Best Writing Contests in 2026

Genres: Fiction

The Breakwater Fiction Contest is an annual contest that seeks fresh and unpublished prose submissions ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 words. It charges a $10 entry fee and offers a prize of $1,000 and publication in the upcoming issue.

Genres: Children's, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ, Mystery, Science Fiction, and Travel

The Next Generation Short Story Awards is a not-for-profit program recognizing outstanding short stories. It includes cash prizes, medals, and publication opportunities for winners.

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

Established in 2023, this contest is a platform for writers and poets to get their work published. Categories include various forms of poetry and fiction, excluding erotic work. Winners receive feedback and cash prizes, while all approved submissions will be included in the anthology.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest invites unpublished stories that focus on themes relating to Judaism or Jewish culture. Established in 2000, it has featured renowned judges and offers cash prizes for outstanding works.

Genres: Poetry

The Fire & Ash Publishers Salon Competition is designed for local poets to showcase their works to industry professionals. Each month, four poets are selected to read their poetry at salon nights. An adjudication panel anonymously selects finalists based on submitted poems, and finalists receive a $50 CAD honorarium and an invitation to perform.

Genres: Poetry

The contest encourages poets to write heartfelt, reflective, or surprising poems on any theme, aiming for works that evoke deep contemplation. Winners are selected based on creativity and authenticity.

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: Poetry

Every year, the University of Arkansas Press accepts submissions for the Miller Williams Poetry Series and from the books selected awards the $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize in the following summer. For almost a quarter century the press has made this series the cornerstone of its work as a publisher of some of the country’s best new poetry. The series and prize are named for and operated to honor the cofounder and longtime director of the press, Miller Williams.

Genres: Poetry

The James Laughlin Award recognizes and supports a second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. It is endowed by a gift from the Drue Heinz Trust and is named after the poet and publisher James Laughlin.

Genres: Children's and Poetry

The Rattle Poetry Prize awards $15,000 for a single poem published in the winter issue of Rattle. Ten finalists receive $500 each and a chance for the $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award. The contest emphasizes fair judging through anonymized reviews by editors.

Genres: Non-fiction

The Eunice Williams Nonfiction Prize is an annual contest that invites submissions of true, unpublished nonfiction essays under 5,000 words. It aims to amplify the voices of women identifying and nonbinary writers. The contest features a blind judging process.

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.

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 in mystery, thriller, suspense, action, and romance genres published in the previous year. Entries for the 2026 competition are open now, with winners announced on August 22, 2026.

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The competition celebrates the beauty of nature and encourages storytelling about environmental themes. Open to all writers, submissions must be original, unpublished, and in English, with a maximum of 1,500 words. Entries can cover various aspects of nature, from wildlife encounters to reflections on environmental challenges.

Genres: Poetry

The Louise Bogan Award for Artistic Merit and Excellence includes $1,000, publication, and twenty books. The Louise Bogan Award for Artistic Merit and Excellence is open to ALL poets, regardless of publication history.

Genres: Fiction and Romance

The HOLT Medallion Contest honors outstanding romantic fiction, evaluating entries through a panel of romance readers. It has been held annually since 1995, recognizing both published and unpublished authors. The winners receive a pewter medallion and a certificate.

Genres: Poetry

The Fiction Factory Poetry Competition invites poets to submit works of up to 40 lines on any topic, provided they are unpublished and not discriminatory. The competition supports international entries and aims to foster creativity across diverse genres.

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The Bridport Flash Fiction Prize invites writers to submit stories of up to 250 words. It aims to celebrate the art of brevity in storytelling. The winning entries receive the opportunity for publication and recognition.

Genres: Fiction and Science Fiction

The Global Thriller Awards seek the best books featuring suspense and thrilling stories that can change the balance of world power. It includes the Lab Lit genre, focusing on stories based on real science.

Genres: Children's and Essay

An annual contest encouraging students to explore and appreciate Jane Austen's works. Open to high school, college, and graduate students worldwide, the contest offers scholarships for original essays focused on a specific topic related to Austen's literature.

Genres: Children's, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, and Young Adult

The contest invites submissions for stories fitting the theme of 'Dreams & the Subconscious,' with a prompt to include something that needs to be unlocked. Up to 20 winners will be published in the anthology and receive professional editing.

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

The Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction invites writers to break traditional writing rules while crafting compelling stories. Participants have 60 hours to produce a story of up to 500 words in response to prompts. The contest is held quarterly, with cash prizes totaling AU$4,000 each round.

Genres: Poetry

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: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The inaugural Louise Glück Prize for Best Poem or Prose, run by Poetries in English Magazine. Open to poetry and prose; the winner receives a $1,000 honorarium and publication in the magazine.

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.

Genres: Poetry

The Oxford Poetry Prize is an annual competition for a single poem in English. The guest judge this year is Rebecca Tamás.

Genres: Poetry

These fellowships are $50,000 awards aimed at honoring poets of literary merit who serve in civic positions. The goal is to support them in creating new work and undertaking impactful projects that enrich local communities through poetry.

Genres: Poetry

This contest celebrates independent and self-published poets, allowing them to showcase their poetry books and pamphlets.

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: Script Writing

The Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition is a bi-annual event that encourages playwrights to submit original works. It aims to promote Jewish culture and stories through theatre, with strong participation from across Canada and other countries.

Genres: Fiction

The Raven Short Story Contest invites submissions of previously unpublished short fiction between 250 to 2500 words. The contest is judged by Kelly Robson, a renowned author.

Genres: Fiction

Entrants need only write the first 250 words of their novel/story/memoir, and are judged on how much the judges want to read the rest of the story.

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

The Creative Nonfiction Prize is held annually by Indiana Review, which also publishes various genres including poetry and fiction. It features a $20 entry fee, which includes a subscription to the journal. All entries are considered for publication.

Genres: Non-fiction

AWP sponsors the Award Series, an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike.

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

The Imagine 2200 contest invites writers to envision equitable climate progress stories, showcasing creative solutions and community resilience. It emphasizes hope and the potential for positive change through fiction.