300+ Writing Contests You Need to Enter in 2021

Note: Don’t forget to check out the 2024 list of writing contests!

If there’s one thing we need these days, it’s consistency. Something that proves not everything has changed. Something that gives you a bout of comfort given the current circumstances. So what better way to do that than to know 2021 comes with a host of writing contests for people of all ages from all around the world?

Writing contests

Whatever your writing niche or preferred writing genre, there’s bound to be a contest for you. From short stories to poems and even essays, this year we’ve expanded our list more than ever. All you need is one chance, right? You never know, this might be the contest that helps you further your writing career!

Eligibility & Restrictions

To apply, submit a 10,000 word novel in English. The novel can’t have been published by a traditional publishing house. Anyone above 18 can enter. All genres excluding children’s, but including Young Adult and New Adult, are acceptable.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

£18

Deadline

Jan 1, 2021

Prize

1st: £500 and trophy; next five: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. All Manuscripts submitted must be original works between 220 typewritten pages or approximately 60,000 words written in English. They also must be written solely by an unpublished entrant. The story should be about murder or another serious crime or to at least have a crime at the heart of the story.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Crime/ Novel/Book

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 1, 2021

Prize

Advance against future royalties of $10,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

The contest is open to all writers in English except current or former students or employees of The University of Southern Mississippi. Fiction and non-fiction entries should be 1000-8000 words; poetry entries should be three to five poems totaling ten pages or less.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$16

Deadline

Jan 1, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Minimum 3 pages; maximum 10 pages. You can only submit one entry. Submission must be previously unpublished material. Students currently enrolled at San Francisco State University are ineligible.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 1, 2021

Prize

$500 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be original, previously unpublished work of fiction, no longer than 7500 words. UNO students and alumni are ineligible. All current and former Bayou staff, previous contest winners, and current or former students of the judge are ineligible to submit.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Novel

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Jan 1, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and a year’s subscription to Bayou Magazine

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be original, previously unpublished poetry. You may enter up to three poems per entry. UNO students and alumni are ineligible to submit. Previous contest winners, along with current or former students of the judge are also ineligible to submit.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Jan 1, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and a year’s subscription to Bayou Magazine

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. They are looking for rich, atmospheric fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual artwork about the sea. Submissions must be formatted to UK spelling. They do not accept previously published submissions, in other magazines, websites or personal blogs. Fiction should be between 2,000-5,000 words for short stories, and 300 words for vignettes. Creative non-fiction should be between 800-1,500 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 1, 2021

Prize

Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Must submit four previously unpublished poems.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 1, 2021

Prize

Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. You may submit up to 3 poems; please include them all in the same file. Multiple submissions are allowed with a separate entry fee for each submission.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

Jan 1, 2021

Prize

$100 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$8

Deadline

Jan 2, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000; 2nd: $100; 3rd: $25 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 and is a resident of one of the US, the District of Columbia or Canada can enter. Entries must be unpublished, publication on an entrant’s website of a single one-chapter excerpt from a work is eligible. The Manuscript must be written in English and must be approximately 60,000 words or 220 pages. The theme is murder or another serious crime and should focus on the solving of the crime(s) rather than the details of such crime(s).

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel/Crime/Mystery/Book

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 2, 2021

Prize

Publication by sponsor: Minotaur Books and advance against future royalties: $10,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Entry must be short prose by African-American writers in North Carolina. Entries may be fiction or creative non-fiction, but must be unpublished, no more than 3,000 words, and concerned with the lives and experiences of North Carolina African-Americans. Entries may be excerpts from longer works, but must be self-contained.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Creative Non-Fiction/ All Fiction Subgenres

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Jan 2, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and possible publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Residency in the San Francisco Bay Area is required during the academic year. Submit a writing sample up to 25, a project proposal for work to be written, a résumé, and three letters of recommendation.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Creative Non-Fiction/Prose/Drama/Biography

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 2, 2021

Prize

$15,000 stipend

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a story that starts with this sentence: It’s happening tonight. You have the option to put it in quotes (for dialogue) and to change the punctuation at the end for proper grammar.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jan 2, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

This year’s contest theme is Home. You are encouraged to interpret this theme as literally or figuratively as you desire. Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry are welcome. Submitted work must be original and unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 4, 2021

Prize

Adult: $400; Teen: $150 AND other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The entry should be a 5-7-5 poem that follows the structure of a Haiku but without any limitation to the topic.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jan 5, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. The English short story should have a maximum of 2,500 words. Entries must never have been published, self-published, broadcast or published on any website, blog or online forum. Entries must be the sole work of the entrant.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/ Creative Non-Fiction

Entry Fee

£15

Deadline

Jan 6, 2021

Prize

£10,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entries must be fictional short stories of up to 2000 words on any theme. All entries must be the original work of the author, must not have been published before the date of submission.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£6

Deadline

Jan 6, 2021

Prize

1st: £200; 2nd: £100; 3rd: £50

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submit one drama or comedy-drama script of at least 30 full pages in length for TV, film, radio, stage or online. No early/first/rough drafts of scripts.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Screenplay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 6, 2021

Prize

10-15 writers will be selected to join the Script Room writer development group

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. There are no style or length restrictions, but it should be stressed that a short poem is just as likely to be selected as a longer one. This year’s theme: “home” which can be broadly interpreted and presented in any form or style.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£3.50

Deadline

Jan 6, 2021

Prize

1st prize – valued at £210 (this includes membership of the Poetry Kit’s mentorship program); 2nd prize – £50

Eligibility & Restrictions

Authors must be Canadian citizens or a resident of Canada. Entries can be written in French or English. The entry must have been published in Canada during the 2020 calendar year. Entries may deal with aspects of basic or applied science or technology (historical or current) in any area including health, social or environmental issues, regulatory trends, etc. Books must be understandable to the layperson or children, with appropriate clarification of medical and scientific terminology, and an orderly marshalling of facts.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Academic Writing

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 10, 2021

Prize

$1,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

The Prize is open to residents of the UK and Ireland who have yet to publish a single-authored poetry collection or pamphlet in any language. Entries of poetry portfolios should be 5 – 10 pages per portfolio, as opposed to single-poem entries, and must be written in English. Poems submitted must not have been previously published, either online or in print.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£12

Deadline

Jan 10, 2021

Prize

£2,500 and publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The Minute Poem is a poem that follows the “8,4,4,4” syllable count structure. It must have 12 lines total and 60 syllables.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jan 10, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The theme is adaptation. In addition to essays and stories of up to 7000 words, Full Bleed publishes shorter, recurring columns of approximately 800 to 2000 words. Please submit previously unpublished work along with a brief biography and cover letter.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Essay/Poem/All Fiction Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 10, 2021

Prize

Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. Up to three poems per entry. Submit up to 5,000 words: anything from flash fiction to the long stories. Please submit previously unpublished work only. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, provided they’re notified upon publication elsewhere.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$22

Deadline

Jan 11, 2021

Prize

$1,500 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. Up to three poems per entry. Up to 150 lines per poem. Please submit all three poems in a single document. Please submit previously unpublished work only. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, provided they’re notified upon publication elsewhere.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$22

Deadline

Jan 11, 2021

Prize

$1,500 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Send up to 5 of your best unpublished poems, any style or subject matter, no more than 7 pages in total.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Jan 12, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

The competition is open to anyone, except students, alumni, and employees of Colorado State University. Manuscripts must be at least 48 pages but no more than 100 pages. Manuscripts may consist of poems that have been published, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished. Translations are not eligible.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Jan 14, 2021

Prize

$2,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

The contest is open to students in grades 8-11 during the 2020-2021 school year except students enrolled in Interlochen Arts Academy. The pieces must represent at least two of the following genres: fiction, poetry, spoken word, personal essay/memoir, screenwriting, playwriting, comics, and experimental or unclassifiable writing. Applicants who submit so-called “genre” fiction (science fiction, fantasy, etc.) are encouraged to also submit a sample of more realistic fiction. Length: max 4,000 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poetry/Essay/Memoire/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 14, 2021

Prize

Full-tuition scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. From creepy spec fic to bleak psychological thrillers, whether you make your writing ghostly and/or ghastly, ​put the frighteners on us to win this competition.​ Set it during the festive season in December. Poetry length: up to 40 lines. Story length: max 500 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Horror

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 14, 2021

Prize

£10 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. From creepy spec fic to bleak psychological thrillers, whether you make your writing ghostly and/or ghastly, ​put the frighteners on us to win this competition.​ Set it during the festive season in December. Short Story length: max 2,500 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Horror

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 14, 2021

Prize

£25 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Any United States high school students in grades 9-12 may apply. Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917. Length: 1,000 words max with a minimum of 700. Past winners and finalists, employees of John Hancock Financial Services and members of their families are not eligible to participate.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

1st: $10,000; 2nd: $3,000 AND additional prizes.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Each poet may submit 15–30 pages of poems in English only (no translations).Individual poems may be previously published in any format, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished as a collection.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

1st: $5,000; 2nd: $5,000; 3rd: $5,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter except ABR staff and board members. Essay length: 2,000 to 5,000 words, written in English. Exclusivity is essential for longlisted essays.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

$7,500

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The entry should be between 1,000-5,000 words. The work must not have been previously published. Submit works written in English only, no translations.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$12

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

$400 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Submitters may send up to five poems in a single document for consideration. Each poem must not exceed sixty lines. Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual element are all welcome. Any submissions should be written primarily in English.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$10

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

$400 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a short short story no longer than 100 words. The contest is open to prose, any genre. Topics: ants, bowling, 1940s, water.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Prose

Entry Fee

$10

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

$100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted by authors who have not yet published more than one book. One short story or novel excerpt, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel/Short Story

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

A full fellowship and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted by authors who have not yet published more than one book.One piece of non-fiction, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Non-fiction

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

A full fellowship and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted by authors who have not yet published more than one book. No more than SIX poems per entry, up to 10 pages total.

Genre

Poem

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

A full fellowship and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

This contest is open to all authors who have not published more than one (1) full length book in their primary genre (this does not include self-published works). Current and under-contract Dynamo Verlag authors are ineligible, as are any persons employed or associated with the press.This contest is open to primarily textual poetry or prose, minimum 8,000 words for poetry and maximum 75,000 words for prose.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Prose/Poem

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

$500 advance in royalties and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. All entries must be about love in some form and written in English. A poem in its entirety must be an original work by the person entering the contest.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$7

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

$250 Cash Prize and Collection Publishing Contract and other prize

Eligibility & Restrictions

The competition is open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. Theme: Lasting non-fiction that is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism. Each entry must be an original and previously unpublished manuscript of no more than 2,000 words.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay/Humor and commentary/Creative Non-Fiction

Entry Fee

$12

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000; 2nd: $300; 3rd: $200 and possible publication.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submit 3 poems in a single file, any style, any subject, any length. Previously published work and translations are not eligible. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but notify us immediately if a poem is accepted for publication elsewhere.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000; 2nd: $250 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The book of poetry submitted must be the work of a single author, at least 64 pages long, and published in 2020 by an established press. Manuscripts, videos, CDs, chapbooks, and self-published books are not eligible, nor are books that have won awards, including a pre-publication award by the publishing press. It is expected that the book will contain both new and previously published poems.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Book

Entry Fee

$35

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and recognition

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 36 or younger can enter. Must be the author’s first full-length poetry collection (previous publications of chapbooks are fine). Submissions should be approximately 50-80 pages.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Book

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Length: no more than 10 pages, double spaced with 1-inch margins. You may submit published, unpublished, or work in progress but it must be an original work.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Creative Non-Fiction

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

$5,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Poems may be on any subject, and must be in English and your own original work. They must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, broadcast, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time. Length: 11–50 lines.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

1st: £1,000; 2nd: £300; 3rd: £150 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entries should be no longer than 40 lines. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant which is not currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award. There is no limit to number of entries. Entrants retain copyright in their manuscripts.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£6

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

1st: £100; 2nd: £50 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entries should be 1,500-1,700 words. The choice is yours for this competition – any story, any style, any genre. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant which is not currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award. There is no limit to number of entries. Entrants retain copyright in their manuscripts.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£6

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

1st: £200; 2nd: £50 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18, lives in England at time of application and until at least June 2022, and has not published a debut novel or full short story collection can enter. Submit a sample of work of up to 2,000 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

£4,000 and services for authors

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Poems that have previously appeared online (temporarily or permanently, on your own or a third-party site) should not be submitted, nor should work that has already been published electronically or in print. Simultaneous submissions are welcome with timely notification of acceptance elsewhere.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a four line poem that has a specific syllable count. The subject can be anything.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Art: 15 works/ Fiction or Literary non-fiction: 30 pages/ Poetry: 6 poems, or 10 pages/ Reviews: 2 works/ Digital Media: up to 5 digital works.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Prose/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 15, 2021

Prize

Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original, unpublished previously, not have won a prize, and written in English between 6,000 and 18,000 words long.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novella

Entry Fee

£16

Deadline

Jan 17, 2021

Prize

1st: £300; 2nd: £100; 3rd: £100 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Poetry: 1-5 poems, up to 3,000 words. Fiction / creative non-fiction: 100-5,000 words (if any longer, it should be good enough to merit the space it will take up).

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Prose

Entry Fee

$10

Deadline

Jan 17, 2021

Prize

$50

Eligibility & Restrictions

All women in the UK or Ireland above 18 can enter. It is open to any genre of adult fiction, and you only need to submit the first 10,000 words of your novel plus a synopsis (and you’re allowed a very generous 1000 words ).

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 17, 2021

Prize

£5,000 and representation by Curtis Brown Literary Agency

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 18 or above can enter. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast, or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length: 40 lines max.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£6

Deadline

Jan 17, 2021

Prize

1st: £100; 2nd: £50 AND publication and publicity

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 18 or above can enter. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length: 3000 words max.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£8

Deadline

Jan 17, 2021

Prize

1st: £100; 2nd: £50 AND publication and publicity

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 18 or above can enter. An entry can only be made by the work’s individual author. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length – 1000 words max.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£7

Deadline

Jan 17, 2021

Prize

1st: £100; 2nd: £50 AND publication and publicity

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. Entries should respond in English to this question: “What does it mean to be young in an ageing world?” Length: 3,000 words max. Joint entries and UK sanctioned country entrants will be considered.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Book

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 18, 2021

Prize

$100,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Residents of Montgomery County, MD and Upper NW Washington, D.C. (20015 and 20016 ZIP codes) are eligible.
The contest will take entries in two categories: High School (grades 9-12) and Adult (ages 18+). Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer’s choosing. Only one entry per person. Stories must be limited to 4,000 words or less.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 18, 2021

Prize

$500 & $250 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. All entries must be in English, typed, unpublished, origi­nal, and not scheduled for publication before May, 2020. All entries not in compliance with category specifications will be disqualified.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

Jan 19, 2021

Prize

Cash prize, ceritificate and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Plays should be in generally-accepted script format and in English. Length: 10 pages or a 10 minutes read.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Screenplay

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Jan 19, 2021

Prize

$100 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Maximum 2,000 words.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Creative Non-Fiction/Essay

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Jan 19, 2021

Prize

All entries will receive a critique from the adjudicator.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. No restrictions.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jan 20, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, philosophical ruminations, stageplays, fragments, chapters, and excerpts are all acceptable.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Jan 22, 2021

Prize

$200 Prize and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone who has spent a substantial part of your life can enter. This year’s theme: Growing Up in Country Australia. Submissions can be in any manner, tone or style, but should not be academic or scholarly. Length: between 1000 and 4000 words.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Memoir/Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 22, 2021

Prize

Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

The Award is open for any published second novel, which must be a full-length work of fiction. The writer must have been resident in the United Kingdom (UK) or the Republic of Ireland (RoI) for the past three years. Novellas or children’s books are ineligible. Books published with vanity publishers are not eligible.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 22, 2021

Prize

£10,000 and £500 for shortlisted authors

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$58

Deadline

Jan 22, 2021

Prize

1st: $6,500; 2nd: $2,500; 3rd: $1,250 and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Put your readers on edge or terrorize them.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Horror/Thriller

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jan 22, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 18 and above can enter. Must be unpublished and original, simultaneous submissions accepted. Length 20 pages (5,000 words) max.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

Jan 24, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 18 and above can enter. Must be unpublished and original, simultaneous submissions accepted. Length 10 pages max.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

Jan 24, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and must include all five words listed during this week. A modicum of poetic license is acceptable. Poems should be newly written, during the relevant 7-day period.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

€5

Deadline

Jan 26, 2021

Prize

1st: €750 & award; 2nd: €500; 3rd: €250 AND publication.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16 can enter. Short Story length: Up to 3000 words maximum. It can be about any topic and in any style. Poetry length: Up to 42 lines. We are looking for poetry that is fresh and unexpected. All entries should be in English and be accompanied by a short (75 word) biography of the author and postal address. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Poem

Entry Fee

£7

Deadline

Jan 26, 2021

Prize

£500 plus feedback and advice

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has exactly 20 lines. Any format.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jan 26, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone enrolled in a postgraduate program in any university across the globe can enter. Entries must be unpublished poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction and memoir. This year’s theme: Reflection.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Prose/Poem/Memoir

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 29, 2021

Prize

Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write an essence poem. The poem should be of two lines with six syllables per line, each containing an internal rhyme and an ending rhyme.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jan 30, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The topic for this contest is: A hate to love story. The story does not have to be specifically about the topic. But should clearly incorporate the topic into the story. Minimum length 700 words. Recommended length 2,000 – 3,500 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jan 30, 2021

Prize

1st: half the member dollars; 2nd & 3rd: the other half

Eligibility & Restrictions

To enter, simply submit a short story of no more than 2,020 words. Entries must be in English, your own original work, must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £100; 2nd: £50; 3rd: £25 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16 can enter. Stories must be original and unpublished in print or websites. Must in English and a maximum of 1,000 words. All genres will be accepted except children’s and young adult fiction.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £150; 2nd: £50; 3rd: £25

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The word limit is 1500 words.The theme for this year’s competition is “Lockdown”.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000; 2nd: $500; 3rd: $250

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Poems must be in English, unpublished, not accepted for publication, and must be your original work. They must be no longer than 40 lines.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £1,000; 2nd: £300; 3rd: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Submissions can only be made by publishers and the prize winner has to be an African national and the entry has to be in English. Unpublished and self-published work is not eligible for the Caine Prize. Works not eligible for entry include stories for children, factual writing, plays, biography.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £10,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £500 and a travel award

Eligibility & Restrictions

The contest is open to students attending grades 9-12. Each individual entry has a limit of ten pages. The number of words is not fixed, but each work cannot exceed 10 pages. No previously published entries. Simultaneous submissions are allowed for our contest, but you must notify them immediately if the piece is accepted elsewhere.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Creative Non-Fiction/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

Cash Prize and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. It should be between 40-100 pages of poetry. Experimental poetry, hybrid work, poetry with a visual element, prose poetry, and any avant-garde poetry are welcomed! Submissions should be primarily in English, but collections with a moderate bilingual component will of course be considered.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

$500 and publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Please send as much poetry or prose of which you are the sole author and that were not written earlier than 1999.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Prose

Entry Fee

$11

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

$1000 honorarium and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The entries can’t have been previously published. Maximum number of words is 4,000 in English.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Memoir

Entry Fee

€18

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: €1,000; 2nd: €200 and online writing course; 3rd: €200 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. This competition is for original, previously unpublished poems in English, on any subject, in any style up to 50 lines long. Poems posted on members-only non-public groups for review/critique as part of the creative process are not deemed to have been previously published.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £250; 2nd: £125; 3rd: £75 AND publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Youth category: 11-17; adult category: above 18. Your entry must be original, in English, unpublished, and unproduced, not accepted by any other publisher or producer before April 1, 2021. Fiction/non-fiction/children’s —1500 words maximum. Poetry – 40 lines maximum.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Essay/Memoir/Creative Non-Fiction/Poem

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $100; 2nd: $50; 3rd: $25

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Word limit should be between 1000 words to 10,000 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $150; 2nd: $50; 3rd: $50 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Entrants must have been born in, or are citizens of, or resident in Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland. Entries must not exceed the maximum of 3,000 words. Entries must not have been, by the date of submission, published or broadcast in any medium.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £2,000; 2nd: £250; 3rd: £250 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Theme: short story about winter. Entries must be between 500 and 1,000 words. Each entry must be the exclusive work of the author, in English, and must not have been published or appeared anywhere else, including any placement in another competition.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£4

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

£50 shopping gift card and gift card

Eligibility & Restrictions

The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire. Entry must be an original and previously unpublished piece of creative work in one of four categories themed around all aspects of the pandemic including “lockdown”: poetry, short fiction, children’s literature and scriptwriting.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Short Story/Playscript

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

£500 per category

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. All entries must be the work of the person entering and must not have been published anywhere online (including blogs and websites) or accepted for publication elsewhere. It must be in English. The copyright remains with the author. Length: 1000 words, no minimum word limit.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£6

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £400; 2nd: £200; 3rd: £100 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

The competition is open to all students of school age including not only those in schools and college communities (ages 5-18), but also students who are home educated and in any other young people’s community organisations. The maximum word count is 500 words in English. The special theme of the competition this year is Be Careful What You Wish For!

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £300; 2nd: £150; 3rd: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. International entries are welcome but first chapters must be written in English and can be up to 3,500 words (no minimum word count) and on any theme and subject (except children’s fiction). The novel should be unpublished and not have been accepted by a publisher.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

£10

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

Submission package (cover letter, synopsis and first three chapters) review and feedback from Sam Jordison.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The competition is open to any theme or genre, but your story must be a maximum of 1,500 words and must be written in English. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant. This includes publication online, including (but not limited to) personal blogs or websites. Each entry must not be currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Prose

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £150; 2nd: £75; 3rd: £30 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

The contest is now open to all Ontario resident writers. Stories must be unpublished fiction and creative non-fiction and be between 1, 000 and 3,000 words in length. Each piece must be original, unpublished, not submitted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, nor accepted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, nor entered simultaneously in any other contest or competition for which it is also eligible to win a prize.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Creative Non-Fiction

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $300; 2nd: $200; 3rd: $100 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 16 or above can enter. The story must be exactly 100 words. Entries must be original, unpublished work which is not currently submitted for publication or entered into any other competition or award.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£2

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

£100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Poems may be on any subject, must be the original work of the entrant, unpublished and not accepted for publication in any medium. They must not have been awarded a prize in any other competition. Poems should be in English and not exceed 36 lines of text, no minimum.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£4.50

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £500; 2nd: £250; 3rd: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Residents of Devon can enter. Poems may be on any subject, must be the original work of the entrant, unpublished and not accepted for publication in any medium. They must not have been awarded a prize in any other competition. Poems should be in English and not exceed 36 lines of text, no minimum.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£4.50

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £100; 2nd: £50; 3rd: £25

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional unpublished novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel. Manuscripts should be 90-1,000 pages in length.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone who lives in the UK around 90 years of age or over on the 1st September 2020 can enter. Write a short story with a maximum of 500 words on the theme of childhood memories.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

£200 and publication and a tree

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be in English, unpublished and not concurrently entered for any other competition, and remain unpublished until the results are declared. Submissions should not appear in any print or online publication, social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) or forums as the competition is anonymous. There is no limit on the number of submissions per competitor.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£5.50

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

£125 and runner up prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. It should be about Australia. Length: Up to 1500 words. Written for an audience aged 16 and above.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$14

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

$1000 in cash and books

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Each entry must be no longer than 5000 words, must be the original, unpublished work of the stated author.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£4

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

£100 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Previously unpublished stories only. Simultaneous and multiple submissions allowed. Emerging writers only (Writers with novels published with a circulation of fewer than 5000 copies can also submit.) Length: under 6000 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $3,000; 2nd: $300; 3rd: $200, publication, and agency review

Eligibility & Restrictions

Submissions are open for UK writers who are deaf only. Deaf writers may submit by video in BSL. No erotica, or horror of any kind, gore or torture. No sexist stereotypes and derivative plotlines, sloppy writing and clichés, romance and chick-lit. Stories and poems must be your own work, written in English, up to 2000 words long and unpublished except for The Story Sessions.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

Royalties and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

All entries must be Canadian-authored titles published in English between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 and available through bookstores and libraries. Submission must be a first collection/first edition of short fiction, no co-authored entries, no posthumously published works, electronically published works not eligible, submission must be made by a publisher. Translations from other languages into English are eligible if all other criteria are met.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Fiction

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $10,000; 2nd: $1,000; 3rd: $1,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone under 18 can enter. Stories entered must be original, unpublished work created by the entrant, not previously entered in this contest. Stories may not be longer than 26 sentences. The first sentence must begin with “Because I can…”. Any subject or theme is acceptable, provided there is no profanity, obscenity, ageism, racism or sexism.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

50% of the entry fees and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

This contest is designed to encourage student writers in 2 age categories: high school and college/university. Enter original works in 5 categories. Short stories, no-fiction and poetry must be 1500 words or less, first three chapters of an unpublished novel 15 pages or less and short script (screen or stage) 45 pages or less.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Poem/Novel

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

Certificate, Specially Designed Glass Award, $500 Cash Award and many other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone between 13-17 and is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada can enter. The Youth Short Story Category invites authors between the ages of thirteen and seventeen to submit a short story under 3,000 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

$5,000 and a mentorship lunch with editors of The Walrus

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Fiction: 5,000 words. Poetry: single poems or multi-poem cycles. Stories must be set in a current, past or future Little Tokyo in the City of Los Angeles, California.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

$500

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submit 10 pages of poetry from a full collection/pamphlet manuscript.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jan 31, 2021

Prize

Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone in school grades 6-12 can enter. Entries must be original and not previously published. Length: exactly 1000 words. Previous grand prize winners are not eligible to submit in the same grade category (6-8, or 9-12) in which they have won.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

$1,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone in school (grades 3-12) can enter. Submit a piece of writing that salutes engineering’s role in meeting and defeating the challenges presented by COVID-19. Check guidlines for your category. Grades 3-5: 600 words limit. Grades 6-8: 650 words limit. High school: 700 words limit.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

1st: $500; 2nd: $250; 3rd: $100; AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submissions for original and unpublished English prose texts only. Maximum length: 2000 words. No poetry, plays, reviews, and scholarly essays. No footnotes and endnotes. No pseudonyms. Submissions can be an English translation of the author’s unpublished original work in another language.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Prose/ Creative Non-Fiction

Entry Fee

$30

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

$1000 (CDN) and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

The contest is open through to 12th grade students, ages 5-20. Students must be enrolled in school to be eligible. All entries must be submitted by a parent, guardian, educator, or facilitator unless the student is 18 years old or older. Poems can be in English and Spanish. All poems must be original work and should not exceed 32 lines in length (written) or 3 minutes (signed).

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

Speciality Prizes/ Age Category Prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Entrants must be based in the UK, above 18, unpublished (unless self-published), and currently unagented. The entry should be up to 5000 words.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Biography/Memoire

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

£1500 and writing mentor and many more prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Both unpublished or self-published books in the English language are eligible for the BookLife Prize. Entries must contain 40,000 to 100,000 words.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Memoir/Essay/Autobiography

Entry Fee

$99

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

$5,000 and author services and many other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submissions are open for entries unpublished and not under consideration by any other publication. Maximum length: 40 lines. Submissions can be an English translation of the author’s unpublished original work in another language.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

$1000 (CDN) and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above in Australia 18 can enter. Entries must be single poems of no more than 50 lines. For entries not primarily written in English, an English translation should be provided for the judges. Entries must be original and unpublished works written by an individual author. Entries should not be on offer to other publications or prizes for the duration of the competition. This year’s theme is ‘every body’.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

1st: $1000; 2nd: $100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) and born in 1991 or later can enter. Essay should be in English and length should be max. 2,100 words. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

CHF 20,000 split among 3 winners and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submit the first 5,000 words of their manuscripts, along with a 150 word ‘elevator pitch’. Manuscripts which have been published in any form, either traditionally or self-published, are ineligible to enter. Entries which fall within the genres of crime, mystery, thriller, or their sub-genres are eligible.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Crime/Thriller/Mystery

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

Best entries will be sent to a list of agents and agencies

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The short story must be 5,500 words or less. Entries must be previously unpublished. Regular Ruminate blog contributors, past first-place winners of any Ruminate Prize, past judges of any Ruminate prize, and friends or family of the Ruminate staff can’t enter.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

1st: $1500; 2nd: $300 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a story using only dialogue. No narration or descriptions. Sentence tags are optional. No length requirements.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Dialogue

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

All Australian citizens or permanent residents above 18 can enter. Length: 2,000 words max. Entries must be the original work of the applicant and must not be published in any form or currently offered for publication.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$16.50

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

Cash prizes except voucher awards

Eligibility & Restrictions

Entrant should have a 2-year writing history with up to 3 writing examples, a max of 3,000 words total.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Prose/Poem/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

Support, Mentoring and Career Development Worth £1,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Writers from 9-16 years of age. Submission must be up to 2500 words (about 10 double-spaced pages).

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Crime/Thriller/Mystery

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

1st: $50; 2nd: $25; 3rd: $15

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 1, 2021

Prize

Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Australian citizens aged 21-35 can enter. The scholarships provide financial support under the writing categories: poetry and prose. You can’t apply if: 1) you received a grant, or administered a grant, from the Australia Council in the past and that grant has not been satisfactorily acquitted; 2) you owe money to the Australia Council; 3) you were previously awarded a grant through The Marten Bequest.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Prose/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 2, 2021

Prize

$50,000 scholarship

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone under 30 years, have been born in Australia or the United Kingdom, or are currently Australian citizens or have been living in Australia for the 12 months preceding the closing date can enter. Entries must be novel or novella and they must have been published or accepted for publication within the 2 years prior to the Award closing date. This can be demonstrated by the providing an ISBN or letter of confirmation from the publisher as part of your entry.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel/Novella

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 2, 2021

Prize

$15,000 scholarship

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone under 30 years, Australian citizens, or have been permanent residents in the two years preceding the closing date. Entries must be a short story or essay between 3,000 and 10,000 words and they must have been published or accepted for publication within the 12 months prior to the Award closing date.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 2, 2021

Prize

$15,000 scholarship

Eligibility & Restrictions

All members of the National Federation of Press Women can enter. High school students may enter the professional contest if they are acting in a professional capacity. Entrants from Missouri, Nebraska and North Dakota must be NFPW members to enter. All work must have been published or broadcast between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, to be eligible for entry.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Creative Non-Fiction/Books/Poetry

Entry Fee

$5-$25

Deadline

Feb 3, 2021

Prize

Cash Prizes and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Eligible entries include items in English or in French that have appeared in magazines, newspapers, or online media in 2020 that highlight Ottawa as a travel destination.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Travel/Magazine

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 5, 2021

Prize

$500 CAD

Eligibility & Restrictions

All entries must be in English and previously unpublished. Short stories length: 1000 words (8-13 years) or 1500 words (14+). Poems length: 30 lines. Little Rhymes and Stories for the 5-7 years group should be no longer than 20 lines (Rhymes) or 500 words (Stories) and can be hand written (but must be legible).

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Short Story

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Feb 5, 2021

Prize

1st: £250; 2nd: £150; 3rd: £100 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The poem has to have a syllable count of either 5-7-5 or 5-7-7. It shouldn’t rhyme. But the poem must address a loved one.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poetry

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Feb 6, 2021

Prize

$100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. They must also be for adult or young adult readers. Non-fiction and fiction written for children under 13 years are not eligible. Max length is 300 words. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£9

Deadline

Feb 7, 2021

Prize

1st: £1,000; 2nd: £300; 3rd: £100 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

All high school students in the US can enter. All 2021 contest entries must have been published, e-published, broadcast, or issued between February 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021. Entries must be produced by a current high school student or a recently graduated student who produced the work in their senior year after February 1, 2020.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Humor and commentary/Biography/ Autobiography/ Memoire

Entry Fee

$5-$25

Deadline

Feb 10, 2021

Prize

An award certificate and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The theme for this poetry contest is “faith”.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Feb 10, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 18 and above can enter. The entries should be no more than 800 words. All entries must be written for adult or young adult readers. Flash Fiction stories aimed at children are not allowed. Entries must be the participants’ own, original work. They must not have been published, self-published, published online or made public on social media or featured among the winners in any other competition. Entries must not include photographs or illustrations.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Feb 11, 2021

Prize

£1000

Eligibility & Restrictions

The 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards is open to all indie book authors and publishers who have a book, a manuscript, or a galley proof written in English and published in 2019, 2020 or 2021 or with a 2019, 2020 or 2021 copyright date.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Autobiography/Biography/Humor/Novel/Novella

Entry Fee

$75

Deadline

Feb 12, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,500; 2nd: $750; 3rd: $500 AND publication and many more prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submit a short story (for adults) of no more than 2,000 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 12, 2021

Prize

Publication and residential writing course

Eligibility & Restrictions

The competition is for novel manuscripts in any genre by unpublished women writer residents in the UK and Ireland. Literary and genre fiction are equally welcomed, and novels for children and young adults may be entered as long as they are primarily word-based. Picture books are not accepted. To enter, send the first 30 to 50 pages and a synopsis between three and five pages.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

£12

Deadline

Feb 12, 2021

Prize

£1,500 and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Any Canadian citizen or resident can enter. Writer must have had no more than one book published (traditionally or self-published) and currently be under no contract for a second book. Piece must be unpublished, original, won no prize before, in English. Length: max 2,500 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Prose

Entry Fee

$29

Deadline

Feb 12, 2021

Prize

$2,500, publication, feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a flash fiction story that takes place in the future. Maximum length 500 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Feb 12, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Poems must be no more than 50 lines in length and not have previously been published in any form. They must be written in English on a medical subject and should not be translations of another writer’s work.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£7

Deadline

Feb 14, 2021

Prize

1st: £1,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £250

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. To enter, submit the first page of your novel and a one-page synopsis. The winner should be prepared to submit the manuscript of their novel in hard copy (12pt, double-spaced, single side of the paper only) to Adventures in Fiction by the beginning of April. Prize: A Stage One Mentoring package for a novel of up to 550 pages/170,000 words including a full manuscript appraisal, a development strategy and two consultations and a dedicated page on the Adventures in Fiction website including a profile of you and your novel.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

£16

Deadline

Feb 14, 2021

Prize

Professional input worth up £1270.00 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Only books that have been either self-published or published by an independent publisher and have an ISBN or ASN can enter.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Book

Entry Fee

$149

Deadline

Feb 15, 2021

Prize

$500, consultation, author website, publication and more prizes.

Eligibility & Restrictions

All 11th grade students in the current academic school year are eligible to be nominated by their school’s English department. Schools in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands and American Schools Abroad are eligible. Nominating schools must be US accredited. Participating students submit two types of writing: themed writing (AWA prompt) and best writing. 2021 prompt: My Community. Writing options include poetry, short story, personal narrative, essay, or graphic storytelling. Themed Writing: max 4 pages. Best Witing: max 6 pages.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 15, 2021

Prize

Superior Writing certificate and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

All 8th grade students in the current academic school year are eligible to be nominated by their school’s English department. Schools in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands and American Schools Abroad are eligible to nominate juniors. Nominating schools must be US accredited. Participating students submit two types of writing: themed writing (AWA prompt) and best writing. 2021 prompt: Change; Amidst isolation in 2020. You may produce any genre, or kind, of writing. Themed Writing: max 4 pages. Best Witing: max 6 pages.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 15, 2021

Prize

Certificate of Recognition and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

The contest is open to Alaska residents. College students who maintain Alaska residency may enter. Work published previously in any copyrighted newspaper, magazine, book or other medium is ineligible. Writing for school publications may be entered. Entries must be original. Contestants may enter one work of fiction (not to exceed 5,000 words), one work of non-fiction (not to exceed 5,000 words), and up to three poems. A contestant may enter all categories in his or her age group.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 15, 2021

Prize

€200

Eligibility & Restrictions

Any US citizen or resident for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline can enter. Poets are not eligible to apply if they have studied with the judge in full-time accredited courses within the last three years The manuscript must be originally written in Spanish and accompanied by a translation in English. Poets may translate their own work or collaborate with a translator who may or may not be a poet. The poet and translator must share the $1,000 prize. Poems may have been previously published in periodicals or chapbooks, but the collection must not have been previously published, including self-publications and e-books. The original manuscript in Spanish must contain original poetry by one poet and must be between 48 and 100 pages, typed single-spaced, unless the poems are meant to be presented using nonstandard spacing.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Book

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 15, 2021

Prize

$1,000 publication prize

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entries should be 1,500-1,700 words. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant which is not currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award. There is no limit to the number of entries. Entrants retain copyright in their manuscripts.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Dialogue Short Story

Entry Fee

£6

Deadline

Feb 15, 2021

Prize

1st: £200; 2nd: £50 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Open to any short fiction writer in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande Books, Inc. are not eligible. Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a short novel. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$28

Deadline

Feb 15, 2021

Prize

$2,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. The Hachette Children’s Novel Award is open to debut writers of middle-grade children’s fiction and early teen fiction. Must be English language fiction for children aged 7-11 (the word count can be 15-40K), or teen fiction for readers aged 11-13 (50-65K words), this should still exclude high-end or explicit content including swearing, sex and drugs. The initial work entered for this award will be a submission of 3000-4000 words. Applicants are not eligible if the work that they are submitting is currently part of a book deal that they have received a publishing contract and advance for.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

£5,000 to be set against royalties and a publishing contract

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. This award is for English language works of poetry that can be considered as being in progress. Your application can include poems that have been previously published in magazines and anthologies. To enter poets should submit up to 30 poems or an equivalent amount of longer sequences.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

£2000 – £5000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. This award is for English language works of poetry that can be considered as being in progress. Poets who have published pamphlets or in magazines and anthologies may apply if they have not published, or are not contracted to publish, a full collection. For prose writers we expect to see an extract of work supported by a synopsis that fully describes the book that you are working to complete. Poets should submit up to 30 poems or an equivalent amount of longer sequences.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

A bursary of £2000 for three poets and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. You may submit novels, novellas and collections of short stories, but not individual short stories. Work that fits in this category includes biography, memoir, nature writing and non-fiction with a strong literary intent. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing or translation are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. Length: a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Fiction Subgenres/Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir/Biography

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

£2000 – £5000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. You may submit novels, novellas and collections of short stories, but not individual short stories. Narrative non-fiction has stylistic and structural similarities to fiction but deals instead with factual or mostly factual subject matter. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing or translation are not eligible for entry. Writers previously published in other genres such as poetry, academic writing and writing for children may apply for this award. Writers who have self-published full-length works are not considered debut authors for this award. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. Length: a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Fiction Subgenres/Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir/Biography

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

A bursary of £2000 for four poets and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. We accept fiction and narrative non-fiction for this award. Submissions may be on any theme or topic and can include young adult writing, memoir, novels and short story collections, and works of literary essays. They accept fiction from any genre, including literary fiction, crime, science fiction, romance and fantasy. You may submit novels, novellas and collections of short stories, but not individual short stories. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing or translation are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. To enter writers should submit a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Fiction Subgenres/Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir/Biography

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

A bursary of £2000 and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. We accept poetry, fiction, including children’s and young adult, and narrative non-fiction for these awards. You may submit novels, novellas and collections of short stories, but not individual short stories. Narrative non-fiction has stylistic and structural similarities to fiction but deals instead with factual or mostly factual subject matter. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing or translation are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. Length: a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Fiction Subgenres/Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir/Biography/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

A bursary of £500 for three poets and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 and is a permanent resident in the North of England can enter. We accept works of fiction of all genres, children’s fiction and creative non-fiction for this award. Narrative non-fiction has stylistic and structural similarities to fiction but deals instead with factual or mostly factual subject matter. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing or translation are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. Length: a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Fiction Subgenres/Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir/Biography

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

An Arvon course

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18, is a permanent resident in the North of England, and is a final-year student or graduate from any discipline at Northumbria University can enter. They accept English language works of poetry, fiction of all genres, children’s fiction, creative non-fiction and graphic novels for this award. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing, translation or self-publishing projects are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. To enter writers should submit a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Fiction Subgenres/Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir/Biography/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

£2000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18, is a permanent resident in the North of England, and is a final-year student or graduate from any discipline at Northumbria University can enter. They accept English language works of poetry, fiction of all genres, children’s fiction, creative non-fiction and graphic novels for this award. Works of factual, technical, journalistic and scientific writing, local history, travel writing, translation or self-publishing projects are not eligible for entry. The work that you enter for the awards must be your current work in progress. Length: a sample of 3000–6000 words and a synopsis of up to 600 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Fiction Subgenres/Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir/Biography/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

£2000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone currently living full-time in the North of England and is a young person in Year 7 upwards (up to a maximum of 18 years of age) can enter. There are two age categories, Year 7-9 and Year 10+. Entrants must be 18 years or under on Thursday 26 November 2020 when the awards open. Young writers can submit creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Prose/Scriptwriting/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

£150 and highly commended

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone currently living full-time in the North of England and is a young person in Year 7 upwards (up to a maximum of 18 years of age) can enter. The Matthew Hale Award is open to young writers who show promise but have had limited opportunities to pursue their talent. Young writers can submit creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Prose/Scriptwriting/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

£500 worth of services

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Share a true story from your life. Write a story that shares a moment, an object, a feeling, etc. This does not have to be a profound memory, but should allow readers insight into your feelings, observations and/or thoughts. Use at least 100 words. No poetry.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Feb 18, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

All 9-12 high school students in the US can apply. The essay should be 300-500 words of original work. Entrants must write about: “Why must journalists strive to improve diversity and representation in both their coverage and in their newsrooms, and how might this happen?”

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

Feb 19, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000 scholarship; 2nd: $500 scholarship; 3rd: $300 scholarship.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Must be an unpublished English book length collection of poetry of 75 to 100 pages.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Feb 20, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Feb 22, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submit literary works of non-fiction on any topic. It doesn’t matter if it’s spiritual, political, intellectual, emotional, funny, serious, or an essay about your DVD player. New entries only. Minimum length 500 words. Maximum Length 7,000 words. Recommended length 2,000 – 3,500 words.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Feb 24, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

All residents of Australia and New Zealand can enter. Manuscripts must be crime or thriller genres between 60,000 and 120,000 words. The manuscript must be an original work, entirely by the entrant and it must be written in English. It cannot be under consideration by any other publisher or entered into any other award. No more than 10% of the manuscript can have been previously published in print form, or in electronic form, on a commercial basis.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Crime/Thriller/Book

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 26, 2021

Prize

$AUD 25,000 advance against royalties and publishing contract

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The international competition is open to all – both published and unpublished authors from all over the world – and is for short stories of up to 3,500 words. The story cannot have been previously published anywhere, or shortlisted for this competition.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Crime/Mystery

Entry Fee

£12

Deadline

Feb 26, 2021

Prize

£500 plus two weekend passes to CrimeFest 2021 and a selection of Margery Allingham-related books

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Poems must be original, have a title, be unpublished or not accepted for publication. They should be written in English and not exceed 50 lines.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Feb 26, 2021

Prize

1st: £1,000; 2nd: £400; 3rd: £200 and a subscription to Acumen

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 11 years or under can enter. All you have to do is send us a poem or story of fewer than 500 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 26, 2021

Prize

£150 worth of books and £50 book token

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. All genres are accepted.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 27, 2021

Prize

Book publishing deals and more prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

The competition is open to anyone (except members of Exeter Writers) writing in any genre except children’s. Stories must not have been previously published nor won a prize in any other competition. If the story has previously been self-published, it must be out of circulation or public reach for the whole of the duration of the competition, up until the winners are announced. You may re-enter a non-winning story that was submitted to the competition in a previous years, but it must have been significantly and substantially revised. Previous prize-winning stories are not eligible for re-entry. Length: 3,000 words max.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£7

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

1st: £700; 2nd: £250; 3rd: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Stories should range between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used).

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£7

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

1st: £500; 2nd: £200; 3rd: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Maximum number of words is 300 and it must be in English. The winning stories must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously. Fish will hold publishing rights for one year only after publication.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

€14

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

1st: €1,000; 2nd: €300; 3rd: online writing course

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Previously published poems in other contests, books, magazines, etc. are accepted and welcomed as long as they are original works created by the contest entrant(s). All entries must be composed or translated into the English language. Poems must be 30 lines or fewer.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

1st: $250; 2nd: $125; 3rd: $50

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Previously published short stories in other contests, books, magazines, etc. are accepted and welcomed as long as they are original works created by the contest entrant(s). All entries must be composed or translated into the English language. Any fiction, non-fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, diary, journal entries, and short stage-plays and screenplays are accepted within a maximum of (5) pages or less.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay/Short Story/Creative Non-Fiction

Entry Fee

$10

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

1st: $500; 2nd: $250; 3rd: $100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. The entry must be in English and must have been written by the person making the submission. Entries must not have been previously published, broadcast or won a prize. Entries can be on any theme or subject. Maximum entry length is 100 words and minimum length 80.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

£200 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries must be in Enflish and must be the work of the entrant and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere in print or online including blogs or personal websites. Entries must be fiction but can be on any subject, and written in any style or form. No fan fiction or use of copyrighted material, characters, song lyrics etc.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

£7

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

Cash prizes and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Adult crime fiction and YA fiction authors can enter. Submit your book synopsis, a covering letter and the first chapter of your novel only. Submissions must be wholly your own work, not contain obscene or libellous material, or derive from the work of other authors.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Crime/Novel

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

Publishing Contract

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. All poems must be previously unpublished. Works of translation where the original author is still in copyright will require the bios of both the original author and the translator. There is a suggested limit of 40 lines per poem.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

€40 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

All students in year 12-13 can enter. Categories: criticism, fiction, poetry, script and screen writing. Students may enter in more than one category and write in any style they wish. The word limit for criticism and fiction is 1500 words.The limit for poems is 25 lines. The limit for screenplays is 8 pages.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Screenplay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

1st: £100 book vouchers; 2nd: £50 book vouchers; 3rd: £25 book vouchers AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16 can enter. Length: 2,000 words or fewer. The entry should not have been previously published, online or in print. Short stories entered for the competition may be on any topic. Stories do not have to be set in Scotland or on Scottish themes but they must be in English.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£10

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

1st: £1,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £250 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16, is unpublished, and a resident of Scotland or studying in Scotland can enter. Entry can be published online or in print without compensation can qualify for the Isobel Lodge Award. Writers also qualify if they have self-published a work of fiction. Length: 2,000 words or fewer. The story should not have been previously published, online or in print. Stories do not have to be set in Scotland or on Scottish themes but they must be in English.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£10

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

£750 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Any Canadian (citizen or resident) can enter. Topic: poems written in response to an existing occasion, personal or public, or poems that make an occasion of something ordinary or by virtue of the poet’s attention. No word limit, must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$40

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with exactly 15 syllables.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Feb 28, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Guidelines for the 2021 International Essay Contest for Young People will be announced on this website and through the Goi Peace Foundation’s mailing list and facebook page in mid-March 2021.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

Minister of Education Award and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. Poems must be no more than 40 lines in English. Poems must be the original work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published or published on online or broadcast.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£7

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

1st: £1,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £250

Eligibility & Restrictions

Young Poet entrants should be aged 14-18. Poems must be no more than 50 lines in length and not have previously been published in any form. They must be written in English on a medical subject and should not be translations of another writer’s work.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

£500

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Screenplays or plays can be up to 25 pages (may be a part of a whole).

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Screenplay

Entry Fee

$7

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

€50

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Original work of fiction or non-fiction in English that must be previously unpublished. Word count per chapter should not exceed 3,000 words. Overall, 30,000 word minimum.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Thriller/Novel

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

$500 Cash Prize and Publishing Contract and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Original work of fiction or non-fiction in English that must be previously unpublished. Word count per chapter should not exceed 3,000 words. Overall, 30,000 word minimum.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Romance/Novel

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

$500 Cash Prize and Publishing Contract and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The theme of the contest is ‘the gathering’. With a maximum of 200 words. Entries must be the entrants original work, unpublished and not acknowledged in any other competitions, and not submited elsewhere until the judging stage.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$10

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

$700 Prize Pool and possible publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. Story length: 1,500 and 1,800 words. Entries will be accepted provided that they have not previously been broadcast or published in any form and that the story is entirely original, entirely the entrant’s own work and does not infringe the copyright or any other right of any third party. Entries should not be sent for consideration, for publication or broadcast elsewhere during the period of the competition.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

1st: £100; 2nd: £50; 3rd: £30

Eligibility & Restrictions

Open to submissions from students between 16-18 years of age who are educated in the UK. Entries must be on written in English, and be no more than 48 lines in length. Entrants must be in full or part-time education at a school, college or other educational institution in the United Kingdom. Each poem must be the entrant’s own work, joint authorship is ineligible.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

£3000 and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The entry should be a single poem of up to 70 lines.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

$100 and five copies of the journal for three winners

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The entry should be exactly 100 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Poetry/Lyric: no more than 50 lines. Fiction, essays, creative non-fiction and other prose: up to 4000 words. Must hold the rights to the work and must be unpublished.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Prose/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 1, 2021

Prize

Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entrees should be 750 words or less. They do not accept work that has been previously published in print, online, or any other medium and works in translation.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Mar 5, 2021

Prize

$1000 and a free 10-week course

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16 can enter. The title for the competition is “Breaking Point”. Length: max 1500 words. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, commended, long-listed or short-listed in another writing competition.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Prose

Entry Fee

£10

Deadline

Mar 7, 2021

Prize

1st: £100; 2nd: £75

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has a rhyme scheme. How it rhymes is up to you.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Mar 10, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16 can enter. Any genre or subject, must be unpublished and original, aimed at adults only. Length: max 2,500 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Mar 12, 2021

Prize

1st: £150; 2nd: £50; 3rd: £30 AND a winner name engraved trophy

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entry should be exactly 150 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Mar 12, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The stories must be at least 10 pages (or 2500 words) but no more than 50 pages (12,500 words). Stories must be previously unpublished.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Mar 14, 2021

Prize

$2,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. All entries must be in English and unpublished previously. Must be aimed at young readers from age 11 and above. Length: 500 to 1,000 words. Simultaneous submissions allowed, only if you notify Zizzle.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

Mar 15, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000; 2nd: $500; 3rd: $150; AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Only high school students can enter. You can submit poetry, chorepoetry, spoken word submissions, graphic fiction and non-fiction, and prose.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 15, 2021

Prize

$200

Eligibility & Restrictions

All women age 40 and above, who do not yet have a book-length publication of fiction, can enter. The author must be unpublished and the entry should be in English.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Book

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Mar 15, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a script of any size (can be a small script as shown in the example) for any medium on any topic.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Script

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Mar 15, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Writers from the UK and Ireland as well as those who have been educated in Wales for over six months can enter. Entries should be prose with a Welsh theme or setting and should be an unpublished book (between 5,000 and 30,000 words) in English. Entries this year may vary across the categories, from short form Welsh-themed- or Welsh-set non-fiction to a novella or short story collection set in Wales or with a Welsh theme.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Prose

Entry Fee

£12

Deadline

Mar 16, 2021

Prize

£1,000 and other prizes for runner ups

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Only haiku poems.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Mar 17, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone aged 9-18 can enter. The theme is ‘The Unheard Voices of Conflict: Stories from Around the World’. There are four category awards: Poetry, Art, Speech and Song. All poems must have a title and must not exceed 40 lines in length. Speeches must be no longer than 5 minutes (roughly between 625-750 words). All works may be written in any language and should consist of the contestant’s own work and should not infringe any copyrights or any other rights of any third parties.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir/Biography

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 19, 2021

Prize

Certificate award and other prizes TBA

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a one-stanza, five-line poem.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Mar 21, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The submitted work must be between 78 – 82 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Mar 25, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with only 6 words.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Mar 27, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

All Canadians (citizen or resident) can enter. No word limit (2,000 – 2,500 expected), must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

$40

Deadline

Mar 28, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Your entry must be a book that is either self-published or published by an independent press.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Book

Entry Fee

$60

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

£1500, a glass plaque, and a write up.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16 can enter. The poem has to appeal to children aged 7-11 and it must be original and previously unpublished.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

€14

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

€1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Open to all English language printed books available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors. All titles must have an ISBN and be published books available on Amazon.com or wherever good books are sold. No ebooks.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Book

Entry Fee

$75

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

Book sales and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$8

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000; 2nd: $100; 3rd: $25 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entries should be approximately 1500 words or less. Submissions should be unpublished.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$10

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

$200 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entries must be original, and in English. It must be of a published novel of any length.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel/Book

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

All amateur writers can enter. Entries must be original works by the entrant, in English. No excessive violence or sex. Entries may not have been previously published in professional media. Entries must be works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. No poetry, or works intended for children.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Science Fiction/Fantasy/Prose

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000; 2nd: $750; 3rd: $500 AND a grand prize

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Stories must not exceed 1000 words. Only original, unpublished work may be submitted.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $700 CAD; 2nd: $200 CAD; 3rd: $100 CAD AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

The contest is open to first-generation immigrants of their country. Entries should be unpublished and in English (translations welcome). Fiction manuscripts must be complete, a minimum of 45,000 words. non-fiction submissions must consist of either a complete manuscript, or a sample of at least 25,000 words and a detailed proposal.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel/Book/Memoir/Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

$10,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Maximum number of words is 300 and it must be in English. The winning poem must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously. Fish will hold publishing rights for one year only after publication.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

€14

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

1st: €1,000; 2nd: A week in residence at Anam Cara Writers’ Retreat; 3rd: €200

Eligibility & Restrictions

All women can enter. Entries should be creative non-fiction in English. Maximum words: 1000. Minimum words: 200.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay/Creative Non-Fiction

Entry Fee

$12

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $500; 2nd: $300; 3rd: $200 AND publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 who lives in the state of Victoria can enter. Poems may be in any form about any topic, up to 30 lines. The work must be original, written in English and not have been previously published. It should not have won a prize in any other competition.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

$500 and possible publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 18 and above who lives in the state of Victoria can enter. Stories must be biographical. Stories must be between 1000 to 3000 words. The work must be original, written in English and not have been previously published. It should not have won a prize in any other competition.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Biography

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

$500 and possible publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone aged 14-18 and living, working or studying in the western suburbs of Melbourne can enter. Enter an original short story up to 1000 words in length. The work must be original, written in English and not have been previously published. It should not have won a prize in any other competition.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

$250 and possible publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submit 15–25 poems of up to 50 lines each. Individual poems may have been published online or in magazines provided the writer retains the copyright.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£10

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

Publication Contract and 30 Copies for 2 winners

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. There is an upper limit of 5000 words for short stories. Only unpublished work.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar 31, 2021

Prize

€250 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). The poem you submit should be in English.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Apr 1, 2021

Prize

1st: $2,000; 2nd: $500 and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The competition is open to all authors writing original works in English. Manuscript should be 120-250 pages.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Apr 1, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Only unpublished work of a full-length collection of poems (48 pages or more) is eligible; those with chapbooks may participate. Manuscript should be 48-80 pages.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Apr 1, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entries must adhere to the contest’s syllable specifications.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Apr 1, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Must be book-length manuscripts. Submissions should be of full-length poetry and fiction (minimum 30,000 words) manuscripts. Original English work only; no translations.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Flash Fiction/Novella/Novel

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Apr 1, 2021

Prize

$1,500 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades 9 – 12 in the US, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens attending high school overseas including home-schooled students. Previous first-place winners and immediate relatives of directors or staff of the AFSA and Semester at Sea are not eligible to participate. Length: 1,250 words max.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Apr 5, 2021

Prize

$2,500 and other paid trip prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Must be unpublished (except social media) and original and won no prize before. Length: max 2,000 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£6

Deadline

Apr 5, 2021

Prize

1st: £500; 2nd: £200; 3rd: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. But it must clearly be a love poem.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Apr 5, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The submitted work must be between 48 – 52 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Apr 8, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone of an Arab heritage can apply. Only first or second full-length books of poetry written in English may be submitted. Chapbooks are not considered as a previous publication in this regard. Manuscripts must be between forty-eight and ninety pages. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Book

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Apr 15, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. This is a “New Arrival” contest which is designed to welcome new members to the site.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Apr 17, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Any genre is acceptable. Each piece should be funny. The first piece should be exactly 1,000 words long. The second piece should be exactly 100 words long. The third piece will be exactly 10 words long. The 4th piece should be exactly one word long. Work to be unpublished and not entered into previous Circle competitions.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Humour

Entry Fee

£3

Deadline

Apr 20, 2021

Prize

All entries will receive a critique from the adjudicator.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with only 20 words.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Apr 22, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a story that uses exactly 100 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Apr 28, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Manuscripts must be between 48 – 84 pages in length. Individual poems from the manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks of less than 25 pages, but the collection, as a whole, must be unpublished.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Apr 30, 2021

Prize

$1,000, publication and gift certification.

Eligibility & Restrictions

High School students from anywhere in the world are eligible to submit original work written in English. Creative writing that was not previously published, can be submitted in the categories of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. Submit a maximum of three pieces across the three genres. Poetry, up to 80 lines. Fiction and creative non-fiction must be 1,800 words or less.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poetry/ Short Story/ Creative Non-Fiction

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Apr 30, 2021

Prize

$200

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. All countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). You may submit stories and essays on any theme, up to 6,000 words each. Entries must be in English.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/ Essay

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

April 30, 2021

Prize

$3,000 and publication and other prizes.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 16 and above can enter. Poems should be in English, must not have been published either in print or on a website, nor be currently submitted or accepted for future publication. They must not previously have been awarded a prize in any other competition. Poems must be your own original work and may be on any subject. Length: no longer than 50 lines

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£4

Deadline

Apr 30, 2021

Prize

1st: £600; 2nd: £300; 3rd: £150

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 16 and above can enter. Poems should not have been published, or accepted for publication, in print or online. They should not have won prizes in other competitions, be simultaneously entered for other competitions or be translations of other poets’ work. Poems must be your own original work and may be on any theme. Length: no longer than 30 lines.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£4

Deadline

Apr 30, 2021

Prize

1st: £600; 2nd: £300; 3rd: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Any English writing author can enter. All entries must be books with a copyright date from 2019 to 2021. Ebooks should be submitted in PDF format

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres/Book

Entry Fee

$95

Deadline

Apr 30, 2021

Prize

Certificate of Achievement and publication and many more prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a poem of any type. But there must be a rhyme scheme.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Apr 30, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Only students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs can apply. Past winners may not compete in the same category again. The entry should be approximately 1,000 words.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

May 1, 2021

Prize

$500 and one-year WHA membership

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. There are no restrictions on content or form. Poems should be previously unpublished. Please do not submit your work if you are associated with the MFA program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston or the Finalist Judge.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$10

Deadline

May 1, 2021

Prize

$1000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The theme, topic, and style of stories or essays you may submit are completely open. You can submit one story, essay, or hybrid prose piece of up to 5,000 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Prose

Entry Fee

$5

Deadline

May 1, 2021

Prize

$100 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 16 can enter. The maximum length of submissions is 4,000 words in English. Stories can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-base .Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, in print or online, or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

£9

Deadline

May 5, 2021

Prize

1st: £1,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £250 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Loop Poetry requires that the last word of each line becomes the first word of the next line. The rhyme scheme is abcb.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

May 5, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Share a poem that is about your faith or how faith has impacted your life. Any type of poem accepted.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

May 10, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Any US citizen or resident for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline can enter. Book must be under contract with a U.S. publisher and scheduled to be published between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.Must be published by December 31, 2021. The author must have published one book of poetry in a standard edition (48 pages or more). Entries must be an English. Submissions are welcome from small presses, university presses, and trade publishers that have previously published at least four books of poetry. Translations and new editions of previously published books are not eligible.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Book

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

May 15, 2021

Prize

$5,000 and distribution and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a poem about a photo you’ve taken.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

May 21, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has exactly 20 syllables. Any format.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

May 27, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

All Canadians who haven’t published either a first novel or short story collection can enter. No word limit (2,000 – 5,000 expected), must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$40

Deadline

May 28, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Writers above 16 living in Britain and Ireland and British writers living overseas can enter. Entries must be an exclusive effort and writers must not have previously published a novel, (although self-published and ebooks are accepted). Novel entrants who have had other types of books traditionally published e.g. poetry, memoir, non-fiction, are eligible to submit. Length: between 5,000 to 8,000 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel/Book

Entry Fee

£20

Deadline

May 31, 2021

Prize

£1,500 and a year’s mentoring worth of £2,640 AND publication and many more prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Writers above 16 writing in English can enter. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast nor winning or placed in any other competition. Short story length: 5000 words max.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£12

Deadline

May 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £5,000; 2nd: £1,000; 3rd: £500

Eligibility & Restrictions

Writers above 16 writing in English can enter. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast nor winning or placed in any other competition. Poetry length: 42 lines max.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£10

Deadline

May 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £5,000; 2nd: £1,000; 3rd: £500

Eligibility & Restrictions

Writers above 16 writing in English can enter. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast nor winning or placed in any other competition. Flash fiction length: 250 words max.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£9

Deadline

May 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £5,000; 2nd: £1,000; 3rd: £500

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. This poem has three stanzas. The subject can be anything.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

May 31, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

All students in school, university, or graduate school can apply.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jun 1, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000 scholarship and more; 2nd: $500 scholarship; 3rd: $250 scholarship.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Story length: 500 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Jun 4, 2021

Prize

1st: £75; 2nd: £25

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone over 16 years old can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. Only non-fiction and fiction work targeting adults and young adults is eligible. Max length is 300 words. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£9

Deadline

Jun 6, 2021

Prize

1st: £1,000; 2nd: £300; 3rd: £100 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Story should be unpublished, from 300 to 1,000 words long.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jun 6, 2021

Prize

$10

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Due to U.S. Government restrictions they don’t accept entries from Syria, Iran, North Korea, or Crimea. All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published (at the time of submission) in print, digital or online publications will be considered. Self-published work in blogs, on social media, etc. will be considered. Length: 32 lines maximum.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Jun 7, 2021

Prize

$5,000 and publication and many more prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published (at the time of submission) in print, digital or online publications, Self-published work, unproduced scripts. Entries in the Print or Online Article category may be previously published.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Essay/Memoir/Screenplay

Entry Fee

$35

Deadline

Jun 7, 2021

Prize

$5,000 and publication and many more prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. It has to be a nonet, but it can be on any subject and rhyming is optional.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jun 12, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

All students aged 11 – 18 can apply. All entries must be original work in English and not previously submitted. Students ages 11-14 may enter the Junior Division (Creative Writing: up to 750 words; Poetry & Spoken Word: no more than 1 page). Students ages 15-18 may enter the Senior Division (Creative Writing: up to 1,250 words; Poetry & Spoken Word: no more than 2 pages).

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Creative Writing/Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jun 14, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,500; 2nd: $1,000; 3rd: $500

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. In this contest you are challenged to write a poem that tells a story and also rhymes.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jun 14, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem. The subject can be anything.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Jun 18, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

All participants must follow the same theme with a short story of no more than 2,000 words, written in the genre assigned to them. Participants have exactly 7 days to write and submit their story.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jun 21, 2021

Prize

$500

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anybody can enter. The entry should not have been previously published anywhere.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All subgenres

Entry Fee

£7

Deadline

Jun 21, 2021

Prize

Publication on the website and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Open to writers who have published a novel or a book-length collection of fiction in English. Current University of Pittsburgh employees and students, and former employees and students affiliated with the University within the last three years, are not eligible. Translations are not eligible if the translation was not done by the author. Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Length: 150 – 300 pages.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Novella/Novel/Book

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jun 30, 2021

Prize

$15,000 and publication and more

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). Length limit: 200,000 words maximum in English. You may submit a collection of short stories or essays as a single entry.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poetry/Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir/Book

Entry Fee

$65

Deadline

Jun 30, 2021

Prize

$5,000 and marketing analysis and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Must be original and unpublished. Each entry must consist of a single sentence. The entry shouldn’t go beyond 50 or 60 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jun 30, 2021

Prize

Cash prizes and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submit manuscripts up to 500 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Jun 30, 2021

Prize

1st: £300; 2nd: £200; 3rd: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

All amateur writers can enter. Entries must be original works written in English. No excessive violence or sex. Entries may not have been previously published in professional media outlets. They must be works of prose of up to 17,000 words in length. No poetry, or works intended for children.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Science Fiction/Fantasy/Prose

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jun 30, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000; 2nd: $750; 3rd: $500 AND a grand prize

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag #GWstorieseverywhere. Your stories (which can be true or made up) will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, and they should relate in some way to June’s theme: Split second.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jun 30, 2021

Prize

A free class at Gotham Writers

Eligibility & Restrictions

All entries must be original unpublished works by nonprofessional (amateur) authors. Entries must be science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural, and alternate history in short fiction, poetry, or comics. You may only enter one short fiction division.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/ Poetry/ Novel

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jul 1, 2021

Prize

$75 Amazon.com gift certificate and many more prizes.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Must be manuscripts of 20-45 pages, in any genre (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or hybrid). Original English work only; no translations. Individual poems, stories, or essays—or excerpts—may have been previously published in periodicals and/or chapbooks, but the manuscript as a whole must not have been published in book form, whether digital or in print. Self-published manuscripts are not eligible.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$12

Deadline

Jul 1, 2021

Prize

$300 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Story should be unpublished and from 300 to 1,000 words long.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jul 4, 2021

Prize

$10

Eligibility & Restrictions

Open to any woman over the age of 18 from Canada and the US.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jul 5, 2021

Prize

Publishing packages (plus a 500-book print run),

Eligibility & Restrictions

The contest is open to students upto 8th grade. Each book must be between 20 and 30 pages. One book entry per team. Both the text and art must be solely created by the students. Each entry must incorporate the theme of Anti-Bullying. Student teams can have a minimum of one and a maximum of ten students per project.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jul 15, 2021

Prize

$500

Eligibility & Restrictions

The contest is open to all poets. Each entry may contain up to five poems. The poems should all be contained in a single file. You may enter as many times as you wish.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poetry

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Jul 16, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,500, 2nd: $750, 3rd: $300, and up to ten finalists will receive $75 each. All entries will be considered for publication.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, philosophical ruminations, stageplays, fragments, chapters, and excerpts are all acceptable.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Jul 22, 2021

Prize

$200 Prize and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Stories submitted must be on the theme of ‘Memories’ in English. To enter, submit an original, unpublished short story, written in English on the subject of ‘Memories’ with a maximum of 1,500 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

€10

Deadline

Jul 31, 2021

Prize

€500 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Any Canadian resident or citizen can enter. There are two seperate prize categories: 1) ages 16 and above, and 2) ages 15 and under. All work must be original. Entries should not have been previously published and no simultaneous submissions. Poems must be 48 lines or less. Short stories must be 750 words or less. Fanfiction and essays are not permitted. Entries should be in English or accompanied by an English translation.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jul 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $500; 2nd: $250; 3rd: $100 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Any amateur author can enter. Any theme (unusual story lines preferred), must be unpublished and original and won no prize before. Short Story length: max 2,000 words. Flash Fiction length: max 500 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Jul 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £200; 2nd: £75; 3rd: £50 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone over 16 years old can enter. Stories must be original and unpublished in print or websites. Must be written in English with a maximum of 5,000 words. All genres will be accepted except children’s and young adult fiction.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

£18

Deadline

Jul 31, 2021

Prize

£500 + an appraisal

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag #GWstorieseverywhere. Your stories (which can be true or made up) will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, and they should relate in some way to July’s theme: Staycation.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Jul 31, 2021

Prize

A free class at Gotham Writers

Eligibility & Restrictions

Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short stories/Essays/Memoirs/Graphic stories/Nonfiction and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfictio

Entry Fee

$27

Deadline

Jul 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $2,500; 2nd: $1,000; 3rd: $500 and ublication for all winnders

Eligibility & Restrictions

Story should be unpublished and from 300 to 1,000 words long.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Aug 1, 2021

Prize

$10

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. Writers are asked to submit an English language piece of short fiction between 1000 and 3000 words, of any genre, aimed at adult readers.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£10

Deadline

Aug 1, 2021

Prize

1st: £500; 2nd: £200; 3rd: £50 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Theme: courage. Length: maximum 1,000 words. Stories can be a fictional tale or a fictional tale inspired by a true story.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$12AU

Deadline

Aug 1, 2021

Prize

$250 AU, publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submissions are for single works in 3 genres (poetry, fiction, an non-fiction). Submit up to 3 poems (10 pp. max), 1 story (up to 8,000 words), or 1 work of non-fiction (up to 8,000 words). You may submit in multiple genres, and/or submit multiple entries in each genre.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Aug 1, 2021

Prize

$500 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Open to all poets over the age of 18. Length: 25-50 pages.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poetry

Entry Fee

$18

Deadline

Aug 15, 2021

Prize

$500 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Open to all poets over the age of 18. Length: 55-85 pages.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poetry

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Aug 15, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 18 and above can enter. The story must be written originally in the English language and should not exceed the 4000-word limit.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$9

Deadline

Aug 15, 2021

Prize

1st: Rs. 25,000; 2nd: Rs. 15,000; 3rd: Rs. 10,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Maximum 1,000 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$6

Deadline

Aug 31, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000; 2nd: $100; 3rd: $25 AND publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Poetry entries should be no more than 40 lines. They accept works on any theme.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

£12

Deadline

Aug 31, 2021

Prize

£2,500 and publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Fiction entries should be no more than 2,000 words. They accept works on any theme.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

£18

Deadline

Aug 31, 2021

Prize

£2,500 and publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag #GWstorieseverywhere. Your stories (which can be true or made up) will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, and they should relate in some way to August’s theme: Forgiven.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Aug 31, 2021

Prize

A free class at Gotham Writers

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. The entry should be exactly 100 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Aug 31, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Must be in English, unpublished original work, simultaenous submissions acceptable. Please submit a packet of up to 3 poems or up to 6,000 words of prose.

Genre

Fiction/Poetry

Sub-Genre

Prose/Poem

Entry Fee

$12

Deadline

Aug 31, 2021

Prize

$500 and Publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Full length works of fiction (novels and short story collections only) are eligible.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel/Short Story

Entry Fee

$28

Deadline

Sep 1, 2021

Prize

$10,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

All women can enter. Submit 3-6 previously unpublished poems in English. This award recognizes an exceptional group of poems.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Sep 1, 2021

Prize

$1,500 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. We welcome poetry, prose, and hybrid manuscripts of 15-40 pages. Fiction (1 to 5,000 words), poetry (3-5 poems, in one document), non-fiction (1 to 5,000 words), hybrid/rxperimental (no specified word count).

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Prose/Poem

Entry Fee

$10

Deadline

Sep 1, 2021

Prize

1st & 2nd: $100 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Story should be unpublished and from 300 to 1,000 words long.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Sep 5, 2021

Prize

$10

Eligibility & Restrictions

Open to all writers. Writers submit a 6,000 word sample of their manuscript, a synopsis, publishing rationale, and author biography to Impress.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All sub-genres

Entry Fee

£25

Deadline

Sep 13, 2021

Prize

£500 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. This competition is aimed at writers who have completed at least 50 pages/16,000 words of their manuscript. To enter, submit the first page of your novel and a one-page synopsis.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

£10

Deadline

Sep 14, 2021

Prize

A Start-Up mentoring package worth more than £550.00

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone who is an active Greensboro Review subscriber can enter. Entries must be previously unpublished. No simultaneous submissions. Length restrictions: no more than 7,500 words or 25 pages for fiction; up to 500 words for flash fiction; up to 10 pages for poetry.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Flash Fiction/ Poem

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Sep 15, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Short stories in any genre are welcome. Story length must be from 2,500 to 4000 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Sep 17, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has a rhyme scheme. How it rhymes is up to you.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$9.95

Deadline

Sep 22, 2021

Prize

$100 and feedback

Eligibility & Restrictions

Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, learned, or discovered. Writers may enter more than once. Length should not exceed 10,000 words. All topics are welcome; pieces should be written in a nonacademic style.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Non-Fiction

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Sep 23, 2021

Prize

Winner receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Finalists receive $100. All winners receive publication.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Submit manuscripts up to 500 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Sep 30, 2021

Prize

1st: £300; 2nd: £200; 3rd: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Length: Manuscripts must be between sixty and ninety pages. The manuscript must be previously unpublished. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poetry

Entry Fee

$28

Deadline

Sep 30, 2021

Prize

$5,000 and publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). Length limit: 250 lines maximum per poem. The entry should be your own original work and in English. You may submit the same poem simultaneously to this contest and to others, and you may submit poems that have been published or won prizes elsewhere. (However, please do not submit work that has previously received recognition at Winning Writers.)

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poem

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Sep 30, 2021

Prize

$8,000 in prizes and a gift certificate

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 can enter. Writers are asked to submit an English language novel aimed at Young Adult or Adult audiences. To be eligible, the finished (or projected finished) length must exceed 70,000 words. Works in progress are accepted in this competition, and entries may be of any genre. Entrants are asked to submit the opening 3,000 words, accompanied by a short synopsis in the same file.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel/Book

Entry Fee

£20

Deadline

Oct 1, 2021

Prize

1st: £1,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £100 AND creative online course discount and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Story should be unpublished and from 300 to 1,000 words long.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction/Short Story

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Oct 3, 2021

Prize

$10

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entries can be no longer than 20 words on embracing our differences. Please consider submitting an original quotation.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Quotation

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Oct 6, 2021

Prize

$1,000 and publication and other prizes

Eligibility & Restrictions

Only previously unpublished original collection of poetry are eligible. The entry should be a minimum of 48 pages and not exceed 96 pages.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poetry

Entry Fee

$25

Deadline

Oct 31, 2021

Prize

$3,000 and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Entries may have appeared online in private (password protected) peer review sites, but should not have been published in any commercial online form including blogs or personal websites or accepted for publication elsewhere. Chapters must not exceed 3,000 words and must be accompanied by a one page synopsis of the balance of the story. Entries must be in English.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

£10

Deadline

Oct 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £500; 2nd: £200

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Writers may submit up to five (5) poems per submission.

Genre

Poetry

Sub-Genre

Poetry

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Nov 1, 2021

Prize

$1,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Writers may submit pieces of up to 5,000 words.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Non-Fiction

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Nov 1, 2021

Prize

$1,333

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Writers may submit pieces of up to 5,000 words.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$20

Deadline

Nov 1, 2021

Prize

$1,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

All women writers, age 40 or older.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

$45

Deadline

Dec 12, 2021

Prize

1st: $1,000 and Residency; 2nd: $250; 3rd: $150

Eligibility & Restrictions

Stories may be previously published or unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are also accepted.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story

Entry Fee

$15

Deadline

Dec 23, 2021

Prize

Winner: $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Finalists: $100. All winners receive publication.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone above 18 years old can enter. Entries should be in English and in any genre. Submissions must be unpublished, self-published and independently published by writers worldwide. They should be 5,000 words in addition to a one-page synopsis of the novel’s manuscript. Children genres won’t be accepted.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Novel

Entry Fee

£15

Deadline

Dec 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £1000, trophy and online publishing contract

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone can enter. Manuscripts should be up to 500 words long.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Flash Fiction

Entry Fee

£5

Deadline

Dec 31, 2021

Prize

1st: £300; 2nd: £200; 3rd: £100

Eligibility & Restrictions

Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) can apply. Critical essay: 500-3,000 words. Dramatic Script: 500-3,000 word. Flash Fiction: 1,000 words. Humor: 500-3,000 words. Journalism: 500-3,000 words. Novel Writing: Up to 3,000 words. Personal Essay & Memoir: 500-3,000 words. Poetry: 20–200 lines. Science Fiction & Fantasy: 500-3,000 words. Short Story: 500-3,000 words.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

Most Categories

Entry Fee

$7

Deadline

Dec-Jan, 2021

Prize

Up to $10,000 scholarship and publication

Eligibility & Restrictions

Entrants should be in Year 12 (or equivalent) at their school or college.

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Mar-Jun, 2021

Prize

£250

Eligibility & Restrictions

The writer must be age 35 or younger and must be a US citizen. The book must be written for adults (no children’s or YA). The work must be either a novel or a collection of short stories published between January 2020 and December 2020. The publisher must submit all books. Authors may not submit their work on their own.

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

Short Story/Novel/Book

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

Sep , 2021

Prize

$10,000

Eligibility & Restrictions

All entrants must be students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. (or international equivalent of the eleventh grade).

Genre

Fiction

Sub-Genre

A Play

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

TBA

Prize

1st: $500; 2nd: $250; 3rd: $100.

Eligibility & Restrictions

All students who are legal US residents or citizens, older than 14 and younger than 19, may apply. Stay tuned for updates on the 2021 contest prompt.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Essay

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

TBA

Prize

1st: $7,500; 5 Runner Ups: $1,500 each.

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 18 and above can enter. Awarded for the best piece of academic essay writing on the theme of the 2021 Alpine Fellowship. A maximum of 4000 words per entry. Text must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time.

Genre

Non-Fiction

Sub-Genre

Academic Writing

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

TBA, 2021

Prize

1st: £3,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £500 and attend the symposium

Eligibility & Restrictions

Anyone 18 and above can enter. Awarded for the best piece of writing on the theme of the 2021 Alpine Fellowship Annual Symposium. All genres permitted. A maximum of 2,500 words per entry. Text must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time (including the Alpine Fellowship Academic Writing Prize).

Genre

Fiction/Non-Fiction/ Poetry

Sub-Genre

All Subgenres

Entry Fee

Free

Deadline

TBA, 2021

Prize

1st: £10,000; 2nd: £3,000; 3rd: £2,000 and attend the Fjällnäs symposium

Conclusion

This year we’ve done you one better and increased the writing contests we found. So if you find yourself struggling to write, or lacking in recognition, here are 300 reasons to be more motivated to write. Yes, they might not all be for you, but one of these might just give you the inspirational kick you’ve been searching for.

Read more.

The 2024 International Book Fairs Calendar

Amazing Writing Retreats to Attend in 2024

The Comprehensive List of 2024 Writing Contests

2 Comments

  • Stuart Aken

    January 1, 2021

    This a brilliant resource. Thank you. I’ve shared it on Twitter and on my FB author page.

    Reply
    • Kotobee

      January 3, 2021

      We are glad you found it helpful and appreciate you sharing it. Thank you!

      Reply

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