Best Novel Writing Contests in 2026

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The First 5 Pages Prize encourages writers to submit the first five pages of their unpublished work.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, 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: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Crime, and Short Story

The 12th Annual 2026 IAN Book of the Year Awards is an international contest open to all authors with 75 categories. Winners are eligible for cash prizes totaling $6,000.

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The Big Moose Prize awards an unpublished novel, open to all writers.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.

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

The Page One Prize seeks the best first page of an unpublished novel-in-progress. Open to writers over 18 worldwide, the prize highlights emerging and experienced authors. Winners are announced on the contest website and via email.

Genres: Fiction and Novel

Novel Fair is an annual competition for unpublished novelists, allowing winners to pitch their novels to publishers and agents. It includes a two-day event with workshops and meetings with industry professionals.

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Novel

The Nimrod Literary Awards recognize outstanding writing in multiple genres. The contest is open to various forms of literature, offering recognition and opportunities for emerging writers.

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

The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognize outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and cultural diversity. Established in 1935 by Edith Anisfield Wolf, it remains the only American book prize focused on these themes.

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, Novel, and Young Adult

The Bath Novel Award is a £5,000 international prize for adult and YA manuscripts across various genres, aimed at unagented writers who are unpublished, self-published, or independently published.

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

The competition aims to give marginalized voices the opportunity to establish literary legacies. It accepts unpublished creative nonfiction manuscripts and assesses entries based on originality, creativity, and writing quality.

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, 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: Christian, Fantasy, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult

The Christy Award, established in 1999, celebrates novels that explore themes of faith and their influence on modern culture. Over the years, these awards have become a cornerstone event that brings together writers and publishers within the Christian literary community.

Genres: Fiction and Novel

The Annual Novel Opening Competition welcomes entries of up to 3,000 words for a novel opening, along with a synopsis (max 750 words). The contest is open to all novelists, provided the work is unpublished.

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: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Goldfinch Books Novel Award is a competition for emerging novelists. It invites submissions of 3,000 words from completed novels. The winner receives a £500 cash prize and an invitation to join the Goldfinch writer community.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Suspense, Thriller, Crime, and Short Story

The Emerging Author Dagger is an international competition for unpublished crime novelists. It seeks submissions of a crime novel opening (max. 3,000 words) and a synopsis (max. 1,500 words) from writers who have never had a publishing contract for a full-length novel. The prize includes a cash prize of £500 and opportunities for shortlisted entrants to showcase their work to agents and publishers.