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. 

2025 ESSAY COMPETITION
https://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/current/essay.php
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2025. Divisions: adult (age 19 – 30 years), senior (grade 9th – 12th), and junior (grade 8th and younger). Essays must not exceed 1,000 words in length. Each division has a topic. One entry per category per contestant is permitted. Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500). Senior division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300). Junior division: First ($300), Second ($200), Third ($100). Honorable mention (for all divisions listed above): Friends of Pacific Rim Awards ($50 each). Winners’ works may be published in the Korea Times Chicago or the Korean Quarterly or Azalea: A Journal of Korean Literature and Culture.

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.

3 MILE HARBOR POETRY BOOK AWARDS
https://www.3mileharborpress.com/?page_id=2938
$28 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 1, 2025. Send a manuscript of 48-88 pages in a single document via our online submissions manager, Submittable. Each poem should start on a new page. The winner will receive $500, and the publication of their book as a perfect-bound edition. The winner will also receive 25 author copies.

42 MILES PRESS POETRY AWARD
https://42milespress.com/contest/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Manuscripts will be accepted from February 1, 2024 to June 15, 2024. The prize is offered annually to any poet writing in English, including poets who have never published a full-length book as well as poets who have published several. Manuscripts submitted for the 42 Miles Press Poetry Award should exhibit an awareness of the contemporary “voice” in American poetry, an awareness of our moment in time as poets. The winning poet will receive $1,000, publication of his or her book, and 50 author copies. The winner will also be invited to give a reading at Indiana University South Bend ) post-pandemic) as part of the release of the book.

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.

SLIPPERY ELM PRIZE
https://slipperyelm.findlay.edu/submit/contest-guidelines/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 1, 2025. All contest entrants will receive a copy of the winning issue and be considered for publication. $1000 prizes in both Poetry and Prose. Up to 3 poems (no line/length limit) or one essay or story (5000 words maximum).  Multiple entries are fine.

LOSS & LOVE POETRY CONTEST
https://passionfruitreview.com/love-and-loss/
£3 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2025. Submissions are open to all poets writing in English. Poems must be previously unpublished. Poems up to 40 lines will be considered. 1st prize £400. 2nd prize £75. 3rd prize £25. Calling for poems that engage with experiences of love and loss.

LUCY CAVENDISH FICTION PRIZE
https://www.lucy.cam.ac.uk/fictionprize
£12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2025. The winner will receive a £1,500 prize, and all shortlisted authors will benefit from a one-on-one consultation with a literary agent at prize sponsor WME, including editorial feedback and invaluable publishing advice. Open to women and binary writers living in the UK or Ireland.

CAAPP BOOK PRIZE
https://www.autumnhouse.org/submissions/caapp-book-prize/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2025. The prize is awarded annually to a first or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African American, African, or African diasporic experiences. The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. The winning manuscript will be published by Autumn House Press and its author will be awarded $3,000. Please submit a manuscript between 48 and 168 pages.

ZOCALO POETRY PRIZE
https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/zocalo-poetry-prize-2025/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 24, 2025. The prize interprets “place” in many ways: A location may possess historical, cultural, political, or personal importance, and may be literal, imaginary, or metaphorical. The winner will receive $1,000 and will have the opportunity to read their poem at the Zócalo Book Prize event in the spring. We accept up to three poems from each writer as well as simultaneous submissions. Must be a US poet.

WOW! CREATIVE NONFICTION ESSAY CONTEST
https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#EssayContest
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2025. Seeking creative nonfiction on any topic (1000 words or less) and in any style, from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hermit crab. The mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Open internationally. Limit 300 entries. 1st Place: $500, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow’s Store. 2nd Place: $300, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow’s Store. 3rd Place: $200, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow’s Store. 7 Runners Up receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow’s Store. 10 Honorable mentions receive a gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow’s Store.

OMNIDAWN FIRST/SECOND POETRY BOOK CONTEST
https://www.omnidawn.com/poetry-contest-guidelines/
https://omnidawn.submittable.com/submit
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 16, 2025. The winner of each of Omnidawn’s poetry book and chapbook contests wins a cash prize ($3,000 for the 1st/2nd Book and Open Contest, $1,000 for the Chapbook Contest), publication of the book by Omnidawn with a full color cover (unless the author prefers black and white), 20 free copies of the winning book, and extensive publicity through our newsletters and social media channels. Online submissions are accepted from around the world. Min 40 pgs and Max 90 pgs for submitting in an 8.5 x 11 size page. Min 60 pgs & Max 110 pgs for submitting in a 6 x 9 size page.

THE AVERY REVIEW ESSAY PRIZE
https://averyreview.com/issues/68/essay-prize-2025
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2025. The Avery Review, a journal of critical essays on architecture published by the Office of Publications at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, invites submissions for its eighth annual Essay Prize. The call is open to current students (undergraduate and masters) and recent graduates, whether in schools of architecture or elsewhere (eligibility details below). In keeping with the mission of the journal, we hope to receive submissions that use the genres of the review and the critical essay to explore the urgent questions animating the field of architecture. One first-place prize ($4,000) and three second-place prizes ($2,000) across the various categories of eligible participants. The winning essays will be published in our June 2025 issue. Our essays are typically 3,000–4,500 words in length.

NEW WRITERS FLASH FICTION COMPETITION
https://newwriters.org.uk/flash-fiction-competition/flash-fiction-entry/
£10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2025. 1st Place: £1,100; 2nd Place: £300; 3rd Place: £200. Word Limit 300. There are a limited number of free entries available to people from low income households. There is no specific theme. Open to anyone aged 16 years or older (at the time of entry) from anywhere in the world.

LUMNISA SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://limnisa.com/competition-2025
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 2, 2025. Submit your short story for a chance to win a week-long writing retreat by the sea in  Greece. Word count 500-1500 words. Theme: August Blue. Open to anyone (18 or older) worldwide.

ETHOS LITERACY SHORT SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.ethosliteracy.org/6thcontest
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2025. The challenge: write a story using 100 words. Write on one of these topics: envy, eyeglasses, nightmares, turtles. Open to all ages. Writers who reside outside the U.S. can participate. Best of Contest: $200. Four Best of Topic: $100 each. Best Youth Story: $100.

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.

WISCONSIN SIJO COMPETITION
https://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/wisijo/index.php
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 20, 2025. This competition is only open to residents of Wisconsin. Those temporarily residing out of state (e.g., military members or college students) are allowed to participate. Adult division: Grand Prize ($400), two Runners-Up ($200 each). Senior division: Grand Prize ($300), two Runners-Up ($150 each). Junior division: Grand Prize ($200), two Runners-Up ($100 each). One sijo per contestant is permitted.

3 MILE HARBOR PRESS POETRY AWARD
https://3mileharborpress.submittable.com/submit
$40 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2025. The winner will receive a $500 award, and the publication of their book as a perfect-bound edition. The winner will also receive 25 author copies. Send a manuscript of 48-88 pages in a single document via our online submissions manager, Submittable. Manuscripts may include poems that have been previously published in periodicals, anthologies chapbooks, or on the web, but the manuscript may not have been published as a larger body of work.

RUMPUS PRIZE FOR POETRY, FICTION, AND CREATIVE NONFICTION
https://therumpus.net/the-rumpus-prize/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 2, 2025. Submit previously unpublished poetry, short stories, and/or creative nonfiction. All submissions will be read by The Rumpus’s editorial team, and our final judges will be Kaveh Akbar (Poetry),Rachel Khong (Fiction), and Megan Stielstra (Creative Nonfiction). Prizes (6 total, 2 in each genre) $1,000 first-place prize and publication in three genres: poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Honorable mentions receive $200 and publication in each of the three genres.

NOT QUITE WRITE PRIZE FOR FLASH FICTION
https://notquitewritepodcast.com/prize/
ENTRY FEE AU$35 / ~US$22 (20% early bird discount available). Deadline January 26 2025 AEDT. The Not Quite Write Prize challenges writers to break the writing “rules” while still telling a compelling 500-word story. Compete for a share of AU$4,000 in cash prizes and the coveted Not Quite Write Prize trophy. Winners are read aloud on the Not Quite Write podcast and receive a publishing contract for the annual Not Quite Write Prize print anthology. Hosted in Australia but open to writers worldwide. First prize AU$1,500 plus a trophy and publication.

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.

NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS
https://www.indiebookawards.com/
$75 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 14, 2025. Books, manuscripts, galley proofs written in English and published in 2023, 2024 or 2025 or with a 2023, 2024 or 2025 copyright date are accepted. Winners receive a cash prize, gold medal, digital promotional stickers, social media coverage, literary exposure, and invitation to attend the gala reception. 80+ categories are offered.

NEXT GENERATION SHORT STORY AWARDS
https://shortstoryawards.com/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 27, 2025. Stories and poems in English that are unpublished are accepted. Winners receive a cash prize, gold medal, digital promotional stickers, social media coverage, literary exposure, stories published in an Anthology of Winners and a complimentary copy of the Anthology of Winners. Length should not exceed 5000 words. 30+ categories are offered.

ALPINE FELLOWSHIP POETRY PRIZE
https://alpinefellowship.com/poetry-prize
Deadline March 1, 2025. Awarded for the best poetic response on the 2025 theme, which will be announced in January. The winner and runners-up will receive cash prizes and will be invited to attend our annual symposium. First place: £3,000. Second place: £1,000. Third place: £1,000. Will also offer up to £500 travel expenses to help with travel to the event and meals and accommodation during the symposium dates are also covered. Open to all nationalities. You may submit one poem or a collection of poems as long as all the poems in the collection speak to the theme. There is a maximum of 500 words per entry.

ARC POETRY CONTEST
https://arcpoetry.ca/contest/poem-of-the-year/
$40 CDN ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 1, 2025. Arc’s annual poetry contest is among the richest in the country, offering $5,000 for the winning poem, a $500 award for the poem selected as Honourable Mention, and a $250 prize for the Readers’ Choice selection. In addition, all 10 to 12 shortlisted poems receive paid publication in Arc and online. The length of each poem must not exceed 100 lines.

DREAMERS: STORIES OF MIGRATION, SENSE OF PLACE AND HOME
https://www.dreamerswriting.com/submit/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2025. Prize: $250 to the first place winner. Submit your stories of migration and/or your sense of place, of home or lack of, and your empathy to the plight of migrants around the world. Interpret the theme of this contest in any way that is fitting for you, keeping in mind the theme of Dreamers Creative Writing – that of heartfelt stories. You do not need to be a migrant to enter this contest.

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.

STORY UNLIKELY SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.storyunlikely.com/#contest
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2025. There are no restrictions on genre: fantasy, sci-fi, memoir, fiction/nonfiction, etc. Limit 4,000 words (5,000 for members). There are no restrictions on age or location of participant. $1,500 first place, $1,000 second place, $500 third place. The winning story will be featured on Story Unlikely’s website, will be strongly considered for our annual (print) sample magazine, and may be sent out as the bonus story for signing up, which means a lot of exposure to the winner. All three placing stories will be published in the monthly issue, and all three will be illustrated. To be eligible for the contest, all writers must be signed up to Story Unlikely’s monthly issue. Did we mention it’s free?

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.