Upcoming Writing Contests

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A prize of $3,000 and publication by the Waywiser Press is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet who has published no more than one previous collection. The winner will also be invited to give a reading in conjunction with the contest judge through the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 48 to 88 pages with a $29 entry fee by December 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
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 $25 entry fee, which includes a copy of the winning book, by December 21. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $3,000 and travel and lodging expenses for a trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference in New York City is given annually for a short short story. A second-place prize of $1,500 is also awarded. The winners will both be published in Writer’s Digest. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of up to 1,500 words with a $25 entry fee by November 15, or with a $30 entry fee by December 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 is given occasionally for a fiction or nonfiction manuscript that has been rejected by a commercial publisher. The award recognizes “worthy manuscripts that have been overlooked by today’s high-pressure, bottom-line publishing conglomerates.” Manuscripts must be submitted with a formal letter of nomination from an editor at a U.S. or Canadian publishing company by November 15. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 will be given annually for a book of poetry published during the previous year. The winner will be invited to read at the spring festival of Poetry Society of Virginia at the College of William and Mary in May. Self-published books and books that have previously received any other awards are ineligible. Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda will judge. Submit three copies of a book of at least 64 pages and published in 2021 with a $35 entry fee ($25 for Poetry Society of Virginia members) by January 15. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
A prize of $2,000 and publication by Southeast Missouri State University Press is given annually for a novel, novella, or collection of linked stories by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. Submit a manuscript of any length with a $25 entry fee by November 12. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $5,000, publication by Graywolf Press, and a six-week residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbria, Italy, is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet who has not published a book of poems in a standard edition. The winning book will also be distributed to 5,000 members of the Academy of American Poets. Tyehimba Jess will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages with a $35 entry fee by October 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Three prizes of CAD $2,000 (approximately $1,622) each and publication in Malahat Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of no more than 100 lines each or a short story or essay of up to 2,500 words with a CAD $45 (approximately $36) entry fee, which includes a subscription to Malahat Review, by November 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $3,000 and travel and lodging expenses for a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City is given annually for a short short story. A second-place prize of $1,500 is also awarded. The winners will both be published in Writer’s Digest. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of up to 1,500 words with a $25 entry fee by November 16, or with a $30 entry fee by December 14. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
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 or small presses during the previous year. Editors may nominate up to six poems, short stories, novel chapters, or essays published in 2020; submit one copy of each work by December 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Awards are given annually for books published in the United States during the previous year to recognize “outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America’s diverse literary community.” Submit two copies of a book (or bound galleys) published in 2020 by December 31. Anyone, in addition to writers and publishers, may submit nominations for the awards. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 is given biennially for an unpublished or published book of fiction or creative nonfiction that focuses on the environment, animal protection, ecology, or wildlife. The winner also receives a two-week residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, located on the central Oregon coast. Deb Olin Unferth will judge. All unpublished entries are considered for publication. Using only the online submission system, submit a story or essay collection, novel, or memoir of 40,000 to 90,000 words with a $25 entry fee by December 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
An award of publication by Yale University Press is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet who has not published a full-length book of poetry. Carl Phillips will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 64 pages with a $25 entry fee between October 1 and November 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000, publication by Livingston Press, and 100 author copies is given annually for a first collection of short stories by a U.S. citizen. Submit a manuscript of 160 to 275 pages by March 15. There is no entry fee. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website will be given annually for a group of poems from a manuscript-in-progress. Major Jackson will judge. Submit two copies of 10 pages of poetry with a $15 entry fee by December 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $2,500 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website is given annually to a poet over 40 who has published no more than one book. Traci Brimhall will judge. Submit two copies of 10 pages of poetry with a $15 entry fee by December 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,200 and publication by Kallisto Gaia Press will be given annually for a collection of short works of fiction. Submit any combination of short stories, flash fiction, or novellas with a total manuscript length of 40,000 to 75,000 words with a $25 entry fee between September 15 and December 31. All submitting writers will receive a copy of the winning collection. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Four prizes of $1,000 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 2021 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 $2,500 is given annually for a book of fiction or creative nonfiction published during the previous year by a writer who is a resident of the Midwest (or who previously resided in the Midwest for at least five years) or which is set in the Midwest. The prize may be split if more than one winner is selected. Writers who have published up to three books are eligible. Self-published books are not eligible. Authors or publishers may submit two copies of books published in 2021 and an author bio by December 10. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Green Linden Press will be given annually for a book of poetry “that challenges expectations of genre, form, or mode” and that “questions the boundaries of what poems and books can be.” Christopher Nelson will judge. All finalists will be considered for publication. Submit a manuscript of at least 48 pages with a $25 entry fee by November 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of historical fiction published during the previous year. Publishers or authors may submit two copies of a book (or galleys) published in 2021 by December 1. Self-published books are ineligible. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a single poem. The editors will judge. Submit up to three poems of any length with an $8 entry fee by January 4, 2022. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 will be given biennially to a poet with a body of work that “pushes the boundaries of poetic craft” who also “contributes meaningfully to the literary community.” Poets who have published at least 25 poems in journals, anthologies, chapbooks, or books are eligible. The award particularly seeks to recognize poets with a connection to Hawai’i or the Pacific. Submit 20 pages of poems, a statement regarding community-building work, and a bibliography by December 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000, publication by Burnside Review Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Sommer Browning will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 48 to 64 pages with a $25 entry fee, which includes one title from the press's catalogue, by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $2,500 and publication by the Center for Literary Publishing is given annually for a poetry collection. Gillian Conoley will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages with a $25 entry fee ($28 for online submissions), which includes a subscription to Colorado Review, by January 14, 2022. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Two prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for translations from French into English of a book of fiction and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published during the previous year. A jury of translators and literary professionals will judge. Authors, translators, agents, and U.S. publishers may submit three excerpts from a book published in 2021 by January 14, 2022. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication by White Pine Press is given annually for a poetry collection by a U.S. citizen. Submit a manuscript of 60 to 80 pages with a $20 entry fee by November 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a poem, a short story, an essay, or an excerpt from a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction by a writer under the age of 30. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to five poems of any length or up to 15,000 words of prose with a $26 entry fee by November 19. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Four fellowships of $72,000, writing space at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City, access to research facilities, and research assistance from a graduate student is given annually to nonfiction writers working on biographies. An additional fellowship, the Sloan Fellowship, is given annually to a writer working on a biography of a figure in the field of science or technology. Using only the online submission system, submit a writing sample from the biography of up to 2,500 words, a curriculum vitae or résumé, a project description, a narrative career history, and two letters of reference by January 4, 2022. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
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 judge. Submit a story of up to 8,000 words with a $16 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Boulevard, by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Poetry International is given annually for a single poem. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of any length with a $15 entry fee ($3 for each additional poem) by December 1. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, a short graphic narrative, or an excerpt from a longer work of prose. A second-place prize of $1,000 and publication in Narrative is also awarded. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to 15,000 words of prose with a $27 entry fee by November 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of €3,000 (approximately $3,517) and publication in the annual Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short story. The winner will also be invited to attend a five-day short story workshop and read at the West Cork Literary Festival in July 2022. Submit a story of up to 5,000 words by mail with a €22 (approximately $26) entry fee or using the online submission system with a €20 (approximately $23) entry fee by November 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Asheville Poetry Review is given annually for a single poem. The winner is also invited to give a reading at Malaprop's Bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina. Marilyn Nelson will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of any length with a $20 entry fee by January 15, 2022. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $10,000 is given annually for a poetry collection published in the previous year by a mid-career poet. U.S. poets who have previously published at least two poetry collections are eligible. The poetry faculty of the University of North Texas will judge. Authors, editors, or publishers may submit three copies of a book published between November 1, 2020, and October 31, 2021, by November 30. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000, publication by Codhill Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. James Sherwood will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 70 pages with a $30 entry fee by December 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Crosswinds is given annually for a single poem. Chard deNiord will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems with a $20 entry fee by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Lascaux Review is given annually for a short story. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of up to 10,000 words with a $15 entry fee by December 23. Previously published and unpublished stories are eligible. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Two prizes of $65,000 CAD (approximately $51,912) each are given annually for poetry collections published during the previous year by a Canadian poet or translator and by an international poet or translator. Finalists in each category receive $10,000 CAD (approximately $7,987) for their participation in the Griffin Poetry Prize Shortlist Readings held in Toronto. Publishers may submit four copies of a book of at least 48 pages published in 2021 by December 31. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
A prize of $20,000 is given annually for a short story collection written in English and first published in the United States in the previous year. Two runners-up will receive $5,000 each, and one entrant will receive the $1,000 Story Prize Spotlight Award, given for a collection that merits further attention. Larry Dark and Julie Lindsey will select the three finalists and the Spotlight Award winner; three independent judges will choose the Story Prize winner. Publishers, authors, or agents may submit two copies of a book (one of which may be an electronic copy) published between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, with an entry fee of $75 by November 15. The deadline for books published during the first half of the year was July 15. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000, publication by Press 53, and 50 author copies is given annually for a story collection. Claire V. Foxx will judge. Submit a manuscript of 100 to 250 pages with a $30 entry fee by December 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Mississippi Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Current or former University of Southern Mississippi students are ineligible. Submit three to five poems totaling up to 10 pages or a short story or essay of 1,000 to 8,000 words with a $15 entry fee ($16 for electronic submissions), which includes a copy of the prize issue, by January 1, 2022. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $500 and letterpress publication by the Center for Book Arts is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The winner will also receive 10 copies of their chapbook and an additional $500 to give a reading with the contest judge at the Center for Book Arts in New York City in fall 2022, and a free weeklong residency at the Millay Colony for the Arts in Austerlitz, New York, for their Wintertide Rustic Retreat. Mei-mei Berssenbrugge will judge. Submit a manuscript of up to 21 pages (or 450 lines) with a $30 entry fee by December 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 2021 by December 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
A prize of $2,500 and publication in LitMag is given annually for a short story. The winner will have their work reviewed by agents from Bankoff Collaborative, the Bent Agency, Brandt & Hochman, Folio Literary Management, InkWell Management, Sobel Weber Associates, and Triangle House Literary. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of 3,000 to 8,000 words with a $20 entry fee by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of €6,000 (approximately $7,032) and publication in the Moth is given annually for a single poem. Three runner-up prizes of €1,000 (approximately $1,172) each are also given. The four shortlisted poets, including the winner, will also be invited to read at an awards ceremony at the Poetry Ireland festival in Dublin in spring 2022. Warsan Shire will judge. Submit any number of poems of any length with a €15 (approximately $18) entry fee per poem by December 31. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication by BOA Editions is given annually for a first book of poetry by a U.S. resident. Stephanie Burt will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages with a $25 entry fee by November 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Florida Review is given annually for a chapbook of short fiction, short nonfiction, or graphic narrative. Submit a manuscript of up to 45 pages with a $25 entry fee by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $5,000 is given annually to enable a creative nonfiction writer “whose work reflects the spirit and passions for the desert embodied in Ellen Meloy’s writing” to spend creative time in a desert environment. Using only the online submission system, submit up to 10 pages of creative nonfiction, a project proposal, and a biographical statement of up to one page with a $15 entry fee by January 15, 2022. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Five Points is given annually for a group of poems. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of no more than 50 lines each with a $25 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Five Points, by December 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.