literary essay contests

Your Ultimate Guide to Writing Contests Through 2024

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

The right contest can tell you:

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

And you could win cash.

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

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

Great American Fiction Contest

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

Runners-up (5): $200

Entry Fee: $10

Deadline: TBD 2024 (Annual Contest)

Sponsor: The Saturday Evening Post

From Website: “Unpublished short stories of 1,500 to 5,000 words in any genre touching on the publication’s mission, “Celebrating America—past, present, and future.”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

SiWC Writing Contest

Prize: 1st: $1,000 plus publication

Honorable Mention: $150

Entry Fee: $15

Deadline: September 15, 2024

Sponsor: Surrey International Writers’ Conference

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

WOW / Women On Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Competition

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

2nd: $300, $25 Amazon gift certificate

3rd: $200, $25 Amazon gift certificate

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

Honorable mentions (10): $20 Amazon gift certificate

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

Deadline: Quarterly (next deadline February 2, 2024)

Sponsor: WOW / Women On Writing

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

Bristol Short Story Prize

Prize: 1st: £1,000 (~$1,242)

2nd: £500 (~$621)

3rd: £250 (~$310)

Shortlisted (17): £100 (~$124)

Entry Fee: £9 (~$11)

Deadline: TBD 2024

Sponsor: Bristol Short Story Prize

From Website: “Open to all published and unpublished writers 16 and up.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

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award

Prize: £2,500 (~$3,105)

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

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

Deadline: August 31, 2024

Sponsor: Aesthetica Magazine

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

The Lascaux Prize

Prize: $1,000

Finalists receive $100

Deadline: June 20, 2024

Sponsor: The Lascaux Review

“Flash Fiction and Creative Nonfiction categories. 

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

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

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

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

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

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

Entry Fee: Free

Deadline: March 1, 2024

Sponsor: The Alpine Fellowship

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

ServiceScape Short Story Award

Deadline: November 29, 2024

Sponsor: ServiceScape

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

Bacopa Literary Review Contest

Prize: $200 Award 

$100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories

Sponsor: The Writers Alliance of Gainesville

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

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

Prize: $.08 per word and publication

Deadline: February 1, 2024

Sponsor: National Space Society and Baen Books

From Website: “Write a short story of no more than 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration. What they want to see: Moon bases, Mars colonies, orbital habitats, space elevators, asteroid mining, artificial intelligence, nano-technology, realistic spacecraft, heroics, sacrifice, and adventure.”

Parsec Short Story Contest

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

Second place: $100 

Third place: $50 

Best Youth Story: $50

Deadline: March 31st, 2024

Sponsor: Parsec, Inc.

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

The Raymond Carver Short Story Contest

Prize: First place: $2000 

Second place: $500 

Third place: $250 

Two Editor’s Choice: $125

Entry Fee: $18

Deadline: May 15, 2024

Sponsor: Carve Magazine

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

Blurred Genres Flash Contest

Prize: First Place: $750 

Second Place: $350 

Third Place: $150 

Publication of Top Five

Sponsor: Invisible City (University of San Francisco)

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

Imagine 2200: Write the future

Prize: First Place: $3,000

Second Place: $2,000 

Third Place: $1,000

An additional nine finalists will each receive $300 

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

Sponsor: Grist

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

The Elegant Literature Award For New Writers

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

Second – Tenth: 10c/word and publication.

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

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

Deadline: Ongoing (monthly)

Sponsor: Elegant Literature Magazine

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

F(r)iction Contests

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

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

Deadline: April 30, 2024

Sponsor: F(r)iction

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

Manchester Fiction Prize

Prize: £10,000 (~$12,420)

Entry Fee: £18 (~$22) 

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

Sponsor: Manchester Metropolitan University

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

Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition

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

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

Second Place: $500 

Third Place: $250 

Fourth Place: $100 

Fifth Place: $50 

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

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

Deadline: May 6, 2024 

Sponsor: Writer’s Digest

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

Emerging Writer’s Contest

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

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

Sponsor: Ploughshares (Emerson College)

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

Wells Festival of Literature Short Story Competition

Prize: First Place £750 (~$932)

Second Place £300 (~$373)

Third Place: £200 (~$248)

Entry Fee: £6 (~$8)

Sponsor: Wells Festival of Literature

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

Anthology Short Story Competition

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

Second Place: €250 (~$275)

Third Place: €150 (~$165)

Entry Fee: Early Bird: €12 (~$13)

Standard fee: €18 (~$20)

Deadline: July 31, 2024

Sponsor: Anthology Publishing

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

The Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize

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

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

Sponsor: Wasafiri Magazine 

From Website: “Exceptionally international in scope, the prize supports writers who have not yet published a book-length work, with no limits on age, gender, nationality, or background. No entry may exceed 3,000 words. A single poetry entry can include up to three poems, which together total no more than 3,000 words.”

2024 Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

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

Entry Fee: $25

Sponsor: Gotham Writers and Selected Shorts

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

Robert and Adele Schiff Awards

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

Entry Fee: $20

Sponsor: The Cincinnati Review (University of Cincinnati)

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

Salamander 2024 Fiction Prize

Prize: First Place: $1,000 and Publication

 Second Place: $500 and Publication

Deadline: TBD 2024 

Sponsor: Salamander Magazine

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

BOA Short Fiction Prize

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

Deadline: May 31, 2024

Sponsor: BOA Editions, Ltd.

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

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Prize: First Place: $3,000 

Entry Fee: $22

Deadline: May 1, 2024

Sponsor: Winning Writers (Co-sponsored by Duotrope)

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

Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction

Prize: $1,333

Deadline: November 1, 2024

Sponsor: Reed Magazine

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

53-Word Story Contest

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

Deadline: Ongoing. 15th of each month

Sponsor: Prime Number Magazine

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

Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction

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

Deadline: Awarded every two months

Sponsor: Letter Review

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

Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction

Entry Fee: $20.

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

University of New Orleans Press Lab Prize

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

Entry Fee: $28

Sponsor: University of New Orleans

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

The Bath Novel Awards 

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

All shortlistees win feedback on their full manuscript.

Entry Fee: £29 (~$36)

Deadline: May 31st 2024

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

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

The Times/Chicken House Competition

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

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

Entry Fee: £20 (~$25)

Deadline: June 1, 2024

Sponsor: The Times and Chicken House 

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

The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction

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

Deadline: September 30, 2024

Sponsor: Dzanc Books

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

Claymore Award

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

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

Deadline: April 1, 2024

Sponsor: Killer Nashville

From Website: “The contest is limited to only the first 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense NOT currently under contract. These can include Action Adventure, Comedy, Cozy, Historical, Investigator, Juvenile/YA, Literary, Mainstream/Commercial, Mystery, Nonfiction, Sci-fi/Fantasy, Short Story Collections, Southern Gothic, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller, and Western manuscripts, and any of their derivatives. (Self-published manuscripts are considered already published and are not eligible.)”

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

Prize: Publication and a $10,000 advance

Sponsor: Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America

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

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing

Prize: $10,000 advance and publication

Sponsor: Restless Books

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

New American Fiction Prize

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

Deadline: January 15, 2024

Sponsor: New American Press

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

Your Next Best Read

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

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

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

Deadline: May 5, 2024

Sponsor: Excalibre Publishing

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

Letter Review Prize for Manuscripts

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

Entry Fee: $25.

Deadline: Awarded Every two months

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

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

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

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

Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize

Prize: $2,500 plus publication

Entry Fee: $30

Sponsor: Kent State University Press

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

Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry

Prize: $2,000 plus publication

Sponsor: Lynx House Press

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

Ó Bhéal Five Words International Poetry Competition

Prize: First Place: €750 ($890) 

Second Place: €500 ($590) 

Third Place: €250 ($295)

Entry Fee: €5 ($6)

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

Sponsor: Ó Bhéal

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

Letter Review Prize for Poetry

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

Entry Fee: $15.

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

• Advice for Researching Writing Competitions

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

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

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

2. Be genre-specific.

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

4. Carefully read the guidelines and eligibility requirements. 

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

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

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Each contest profile gives you Jendi's assessment of the 'heft' of the contest, the kind of work most likely to win a prize, and all the information you need to enter. Search the contests by name, deadline date, genre, prizes, and more. We highlight contests that are especially well-suited for writers at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced stages of their careers. Give your work its best chance for recognition, and spend less time on contests that are wrong for you. This five-minute video tour will make the benefits of our database clear.

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The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024

Help your students take their writing to the next level.

When students write for teachers, it can feel like an assignment. When they write for a real purpose, they are empowered! Student writing contests are a challenging and inspiring way to try writing for an authentic audience— a real panel of judges —and the possibility of prize money or other incentives. We’ve gathered a list of the best student writing contests, and there’s something for everyone. Prepare highly motivated kids in need of an authentic writing mentor, and watch the words flow.

1.  The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

With a wide range of categories—from critical essays to science fiction and fantasy—The Scholastic Awards are a mainstay of student contests. Each category has its own rules and word counts, so be sure to check out the options  before you decide which one is best for your students.

How To Enter

Students in grades 7-12, ages 13 and up, may begin submitting work in September by uploading to an online account at Scholastic and connecting to their local region. There are entry fees, but those can be waived for students in need.

2.  YoungArts National Arts Competition

This ends soon, but if you have students who are ready to submit, it’s worth it. YoungArts offers a national competition in the categories of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word. Student winners may receive awards of up to $10,000 as well as the chance to participate in artistic development with leaders in their fields.

YoungArts accepts submissions in each category through October 13. Students submit their work online and pay a $35 fee (there is a fee waiver option).

3. National Youth Foundation Programs

Each year, awards are given for Student Book Scholars, Amazing Women, and the “I Matter” Poetry & Art competition. This is a great chance for kids to express themselves with joy and strength.

The rules, prizes, and deadlines vary, so check out the website for more info.

4.  American Foreign Service National High School Essay Contest

If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington, DC.

Students fill out a registration form online, and a teacher or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is the first week of April.

5.  John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

This annual contest invites students to write about a political official’s act of political courage that occurred after Kennedy’s birth in 1917. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up also receive a variety of cash prizes. ADVERTISEMENT

Students may submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay through January 12. The essay must feature more than five sources and a full bibliography.

6. Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College offers competitions in three categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), and nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). First-place winners receive $500. Grab a poster for your classroom here .

The contest runs from September 1 to November 1. The website links to a student registration form.

7. The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest

Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? This exclusive competition, which is open only to high school juniors, is judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University. Students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. ( Note: Only open to 11th graders. )

Students submit one 10-page play script online or by mail. The deadline is the end of March. Contest details will be published in early 2024.

8. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in 11th grade. Prizes range from $100 to $500.

Students in 11th grade can submit their poetry. Contest details will be published this fall.

9. The New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest

This contest is also a wonderful writing challenge, and the New York Times includes lots of resources and models for students to be able to do their best work. They’ve even made a classroom poster !

Submissions need to be made electronically by November 1.

10.  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

The deadline for this contest is the end of October. Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Prizes include cash and scholarships. Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins.

Students may submit either one or two poems using the online form.

11.  The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open to high school sophomores and juniors, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a  Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop .

Submissions for the prize are accepted electronically from November 1 through November 30.

12. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 and publication by entering an essay on a topic specified by the Jane Austen Society related to a Jane Austen novel.

Details for the 2024 contest will be announced in November. Essay length is from six to eight pages, not including works cited.

13. Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Open to students from 15 to 18 years old who are interested in publication and exposure over monetary awards.

Teachers may choose five students for whom to submit up to four poems each on their behalf. The deadline is November 15.

14. The Black River Chapbook Competition

This is a chance for new and emerging writers to gain publication in their own professionally published chapbook, as well as $500 and free copies of the book.

There is an $18 entry fee, and submissions are made online.

15. YouthPlays New Voices

For students under 18, the YouthPlays one-act competition is designed for young writers to create new works for the stage. Winners receive cash awards and publication.

Scroll all the way down their web page for information on the contest, which accepts non-musical plays between 10 and 40 minutes long, submitted electronically. Entries open each year in January.

16. The Ocean Awareness Contest

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest, Tell Your Climate Story , encourages students to write their own unique climate story. They are asking for creative expressions of students’ personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about climate change. Students are eligible for a wide range of monetary prizes up to $1,000.

Students from 11 to 18 years old may submit work in the categories of art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, accompanied by a reflection. The deadline is June 13.

17. EngineerGirl Annual Essay Contest

Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world, and students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. The new contest asks for pieces describing the life cycle of an everyday object. Check out these tips for integrating the content into your classroom .

Students submit their work electronically by February 1. Check out the full list of rules and requirements here .

18. NCTE Student Writing Awards

The National Council of Teachers of English offers several student writing awards, including Achievement Awards in Writing (for 10th- and 11th-grade students), Promising Young Writers (for 8th-grade students), and an award to recognize Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines.

Deadlines range from October 28 to February 15. Check out NCTE.org for more details.

19. See Us, Support Us Art Contest

Children of incarcerated parents can submit artwork, poetry, photos, videos, and more. Submissions are free and the website has a great collection of past winners.

Students can submit their entries via social media or email by October 25.

20. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry & Prose

The Adroit Journal, an education-minded nonprofit publication, awards annual prizes for poetry and prose to exceptional high school and college students. Adroit charges an entry fee but also provides a form for financial assistance.

Sign up at the website for updates for the next round of submissions.

21. National PTA Reflections Awards

The National PTA offers a variety of awards, including one for literature, in their annual Reflections Contest. Students of all ages can submit entries on the specified topic to their local PTA Reflections program. From there, winners move to the local area, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.

This program requires submitting to PTAs who participate in the program. Check your school’s PTA for their deadlines.

22. World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international contest open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, as well as those in home-study programs. The $500 prize is based on an essay that addresses one of this year’s two prompts.

Students can submit entries via email or regular mail before May 1.

23. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

The National Society of High School Scholars awards three $2,000 scholarships for both poetry and fiction. They accept poetry, short stories, and graphic novel writing.

Apply online by October 31.

Whether you let your students blog, start a podcast or video channel, or enter student writing contests, giving them an authentic audience for their work is always a powerful classroom choice.

If you like this list of student writing contests and want more articles like it, subscribe to our newsletters to find out when they’re posted!

Plus, check out our favorite anchor charts for teaching writing..

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23 Writing Competitions for High School Students

What’s covered:, why should you enter a writing competition, writing competitions for high school students, how do writing competitions affect my admissions chances.

Do you dream of writing the next great American novel? Are you passionate about poetry? Do you aspire to become a screenwriter? No matter what genre of writing you’re interested in—whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or something else entirely—there’s a writing competition focused on it.

Writing competitions provide great motivation to put pen to paper (or finger to key). Moreover, they’re an excellent step toward getting published, and can ultimately start you on the path to becoming a professional writer.

One of the best ways to improve your writing is simply to write—and competitions provide an excellent impetus to do so. Writing competitions also serve as an introduction to what life is like for many writers; participants entering writing competitions will receive a prompt or must think of an original idea, compose a piece of work, and submit it for review.

Another benefit of entering a writing competition for high schoolers is that many offer cash awards and scholarships, which can be used to help with the costs of college.

Additionally, many writing competitions are run by colleges and universities, so submitting them is a great way to introduce faculty to yourself and your work. If you win an award—especially a prestigious award—it can significantly improve your odds of college acceptance.

1. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

Type: Poetry and Prose

Submission Fee: $15

Prize: $200

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Eligibility:

• All secondary and undergraduate students

Guidelines:

• Each student may send up to five total submissions across the genres of poetry and prose
• Each poetry submission may include up to six poems (maximum of ten pages single-spaced). Each prose submission may include up to three works of fiction or creative nonfiction (combined word limit of 3,500 words; excerpts are acceptable).

Adroit Prizes are awarded to emerging high school and college writers in two categories: poetry and prose. Winning pieces are considered for publication in the Adroit Journal and winners receive an award of $200. The 2023 judges are Natalie Diaz and Ocean Vuong.

2. Ten-Minute Play Contest

Type: Plays

Submission Fee: N/A

Deadline: Passed, but the contest will reopen in 2024

Eligibility: Students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. (or international equivalent of the eleventh grade)

Guidelines: Applicants may submit only one play (10 pages maximum)

The Ten-Minute Play Contest is put on by Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts. Applicants are allowed to submit one play that is no longer than 10 pages. Their submissions are judged by members of Princeton University’s Theater Program faculty.

3. Ayn Rand Anthem and The Fountainhead Essay Contests

Type: Essays

• Anthem: $2,000
• The Fountainhead : $5,000
• Anthem: Grades 8-12
• The Fountainhead : Grades 11-12
• Anthem: Essays must be written in English only and between 600 and 1,200 words in length, double-spaced
• The Fountainhead: Essays must be written in English only and between 800 and 1,600 words in length, double-spaced

In this essay competition, students pick one of three prompts about a topic related to Ayn Rand’s books and write an essay that goes through three stages of grading. Students are graded on their clarity, organization, understanding, and ability to stay “on topic.”

4. Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Type: Poetry

Prize: $500-$1,500

Eligibility: Students must be in the 11th grade in the U.S. or abroad

Guidelines: Applicants may submit up to 3 poems

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize is another contest run by Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts. Winners are chosen by judges who are both poets and members of Princeton University’s creative writing faculty. Three monetary awards are available.

5. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Prize: $500

Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs

Guidelines: Essays should be approximately 1,000 words

Winners of this competition receive a $500 prize along with a free yearlong membership to the World History Association . To apply, you must submit an approximately 1,000-word essay responding to the following prompt:

• Submit an essay that addresses the following topic and discusses how it relates to you personally and to World History: Your view of a family story related to a historical event or your personal family cultural background, or an issue of personal relevance or specific regional history/knowledge.

6. Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Prize: $250-$1,000

Deadline: June 1, 2023

Eligibility: Open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students

• Must be submitted by the student through the official Essay Contest Submission website
• Entries may include a statement about the student’s mentor; however, a mentor statement is not required
• The essay must be 6-8 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page
• The essay must use MLA documentation, including a Works Cited page and parenthetical citations in the body of the text. Use endnotes only for substantive notes. Source material that is directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized must be cited. Quotations from the Jane Austen work under discussion should be cited as well.

The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Essay Contest is an annual writing competition aimed at fostering an appreciation for its namesake’s work. The contest is broken down into three divisions—high school, college/university, and graduate school.

First-place winners are awarded a $1,000 prize along with free registration and lodging for two nights at JASNA’s Annual General Meeting—smaller monetary awards are also given to second- and third-place essayists.

This year’s essay topic:

• In Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen’s other novels, we see proposals and marriages that are motivated by love, as well as those that are better described as arranged marriages or marriages of convenience. Many cultures today also expect arranged marriages (not the same as forced). In your essay, compare and discuss the different types of marriages or courtships found in the novels, whether those relationships are new or longstanding.

7. Bennington College Young Writers Awards

Type: Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction

Deadline: November 1, 2023

Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12

• Poetry: A group of three poems
• Fiction: A short story (1,500 words or fewer) or one-act play (run no more than 30 minutes of playing time)
• Nonfiction: A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer)

Bennington College has a strong history of developing writers—it’s produced twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, and countless New York Times bestsellers—and the Bennington College Young Writers Awards celebrate this legacy.

In addition to offering cash awards to winners and finalists in all three categories, winners and finalists who apply and are accepted to Bennington College are also eligible for substantial scholarships.

8. Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder/Sense of the Wild Contest

Type: Poetry and Essays

Deadline: November 16, 2023

• You are required to have a team of 2 or more people
• The team must be intergenerational

Guidelines: Maximum length of 500 words (approximately 2 pages)

This unique writing competition requires that entries must be submitted by a team of two people from different generations—for example, a high school student and a teacher. Contestants can compete in a number of categories and themes, each with unique submission requirements.

9. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

Type: Fiction and Poetry

Prize: $2,000

Deadline: October 2, 2023

Eligibility: Rising high school students graduating in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and recently graduated 2023 seniors

• Poetry: Students may submit their original poetry in any style, from formal verse to free verse to experimental. The poem should be formatted as you wish it to appear in the publication.
• Fiction: Students may submit a piece of short fiction, which must be no more than 5,000 words and should not be single-spaced. The entry may be any genre of the student’s choice, including graphic novel or story.
• Must submit educator recommendation, academic resume, and current transcript with application

Winning works for this competition are chosen based on their creativity, technique, expression, and originality. Three winners are chosen in each category and each winner receives a $2,000 prize.

10. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest

Prize: $100-$10,000

Eligibility: The contest is open to United States high school students in grades 9-12, U.S. students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program,  and U.S. citizens attending schools overseas.

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

The prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest is one of the most recognizable and prestigious writing competitions for high schoolers in the nation. Essays for the contest are required to describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917. The first-place winner of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest takes home a $10,000 award and second place receives a $3,000 prize.

11. YoungArts National Writing Competition

Deadline: Opens June 2023

Eligibility: 15- to 18-year-old visual, literary, or performing artist based in the United States

Guidelines: To be released

YoungArts supports talented young artists between the ages of 15 and 18 (or grades 10-12) in 10 disciplines, including writing. Applicants can submit entries in six genres—creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word.

12. SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

Submission Fee: $5

Prize: $300-$1,000

Eligibility: All students enrolled in grades 9-12 in U.S. public, private and home schools within the United States

• The essay should be 300-500 words
• Entries may be typed or handwritten but must be double-spaced

This high school writing contest is presented by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Journalism Education Association (JEA) to increase awareness of the importance of independent media.

Last year’s prompt was:

• While consumers are drawn toward tweets and sound bites, how can journalists tell more of the story without losing readers’ interest?

13. VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competitions

Eligibility: High school students with disabilities

• 10-minute script
• Entries may be the work of an individual student or a collaboration between two students that includes at least one student with a disability

This writing competition, presented by the Kennedy Center, is open to students ages 15-18 (or enrolled in high school) with disabilities. Writers may submit a “ten-minute” script in any genre, including plays, musicals, multimedia, video, film, TV, and podcasts.

Entries can be the work of an individual or the product of collaboration—provided that at least one of the collaborators has a disability. Multiple winners are chosen and given the chance to work with industry professionals, attend Kennedy Center professional development activities, and participate in networking opportunities.

14. Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Prize: $350

Eligibility: Women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school

Guidelines: No more than two poems by any one student may be submitted

For almost six decades, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest has provided recognition, scholarships, and awards to the best female high school sophomore and junior poets. Submissions are reviewed by faculty members of Hollins University’s creative writing program and students enrolled in its M.F.A. in creative writing.

The first-place winner receives a $350 cash prize, a renewable $5,000 scholarship to Hollins University if they choose to enroll there, as well as free tuition and housing at the university’s Hollinsummer creative writing program. Their winning work is also published in Cargoes , the university’s student literary magazine.

15. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Type: Various

Submission Fee: $10 for individual entry, $30 for portfolio (can use Fee Waiver Form)

Prize: Varies

Deadline: Opens in September

Eligibility: Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up)

Guidelines: Varies by category

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. They offer 28 submission categories, including writing, critical essay, dramatic scripts, flash fiction, journalism, humor, novel writing, personal essay and memoir, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, and short story.

Works are judged by famous jurors who look for works that show originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Students can earn a variety of scholarships through success in these competitions.

Works that celebrate individual differences or personal grief, loss, and bereavement are eligible for $1,000 scholarships. High school seniors submitting winning portfolios of six works are eligible for up to $12,500 in scholarships.

16. Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

Type: Creative Writing and Poetry

Prize: $100-$1,500

Deadline: June 13, 2023

• Students ages 11-18 from around the world
• Students can participate as an individual or as a club, class, or group of any size
• All students must provide the contact information for an Adult Sponsor (teacher, parent, mentor, etc.)
• Creative Writing: no more than 5 pages (approximately 1,250 words)
• Poetry: no more than 2 pages
• A written reflection is required to accompany your submission, regardless of category. It is like the introduction to a book or an artist’s statement in a museum.

The 12th annual Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Students can participate in six different categories, including poetry and spoken word, and creative writing.

This year’s prompt centers around climate issues:

• Research and choose an inspirational scientist, activist, artist, educator, or other hero who is working to solve climate change issues. Create a piece of art, writing, or media that highlights their efforts, organizations, and/or positive impacts. We are familiar with the amazing work of environmental giants like Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough. We challenge you to introduce the Bow Seat community to a Climate Hero whose work we may not know about yet – but should.

17. John Locke Global Essay Competition

Submission Fee: N/A (unless late entry)

Prize: $2,000-$10,000 toward attending any John Locke Institute program

Deadline: June 30, 2023 (must register by May 31, 2023)

Eligibility: Candidates must be no older than 18 years old on June 30, 2023 (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be no older than 14 on the same date)

Guidelines: Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2,000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration)

Students competing in this competition have the opportunity to write an essay in one of seven categories—philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law. Each category has three prompts, from which students choose and respond to one.

Essays are judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style, and persuasive force.

If you miss the deadline, you can submit a late entry up until July 10. Late entries will be charged a $20 late fee.

18. AFSA National High School Essay Contest

Prize: $2,500

• Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate.
• Students must be in grades 9-12 in any of the 50 states, Washington, D.C, the U.S. territories, or—if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents —attending high school overseas.

Guidelines: Your essay should be at least 1,000 words but should not exceed 1,500 words (word count does not apply to the list of sources)

The AFSA Essay Contest focuses on knowledge of foreign policy and the American Foreign Service. Last year’s prompt was:

• In your essay, you will select a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe, in 1,500 words or less, how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals – including promoting peace – in this country/region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

The first-place winner receives $2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital with their parents from anywhere in the U.S., and an all-expenses-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. The runner-up wins $1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

19. EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Prize: $100-$500

• The contest is open to individual students in the following three competition categories—Elementary School Students (grades 3-5), Middle School Students (grades 6-8), or High School Students (grades 9-12).
• You can also qualify with corresponding homeschool or international grade levels.
• High school student essays must be no more than 750 words
• You must also include a reference list of 3-10 resources

In this competition, students choose one of four prompts related to the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century and explore the technologies that have been developed in the last century and technologies that are being developed today. Students are judged based on their presentation and examples of engineering (~35%), their celebration of diversity (~50%), and their quality of writing (~15%).

20. The Blank Theatre Young Playwright’s Festival

Prize: Play is produced

Eligibility: Playwrights must be 19 years old or younger as of March 15, 2023; co-authored plays are welcome, provided all authors are 19 or younger

• Original plays or musicals of any length or genre and on any subject
• Up to three plays per playwright or team

While winners of this theater competition do not receive a cash prize, they have the unique opportunity to be mentored by leaders in the field, then will have their play directed and performed by professional artists during the following summer. The 12 best submissions are produced and professionally performed.

21. Saint Mary’s College of California River of Words Contest

Type: Poetry and Arts

• The contest is open to K-12 students, ages 5-19
• Students must be enrolled in school to be eligible
• Participants may submit up to 5 entries for poetry and 5 entries for art (total of up to 10 entries)
• Poems should not exceed 32 lines in length (written) or 3 minutes (signed)
• Collaborative poems and artwork are accepted, but only one student (chosen as the group representative) will be eligible for any prizes awarded

The River of Words contest aims to promote environmental literacy through the exchange of arts and culture. River of Words has been inspiring educators and students through this competition for over 25 years.

The goal of River of Words is to connect youth with their watersheds—the environments they live in—through engagement with art and poetry related to the idea of “place.” They look for art and poetry that shows the connection between students and the worlds around them.

22. Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: November 6, 2023

Eligibility: Open to all 12th grade, college, and graduate students worldwide

Guidelines: Essays must be between 800 and 1,600 words in length

In this essay competition, high school seniors pick one of three prompts about a topic related to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and write an essay that goes through three stages of grading. Students are graded on their clarity, organization, understanding, and ability to stay “on topic.”

23. Writopia Lab’s Worldwide Plays Festival

Prize: Play produced

Eligibility: Playwrights ages 6 to 18

• 8 minutes maximum
• Any genre or style
• Plays should have no more than three characters
• There can be no narrator of the play who is not emotionally invested in the story
• Students must incorporate at least one of the following props or costumes —blue plates, a yellow blouse, a Valentine’s heart with the word “Love,” a flower crown, a plush hotdog, a Mardi Gras bead with jester heads, a pack of clothespins, Russian nesting dolls, a set of miniature cymbals, a lavender blouse, a lei, or a roll of aluminum foil

Since 2010, Writopia Lab has been producing, designing, and directing one-act plays submitted by young playwrights. These winning plays are then performed by New York City theater professionals. The contest looks for playwrights who embody fearlessness and imagination. Writopia Lab says, “Write deeply! Write fiercely! Write politically and personally! And don’t be afraid to write with a sense of play – they are called plays, after all.”

While we can’t know exactly how activities outside of the classroom will affect your college admissions odds, the 4 Tiers of Extracurricular Activities provide a helpful framework for understanding how colleges view your extracurriculars.

Extracurricular activities in Tiers 1 and 2 are reserved for the most exclusive and acclaimed awards, and can significantly improve your odds of college admission. By contrast, Tiers 3 and 4 are reserved for more common extracurriculars, and have less of an impact on your chances of college admission.

For example, if you place in a nationally renowned writing competition—a Tier 2 activity—this will positively affect your admissions chances. On the other hand, if you receive an honorable mention in your high school’s poetry contest—a Tier 4 activity—your admissions chances will not be significantly affected.

That said, if you are applying to an English Literature or Creative Writing program with a well-developed essay and recommendations that emphasize your commitment to language, participation in Tier 3 and 4 writing competitions could help admissions officers conceptualize your passion for your future career.

Curious how the writing competition you participated in will affect your college admission chances? CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of factors—including grades, test scores, and extracurriculars—to estimate your odds of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities, while also providing insight into how to improve your profile.

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Top 45 Writing Contests for Authors

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

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

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

Short Story Contests

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

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

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

Application Deadline:  September 2023

Entry Fee:  $0

Grand Prize:  Unknown

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Not applicable

2. Zizzle Literary Flash Fiction Contest

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

Application Deadline:  March 2023

Entry Fee:  $5

Grand Prize:  $1,000

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

3. L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest

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

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

Grand Prize:  $5,000 annually

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

4. Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

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

Application Deadline:  Ongoing

Entry Fee:  $25

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

5. The Ernest Hemingway Short Fiction Prize

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

Application Deadline:  April 2023

Entry Fee:  $10

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

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Publication in Fiction Southeast

6. Drue Heinz Literature Prize

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

Application Deadline:  Annually between May 1 and June 30

Grand Prize:  $15,000

7. The Miami University Press Novella Prize

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

Entry Fee:  $25

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

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Not applicable

8. Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

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

Application Deadline:  January 2023

Entry Fee:  $15

Grand Prize:  $500

9. Hunger Mountain Creative Nonfiction Prize

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

Entry Fee:  $20

Grand Prize:  $1,000

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $100

10. The Page Prize from The Pinch Journal

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

11. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

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

Entry Fee:  $0

Grand Prize:  $10,000

12. Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

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

Entry Fee:  $40 per essay

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

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

Entry Fee:  $20

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

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $200

14. New Millennium Writing Awards

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

Application Deadline:  November 30, 2023

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

15. The Preservation Foundation, Inc. General Nonfiction Contest

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

Application Deadline:  October 31, 2023

Grand Prize:  $200

16. Institute for Children’s Literature Middle Grade Mystery

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

Application Deadline:  November 15, 2023

Entry Fee:  $19

Grand Prize:  $650

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

17. Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards

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

Application Deadline:  August 2023

Entry Fee:  $95 in each category

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

18. Golden Kite Award

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

Application Deadline:  July and December

Entry Fee:  Cost of SCBWI membership

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

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

19. Mom’s Choice Awards

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

Entry Fee:  $500 (nonrefundable)

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

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

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

Application Deadline:  Annually between October 1st – 15th

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

21. Troubadour International Poetry Prize

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

Entry Fee:  $7

Grand Prize:  $2,830

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $1,415

22. Poetry Nation Prime Poetry Contest

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

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

Grand Prize:  $2,000

23. Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

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

Grand Prize:  $3,000

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

24. Tupelo Press Sunken Garden Chapbook Poetry Prize

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

Application Deadline:  Annually between August 1 – October 31

25. Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize

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

Application Deadline:  Annually between March 1 – April 30

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

26. Young Lions Fiction Award

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

Application Deadline:  Annually in May

27. Bluefire 1,000 Words Writing Contest

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

Application Deadline:  Annually between November 1 and February 1

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

28. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

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

Application Deadline:  December 2023 and January 2023 depending on region

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

First Place Runners Up Prize:  $1,000

29. Ocean Awareness Contest

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

Application Deadline:  June 13, 2023

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

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

30. Young Writers Awards

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

Application Deadline:  Annually between September 3 to November 1

Grand Prize:  $500 in each category

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

31. St. Francis College Literary Prize

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

Application Deadline:  To be announced for 2023

Grand Prize:  $50,000

32. The Nine Dots Prize

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

Grand Prize:  $100,000

33. Center for Fiction NYC Emerging Writer Fellowships

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

Application Deadline:  May 2023

Grand Prize:  $5,000

34. Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest

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

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

35. Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

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

Entry Fee:  $13, financial aid available

36. The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest

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

Application Deadline:  April 2023

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

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

37. We the Students Essay Contest

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

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

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

38. Boulevard Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers

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

Entry Fee:  $16

Grand Prize:  $1,000 and publication in Boulevard

39. Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize

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

Application Deadline:  October 2023

40. TulipTree Publishing Disrupters Issue Contest

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

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

41. Tamaqua Award

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

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

42. North Street Book Prize

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

Application Deadline:  June 2023

Grand Prize:  $8,000

Entry Fee:  $70 per book

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

43. The Restless Books Prize For New Immigrant Writing

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

Application Deadline:  September 2023 to March 2023

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

44. Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

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

Application Deadline:  Annually between September 1 and December 31

Grand Prize:  $10,000 and media appearance opportunities

First Place Runners Up Prize:  Not applicable

45. Creative Writing NZ Short Story Prize 2024

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

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

Entry Fee:  $9

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

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

Word count:  3,000 words maximum.

Open theme/subject/genre

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

FAQs About Writing Contests

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Contests & Awards

In this section, you will find information about all AWP-sponsored contests, as well as a members-only listing of grants, awards, submission calls, and other opportunities for writers. Current AWP contests include the following:

The AWP Award Series The AWP Prize for Undergrad Lit Mags The George Garrett Award for Outstanding Community Service in Literature The Intro Journals Project The Small Press Publisher Award

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Best Non Fiction Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 96 contests that match your search.

Personal Essay Competition 2024

Write the World

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

The Personal Essay Competition invites young writers aged 13-19 to submit personal essays. Participants can showcase their writing skills while receiving feedback from peers and experts.

Best entry: $100

Additional prizes:

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Winners receive cash prizes and a feature on Write the World's blog and social media.

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

Writing MAGIC

Sadie Tells Stories

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

The Writing MAGIC contest invites authors to write a short story under 500 words about anything magical. Open to all age groups, stories can be fiction or non-fiction. The contest aims to celebrate creativity and share magical experiences.

Second place: $150

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

Genres: Non-fiction and Essay

Seeking creative nonfiction essays on any topic (1000 words or less) and in any style--from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hybrid, and more! The mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Electronic submissions via e-mail only; reprints/previously published okay; simultaneous submissions okay; multiple submissions are okay as long as they are submitted in their own individual e-mail. Open internationally.

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

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High School Academic Research Competition

Crimson Consulting Limited

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The High School Academic Research Competition (SARC) is an online contest for high school students aged 13-18 to conduct research on any topic. Participants develop their research proposals and skills through exclusive bootcamps and compete by submitting proposals and video pitches.

1st place: $1000 and free Indigo Research Intensive Program 2nd place: $750 and 50% discount on the program 3rd place: $500 and 25% discount on the program Winners can earn university credits and have their research published.

💰 Entry fee: $15

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the Selected Shorts series at Symphony Space, NYC. It celebrates short stories by having them read aloud by actors. The contest is judged by Carmen Maria Machado, and the winner's work will be performed live and published on Electric Literature.

$1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Emerging Writer's Contest

Ploughshares

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Emerging Writer's Contest, held by Ploughshares since 1971, recognizes outstanding work by emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Winners are announced in the fall and their works are published in the Winter 2024-25 issue of Ploughshares.

Publication in Ploughshares and a conversation with Aevitas Creative Management.

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

Stories of Inspiration

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

The Stories of Inspiration contest invites nonfiction essays (500-1200 words) that highlight resilience in marginalized communities. Selected entries will be published quarterly in Kinsman Quarterly's magazine, with winners receiving a cash prize and publication.

Publication in Kinsman Quarterly's online magazine

💰 Entry fee: $0

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel

Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.

Publishing and marketing package

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

4th Annual Wine Country Writers' Festival Writing Contest

Wine Country Writers' Festival Society

The contest is open to writers over 18 worldwide and includes categories for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Each submission must adhere to specific formatting guidelines and word limits. Winners are selected through blind judging, and results are announced during the festival.

$200 CAD per category

Second place: $100 Third place: $50 Winner also gets anthology publication, entry to next year's festival

📅 Deadline: June 02, 2024 (Expired)

Vocal Challenges

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.

$1,000 — $5,000

📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)

International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition

Vine Leaves Press

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

The competition is designed to give marginalized voices the opportunity to establish literary legacies. The next competition opens in February 2025.

Publication of the winning manuscript in 2026. Runners up will also be considered for publication.

📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired)

A Very Short Story Contest

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Participants write a short story using ten words or fewer, inspired by the famous six-word story attributed to Hemingway. The submission must be original and unpublished, with entries judged based on originality and quality.

Winning entry receives a free Gotham class of their choosing (excluding premium classes).

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

The Pinch Literary Awards & Page Prize

The Pinch Literary Journal

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Non-fiction

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

$2000 for poetry & fiction winners

$1000 for Page Prize winner

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

Climate Change Writing Competition

This month, dear writers, ahead of COP27, help us raise the voices of young people in this urgent fight. In a piece of personal narrative, tell the world’s leaders gathering in how climate change impacts you. How has this crisis changed your environment, your community, your sense of the future? Storytelling, after all, plays a critical role in helping us grasp the emergency through which we are all living, igniting empathy in readers and listeners—itself a precursor to action.

Runner-up: $50

📅 Deadline: October 18, 2022 (Expired)

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Lazuli Literary Group

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing

We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.

Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"

📅 Deadline: September 24, 2024

Irene Adler Prize

Lucas Ackroyd

The Irene Adler Prize is a scholarship for women writers, offering $1,000 to support their education in journalism, creative writing, or literature. The prize aims to celebrate and elevate women's voices in writing.

2x honorable mentions: $250 Winner also receives a scholarship for education

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025

The Rubery Prize

Rubery Book Awards

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, and Romance

The Rubery Prize is a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self published authors and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges. Through our reputation of finding quality and outstanding books we aim to bring recognition to the works that win and heighten an author's profile.

£200, a write-up

💰 Entry fee: $60

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

2024 Spring Prose & Poetry Contest

Onyx Publications

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

The contest awarded prizes for both prose and poetry categories, with multiple winners for each.

Second place: $150 Third place: $75 Winner also gets publication and author interview on Story Discovery podcast.

📅 Deadline: May 05, 2024 (Expired)

First Pages Prize

Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction

The First Pages Prize is an annual writing contest dedicated to emerging writers. It encourages submissions of the first five pages (up to 1,250 words) of a longer work in fiction or creative nonfiction. The contest aims to discover and promote new voices in literature.

2nd Prize: $1500 3rd Prize: $1000 Mentorship and agent consultation. The Sandra Carpenter Prize for a female identifying American writer in creative nonfiction.

📅 Deadline: April 24, 2024 (Expired)

Environmental Writing Competition

Write the World in partnership with Patagonia

This contest invites teenagers to express their thoughts on the climate crisis and how collective action can address environmental challenges. The competition emphasizes the importance of youth voices in the fight against climate change.

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Publication of winning pieces on Patagonia's platforms. Opportunities for mentorship and publication for runners-up.

📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024 (Expired)

Short Story Award for New Writers

Masters Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

This bi-annual contest recognizes emerging writers with submissions of previously unpublished fiction or nonfiction up to 6,000 words. Judged by Colin Barrett, it awards $3,000 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third, along with agency reviews for finalists.

Second place: $300 Third place: $200 Agency review for all finalists

📅 Deadline: August 25, 2024 (Expired)

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Winning Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Welcome to the 31st annual Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest. Submit published or unpublished work. $9,000 in prizes.

Two-year gift certificate from Duotrope; 10 Honorable Mentions will receive $300 each

💰 Entry fee: $22

Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

Cleveland Foundation

Genres: Novel, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognize outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and cultural diversity. Established in 1935 by Edith Anisfield Wolf, it remains the only American book prize focused on these themes.

Winners receive $10,000 and are honored at a ceremony in Cleveland.

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

The Letter Review

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The contest is aimed at unpublished works including novels, novellas, poetry collections, and nonfiction books. It is judged blind and winners can choose to publish an extract. The prize is awarded every three months with a total prize pool of $4,000 USD.

Optional publication of excerpt + letter of recommendation

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

The International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir

Memoir Writing Ink

Genres: Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Original, unpublished works of memoir writing up to 2000 words. The winner will be interviewed and the winning story published on Alison Wearing’s website and featured in the Memoir Writing Ink program. This award was created in celebration of the life of Amy Macrae and in support of her living legacy to improve the outcomes of women with ovarian cancer. Submissions accepted between April 15 to June 30, 2024.

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems).

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $11

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Artificial Intelligence Competition

New Beginnings

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

There is no topic relating to technology that brings more discussion than artificial intelligence. Some people think it does wonders. Others see it as trouble. Let us know your opinion about AI in this competition. Include experiences you have had with AI. 300-word limit. Winners will be selected January 1, 2024. Open to anyone, anywhere.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2023 (Expired)

Annual Student Essay Contest

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

The contest encourages students to reflect on strength and resilience in overcoming challenges. Since 2001, it has engaged over 15,000 students from more than 20 countries, with 900 participants this year. Winners were selected based on their unique voice and thoughtful analysis.

2nd place: $750 3rd place: $500

📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)

Geminga: $250 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art

Sunspot Lit

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, Short Story, and Novella

Geminga is a neutron star so small it was difficult to detect. With Geminga: $500 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art, Sunspot Lit honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Graphic novels should be 4 pages or less.

Publication in digital and print

Gulf Coast Writers Association Writing Contest

Gulf Coast Writers Association

Genres: Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA) organizes an annual writing contest to celebrate and recognize talented writers across various genres. Participants can submit original works in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. The contest promotes writers' creativity and provides valuable feedback from experienced judges.

Second place: $75 Third place: $50 For each category

Memoir/Fiction Book Contest for IML Publications

Jacqueline Gay Walley

Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

IML Publications is dedicated to amplifying contemporary writers' voices. The contest requires 50 double-spaced pages and a 1-page synopsis submitted via email. The winner receives $1000 and possible book publication in ebook and paperback formats.

Possible book publication/distribution in ebook and paperback formats

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: October 01, 2024

Great American Think-Off

New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

The Great American Think-Off is an annual philosophical essay contest that invites participants to submit essays on significant questions of life. The contest culminates in a live debate where finalists present their arguments, and the audience votes on the best perspective.

Four cash prizes of $500 each for finalists.

Bacopa Literary Review Annual Writing Contest

Writers Alliance of Gainesville

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The Bacopa Literary Review is an annual international print journal seeking engaging and original submissions across multiple genres. The contest includes various categories with specific guidelines to encourage diverse forms of writing.

$100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories

📅 Deadline: May 02, 2024 (Expired)

International Essay Competition 2023/24

Avernus Education

The International Essay Competition gathered over 1000 entries from 50 countries. Participants engaged with a range of challenging questions, fostering academic passion beyond the classroom.

100% Scholarship Award to our Oxford University Summer Programme (worth £5995). Honorary Scholarship to attend Oxford University Summer Programme. Partial scholarships and credits for exclusive online courses for shortlisted entries.

📅 Deadline: February 19, 2024 (Expired)

The Book of the Year Awards

The Independent Author Network

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Crime, and Short Story

The 11th Annual IAN Book of the Year Awards is an international contest open to all authors, featuring 75 categories across fiction and non-fiction. Winners receive cash prizes and recognition.

Prizes for runners-up include cash awards of $1,000 for first place in each category, $500 for second, and $250 for third. Winners receive various awards, including digital seals and membership upgrades.

💰 Entry fee: $49

📅 Deadline: August 16, 2026

Related Resources:

• Nonfiction: 24 Genres and Types of Fact-Based Books (blog post)
• Outlining a Nonfiction Book: 3 Steps to Success (blog post)
• How to Write a Nonfiction Book in 6 Steps (blog post)
• How to Publish a Nonfiction Book: Land a Book Deal in 5 Steps (blog post)

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The 17 Best Writing Contests for High School Students

Other High School

If you're a writer—fiction, non-fiction, or fanfiction—you can put those skills to work for you. There are tons of writing contests for high school students, which can award everything from medals to cash prizes to scholarships if you win .

Not only will a little extra money, whether cash or scholarships, help you when it comes time to pay for college, but the prestige of a respected reward is also a great thing to include on your college application.

Read on to learn more about what writing contests for high school students there are, how to apply, and what you could win !

Writing Contests With Multiple Categories

Some high school contests accept entries in a variety of formats, including the standard fiction and non-fiction, but also things like screenwriting or visual art. Check out these contests with multiple categories:

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

• Award Amount: $1,000 to $12,500 scholarships
• Deadline: Varies between December and January, depending on your region
• Fee: $10 for single entry, $30 for portfolio

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards celebrate art by students in grades seven through twelve (age 13 or older) on a regional and national scale. These awards have a huge number of categories and styles, including cash prizes or scholarships for some distinguished award winners . Categories include science-fiction and fantasy writing, humor, critical essays, and dramatic scripts, among others.

Deadlines vary by region (but are mostly in December and January), so use Scholastic's Affiliate Partner search to find out when projects are due for your area.

Scholastic partners with other organizations to provide prizes to winners, so what you can win depends on what you enter and what competition level you reach. Gold medal portfolio winners can earn a $12,500 scholarship, and silver medal winners with distinction can earn a $2,000 scholarship , as well as many other options in different categories.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are open to private, public, or home-schooled students attending school in the US, Canada, or American schools in other countries. Students must be in grades seven through twelve to participate. Eligibility varies between regions, so consult Scholastic's Affiliate Partner search tool to figure out what applies to you .

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have a $10 entry fee for individual submissions and $30 for portfolio submissions, which may be waived for students in need . These fees may vary depending on location, so be sure to check your local guidelines .

Ocean Awareness Contest

• Award Amount: Scholarships up to $1,500
• Deadline: June 13, 2023 (submissions open in September)

The Ocean Awareness Contest asks students to consider the future of a coastal or marine species that is under threat from climate change. Submissions are accepted in a variety of art forms, but all must consider the way that climate change impacts ocean life .

Submissions for all categories, including art, creative writing, film, interactive and multimedia, music and dance, and poetry and spoken word are due in June, although the exact date varies slightly each year.

Winners may receive prizes of up to a $1,500 scholarship , depending on which division they fall into and what prize they win.

The contest is open to all international and US students between the ages of 11 and 18.

River of Words

• Award: Publication in the River of Words anthology
• Deadline: January 31, 2023

The River of Words contest asks students to consider watersheds—an area that drains into the same body of water—and how they connect with their local community. Students can explore this concept in art or poetry, with winners being published in the annual River of Words anthology .

Entries in all categories must be submitted by January 31, 2023. 

The River of Words contest is primarily for recognition and publication, as the website doesn't list any prize money . The contest includes specific awards for certain forms, such as poetry, some of which may have additional prizes .

The contest is open to International and US students from kindergarten to grade 12 (ages 5 through 19). Students who have graduated from high school but are not yet in college are also eligible.

Adroit Prizes

• Award Amount: $200 cash award
• Deadline: Typically April of each year

Sponsored by the Adroit Journal, the Adroit Prizes reward high school students and undergraduate students for producing exemplary fiction and poetry. Students may submit up to six poems or three works of prose (totaling 3,500 words) for consideration. Submissions typically open in spring .

Winners receive $200 and (along with runners-up) have their works published in the Adroit Journal . Finalists and runners-up receive a copy of their judge's latest published work.

The contest is open to secondary and undergraduate students, including international students and those who have graduated early . The Adroit Prizes has a non-refundable fee of $15, which can be waived.

YoungArts Competition

• Award Amount: Up to $10,000 cash awards
• Deadline: October 15, 2022; application for 2024 opens June 2023

Open to students in a variety of disciplines, including visual arts, writing, and music, the YoungArts competition asks students to submit a portfolio of work. Additional requirements may apply depending on what artistic discipline you're in .

Winners can receive up to $10,000 in cash as well as professional development help, mentorship, and other educational rewards.

Applicants must be 15- to 18-year-old US citizens or permanent residents (including green card holders) or in grades 10 through 12 at the time of submission . There is a $35 submission fee, which can be waived.

Fiction Writing Contests for High School Students

Many contests with multiple categories accept fiction submissions, so also check out the above contests if you're looking for places to submit original prose.

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

• Award Amount: $100 - $500 cash prize
• Deadline: February 1, 2023

This year's EngineerGirl Writing Contest asks students (though the name of the organization is "EngineerGirl," students of any gender may participate) to submit a piece of writing that shows how female and/or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements. Word counts vary depending on grade level.

At every grade level, first-place winners will receive $500, second-place winners will receive $250, and third-place winners will receive $100 . Winning entries and honorable mentions will also be published on the EngineerGirl website.

Students of any gender from third to 12th grade may submit to this contest. Home-schooled and international students are also eligible.

Nonfiction Contests for High School Students

Like fiction, non-fiction is often also accepted in contests with multiple categories. However, there are quite a few contests accepting only non-fiction essays as well.

The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $1,250 to $2,500
• Deadline: April 3, 2023

The American Foreign Services Association sponsors a high school essay contest tasking students with selecting a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe, in 1,500 words or less, how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals in this country/region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years .

One winner will receive $2,500 as well as a Washington D.C. trip and a scholarship to attend Semester at Sea . One runner-up receives $1,250 and a scholarship to attend the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

Entries must be from US students in grade nine through 12, including students in the District of Columbia, US territories, or US citizens attending school abroad, including home-schooled students.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest

• Award Amount: $100 - $10,000
• Deadline: January 13, 2023

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage contest tasks students with writing an essay between 700 and 1,000 words on an act of political courage by a US elected official serving during or after 1917 , inspired by John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage . Each essay should cover the act itself as well as any obstacles or risks the subject faced in achieving their act of courage. Essays must not cover figures previously covered in the contest, and should also not cover John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, or Edward M. Kennedy.

One first-place winner will receive $10,000, one second-place winner will receive $3,000, five finalists will receive $1,000 each, and eight semi-finalists will win $100 each.

The contest is open to students in grades nine through 12 who are residents of the United States attending public, private, parochial, or home schools . Students under the age of 20 in correspondence high school programs or GED programs, as well as students in US territories, Washington D.C., and students studying abroad, are also eligible.

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $300 - $1,000 scholarships
• Deadline: February 19, 2023 (submissions open in November)

The SPJ/JEA high school essay contest , organized by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association, asks students to  analyze the importance of independent media to our lives (as of now, the official essay topic for spring 2023 is TBD) . Essays should be from 300 to 500 words.

A $1,000 scholarship is given to a first-place winner, $500 to second-place, and $300 to third-place.

The contest is open to public, private, and home-schooled students of the United States in grades 9-12 .

Playwriting Contests for High School Students

For those who love the stage, playwriting contests are a great option. An original play can earn you great rewards thanks to any of these contests!

VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition

• Award: Participation in professional development activities at the Kennedy Center
• Deadline: January 4, 2023 (Application opens in October)

The VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition asks students with disabilities to submit a ten-minute script exploring their personal experiences, including the disability experience . Scripts may be realistic, fictional, or abstract, and may include plays, screenplays, or musical theater.

All entries are due in January. Scripts may be collaborative or written by individuals, but must include at least one person with a disability as part of the group .

One winner or group of winners will be selected as participants in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Winners will have access to professional assistance in developing their script as well as workshops and networking opportunities.

This contest is open to US and international students in ages 14 to 18 . Groups of up to five members may collaborate on an essay, but at least one of those students must have a disability.

Worldwide Plays Festival Competition

• Award: Professional production in New York
• Deadline: March (official 2023 deadline TBD)

In the Worldwide Plays Festival Competition , students from around the world can submit an eight-minute script for a play set in a part of a neighborhood —specifically, at a convenience store, outside a character's front door, or at a place where people convene. Each play must have roles for three actors, should not have a narrator who isn't also a character, and should not contain set changes.

Entries are due in February. Winners will have their play produced by professionals at an off-Broadway New York theater . Scholarships are also available for winners.

Any student, including US and international, in first through 12th grade may submit work for consideration.

• Award Amount: $50 - $200 cash prize
• Deadline: 2023 deadline TBD (application opens January 2023)

Students may submit a one-act, non-musical play of at least ten pages to YouthPLAYS for consideration . Plays should be appropriate for high school audiences and contain at least two characters, with one or more of those characters being youths in age-appropriate roles. Large casts with multiple female roles are encouraged.

One winner will receive $250, have their play published by YouthPLAYS, and receive a copy of Great Dialog , a program for writing dialog. One runner up will receive $100 and a copy of Great Dialog.

Students must be under the age of 19, and plays must be the work of a single author.

The Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest

• Deadline: Spring of each year

Students in grade 11 may submit a ten-minute play for consideration for the Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest . Plays should be 10 pages long, equivalent to 10 minutes.

One first-prize winner will receive $500, one second-prize winner will receive $250, and one third-prize will receive $100.

All entries must be from students in the 11th grade .

Poetry Writing Contests for High School Students

For those who prefer a little free verse or the constraints of a haiku, there are plenty of poetry-specific contests, too.

Creative Communications Poetry Contest

• Award Amount: $25
• Deadline: December

Students in ninth grade or below may submit any poem of 21 lines or less (not counting spaces between stanzas) for consideration in the Creative Communications Poetry Contest .

Students may win $25, a free book, and school supplies for their teacher .

Public, private, or home-schooled US students (including those in detention centers) in kindergarten through ninth grade may enter.

Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize

• Award Amount: $500-$1500
• Deadline: November 

Students in 11th grade may submit up to three poems for consideration in the Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize . Submissions are due in November .

One first-prize winner will receive $1500, one second-prize winner will receive $750, and a third-prize winner will receive $500. Poems may be published on arts.princeton.edu. All entrants must be in the 11th grade.

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

• Award Amount: $500 - $5,000 renewable scholarship, $350 cash prize
• Deadline: October 31, 2022

Women poets who are sophomores or juniors in high school may submit two poems for consideration for the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest .

One first-place winner will receive a $350 cash prize, publication in and ten copies of Cargoes , Hollins' student magazine, as well as a renewable scholarship of up to $5,000 for Hollins and free tuition and housing for the Hollinsummer creative writing program. One second-place winner will receive publication in and two copies of Cargoes, a renewable scholarship to Hollins of up to $1,000, and a $500 scholarship to attend Hollinsummer.

Applicants must be female students in their sophomore or junior year of high school .

What's Next?

If you're looking for more money opportunities for college , there are plenty of scholarships out there— including some pretty weird ones .

For those who've been buffing up their test scores , there are tons of scholarships , some in the thousands of dollars.

If you're tired of writing essays and applying for scholarships, consider some of these colleges that offer complete financial aid packages .

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Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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

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

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

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

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

January 2024

February 2024.

• August 2024
• September 2024
• October 2024
• Other Writing Contests

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

Poetry contests 2024

1. gemini poetry open contest 2024.

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

Word count: 3 poems of any length

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

Entry fee: $9

Closing date: 02 January 2024 

2. 2024 Poetry Competition

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

Theme: Nature unbound

Word count: 30 lines

Prize: £300

Entry fee: £4

Closing date: 07 January 2024

3. 2024 William Matthews Poetry Prize  

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

Prizes: $1,000 and $250

Entry fee: $20

Closing date: 16 January 2024

4. Magma 2023/24 Poetry Competition  

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

Category 1: 11–50 lines

Category 2: Up to 10 lines

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

Entry fee: £5

Closing date: 31 January 2024

5. Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Poetry Competition 2024  

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

Word count: 40 lines

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

Short story writing contests 2024

6. the not quite write prize for flash fiction   .

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

Word count: 500

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

Entry fee: $25 AUD

Closing date: 21 January 2024

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

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

Word count: 4,500

Prizes: $750, $500, $250

Entry: Free!

Essay contest 2024

8. the 2024 calibre essay prize   .

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

Word count: 2,000–5,000

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

Entry fee: $30 AUD

Closing date: 22 January 2024

Book writing contests 2024

9. 2023 exeter novel prize.

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

Word count: 10,000 

Prizes: £1000, five prizes of £100

Entry fee: £20

Closing date: 01 January 2024

10. Cai Emmons Fiction Award   

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

Word count: At least 150 pages

Prize: $5,000

Entry fee: $25

Closing date: 15 January 2024

11. Desert Writers Award  

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

Word count: 10 pages

Entry fee: $15

12. North American Poetry Book Award  

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

Word count: At least 64 pages

Prize: $1,000

Entry fee: $36

13. Bardsy Winter Anthology Contest  

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

Word count: 2,500–3,000

Prizes: $1000, some prizes of $50

Mixed writing contests 2024

14. mississippi review writing contest 2024.

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

Categories: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction

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

Prizes: 3 prizes of $1,000

Entry fee: $16

15. The DISQUIET Prize   

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

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

Prizes: A paid trip to Lisbon and other prizes

Closing date: 05 January 2024

16. The Winter Anthology Contest  

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

Categories: Poetry and prose

Entry fee: $11

Closing date: 10 January 2024 

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

Poetry competitions 2024

1. yeats poetry prize   .

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

Word count: 60 lines

Prizes: $1,000, $500

Entry fee: $15 per poem

Closing date: 01 February 2024 

2. Claire Keyes Poetry Award

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

Word count: 1 page per poem

Entry fee: $10 (8–10 poems)

Closing date: 01 February 2024  

3. Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards  

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

Word count: 2 pages per poem

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

Entry fee: $18 (3–5 poems)

4. West Chester University Poetry Awards  

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

Word count: Various

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

Closing date: 16 February 2024 

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

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

Word count: —

Prizes: £125, £50, £25

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

Closing date: 29 February 2024 

Short story contests 2024

6. american short(er) fiction prize  .

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

Word count: 1,000

Entry fee: $18

7. Short Short Story Contest

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

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

Word count: 100

Prizes: $300, 5 prizes of $100

8. WOW! Winter 2024 Flash Fiction Contest  

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

Word count: 250–750

Prizes: $400, $300, $200

Entry fee: $10

Closing date: 28 February 2024  

9. Edinburgh Short Story Award

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

Word count: 2,000

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

Entry fee: £10

Closing date: 28 February 2024 

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

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

Word count: 2,500

Prizes: 2 prizes of $500

Essay contests 2024

11. the sarabande prize in essay.

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

Word count: 100–250 pages

Prize: $3,000

Entry fee: $29

Closing date: 15 February 2024

12. Paterson Poetry Prize

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

Word count: At least 48 pages

Prize: $2,000

Entry fee: $18 per story

13. Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry

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

14. Ambroggio Prize [Free Writing Contest!]

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

Word count: 48–100 pages

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

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

Word count: 48–168 pages

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

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

17. Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction  

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

Word count: 150–250 pages

Closing date: 15 February 2024 

Mixed writing competitions 2024

18. slippery elm prize for poetry and prose  .

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

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

Prizes: $500 per category

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

19. Elmbridge Literary Competition 2023–24  

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

Categories: Poetry and short story

Theme: Fame

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

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

Closing date: 23 February 2024

20. 2024 Writing Competition

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

Categories: Poetry and flash fiction

Theme: Lines in the sand

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

Prize: Anthology publication

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

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

Theme: Being part of a group

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

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

Poetry contests

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

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

Prizes: $100, $75, $50 

Closing date: 01 March 2024 

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

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

Theme: Language

Prizes: £3,000, £1,000, £1,000 

Closing date: 01 March 2024

3. The Desmond O’Grady International Poetry Competition 2024

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

Prizes: €200, €50

Entry fee: €3.5

Closing date: 16 March 2024

4. The London Magazine Poetry Prize 2024

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

Prizes: £500, £300, £200

Closing date: 31 March 2024

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

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

Location: UK

Theme: Travel

Word count: 400

Prizes: £100, £75, £50

Entry fee: £2

Closing date: 31 March 2024 

6. The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2024  

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

Prizes: €1,000, €500, €250

Entry fee: €15

7. The Plough Prize 2024  

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

Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250

8. The Plaza Prose Poetry Prize  

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

Word count: 450

Prizes: £750, £200, £50

Entry fee: £11

9. Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize  

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

Word count: 750

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

10. Peter Carey Short Story Awards 2024

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

Location: Australia

Word count: 2,000–3,000

Prizes: 2,000 AUD, 1,000 AUD

Entry fee: 15 AUD

Closing date: 14 March 2024

11. Indignor House Writing Competition 2024  

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

Theme: Fear

Word count: 5,000

Prizes: $500, $250, $150

12. Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

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

Location: Canada

Entry fee: $40

Closing date: 28 March 2024 

13. PFD Queer Fiction Prize back for 2024

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

Categories: Adult and YA/children’s fiction

Word count: Three chapters and a synopsis

Prize: Agency representation

14. 2024 Airlie Prize  

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

Word count: 48–90 pages

15. The 2024 Chapter One Prize for Novelists  

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

Word count: The first chapter

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

16. The Hazel Rowley Prize

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

Word count: 20 pages

17. Raz-Shumaker Book Prize  

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

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

Prizes: $3,000 per category

Closing date: 15 March 2024

18. Rubery Book Awards  

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

Prizes: £2,000, some prizes of £200

Entry fee: £45 

Mixed writing contests

19. wild women contest  .

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

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

Prizes: $1,000

Closing date: 08 March 2024

20. The Screenwriting Challenge

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

Word count: 12 pages for round 1

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

Entry fee: $55

Contest duration: 15–23 March 2024 

21. The 2024 Perkoff Prize  

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

Categories: Poetry, short story, and essay

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

Prizes: $1,000 per category

22. The Hope Prize

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

Categories: Short story and essay

Theme: Hope

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

Entry fee: 22 AUD

Closing date: 22 March 2024 

23. Seasons Writing Competition 2024  

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

Categories: Poetry, short story, flash fiction, script

Theme: Light and Shadow

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

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

Entry fee: 5 AUD

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

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

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

Word count: 250 lines

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

Closing date: 01 April 2024

2. Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2024  

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

Entry fee: £7

3. Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize 2024  

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

Prizes: €2,000, 2 prizes of €1,000

Entry fee: €20

Closing date: 14 April 2024

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

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

Word count: 1,500 characters

Prizes: €750, €375, €225

Closing date: 16 April 2024 

5. 2024 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

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

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

Entry fee: 30 AUD

Closing date: 22 April 2024 

6. SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction

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

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

Closing date: 30 April 2024 

7. Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest

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

Prizes: $2,000 and others

8. The Creative Writing NZ Short Story Prize 2024  

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

Location: New Zealand

Word count: 3,000

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

9. Short Story Competition  

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

Word count: 1,500

Prizes: £100, £50

Closing date: 30 April 2024  

10. Los Angeles NaNo Anthology

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

Wordcount: 4,000

Closing date: 30 April 2024

11. Terry Tempest Williams Creative Nonfiction Prize

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

Word count: 500–10,000

Entry fee: $23

Closing date: 02 April 2024

Book writing competitions 2024

12. self-published book awards  .

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

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

Entry fee: $100

13. First Pages Prize   

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

Categories: Fiction and creative nonfiction

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

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

Closing date: 10 April 2024

14. Jonathan Holden Poetry Chapbook Contest

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

Word count: 25 to 40 pages

Prize: $250 and 10 copies of the printed chapbook

Closing date: 10 April 2024 

15. Nimrod Literary Awards  

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

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

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

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

Entry fee: $20 

16. Mairtin Crawford Award 

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

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

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

17. F(r)iction Contests

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. International Poetry Contest

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

Entry fee: $15 (for five poems)

Closing date: 01 May 2024 

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

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

Word count: 70 lines

Prize: $1,000 (total prize pool)

Closing date: 03 May 2024

3. Montreal International Poetry Prize  

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

Prize: $20,000 CAD

Closing date: 15 May 2024

4. Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize  

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

Word count: 3 pages

5. James Laughlin Award [Free Writing Contest!]

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

Location: US

Prize: $5,000 

6. Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize

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

Prize: $25,000 

Entry fee: $75

7. Guy Owen Prize  

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

Closing date: 31 May 2024

Short story competitions 2024

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

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

9. Twist in the Tale Writing Competition  

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

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

Entry fee: $30

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

10. WOW! Flash Fiction Contest  

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

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

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

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

12. James A. Winn Prize in Nonfiction  

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

Word count: 1,500–7,000

Prize: $1,500

13. Cheshire Novel Prize  

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

Word count: The first 5,000 words

Prize: £1500

Entry fee: £29

Closing date: 01 May 2024

14. The Backwaters Prize in Poetry   

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

Word count: 60–85 pages

Prizes: $2,000, $1,000

Entry fee: $32

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

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

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

16. Leapfrog Global Fiction Prize  

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

Word count: Minimum 22,000

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

Entry fee: $35

Closing date: 05 May 2024

17. The Fugere Book Prize for Finely Crafted Novellas

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

Word count: 17,000–40,000

18. Goldfinch Novel Award 2024

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

Location: UK and Ireland

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

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

Word count: 90–160 pages

Prize: $500

Closing date: 25 May 2024 

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

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

Categories: Poetry, short story, short narrative

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

Prizes: $100 per category

21. Leeway Transformation Award [Free Contest!]

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

Categories: Various

Prizes: $15,000

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

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

Word count: 6,000

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

Entry fee: $22

23. Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition 2024

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

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

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

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

Closing date: 06 May 2024

24. The Bridport Prize 2024  

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

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

a. Poetry Contest 2024

Word count: 42 lines

Prizes: £5,000, £1,000, £500

Entry fee: £12

b. Short Story Contest 2024

Entry fee: £14

c. Flash Fiction Contest 2024

Word count: 250

d. Novel Contest 2024

Word count: 5,000–8,000

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

Entry fee: £24

e. Memoir Contest 2024

June 2024 

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

Poetry contests 2024 

1. boulevard magazine poetry contest .

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

Prize: $1000

Entry fee: $18 

Closing date: 1 June 2024 

2. Dan Veach Prize [Free Writing Contest!] 

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

Prize: $100 

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

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

Prize: $200, $100, $50 

4. McLellan Poetry Prize

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

Word count: 90 lines 

Prize: £1000, £250 

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

Closing date: 2 June 2024 

5. Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year 

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

Word count: 60 lines 

Prize: £200, £100, £50 

Entry fee: £5 per poem 

Closing date: 7 June 2024 

6. Poetry London prize

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

Prize: £5000, £2000, £1000

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

Closing date: 30 June 2024 

Short story competitions 2024 

7. defenestrationism contest.

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

Prize: $75, $30, $30 

Closing date: 2 June 2024

8. Imagine 2200

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

Word count: 2,500-5,000 words

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

Closing date: 24 June 2024 

9. Moth Short Story Prize

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

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

Entry fee: £15 per entry 

10. Salamander 2024 Fiction Contest

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

Prize: $1000, $500 

Entry fee: $15 

11. FFF Competition 

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

Wordcount: 100-300 words 

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

Entry fee: £3.95, £2.55 

Closing date: 23 June 2024 

Essay contests 2024 

12. goi peace foundation international essay contest .

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

Theme: Experience of overcoming conflict 

Word count: 700 words 

Prize: 100,000 yen, 50,000 yen

Closing date: 15 June  2024 

13. Solid essay contest 

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

Word count: 600-800 

Prize: $1000, $700, $500

Closing date: 19 June 2024

14. Hubert Butler Essay prize 

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

Wordcount: 3,000

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

Closing date: 28 June 2024 

15. Fountain Essay Contest 2024 

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

Theme: Where is home? 

Wordcount: 1500-2000

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

Book writing contests 2024 

16. the novel prize .

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

Prize: $10,000

17. Chicken House Prize 

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

Prize: £7,500 

18. Creative Arts Book Award 

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

Prize: $25,000, 2 prizes of $250 

19. Towson prize for literature 

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

Prize: $1,000 

Closing date: 15 June 2024 

20. Scotiabank Giller Prize 

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

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

Closing date: 21 June 2024 

21. Atwood Gibson Prize 

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

Prize: $60,000, $5000  

Closing date: 25 June 2024 

22. Drue Heinz Literature Prize 

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

Prize: $15000

Mixed writing contests 2024 

23. arizona authors association literary contest  .

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

Location: US and Canada

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

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

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

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

Closing date: 01 June 2024

24. Questions Writing Prize 

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

Prize: $3000

Word count: 1,500-2000

25. Manitoba poetry and short story contest 

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

Prize: $125, $75, $50 

26. International Wizard of Oz Club Contest 

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

Prize: $100, $50 

Word count: 10,000 words 

27. Wells Festival of Literature 

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

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

a. Wells Festival Open Poetry Contest 2024 

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

Prize: £1000, £500, £250 

Entry fee: £6

b. Wells Festival Short Story Contest 2024 

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

Prize: £750, £300, £200, £100 

Entry fee: £6 per story 

c. Wells Festival Book for Children Contest 

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

Prize: £750. £300, £200 

Entry fee: £6 per book 

d. Young Poets Contest 

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

Prize: £200, £150, £100 

Entry fee: £3 per poem 

28. Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-Fiction 

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

Prize: $75,000, $5,000

29. Writers of the future contest

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

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

July 2024 

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

1. Local Word Poetry Prize

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

Wordcount: 75 lines 

Prize: $2,000, $250 

Entry fee: Free! 

Closing date: 1 July 2024 

2. Ledbury Poetry Competition 2024 

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

Location: UK 

Prize: £1000, £500, £259 

Entry fee: £6 

Closing date: 8 July 2024 

3. Vice Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize 

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

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

Entry fee: $AUD25 

Closing date: 14 July 2024 

4. Rattle poetry prize

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

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

Entry fee: $30 

Closing date: 15 July 2024 

5. The Tenth Gate Prize  

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

Entry fee: $25 

6. Muriel Craft Bailey Poetry Contest  

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

Prize: $1.000, $250, $100 

Entry fee: $27.50 (per submission) 

7. Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize 

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

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

Closing date: 31 July 2024 

8. Winchester Poetry Prize 2024 

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

Wordcount: Not more than 40 lines 

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

9. Experimental Poetry Contest 

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

10. HWA Short Story Award

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

Wordcount: 3,500 words 

Prize:  £500 

Closing date: 1 July 2024. 

11. HG Wells short story competition 

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

Theme: The Fool 

Prize: £1,000

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

12. The Paul Cave Prize for Teenage Fiction 

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

Prize: £100, £50, £25

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

Closing date: 30 July 2024 

13. Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition 2024

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

Word count: 3,000 

Prize: €2,000, €500, €250 

14. Inspiring Fiction Contest 

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

Wordcount: 1000-2500

Prize: £100

15. Fiction Factory Competition 

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

Wordcount: 3000 words

Prize: £500

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

16. Anthology Short Story Competition 

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

Word count: 1,500 words

Prize: €1000, €250, €150 

Entry fee: €18 per entry 

17. Forum Essay Prize 2024 

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

Theme: The Art(s) of Delight 

Wordcount: 6000-8000 words 

Prize: £500, £200

18. Wasifiri New Writing Prize 

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

Prize: £1000

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

19. The St. Laurence Book Award 

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

Prize: $1.000

Entry fee: $14 

20. Press 53 Award 

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

21. Kingsley Tuft Poetry Award

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

Prize: $100,000

22. North Street Book Prize 

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

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

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

Entry fee: $79 per book 

23. Marystina Santiestevan First Book Prize 

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

Prize: $1,500  

Closing date: 7 July 2024 

24. Petrichor Prize 

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

25. Bellevue Literary Review Prize 

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

Wordcount: 5,000 words 

Prize: $75 (poetry), $150 (prose) 

Entry fee: $5 

26. Robert and Adele Schiff Awards 

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

Prize: $1,000 (per category) 

27. Work-in-Progress Contest 

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

Prize: $500 

August 2024 

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

1. Coniston Prize 

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

Prize: $1,000, $175 for 10 finalists 

Closing date: 1 August 2024 

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

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

Wordcount: 40 lines max 

Prize: €400, €300, €200 

Closing date: 12 August 2024 

3. Grayson Books Poetry Contest 

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

Entry fee: $26 

Closing date: 15 August 2024 

4. Cantor Prize

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

Prize: $1,000, $100 each (5 prizes) 

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

Deadline: 31 August 2024 

5. Oxford Poetry Prize 

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

Wordcount: 50 lines (maximum) 

Prize: £1000, £200, £100

Closing date: 31 August 2024 

6. Off the Grid Poetry Prize 

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

7. Richard-Gabriel Rummonds Poetry Prize

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

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

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

9. George Dila Flash Fiction Contest 

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

Wordcount: Less than 1,000 words 

Prize: 3 prizes of $100 

Entry fee: $6 per entry 

10. Free Flash Fiction Competition 

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

Word count: 100-300 words 

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

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

Closing date: 23 August 2024 

11. Summer Short Story Award  

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

Word count: Less than 6000 words 

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

Entry fee: $20 per entry 

Closing date: 25 August 2024 

12. Gemini Flash Fiction Prize

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

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

Entry fee: $8 

13. Edinburgh Flash Fiction Award 

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

Wordcount: Up to 200 words 

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

Entry fee: £10.00 per story

14. Summer Flash Fiction Contest

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

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

Wordcount: 250-750 words 

Entry fee: $10 

Essay writing contests 2024 

15. creative non fiction essay contest .

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

Closing date: 2 August 2024 

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

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

Prize: $1,000, $500, $250 

17. Aspen Words Literary Prize 

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

Prize: $35,000

Entry fee: $105 per book 

Closing date: 7 August 2024 

18. Other Futures Award

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

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

19. Open Poetry Book Contest

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

Entry fee: $30 per entry

Closing date: 16 August 2024 

20. Book of the Year Awards Contest 

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

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

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

21. Kenneth Patchen Award

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

22. Granum Foundation Prize (Free writing contest!) 

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

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

23. Stories That Need to Be Told 

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

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

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

Closing date: 9 August 2024 

24. Gulf Coast Prize 

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

Entry fee: $26 per entry 

25. Lab Prize 

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

Entry fee: $28 

26. SaveAs Writers International Writing Competition

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

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

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

27. Northwind Writing Award (Free writing contest!) 

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

Prize: $ 100 per category

September 2024 

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

1. Frontier Poetry Award 

Judged 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 Prize 

Seeking 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 competition 

Women 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 Prizes 

To 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 2024 

Open 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 Prize

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

Wordcount: 60-90 pages 

Closing date: 30 September 2024 

7. X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize 

Every 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 Contest 

This 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 Contest 

Open 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 Contest 

Judged 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 Contest 

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

Wordcount: 2,500-5000 words 

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

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 Awards 

Accepting 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 Competition

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

Prize: £3,000, £100 (3 prizes)

Entry fee: £12.00

16. Bardsy Short Story Contest 

This 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 Award

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

Prize: €300 

Entry fee: €12

18. Writers College Short Story Contest 

Writers 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 Contests 

International 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 Contest 

Currently 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 Award

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

23. Lightscatter Press Prize 

Judged 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 Prize 

Organized 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 Prize 

Open 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 Prizes

This 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 Awards

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

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

Prize: $1000 per category 

Entry fee: $12 

Closing date: 5 September 2024 

29. Aesthetica Creative Writing Award

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

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

Prize: £5000

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

Closing date: 8 September 2024 

30. Fractured Lit 2024 Elsewhere Prize 

Judged 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 Contest 

This 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 Contest 

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

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

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

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

33. The Paul Cave Prize

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

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

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

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

34. Break Out! Writers Prize

Seeking 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 Awards 

This 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 Prize

Accepting 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 Prize 

Open 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 Competition 

Accepting 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 Humor  

Judged 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 Nonfiction 

Interested 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 Prizes

This contest annually awards a short story collection and novel. The winning entry is published by the University of Massachusetts Press. 

42. PEN/Faulkner Award

This 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 awards 

This 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 2024 

October 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 Award 

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

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

Closing date: 1 October 2024 

2. Vivian Shipley Poetry Award 

Open 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 Contest 

While 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 Prize

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

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

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

Closing date: 7 October 2024. 

5. Steve Kowit Poetry Prize 

To 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 Award 

Sponsored 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 Prize 

Accepting 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 Award 

This 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 Competition 

To 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 Initiative 

Inviting 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 Prize 

Judged 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 Awards

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

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

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

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

Book writing contests 2024  

13. 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 Prize 

Organized 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 Prize 

Judged 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 Award 

Open 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 Competition 

Open 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 Contest 

This 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 Prize 

This 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 Contest 

This 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 Award 

Judged 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 2024  

22. 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 Awards 

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

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

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

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

Closing date: 20 October 2024 

24. American Literary Review Awards 

This 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 Fiction

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

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

26. Jeffrey E. Smith Editors Prize 

This 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 Festival 

This 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 Awards 

To 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 Competition

Open 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 Awards

To 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 contests 

1. 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 Award 

Founded 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 Contests 

Cloudbank 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 Prize 

This contest accepts unpublished works in any form and style. Writers can submit up to 5 poems per submission. Make sure to include a 50-word bio with your submission! 

5. James Hearst Poetry Prize  

To participate, writers can submit up to 5 poems per submission. All winning entries, runner-ups, honorable mentions, and finalists will be offered publication in North American Review’s spring issue. 

Entry fee: $23 

Closing date: 2 November 2024 

6. Servicescape Short Story Award 

This contest awards original works of short fiction and non-fiction. Writers can submit a story on any theme and genre. 

Word count: 5,000 or lower 

Closing date: 30 November 2024 

7. Bath Children’s Novel Award 

This 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 Fiction

This 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:

• What Is Show, Don’t Tell? (Meaning, Examples & 6 Tips)
• How to Write a Book Review (Meaning, Tips & Examples)

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to participate in writing contests, can i submit previously published work to writing contests, what genres are typically covered in free writing competitions, where can i get updates on the results of the contest, what are the submission guidelines for free writing contests.

Found this article helpful?

11 comments on “ Writing Contests 2024: Cash Prizes & Free Entries! ”

Thank you for this list. I will try a few.

Please, keep me updated on single poetry contests. Because I have not written enough for a book as of yet!

We’ll keep updating the list.

i liked your list!

Greatly appreciated

This is a fantastic list! 🙂 What is the best way to submit a contest to the list?

Thanks Alex, You can check the contest submission guidelines on the website. Keep reading for the upcoming writing contests!

It is awesome!

Thank you for the list 😉 Great opportunity to get my feet wet; I will try a couple

Thank you to give opportunity to teenagers.

Cool paper true 👍

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