A prize of $1,250 and publication in LitMag is given annually for a work of flash fiction. The winner will also have their work reviewed by agents Jenny Bent (Bent...
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.
Fish Publishing
Cash Prize: $3,500
Entry Fee: $28
Application Deadline: 11/30/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of €3,000 (approximately $3,500) and publication in the annual Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short story. The winner will also be invited to attend...
read moreGreen Linden Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 11/30/26
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Green Linden Press is given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction translated from any language into English....
read moreRed Hen Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $10
Application Deadline: 11/30/26
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a story or essay collection, a novel, a memoir, or a hybrid work of prose by a queer writer. Using only...
read moreMichigan Quarterly Review
Cash Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 11/30/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $2,000 and publication in Michigan Quarterly Review is given annually for a short story. Bruna Dantas Lobato will judge. Using only the online submission...
read moreUniversity of Southern Indiana
Cash Prize: $3,000
Entry Fee: $35
Application Deadline: 12/1/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $3,000, a seven-day residency at James A. Sanders Scholar’s Retreat in New Harmony, Indiana, and a $750 travel stipend will be given annually for a book of fiction...
read morePushcart Press
Cash Prize: $0
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 12/1/26
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Publication in The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses is awarded annually for works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction published by literary magazines...
read moreRegal House Publishing
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 12/1/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Regal House Publishing is given annually for a story collection. Heather Bell Adams will judge. Using only the online submission system,...
read moreMassachusetts Center for the Book
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 12/15/26
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three awards of $1,000 each will be given annually for a poetry collection, book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction written by a current Massachusetts resident and published...
read moreTexas Institute of Letters
Cash Prize: $10,000
Entry Fee: $35
Application Deadline: 12/18/26
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A fellowship of $10,000 will be given annually to an emerging, mid-level, or returning writer to support the completion of a poetry collection, book of fiction, or book of...
read moreVirginia Commonwealth University
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 12/30/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $5,000 is given annually for a debut novel published during the current year. The winner is also provided money for the cost of travel and lodging to attend the...
read moreLitMag
Cash Prize: $3,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 12/31/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $3,000 and publication in LitMag is given annually for a short story. The winner will also have their work reviewed by agents Lisa Bankoff (Bankoff...
read moreTampa Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 12/31/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Tampa Review is given annually for a short story. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of 1,000 to 5,000 words...
read moreBoulevard
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $18
Application Deadline: 12/31/26
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a short story by a writer who has not published a nationally distributed book. The editors will...
read morePress 53
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $30
Application Deadline: 12/31/26
Genre: Fiction
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...
read morePlentitudes
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 12/31/26
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Plentitudes is given annually for a single poem, a short story, an essay, and a work of flash fiction or nonfiction....
read moreBlack Caucus of the American Library Association
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 12/31/26
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Four prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a debut novel, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) by African...
read moreMississippi Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $16
Application Deadline: 1/1/27
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Mississippi Review are given annually for a single poem, a short story, and an essay. Current or former University of...
read moreNorth 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 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 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 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 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: $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 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 more