Best Writing Contests in 2026

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Horror, Mystery, and Science Fiction

The Fabula Press Short Story Contest encourages exceptional storytelling across genres, with no specific theme. Participants can submit entries for both free and paid categories. Winning stories may be published in an anthology.

Genres: Poetry

SLAM 2027 seeks captivating poetry that explores culture, resilience, love and justice. Poets may submit up to three poems and are encouraged to embrace free verse, inventive language and bold experimentation with sound, structure and voice.

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: Fiction

The SHELLEY Book Awards honor exceptional works in supernatural and paranormal fiction, evaluating based on compelling storytelling, professionalism, and uniqueness. The competition includes multiple categories and offers significant promotional opportunities.

Genres: Essay

The contest invites high school students to write an essay reflecting on the role of the U.S. Foreign Service during the Vietnam War and its impacts on contemporary U.S. diplomacy.

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: 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: Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The contest is open for submissions in short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Entrants can submit original, unpublished works. Prizes include cash awards and festival packages, with winners published in the anthology.

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize aims to celebrate new short fiction under 2000 words and provide visibility to winners through various publishing opportunities. This year, the prize includes cash rewards and writing retreats, alongside publication chances in several literary journals.

Genres: Fiction and Romance

The Romance Through the Ages Contest is aimed at unpublished authors, focusing on historical romance set before 1980. The contest promotes the genre and connects writers through the Hearts Through History organization.

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Unleash WIP Award supports writers in completing significant literary projects, offering $500, editorial feedback, coaching, and a feature in Unleash Lit.

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: Memoir

The Anthology Personal Memoir Competition invites entries for personal memoirs, encouraging emerging writers to share their stories. The winner will be published in Anthology magazine.

Genres: Script Writing

The Scriptation Showcase competition circulates winners' scripts to Hollywood professionals, providing exposure and feedback. It aims to connect writers with industry talent.

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: 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: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, and Young Adult

The 2025 Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest aims to discover unpublished manuscripts across ten categories. Winners receive $25,000, industry circulation, and executive development opportunities. It is open to writers aged 18 and older, with specific submission guidelines based on categories.

Genres: Fiction

The Ascent Novel Prize is a prestigious writing contest aimed at unpublished novelists. It encourages new talent by providing a platform to showcase their work.

Genres: Poetry

The Poetry International Prize is an annual contest to award a cash prize of $1000 and publication for a single poem of any length. Submissions are accepted via Submittable and all entries are considered for publication.

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 3-Minute Writing Competition invites original plays, stories, and songs that last approximately 3 minutes. The winning entries will be performed at the Mini Arts Festival in Glaisdale, scheduled for 29-31 May 2026.

Genres: Poetry

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in State College, PA invites poems on the theme "Bearing Witness". The contest encourages both Christians and non-Christians to engage artistically with timely topics rooted in the Christian faith that have relevance within our broader social context. Open to poets residing in North America (US, Canada, Mexico).

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.

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

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 and Non-fiction

The Page Turner Book Awards is an international writing contest that celebrates authors in Fiction & Non-Fiction. The contest is open to submissions from around the world and aims to provide valuable exposure and opportunities for writers. | Use code "26REEDSY40" for free entry!

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, and Short Story

Speculative fiction short story contest set in a near-future Australia: in 2055, Melbourne’s CBD is enclosed in a gargantuan protective structure called the Central Business Cube (CBC). The contest seeks stories based around this speculative event; stories about the Cube are welcome, including dystopias.

Genres: Short Story

The Frome Festival Short Story Competition invites entries of 150-2000 words. The 2026 competition is currently open for submissions.

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize is awarded for the best piece of writing on the theme of 'Fear.' All genres are accepted, and entries must be in English. The competition aims to discover and support emerging writing talent globally.

Genres: Poetry

The competition, run by The Poetry Society since 1978, is one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for a single unpublished poem. Judged by Stephen Sexton, Romalyn Ante, John McAuliffe. Open to all poets worldwide aged 18+.

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Script Writing, Thriller, Children's, and Christian

Kinsman Black Box script submissions are open year-round for one-act and full-length plays, and the programme especially welcomes BIPOC and traditionally underrepresented playwrights. Selected scripts are published globally in the Kinsman Black Box online script database, which licenses work to schools, theatre groups and charitable organisations.

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: 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, Novel, Novella, and Romance

The Emma Awards celebrate multicultural excellence in romance and women's fiction, promoting diverse voices and stories. The contest recognizes top entries in various romance subgenres, ensuring inclusion in literature.

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: Flash Fiction and Non-fiction

The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest (The Mikey) is an annual competition celebrating and compensating the best micro fiction and nonfiction online. Fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid narratives that lean poetic are welcome, in English or any other language accompanied by an English translation, and both previously published and unpublished micros are considered. The grand prize winner is automatically nominated for Best Small Fictions, and all winners and finalists are published in the December 2026 issue of SmokeLong.