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Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

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Writing Contests, Grants & Awards

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The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

Writing fellowships.

Fellowships of approximately $50,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers on the basis of “exceptional creative ability.” Citizens...

Travelers’ Tales

Solas awards.

A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Travelers’ Tales website is given annually for a travel essay. Writers from Arizona and Vermont are eligible for publication but not...

Coffee-House Poetry

Troubadour international poetry prize.

A prize of £2,000 (approximately $2,602) is given annually for a single poem. A second-place prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,301) is also given. Both winners receive...

New York Public Library

Cullman center fellowships.

Fifteen fellowships are given annually to artists, academics, and creative writers, including poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and translators, whose work...

Lascaux Review

Prize in creative nonfiction.

A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Lascaux Review website is given annually for an essay. Previously published and unpublished essays are eligible. Using only the...

Connecticut Poetry Society

Vivian shipley poetry award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Connecticut River Review and on the Connecticut Poetry Society website is given annually for a single poem. Aaron Caycedo-Kimura...

Texas Review Press: The University Press of SHSU

X. j. kennedy poetry prize.

A prize of $10,000, publication by Texas Review Press: The University Press of SHSU, and 10 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner also receives a...

Poetry Contest

A prize of $2,000 is given annually for a single poem. A second-place prize of $1,000 is also given. Mark Graham, Monique Jonath, Mridvi Khetan, and Ann Tinkham will judge....

Dzanc Books

Poetry prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Dzanc Books will be given for a poetry collection. Jonathan Fink and Keith Taylor will judge. Using only the online submission system,...

University of Massachusetts Press

Juniper prizes.

Five prizes of $1,000 each and publication by University of Massachusetts Press are given annually for a debut poetry collection, a poetry collection by an author who has...

Nature Writing Prize

A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,094) and online publication in Irish Times is given annually for a poem, a story, or an essay that features “an exploration of the...

George Garrett Fiction Prize

A prize of $2,000, publication by Texas Review Press: The University Press of SHSU, and 10 author copies is given annually for a short story collection or novel. Using only the...

Hackney Literary Awards

Novel contest.

A prize of $5,000 is given annually for an unpublished novel. Submit a manuscript of any length with a $30 entry fee by September 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines...

Prize for Fiction

A prize of $5,000 and publication by Dzanc Books is given annually for a novel. Farah Ali, Chika Unigwe,...

University of Mississippi

Willie morris award for southern fiction.

A prize of $12,000 is given annually for a novel published during the current year that asks readers “to engage with or reflect on the complexities of the U.S. South.” The...

Ghost Story

Supernatural fiction award.

A prize of $1,500 and publication on the Ghost Story website is given biannually for a short story with a supernatural or magical realist theme. The editors will judge....

Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for an essay by a writer who has not published a full-length book in any genre with a nationally...

Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry

A prize of $3,000 is given annually for a single poem that evokes the U.S. South. The winner will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Oxford, Mississippi, for the awards...

Short Story Collection Prize

A prize of $2,500 and publication by Dzanc Books is given annually for a story collection. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript...

Willie Morris Award for Southern Nonfiction

A prize of $12,000 is given annually for a book of nonfiction published during the current year that asks readers “to engage with or reflect on the complexities of the U.S....

PEN/Faulkner Foundation

Award for fiction.

A prize of $15,000 is given annually for a book of fiction published during the current year. Four finalists each receive $5,000. The winner and finalists will also be invited...

University of Iowa Press

Iowa short fiction award.

Two prizes of publication by University of Iowa Press are given annually for debut collections of short fiction. Submit a manuscript of at least 150 pages by September 30....

California State University in Fresno

Philip levine prize for poetry.

A prize of $2,000, publication by Black Lawrence Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner is also invited to give a public reading at...

Winning Writers

Tom howard/margaret reid poetry contest.

Two prizes of $3,500 each, two-year gift certificates for membership to the literary database Duotrope, and publication on the Winning Writers website are given annually for a...

Georgia Writers

John lewis writing grants.

Three grants of $500 each are given annually in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to “elevate, encourage, and inspire the voices of Black writers in Georgia.” Grantees also...

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Best Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 425 contests that match your search.

National Poetry Competition 2024

The Poetry Society

Genres: Poetry

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

Additional prizes:

Runners-up receive £2,000 and £1,000. Commended entries receive £500

💰 Entry fee: $8

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2024

The Reedsy Prompts Contest

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Every Friday, Reedsy sends out five writing prompts. Enter your response within a week for a chance at $250. Winners may also be included in a future issue of Reedsy’s literary magazine, Prompted.

$25 credit toward Reedsy editorial services

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

Salamander 2024 Fiction Prize

Genres: Fiction

The Salamander 2024 Fiction Prize offers writers the opportunity to submit their works for consideration. The contest includes a first prize of $1,000 and publication, and a second prize of $500 and publication. Entries will be judged anonymously, and all submissions are also considered for publication in the magazine.

2nd: $500 | Publication

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: June 01, 2024 (Expired)

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Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Jane Austen Society of North America

Genres: Children's and Essay

JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers. Students world-wide are invited to compete for scholarship awards in three divisions: high school, college, and graduate school.

$1,000 scholarship

Two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting

📅 Deadline: June 02, 2022 (Expired)

Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2024

Write the World

The Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2024 is organized by Write the World, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting young writers. This contest encourages creativity in poetry and spoken word formats and aims to empower teenagers aged 13-19.

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Recognition on the Write the World platform and social media.

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

Kate Tufts Discovery Award

Claremont Graduate University

The Kate Tufts Discovery Award is presented to a first book of poetry by a poet of genuine promise. It is part of the Tufts Poetry Awards, which also includes the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. The award aims to support poets in their craft and provide recognition and visibility.

📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Flash Fiction Competition

This quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of 31st March, 30th June, 30th September and 31st December. The results will be announced about six weeks after each closing date and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on the website.

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)

New Writers 1000-Word Short Story Competition 2024

New Writers

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

This competition is open to writers globally offering a total prize fund of £1,500, with prizes of £1,000 for first place, £300 for second, and £200 for third. The competition encourages diverse storytelling without specific themes.

2nd: £300 | 3rd: £200

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Troubadour International Poetry Prize

Coffeehouse Poetry

The Troubadour International Poetry Prize is an annual competition open to poets worldwide, judged by notable figures in the literary community. The 2024 prize includes cash awards for the top three poems, as well as opportunities for commended entries.

Second: £1,000 Third prize: £500 20 commended entries Winners read with judges at the online international prize-night celebration.

📅 Deadline: September 23, 2024

Annual Short Story Contest

Rotary Club of Stratford

English language submissions of original, unpublished works of up to 2,500 words will be accepted until October 31. Submissions are processed by a two-tiered system of readers and judges. Winners will be announced on December 10, 2021.

2nd prize $250, 3rd prize $100.

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)

Honest Holiday Haiku

Gotham Writers Workshop

The Honest Holiday Haiku contest invites writers to create a haiku that reflects their honest feelings about the holiday season. This contest emphasizes originality and emotional expression.

Free class from Gotham Writers Workshop. Runners-up may receive honorable mentions and features in social media.

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2024

The Moth Magazine Ltd.

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize is an annual competition for unpublished poems written by adults for children aged 7–11. It has been awarded since 2015 by notable judges like Michael Rosen and includes past winners such as Louise Greig and Coral Rumble.

€1,000 plus a week at Circle of Misse in France

2nd: €500 | 3rd: €250 Some poems may be commended at the judge's discretion.

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

A Warm Mug of Cozy Anthology

Warm Mug of Cozy

Genres: Crime, Flash Fiction, Mystery, and Short Story

The contest invites submissions for cozy mystery stories. Participants must follow cozy mystery guidelines and can submit up to 5 stories, each with a max length of 5,000 words.

Ongoing royalties (2% per published story)

PDF copy of the anthology

Annual Short Contest

Gemini Magazine

Genres: Flash Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Fiction

The Annual Short Contest is part of Gemini Magazine's yearly contests, which include Flash Fiction and Poetry. Each contest seeks to discover and publish exceptional literary works from writers around the globe.

Second place: $100 $25 plus publication for honorable mentions. Publication in Gemini Magazine

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024 (Expired)

John Estey Student Writing Competition

American Writers Museum

Genres: Children's

The 5th Annual John Estey Student Writing Competition invites students to submit original works based on a prompt from Mary Doria Russell’s novel _The Sparrow_. Participants can write fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and more, with a maximum length of 1,000 words. Homeschoolers and international students can also enter, provided they meet specific submission criteria.

Winners in various categories receive cash prizes: $500 for elementary, $1000 for middle school, and $2000 for high school.

📅 Deadline: June 07, 2024 (Expired)

Presence Short Story Award

Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Novella, and Thriller

The Presence Short Story Award invites unique stories about ghosts or spiritual entities, particularly from BIPOC and underrepresented communities. The contest emphasizes psychological terror over gore.

Runner-up prizes include $250 and $100 cash prizes, as well as $25 Amazon gift cards for the top 6 finalists. Grand prize includes publication in the Presence collection and Kinsman Quarterly journal.

💰 Entry fee: $25

The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award

The Ghost Story

Genres: Horror

Twice each year TGS awards $1,500 and both online and print publication to the winner of our short story competition. Two other writers receive Honorable Mention awards that include publication and cash prizes of $300. Online publication dates are June 1, and October 31.

💰 Entry fee: $20

2025 Book Prize

Unleash Press

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, and Short Story

The 2025 Book Prize awards a winning manuscript with a $1,000 advance and a standard contract from Unleash Press. Accepts novels, poetry collections, short story collections, and creative nonfiction. The competition is open now until December 1, 2024.

Standard publishing contract for the winner. Finalists will be considered for publication.

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: December 02, 2024

Claymore Award

Killer Nashville

Genres: Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story, Suspense, and Thriller

The Claymore Award is an annual writing contest aimed at helping new and rebranding authors get published. It seeks the best first 50 pages of unpublished manuscripts, plays, or screenplays, focusing on genres like mystery, thriller, and action. Winners are announced at the annual Killer Nashville Awards Dinner, which is open to the public and media. The award was created in 2009 and aims to facilitate recognition for writers.

Recognition and potential agent representation

💰 Entry fee: $50

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2025

The Scribes Prize

Fairfield Scribes

The Scribes Prize invites entries for flash fiction or creative nonfiction of 90-110 words. The contest aims to highlight great writing and offers monetary prizes with the winners published in the ScribesMICRO magazine.

Silver: $125 Bronze: $60 15 Honorable Mentions: $20 each Publication in ScribesMICRO and digital award seals for winners

📅 Deadline: September 01, 2024 (Expired)

Poetry International Prize 2024

Poetry International

The Poetry International Prize honors a single poem of any length with a cash prize and publication. The judge for 2024 is Rick Barot.

Publication in Poetry International

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

The TRP Southern Breakthrough Series

Texas Review Press

The TRP Southern Poetry Breakthrough Series highlights a first full-length collection by emerging authors from each state in the southern U.S. This year's state is South Carolina. Open to any poet born in South Carolina, currently residing in South Carolina, or who has lived in South Carolina for five consecutive years at any point, who has not yet published a full-length collection of poetry. The author may have published chapbooks or books in other genres. Submissions accepted through Submittable only.

Publication

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

The Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction

The Lascaux Review

Stories may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Finalists receive $100. Winner and finalists are published in both the online and annual print editions of The Lascaux Review.

Publication in The Lascaux Review

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)

Gulf Coast Writers Association Writing Contest

Gulf Coast Writers Association

Genres: Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA) organizes an annual writing contest to celebrate and recognize talented writers across various genres. Participants can submit original works in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. The contest promotes writers' creativity and provides valuable feedback from experienced judges.

Second place: $75 Third place: $50 For each category

Michael Waters Poetry Prize

University of Southern Indiana

The Michael Waters Poetry Prize awards a $6,000 prize and publication by SIR Press for a collection of poetry written in English. Entries are considered annually, with the next deadline on February 3, 2025, and judged by Monica Youn. The contest aims to honor Michael Waters’ contributions to American arts and letters.

Publication by SIR Press.

💰 Entry fee: $3

📅 Deadline: February 03, 2025

The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction

Lascuax Review

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, or discovered. Pieces may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review.

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

World Historian Student Essay Competition

World History Association

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again.

The Bath Novel Award

The Bath Novel Awards

Genres: Fiction, Novel, and Young Adult

The Bath Novel Award is a £5,000 international prize for emerging writers of adult fiction. Submit the first 5,000 words plus a one-page synopsis of your novel for adults or young adults. Shortlisted entrants will receive feedback on their full manuscript and all listees will receive editorial director feedback on their extract and synopsis.

£1800 for one longlistee

💰 Entry fee: $38

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

The Big Moose Prize

Black Lawrence Press

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Short Story

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Big Moose Prize for an unpublished novel. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes will be awarded on publication. The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel.

Publication, 10 copies of your book

💰 Entry fee: $27

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

UNO Press Publishing Lab

University of New Orleans Press

Genres: Novel

The Publishing Laboratory at the University of New Orleans seeks to promote innovative publicity and broad distribution for authors. They accept submissions for unpublished novels and short story collections. A selected author is awarded a $10,000 advance on royalties and a publishing contract.

Advance on royalties

💰 Entry fee: $28

Inspiring Fiction's Crime and Speculative Fiction Contest

Inspiring Fiction

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Mystery, Science Fiction, and Thriller

Inspiring Fiction’s first crime and speculative fiction short story contest is on the theme ‘Secrets’. The winner and shortlisted entries will be published in the fourth issue of Tangled Web Magazine.

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2023 (Expired)

Inspiring Fiction's Special Edition Short Story Contest

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

The contest invites participants to explore the theme of freedom through crime, speculative, and fantasy fiction. Winning entries will be published in a special bumper issue of Tangled Web Magazine and Mirk Fantasy Magazine.

Winner published in a special issue.

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024 (Expired)

Twist in the Tale - May 1k Words

Twist in the Tale

Genres: Flash Fiction, Short Story, and Fiction

The contest encourages creativity by providing a main genre and a twisted subgenre, along with unique prompts. Participants can reroll their subgenre and prompts to inspire their story writing. It promotes community interaction through writing groups and feedback mechanisms.

📅 Deadline: May 19, 2024 (Expired)

F(r)iction Contests

Brink Literacy Project

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

F(r)iction Contests accepts submissions in short stories, poetry, and flash fiction, encouraging boundary-pushing and experimental works. The contest opens on July 1, 2024, and winners will be announced in April 2025.

$1,000 for short stories, and $300 for poetry and flash fiction. Up to five finalists per category will be considered for publication.

📅 Deadline: November 03, 2024

Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition

Minotaur Books & Malice Domestic

Genres: Mystery and Novel

Welcome to the Tony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Set in the Southwest Competition! The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any Published Mystery Novel (including self-published works and ebooks), as defined by the guidelines below, and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a mystery novel.

$10,000 advance

Contract with Minotaur Books

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2021 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course : How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

• "How to Craft a Killer Short Story" ( Click here )
• "The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel" ( Click here )
• "Understanding Point of View" ( Click here )
• "Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love" ( Click here )
• "Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character" ( Click here )
• "Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine" ( Click here )

On Editing:

• "Story Editing for Authors" ( Click here )
• "How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro" ( Click here )
• "Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Novel: Steps From a Bestselling Writer" ( Click here )
• "How to Write a Short Story in 9 Simple Steps" ( Click here )
• "100 Literary Devices With Examples: The Ultimate List" ( Click here )
• "20 Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft" ( Click here )
• "How to Write Fabulous Dialogue [9 Tips + Examples]" ( Click here )
• "8 Character Development Exercises to Write 3D Characters" ( Click here )

Bonus resources

• 200+ Short Story Ideas ( Click here )
• 600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You ( Click here )
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors ( Click here )
• Story Title Generator ( Click here )
• Pen Name Generator ( Click here )
• Character Name Generator ( Click here )

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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F(r)iction Contests

Opens: July 1, 2024 Deadline: November 1, 2024 Results: Announced April 2025 Prizes: Win $1,600 in Prizes! Guest Judges: Lindz McLeod, KRISTINE ESSER SLENTZ, and Catherine McNamara Categories: Short Story, Poetry, and Flash Fiction

For full Submission Guidelines , please read the information on our Submittable page carefully . And please visit our  formatting guidelines page to properly format your work for submission.

An insider tip for you all: We seek work that actively pushes boundaries, that forces us to question traditions and tastes. If your work takes risks, we want to read it. We like strong narratives that make us feel something and stories we haven’t seen before. To get an idea of the kind of work we look for , please check out this page from our editors detailing  what we look for  in our submissions.

We also strongly recommend checking out a past issue of F(r)iction before submitting to our contests to get an idea of our general publishing aesthetic. We have several pieces available online , but there’s nothing like holding a glossy, full-color issue in your hands. You can check out all of our issues in our shop .

Short Story Judge $1,000 Prize

Lindz mcleod.

Lindz McLeod is a queer, working-class, Scottish writer and editor who dabbles in the surreal. Her short prose has been published by Apex, Catapult, Pseudopod, and many more. Her longer work includes the short story collection TURDUCKEN (Spaceboy, 2023), as well as her books BEAST (Hear Us Scream, 2023), SUNBATHERS (Hedone Books, 2024), THE UNLIKELY PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET (Harlequin, 2025), WE, THE DROWNING (Android Press, 2026), and the collaborative anthology  AN HONOUR AND A PRIVILEGE (Stanchion, 2025). Her work has been taught in schools, universities, and turned into avant-garde opera. She is a full member of the SFWA, the club president of the Edinburgh Writers’ Club, and is currently studying for a PhD in Creative Writing.

Website:  www.lindzmcleod.co.uk Twitter/bluesky: @lindzmcleod

Poetry Judge $300 Prize

Kristine esser slentz.

KRISTINE ESSER SLENTZ is a Maltese descendent, queer, cult escapee, and author of  woman, depose  (FlowerSong Press 2021) and EXHIBIT: an amended woman, depose  (FlowerSong Press 2024). She grew up in both northwest Indiana and the Chicagoland area—what her father calls the ‘bottom of the blue-collar.’ After receiving her GED, she completed her undergraduate degree at Purdue University, double-majoring in English Literature and Creative Writing, before earning a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (poetry) from City College of New York (CCNY). She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at CCNY, among other places. KRISTINE is a Pushcart Prize nominee, finalist in the Glass Poetry Chapbook, recipient of a CCNY English Department Teacher-Writer Award, a City Artist Corps Grant, and former Rifkind Fellow and Poets Afloat resident. She has had artwork displayed in exhibits at the 5547 Project and recently in Pride & Joy at the Athenaeum Indy. She is the co-founder and organizer/host of the monthly experimental artist series, Adverse Abstraction, in New York City’s East Village. You can follow KRISTINE’s art on her substack, Carnations & Car Crashes .

Instagram: @keslentz

Flash Fiction Judge $300 Prize

Catherine mcnamara.

Catherine McNamara grew up in Sydney, ran away to Paris to write and ended up co-running a bar in Ghana, working in Mogadishu and Milan along the way. She is the author of the short fiction collections  The Carnal Fugues , The Cartography of Others ,  Love Stories for Hectic People  and  Pelt and Other Stories , and her stories have been widely published. She is Flash Fiction Editor and a Masterclass tutor for  Litro  Magazine, and was Guest Editor for the  Best Small Fictions Anthology 2023 . Catherine lives in Italy.

X and Instagram: @catinitaly for X and Instagram FB: Catherine McNamara www.catherinemcnamarawriter.com

Please note: We are unable to offer refunds for contest submissions, so please read the options and choose your submission category carefully. For poetry and flash fiction, you can submit ONE ENTRY or a THREE PACK.

F(r)iction reserves the right to not award a winner in any categories if the submissions do not reach a publishable standard. In this case, reading fees will NOT be refunded and a winner will not be announced. Although this has rarely come to pass in our six-year-publishing history, our top priority must remain with the quality of work we publish.

No AI Submissions

We currently do not accept work from artificial intelligence (“AI”) generators or similar. By submitting your entry, you are attesting that your work was not created, in whole or in part, with an AI generator or similar. Should any portion of your work be discovered to be the product of an AI generator or similar, by submitting, you agree to indemnify Brink Literacy Project for all losses, fees, and damages it suffers relating to your submission and/or misrepresentation, including but not limited to, direct and indirect damages, loss of sale, reputational damages, attorney fees, and other expenses. You further agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Brink Literacy Project against any third-party claims relating to the work you submit.