Genre: Fiction

Jacobs/Jones African American Literary Prize

North Carolina Writers’ Network
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
January 2, 2026

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a short story or an essay that “seeks to convey the rich and varied existence of Black North Carolinians.” The winning entry is considered for publication in Carolina Quarterly. Black writers who live in North Carolina are eligible. Submit a story or essay of up to 3,000 words (a self-contained excerpt from a longer work is also accepted) with a $20 entry fee ($10 for NCWN members) by January 2, 2026. Include two copies if submitting by mail. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Short Short Story Competition

Writer’s Digest
Entry Fee: 
$30
Deadline: 
December 15, 2025

A prize of $3,000 is given annually for a short short story. The winner is also provided money for travel and lodging expenses to attend the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference. A second-place prize of $1,500 is also awarded. The winners will both be published in Writer’s Digest. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of up to 1,500 words with a $30 entry fee by the early bird deadline of November 17 or with a $35 entry fee by December 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Fish Short Story Prize

Fish Publishing
Entry Fee: 
$26
Deadline: 
November 30, 2025

A prize of €3,000 (approximately $3,528) and publication in the annual Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short story. The winner will also be invited to attend a five-day short story workshop and read at the West Cork Literary Festival in July 2026. Sean Lusk will judge. Submit a story of up to 5,000 words with a €24 (approximately $28) entry fee for postal submissions or a €22 (approximately $26) entry fee for online submissions by November 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Plentitudes Prizes In Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Flash

Plentitudes
Entry Fee: 
$20
Deadline: 
December 31, 2025

Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in the Plentitudes is given annually for a single poem, a short story, an essay, and a work of flash fiction or nonfiction. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of no more than 65 lines each, a story or essay of 1,000 to 5,000 words, or a work of flash fiction or nonfiction of up to 1,000 words with a $20 entry fee by December 31. All entries will be considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Jeanne Leiby Memorial Chapbook Award

Florida Review
Entry Fee: 
$25
Deadline: 
January 7, 2026

A prize of $1,000, publication by the Florida Review, and 50 author copies is given annually for a chapbook of short fiction, short nonfiction, or graphic narrative. Submit a manuscript of up to 45 pages with a $25 entry fee by January 7, 2026. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Translation Prize

French-American Foundation
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
January 12, 2026

Two prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for translations from French into English of a book of fiction and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published in the United States during the current year. A jury of translators and literary professionals will judge. Authors, translators, agents, and publishers may submit six excerpts (three from the original French and three matching selections from the English translation) of approximately six pages each from a book published in 2025 by January 12, 2026. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Award for Short Fiction

Press 53
Entry Fee: 
$30
Deadline: 
December 31, 2025

A prize of $1,000, publication by Press 53, and 53 author copies is given annually for a story collection. Kevin Morgan Watson will judge. Submit a manuscript of 100 to 250 pages with a $30 entry fee by December 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Leon Levy Biography Fellowships

Leon Levy Center for Biography
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
January 4, 2026

Four yearlong fellowships of $72,000 each, writing space at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City, access to research facilities, and research assistance from a graduate student are given annually to nonfiction writers working on biographies. An additional Sloan Fellowship of the same amount is given annually to a writer working on a biography of a figure in the field of science or technology. Using only the online submission system, submit a sample of up to 2,500 words from the biography, a curriculum vitae, a project description, a narrative career history, and two letters of reference by January 4, 2026. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Literature Awards

Friends of American Writers
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
December 13, 2025

A prize of around $2,500 is given annually for a book of fiction or creative nonfiction published during the current year that is set in the Midwest or by a writer who is a resident of the Midwest (or who previously resided in the region for at least five years). The prize may be split if more than one winner is selected. Writers who have published up to three books are eligible. Self-published books are not accepted. Authors or publishers may submit two copies of books published in 2025 with an author bio by December 13. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

Editors’ Book Award

Pushcart Press
Entry Fee: 
$0
Deadline: 
November 15, 2025

A prize of $1,000 is given occasionally for a fiction or nonfiction manuscript that has been rejected by a commercial publisher. The award recognizes “worthy manuscripts that have been overlooked by today’s high-pressure, bottom-line publishing conglomerates.” Manuscripts must be submitted with a formal letter of nomination from an editor at a U.S. or Canadian publishing company by November 15. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

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