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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
Southern Poetry Review Guy Owen Prize A prize of $1,000 and publication in Southern Poetry Review is given annually for a poem. Submit three to five poems totaling no more than 10 pages with a $20 entry fee, which includes a...	$20	Poetry	$1,000	Publication	6/15/13
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Creative Nonfiction Walton Sustainability Solutions Best Creative Nonfiction Essay Award A prize of $10,000 and publication in Creative Nonfiction will be given for an essay on the theme “The Human Face of Sustainability.” The editors will judge. Submit an essay of up to 4,000 words...	$20	Creative Nonfiction	$10,000	Publication	5/31/13
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
Southern Indiana Review Thomas A. Wihelmus Editors’ Award A prize of $1,500 and publication in Southern Indiana Review is given annually for a work of creative nonfiction. All entries are considered for publication. Submit an essay of up to 35 pages...	$20	Creative Nonfiction	$1,500	Publication	6/1/13
University of Akron Press Akron Poetry Prize A prize of $1,500 and publication by University of Akron Press is given annually for a poetry collection. David Kirby will judge. Submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages with a $25 entry fee by June 15...	$25	Poetry	$1,500	Publication	6/15/13
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
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
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
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
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
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
Bitter Oleander Press Library of Poetry Book Award A prize of $1,000 and publication by Bitter Oleander Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Original works written in English are eligible. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 80 pages with a $25...	$25	Poetry	$1,000	Publication	6/15/13
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
Astounding Beauty Ruffian Press Poetry Chapbook Award A prize of $10,000 and publication by Astounding Beauty Ruffian Press is given biennially for a poetry chapbook by a U.S. poet. Submit a manuscript of 10 to 20 pages with a $25 entry fee by May 31. Visit...	$25	Poetry	$10,000	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
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
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
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

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