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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
Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Career Development Grants Grants of up to $2,500 are given three times a year to allow Minnesota writers to take advantage of a specific arts opportunity. Poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who are U.S....	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$2,500		11/16/12
Kore Press Short Fiction Award A prize of $1,000 and publication by Kore Press is given annually for a short story by a female-identified writer. The winning story is published as a chapbook. Using the online submission system, submit...	$15	Fiction	$1,000	Publication	11/30/12
Fish Publishing Fish Short Story Prize A prize of 3,000 euros (approximately $3,870) and publication in the annual Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short story. Ten finalists will also be published, and all entries are...	$28	Fiction	$3,870	Publication	11/30/12
Narrative Fall Story Contest A prize of $2,500 is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, or an excerpt from a longer work of prose. A $1,000 second-place prize is also given. All entries are considered for...	$22	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$2,500		11/30/12
American Library Association W. Y. Boyd Literary Award A prize of $5,000 is given annually for a novel set in a period when the United States was at war. Publishers or authors may submit seven copies of books published in 2011 by December 1. There is no...	$0	Fiction	$5,000		12/1/12
Langum Charitable Trust Prize in American Historical Fiction A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of historical fiction published in the current year. Submit three copies of books (or bound galleys) published in 2012 by December 1. There is no entry fee...	$0	Fiction	$1,000		12/1/12
Stanford University Wallace Stegner Fellowships Two-year fellowships, five in poetry and five in fiction, are given annually to allow emerging writers to develop their craft in workshops with senior faculty members at Stanford University. Each...	$75	Poetry, Fiction	$52,000		12/1/12
Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers Meringoff Awards Three prizes of $2,000 each and publication in the Association of Literary Scholars journal, Literary Imagination, or its newsletter, Literary Matters, will be given for a poem, a work...	$37	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$2,000	Publication	12/1/12
Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown Writing Fellowships Fellowships for a seven-month residency at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, are given annually to 10 poets and fiction writers. Each fellowship includes a private apartment and a...	$45	Poetry, Fiction	$7,500	Residency	12/1/12
Lambda Literary Foundation Debut Literary Awards Two prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for debut books of fiction by LGBT writers published in the current year. Submit four copies of a first novel or a short story collection (or bound galleys)...	$35	Fiction	$1,000		12/1/12
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
Morehead State University Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction by an Appalachian writer. Authors and publishers may submit five copies of a book of poetry or prose by December...	$0	Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000		12/3/12
Publishing Triangle Triangle Awards A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a first book of fiction by an LGBT author published in the United States or Canada during the current year. Two prizes of $1,000 each are also given for books of...	$35	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$1,000		12/6/12
Friends of American Writers Literary Award A prize of up to $4,000 is given annually for a book of fiction or creative nonfiction published in the current year by a writer who is a resident of the Midwest or whose book features a Midwestern...	$0	Fiction, Creative Nonfiction	$4,000		12/10/12
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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