Menu
Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.
Find the perfect editor for your next book
1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.
Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.
Find the perfect editor for your next book
1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.
DIRECTORY
Showing 477 contests that match your search.
Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation
Genres: Essay
The contest invites high school students to respond to a prompt regarding human rights. Essays should not exceed 2500 words and must include a cover page with specific details.
Top Prize:
$5,000
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: December 10, 2025 (Expired)
Chicken House Books
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An annual contest for unpublished and unagented writers of children's fiction, focusing on originality and diverse voices.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.
Top Prize:
A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House & royalty advance of £10,000
Additional prizes:
Detailed editorial consultation for shortlisted entries
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: June 01, 2026 (Expired)
Genres: Script Writing
The TWFest One Act Play Contest aims to promote new work from emerging or previously unpublished playwrights. Plays must not exceed one hour in length and should be original, not previously published, produced, or performed.
Top Prize:
$1,500
Additional prizes:
Professional Staged Reading at the next Festival, VIP All-Access Festival pass ($600 value), publication in Bayou Magazine. Top finalists will receive a LitPass ($100 value) to the Festival.
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: October 15, 2025 (Expired)
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)
Munster Literature Centre
Genres: Poetry
The Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition is an annual prize open to original, unpublished poems in English of up to 40 lines. It celebrates poetry and offers substantial prizes while encouraging international participation.
Top Prize:
$2,000
Additional prizes:
2nd Place: €500 3rd Place: €250 10 runners up: €50 Featured reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival with hotel stay, publication in Southword, and featured on the Southword Poetry Podcast.
💰 Entry fee: $7
📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025 (Expired)
Academy of American Poets
Genres: Poetry
The Ambroggio Prize is a $1,000 publication prize for a poetry manuscript originally in Spanish with an English translation. It honors American poets whose first language is Spanish and is awarded annually since 2017.
Top Prize:
$1,000
📅 Deadline: September 15, 2025 (Expired)
Winning Writers
Genres: Poetry
Welcome to the 23rd annual Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest. Submit published or unpublished work. $3,500 for a poem in any style or genre. $3,500 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style.
Top Prize:
$3,500
Additional prizes:
$500 for 10 honorable mentions
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: October 01, 2025 (Expired)
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)
Tallahassee Writers Association
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Poetry, and Science Fiction
The contest is open to English-language entries globally. It features categories for Florida Fiction, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Poetry, Prose Poetry, and Haiku, allowing multiple entries per category. First, second, and third place winners receive cash prizes and will be published in the 2026 Seven Hills Review.
Top Prize:
$100 to $300 depending on genre
Additional prizes:
Winners receive electronic certificates and will be published in the 2026 Seven Hills Review, along with a short author bio. First-place winners also get a complimentary copy of the publication.
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: October 30, 2025 (Expired)
Genesee Valley Council on the Arts (GVCA)
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.
Top Prize:
$200
Additional prizes:
Publication in newsletter
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: March 15, 2025 (Expired)
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)
University of Tulsa
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers. $500 prizes will be awarded in both the fiction and poetry categories, and the winning manuscripts will appear in the spring issue of Nimrod. Winners will have the chance to work with the Nimrod board of editors to refine and edit their manuscripts before publication.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $12
📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024 (Expired)
Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group
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.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
Gold Medal for Grand Prize Winners, $75 for category winners, and additional prizes for finalists. Gold medals for winners and finalists, inclusion in Anthology of Winners.
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: March 05, 2026 (Expired)
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards Contest is aimed at unpublished writers of novel-length fiction, offering feedback and exposure to literary agents and editors. It encourages diverse voices and celebrates various genres.
Top Prize:
$150
Additional prizes:
Winner receives official certificate, trophy, and reading during the conference luncheon. Three finalists receive $50, certificate, and pitch session with agents.
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: May 01, 2025 (Expired)
Glenville State University
Genres: Poetry
This is the inaugural Chapbook Contest inviting poets and prose writers to submit works celebrating Appalachia. Submissions must embody Appalachian themes and can include previously published works. The contest offers a $200 prize, publication of the winning chapbook, author copies, and a digital e-book.
Top Prize:
$200
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)
Claremont Graduate University
Genres: Poetry
The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award is one of the most prestigious poetry awards, providing significant financial support to poets. It offers a $100,000 prize for a single poetry collection published within the eligibility year, aimed at supporting mid-career poets. The award encourages poets to continue developing their craft.
Top Prize:
$100,000
Additional prizes:
The Kate Tufts Discovery Award offers $10,000 for a first book of poetry.
📅 Deadline: July 01, 2025 (Expired)
Story Sloth
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
The StorySloth 500 is a short story writing competition where authors submit stories of up to 500 words without any genre restrictions. The competition encourages original work and has a simple entry process for registered authors.
Top Prize:
£50
Additional prizes:
£50 Amazon voucher & Founding Author badge | 5 entries receive £10 Amazon vouchers.
📅 Deadline: May 03, 2026 (Expired)
Stringybark Publishing
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.
Top Prize:
$500 AUD
Additional prizes:
2nd: $300 | 3rd: $150 | 4th: $50 | 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places also get publication + e-book + paperback + choice of any two Stringybark anthologies. 4th place gets publication + e-book.
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: February 01, 2026 (Expired)
Genres: Fiction and Short Story
The contest invites 8-16 year olds to write a story on 'the perfect summer day' within 600 words. Participants can gain inspiration from past winning entries.
Top Prize:
£50
Additional prizes:
Publication on the blog & interview with the Lead Editor. Discounts on English Literature Masterclasses and certificates of commendation.
💰 Entry fee: $3
📅 Deadline: August 23, 2026
ProWritingAid
Genres: Fiction and Young Adult
Novel Beginnings is a writing contest aimed at unrepresented, unpublished fiction writers, encouraging them to submit the first 5,000 words of their work in progress. With a grand prize of $50,000 and additional shortlisted awards, the contest supports early-career authors by providing feedback and mentorship.
Top Prize:
$50,000
Additional prizes:
1st: $50,000 + 45-minute editorial consultation and mentorship | $5,000 each for shortlisted writers, plus written feedback
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2026 (Expired)
Genres: Fiction and Romance
This contest invites adult writers to submit original romance stories centered around themes like trust fund babies, hidden heiress scandals, and forbidden love in elite academies. It emphasizes high-drama romance with engaging plots.
Top Prize:
$500
Additional prizes:
2nd: $300 | 3rd: $100 | Winner receives a Galatea publishing deal + potential movie adaptation on CandyJar app. 2nd + 3rd also receive 1 year of Galatea Unlimited, Instagram feature, & Inkitt VIP Badge
📅 Deadline: November 30, 2025 (Expired)
Creative Future
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry
The Creative Future Writers’ Award, founded in 2013, is a free-to-enter annual writing competition for underrepresented writers. It aims to showcase diverse voices and includes cash prizes and development opportunities for poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Winners receive ongoing support and are celebrated at an awards ceremony.
Top Prize:
Winners receive mentorship, masterclasses, and publication in an anthology.
📅 Deadline: May 05, 2026 (Expired)
Bring your publishing dreams to life
The world's best editors, designers, and marketers are on Reedsy. Come meet them.