Best Fiction Writing Contests in 2026

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Independent Author Network presents the 12th Annual 2026 IAN Book of the Year Awards, an international contest open to all authors with 75 fiction and non-fiction categories. Entries must be in English and available for sale or presale/preorder.

Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

High-quality unpublished manuscripts in memoir, fiction, and non-fiction are sought for this competition. The contest is designed to amplify the voices of contemporary writers.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction awards $5,500 and publication by Mad Creek Books, an imprint of The Ohio State University Press. It is part of the AWP Award Series open to all authors writing in English. The prize celebrates outstanding book-length works and is judged anonymously.

Genres: Horror and Fiction

The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award is a biannual contest seeking full-length supernatural or magic realist short stories. The winning stories are published on June 1 and Halloween. The award is open to any story with a supernatural theme, not limited to traditional ghost stories.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Moth Short Story Prize is an international contest open to anyone over 16, requiring original, unpublished stories up to 3,000 words. The winners are chosen by a single judge who reads entries anonymously. The contest is held annually, and the winning story is published in the Irish Times.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize celebrates imaginative and inventive writing in book-length collections. The winning submission will receive a $2,500 advance and publication. The contest is open to all writers, and all submitted works must be previously unpublished collections.

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Essay, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Folly Short Story Prize 2025 invites submissions for stories that challenge conventional norms. It aims to recognize innovative writing that resonates with contemporary themes.

Genres: Short Story and Fiction

The Henshaw Press Short Story Competition accepts entries of up to 2,000 words on any theme. It is open to writers aged 16 and over.

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The Swamp Pink Prizes celebrate excellence in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Each winner receives $2,000 and publication in an upcoming issue of Swamp Pink. The contest is open for submissions throughout January.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, and Young Adult

The Cygnus Awards recognize the best Science Fiction books across various subgenres. It includes prizes, recognition, and promotional opportunities for winning entries.

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Science Fiction

The Future First Line Contest invites participants to write a captivating first line for a novel set in 2052, inspired by the near future. Entries should encapsulate originality and creativity while hinting at technological or sociopolitical themes.

Genres: Fiction

The John Steinbeck Award recognizes exceptional works of fiction. Submissions are open from June 1 to October 1, with entries limited to 5,000 words. The winning story receives a $1,000 prize.

Genres: Fiction

Upload 10 chapters of any story (each chapter length at least 1800 words) to enter.

Genres: Fiction and Poetry

The Hudson Prize is awarded annually for an unpublished collection of poems or prose. It is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner receives book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Writers around the world have three months to compose and refine a single short story (2,000 to 5,000 words) in any genre, in response to one prompt. All submissions will be assessed by the Reedsy team, with longlisted stories reviewed by our guest judge Jon Michael Darga, Literary Agent at Aevitas Creative Management and a Reedsy editor.

Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction

Established in 2015, this prize honors outstanding debut literary works by first-generation immigrants. The prize alternates yearly between fiction and nonfiction, highlighting themes of identity and migration.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Great American Fiction Contest celebrates the legacy of American authors through the submission of original short stories. The winning entry will be published in the January/February edition of the magazine.

Genres: Novel and Fiction

The Publishing Laboratory at the University of New Orleans seeks to promote innovative publicity and broad distribution for authors. They accept submissions for unpublished novels and short story collections. A selected author is awarded a $10,000 advance on royalties and a publishing contract.

Genres: Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Travel

The New Deal Writing Competition invites writers to create a short story inspired by a specific painting. The current painting is 'Playtime' by Fred Ross. This is the ninth annual contest, intended to celebrate creativity and connect art and writing.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The BPA Short Story Award is for unrepresented writers worldwide. Judges include literary agent Corissa Hollenbeck and writer Sussie Anie. Genres are any genre except children’s fiction and non-fiction (YA permitted with adult crossover).

Genres: Fiction

Any fiction, any style, any writer. Submit the first chapter of your novel-in-progress, and become eligible for cash prizes & shoutouts from @writesofnovember.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Write by the Sea Writing Competition features four categories: Fiction Short Story, Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Memoir/Personal Essay. It includes cash prizes and publication opportunities.

Genres: Poetry and Fiction

The Moth Nature Writing Prize 2026 is an international annual prize for unpublished pieces of nature writing. It is awarded to work that best combines exceptional literary merit with an exploration of the writer’s relationship with the natural world.

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Betty Award is a writing contest recognizing young authors aged 8-12. It encourages creativity and imagination with three contests held annually: Fall, Winter, and Spring.

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The 26th Annual Writing Contest is currently closed. The next contest will open on January 1, 2025. Categories and further details will be announced later.

Genres: Fiction

The New Voices Fiction Contest seeks bold and original short fiction from both emerging and established writers across all genres. It encourages submissions that challenge, entertain, and linger in the reader’s mind.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Reeds in the Wind Literary Prize aims to promote the literary legacy of Grazia Deledda. It is open to international participants and accepts submissions in Italian, Sardinian, and English. Stories must explore themes from Deledda's works and have a word count of 5,000 to 7,000 characters. The awards will be presented during a ceremony scheduled for Saturday, 13 September 2025, in the town of Galtellì.

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The competition invites short story submissions of up to 8,000 words from writers of all genres. It aims to encourage creativity and provide feedback opportunities. Participants retain ownership of their work, with the winner receiving a cash prize along with chances to win in a bonus draw.

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Reader Views Fiction Awards recognize outstanding independently published fiction, honoring work by independent authors and small presses. The program offers professional evaluations and promotional visibility.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, and Romance

The Avenue Writing Contest invites participants to create interactive narratives in four categories: Romance, Fantasy, Progression Fantasy + LitRPG, and D&D. Entries are crafted using the Avenue Creator Studio, where participants develop episodes that allow reader choices to influence the story.

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

The First 5 Pages Prize encourages writers to submit the first five pages of their unpublished work. The contest aims to inspire writers to polish their starting pages, crucial for capturing the attention of agents and editors. It welcomes entries from writers aged 16 and above, focusing on various genres. The prize promotes beautiful writing and offers support to aspiring authors.

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Novella, and Flash Fiction

The Mary McCarthy Prize is awarded annually for a full-length manuscript of literary fiction, including short stories, flash fiction, or novellas. The prize includes a cash award and publication.

Genres: Fiction

BOMB Magazine's 2025 Fiction Contest invites submissions for a chance to win a $1,000 prize and publication. The contest is judged by Kelly Link, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and MacArthur Fellow.

Genres: Fiction

An international contest for historical and mythological short fiction, open to writers worldwide.

Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

The First 100 Days Contest seeks innovative book ideas from authors committed to promoting good work amidst challenging times. Participants submit a one-page book overview and a sample manuscript of up to 5,000 words. Winning authors receive feedback and an editorial consultation.