Best Writing Contests in 2026

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The contest welcomes submissions of previously unpublished short stories of 1000 words or fewer. It encourages simultaneous submissions and offers publication for finalists in their journal.

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: Poetry

The Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry is an annual contest with a focus on recognizing outstanding poetry. It is supported by the Adrienne Rich Literary Trust and has specific guidelines for submissions, including entry fees and poem requirements.

Genres: Poetry

The Anthology Poetry Competition seeks to recognize and encourage excellence in poetry writing. Open to original, unpublished poems in English, it welcomes entries from poets worldwide without restrictions on theme or style. Poems should not exceed 40 lines, with no limit on the number of entries per person.

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: Poetry

The Kate Tufts Discovery Award is presented annually for a first book of poetry published between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. It aims to recognize promising poets and offers financial support and increased visibility.

Genres: Non-fiction

Two J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards, in the amount of $25,000, are given annually to aid in the completion of significant works of nonfiction on topics of American political or social concern. Recognizing that a nonfiction book based on extensive research often overtaxes the resources available to its author, the project envisions the Awards as a way of closing the gap between the time and money an author has and the time and money that finishing a book requires.

Genres: Children's and Essay

An international competition open to K–12 students, focusing on personal connections to world history. Essays must address specific topics and demonstrate critical thinking and effective communication.

Genres: Poetry and Children's

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize is an annual contest for unpublished poems written by adults for children aged 7–11. It highlights children's poetry and is judged anonymously. Previous winners include notable poets, and the prize aims to encourage new voices in this literary field.

Genres: Poetry

A national poetry contest established in 1997 in memory of Mark Fischer. It aims to promote poetry and supports the Talking Gourds community poetry program. The contest is open to all poets writing in English, regardless of age or location, and it awards cash prizes to winners and finalists.

Genres: Poetry

The Diode Editions Chapbook Contest is an annual competition open to English-language poets. Multiple publications may be selected during this contest.

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.

Genres: Flash Fiction, Fiction, and Short Story

The WOW! Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest aims to inspire creativity and recognition for writers. Open to all genres of flash fiction, it has been running since 2006 and has awarded over $100,000 in cash prizes to participants. The contest allows entries globally, and submissions must be in English.

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: Poetry

Writory runs a monthly, international online poetry contest where poets aged 13+ submit original poems (any language; no word count limits). The contest awards cash prizes to the top 3 poems each month.

Genres: Fiction

The competition invites stories reflecting contemporary political themes, such as healthcare, freedom of speech, and global politics. Entries must not exceed 5,000 words and must be original, unpublished works submitted as a .docx file.

Genres: Fiction

The contest awards a $1,500 prize for the best short story, publication in The Tusculum Review’s 21st volume (2025), and a limited edition chapbook with original art. Stories must be 2,000-7,000 words and unpublished.

Genres: Poetry

The Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2024 is a poetry contest organized by The Rialto in association with RSPB, BirdLife International, Cambridge Conservation Initiative, and The University of Leeds Poetry Centre. It invites poets to submit unpublished poems focused on nature and place. Free entries available for writers on low or supported incomes (up to two poems)

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.

Genres: Christian

The BRMCWC Foundation Awards are open to unpublished works from attendees of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Participants must be registered for the entire conference to compete.

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Horror, and Mystery

The contest invites submissions of horror-themed short stories that embrace Christmas themes. Open to adult writers; stories should be original and unpublished. Judged based on storytelling quality, craft, originality, and voice.

Genres: Non-fiction and Poetry

The Geminga Contest 2026 invites submissions for Tiny Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Graphic Novels, and Art. The contest emphasizes the power of brevity, allowing a maximum of 100 words for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Selected works will be published in Sunspot Lit's digital and print editions.

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

A short story competition inviting submissions of an opening section of a short story inspired by the theme "Absent Friends" (interpretable broadly: memory, loss, distance, reunion, nostalgia, etc.). Open to unpublished and self published writers of all levels; entrants must live in the UK.

Genres: Poetry and Memoir

This contest is for full-length poetry chapbooks (50-150 pages) celebrating a BIPOC or underrepresented poet. It seeks a thematic collection that captures a personal journey or season of life.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Write a short story in ten words or fewer. Entry is free and must be original and unpublished. Judged on originality, quality, spelling, and grammar.

Genres: Poetry

The Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year Competition invites submissions from poets on any subject and in any format, up to 60 lines long. The winner receives the title and a cash prize, with additional prizes for runners-up.

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, 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: Romance, Fiction, Novel, and Novella

The contest is open to authors who published a romance book in 2024. It focuses on various criteria for judging, including plot creativity, grammar, romantic conflict, and character believability.

Genres: Fiction and Fantasy

Forge Your Legend in Realms of Magic and Might. Submit your medieval fantasy story and win from $10,000 prize pool.

Genres: Fantasy and Fiction

The Precocious Prize for Fantasy is a short story competition seeking bold, character-driven fantasy fiction. The contest is open to both published and unpublished writers, with a focus on stories that feature strong characters and emotional stakes. Winners will be featured in an anthology.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The contest invites entries for short fiction with a maximum word count of 2,500 words. All submissions must be original and unpublished. The contest promotes engagement by publishing winning stories in their anthology and on the website.

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Short Story

The Hope Prize is an international short story competition focused on original stories of hope, open to writers aged 18 and over, with entries accepted in English. The prize encourages bold self-expression and aims to spotlight charities making impactful changes.

Genres: Essay

The Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest is open to all high school, college, and graduate students worldwide. Participants write essays based on prompts related to Ayn Rand's novel _Atlas Shrugged_. The contest has seasonal entry rounds with unique prompts, and essays must be between 800 and 1,600 words. The winning essays demonstrate a strong grasp of the book's themes.

Genres: Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The Flying South contest invites submissions in three categories: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry. Each entry should be original and previously unpublished. Winners are awarded cash prizes, and all finalists are published in the annual issue.