Best Writing Contests in 2026

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.

Genres: Fiction and Novel

The James Jones First Novel Fellowship aims to honor the legacy of James Jones, supporting American authors of first novels-in-progress. It includes a substantial financial award and aims to reflect the spirit of honesty and insight found in Jones's works.

Genres: Poetry

The Robinson Jeffers Tor House Prize for Poetry is an annual contest honoring the poet Robinson Jeffers. Established as a living memorial, it aims to recognize outstanding poetry submissions. The prize includes an honorarium and honorable mentions.

Genres: LGBTQ, Novel, and Fiction

The Randall Kenan Prize honors Black LGBTQ writers of fiction, focusing on themes of Black LGBTQ life, culture, and history. Founded in memory of author Randall Kenan.

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 Each entry should be original and previously unpublished.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.

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The 26th Annual Writing Contest is currently closed. The next contest will open on January 1, 2025. Categories and further details will be announced later.

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.

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize aims to discover and support new writing talent on an annual basis. The prize includes financial support for the best pieces of writing submitted on an announced theme. The contest is open to all writers aged 18 and above, regardless of nationality.

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: 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: Poetry

The Happiful Poetry Prize is an annual competition that invites entries exploring themes of mental health and wellbeing. The contest is open to writers aged 18 and over from the UK and Northern Ireland. The competition aims to celebrate high-quality writing in poetry.

Genres: Short Story

An annual short story competition dedicated to Seán Ó Faoláin, one of Ireland’s notable story writers. The competition is open to original, unpublished, and unbroadcast short stories in English.

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

The Reeds in the Wind Literary Prize aims to promote the literary legacy of Grazia Deledda. It is open to international participants and accepts submissions in Italian, Sardinian, and English. Stories must explore themes from Deledda's works and have a word count of 5,000 to 7,000 characters. The awards will be presented during a ceremony scheduled for Saturday, 13 September 2025, in the town of Galtellì.

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

This contest aims to inspire creative nonfiction and recognize talented writers. Open globally, entries must be in English, true to life, and can explore any subject creatively. Prizes are awarded quarterly.

Genres: Non-fiction

The Mark Lynton History Prize, in the amount of $10,000, is awarded to a book­-length work of history on any topic that best combines intellectual distinction with felicity of expression. Books must have been published in the United States between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023.

Genres: Flash Fiction

The Weird West Quick Draw contest invites submissions of flash fiction set in the weird west genre, which combines traditional western elements with speculative fiction. The contest opens for entries on July 1, 2025, and closes on July 15, 2025.

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Novel, and Novella

The SFWP Literary Awards recognize outstanding poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction by unpublished and published writers. The contest is judged by prominent authors.

Genres: Poetry

Twice each year Black Lawrence Press will run the Black River Chapbook Competition for an unpublished chapbook of poems or prose between 16-36 pages in length. The contest is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner will receive book publication, a $500 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes are awarded on publication.

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Emerging Writer's Contest, held by Ploughshares since 1971, recognizes outstanding work by emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Winners are announced in the fall and their works are published in the Winter 2024-25 issue of Ploughshares.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, and Short Story

The Jim Martin Memorial Adult Story Contest invites submissions of mystery, suspense, or thriller stories from adults aged 18 and over. It honors Jim Martin, a long-time member of Arizona Mystery Writers, supported by his family's generous contribution to the organization.

Genres: Children's and Short Story

The contest invites students in grades 6-12 to submit a piece of short fiction exactly 1000 words long. There are no specific themes, but entries should be original and not previously published. The contest aims to encourage young authors to tell significant stories.

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: 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: Poetry

Each entrant for their €24 entry fee will receive a complementary postage-free, one-year subscription to Southword. Poems will be read and judged anonymously. Poems must be previously unpublished. The winning poet will have their three poems published in Southword.

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.

Genres: Poetry

The International Welsh Poetry Competition, established in 2007, aims to encourage creative writing in Wales and beyond, welcoming entries in English from around the world.

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: Essay and Non-fiction

The contest invites young writers aged 13-19 to explore themes of justice and (in)justice through personal narratives, opinion writing, or creative writing. Participants can reflect on moments when laws impacted their lives or communities.

Genres: Fiction

The contest celebrates the theme of 'Growth,' inviting young writers aged 10-16 to explore various interpretations of the theme through original, unpublished stories. The contest emphasizes creativity and storytelling.

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.

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The Native Voices Award 2025 invites Indigenous storytellers from various communities to submit original, unpublished works in genres such as short stories, flash fiction, essays, scripts, or poetry. The contest focuses on themes rich in cultural depth.

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Young Adult

The contest is open to both published and unpublished authors, featuring various categories. Each entry will be judged on literary merit by a panel. Winning entries will be featured in the Arizona Authors Literary Magazine.

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The 20th Elmbridge Literary Competition invites submissions of short stories and poems on the theme of 'The River' to commemorate RC Sherriff. Open internationally, the competition includes age categories with specific word counts.

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: 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.