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.
Contents
Short Story 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From Website: “Unpublished short stories of 1,500 to 5,000 words in any genre touching on the publication’s mission, “Celebrating America—past, present, and future.”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.”
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.”
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From Website: “Open to all published and unpublished writers 16 and up.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.”
Prize: $1,000
Finalists receive $100
Entry Fee: $15
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
Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: Free
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
Entry Fee: Free
Deadline: TBD 2024
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
Entry Fee: Free
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.”
Prize: First place: $200 and publication in the Confluence program book.
Second place: $100
Third place: $50
Best Youth Story: $50
Entry Fee: Free
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.”
Prize: First Place: $750
Second Place: $350
Third Place: $150
Publication of Top Five
Entry Fee: Free
Deadline: TBD 2024
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
Entry Fee: Free
Deadline: TBD 2024
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.”
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.’”
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.
Deadline: TBD 2024
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.”
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
Deadline: TBD 2024
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)
Deadline: TBD 2024
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
Deadline: TBD 2024
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
Deadline: March 1, 2024
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
Deadline: TBD 2024
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.”
Prize: First Place: $1,000 and Publication
Second Place: $500 and Publication
Entry Fee: $15
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.”
Prize: $1,000 and publication by BOA Editions, Ltd.
Entry Fee: $25
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
Entry Fee: $20
Deadline: November 1, 2024
Sponsor: Reed Magazine
From Website: “Creative 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.”
Prize: Publication in Prime Number Magazine and a free book from Press 53.
Entry Fee: Free
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.
Entry Fee: $20
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
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.
Entry Fee: $20.
Deadline: Awarded every two months
Sponsor: Letter Review
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.”
Finalist: US$1,000
Finalist: US$1,000
From Website: “The Kurt Vonnegut Prize is an annual fiction competition intended to recognize the finest speculative fiction, which can include, but is not limited to, work influenced by the postmodern science-fiction of Kurt Vonnegut. We love Vonnegut’s dark humor, but please avoid mere imitation. We welcome all forms of previously unpublished fiction—one story per submission. We are enthusiastic about all work painted with speculative fiction’s broad brush: fairy tale, magical realism, fabulism, the fantastic, horror, Afro-futurism, science fiction hard and soft, and everything in between. The winner, runners-up, and any honorable mentions may be offered publication in the North American Review’s summer issue. 500 – 10,000 words.”
Full Manuscript Writing Contests
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
Deadline: August 31, 2024
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.”
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
Entry Fee: $25
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.”
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
Entry Fee: Free
Deadline: TBD 2024
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
Entry Fee: Free
Deadline: May 31, 2024
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.”
Prize: $1,500 and a book contract, as well as 25 author’s copies and promotional support
Entry Fee: $25
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.”
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
Entry Fee: $20
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
Sponsor: Letter Review
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
Poetry Writing Contests
Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize
Prize: $2,500 plus publication
Entry Fee: $30
Deadline: TBD 2024
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).”
Prize: $2,000 plus publication
Entry Fee: $28
Deadline: TBD 2024
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.
Deadline: Awarded every two months
Sponsor: Letter Review
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/
