A prize of $1,000 and publication by Black Lawrence Press is given annually for a debut collection of poems or short stories. The editors will judge. Using the online...
read moreWriting 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.
Black Lawrence Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Sustainable Arts Foundation
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Twenty awards of $5,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers with children. Writers with at least one child under the age of 18...
read moreGulf Coast
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $18
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gulf Coast is given in alternating years for a group of poems or a prose excerpt translated from any language into English. The...
read moreGlimmer Train Press
Cash Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $16
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $2,000, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of the prize issue is given twice yearly for a short short story. Using the online submission...
read moreGemini Magazine
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $5
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a short short story. The editors will judge. Submit a story of up to 1,000 words with a $5...
read moreUtica College
Cash Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $2,000 is given annually for a poetry collection published in the previous year by a resident of upstate New York. The winner will also give a reading and teach a...
read moreRed Hen Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $5
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a short story collection, a novel, or an essay collection by a queer writer. Ryka Aoki will judge....
read moreAesthetica
Cash Prize: $1,290
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Two prizes of £1,000 (approximately $1,290) each and publication in Aesthetica will be given annually for a poem and a short story. The winners will also receive a...
read moreSnake Nation Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Snake Nation Press is given annually for a short story collection or a novella. Submit a story collection of up to 200 pages or a novella...
read moreGulf Coast
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $18
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gulf Coast is given annually for a piece of short prose. Roxane Gay will judge. Submit a prose poem, a piece of flash fiction, or...
read moreGlimmer Train Press
Cash Prize: $3,000
Entry Fee: $21
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $3,000, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of the prize issue is given twice yearly for a short story. A second-place prize of $1,000 is...
read moreSnake Nation Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Snake Nation Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 75 to 100 pages with a $25 entry fee by August 31....
read moreNew Guard
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 8/31/17
Two prizes of $1,500 each and publication in the New Guard are given annually for a poem and a short story. Mark Doty will judge the Knightville Poetry Contest; Chris...
read moreBlack Warrior Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 9/1/17
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Black Warrior Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Rachel McKibbens will judge in poetry,...
read moreRadar Poetry
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 9/1/17
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Radar Poetry will be given annually for a group of poems by a woman. Dorothea Lasky will judge. Using the online submission system,...
read morephren-Z
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 9/1/17
Genre: Poetry
Sponsored in collaboration with Santa Cruz Writes, a prize of $1,000 and publication in phren-Z is given annually for a poem. The winner is also invited to give a...
read moreRed Hen Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 9/1/17
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a short story collection or a novel. Charles Yu will judge. Submit a manuscript of at least 150 pages...
read moreSlippery Elm
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 9/1/17
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Slippery Elm are given annually for a poem and a short story or essay. Using the online submission system, submit up to...
read moreNew York Public Library
Cash Prize: $10,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 9/2/17
Genre: Fiction
Five prizes of $10,000 are each given annually for a novel or short story collection published in the current year by a writer age 35 or younger. Publishers may submit 10...
read moreDogwood
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $10
Application Deadline: 9/5/17
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Dogwood are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Submit up to three poems totaling no more than 10...
read moreHarvard University
Cash Prize: $77,500
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 9/14/17
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Fellowships of $77,500 each, office space at the Radcliffe Institute, and access to the libraries at Harvard University are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and...
read moreHippocampus Magazine
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $12
Application Deadline: 9/15/17
Genre: Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Hippocampus Magazine is given annually for an essay. The winner will also receive free admission to the annual HippoCamp...
read moreUniversity of Wisconsin Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $28
Application Deadline: 9/15/17
Genre: Poetry
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by University of Wisconsin Press are given annually for poetry collections. Submit a manuscript of 50 to 90 pages with a $28 entry fee...
read moreDzanc Books
Cash Prize: $10,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 9/15/17
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $10,000 and publication by Dzanc Books is given annually for a novel. Lindsey Drager, Daniel A. Hoyt, and Chrissy Kolaya will judge. Using the online submission...
read more