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 the online submission system...
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.
American Literary Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 10/1/18
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Carlow University
Cash Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 10/1/18
Genre: Poetry
A prize valued at $2,000 is given annually to a woman poet over 40 who has not published a book in any genre. The winner receives $1,000, publication in Voices From the...
read morePulitzer Prizes
Cash Prize: $15,000
Entry Fee: $75
Application Deadline: 10/1/18
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Four prizes of $15,000 each are given annually to U.S. writers to honor books of poetry, fiction, general nonfiction, and biography or autobiography (including memoir)...
read moreTennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
Cash Prize: $1,500
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 10/1/18
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Louisiana Literature is given annually for a short story by a writer who has not published a full-length book of fiction. The...
read moreZoetrope: All-Story
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $30
Application Deadline: 10/1/18
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Zoetrope: All-Story website is given annually for a short story. The winner and finalists are considered for representation by...
read moreSoutheast Missouri State University Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 10/1/18
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Big Muddy, a literary journal published by Southeast Missouri State University Press, is given annually for a short story. Submit...
read moreMissouri Review
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 10/1/18
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $5,000 each and publication in Missouri Review are given annually for a group of poems, a short story, and an essay. Submit up to 10 pages of poetry or...
read moreSouthern Indiana Review
Cash Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 10/1/18
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three prizes of $2,000 each and publication in Southern Indiana Review are given annually for a poem, a work of fiction, and a work of creative nonfiction. Aimee...
read moreAmerican Academy in Berlin
Cash Prize: $5,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 10/5/18
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 moreAmy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship
Cash Prize: $59,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 10/15/18
Genre: Poetry
An award of approximately $59,000 is given annually to a U.S. poet for a year of travel and study abroad. Submit two copies of up to 40 pages of poetry or a published book and...
read moreTennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 10/15/18
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Louisiana Cultural Vistas Magazine is given annually for a group of poems. The winner will also be invited to give a reading at...
read moreSilverfish Review Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 10/15/18
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000, publication by Silverfish Review Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a first poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages with a...
read moreUniversity of Louisville
Cash Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 10/15/18
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $2,000 and publication in Salt Hill Journal is given annually for a work of fiction written in the fabulist experimental style of Italo Calvino. The winner...
read moreOmnidawn Publishing
Cash Prize: $3,000
Entry Fee: $27
Application Deadline: 10/15/18
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $3,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Mei-mei Berssenbrugge will judge. Submit a manuscript of...
read moreCopper Nickel
Cash Prize: $2,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 10/15/18
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $2,000 and publication by Milkweed Editions is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. Mark Doty will judge. Using the online submission system,...
read moreA Public Space
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $0
Application Deadline: 10/15/18
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Three six-month fellowships of $1,000 each are given annually to emerging fiction writers and nonfiction writers who have not published a full-length book. The fellows will...
read moreFordham University at Lincoln Center
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $28
Application Deadline: 10/15/18
Genre: Poetry
Two prizes of $1,000 each, publication by Fordham University Press, and a reading at the Poets Out Loud Reading Series at Fordham-Lincoln Center in New York City are given...
read moreSan Diego Poetry Annual
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 10/15/18
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in San Diego Poetry Annual is given annually for a poem. The winner will also receive an invitation to read at an award ceremony in...
read moreSongs of Eretz Poetry Review
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $20
Application Deadline: 10/15/18
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Songs of Eretz Poetry Review is given annually for a poem. Published and unpublished poems are eligible. Lowell Jaeger will judge...
read moreOmnidawn Publishing
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $18
Application Deadline: 10/22/18
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $1,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies is given annually for a work of fabulist fiction. Meg Elison will judge. Submit a manuscript of one...
read moreCoffee-House Poetry
Cash Prize: $2,600
Entry Fee: $8
Application Deadline: 10/22/18
Genre: Poetry
A prize of £2,000 (approximately $2,600) is given annually for a poem. A second-place prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,300) is also given. Both winners receive publication on...
read moreSixfold
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $5
Application Deadline: 10/24/18
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 moreFinishing Line Press
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $15
Application Deadline: 10/31/18
Genre: Poetry
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Finishing Line Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Submit a manuscript of up to 35 pages with a $15 entry fee by October 31. All...
read moreGlimmer Train Press
Cash Prize: $2,500
Entry Fee: $18
Application Deadline: 10/31/18
Genre: Fiction
A prize of $2,500 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given three times yearly for a short story by a writer whose fiction has not appeared in a print...
read moreCloudbank Books
Cash Prize: $1,000
Entry Fee: $25
Application Deadline: 10/31/18
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Cloudbank Books is given annually for a collection of poetry, flash fiction, or a combination of the two. Christopher Buckley will judge....
read more