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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. All entries are considered for publication. The editors will... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 8/31/13 |
|
Utica College Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize A prize of $2,000 is given annually for a poetry collection by a resident of upstate New York. The winner must also give a reading and teach a master class at Utica College. Submit two copies of a book... |
$0 | Poetry | $2,000 | Reading | 8/31/13 |
|
University of Wisconsin Press Brittingham and Felix Pollak Prizes Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by University of Wisconsin Press are given annually for poetry collections. Submit a manuscript of 60 to 90 pages with a $25 entry fee between August 15 and... |
$25 | Poetry | $2,500 | Reading, Publication | 9/15/13 |
|
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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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 |
|
The Story Prize The Story Prize A prize of $20,000 is given annually to honor a short story collection written in English and first published in the United States. Two runners-up will receive $5,000 each. A prize of $1,000 is also... |
$75 | Fiction | $20,000 | 7/15/13 | |
|
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival Poetry Contest A prize of $1,000 and publication in Louisiana Cultural Vistas is given annually for a group of poems. The winner will also be invited to give a reading at the 2013 Tennessee Williams/New... |
$20 | Poetry | $1,000 | Reading, Publication | 8/15/13 |
|
Teachers & Writers Collaborative Bechtel Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication in Teachers & Writers Magazine is given annually for an essay that relates to creative writing education or literary studies. Susan Orlean will judge.... |
$20 | Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 7/1/13 |
|
Sustainable Arts Foundation Writing Awards Five awards of $6,000 each will be given twice yearly to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers with children. Five Promise Awards of $1,000 each will also be given twice yearly to poets... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $6,000 | 8/31/13 | |
|
Snake Nation Press Serena McDonald Kennedy Award A prize of $1,000 and publication by Snake Nation Press will be given annually for a novella or short story collection. Submit a novella of up to 50,000 words or a short story collection of up to 200... |
$25 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 8/31/13 |
|
Snake Nation Press Violet Reed Haas Prize for Poetry A prize of $1,000 and publication by Snake Nation Press will be given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 50 to 75 pages with a $25 entry fee by August 31. E-mail or visit the... |
$25 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 8/31/13 |
|
Slippery Elm Poetry and Prose Awards Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Slippery Elm will be given annually for a poem and a short story or an essay. All entries will be considered for publication. Mary Biddinger will... |
$15 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 9/13/13 |
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Sixfold Short Story and Poetry Awards Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Sixfold are given quarterly for a short story and a group of poems. Using the online submission system, submit up to five poems totaling no more than... |
$6 | Poetry, Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 7/24/13 |
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Schaffner Press Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature A prize of $1,000 and publication by Schaffner Press will be given annually for a work of fiction or creative nonfiction that "deals in some way with the subject of music and its influence." Submit a... |
$25 | Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 9/1/13 |
|
Saturday's Child Press Short Story Award A prize of $1,000 and publication in Saturday's Child Magazine will be given twice annually for a short story by a woman or a translation into English of a short story by a woman. Translators of... |
$15 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 9/15/13 |
|
Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Awards Two prizes of $1,000 are given annually for works of fiction and creative nonfiction. David Morrell will judge in fiction, and Lee Gutkind will judge in creative nonfiction. Submit a manuscript of any... |
$30 | Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | 7/15/13 | |
|
Santa Cruz Writes Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Contest A prize of $1,000 and publication in phren-Z, an online literary journal, will be given annually for a poem. The winner will also be invited to give a reading at the fourth annual Morton Marcus... |
$15 | Poetry | $1,000 | Reading, Publication | 9/1/13 |
|
Red Mountain Press Poetry Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Mountain Press will be given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 75 pages with a $30 entry fee ($27 for online submissions) by... |
$30 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 9/15/13 |
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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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Red Hen Press Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award A prize of $3,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Mark Doty will judge. Submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages with a $25 entry fee by August 31. Call or... |
$25 | Poetry | $3,000 | Publication | 8/31/13 |
|
Rattle Poetry Prize A prize of $5,000 and publication in Rattle is given annually for a poem. A Reader's Choice Award of $1,000 is also given to one of ten finalists. All entries are considered for publication.... |
$18 | Poetry | $5,000 | Publication | 7/15/13 |
|
PEN Center USA Emerging Voices Fellowships Fellowships of $1,000 each are given annually to emerging poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers from underrepresented communities who lack access to financial and creative support. Each... |
$10 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | 8/12/13 | |
|
Pearl Editions Pearl Poetry Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by Pearl Editions is given annually for a poetry collection. Fred Voss will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 64 pages with a $25 entry fee by June 30. Send an SASE or... |
$25 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
|
Pavement Saw Press Transcontinental Poetry Award A prize of $1,000, publication by Pavement Saw Press, and 50 author copies is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. Poets who have not published more than one collection, or who have... |
$20 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 8/15/13 |
|
Parlor Press New Measure Poetry Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by Parlor Press in the Free Verse Editions series is given annually for a poetry collection. Carolyn Forché will judge. Using the online submission system, submit a... |
$25 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
|
Omnidawn Publishing First/Second Book Prize A prize of $3,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. Donald Revell will judge. Submit a manuscript of 40 to 120 pages... |
$27 | Poetry | $3,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards Grants of $5,000 are awarded biennially to Ohio poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Writers who have been residents of Ohio for one year prior to the application deadline and are not... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $5,000 | 9/1/13 | |
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Off the Grid Press Poetry Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by Off the Grid Press is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet over the age of 60. Tam Lin Neville and Bert Stern will judge. Submit a manuscript of 60 to 80... |
$25 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 8/31/13 |
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Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Award A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation website is given annually for a poem that explores “positive visions of peace and the human spirit.” Submit two copies of up to three... |
$15 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 7/1/13 |
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Northern Colorado Writers Creative Nonfiction Contest A prize of $1,000 and publication in the Northern Colorado Writers anthology will be given annually for a work of creative nonfiction. David Shields will judge. Submit an essay or excerpt of a longer... |
$20 | Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
|
North Carolina Humanities Council Linda Flowers Literary Award A prize of $500, publication in North Carolina Conversations, and a weeklong residency at Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities in Southern Pines, North Carolina, is given annually for a... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $500 | Publication, Residency | 8/15/13 |
|
National Poetry Review Press Book Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by National Poetry Review Press is given annually for a poetry collection. C. J. Sage will judge. Submit a manuscript of 45 to 80 pages with a $25 entry fee by June 30.... |
$25 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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Narrative Poetry Contest A prize of $1,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a poem or group of poems. All entries are considered for publication. The poetry editors will judge. Using the online... |
$22 | Poetry | $1,500 | Publication | 7/17/13 |
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Narrative Spring Story Contest A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, or an excerpt from a work of fiction or creative nonfiction. A second prize of... |
$22 | Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $2,500 | Publication | 7/31/13 |
|
Munster Literature Centre Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition A prize of €2,000 (approximately $2,600) and publication in Southword, an online literary journal published in Cork, Ireland, is given annually for a short story. The winner also receives a... |
$0 | Fiction | $2,600 | Publication | 7/31/13 |
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Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund Individual Artist Grants for Women Grants of $500 to $1,500 each are given twice yearly to feminist writers who are citizens of the United States or Canada. The current round of grants will be awarded to women poets and creative... |
$20 | Poetry, Creative Nonfiction | $1,500 | 6/30/13 | |
|
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 | |
|
Memoir Journal Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry A prize of $500 and publication in Memoir Journal is given twice yearly for a memoir in the form of a poem or an essay. The editors will judge. Using the online submission system, submit up to... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $500 | Publication | 8/16/13 |
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Manchester Metropolitan University Poetry and Fiction Prizes Two prizes of £10,000 (approximately $15,433) are given annually for a group of poems and a short story. Bernard O'Donoghue, Adam O'Riordan, and Fiona Sampson will judge in poetry, and Alison Moore,... |
$26 | Poetry, Fiction | $15,433 | 8/30/13 | |
|
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 | |
|
Literal Latté Poetry Award A prize of $1,000 and publication in Literal Latté is given annually for a poem. Submit up to six poems of no more than 2,000 words each with a $10 entry fee ($15 for up to 10 poems) by July 15... |
$10 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 7/15/13 |
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Literal Latté Ames Essay Award A prize of $1,000 and publication in Literal Latté is given annually for a personal essay. Submit an essay of up to 8,000 words with a $10 entry fee ($5 for an additional essay) by... |
$10 | Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 9/15/13 |
|
Leeway Foundation Art and Change Grants Grants of up to $2,500 each are given twice yearly by the Leeway Foundation to women and transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, and Two-Spirit poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $2,500 | 8/1/13 | |
|
Kore Press First Book Award A prize of $1,000 and publication by Kore Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Female-identified poets who have not published a book-length poetry collection or a chapbook with a print run... |
$25 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 8/31/13 |
|
Journal of Experimental Fiction Kenneth Patchen Award A prize of $1,000 and publication by Journal of Experimental Fiction/Civil Coping Mechanisms is given annually for an innovative novel. James R. Hugunin will judge. Submit a manuscript of any... |
$25 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 7/31/13 |
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John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Writing Fellowships Guggenheim Fellowships are awarded annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who are residents of the United States and Canada on the basis of achievement and exceptional... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $30,000 | 9/19/13 | |
|
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 |
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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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Hunger Mountain Creative Nonfiction Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Hunger Mountain website is given annually for a work of creative nonfiction. Submit a manuscript of up to 10,000 words with a $20 entry fee by September... |
$20 | Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 9/10/13 |
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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 |
|
Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Awards Three prizes are given annually to a poet, a fiction writer, and a creative nonfiction writer to honor their first books. The winners each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to several of the 13 GLCA... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $500 | 7/25/13 | |
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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 |
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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 print publication with a circulation over 5,000... |
$15 | Fiction | $1,500 | Publication | 8/31/13 |
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Glimmer Train Press Very Short Fiction Award A prize of $1,500 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given twice yearly for a short story. Using the online submission system, submit a story of up to 3,000 words with a $15 entry fee by... |
$15 | Fiction | $1,500 | Publication | 7/31/13 |
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Gival Press Short Story Award A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Gival Press website is given annually for a short story. Submit a story of 5,000 to 15,000 words with a $25 entry fee by August 8. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or... |
$25 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 8/8/13 |
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Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a short short story. The editors will judge. Submit a story of up to 1,000 words with a $4 entry fee ($3 for each... |
$4 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication | 8/31/13 |
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Finishing Line Press Open Chapbook Competition A prize of $1,000 and publication by Finishing Line Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The winner will also receive a standard royalty contract for a Kindle edition of the winning chapbook.... |
$15 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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Farmingdale State College Paumanok Poetry Award A prize of $1,500 and travel and lodging expenses to give a reading at Farmingdale State College is given annually for a group of poems. Submit three to five published or unpublished poems totaling no... |
$25 | Poetry | $1,500 | Reading | 9/15/13 |
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Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships Established Professional Fellowships of $6,000 each and Emerging Professional Fellowships of $3,000 each are given annually to Delaware poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Writers... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $6,000 | 8/1/13 | |
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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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Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award A prize of $2,000, publication by Southern Illinois University Press, and a $1,500 honorarium to give a reading at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale is given annually for a poetry collection. U.... |
$25 | Poetry | $2,000 | Reading, Publication | 7/8/13 |
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Comstock Review Muriel Craft Bailey Award A prize of $1,000 and publication in Comstock Review is given annually for a poem. Submit poems of up to 40 lines each with a $5 entry fee per poem by July 1. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or... |
$5 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 7/1/13 |
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Claremont Graduate University Tufts Poetry Awards The $100,000 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award is given annually to honor a book of poetry by a midcareer U.S. poet. The winner spends one week in residence at Claremont Graduate University in California. The... |
$0 | Poetry | $100,000 | 9/15/13 | |
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Cider Press Review Editors’ Prize Book Award A prize of $1,000, publication by Cider Press Review, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. The editors will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 80 pages with a $25... |
$25 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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Blue Mountain Center Richard J. Margolis Award A prize of $5,000 and a monthlong residency at the Blue Mountain Center, an artists colony in Blue Mountain Lake, New York, is given annually to a writer of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction with... |
$0 | Poetry, Creative Nonfiction | $5,000 | Residency | 7/1/13 |
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Black Warrior Review Writing Contests Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Black Warrior Review are given annually for a single poem, a short story, and a work of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction). Kate Durbin... |
$15 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 9/1/13 |
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Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center Poetry Contest A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poem. Winners and finalists are invited to read their poems at Beyond Baroque in October. Nick Flynn will judge. Submit up to three poems of no more than 40... |
$15 | Poetry | $1,000 | 9/1/13 | |
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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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Bear Deluxe Magazine Doug Fir Fiction Award A prize of $1,000, publication in Bear Deluxe Magazine, and a residency of up to 14 weeks at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Oregon is given annually for a short story relating to the... |
$15 | Fiction | $1,000 | Publication, Residency | 9/3/13 |
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Barrow Street Press Book Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by Barrow Street Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Afaa Michael Weaver will judge. Submit a manuscript of 50 to 80 pages with a $25 entry fee ($28 for... |
$25 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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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 | |
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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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Arcadia Ruby Irene Poetry Chapbook Prize A prize of $1,000, publication in Arcadia, and 25 author copies will be given annually for a poetry chapbook. All entries will be considered for publication. Submit a manuscript of 15 to 40... |
$20 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 8/15/13 |
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ABZ Press First Book Prize A prize of $1,000, publication by ABZ Press, and 50 author copies is given annually for a first poetry collection. C. D. Wright will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 76 pages with a $30 entry fee... |
$30 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 6/30/13 |
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A Room of Her Own Foundation Orlando Prizes Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Los Angeles Review are given twice yearly for a poem, a short story, a short short story, and an essay by a woman writer. Submit a poem of no more... |
$15 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $1,000 | Publication | 7/31/13 |
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A Room of Her Own Foundation To the Lighthouse Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a poetry collection by a woman writer. Tracy K. Smith will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 96 pages with a $20 entry fee by... |
$20 | Poetry | $1,000 | Publication | 8/31/13 |