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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Lynchburg College Thornton Writer Residency A fourteen-week residency at Lynchburg College, including a stipend, is awarded annually to a fiction writer for the fall term and a poet or creative nonfiction writer for the spring term. The stipend... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | Reading, Workshop, Residency | 10/15/12 | |
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University of Iowa Press Short Fiction Awards Two publication awards are given annually by the University of Iowa Press for first collections of short fiction. Writers who have not published a book of fiction are eligible. Submit a manuscript of at... |
$0 | Fiction | Publication | 9/30/12 | |
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Before Columbus Foundation American Book Awards Awards are given annually for books published in the United States during the preceding year that make contributions to American multicultural literature. Submit two copies of a book published in 2012 by... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | 12/31/12 | ||
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Commonwealth Club of California California Book Awards Three prizes are given annually to California writers for books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction (including creative nonfiction). Prizes are also given for a first book of fiction and a book of fiction... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | 12/14/12 | ||
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Pushcart Press Pushcart Prizes Publication in The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses is awarded annually for poetry, fiction, and essays published by literary magazines or small presses in the current year. Editors may... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | Publication | 12/1/12 | |
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The Writer’s Center Emerging Writer Fellowships Three fellowships are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Fellows who live within a 250-mile radius of the center receive a $250 honorarium each, and others receive... |
$0 | Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction | $250 | Reading | 4/12/13 |