$1,000 PRIZE + PUBLICATION for fiction or creative nonfiction by a Hispanic, Latino/a/x, or Chicana/o/x writer. Inlandia Institute’s Eliud Martínez Prize honors his memory (1935–2020) as artist, novelist, and professor emeritus of creative writing. Opens November 1. Website: www.inlandiainstitute.org/books/the-eliud-martinez-prize.
$4,000 IN AWARDS. Enter New Millennium Writing Awards by January 31—Best Poetry $1,000; Fiction $1,000; Nonfiction $1,000; Flash Fiction $1,000. All winners are published in our anthology and online. “I cannot overestimate the value of winning the NMW award. I credit you with giving me a second career as a writer.” —J. L. Schneider, New York. Visit www.newmillenniumwritings.org.
THE 2023 NERVOUS GHOST PRESS BOOK PRIZES for Poetry & Prose are now open for submissions from writers at all levels. U.S. only. All genres except work in translation considered. $0 reading fee. Simultaneous submissions okay. $1,000 plus publication/author copies. More information/complete submission guidelines: www.nervousghostpress.org/prizes.
2023 NEW AMERICAN POETRY PRIZE. $1,500 and book publication. Final judge: Jamaica Baldwin, author of Bone Language (forthcoming 2023). Extended deadline: February 15. Minimum length: 48 pages (no maximum). Reading fee: $25. Online submissions only, please. Complete guidelines: www.newamericanpress.com/2023-new-american-poetry-prize-final-judge-jamaica-baldwin.
THE 2023 ORISON PRIZES in Poetry & Fiction offer $1,500 and publication by Orison Books for a full-length manuscript in each genre. Judges: Pádraig Ó Tuama (poetry) & David Heska Wanbli Weiden (fiction). Entry fee: $25. Entry period: December 1, 2022–April 1, 2023. For guidelines visit www.orisonbooks.com/submissions.
2023 PRIME NUMBER MAGAZINE AWARDS for Poetry and Short Fiction. $1,000 first prize in each category plus publication in Prime Number Magazine. Reading fee: $15. Poetry judged by Felicia Mitchell. Short fiction judged by Dennis McFadden. Open January 1 to March 31. Submit online through Submittable. Details at www.press53.com/prime-number-magazine-awards.
THE 10TH ANNUAL PERMAFROST BOOK PRIZE offers publication of a book of poetry, $1,000, and distribution through University of Alaska Press. Final judge: Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Deadline: March 15. Entry fee: $20. For complete guidelines, please visit: www.permafrostmag.uaf.edu/2023-permafrost-book-prize-in-poetry.
THE 45TH NIMROD LITERARY AWARDS: The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry and the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction. First prizes of $2,000 and publication, and second prizes of $1,000 and publication. Finalists and selected semi-finalists will be published and paid $10/page. For poetry, submit 3–10 pages; for fiction, 1 short story, 7,500 words maximum. Each entry requires a $20 entry fee, which includes a 1-year subscription to Nimrod International Journal. Multiple entries accepted. Open internationally. Deadline: April 1. For complete guidelines: www.artsandsciences.utulsa.edu/nimrod.
AMERICA MEDIA FOLEY POETRY CONTEST. $1,000 prize. No entrance fee. Submissions accepted: January 1–March 31. One unpublished poem on any topic. 45 lines or fewer. Submit online: www.americamedia.submittable.com. Mailed submissions: America Foley Poetry Contest, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Fl., New York, NY, 10036.
APPLY NOW FOR THE 2023 COURAGE TO WRITE GRANTS. Applications close on February 12. The de Groot Foundation welcomes applications from writers actively engaged in a writing project for whom a monetary boost could help further or complete the project. Grants are $7,000 each. For information, guidelines, and to apply: www.degrootfoundation.org.
BAUHAN PUBLISHING’S May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize is open! Now in its 13th year, the prize is for a book-length collection, $1,000, and book publication with Spring 2023 titles. Judge: TBA. Entry fee: $30. Submission deadline: June 30. For submission guidelines: www.bauhanpublishing.com/may-sarton-prize or go to www.bauhanpublishing.submittable.com/submit.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Teachers & Writers Collaborative seeks submissions for the Bechtel Prize, a $1,000 cash prize to be awarded to a classroom teacher or teaching artist for an essay describing an innovative creative writing classroom project that engaged and inspired budding writers. Deadline: January 13. For submission guidelines go to: www.twc.org/bechtel-prize.
CLOUDBANK AWARDS a $200 prize for 1 poem or flash fiction (500 words or less) in each issue. Deadline for Cloudbank 17 Contest submissions is February 28. Non-contest submissions accepted through April 15. Guidelines—and more—at www.cloudbankbooks.com. Revive us with your fire!
CREATIVE WRITERS WITH LITTLE KIDS! Applications open March 1 for the annual Pen Parentis Writing Fellowship for New Parents. A talented fiction writer receives $2,000, a year of mentorship, publication, and an opportunity to present work at a Pen Parentis Literary Salon. Learn more and apply at www.penparentis.org.
DESPERATE LITERATURE PRIZE for Short Fiction opens January 2023. “I like this prize because it’s so international. The voices aren’t coming from a limited cultural perspective...and they’re conveying something with urgency,” —Ottessa Moshfegh, judge. Awards include cash prizes, residencies, an editorial assessment, meetings with an agent, and more. To enter: www.desperateliterature.com/prize.
ENTRIES BEING ACCEPTED for the 2023 Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival Poetry and Short Story Contest. $10 for 2 poems or 1 short story. $1,000 total awards. Award winners may read on stage or give permission for another author to read their winning works. Deadline: April 28. Entry form, fee, and 2 copies of works mailed to: 252 Twin Lakes Rd., Latrobe, PA 15650. Submit by e-mail at info@artsandheritage.com. Digital entry form available: www.artsandheritage.com/the-arts/literary-arts. Phone: (724) 834-7474.
THE ENTRY PERIOD FOR the 2023 Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest is January 1–June 1. U.S. and international sonneteers compete for prizes totaling $3,500. Categories: Top 4, Regional (Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa), Youth, and Laureates’ Choice. $5 fee for 3 sonnets. Free for youth and undergraduate. Website: www.sonnetcontest.org; e-mail: entries@sonnetcontest.org.
FIRST PAGES PRIZE is celebrating 5 years of supporting emerging writers! We invite un-agented writers worldwide to enter the first 5 pages of a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction. Visit www.firstpagesprize.com for info on the 2023 prize and submission process.
FISCHER PRIZE: $1,000, five $250 finalist prizes. Open to all styles, all poets. Cantor Prize: $500, two $100 finalist prizes. Open to Colorado poets and any poet writing about Colorado. Winners and finalists eligible for monthly virtual reading series, Bardic Trails, $100 honorarium. Deadline: August 31 yearly. Info at: www.tellurideinstitute.org/talking-gourds.
THE FLORIDA REVIEW EDITORS’ AWARDS in Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry: Winners receive $1,000 each and publication. Deadline: March 31. All submissions considered for publication. Entry fee: $25, includes a subscription to TFR. For guidelines and online submission link, see our website: www.floridareview.cah.ucf.edu.
FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE CRAZYHORSE PRIZES, the swamp pink Prizes award $2,000 and publication to a story, essay, and poem. From January 1 to 31, submit a story or essay of up to 25 pages or a set of 1–3 poems using our online submission system. This year’s judges: Jamil Jan Kochai (fiction), Melissa Faliveno (nonfiction), and Matthew Olzmann (poetry). The entry fee is $20; all entries will be considered for publication. Website: www.swamppink.submittable.com/submit.
FRANCES “FRANK” ROLLIN FELLOWSHIP: Biographers International Organization (BIO) awards $5,000 each to 2 authors working on a biographical work about an African American figure or figures whose story contributes significantly to our understanding of the Black experience. Submissions due February 1. Guidelines and applications on the BIO website: www.biographersinternational.org/award/the-frances-frank-rollin-fellowship.
GRAYSON BOOKS CHAPBOOK CONTEST. $500 and 50 gorgeous copies will be awarded to the winner. Submit 16–32 pages of poetry, $20 reading fee. Deadline: January 31. Electronic submissions only. Simultaneous submissions accepted if we are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. Joan Kwon Glass to judge. For complete guidelines see: www.graysonbooks.com.
HAZEL ROWLEY PRIZE for First-Time Biographers: Sponsored by the Biographers International Organization (BIO), the Rowley prize offers $5,000 for the best book proposal from a first-time biographer, plus a careful reading by an established agent. Submissions due March 1. Guidelines and entry forms are available on the BIO website: www.biographersinternational.org/rowley-prize.
THE HELIX LITERARY MAGAZINE is accepting submissions of poetry for their annual Leslie McGrath Poetry Prize. The winner will receive $1,000. For more information on the contest and to submit, please go to www.helixmagazine.org/leslie-mcgrath-poetry-prize. Contest closes March 17!
I-70 REVIEW announces the Bill Hickok Humor Award for poetry. Winner receives $1,000 and poem will appear in I-70 Review 2023. Submit 1 to 3 poems with $15 entry fee to i70review@gmail.com. Reading period: January 1 to February 28. No submissions before January 1. Submissions will be eligible for publication in I-70 Review. Judge reader is Christopher Buckley. For more info, visit: www.i70review.fieldinfoserv.com.
THE KATHRYN A. MORTON PRIZE in Poetry and the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction are open for submissions through February 15. Each awards a prize of $2,000, publication of the manuscript, and a standard royalty contract. $29 entry fee for each. Visit www.sarabandebooks.org for full guidelines and information on our special guest judges.
SELECTED SHORTS’ STELLA KUPFERBERG Memorial Short Story Contest judged by author Anthony Doerr. Prize includes $1,000; publication on electricliterature.com; a 10-week course with Gotham Writers Workshop; and 2 tickets to a performance of Selected Shorts featuring your winning story. Max: 750 words. Fee: $25. Due: March 10. For complete guidelines, visit www.selectedshorts.org.
SLAB’S 2023 BOGGS FICTION PRIZE seeks flash, medium, and traditional-length stories for its upcoming issue. First place: $650 and publication; Second: $400 and publication. All submissions considered for publication. Judge: Kerry Neville, the author of the short story collections Necessary Lies and Remember to Forget Me. Her fiction and essays have appeared in publications such as The Gettysburg Review, Triquarterly, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and elsewhere. She is the coordinator of the undergraduate and MFA program in creative writing at Georgia College and State University, where she is also an Assistant Professor. In 2018 she was a Fulbright Scholar at University of Limerick, Ireland. Reading period: Right now to February 14; $10 reading fee. Details at www.slablitmag.org.
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY PRESS—the Iron Horse Prize for a First Book of Collected Prose. Deadline: August 15. A prize of $1,000 and publication by Texas Tech University Press is given annually for a first book of collected prose. Manuscripts may be submitted between June 15 and August 15 with an entry fee of $15 (free day on July 15). Visit the website for complete guidelines. Cash prize: $1,000. Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction. Entry fee: $15. E-mail address: travis.snyder@ttu.edu. Website: www.ironhorsereview.com/ihlrbookprize.
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PRESS is accepting submissions for the Miller Williams Poetry Prize, selected by Patricia Smith. The winner receives $5,000 and publication. Up to 3 additional books also receive publication. Applications are accepted year-round. The deadline for the following year’s prize is September 30. Website: www.uapress.com.
WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY CONTEST. No fee. 22nd year. Top prize: $2,000. Total prizes: $3,500. Co-sponsor: Duotrope. Winning entries published online. Submit 1 humor poem by April 1. Both published and unpublished work accepted. Final judge: Jendi Reiter. Enter at: www.winningwriters.com/werglepw2301.
WRITER’S FOUNDRY REVIEW seeks literary submissions in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art. Submissions will be considered for the $500 Foundry Prize in Short Fiction, judged by Andrew Martin, or the $500 Foundry Prize in Poetry, judged by Laura Kolbe. All contributors receive a $50 honorarium. Submit by January 3. Website: www.thewritersfoundryreview.org.