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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gival Press Novel Award A prize of $3,000, publication by Gival Press, and 20 author copies is given annually for a novel. Submit a manuscript of 30,000 to 100,000 words with a $50 entry fee by May 30. Send an SASE, call, e-... |
$50 | Fiction | $3,000 | Publication | 5/30/13 |
|
Dylan Thomas Centre Dylan Thomas Prize A prize of £30,000 (approximately $45,880) is given annually for a book of poetry or fiction published in the preceding year that “displays creative, imaginative, and innovative use of the English... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction | $45,880 | 5/31/13 | |
|
Glimmer Train Press Short Story Award for New Writers A prize of $1,500 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given quarterly for a short story by a writer whose fiction has not been published in a nationally distributed publication with a... |
$15 | Fiction | $1,500 | Publication | 5/31/13 |
|
University of Georgia Press Flannery O’Connor Short Fiction Awards Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by University of Georgia Press are given annually for collections of short fiction. Submit a manuscript of 40,000 to 75,000 words with a $25 entry fee by May 31... |
$25 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 5/31/13 |
|
Bridport Arts Centre Bridport Prize Two prizes of £5,000 (approximately $7,760) each and publication in the Bridport Prize anthology are given annually for a poem and a short story. A second-place prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,552) and... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction | $7,760 | Publication | 5/31/13 |
|
BOA Editions Short Fiction Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by BOA Editions will be given annually for a short story collection. Peter Conners will judge. Submit a manuscript of 90 to 200 pages with a $25 entry fee by May 31.... |
$25 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 5/31/13 |
|
Late Night Library Debut-litzer Award Three prizes of $1,000 each will be given annually for books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction published in the previous year. In addition, the winners will be featured on the Late Night... |
$25 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | 5/31/13 | |
|
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 |
|
Philadelphia Stories Marguerite McGlinn Prize for Fiction A prize of $2,000 and publication in Philadelphia Stories is given annually for a short story. Writers currently living in the United States are eligible. Michael Martone will judge. Using the... |
$10 | Fiction | $2,000 | Publication | 6/1/13 |
|
National Book Foundation National Book Awards Three prizes of $10,000 each are awarded annually to honor a book of poetry, a book of fiction, and a book of creative nonfiction written by U.S. writers and published in the United States during the... |
$125 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $10,000 | 6/3/13 | |
|
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 |
|
American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Prizes A prize of $2,000 and publication of an excerpt in Scandinavian Review is given annually for an English translation of a Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, or Swedish work of poetry, fiction... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $2,000 | Publication | 6/7/13 |
|
Towson University Prize for Literature A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction by a writer who has lived in Maryland for at least three years and is currently a resident. Books published... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | 6/15/13 | |
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Pulitzer Prizes Prizes in Letters Three prizes of $10,000 each are given annually to U.S. writers to honor books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published in the United States during the current year.... |
$50 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $10,000 | 6/15/13 | |
|
RopeWalk Press Editor’s Fiction Chapbook Prize A prize of $1,000, publication by RopeWalk Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a fiction chapbook. Submit a manuscript of up to 45 pages with a $20 entry fee ($5 for each additional entry)... |
$20 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 6/15/13 |
|
Salamander Fiction Prize A prize of $1,500 and publication in Salamander is given annually for a short story. Edith Pearlman will judge. Submit a story of up to 35 pages with a $15 entry fee by June 15. Send an SASE or... |
$15 | Fiction | $1,500 | Publication | 6/15/13 |
|
New Millennium Writings New Millennium Awards Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in New Millennium Writings and on the journal’s website are given twice yearly for a poem, a short story, a short short story, and an essay that have... |
$20 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 6/17/13 |
|
Mexico Fil Prize in Romance Languages A prize of $150,000 is given annually to honor a poet, a fiction writer, or a creative nonfiction writer who writes in Catalan, French, Galician, Italian, Portuguese, Roumanian, or Spanish. The prize is... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $150,000 | 6/22/13 | |
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Literary Arts Oregon Literary Fellowships Fellowships of $2,500 each are given annually to Oregon writers to initiate, develop, or complete literary projects in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. In addition, Women Writers Fellowships of... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $2,500 | 6/28/13 | |
|
Hidden River Arts William Van Wert Fiction Award A prize of $1,000 and publication in Hidden River Review is given annually for a short story or a novel excerpt. Using the online submission system, submit up to 25 pages of fiction with a $17... |
$17 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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University of North Texas Press Katherine Anne Porter Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of North Texas Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Submit a manuscript of 100 to 200 pages with a $25 entry fee between May 1 and... |
$25 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
|
University of Pittsburgh Press Drue Heinz Literature Prize A prize of $15,000 and publication by University of Pittsburgh Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. The prize is open to writers who have published a book of fiction or a minimum of... |
$0 | Fiction | $15,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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Glimmer Train Press Fiction Open A prize of $2,500 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given quarterly for a short story. Using the online submission system, submit a story of up to 20,000 words with a $19 entry fee by... |
$19 | Fiction | $2,500 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
|
Red Hen Press Short Story Award A prize of $1,000 and publication in Los Angeles Review is given annually for a short story. Ron Carlson will judge. Submit up to two stories of no more than 25 pages each with a $20 entry fee... |
$20 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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Autumn House Press Book Contests Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Autumn House Press are given annually for a poetry collection, a book of fiction, and a book of creative nonfiction. Each winner also receives a $1,500... |
$30 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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Hunger Mountain Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication in Hunger Mountain is given annually for a short story. Submit a story of up to 10,000 words with a $20 entry fee by June 30. Visit the website for complete... |
$20 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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Crook’s Corner Book Prize Foundation Book Prize A prize of $1,000 will be given annually for a debut novel published in the United States in the preceding two years and set in the American South. The winner will also be entitled to receive a free... |
$25 | Fiction | $1,000 | 6/30/13 | |
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Bellevue Literary Review Prizes in Poetry and Prose Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Bellevue Literary Review are given annually to a poet, a fiction writer, and a creative nonfiction writer for works about health, healing, illness... |
$15 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 7/1/13 |
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Bard College Bard Fiction Prize A prize of $30,000 and a one-semester appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College is given annually to a U.S. fiction writer under the age of 40. The recipient must give at least one public... |
$0 | Fiction | $30,000 | 7/15/13 | |
|
Indiana Review “1/2 K” Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication in Indiana Review is given annually for a poem or a work of fiction under 500 words. All entries are considered for publication. Dinty Moore will judge. Submit... |
$20 | Poetry, Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 8/1/13 |