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DIRECTORY
Showing 64 contests that match your search.
Minds Shine Bright
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.
Top Prize:
The overall winner receives $1500 AUD and publication in the anthology.
Additional prizes:
Up to $200 for commended entries, $50 for young writers.
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025 (Expired)
Hispanic Culture Review
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.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Certificate of recognition
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: February 15, 2026 (Expired)
Jerboa Lit
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story
The Jerboa Lit 250 is a weekend-long mini-flash fiction contest where participants write a story of 250 words based on a prompt given 48 hours prior. The contest encourages creativity within genres and includes specific character requirements. Winners are announced within a month after submission.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: April 26, 2026 (Expired)
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New2theScene
Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction
The competition invites submissions of flash fiction with a maximum word count of 999. Entries can be on any topic, allowing writers to showcase their creativity.
Top Prize:
£50 book voucher
Additional prizes:
Publication, promotion, and a podcast interview | Potential publication and £15 vouchers for notable mentions.
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: June 01, 2025 (Expired)
Kinsman Quarterly
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
Afro-descendant writers: enter the African Diaspora Award from Kinsman Quarterly. Submit original, unpublished short stories, nonfiction, or poetry that celebrates the voices of the African diaspora. Winners receive cash prizes plus publication in Kinsman Quarterly and the annual anthology, "Africa's Diaspora: Four Corners."
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication in Kinsman Quarterly and the anthology "Africa's Diaspora: Four Corners"
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: December 31, 2026
Walk Listen Create
Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction
The contest invites participants to write a micro-flash story of 39 words, inspired by John Buchan’s 'The Thirty-Nine Steps.' Submissions must fit the theme and will be featured in an anthology. Winners will also be showcased in a public online event.
Top Prize:
€100
Additional prizes:
Winner recieves artwork by Alban Low and a copy of the illustrated chapbook. The authors of the 39 selected stories will also receive an invitation to a private Writers’ Circle event.
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: April 22, 2025 (Expired)
Lazuli Literary Group
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing
The contest seeks linguistically, intellectually, and emotionally engaging work, aiming for complexity and beauty. It accepts various forms of writing including fiction, poetry, essays, and experimental pieces. The contest emphasizes artistic intent and thematic depth.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: February 26, 2026 (Expired)
Tadpole Press
Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction
A monthly writing contest inviting submissions of 10 words or less, without a specific theme. Winners are announced weekly after a community write-in event.
Top Prize:
$50
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: June 29, 2026 (Expired)
Clevedon Literary Festival
Genres: Flash Fiction
The Clevedon LitFest Flash Fiction Award invites entries of original short stories of no more than 500 words. The competition emphasizes evocative writing and a compelling story arc within strict word limits.
Top Prize:
£300
Additional prizes:
2nd: £100 | 3rd: £50
💰 Entry fee: $6
📅 Deadline: August 22, 2026 (Expired)
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)
Gemini Magazine
Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction
The Eighteenth Annual Flash Fiction Contest from Gemini Magazine welcomes unpublished flash fiction on any subject and in any style. All entries are read blind, so emerging writers and experienced writers get an equal chance.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Second place: $100 | Four honorable mentions: $25 each. All six finalists are published online in the Fall 2026 issue of Gemini Magazine.
💰 Entry fee: $8
📅 Deadline: August 31, 2026 (Expired)
Fiction Factory
Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Travel
The competition invites writers to submit short stories of up to 1000 words, excluding children's and young adult fiction. The entry fee varies based on the number of submissions. Winners will be announced in February 2026.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
Publication on the website and free assessment for 2nd and 3rd placed entries.
💰 Entry fee: $9
📅 Deadline: October 31, 2026
Folly Journal
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.
Top Prize:
$1000 NZD
Additional prizes:
Two tickets to the Folly After Party.
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: June 01, 2025 (Expired)
Parsec Inc.
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, and Short Story
The Parsec Short Story Contest aims to encourage non-professional writers to explore speculative fiction in genres like science fiction, fantasy, and horror. The theme for 2025 is 'ROOTS', and submissions should relate to this theme. The contest has no entry fee and supports young writers through a special Youth Story Prize.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2026 (Expired)
Flash 500
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction
The Flash Fiction Competition invites writers to submit stories of up to 500 words. It's a quarterly competition with prizes awarded for the top three entries each quarter. Winning entries are published on the website.
Top Prize:
£300
Additional prizes:
2nd: £200 | 3rd: £100
💰 Entry fee: $7
📅 Deadline: December 31, 2026
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)
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)
The Failing Writers Podcast
Genres: Flash Fiction
The competition invites entries of flash fiction up to 300 words on the theme of 'a lie'. A special secret phrase must also be included, revealed in the podcast episode on September 29. The contest is sponsored by Scrivener.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
Extra prizes may be awarded to runners-up.
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: October 24, 2025 (Expired)
Sunspot Literary Journal
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story
The Goldilocks Zone contest invites submissions for fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, artwork, and graphic novels, seeking works that combine craft with audience appeal. The prize includes cash and publication for winners and runners-up.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: May 01, 2025 (Expired)
WOW! Women On Writing & Reedsy Learning
Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction
The WOW! Spring 2026 Flash Fiction Contest invites writers globally to submit original flash fiction. The contest has an open prompt and awards a total of $600 for first place, along with prizes for second and third places, as well as runners-up. Entries must be between 250 and 750 words. A critique option is also available.
Top Prize:
$600
Additional prizes:
2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards | Winner also receives a spot in Reedsy’s How to Write a Novel Course ($499 value) & a 12-month Reedsy Learning Membership ($249 value)
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: May 31, 2026 (Expired)
Oxford Flash Fiction
Genres: Flash Fiction, Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Oxford Flash Fiction Prize celebrates flash fiction, encouraging new voices and showcasing creativity in under 1000 words. This biannual competition invites writers to submit their stories for the chance to win cash prizes and publication.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
2nd Prize: £200 | 3rd Prize: £100 | New Voice Prize: £200 | Publication in the anthology for shortlisted entrants.
💰 Entry fee: $7
📅 Deadline: August 31, 2025 (Expired)
Not Quite Write
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, and Fantasy
The Not Quite Write Prize for FLESH Fiction invites submissions of erotic stories up to 1,500 words based on the theme 'Making the unsexy irresistible'. The competition is open to adults worldwide, free to enter, and aims to explore creative interpretations of erotic fiction. Judging is blind, and winners will be announced publicly.
Top Prize:
$500 AUS
Additional prizes:
Total prize pool of AU$1,000 plus a range of "spicy" prizes and a chance at print publication.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: August 24, 2025 (Expired)
Ethos Literacy
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story
The contest invites participants to write a story of exactly 100 words on topics like envy, eyeglasses, nightmares, or turtles. It is open to all ages, including international writers. Winning stories will be published in an e-zine.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
Best of Category: writer's gift for four winners; Best Youth Story: writer's gift.
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2026 (Expired)
SmokeLong Quarterly
Genres: Flash Fiction and Non-fiction
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest (The Mikey) is an annual competition celebrating and compensating the best micro fiction and nonfiction online. Fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid narratives that lean poetic are welcome, in English or any other language accompanied by an English translation, and both previously published and unpublished micros are considered. The grand prize winner is automatically nominated for Best Small Fictions, and all winners and finalists are published in the December 2026 issue of SmokeLong.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Second place $500, third place $300, finalists $150. All winners and finalists are published in the December 2026 issue of SmokeLong Quarterly.
💰 Entry fee: $18
📅 Deadline: November 15, 2026
The Failing Writers Podcast
Genres: Flash Fiction
A flash fiction competition run by The Failing Writers Podcast and sponsored by Scrivener. This year the theme is "birthday", and every story must also work in a special phrase revealed in the podcast episode that launches the competition. Judges look for originality, creativity, characterisation and readability. Alongside the cash prize, winning and shortlisted stories are turned into professional audio productions and celebrated on the podcast.
Top Prize:
£500
Additional prizes:
Copies of Scrivener, exclusive merch, and the winning story turned into a professional audio production celebrated on the podcast. The first 150 entries also receive a free audiobook from Libro.fm.
💰 Entry fee: $4
📅 Deadline: October 19, 2026
Sarabande Books
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.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
Publication of the work and a standard royalty contract.
💰 Entry fee: $34
📅 Deadline: February 24, 2026 (Expired)
Story Street Writers
Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction
The contest invites participants to submit a flash fiction piece of 100 words or fewer.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
$25 for each of the three runners-up. Winner and all runners-up receive publication in the Story Street Review.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)
Bath Flash Fiction Award
Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction
The Bath Flash Fiction Award is an international rolling competition for flash fiction, held three times a year. It encourages writers to submit original works of up to 300 words and offers substantial prizes and publication opportunities.
Top Prize:
£1000
Additional prizes:
2nd: £300 | 3rd: £100 | Two commendations of £30 each. 50 longlisted entrants may also get published in an anthology.
💰 Entry fee: $9
📅 Deadline: October 05, 2025 (Expired)
Writing Battle, Inc.
Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Fantasy, and Flash Fiction
The Harvest Owl Battle is a 500 word short story challenge where writers receive 3 prompts to incorporate into their narratives. It fosters a supportive community, allowing participants to share and receive feedback from one another on their stories. Writers retain all rights to their stories, even if they win.
Top Prize:
$25,000 prize pool
Additional prizes:
$2,000 USD prize for 10x Genre Winners; $500 USD prize for 10x Genre Runners-Ups. Winners receive online publication, feedback from industry professionals
💰 Entry fee: $28
📅 Deadline: October 04, 2026
HAVOK Publishing
Genres: Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller
Season Themes is a flash fiction contest that invites authors to create stories inspired by monthly themes and prompts. Each theme features a specific character prompt that authors must incorporate into their stories, allowing for creative interpretations across various genres.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Publication in an anthology. Potential for larger gift card wins.
📅 Deadline: January 17, 2025 (Expired)
MoonLit Getaway
Genres: Flash Fiction and Poetry
The contest invites submissions in visual art, poetry, and flash fiction. It aims to showcase innovative and authentic art while promoting diversity. Winners and runners-up will be featured on the website and in a Fall anthology.
Top Prize:
$100
Additional prizes:
Each category winner will receive $100 (USD). Winning submissions and two runners-up per category will be published in the Fall Anthology.
📅 Deadline: August 01, 2024 (Expired)
Desperate Literature
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story
The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize aims to celebrate new short fiction under 2000 words and provide visibility to winners through various publishing opportunities. This year, the prize includes cash rewards and writing retreats, alongside publication chances in several literary journals.
Top Prize:
€2,000 + a week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, consultation with Literary Agent Charlotte Seymour, and a manuscript assessment with The Literary Consultancy.
Additional prizes:
2nd and 3rd place: €1000. Publication in partner journals for all shortlisted writers.
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: April 19, 2026 (Expired)
Julie Midroni
Genres: Flash Fiction and Short Story
An annual international writing competition aimed at fundraising for Tourette Canada. Participants submit flash fiction or short stories (up to 1000 words) without a specific prompt. The contest is open to everyone, not just those with Tourette Syndrome.
Top Prize:
$200
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: December 31, 2025 (Expired)
Lascuax Review
Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction
The Lascaux Prize in Flash Fiction invites submissions of stories that may be previously published or unpublished. True stories are accepted if written in a narrative style. The contest emphasizes the importance of storytelling.
Top Prize:
$1,000
Additional prizes:
Winner also receives a bronze medallion and publication in The Lascaux Review
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2026 (Expired)
Southam Book Festival
Genres: Flash Fiction
Writers submit original fiction of no longer than 100 words. Each story must include a title (which counts in the word count). The story must include the key word “horizon” (lowercase as written on the page) and the key word must not be used as the title.
Top Prize:
£60
Additional prizes:
2nd: £30 | 3rd: £20
💰 Entry fee: $3
📅 Deadline: September 05, 2026 (Expired)
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