Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in the Ocotillo Review will be given annually for a poem and a short story. The winners will also each receive a two-year...
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.
Kallisto Gaia Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 8/20/19
Black Lawrence Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 8/31/19
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 moreUniversity of New Orleans Press
Cash Prize: $10,000
Entry Fee: $28
Application Deadline: 8/31/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $10,000 and publication by University of New Orleans Press is given annually for a short story collection or a novel. Using the online submission system, submit a...
read moreRed Hen Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $10
Application Deadline: 8/31/19
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. Uzodinma Iweala will judge...
read moreGemini Magazine
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $6
Application Deadline: 8/31/19
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 $6...
read moreAesthetica
Cash Prize: $1,300
Entry Fee: $23
Application Deadline: 8/31/19
Two prizes of £1,000 (approximately $1,300) each and publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual are given annually for a poem and a short story. The winner...
read moreMasters Review
Cash Prize: $3,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 8/31/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $3,000 and publication in Masters Review is given twice yearly for a short story by a writer who has not published a novel (writers who have published story...
read moreBlack Warrior Review
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 9/1/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $1,500 each and publication in Black Warrior Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Tommy Pico will judge in poetry, Rivers...
read moreDogwood
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $10
Application Deadline: 9/5/19
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: 9/12/19
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 moreJohn Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Cash Prize: $50,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 9/16/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Fellowships of approximately $50,000 each are awarded annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers on the basis of achievement and exceptional promise....
read moreManchester Metropolitan University
Cash Prize: $12,700
Entry Fee: $22
Application Deadline: 9/20/19
Two prizes of £10,000 (approximately $12,700) each are given annually for a group of poems and a short story. The winners will be invited to attend an award ceremony in...
read moreAmerican Academy in Berlin
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 9/23/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Residential fellowships are given annually to fiction writers and creative nonfiction writers to spend an academic semester in residence at the Hans Arnhold Center at the...
read moreNew Guard
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $22
Application Deadline: 9/27/19
Two prizes of $1,500 each and publication in New Guard are given annually for a poem and a short story. Richard Blanco will judge in poetry and Elizabeth Hand will...
read moreNew York Public Library
Cash Prize: $75,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 9/27/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Up to 15 fellowships are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers whose work will benefit directly from access to the research collections at...
read moreRed Hen Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 9/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a short story collection or a novel. Cai Emmons will judge. Using only the online submission system,...
read moreUniversity of Iowa Press
Cash Prize:
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 9/30/19
Genre: Fiction
Two awards of publication by University of Iowa Press are given annually for first collections of short fiction. Writers who have not published a book of fiction are eligible....
read moreDzanc Books
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 9/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,500 and publication by Dzanc Books will be given occasionally for a novella. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript...
read moreDzanc Books
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 9/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $5,000 and publication by Dzanc Books is given annually for a novel. John Englehardt, Lee Martin, and Elle Nash will judge. Using only the online submission system,...
read moreGhost Story
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 9/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000, publication on the Ghost Story website and in the Ghost Story print anthology, 21st Century Ghost Stories, is given twice yearly...
read moreHackney Literary Awards
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $30
Application Deadline: 9/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $5,000 is given annually for an unpublished novel. Submit a manuscript of any length with a $30 entry fee by September 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines...
Hidden River Arts
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $22
Application Deadline: 9/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Hidden River Press is given annually for a novella. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 17,500 to 40,000 words...
read moreUniversity of Massachusetts Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $30
Application Deadline: 9/30/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Five prizes of $1,000 each and publication by University of Massachusetts Press are given annually for a first poetry collection, a poetry collection, a short story collection...
read moreDzanc Books
Cash Prize: $2,500
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 9/30/19
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $2,500 and publication by Dzanc Books is given annually for a story collection. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a story...
read moreAmerican Literary Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 10/1/19
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in American Literary Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Using only the online submission...
read more