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Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest
Book Pipeline
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, and Young Adult
The 2025 Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest aims to discover unpublished manuscripts across ten categories. Winners receive $25,000, industry circulation, and executive development opportunities. It is open to writers aged 18 and older, with specific submission guidelines based on categories.
Top Prize:
$25,000
Additional prizes:
$2,500 for each category winner
💰 Entry fee: $45
📅 Deadline: September 25, 2025 (Expired)
F(r)iction Short Story Contest
Brink Literacy Project
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
The F(r)iction Short Story Contest is open for submissions. It celebrates unique and boundary-pushing literature. The winning story will be published in F(r)iction's print collection or online blog, and the contest encourages experimental writing.
Top Prize:
$1,000
📅 Deadline: May 02, 2025 (Expired)
The Shelley Awards for Paranormal Fiction
Chanticleer International Book Awards
Genres: Fiction
The SHELLEY Book Awards honor exceptional works in supernatural and paranormal fiction, evaluating based on compelling storytelling, professionalism, and uniqueness. The competition includes multiple categories and offers significant promotional opportunities.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Additional prizes include a Chanticleer Prize Package.
💰 Entry fee: $99
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025 (Expired)
The Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction
The Lascaux Review
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
The Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction accepts both previously published and unpublished stories, allowing simultaneous submissions. The winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in The Lascaux Review
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: December 31, 2025 (Expired)
First 5 Pages Prize
Stockholm Writers Festival
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The First 5 Pages Prize encourages writers to submit the first five pages of their unpublished work.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.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
2nd and 3rd Prize winners receive event tickets and meetings with agents
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2025 (Expired)
Narrative High School Writing Contest
Narrative Magazine
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The contest invites high school students globally, grades 9-12, to submit original works. This year's prompt is 'One True Thing.' Submissions must be made by teachers on behalf of students. The contest aims to inspire young writers and culminates in mentorship from established authors.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd: $250 | 3rd: $100 | Finalists receive $50, and winning works will be published in Narrative.
📅 Deadline: June 15, 2025 (Expired)
Genres: Fiction
The contest invites young writers aged 12-18 to submit fiction stories inspired by the theme 'A Summer Trip'. Winners receive prizes and feedback is provided to top submissions.
Top Prize:
£50
Additional prizes:
Winner also gets publication of winning entry on the blog. Honorable mentions and feedback for the top 20 submissions.
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: August 31, 2025 (Expired)
Storytrade Book Awards
Storytrade
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Storytrade Book Awards celebrate literary excellence in small and independent publishing, featuring over 70 categories for fiction and nonfiction. The awards spotlight outstanding books and provide industry recognition for authors.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
$1,000 for each Book of the Year (Fiction & Nonfiction). Medals, book stickers, and digital seals for Winners and Finalists
💰 Entry fee: $75
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025 (Expired)
Tusculum Review Fiction Chapbook Prize
The Tusculum Review
Genres: Fiction
The contest awards a $1,500 prize for the best short story, publication in The Tusculum Review’s 21st volume (2025), and a limited edition chapbook with original art. Stories must be 2,000-7,000 words and unpublished.
Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
Creation of a limited edition stand-alone chapbook with original art and consideration for Publication in The Tusculum Review.
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: June 15, 2025 (Expired)
Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award
Poets & Writers, Inc.
Genres: Fiction and Poetry
Established in 1984, this award connects emerging writers with the New York City literary community, facilitating professional advancement through a network of agents, editors, and authors. The winners receive an honorarium, a public reading, and participation in a residency program.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2025 (Expired)
Spring Prose & Poetry Contest
Onyx Publications
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller
The contest awarded prizes for both prose and poetry categories, with multiple winners for each.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Second place: $150 Third place: $75 Winner also gets publication and author interview on Story Discovery podcast.
💰 Entry fee: $12
📅 Deadline: May 05, 2024 (Expired)
Tom Grass Prize
Friends and family of Tom Grass
Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction
The Tom Grass Prize celebrates the spirit of adventure through short pieces of prose, inviting writers from all backgrounds to reflect on the theme of adventure. The prize honors Tom Grass, a multifaceted writer and traveler.
Additional prizes:
1st prize of £1,000 and two runners-up prizes of £500 each.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)
The Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction
Association of Writers & Writing Programs
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.
Top Prize:
$5,500
Additional prizes:
Publication by Mad Creek Books
💰 Entry fee: $30
📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)
The Big Moose Prize
Black Lawrence Press
Genres: Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Short Story
The Big Moose Prize awards an unpublished novel, open to all writers. The winner receives publication, a cash award of $1,000, and ten copies of the book.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication of the novel and ten copies
💰 Entry fee: $28
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)
Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award
Killer Nashville
Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller
The Silver Falchion Award honors the best books published in 2024 across various genres, including mystery, thriller, suspense, and romance. The competition aims to recognize quality storytelling and is open to all published authors.
Top Prize:
$250
💰 Entry fee: $85
📅 Deadline: April 01, 2025 (Expired)
Annual Contest Submissions
So To Speak
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry
So to Speak is a feminist literary journal seeking diverse voices, focusing on intersectional feminism. They publish twice a year, accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art, with a particular emphasis on marginalized perspectives.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
All accepted contributions will receive a $100 prize.
💰 Entry fee: $4
📅 Deadline: November 20, 2025 (Expired)
The Rubery Prize
Rubery Book Awards
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, and Romance
The Rubery Prize is an international award for indie writers and self-published authors. It aims to recognize outstanding works and elevate authors' profiles. Authors can submit self-published books or those from independent presses.
Top Prize:
£2000
Additional prizes:
Category winners receive £200
💰 Entry fee: $60
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)
Great American Fiction Contest
Saturday Evening Post
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.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
The winning story will be published in The Saturday Evening Post. Five runners-up will each receive $200 and have their stories featured online.
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: July 01, 2025 (Expired)
Farnham's First Five Pages Competition
Farnham Literary Festival
Genres: Fiction
The competition invites submissions of the first five pages of a novel and a 250-word synopsis. The work must be unpublished and original. There is no specific theme or style required.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
1st: The Paris Prize for Fiction, including a critique for the first place winner | 2nd: £300 | 3rd: £200
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: December 31, 2025 (Expired)
First Pages Prize
First Pages Prize
Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction
The First Pages Prize supports emerging writers by recognizing their first five pages of longer works of fiction or creative nonfiction. It aims to encourage those who are un-agented and offers a prize package to aid in their writing journey.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
2nd Prize: $1500 | 3rd Prize: $1000 | Mentorship and agent consultation.
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: April 24, 2024 (Expired)
Writer's Games
The Writer's Workout
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Writer's Games is a free competition aimed at improving writing skills, offering feedback from judges. The 2024 edition has concluded, and it featured multiple events with winners recognized in an anthology. Registration is necessary to participate.
Top Prize:
Publication in anthology, 72 Hours (26+ spaces)
📅 Deadline: July 22, 2025 (Expired)
Fabula Press Short Story Contest
Fabula Press
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Horror, Mystery, and Science Fiction
The Fabula Press Short Story Contest encourages exceptional storytelling across genres, with no specific theme. Participants can submit entries for both free and paid categories. Winning stories may be published in an anthology.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd place: $250 3rd place: $100 Stories selected for publication: $75
📅 Deadline: June 11, 2024 (Expired)
Christmas Horror Short Story Competition
Globe Soup
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Horror, and Mystery
The contest invites submissions of horror-themed short stories that embrace Christmas themes. Open to adult writers; stories should be original and unpublished. Judged based on storytelling quality, craft, originality, and voice.
Top Prize:
£1000
💰 Entry fee: $8
📅 Deadline: January 26, 2026
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize celebrates emerging voices in life writing, poetry, and fiction. It supports writers who have not published book-length works and offers a platform for diverse backgrounds. Winners receive a £1,000 cash prize and publication in Wasafiri.
Top Prize:
£1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication in Wasafiri magazine, mentoring through Chapter and Verse or Free Reads, career discussions with The Good Literary Agency, and a one-year print subscription.
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)
Solar Flare Contest 2025
Sunspot Literary Journal
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Solar Flare Contest seeks submissions for a single short story, novel or novella excerpt, artwork, graphic novel, or poem that exhibits a burst of creative energy. All genres accepted, with a maximum word limit of 500 for stories and nonfiction, 12 lines for poetry, and 8 pages for graphic novels.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: June 01, 2025 (Expired)
Story Studio National Writing Contest
Story Studio
Genres: Fiction
The contest invites young writers across Canada to explore the theme 'Community of Stories,' encouraging submissions that reflect connections through family, friendship, and culture.
Top Prize:
Winners will receive prize packages and a published copy of their story in a chapbook.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: April 27, 2025 (Expired)
Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition
Writer's Digest
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
Enter our 91st Annual Writing Competition for the chance to have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen. The top winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection. [$20 for a poetry entry, $30 for a manuscript entry]
Top Prize:
$5,000
Additional prizes:
Grand prize winner receives $5000. In each category: 1st, $1000; 2nd, $500; 3rd, $250; 4th, $100; 5th, $50; 6th through 10th, $25 gift certificate. 1st place winners receive a one year subscription to Writer's Digest magazine + tutorials.
💰 Entry fee: $30
📅 Deadline: May 05, 2025 (Expired)
The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize
Texas Review
Genres: Fiction and Novella
Established in 2001, this annual prize awards a novella that excels in the format, offering a $1,000 advance, publication, and 10 copies of the book. Recent judges include notable authors like Steven Dunn and Michael Martone. Submissions open January 1 and close March 31 each year.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Publication and 10 copies of the published book
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)
Winter Flash Fiction Battle
Writing Battle
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Thriller
The Winter Flash Fiction Battle is an engaging contest where writers compete by creating stories based on given prompts. Participants write a story of up to 1000 words within three days. The contest emphasizes community feedback and professional judging.
Top Prize:
Genre Winner (x4): $$3,400
Additional prizes:
Genre Runner-up (x4): $800 | Genre Semi-Finalist (x8): $400
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: February 01, 2025 (Expired)
The Restless Books Prize For New Immigrant Writing
Restless Books
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.
Top Prize:
$10,000
Additional prizes:
A writing residency from Millay Arts and publication by Restless Books
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: June 07, 2024 (Expired)
Morton and McCarthy Prizes
Sarabande Books
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
The Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction is awarded to an outstanding manuscript of short fiction. It includes a monetary prize, publication, and an introduction by the judge, Ed Park.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Publication by Sarabande Books
💰 Entry fee: $34
📅 Deadline: February 15, 2025 (Expired)
Genres: Fiction, Romance, and Fantasy
The contest invites authors to create stories inspired by mythology, encouraging creativity in retelling or exploring myths through original narratives. It emphasizes global mythological themes.
Top Prize:
$300
Additional prizes:
2nd: $150 | 3rd: $50 | Winner receives 1 year of Galatea Unlimited and CandyJar, Inkitt VIP Badge, Contest Winner badge for your book cover, Instagram feature.
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2026
Simon & Schuster UK Writing Contest
Simon & Schuster
Genres: Fiction and Novel
Simon & Schuster UK are launching an opportunity that’s exclusively open to un-agented, currently not under contract fiction writers of colour. The winner will receive a two-book UK publishing contract with S&S UK with a six-figure advance.
Top Prize:
A two-book UK publishing contract with S&S UK with a six-figure advance.
📅 Deadline: July 31, 2025 (Expired)
Annual Short Story Contest
Flash 500
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
An open-themed contest accepting all genres, including those written by or for children. Stories must be between 1,000 and 3,000 words with strong characters and plots.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
£200 for 2nd place, £100 for 3rd place
💰 Entry fee: $8
📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)
Brink Fall 2025 Writing Contest
Brink Literary Journal
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Flash Fiction, and Poetry
The Brink Fall 2025 Writing Contest invites submissions in multiple genres. Winning entries will be selected and published, emphasizing creative, boundary-pushing literature. The contest encourages diverse voices and innovative storytelling.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
First place prizes include cash awards of $1,000 for short stories, $300 for poetry, and $300 for flash fiction. Finalists will be considered for publication and may receive free edits.
💰 Entry fee: $3
📅 Deadline: November 07, 2025 (Expired)
