2026 Writing Contests for Every Genre and Skill Level
- By Kotobee
- on Dec 16, 2025
- in International Writing Events
- Last update: December 16th, 2025
- at 4:26 pm
Writing contests sit in a sweet spot between play and purpose. They give you a prompt or a theme to spark ideas, a word limit to keep things manageable, and a deadline that turns “someday” into “this week.” They’re low-pressure enough to experiment, yet structured enough to help you finish a piece and send it out into the world.
In 2026, there’s a wide mix of contests that offer exactly that balance. Some come with publication, prizes, or real visibility, while others are simply a smart way to stay motivated and try new directions in your writing. The list we have below gathers the 2026 writing contests worth your time, so you can choose what fits your goals and enjoy the process of writing, polishing, and finally hitting “submit.”
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.
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The competition is open to everyone, living anywhere in the world, published, self-published or yet to be published, who is not represented by a literary agent. You may enter more than one novel, but each entry must be emailed separately and must be accompanied by a separate entry fee.
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Writers from 9-17 years of age. Total word count—2500 words or less—placed on upper right-hand corner of page 1 only. Story title must appear on every page—upper left-hand corner.
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Your work must include line breaks, no prose poems. Must be at least 120 lines, not counting the title, partitions between stanzas, or paratextual elements– such as epigraphs or dedications– while no longer than, roughly, chapbook length.
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The award is open to the public. Books must have been published in 2025 and must clearly contain a printed 2025 copyright. A member, author, or publisher may submit or nominate more than one title.
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Entries must be previously unpublished. Length restrictions: no more than 7,500 words or 25 typed, double-spaced pages for fiction. Each story counts as one entry. Poetry entries can include any number of poems up to 10 pages, but they recommend 5 to 7 poems per submission.
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Applicants must be aged 18 or above at the time of entry. All entries must be written in English. Submissions must be standalone and cannot be extracts from a larger piece. A maximum of 1,000 words per entry.
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Poetry: You may submit up to 5 individual poems (totaling no more than 10 pages). Fiction: You may submit 1 story (5,000 words max). Non fiction: You may submit 1 essay (5,000 words max).
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter. Submitted poems can be of any length, subject, or style. Each contestant can submit up to three poems.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Entries must be no more than 100 words. Titles are not included in the word count. There is no minimum requirement. Word count will be checked using Microsoft Word. Entries should be written in English. However, all variants and dialects of English are welcome.
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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.
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Entries must be typed and in English. Maximum story length is 1000 words. Kids may choose any topic, as long as it is age-appropriate.
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All entries are accepted in good faith. The poems must be your own original work and not have been published before or currently entered in any other competition.
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Anyone can enter. For this contest you are challenged to write a Tanka poem, which follows a specific syllable count.
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Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted. Entries should be the work of a single author. For fiction: ONE short story or novel excerpt, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry. For non-fiction: ONE nonfiction piece or book excerpt, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry. For poetry: No more than SIX poems per entry, up to 10 pages total.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Submit the opening 3000 words of your novel. No need to have written more or to provide a synopsis.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Please submit up to three examples of your creative writing. Your submission should total no more than 3,000 words – this is 3,000 words for all three examples, not 3,000 words each.
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Submit up to 45 pages (double-spaced, MS Word for fiction or essay; PDF or jpeg for graphic narrative). Contest manuscripts should not have your name or other identifying information on any page. Please note that if your name is drawn into a panel of a graphic narrative, it should be blacked out.
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The work you submit must be unpublished, and must not have been accepted for future publication or self-published. In addition, anyone who has previously had a full-length novel accepted for publication is not eligible to enter. Entrants must be resident in the UK or Ireland.
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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.
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Essays must be previously unpublished and under 2,500 words. They should include a cover page with the essay title, author’s name, e-mail address, phone number, and a brief bio (no more than 150 words).
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Competition this year is open to poems from around the world written in English and which can be on any subject or theme. 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.
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The competition is open to UK residents and/or nationals only. The competition is open to both published and unpublished writers. This competition is not open to staff of the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) or to the competition readers and judges.
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Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain there for at least another 12 months. Over the age of 18. Working on a full-length collection of poetry.
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Entries must be original, unpublished, and connect to the theme. Only one entry per participant is accepted. Recommended length is 500–1,000 words.
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Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain there for at least another 12 months. Over the age of 18. A debut author of middle-grade and early teen fiction. Please submit your initial 3000-6000 words and synopsis.
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Only book-length translations will be accepted. All categories of fiction and non-fiction works are eligible, with the exception of poetry, technical, scientific and reference works, graphic novels, and children’s literature.
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Essays can be no more than 1,000 words but must be a minimum of 700 words. Citations and bibliography are not included in the word count. Essays must be the original work of the student. Essays must have a minimum of five sources.
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The competition is open to anyone, except Colorado State University students, alumni, and employees. Manuscripts must be at least 48 pages but no more than 100 pages. They may be composed of any number of poems. The theme and style are both open. Manuscripts may consist of poems that have been published, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished.
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Anyone can enter. Share a poem that is about your faith or how faith has impacted your life. Any type of poem accepted.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
You must be a student ages 13 to 19 in middle school or high school to participate. The photographs and writing you submit should be fundamentally your own.
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Anyone can enter. Write a story that starts with this sentence: The house was empty. You have the option to put it in quotes (for dialogue) and to change the punctuation at the end for proper grammar.
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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.
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Manuscripts may be 15 – 30 pages of poems (not including front- or back-matter), with any reasonable fonts or font sizes (12 pt, etc.). Don’t worry about the formatting. Do not include any identifying information within the manuscript itself.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
The application requires a project proposal, a biographical statement, and a writing sample of no more than 10 pages. Please submit all materials in one document.
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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.
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The competition is open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. Simultaneous submissions are ok, but please notify them immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. Each entry must be an original and previously unpublished manuscript of no more than 3,500 words.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
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.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Contestants must be current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating Spring of 2026; 21 years of age and under; plan to enroll in an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved vocational-technical school Fall 2026.
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The book must be the work of a single author, at least 50 pages long, on any topic and in any poetry style. Manuscripts, videos, CDs, chapbooks, and self-published books are not eligible, nor are books that have already won an award. However, books that have won a pre-publication award by the publishing press remain eligible.
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Anyone can enter. Write a poem about a photo you’ve taken.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
This contest is only open to students who live in Oklahoma. Entries are limited to one per student in each contest.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
There are four rounds of competition. In each round, writers are placed randomly in groups and are assigned a genre, subject, and character assignment. Writers have to write an original story based on the assignment within a given time limit. The word limit decreases in each round, from 2,500 words in the 1st Round to 1,250 words in the 4th Round
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Poems must be original and previously unpublished work. They accept up to three poems from each writer as well as simultaneous submissions.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Please submit novella manuscripts of 10,000-40,000 words. Please submit manuscripts as a single file and include a title page (without name). We ask that your name be removed from the manuscript for blind reading.
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Word Limit: 500 words or fewer (excluding title). Your entry must be written substantially in the English language. You may use some words and phrases from other languages provided the meaning is clear in the context of your entry.
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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.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Stories must be submitted in English only. Stories must not have previously won any other short fiction competition. Stories cannot exceed 7,500 words in length.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Submitted stories should be between 1,000 and 15,000 words in length; please do not send anything longer or shorter than this.
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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. You must have your parent’s or guardian’s consent to enter the competition if you are under the age of 18.
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The Atlas Shrugged novel essay contest is open to all students globally. Atlas Shrugged is a heroic mystery novel written by Ayn Rand. Choose a prompt and write a 800-1,600 word essay.
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May be up to 15,000 words in length but no more than 100 pages. Must be either unpublished or published no earlier than April of 2025. Must be authored by emerging writers of fiction/nonfiction. Emerging writers are defined as writers who have yet to publish their first book (exceeding 15,000 words and/or 100 pages) in any prose genre.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Graphic novels should be 4 pages or less. Excerpts from longer works are accepted if they stand alone.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Submit short stories and essays of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Word Limit: 300 (excluding title). Eligibility: Anyone aged 16 years or older (at the time of entry) from anywhere in the world.
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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.
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You may enter as many poems as you like in each category, but you must submit to each category in separate documents. Please upload the poems in one document for each category.
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To enter this contest, simply submit a short story of no more than 2,026 words. Entries must be in English, your own original work, and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
The competition is for anyone aged 16 and over, from anywhere in the world. Poems must be in English, your original work, on any subject, in any style, no longer than 40 lines. Poems should have neither been published elsewhere (including self-published) by 21th April 2026.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
The entries can’t have been previously published. Maximum number of words is 4,000 in English.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Students may enter one piece of writing between 500 and 1,000 words in length, typed, and double spaced. Each entry must be original work of the entrant, and have an out door theme.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
All entries must be Canadian-authored titles published in English between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025 and available through bookstores and libraries across Canada. Only first collections of short fiction are eligible. Co-authored or multi-authored collections are not eligible. Posthumously published works are not eligible.
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The contest is open to K–12th grade students, ages 5–19. 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 should not exceed 32 lines in length (written) or 3 minutes (signed). For ASL poetry, please include a brief written summary of the poem’s content.
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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.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Entrants should submit a collection of poems. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished. Some or all of the poems in the collection may have appeared in periodicals, chapbooks, or anthologies, but these must be identified. Manuscripts must be at least 48 typed pages. The preferred length is between 60 and 100 pages.
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All women can enter. Entries should be creative non-fiction in English. Maximum words: 1,000. Minimum words: 250.
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Send a maximum of 5,000 words of your First Chapter only. (If your opening chapter is longer, send the entire chapter but clearly mark the 5,000 word point). In the same document, send a one page synopsis (not included in the word-count).
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They welcome submissions of up to four poems . If your work has been selected from an unsolicited submission and published in Southword before, they will ask that you please don’t submit for one year before submitting again.
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25 page maximum for short stories. Only one submission is allowed per person per contest. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished and should be double-spaced, with standard 1″ margins and 12 pt font.
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Line Limit: 40 lines max. Theme: textura (‘texture, web, structure’). The prize is open to adults (18+).
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Poets of any age from anywhere in the world may enter our competition. here is no limit on entries, and they can be on any topic. They must also be in English, unpublished, and no more than 60 lines in length. Longer poems will be disqualified.
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Up to five unpublished poems per person will be accepted for consideration. Three copies of each poem should be submitted for distribution to the judges. Each poem should be no longer than two manuscript pages.
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Creative Nonfiction: Previously unpublished creative nonfiction works of up to 3,500 words. Fiction: Previously unpublished fiction works of up to 3,500 words. Poetry: Please submit up to three previously unpublished poems in a single file. Poetry submissions are reviewed blindly.
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All contest entrants will receive a copy of the winning issue and be considered for publication. All entries should be original and previously unpublished; all rights to the submitted works must belong to the submitter.
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Stories must be 1,500 words or fewer. You are allowed to include up to two stories per entry. Please submit all stories in one document. Each story must begin on a new page and be clearly titled. For the title of your submission list the story titles, separated by a comma. (If you’ve submitted in the past, please note that they raised the word count from previous years from 1,000 to 1,500.)
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The length of each poem must not exceed 100 lines. Entrants must submit poems in separate documents. Entrant’s name, address, e-mail and phone number must not appear on the poems, but instead on a separate sheet or in the body of the submission email, which should also list the titles of all poems entered.
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Essay (max. 2,100 words, excl. abstract, bibliography, and footnotes). Individual work expected, no group work allowed. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest. The idea must be the author’s own.
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Write 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.
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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.
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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.
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Submissions of fiction or creative nonfiction must be under 6,000 words. ubmitted work must be previously unpublished. This includes personal blogs, social media accounts, and other websites. Previously published work will be automatically disqualified.
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Anyone can enter. The word limit is 1500 words. There’s no theme! You can write about any topic you wish!
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Living in the North of England at the time of entering and planning to remain there for at least another 12 months. Over the age of 18. A debut poet: you may have published a pamphlet and had individual poems in magazines and anthologies but you should not yet have published a full collection.
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This award is open to young writers aged 11-18 in the North of England. Young writers can submit creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap. This award is made possible through New Writing North’s partnership with their lead partner Northumbria University.
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This award is for a young person aged 11-18 based in the North of England. Entrants must be 18 years or under on 5 February 2025 when the awards close. Young writers can submit creative work in any form including prose, poetry, scriptwriting, blogging, songwriting and rap.
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Anyone can enter. Write a one-stanza, five-line poem.
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Each book submitted must be accompanied by an application form. Publishers and authors may submit books for prize consideration. Two copies of each book should be sent to The Poetry Center.
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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. Each submission requires a separate completed entry form. No submissions will be returned.
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The 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards is open to all indie book authors and publishers including independent publishers (small, medium or otherwise), university presses, self-published authors, e-book authors, seasoned authors and even first time authors in the U.S., Canada or internationally who have a book, a manuscript, or a galley proof written in English and published in 2024, 2025 or 2026 or with a 2024, 2025 or 2026 copyright date.
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The competition is open to all ages, professions and nationalities, and you don’t have to reside in the UK to enter. All entries must be original and unpublished. Entrants must not have an existing publishing contract or agent representation. Writers may submit one entry only.
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Submit a manuscript of 16 to 34 pages, a brief bio, acknowledgments, and a cover letter. Please do not include your name on the manuscript. The bio should be included on the cover letter only.
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anuscript must be anonymous. Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt. Manuscript must be between 150 and 250 pages. This contest is open to anyone writing in English.
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Manuscript must be anonymous. Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt. Manuscript must be between 150 and 250 pages.
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Manuscript must be anonymous. Manuscript must be typed, standard font, 12 pt. Minimum length 48 pages.
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The contest accepts submissions in any genre, as long as they are original, unpublished, and written in English. The submissions must be based on a specific theme developed by the Achievement Awards Advisory Committee. The contest is open to schools in the United States, US territories, Canada, and American Schools Abroad that are US accredited. The submissions are only accepted from teachers; students may not self-nominate
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Eligibility & Restrictions
The contest accepts submissions in any genre, as long as they are original, unpublished, and written in English. The submissions must be based on a specific theme developed by the Achievement Awards Advisory Committee. The contest is open to schools in the United States, US territories, Canada, and American Schools Abroad that are US accredited. The submissions are only accepted from teachers; students may not self-nominate
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Eligibility & Restrictions
This contest is open to any short fiction writer of English. Employees and board members of Sarabande Books, Inc. are not eligible. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included. Translations and previously published collections are not eligible. Length: between 150-250 pages.
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U.S. Citizens. Only books published in the United States during 2025 are eligible for the 2026 prize. Books must be published in a standard edition (48 pages or more). Collaborations by up to two translators are eligible.
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The length of any entry into any category should not exceed three minutes in performance, and you are advised to time the entry’s performance before submitting. The maximum word count for a story entry is 500 words.
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Submit 6 poems or less. They will consider poems of any length, style and subject matter. Simultaneous submissions are permitted.
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Books must be original work by a single author (no anthologies). Author must establish a connection to Kansas by birth, education, employment, residence or other significant claim.
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All 2025 contest entries must have been published, e-published, broadcast, or issued between February 15, 2025, and February 15, 2026. 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 15, 2025. Entries must have been professionally published/produced or published/produced by a school or professional publication in a recognized medium for the category such as a school, local or national newspaper, a website, a school, local or national television production and the like.
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The NFPW Communications contest is open to anyone regardless of gender, professional status or location. College students do not have to be 18 to enter any of the categories in the Collegiate Division. High school students may enter the professional contest if they are acting in a professional capacity.
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Entry must be made via the website, with true and accurate information given. Entries must be written in English, and be no more than 48 lines in length. Text should be in Ariel font, size 12, unless another font or size is required to fulfil a particular artistic purpose.
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A five-day online innovation challenge for Year 12 students, enabling students to gain experience of working on a real-life business challenge set by one of our start-up hub businesses. Participants work individually or in teams of 2-3 to address a business-sponsored challenge using AI, receiving academic support and feedback.
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The annual competition is open to Undergraduate student poets only who are enrolled in a United States College or University. All poems entered remain confidential, anonymous, and internal during the judging process.
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
The annual competition is open to Undergraduate student poets only who are enrolled in a United States College or University. All poems entered remain confidential, anonymous, and internal during the judging process.
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Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
The annual competition is open to Undergraduate student poets only who are enrolled in a United States College or University. All poems entered remain confidential, anonymous, and internal during the judging process.
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Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
The annual competition is open to Undergraduate student poets only who are enrolled in a United States College or University. All poems entered remain confidential, anonymous, and internal during the judging process.
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Entry Fee
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
The annual competition is open to Undergraduate student poets only who are enrolled in a United States College or University. All poems entered remain confidential, anonymous, and internal during the judging process.
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No more than one-half of the chapbook may consist of permission-secured or public domain translations. Two copies of the chapbook must be submitted.
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All students enrolled in grades 9-12 in U.S. public, private and home schools within the United States. Students must submit original work. The essay should be 300-500 words. Entries may be typed or handwritten but must be double-spaced.
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Who’s Eligible: Young Writers (13-19). Piece Length: 400-1000 words
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Your collection should only cover works that fit into the following categories of creative expression that The New York Times reviews. Your piece must be, in total, 600 words or fewer.
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Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, philosophical ruminations, experimental pieces, stage plays, fragments, and excerpts are all acceptable. You may submit multiple pieces as long as each is accompanied by a separate entry fee. One poetry submission may include up to 5 unrelated (or related) poems. Page limit for any type of submission: 150 pages.
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Unpublished works are not eligible for the Prize. Minimum length of each submitted short story is 3,000 and the maximum length is 10,000 words.
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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.
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The international competition, open to anyone in the world writing in English, is for the opening of a crime novel (max. 3,000 words) and synopsis (max. 1,500 words). The crime novel – of any subgenre; including but not limited to thriller, noir, cosy mystery, suspense, police procedural; spy story and crossover of any kind – should be suitable for adults or young adults.
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Fiction submissions should be approximately 150-300 double-spaced pages (37,500- 75,000 words). The book should be previously unpublished. Do not include your name anywhere on the actual manuscript.
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The Snowbound Chapbook Award is open to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. Translations are not eligible for this prize, nor are previously self-published books.
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Submit no more than three poems in a single .doc or .docx file attachment. Your file should contain no identifying information, as all submissions are read blindly by our editors. A cover letter or biography is not necessary but we enjoy reading them.
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The competition is open to all – both published and unpublished authors from all over the world. The competition is for short stories of up to 3,500 words, written in English.
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This contest is free and open to all self-published authors who meet the requirements. All eBooks submitted to the contest must be: in the poetry or fiction genres, a PDF or an ePUB file, in the English language, an original work that you own the rights to, and written by an African American author born in the U.S.
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Submit one to three unpublished poems.
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Maximum number of words is 300. The title is not included in the word limit. The winning stories must be available for the Fish Anthology, and therefore must not have been published previously. Fish holds publishing rights for one year after publication, after which publishing rights revert to the author
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The Scottish Arts Club Short Story Competition is open to all writers worldwide, published and unpublished. You do not have to be Scottish to enter the competition. Word limit: 2,000 words (not including the title)
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The text must be written in English. They DO NOT accept AI or computer generated poetry manuscripts or individual poems within that manuscript, so please only submit human-created work!
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A synopsis or summary of the book. A short piece of writing (1,000–3,000 words) for children that includes ONE of the following phrases at any point in the piece: 1. And then I remembered the porridge was still on the stove 2. We didn’t plan to get lost in the woods 3. If only I could remember what [insert character name] always said Some information about you
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The story cannot be longer than 100 words. Write on one of these topics: chicken, detour, purple, something lost.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Entries that are not paid for, are incomplete, formatted incorrectly or submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Please submit only the complete first chapter of your unpublished novel-in-progress (fiction only).
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Only Oklahoma residents are eligible to enter. Poems will be judged in 4 categories: K-4th, 5th-8th, 9th-12th, and Adult. The maximum length for poems is 30 lines. Poems can be rhymed or unrhymed. One poem per person.
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This prize is open to all writers over 18 years of age who live in Victoria. Each writer can submit a single biographical story between 1000 and 3000 words in length.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
This prize is open to all poets over 18 years of age who live in Victoria. Each poet can submit up to two poems with a maximum length of 30 lines each.
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This prize is open to writers between 14 and 18 years of age who live, work or study in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Each writer can submit a single story that is no more than 1000 words in length.
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Anyone can enter. The theme of this poetry contest is “faith”.
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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.
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Anyone above 16 can enter. The title for the competition is “After Midnight”. 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.
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Anyone can enter. But it must clearly be a love poem.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
U.S. Citizens. Residents of the United States for a ten-year period prior to January 1 of the prize year. All manuscripts must be previously unpublished in their complete form, although some or all of the individual poems may have appeared in periodicals. Manuscript length is not limited. However, a length of 48-64 pages is suggested.
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Entrants must be Canadian (citizen or resident). Submissions must be unpublished, nor can they be accepted for publication elsewhere. Submissions are accepted online only.
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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.
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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.
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All entrants must be students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. (or international equivalent of the eleventh grade).
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Eligibility & Restrictions
There are no restrictions on theme, category, or the length of the piece or collection from which the excerpt comes. Word limit is 250 for prose, 25 words for poetry.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Your book must be available for sale by the submission deadline. Put all the categories in which you submit on one Submission Form and be sure to place a copy of the submission form and in each book you send in, one for each category. All titles must have an ISBN and be published books.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Your entry must either be self published or published by an independent press. Authors and publishers can enter books.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter. Poem length is restricted to 60 lines. The title is not included in the word limit, 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.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Submissions shall be no more than 2,500 words in length. Contestants shall be no younger than 14 and no older than 18 years of age as of May 29 in the contest year and shall reside or attend school in Maryland.
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Anyone can enter. Any length, any subject, any style
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Eligibility & Restrictions
The book must be in English or in English translation, and may have been published anywhere in the world.
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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
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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.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
The contest is limited to only the first 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense NOT currently under contract.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
The prize will be open to all unpublished full-length manuscripts in the crime or thriller genres between 70,000 and 100,000 words in length written by residents of Australia and New Zealand.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter. No restrictions.
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Entry Fee
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Who’s Eligible: Young Writers (13-19). Piece Length: 50-500 words
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Entry Fee
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Nonfiction submissions should be approximately 150-300 double-spaced pages (37,500-75,000 words). The book must be previously unpublished as a whole. However, individual pieces may have been published in journals, magazines, or anthologies.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
No restrictions on theme or category. Maximum of 2,500 words for short stories or nonfiction, 24 lines for poetry, and 8 pages for graphic novels.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
For the purposes of this competition, an adventure novel is defined as an original, invented (fictional) prose narrative between 50,000 and 200,000 words dealing with a series of human experiences through a connected sequence of events that are action-adventure in nature.
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Electronic submissions only. Do not include any preambles, or bios within your submitted manuscript. Manuscripts must have a table of contents. Manuscripts must be typed in a no less than 12-point font, paginated, and 48 – 84 pages in length (single spaced).
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All women can enter. Entries should be creative non-fiction in English. Maximum words: 1,000. Minimum words: 250.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Submissions are accepted only through the electronic submission system. Submissions through postal services or email aren’t accepted. All manuscripts should be in 12-point type, with at least one-inch margins, and sequentially numbered pages. Fiction and nonfiction should be double-spaced. Poetry should be single-spaced.
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
18 and older to submit. submit complete manuscripts. 30 poems minimum.
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has a rhyme scheme. How it rhymes is up to you.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
All writers will be eligible for one major prize only however some writers may receive commendations and publication for more than one piece. Longlisted writers will not be published. They will be given a special mention on the Minds Shine Bright website and sent an e-certificate of Recognition.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Manuscripts should be 25-40 typed pages in length of poetry (a cohesive poetry manuscript), fiction (either a short fiction collection or novella), or creative nonfiction (one long essay or a collection of short essays). For poetry and short prose, please include no more than one piece per page.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
No restrictions on theme or category. Maximum of 500 words for short stories or nonfiction, 12 lines for poetry, and 8 pages for graphic novels.
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Entries should not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere, in print or online, by a mainstream or an independent publisher. Non-fiction and fiction for children are not eligible. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and by submitting you are confirming the work is your own. Any evidence to the contrary will result in disqualification. Co-authored work is not eligible.
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
5,000 words max. No minimum. Title not included in the word count. You can submit multiple entries to the competition as long as each entry is paid for individually and includes a separate entry form.
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
42 lines max. No minimum. Title not included in the line count. Dedications not included in the line count. Lines between text stanzas not counted. You can submit multiple entries to the competition as long as each entry is paid for individually and includes a separate entry form.
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Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
250 words max. No minimum. Title not included in the word count. You can submit multiple entries to the competition as long as each entry is paid for individually and includes a separate entry form.
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Online Entry forms must have the word/line/page count listed where requested. Count refers to all words making up the story (no matter the number of letters in the word). Do not count the title or contact information in the word count.
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All students in school, university, or graduate school can apply. Essays should be directed to a well-informed general audience, not a strictly academic one, and should be based primarily on the student’s own observations, with adequate support from the Jane Austen work under discussion
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Students ages 11-18 from around the world are invited to participate. They must provide the contact information for an Adult Sponsor: a teacher, parent, guardian, mentor, or other supporting adult.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Each manuscript should consist of a single essay in a standard 12-point font. Submitted essays may be novelette-length, up to 17,000 words (55 manuscript pages).
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Who’s Eligible: Young Writers (13-19). Piece Length: 400-1000 words
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Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter. Write a poem of any type. But there must be a rhyme scheme.
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Entry Fee
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Poetry submissions should be approximately 50-80 pages. Each new poem should start on a new page. Illustrations are strongly discouraged and should not comprise more than a quarter of the book.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Word Limit: 4,000 words. Attach the submission in a single document (Word / RTF/ ODT – cannot accept PDFs or weblinks such as Google Drive).
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Entry Fee
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
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Entry Fee
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Open to a broad Audience. All Genres. Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
It must be an original book published during the 12 months ending June 30 of the year for which the award is give. Its author(s) must have maintained legal or physical residence, or a combination of both, in North Carolina for the three years preceding the close of the contest period.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea, Russia, and Belarus (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.
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter. The contest accepts entries in the genre of horror or thriller
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Eligibility & Restrictions
Each entry must incorporate the theme of Anti-Bullying. One book entry per team. Each book must be between 20 and 30 pages. The cover, dedication and back pages do not count towards this number.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
All work must be original and will be checked for plagiarism. Entries should not have been previously published. You may enter one poem and/or one short story only! Poems must be 48 lines or less.Contest is open to Canada residents only.
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Entry Fee
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Eligibility & Restrictions
To enter, submit an original, unpublished short story, written in English with a maximum of 1,500 words. There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit. Each submission will require a separate entry form and is subject to a separate entry fee.
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Write a poem that has exactly 20 syllables in any format.
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Eligibility & Restrictions
All women can enter. Entries should be creative non-fiction in English. Maximum words: 1,000. Minimum words: 250.
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Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence,.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
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Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Open to a broad Audience. All Genres. Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.
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Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
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.
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Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter. The poem should have three stanzas. The subject can be anything.
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Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Who’s Eligible: Young Writers (13-19). Piece Length: 1-100 words
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Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter. Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem. The subject can be anything.
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Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter. Fiction entries should be no more than 2,000 words. They accept works on any theme.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Anyone can enter. Maximum length: 1,000 word. Any subject, any style
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Books must be 40,000 plus words.Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Works may be published on the web or in print or may be non-published. E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. International entries are accepted but they must be written in the English language.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Open to a broad Audience. All Genres. Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
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
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
To enter, submit an original, unpublished flash fiction piece, written in English with a maximum of 250 words. There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit. Each submission will require a separate entry form and be subject to a separate entry fee.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Early Readers and Picture Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence, please.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence, please.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Length limit: 250 lines maximum per poem. No restriction on age of author. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus (due to US government restrictions). Final judge: Michal ‘MJ’ Jones, assisted by Briana Grogan and Dare Williams.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
The submitted story must be less than 4,000 words. No previously published work will be considered. The writer’s name and contact information should only appear within the cover letter box in Submittable.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
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
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Submit an original, unpublished poem, written in English with a maximum of 40 lines. There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit. There is no age limit. All poems are judged anonymously and therefore the poet’s name must not appear on the poem itself. Name and contact details should be on the entry form only.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
To enter, submit an original, non-fictional, unpublished travel article, written in English with a maximum of 1,000 words. There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit. Each submission will require a separate entry form and be subject to a separate entry fee.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Your story must be 53 words—no more, no less—titles are not included in the word count. Stories not meeting this rule will be disqualified. Send only stories; poetry with line breaks will not be considered. Hyphenated words count as one word. One submission per person. There are no age restrictions.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Under 350 words, follows monthly prompt. With each new prompt centered around a monthly theme. This competition is for elementary and middle schoolers, though high school submissions are accepted.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Your story/stories can be any theme or genre, but must be a maximum of 1,500 words (not including the title).
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
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
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Your story must be no longer than 25 words, will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, and should relate in some way to the monthly theme. Stories can be true or made up. Entry must be original and unpublished.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Eligibility & Restrictions
Stories up to 1,000 words long on any theme/genre are welcomed . Stories must be no longer than 1,000 words excluding title. Stories may be submitted at any time as submissions are open on a rolling basis. Stories can be previously published or unpublished, and writers may submit multiple stories for consideration.
Genre
Sub-Genre
Entry Fee
Deadline
Prize
Entering a contest, or even just keeping a few on your radar, can give you just the motivation you need to keep writing. These competitions aren’t only about prizes or recognition; they’re about finishing work, experimenting with new ideas, and discovering what you’re capable of under a friendly challenge. So choose the contests that spark your interest, embrace the process, and let 2026 be the year your writing gets noticed, celebrated, and shared with the world.
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