A prize of $1,000 and publication in Breakwater Review is given annually for a story. Submit a story of 1,000 to 5,000 words with a $10 entry fee by February 1, 2020....
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.
Passaic County Community College
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $18
Application Deadline: 2/1/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Paterson Literary Review is given annually for a single poem. Submit three copies of up to five poems of no more than two pages each...
read moreSouthern Indiana Review
Cash Prize: $4,000
Entry Fee: $35
Application Deadline: 2/3/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $4,000 and publication by Southern Indiana Review Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Michael Waters will judge. Submit up to 80 pages of poetry (no...
read moreSouthern Illinois University
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $30
Application Deadline: 2/8/20
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a book of fiction, and a book of creative nonfiction published in the previous year. Each winner will...
read moreFurious Flower Poetry Center
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 2/10/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Obsidian, the literary journal of Illinois State University, is given annually for a group of poems. The winner also receives...
read moreMilkweed Editions
Cash Prize: $10,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 2/14/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $10,000 and publication by Milkweed Editions is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet currently residing in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South...
read moreHippocrates Prize
Cash Prize: $1,260
Entry Fee: $10
Application Deadline: 2/14/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,260) and publication in the Hippocrates Prize anthology and on the website is given annually for a single poem on a medical theme. A prize...
read moreCenter for Fiction
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 2/14/20
Genre: Fiction
Nine fellowships of $5,000 each, membership to the Center for Fiction in New York City, and access to the Writers Studio writing space at the center are given annually to...
read moreSarabande Books
Cash Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $29
Application Deadline: 2/15/20
Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication by Sarabande Books are given annually for collections of poetry and fiction. For the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry, submit a...
read moreAcademy of American Poets
Cash Prize: $10,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 2/15/20
Genre: Poetry
A fellowship of $10,000 is given biennially for a book of modern Italian poetry translated into English and published in the United States during the previous year. Maria Frank...
read moreAcademy of American Poets
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 2/15/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry translated from any language into English and published in the United States during the previous year. Collaborations...
read moreHidden River Arts
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 2/15/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Hidden River Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 75 to 100...
read moreRuminate
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 2/15/20
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Ruminate is given annually for a short story. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of up to 5,500 words with a $...
read moreColgate University
Cash Prize: $42,745
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 2/15/20
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Two nine-month residencies at Colgate University, including a stipend of $42,745, health benefits, and travel expenses, are given annually to poets, fiction writers, or...
read moreAcademy of American Poets
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 2/15/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe is given annually for a book of poetry originally written in Spanish by a living writer and translated...
read moreSalem State University
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $10
Application Deadline: 2/15/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Soundings East is given annually for a group of poems. Erika Meitner will judge. Submit 8 to 10 pages of poetry (no more than one...
read moreChicago Tribune
Cash Prize: $3,500
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 2/17/20
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $3,500 is given annually for a short story. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of up to 8,000 words by February 17. There is no entry fee. All...
read moreOmnidawn Publishing
Cash Prize: $3,000
Entry Fee: $27
Application Deadline: 2/18/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $3,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. Jericho Brown will judge. Submit a...
read moreRed Hen Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 2/28/20
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a book of fiction or nonfiction by a woman. Martha Cooley will judge. Using only the online submission...
read moreNational Poetry Series
Cash Prize: $10,000
Entry Fee: $35
Application Deadline: 2/28/20
Genre: Poetry
Five prizes of $10,000 each and publication by participating trade, university, or small press publishers are given annually for poetry collections. Publishers include Beacon...
read moreSustainable Arts Foundation
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 2/28/20
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Up to 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...
read moreBlack Caucus of the American Library Association
Cash Prize: $500
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 2/28/20
Two prizes of $500 each are given annually for a poetry e-book and a fiction e-book by an African American writer self-published in the United States during the previous year....
read moreFish Publishing
Cash Prize: $1,100
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 2/28/20
Genre: Fiction
A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,100) and publication in the Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short short story. Tania Hershman will judge. Submit a story...
read moreTupelo Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 2/29/20
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Tupelo Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Submit a manuscript of 20 to 36 pages with a $25 entry fee by February 29. All...
read moreAssociation of Writers & Writing Programs
Cash Prize: $5,500
Entry Fee: $30
Application Deadline: 2/29/20
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Two prizes of $5,500 each and publication by a participating press are given annually for a poetry collection and a short story collection. In addition, two prizes of $2,500...
read more