Okay, so first I have to say a few things about contests. I rarely submit to them. From this list, I’ve submitted to two. The Baltimore Review, and SmokeLong’s Micro Competition. I might also submit to Quarterly West before they close because the fees are reasonable and match up with the prizes. But woof.
I scanned through these before posting. I found so many that had crap websites. Several more that just loaded up on contests for every possible genre/length. More that had outrageous fees with unclear guidelines or prizes. I deleted all of those. There were two from Cinnamon Press I deleted because the prize was just a publishing contract. And the fee was $18. That’s not a contest. That’s just a reading fee.
I started with over 60 contests and wound up with 29. Still, please do your own research. I cleared away those that had rampant fuckery or seemed obviously sketch. One had a $34 fee with a $500 payout. Hell. How do some folks sleep at night? I’ll never know. But winning a writing contest can truly help boost a writer’s career, so I don’t want to ignore them. Just remember that few of these contests are here for you. They are here to make money. Sure, that can benefit you, but let’s not delude ourselves. Sometimes it is for a good reason—fund the magazine and grow their presence. Other times, it is just a profit maker.
Good, well, now we’ve had a pep-talk, here we go.
Some upcoming workshops from Write or Die:
Need inspiration for a authentic and charismatic teenager character? Check out Lauren Veloski’s screenwriting workshop, Your Teenage Self Was a F**ing Star!
If you are looking to sharpen your dialogue skills, Joanna Cantor is facilitating a 3 hour workshop, Crafting Conversations: Elevating Your Fiction Through Dialogue.
And this is the last week to sign up for Saturday’s writing retreat! The Write Together Retreat with Allie Rowbottom and Tea Hacic-Vlahovic is on November 4th from 11-3:30 PM EST. Scheduled writing time, author craft chat, Q&A and more!
**CONTESTS CLOSING (VERY) SOON**
Quarterly West Poetry Contest
November 3, 2023
The winners will each receive $500 and publication in a forthcoming issue of Quarterly West. Runners-up in poetry and prose will each receive $200, and all entries will be considered for publication.
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: $5 • Prize: $500, $200
Quarterly West Prose Contests
November 3, 2023
The winners will each receive $500 and publication in a forthcoming issue of Quarterly West. Runners-up in poetry and prose will each receive $200, and all entries will be considered for publication.
• Accepts - Fiction, Nonfiction • Fee: 5 • Prize: 500, 200
The Changes Book Prize
November 1, 2023
Established in 2022, the Changes Book Prize awards $10,000 and publication to the author of a first or second collection of poems.
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: none • Prize: $10000
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
November 1, 2023
The prize is free to enter and open to any citizen of a Commonwealth country who is aged 18 and over. It is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction.
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: none • Prize: £5,000
Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize
November 1, 2023
The Vonnegut Prize is an annual fiction competition intended to recognize the finest speculative fiction, which can include, but is not limited to, work influenced by the postmodern science-fiction of Kurt Vonnegut.
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: $23 • Prize: $1000
James Hearst Poetry Prize
November 1, 2023
The James Hearst Poetry Prize is a competition intended to recognize the finest poetry.
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: $23 • Prize: $1000
Pen/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers
November 1, 2023
The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers recognizes 12 emerging writers each year.
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: None • Prize: 2000
The Caledonia Novel Awards 2024
November 1, 2023
We are an Edinburgh-based, international writing competition for unpublished and self-published novelists in all genres for adults and YA.
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: £25 • Prize: £1500
The Cowles Poetry Book Prize
November 1, 2023
a biennial competition in honor of Vern Cowles, a man who loved literature
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: $25 • Prize: $2000
F(R)Iction Flash Fiction Contest
November 3, 2023
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.
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: $10 • Prize: $300
F(R)Iction Short Story Contest
November 3, 2023
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.
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: $15 • Prize: $1000
F(R)Iction Poetry Contest
November 3, 2023
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.
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: $10 • Prize: $300
Writing Battle Autumn Short Story
Register by November 5, 2023
5 days to write 2000 words - The peer-powered short story competition where everyone receives oodles of feedback.
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: $25 • Prize: $5000
The Brandon Langhjelm Memorial Essay Contest
November 5, 2023
In November 2021, the Justice Centre announced the Brandon Langhjelm Memorial Essay Contest, in tribute to lawyer Brandon, who passed away on October 25, 2021.
• Accepts - Nonfiction • Fee: unknown • Prize: 2000, 1000, 500 (I believe this is for Canadians only)
And with more time to breathe…
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest
November 10, 2023
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Competition (The Mikey) is a biennial competition that celebrates and compensates the best micro fiction and nonfiction online. If your micro is chosen, you’re guaranteed $100, but you could win much more. In this competition you will have the opportunity to enter one, two, or up to four micros.
• Accepts - Fiction, Nonfiction, Hybrid • Fee: $13 • Prize: $1500, 500, 300, 100
Joy Bale Boone Poetry Prize
November 30, 2023
We are honored to host the annual Joy Bale Boone Poetry Prize whose winners and finalists will appear in the following Spring issue of The Heartland Review.
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: $10 • Prize: $750
Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival Non-Fiction Prize
November 15, 2023
The Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize will be awarded to the best Brooklyn-focused non-fiction essay which is set in Brooklyn and is about Brooklyn and/or Brooklyn people/characters.
• Accepts - Nonfiction • Fee: none • Prize: $500
Donald Justice Poetry Prize
November 15, 2023
The distinguished American poet Donald Justice is recognized as one of the finest poets of the late twentieth century.
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: $25 • Prize: $1500
Robert J. DeMott Flash Contest
November 30, 2023
Judge: Kirstin Valdez Quade. Prize: $1008.15. Send up to 3 pieces of up to 500 words each: prose poetry, micro-essays, flash fiction. All entries will be considered for publication.
• Accepts - Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry • Fee: $15, via Submittable • Prize: $1008.15
Rising Writer Prize
November 30, 2023
for a first full-length book of fiction. The Rising Writer Prize alternates each year between fiction and poetry. The 2024 prize will be awarded to a first book of poetry.
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: $25 • Prize: $1000
Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition
November 30, 2023
The competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast poems in the English language of 40 lines or fewer. The poem can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world.
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: €7 or €30 for 5 • Prize: €2,000
Wow! Women On Writing: Fall Flash Fiction Contest
November 30, 2023
WOW! hosts a (quarterly) writing contest every three months, and has done so since 2006.
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: 10 • Prize: 400, 300, 200
Cider Press Review Book Awards
November 30, 2023
CPR offers two (2) book awards each calendar year, the Editors’ Prize in spring and the Cider Press Review Book Award in fall.
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: $26 • Prize: $1500
Frontier Global Poetry Contest
November 30, 2023
We are so excited to create space specifically for poets whose identity has deep ties to regions outside the US. We're seeking to award three poets $1000 each: one from India & South Asia; one from Europe; and one from Africa.
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: Yes • Prize: $1000 x3
Baltimore Review Flash & Prose Poem Contest
November 30, 2023
No theme for our winter contest. Subject matter is entirely up to you. Surprise us. But keep it short. See how much you can accomplish, how much of an impact you can have, with a small number of words. We want to wonder how you abracadabra words into magic. We want to be amazed and maybe a little jealous of how you do that.
• Accepts - Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry • Fee: $8 • Prize: $400
Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest
November 15, 2023
All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome. Any genre. The theme is using humor as healing. 1st place: $2,000 USD. 2nd place: Writing coaching package valued at $450 USD. 3rd place: Developmental and diversity editing package.
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: $15 • Prize: $2000, 450, 250
The Bath Novel Awards
November 30, 2023
The Bath Novel Awards are international prizes for emerging fiction talent. Founded in the city of Bath, England in 2013, the awards spotlight and celebrate not-yet-published and independently published novelists.
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: £29 • Prize: £3000
Bath Children’s Novel Award
November 30, 2023
(Similar to above but for kids stuff)
• Accepts - Fiction • Fee: £29 • Prize: £3000
National Student Poetry Contests
November 30, 2023
Each year we hold two contests, which are open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Over $5,000 is awarded in cash prizes to schools and students who participate!
• Accepts - Poetry • Fee: not sure • Prize: 300, 200, 100
Would you consider writing about chapbooks? What are helpful competitions? Which are worth the price? Who are the best publishers? Pamphlets and micros? Poetry vs nonfiction vs fiction? Thanks!
With caution from tricksters we enter a comment. So many, many fees to enter. Not only contests, but Zines and such. Everyone wants money to enter. What is one to do? Spend our bread and soup cash, or savings for a rainy, windy day?
Anywho? Thank you all for the messages. Not so many free journals such as this.
I know this one comment be late. Time and ease is also limited for a few older folks.