Best Fiction Writing Contests in 2026

Genres: Fiction and Romance

The National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award celebrates published romance novels and novellas, judged by romance readers. Each book is assessed by three judges in the first round, with the highest scoring advancing to final round judging by bloggers, booksellers, and librarians.

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

An annual contest for unpublished and unagented writers of children's fiction, focusing on originality and diverse voices. The competition seeks full-length novels suitable for readers aged 7-18.

Genres: Fiction

Write a short involving a love-concept and a muscle car. The best entries will zoom to cash prizes!

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, and Science Fiction

A writing contest aimed at teen writers, encouraging them to submit stories centered on the theme of belonging. Accepted genres include contemporary, historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction.

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

The Places Writing Competition invites stories and poems about places that inspire or challenge writers. It includes various categories like poetry, short stories, and flash fiction, and aims to highlight the significance of places in literature.

Genres: Fiction and Novel

The AWP Award Series is an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The series is open to all authors writing in English, regardless of nationality or residence. The competition includes various genres, and the James Alan McPherson Prize specifically focuses on novels.

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: 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The 2025 Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest aims to discover unpublished manuscripts across ten categories.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.

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 Poetry

The Subnivean Awards is an international literary competition that seeks outstanding fiction and poetry. The contest aims to highlight innovative works that break conventional molds.

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Emerging Writer's Contest, held by Ploughshares since 1971, recognizes outstanding work by emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Winners are announced in the fall and their works are published in the Winter 2024-25 issue of Ploughshares.

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: 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

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.

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, and Young Adult

Etchings Press, a student-run publisher at the University of Indianapolis, awards The Whirling Prize each year to two books that demonstrate an excellent and compelling response to a theme that students at the university select. Student judges will welcome recently published books of prose and poetry in response to the theme of "mystery" published since January 2024.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, and Fiction

The Romantasy Short Story Challenge invites writers to craft a 2,000-word story based on the romantasy theme, incorporating specific prompts given at the challenge start. Participants have ten days to create and submit their stories.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Plaza Short Story Prize invites entries for short stories up to 5000 words. The prize includes cash rewards and publication in an anthology, aiming to discover and promote new literary talent.

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror

The Writers of the Future Contest is an opportunity for new writers of science fiction and fantasy to have their work judged by professional writers. It has been established since 1983 and includes quarterly cash prizes and an annual grand prize.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, and Travel

The contest aims to publish a magazine of short stories across various genres. Stories must fit specific word counts and themes, and will be evaluated by staff judges.

Genres: Fiction

The Ascent Novel Prize is a prestigious writing contest aimed at unpublished novelists. It encourages new talent by providing a platform to showcase their work.

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

The contest theme is 'Hecho a mano', focusing on the creativity of handmade works. Categories include photography, poetry, and narrative/essay/academic investigation. Selected works will be published, and winners will receive monetary prizes and certificates of recognition.

Genres: Fiction and Crime

The Clue Awards recognize outstanding works in Suspense and Thriller genres, emphasizing detective work, police procedural, and crime-solving narratives. The contest aims to discover and promote new talent while rewarding excellence in these literary categories.

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 excellence in small and independent publishing, recognizing outstanding books across various categories. The awards aim to provide visibility and recognition to authors and their works.

Genres: LGBTQ, Novel, and Fiction

The Randall Kenan Prize honors Black LGBTQ writers of fiction, focusing on themes of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and history. Founded in memory of author Randall Kenan.

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.

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Chalk Circle 360 Writing Contest invites participants to submit a piece of circular flash fiction consisting of exactly 360 words. The theme draws inspiration from the ancient symbol of Ouroboros, encouraging stories that reflect self-reflection, recycling, and cycles of creation and destruction.

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: Fiction and Horror

Briar Press NY seeks short stories in the Folk Horror tradition, previously unpublished, set in any time period/place/culture. Stories should convey beautiful writing, engaging plots, memorable characters, and an authentic Folk-Gothic atmosphere.

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

The Verdant Raven Battle is a 250 word short story contest where writers receive 3 prompts to incorporate into their narratives. It fosters a supportive community, allowing participants to share and receive feedback on their stories. Writers retain all rights to their stories, even if they win.

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Novel

The IndieReader Discovery Awards (IRDA) focus on recognizing outstanding self-published books in various genres, providing authors with exposure and opportunities for representation by literary agents. Each entry receives a professional review, and winners gain significant prizes, including cash awards, reviews, and promotional opportunities.

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, Crime, Fantasy, Romance, Horror, LGBTQ, Science Fiction, Suspense, and Thriller

The contest invites new and unpublished writers worldwide to submit short stories based on a monthly prompt. The current theme is 'After The Ashes.'

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, LGBTQ, and Novel

This prize honors LGBTQ-identified authors who have published multiple novels, built a strong reputation, and show promise for future work. It is dedicated to Jim Duggins and supported by the James Duggins, PhD Fund.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

This is an open-themed award requiring stories to have a link to Australia. Entries are accepted from authors aged 16 and above. The award aims to encourage creative writing with a total prize pool exceeding A$1420.