A prize of $1,000, publication by Slipstream Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The editors will judge. Submit a manuscript of up to 40 pages...
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.
North Carolina Writers’ Network
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 1/2/27
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
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...
read moreGemini Magazine
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $10
Application Deadline: 1/2/27
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a single poem. The editors will judge. Submit up to three poems of any length with a $10...
read moreLeon Levy Center for Biography
Cash Prize: $72,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 1/4/27
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
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...
read moreSanta Fe Writers Project
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $35
Application Deadline: 1/4/27
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,500 and publication by Santa Fe Writers Project is given annually for a book of fiction or creative nonfiction. Nikesha Elise Williams will judge. Using only the...
read moreSan José State University
Cash Prize: $15,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 1/4/27
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Six yearlong residencies at San José State University in San José, California, which include stipends of $15,000 each, are given annually to fiction writers and creative...
read moreFlorida Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 1/7/27
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000, publication by Florida Review, and 50 author copies is given annually for a chapbook of short fiction, short nonfiction, or graphic narrative....
read moreTexas Institute of Letters
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 1/8/27
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Two awards of $5,000 each will be given annually for a book of fiction and a debut book of fiction. Additionally, an award of $4,000 will be given for a book of nonfiction. An...
read moreTexas Institute of Letters
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 1/8/27
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three awards of $1,000 each will be given annually for a poem written in English or Spanish, a short story, and a short work of nonfiction. Works by writers who have lived in...
read moreWinter Anthology
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $11
Application Deadline: 1/10/27
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Winter Anthology is given annually for a group of poems, a short story, a novel excerpt, or an essay. Using only the online...
read moreWOMR/WFMR Community Radio
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 1/11/27
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a single poem. Marge Piercy will judge. Submit up to five poems of no more than two pages each with a $15 entry fee by January 11, 2027...
read moreColorado Review
Cash Prize: $2,500
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 1/14/27
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $2,500 and publication by the Center for Literary Publishing is given annually for a poetry collection. Juliana Spahr will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 100...
read morePoetry Society of Virginia
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $36
Application Deadline: 1/15/27
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poetry collection published during the current year. The winner is also invited to read at the Poetry Society of Virginia’s annual...
read moreLit Fox Books
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 1/15/27
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,500, publication by Lit Fox Books, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Using only the online submission system, submit a poetry...
read moreRed Hen Press
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 1/15/27
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $5,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a story collection, a novella, a novel, or other book-length work of fiction. Using only the online...
read moreLongleaf Press
Cash Prize: $1,200
Entry Fee: $27
Application Deadline: 1/15/27
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,200, publication by Longleaf Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner is also invited to give a virtual reading in early...
read moreGeorgia Review
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 1/15/27
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Georgia Review is given annually for a short story or an essay. Vauhini Vara will judge. Submit a story or essay of up to 9,000...
read moreEllen Meloy Fund
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 1/15/27
Genre: Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $5,000 is given annually to enable a creative nonfiction writer “whose work reflects the spirit and passions for the desert embodied in Ellen Meloy’s writing” to...
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