious title of International ‘Dark Poets Prize’, Edition III Winner and a cash prize of £500. Maximum of 250 words per poem.

WRITER’S DIGEST SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK AWARDS
https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/self-published-book-awards
Deadline April 1, 2025. Submit your self-published, printed and bound book in one of seven categories (mainstream/literary fiction, genre fiction, nonfiction/reference, inspirational/self-help, memoirs/life stories, early reader/children’s picture books, middle-grade/young adult). A Grand Prize package that includes $10,000, a trip to the Annual Writer’s Digest Conference and a feature article about you and your book in the March/April 2026 issue of Writer’s Digest. One of seven First Place prize packages that include $1,000 in each respective category and promotion in the March/April 2026 issue of Writer’s Digest. Send us your book, which must have been published between 2020 and now.

THE ORISON PRIZES IN POETRY & FICTION
https://www.orisonbooks.com/submissions
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2025. Submissions of full-length poetry (50 – 100 pp.) and fiction (minimum 30,000 words) manuscripts. Fiction manuscripts may be a collection of short stories or flash fiction, a novella, or a novel. The winner in each genre will receive a $1,500 cash prize, publication, and a standard royalties contract.

PRIME NUMBER AWARDS FOR POETRY & SHORT FICTION
https://www.press53.com/prime-number-magazine-awards
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2025. Open to writers around the world, ages 18 and older, who write in English. Each category will have a First Prize winner, two Runners-Up, and a short list of Finalists. The winning poem and short story, and our runners-up, will appear in Issue 277 of Prime Number Magazine on September 1, 2025. First Prize is $1,000 in each category, and $250 for each Runner-Up (new!).

SANTA CLARA REVIEW FLASH FICTION AND FLASH CREATIVE NONFICTION CONTEST
https://santaclarareview.submittable.com/submit
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 2, 2025. The first prize winner will be awarded $200, the first runner-up will be awarded $100, and the second runner-up will be awarded $50. The contest winner will be published in the 2025 fall issue of the Santa Clara Review. All other work will be considered for publication. Limit 1000 words.

LITTLE KANAWHA READING SERIES CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://www.glenville.edu/community/lkrs-chapbook-contest
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2025. Glenville State University’s Little Kanawha Reading Series is proud to announce its inaugural Chapbook Contest. We invite poets and prose writers to submit works that celebrate and explore the rich cultural tapestry of Appalachia. Submit 15 to 25 pages of poetry or prose. $200 and publication of the winning chapbook.

NAOMI SHIHAB NYE PRIZE
https://www.albustanseeds.org/naomi-shihab-nye-prize
$25 ENTRY FEE. Opens March 1. Deadline May 20, 2025. Open to Arab American and Arab Canadian writers to submit an English-language middle-grade manuscripts directed to readers ages 8–12. This competition, initiated by Barbara Nimri Aziz, serves to foster new talent and encourage all writers, emerging and established, to celebrate the richness of Arab creativity and their storytelling tradition. First prize: $1,000; second: $500. Minimum 200 pages.

RINKS AND ROMANCE WRITING CONTEST
https://www.inkitt.com/contests/rinks-and-romance-2025
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2025. Win a Galatea Publishing Contract and $300, a free year of Galatea Unlimited, an Inkitt VIP Badge, and a feature on our Instagram! Second place $150, third place $50. Both come with other perks. Share your most heartwarming or thrilling hockey romance and keep readers hooked. We encourage writers to submit original stories that blend the intensity of hockey with the depth of romance. Whether it’s a tale of forbidden love, second chances, or rivals-to-lovers, your story should bring the rink to life and captivate readers. Entering the contest is free; all you need to do is publish your book on Inkitt and submit it on the contest page or from the contest tab in your work settings.

CRAFT NOVELETTE PRINT PRIZE
https://www.craftliterary.com/craft-novelette-print-prize-2025/
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 16, 2025. Seeking submissions of polished novelettes from 7,500 to 15,000 words. One grand-prize winner will receive $3,000, print publication, royalties, and twenty author copies. The winner will have the option of international distribution through drop-shipping at Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and other platforms, earning fifty percent of royalties on their published novelette. Please do not submit any form of creative nonfiction.

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST
https://www.arts.gov/grants/creative-writing-fellowships
Deadline March 12, 2025. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellowships program offers $50,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Individual U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. who meet specific publication requirements are eligible to apply.

ELECTRIC BOOK AWARD
https://altcurrentpress.com/submissions/
$18 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 30, 2025. Seeks book-length manuscripts of literary fiction, short stories, poetry, plays, novels, long novellas, creative nonfiction, literary memoir, essay collections, or hybrid. Winner receives $1,000, the Electric Book Award digital medallion, a certificate, and book publication on Alternating Current Press, which includes distribution through Ingram, Asterism, and all major online retailers.

AIRLIE PRIZE
https://www.airliepress.org/airlie-prize
ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2025. Open to all poets writing in English, regardless of place of residence. The winner will be notified at the end of the summer following the submission and will receive a $1,000 cash award upon publication of the book. Manuscripts should be 48 to 90 pages of original poetry in English.

OXFORD/42 NEW WRITING PRIZE
https://www.42mp.com/page/oxford-42-new-writing-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 30, 2025. The Oxford/42 New Writing Prize is open to anyone aged 18 or over living, working or studying in the UK at the closing date for submissions. The winner will receive £1500 along with professional representation by 42. To enter the competition, you need to submit a synopsis (up to 300 words) and an elevator pitch of no more than two sentences for a work of fiction, along with one of the following (in Word format): Novel – the first 10,000 to 15,000 words; Stage or radio play – a complete script of between 30 and 90 pages; Screenplays – a script of between 30 and 60 pages for episode one of a TV show or a complete feature-length film script of 90 pages.

CATERPILLAR POETRY PRIZE
https://www.thecaterpillarmagazine.com/a1-page.asp?ID=9398&page=27
€15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2025. First prize €1,000 plus a week at Circle of Misse in France. Second prize €500. Third prize €250. An annual prize for unpublished poems written by adults for children aged 7–11. There is no line limit.

FURIOUS FICTION
https://www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline first Friday of each month. A monthly short story challenge from the Australian Writers’ Centre. On the FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH, we will unveil a new story challenge. You then have 55 hours and a maximum of 500 words to wow us with your storytelling skills. Prize is $500 AU.

JOHN UPDIKE REVIEW EMERGING WRITERS PRIZE
https://blogs.iwu.edu/johnupdikesociety/the-jur-emerging-writers-prize/
NO ENTRY FEE. Rolling deadline. A $1000 prize plus publication in The John Updike Review, awarded annually to writers 40 years of age or younger. The writing may be scholarly or bellestristic in nature. Academics, critics, graduate students, assistant professors, novelists, poets, and short story writers are encouraged to submit 10-30 page essays. Submissions are open and rolling.

TADPOLE PRESS 100-WORD WRITING CONTEST

https://www.tadpolepress.com/100-word-writing-contest
$15 ENTRY FEE. Hosted twice a year with deadlines every April 30 and November 30. Word Limit: 100 words or less per entry. All ages. All genders. All nationalities. You may enter pieces that are brand-new or have been previously published elsewhere. Any genre. No theme. 1st place $2,000 USD. 2nd place publishing and marketing package with Compassiviste Publishing ($6,000 USD value). 3rd place manuscript assessment package with Compassiviste Publishing ($1,500-$3,000 USD value). 4th place editing package with Tadpole Press ($1,450 USD value). 5th place writing coaching package with Tadpole Press ($600 USD value). 6th-10th place $100 USD.

NOTE: See more contests by joining our newsletters. We can keep you loaded with contests without you looking anywhere else!

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Please remember to read ALL guidelines for a contest. FundsforWriters tries to research contests to the best of our ability, but we cannot confirm the credibility of each and every one without entering them ourselves. Be informed and be alert as you would with any market, publisher, agent or competition.

Testimonials

Dear Hope, The Emerald Theatre Company’s 10-minute play fest is going into its second year. Without you, and FundsforWriters, the first year might not have been possible. Thanks to the publicity from your newsletter, our little Memphis, Tennessee event received scripts from Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, the UK and New Zealand.

This wealth of wonderful material yielded quality vignettes that made the best local actors and stage directors (including a popular local radio personality) eager to donate their time and talent – their presence, in turn, sold tickets. We played to packed houses and everyone had a great time. To our astonishment, Vermont Pride Theatre got wind of the show and asked to put it on in its entirety this coming July – meaning the playwrights who won prizes and recognition in our fest, will now receive additional recognition along with royalties.

The bottom line is, without you, we would have had something rinky dink – with you we had something substantial. The publicity you provided on the front end made all the difference in the world!  ~Caroline Sposto, www.whycaroline.com, (610) 597-9803

 

Hi Hope, we met at the SCWW conference in Myrtle Beach last October, and I was so impressed with your lecture that I subscribed to FFW as soon as I got home. I wanted to drop you a line to let you know that because of FFW, I submitted AND WON The 2008 William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers! My novel will be finished this week, and next weekend I’m going to Malice Domestic to accept the award. Thanks you, and keep up the great work.