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Writing Contests, Grants & Awards

The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

Sponsor and Award	Entry Fee	Genre	Cash Prize	Prize includes	Application Deadline
Wag’s Revue Summer Writers’ Contest A prize of $1,000 and publication in Wag’s Revue is given twice yearly for a poem or group of poems, a short story, or an essay. The editors will judge. Using the online submission system,...	$20	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000	Publication	8/31/12
Washington Writers’ Publishing House Poetry and Fiction Prizes Two prizes of $1,000 each, publication by Washington Writers, and 50 author copies will be given for a poetry collection and a short story collection or a novel. Writers who live in Washington, D.C.,...	$25	Poetry, Fiction	$1,000	Publication	11/1/12
Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition A prize of $3,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City for the annual Writer’s Digest Conference is given annually for a short short story. A second-place prize of $1,500 is also awarded. Both...	$20	Fiction	$3,000		11/15/12
Washington College Patrick Henry Fellowship A nine-month fellowship, which includes a stipend of $45,000, at the C. V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, is given annually to a...	$0	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$45,000	Residency	2/15/13
Wag's Revue Winter Writers' Contest A prize of $1,000 and publication in Wag's Revue is given annually for a poem or group of poems, a short story, or an essay. All entries are considered for publication. The editors will judge....	$20	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000	Publication	2/28/13
Writers at Work Fellowship Competition A prize of $1,000 and publication in Quarterly West is given annually for a group of poems, a short story or a novel excerpt, and an essay. Writers who have not published a book in the genre in...	$20	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000	Publication	3/1/13
Washington College Hodson-Brown Fellowship A fellowship, which includes a stipend of $20,000, will be given annually to a writer of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) working on a book relating to the literature, history, culture, or art...	$0	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$20,000		3/15/13
Winning Writers Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest A prize of $3,000 and publication on the Winning Writers website is given annually for a short story or an essay. A second-place prize of $1,000 is also awarded. John Howard Reid and Dee Konrad will...	$16	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$3,000	Publication	4/30/13
Writecorner Press E. M. Koeppel Short Fiction Award A prize of $1,100 and publication on the Writecorner Press website is given annually for a short story. All entries are considered for publication. Submit a story of up to 3,000 words with a $15 entry...	$15	Fiction	$1,100	Publication	5/15/13
Winning Writers Sports Fiction & Essay Contest Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication on the Winning Writers website are given annually for a story and an essay on the theme of sports. Jendi Reiter will judge. Submit up to 6,000 words of prose...	$15	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000	Publication	5/31/13
Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition A prize of $3,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to meet with editors and agents is given annually for a poem, a short story, or an essay. Prizes of $1,000 each are also given for a work...	$32	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$3,000	Travel	6/3/13

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