Three prizes are given annually to a poet, a fiction writer, and a creative nonfiction writer to honor their first books. The winners each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to...
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.
Great Lakes Colleges Association
Cash Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 6/25/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Feminist Press/TAYO Literary Magazine
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 6/28/19
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $5,000 and publication by the Feminist Press will be given annually for a debut book of fiction or narrative nonfiction by a woman of color or a nonbinary writer of...
read moreHidden River Arts
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $17
Application Deadline: 6/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Hidden River Review of Arts & Letters is given annually for a short story or a novel excerpt. Using the online submission...
read moreLos Angeles Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 6/30/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Los Angeles Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, a short short story, and an essay. Matty Layne Glasgow...
read moreUniversity of North Texas Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 6/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of North Texas Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Using the online submission system, submit a...
read moreWillow Springs Books
Cash Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $28
Application Deadline: 6/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $2,000 and publication by Willow Springs Books is given annually for a short story collection. Submit a manuscript of three or more stories totaling at least 98...
read moreNew American Press
Cash Prize: $1,200
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 6/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,200 and publication by New American Press is given annually for a book of fiction. Judith Claire Mitchell will judge. Using the online submission system, submit a...
read moreUniversity of Pittsburgh Press
Cash Prize: $15,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 6/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $15,000 and publication by University of Pittsburgh Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Writers who have published at least one previous book...
read moreThe Moth
Cash Prize: $3,380
Entry Fee: $17
Application Deadline: 6/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of €3,000 (approximately $3,380) and publication in the Moth is given annually for a short story. A second-place prize of publication, a weeklong retreat at...
read moreLascaux Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 6/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Lascaux Review is given annually for a work of flash fiction. Previously published and unpublished stories are eligible. The...
read moreWinning Writers
Cash Prize: $3,000
Entry Fee: $60
Application Deadline: 6/30/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A grand prize of $3,000 and six additional prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for self-published books of poetry, fiction, genre fiction, creative nonfiction, graphic...
read moreAutumn House Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $30
Application Deadline: 6/30/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Autumn House Press are given annually for a poetry collection, a book of fiction, and a book of creative nonfiction. Each winner...
read morePrairie Heritage, Inc.
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 7/1/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction published in the previous year that “illuminates the heritage of America’s mid-...
read moreNowhere Magazine
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 7/1/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Nowhere Magazine is given twice yearly for a poem, a short story, or an essay that “possesses a powerful sense of place.” Porter...
read moreBellevue Literary Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 7/1/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Bellevue Literary Review are given annually to a poet, a fiction writer, and a creative nonfiction writer for works...
read moreLiterary Arts
Cash Prize: $3,500
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 7/8/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Fellowships of $3,500 each are given annually to Oregon writers to initiate, develop, or complete literary projects in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. One Women...
read moreStone Canoe
Cash Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 7/8/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $500 each and publication in Stone Canoe are given annually for works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by writers who are current or past...
read moreCincinnati Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 7/15/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Cincinnati Review are given annually for a poem and a piece of fiction or creative nonfiction. Rebecca Lindenberg will...
read moreThe Story Prize
Cash Prize: $20,000
Entry Fee: $75
Application Deadline: 7/15/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $20,000 is given annually for a short story collection written in English and published in the United States in the previous year. Two runners-up receive $5,000 each...
read moreSanta Fe Writers Project
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $30
Application Deadline: 7/15/19
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,500 and publication by the Santa Fe Writers Project is given biennially for a book of fiction or creative nonfiction. Carmen Maria Machado will judge. Submit a...
read moreSixfold
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $5
Application Deadline: 7/24/19
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Sixfold are given quarterly for a group of poems and a short story. Using the online submission system, submit up to five...
read moreHidden River Arts
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $22
Application Deadline: 7/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Hidden River Press is given annually for a story collection. Using the online submission system, submit a manuscript of any length with a $...
read moreUniversity of Notre Dame
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 7/31/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by the University of Notre Dame Press is given biennially for a story collection. Writers who have published at least one story collection are...
read moreNarrative
Cash Prize: $2,500
Entry Fee: $26
Application Deadline: 7/31/19
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, or an excerpt from a work of fiction or creative...
read moreHowling Bird Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 7/31/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Howling Bird Press will be given in alternating years for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. The 2019 prize will be awarded...
read more