$1,000 POETRY MICRO CHAPBOOK CONTEST. MAYDAY Magazine invites you to send 8–12 pages of poems to be considered for the Editors' Choice Award, including $1,000, publication at MAYDAY, and an author interview. Deadline: July 31. Early entry: $10 (May 1–June 15). Regular fee: $15 (June 16–July 31). More info: www.maydaymagazine.com/contests.
$4,000 IN AWARDS. Enter New Millennium Writing Awards by June 30—Best Poetry: $1,000; Fiction: $1,000; Nonfiction: $1,000; Flash Fiction: $1,000. All winners are published in our anthology and online. “The entry fee is reasonable, and I love the structure of NMW. It allows writers to submit all types of work, and the site is incredibly user-friendly.” —Arvilla F., recent submitter. Visit www.newmillenniumwritings.org.
6TH ANNUAL THREE MILE HARBOR PRESS Poetry Prize. Winner receives $500, publication, 25 author copies. Fifth Annual Contest winner: Elizabeth Sylvia, None But Witches. Deadline: December 31. Complete details at www.3mileharborpress.com.
15TH GIVAL PRESS NOVEL AWARD for best original previously unpublished literary novel in English, approximately 30,000 to 100,000 words. Prize: $3,000, copies; book publication in 2023. Reading fee: $50 per novel submitted. Deadline: May 30. Details, visit: www.givalpress.submittable.com or givalpress.com. Address: Gival Press, P.O. Box 3812, Arlington, VA 22203.
19TH ANNUAL GIVAL PRESS Short Story Award for best previously unpublished literary story in English (stand-alone, not from a novel), approximately 5,000 to 15,000 words. Prize: $1,000, publication on website. Reading fee: $25 per story submitted. Deadline: August 8. Details, visit: www.givalpress.submittable.com or givalpress.com. Address: Gival Press, P.O. Box 3812, Arlington, VA 22203.
21ST ANNUAL GIVAL PRESS Oscar Wilde Award for best previously unpublished poem in English that best relates GLBTQ life. Prize: $500, publication on website. Reading fee: $20 per 3 poems submitted, any form, style, length. Deadline: June 27. Details, visit: www.givalpress.submittable.com or givalpress.com. Address: Gival Press, P.O. Box 3812, Arlington, VA 22203.
24TH ANNUAL BLUE LYNX PRIZE, $2,000 plus publication, is awarded for an unpublished, full-length volume of poems. Submit manuscripts and $28 reading fee to www.lynxhousepress.submittable.com, or P.O. Box 96, Spokane, WA 99210. This year’s winner is Flower Conroy for her manuscript, Greenest Grass (or You Can’t Keep Killing Yourself & Not Expect to Die). Other former winners include Heather Sellers, Kirsten Kaschock, Jim Daniels, Carolyne Wright, Joe Wilkins, Suzanne Lummis, and Lue Lipsitz. Judges have included Yusef Komunyakaa, Melissa Kwasny, Christopher Buckley, Dara Wier, Dorianne Laux, and Robert Wrigley. Deadline: June 15.
THE 2022 BEST SPIRITUAL LITERATURE AWARDS in Fiction, Nonfiction, & Poetry offer $500 and publication by Orison Books in the Best Spiritual Literature anthology for a single work in each genre. The editors will judge. Entry fee: $12. Submission period: May 1–August 1. Find complete details at www.orisonbooks.com/submissions.
THE 2022 DIODE EDITIONS book and chapbook contests are open for submissions. For full guidelines please go to www.diodeeditions.com/contests. Deadline: September 30.
2022 NEW AMERICAN FICTION PRIZE. $1,500 award and book publication. Weike Wang, author of Chemistry and Joan Is Okay, will judge. Deadline: June 15. Minimum length: 100 pages (no maximum). Reading fee: $25. Online submissions only, please. Complete guidelines: www.newamericanpress.com/2022-new-american-fiction-prize.
THE 2022 ORISON CHAPBOOK PRIZE will award $300 and publication by Orison Books for a manuscript of 20–45 pages in any literary genre (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or hybrid). Orison Books founder and editor Luke Hankins will judge. Submission period: April 1–July 1. Entry fee: $12. For complete guidelines, see www.orisonbooks.com/submissions.
2023 PRESS 53 AWARD for Poetry. $1,000, publication, and 50 copies awarded to an unpublished collection of poems. Prizes awarded upon publication. Tom Lombardo, Press 53 Poetry Series editor, will serve as judge. Deadline: Midnight, July 31. Winner and finalists announced before November 1. Reading fee: $30. Information at www.press53.com/award-for-poetry.
2023 SATURDAY EVENING POST Great American Fiction Contest. Winner receives $1,000 and publication in January/February 2023 issue of the Post; 5 runners-up receive $200 and publication online. Entries should represent the highest quality fiction, regardless of genre. Deadline: July 1. For guidelines and more information, visit www.saturdayeveningpost.com/fiction-contest.
ANNOUNCING THE 32ND ANNUAL Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize from the Missouri Review. Winners in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction receive $5,000 + publication, and promotion across social media. All entries considered for publication. Regular entry fee: $25. All-access entry fee: $30. Deadline: October 1. Winners will be announced in early 2023. Each entrant receives a 1-year subscription to the Missouri Review in digital format and a digital copy of the newest title in our imprint, Missouri Review Books. Learn more here: www.missourireview.com/contests/jeffrey-e-smith-editors-prize.
THE ANNUAL MARIA W. FAUST SONNET CONTEST welcomes entries from around the world. Prizes total up to $3,500. Categories: Top Four, Regional, Youth, and Laureates’ Choice. $5 entry fee for 3 sonnets. Free for youth and undergraduate students. Entry period: January 1–June 1. Website: sonnetcontest.org. E-mail: entries@sonnetcontest.org.
THE ANNUAL RATTLE POETRY PRIZE offers $15,000 for a single poem, plus a $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award. Entry fee of $25 includes a 1-year subscription to the magazine. Deadline: July 15. Submit up to 4 unpublished poems per entry. For guidelines and to read past winners, visit our website: www.rattle.com/prize.
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN for the 2022 Courage to Write Grants. Unrestricted grants to encourage and support emerging writers. Applications close May 29. The Courage to Write Grants are awarded by the de Groot Foundation. For more information and to apply: www.degrootfoundation.org.
BACKWATERS PRIZE. An annual prize of $2,000 for the top poetry collection and $1,000 for an honorable mention, as well as publication by the University of Nebraska Press for both. Christine Stewart-Nuñez, South Dakota poet laureate from 2019–2021, will judge. Using the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 60 to 85 pages with a $32 entry fee by May 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines. University of Nebraska Press, Backwaters Prize, 1225 L St., Ste. 200, Lincoln, NE 68588-0630. Website: www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/the-backwaters-press.
BAUHAN PUBLISHING’S May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize is open! Now in its 12th year, the prize is for a book-length collection, $1,000, and book publication with Spring 2023 titles. Judge: Rebecca Kaiser Gibson. Entry fee: $30. Submission deadline: June 30. For submission guidelines: www.bauhanpublishing.com/may-sarton-prize or go to www.bauhanpublishing.submittable.com/submit.
BECOME PART OF THE 155-YEAR LEGACY of Reed Magazine! Contests awarding $1,000 and more held annually for original fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art. Twice named among “Best Writing Contests” by Reedsy.com. Submissions open June 1–November 1. Contestants receive a complimentary edition. Visit www.reedmag.org/submit.
BELLEVUE LITERARY REVIEW’S annual prizes recognize exceptional writing about health, healing, illness, the body, and the mind. $1,000 Fiction Prize (judge: Toni Jensen), $1,000 Nonfiction Prize (judge: Rana Awdish), $1,000 Poetry Prize (judge: Phillip B. Williams). We welcome submissions from March 1–July 1. Entry fee: $20. www.blreview.org.
BIANNUAL PRINT JOURNAL Black Warrior Review seeks 2022 contest submissions. Winners will receive publication and cash prizes ($500 for flash; $1,000 for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction). Judges: Maurice Carlos Ruffin (fiction), Angie Sijun Lou (flash), TBA (poetry), and TBA (nonfiction). Open until September 1. Complete information available at www.bwr.ua.edu.
BIRDY POETRY PRIZE, by Meadowlark Press. $1,000 cash prize, publication, and 50 copies. Submit 1 full-length poetry book manuscript (55–150 pages). Entry fee: $25. Submissions open: September 1 to December 1. Learn more: www.birdypoetryprize.com.
BOOK AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT: The Sundog Poetry Center will accept submissions for manuscripts of a first book or second book by a Vermont poet this August and September, 2022. The winning poet will be awarded $500, 50 author copies, and promotional assistance. The winner of the 2021 Sundog Poetry Book Award is Michael Fleming of southern Vermont. His book, Bags and Tools, published in collaboration with Green Writers Press, is available for purchase through our website, www.sundogpoetry.org.
BOOK CONTEST: IML Publications Paris/NYC, a literary boutique book press. $1,000 + possible publication with worldwide distribution. We are looking for high-quality, 50-page submissions of memoir and fiction. Finalists will be asked for complete manuscripts and judged by Jacqueline Gay Walley. $35 entry fee. Deadline: June 15. Recommended by Reedsy: “Best Writing Contests 2022!” To submit: www.imlpublications.com/contest.
BOOKS ON THE BOSQUE WRITING CONTEST: $1,200 in cash prizes. Awards by category: $250 first place, $100 second, $50 third. Entry fee: $10/entry. Categories: (1) Short Story; (2) Creative Nonfiction Essay; (3) Poetry. Details: www.bosqueartscenter.org; phone: (254) 675-3724. Entry deadline: September 19. Conference: November 11–12. Guests: Anne Hillerman, Radney Foster, & more.
CALIFORNIA STATE POETRY SOCIETY seeks unpublished poems for its California Quarterly (year-round, via Submittable.com) and its annual contest (accepted March 1–June 30). Poems are invited for CSPS Poetry Letter and monthly contests. See www.californiastatepoetrysociety.com for publications, membership, submission requirements, and details. Write to CSPS, P.O. Box 4288, Sunland, CA 91041-4288.
CAN YOU WIN THE JADE RING? Wisconsin Writers Association is pleased to announce the 73rd annual Jade Ring Contest. First place: $200 and the coveted Jade Ring, Second: $150, Third: $100. Submissions close June 5. Accepting poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Submit today at www.wiwrite.org.
CANTOR PRIZE. Newly stand-alone. $500 first prize. Two $100 finalist prizes. Winners eligible for Bardic Trails Zoom reading ($100 honorarium). Open to all Colorado poets writing about anything or poets anywhere writing about Colorado. Deadline: August 31; $6 per poem, $15 for 3. Feedback: $5 per poem. More info: www.tellurideinstitute.org/talking-gourds.
CARVE MAGAZINE’S 2022 Raymond Carver Short Story Contest open April 1–May 15. Prizes: $2,000, $500, $250, and 2 Editor’s Choice, $125 each. All 5 winners published in Fall 2022 issue and considered by literary agencies. Entry fee: $17 online. No limit to number of entries. Max 10,000 words. Website: www.carvezine.com/raymond-carver-contest.
CIDER PRESS REVIEW Editors’ Prize for a book-length poetry collection in English. Prize: $1,000 and publication. All entrants will receive the winning book. Reading period: April 1–June 30. Reading fee: $26. Judges: CPR editors. Submit 48- to 80-page manuscript at www.ciderpressreview.com/submit. Guidelines: www.ciderpressreview.com/bookaward.
COMSTOCK REVIEW’S prestigious single poem contest features $1,320 in prizes. Judge: Ellen Bass. Submit from April 1 to deadline July 15 postmark. Check CR website or send SASE for complete rules, which must be followed. Limit: 40 lines of poetry. No previously published poems. Mail entry fee: $5 per poem. Identifying information on back of poem. Submittable: 1–5 poems $25 plus online fee. www.comstockreview.org. Address: CR Muriel Craft Bailey Award, 4956 St. John Dr., Syracuse, NY 13215. Website: www.facebook.com/comstock-review-186488898068352.
CONNECTICUT POETRY AWARD of the Connecticut Poetry Society (CPS). Fee: $15 for up to 3 unpublished poems; any form, 80-line limit. Submit via connecticutriverreview.submittable.com. Opens April 1, deadline: May 31. Prizes: First: $400; Second: $100; Third: $50. Winning poems published in Connecticut River Review and posted on CPS website. See guidelines on Submittable and CPS website: www.ctpoetry.net.
DZANC BOOKS seeks innovative literary fiction and story collections for its annual contests. Contests include the annual Prize for Fiction, offering a $5,000 advance and publication, and the Short Story Collection Prize, $2,500 advance/publication. $25 reading fee per submission. Contests close September 30. Details at www.dzancbooks.org.
ENTER -1000 BELOW, Midway Journal’s annual flash prose and poetry contest. The contest runs from March 1–May 31. $500 grand prize. $250 second prize. $50 third prize. $10 entry fee. Unlimited entries. Go to www.midwayjournal.com for more details.
FIRST PAGES PRIZE invites you to enter your first 5 pages of a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction. Open to un-agented writers worldwide, the prize supports emerging writers with cash awards, a tailored edit, & an agent consultation. Visit www.firstpagesprize.com.
FISCHER PRIZE. 25th year. $1,000 first prize. Five $250 finalist prizes. Winners each featured at monthly Bardic Trails Zoom readings from Telluride in 2023. Open to all poets/styles. Anna Scotti of California is our judge. Deadline: August 31; $10 per poem, $25 for three. Feedback: $5 per poem. More info: www.tellurideinstitute.org/talking-gourds.
LYNNE THOMPSON WILL SERVE as guest judge of the MacGuffin’s 27th Poet Hunt. First prize will receive $500 and publication. Send up to 5 poems per $15 entry fee via Submittable, e-mail, or post. Entries accepted from April 1 to June 15. Fee includes 1 free issue. Full guidelines: www.schoolcraft.edu/macguffin.
NAUGATUCK RIVER REVIEW, a print journal of narrative poetry, announces our 14th annual narrative poetry contest. Lisa Kwong will judge. Submissions are July 1 to September 1. $20 submission fee. All winners and finalists will be published in the Winter 2023 issue. More info at www.naugatuckriverreview.com.
NORTH STREET BOOK PRIZE for Self-Published Books. Eighth year. Grand prize of $8,000. Top winner in each category will win $1,000. Categories: Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, Creative Nonfiction & Memoir, Poetry, Children’s Picture Book, Graphic Novel & Memoir, and Art Book. $16,750 in total cash prizes. Fee: $70 per book. Submit by June 30. Final judges: Jendi Reiter and Ellen LaFleche. Submit online or by mail. Guidelines: www.winningwriters.com/north.
THE OFF THE GRID POETRY PRIZE provides a forum for older poets sometimes overlooked by the current marketplace. We accept book-length manuscripts by poets over age 60 from May 1–August 31. The prize: $1,000 and publication. Submission fee: $25. Poet Garrett Hongo will judge. For full guidelines, visit www.grid-books.org.
RED WHEELBARROW POETRY PRIZE 2022: Judged by Juan Felipe Herrera. $1,000 for first place and a letterpress broadside, $500 for second, $250 for third. Top five published in Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine. Submit up to 3 original unpublished poems. $15 entry fee. Deadline: July 31. For complete guidelines, see www.redwheelbarrow.submittable.com.
SLAPERING HOL PRESS Chapbook Contest is open to writers who haven’t published or self-published a collection. Submissions accepted February 15–June 15. Winner receives $500, publication, 10 copies, readings at HVWC (Sleepy Hollow) and NYC, travel expenses up to $500. Judging is anonymous and adheres to CLMP ethics. For guidelines see www.writerscenter.org.
A SMOKELONG SUMMER. 12 weeks of writing tasks, peer-reviewing in small groups, readings, panels, and competitions with large cash prizes—all online. SmokeLong Quarterly will publish a special issue with the best flash fiction/nonfiction from A SmokeLong Summer. May 30–August 28. Book by May 21. More information in the smokelong.com shop.
SOLSTICE: A MAGAZINE of Diverse Voices (Best American Essays 2018, cited BAE 2015, 2016, 2020) announces Annual Lit Contest April 1–June 1: $1,000 Fiction (judge Jabari Asim), $500 Stephen Dunn Poetry Prize (judge: Tomás Q. Morín), $500 Michael Steinberg Nonfiction Prize (judge: Alysia Abbott), $500 Graphic Lit. Entry fee: $18. Website: www.solsticelitmag.org/contest.
SPORT LITERATE, knowing it’s no time to “shut up and dribble,” wants to hear from you for our “social justice” contest. Top poet and essayist take home $500 each. Entry fee comes with 2 back issues and a 2-issue subscription. Find contest guidelines online and submit by May 15. Website: www.sportliterate.org.
THE SPR BOOK AWARDS 2022—Win up to $2,000 of book marketing for your independently published ebook! All authors welcome. More info: www.selfpublishingreview.com/spr-book-awards.
STAUNCH BOOK PRIZE. Three awards for thrillers in which no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped, or murdered. Published or unpublished Thriller Novel: prize £1,000. Short Story: prize £100. Flash Fiction: prize £100. All prizes open February 14–July 31. Full entry details: www.staunchbookprize.com.
SWAN SCYTHE PRESS announces its 2022 poetry chapbook contest. Entry fee: $18. We are accepting submissions from March 1 to June 15 (postmark deadline). Winner receives $200 and 25 perfect-bound chapbooks. The 2021 winner is Rae Gouirand for Little Hour. For full guidelines, visit www.swanscythepress.com and www.swanscythepress.submittable.com/submit.
THE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS & New Orleans Literary Festival hosts 4 writing contests with cash prizes, Festival passes, publication, and a public reading. One-Acts, Very Short Fiction, Poetry, and Fiction contests are open May–October. Visit www.tennesseewilliams.net. We host fiction and poetry categories for LGBTQ+ writers at www.sasfest.org.
TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID Fiction & Essay Contest. 30th year. Prize for best short story: $3,000. Prize for best essay: $3,000. Total prizes: $8,000. Co-sponsor: Duotrope. Winning entries published online. Fee: $20. Limit: 6,000 words. Both published and unpublished work accepted. Final judge: Mina Manchester. Submit by April 30. Enter at www.winningwriters.com/tomstory.
UNDER THE SUN Summer Writing Contest July 1–July 31. Prize of $500 and publication in our 2023 issue. Word count: 5,000 max. Submission fee: $15. Contest judge: Sue William Silverman. All entries considered for publication. Complete guidelines found at: www.underthesunonline.com/wordpress/2022/submissions.
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.