novel

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 poetry collection of at least 48 pages with a $29 entry fee by February 15. For the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction, submit a collection of stories or novellas or a short novel of 150 to 250 pages with a $29 entry fee by February 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

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 each and publication by a participating press are given annually for a novel and a book of creative nonfiction. For the Donald Hall Prize for Poetry, submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages; University of Pittsburgh Press will publish the winning collection. For the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, submit a manuscript of 150 to 300 pages; Red Hen Press will publish the winning collection. For the AWP Prize for the Novel, submit a manuscript of at least 60,000 words; New Issues Poetry & Prose will publish the winning novel. For the AWP Prize for Creative Nonfiction, submit an essay collection or memoir of 150 to 300 pages; University of Georgia Press will publish the winning book. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript with a $30 entry fee ($20 for AWP members) by February 28. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Black Lawrence Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a novel. The contest is open to traditional novels “as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, or other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel.” The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 90 to 1,000 pages with a $25 entry fee by January 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

A prize of $10,000 is given annually for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. Two runners-up will each receive $1,000. Using only the online submission system, submit the first 50 pages of a novel-in-progress and a two-page outline with a $33 application fee by March 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

A prize of $5,000 is given annually for a novel published in the previous year that is set in a period when the United States was at war. Publishers or authors may submit seven copies of a book published in 2020 by December 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

Four prizes of $500 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a first novel, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) by African American writers published in the United States in the previous year. The awards honor books that depict the “cultural, historical, and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora.” Publishers may nominate books published in 2020 by December 31. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines and a list of jurors to whom books should be sent.

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. 


A prize of $2,000 and publication in Miracle Monocle is given annually for a work of fiction written in the fabulist experimental style of Italo Calvino. The winner will also receive airfare and lodging to read at the University of Louisville. Joyce Carol Oates will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a short story or an excerpt from a story collection, novel, or novella of up to 25 pages with a $25 entry fee by October 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.