Oof, we’re always so wary about sending information regarding contests. As someone who personally explored thousands of contests for our database, I can say with confidence that so many are sketch.
At the same time, because literary magazines and outlets are so limited in terms of funding, contests are often the only way they can make money to stay afloat. So, maybe not all the ones I thought were sketch were sketch. Maybe it’s just inexperienced folk doing the best they can to fund their project. Who knows.
In this case, we focused on under £10 contests because that seems like a fair price. When I see a contest charging $20+ per entry I am very apprehensive to recommend them.
For writers, there are different schools of thought. Some say that a contest isn’t worth it unless it’s a big prestigious one. Eh, idk if I fall into that camp. I think they can be fun and a nice cred-booster no matter how big. I’d actually be curious what people think. Are small contests worth it? Is any money to submit work too much money? Where is your cut-off?
AND! Yes, and. I’ve also included in today’s list a breakdown of 10 Themed Calls for Location, Culture & The World At Large. None of them charge fees. Some of them pay! Plus the genres they want and a breakdown of the theme.
So, here are your 19 submission opportunities for the day.
This is one of our 6 paid lists (our next free one will be Monday). If you’d like to access it, you’ll have to upgrade to paid or sign up for our Chill Subs Membership. This is how we fund all that we do right now so any amount helps us loads. Thank you.
*If you have any financial hardship, there is a scholarship form on our membership page.
CONTESTS
Polar Expressions National Short-Story Contests
“Each year we hold two contests, which are open to Canadian students in kindergarten through grade twelve”
Submission Fee: Free
Prize: $500, 250, 100
Deadline: July 31, 2023
Host: Polar Expressions
*They also have one for Poetry. But note: only for Canadian Residents.
Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition
"The Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition is open to writers across the globe."
Submission Fee: £9
Prize: £1000, 200x2
Deadline: July 31, 2023
Host: Creative Writing Ink
NOTE:
All entries are judged anonymously. Please do not include your name, address, phone number, email, website, social media details, etc. on the short story document or in the file name as this will result in disqualification. Format the short story as per the following instructions: Your story must be written in English. A maximum of 3,000 words. No minimum. Title not included in the word count.
Anansi Archives Short Fiction Contest
“Every quarter we like to recognize the best writing. In addition to cash prizes, we will showcase the work on our website”
Submission Fee: £3
Prize: £50
Deadline: August 31, 2023
Host: Anansi Archive
What are we looking for?
In fiction: originality, strong characterisations, vivid scene-setting, conciseness of prose. Strong pay-off lines are not mandatory but we like a satisfying denouement. In all writing, have something to say and ask yourself this: Does it make me think? Does it make me feel?
NOTE: Also have contests for Flash Fiction & Poetry for £1
William Faulkner Literary Competition: Student Short Story
"The William Faulkner Literary Competition offers five categories for submission: Novel, One Act Playwriting, Short Story, Poem and Student Short Story.”
Submission Fee: Free
Prize: $250, $150, $100
Deadline: August 31, 2023
Host: The William Faulkner Literary Contest
*This category is only open to Mississippi high school students
*They do have an Adult/Everyone category but it’s $20 to enter so, meh.
V. S. Pritchett Short Story Prize
“Founded by the RSL at the beginning of the new millennium to commemorate the centenary of an author widely regarded as the finest English short-story writer of the 20th century”
Submission Fee: £7.50
Prize: £1000
Deadline: September 1, 2023
Host: The Royal Society of Literature
The V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize is an annual award for unpublished short stories between 2000 to 4000 words in length. The winner will receive £1,000 and their entry will be published in Prospect magazine and the RSL Review.
*They do have a fee waiver for those in the UK under financial hardship.
Hammond House Short Story Competition
"Cash prizes, opportunities for publication, an awards ceremony and an inspiring new theme. "
Submission Fee: £10
Prize: £1000, £100, £50
Deadline: September 30, 2023
Host: Hammond Publishing House
Our Annual Literary Prize is back again for 2023, with bigger cash prizes, publication for all shortlisted entries in our annual anthologies, a televised award ceremony, and an inspiring new theme. Sponsored by the University Centre Grimsby, this annual writing competition, now in its seventh year, attracts entries from up to 30 countries around the world.
*They also have categories for poetry, screenwriting, and songwriting.
Servicescape Short Story Award
“Are you a short story writer interested in gaining more exposure and a bigger audience for your creative work?"
Submission Fee: Free
Prize: $1000
Deadline: November 30, 2023
Host: ServiceScape
18+
All submitted entries must be original, unpublished works of short fiction or nonfiction, up to 5,000 words in length.
Plenty of time to submit.
Shooter Short Story Competition
“Looking for well-written tales that appeal to both the head and the heart."
Submission Fee: £7-10
Prize: £400, £100
Deadline: September 24, 2023
Host: Shooter Lit Mag
Regular submissions to the magazine are confined to a particular theme, but the competition offers a chance to write about whatever compels you, in any style, to a maximum of 5,000 words. We’re looking for imaginative, absorbing and beautifully written stories that bring characters to life and elicit an emotional response from the reader. In short: well written tales that appeal to both the head and the heart.
In return for the entry fee, all entrants will receive an e-copy of Shooter’s autumn 2023 issue, which will feature the winning story.
Writers Online Short Story Competition
"Do you want to challenge yourself and showcase your work?
Submission Fee: (5-7.50 or Free)
Prize: $200, 50 (winning entry in print)
Host: Writers Online
*OK, so this one is a personal preference for you as a writer. It is clearly a contest churn. Loads of small contests for small fees and small prizes. There are several ads on the page. Personally, I would not submit here. But I’m broke and like to write my own stuff. But if you’re someone with extra cash and want to try out a bunch of contests to maybe win some money, go for it. For subscribers, their contests are 5 or free. For non-subscribers it’s 5-7.50 and you can’t enter subscriber only contests.
I’m often torn about platforms like this because, they’re not my thing. But I don’t necessarily think they are evil. Like, I also hate Reddit but loads of people love them. So, we’ve included them in this list for those who might not have the same issues and think doing a bunch of contests would be fun within a little community. Just can’t help sharing our thoughts. If you’re new to writing online and just want to submit to a one-off contest, I’d choose a different one.
THEMES
I love themed calls. I also love learning and writing about the world beyond America’s little corner. All of these magazines have world-related themed calls. They’re all currently open for submission. None of them have fees. Several of them pay. I’ve included deadlines, genre, and payment details for each. If you click any of the themes/names of the magazines, it will take you directly to their submissions page. Each quote is taken directly from their guidelines where they discuss the theme they’re looking for.
Culture and heritage - Zhagaram Literary Magazine
We want your myths, your unwritten histories, the stories whispered under the glow of little flames for centuries. We want your grandmother's silence, your mother's rage and you breaking generational curses. Tell us what the word for love is in your language, then tell us why it's so difficult for you to say it. Or how love spills easily from your heart when in your native language.
Deadline: July 25
Genres: Poetry, Articles, Art, Photography
No fee. No pay.
World Tour - NonBinary Review
"NonBinary Review is open for submissions on the theme of "world tour." From the first migration of our ancestors out of Africa to the globe trotting of the jet set, our planet and our culture have been shaped by people traveling vast distances. Some traveled for survival, some for wealth, some for power, and some traveled to satisfy their curiosity. We're looking for stories about epic journeys over vast distances with many destinations. We're looking for travels that have changed the way people have viewed their world. We're looking for travels that have broadened the outlook, not just of the traveler, but of civilization. We're not looking for personal travelogues, unless you're Columbus, Magellan, etc., in which case, we have some questions. We're also not looking for stories of family's moves to the new world. We also don't want interplanetary travel-type science fiction. All submissions must have a clear relationship to our theme, and be double-spaced in 12pt Times New Roman or they will be rejected. NonBinary Review pays 1¢ per word for prose with a limit of 3000 words."
Deadline: July 28
Genres: Prose, Poetry, Visual Art
No Fee. Pays: $0-50
BELONGING - FIYAH: Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction
For this Belonging issue, we are looking for stories highlighting why, where, and how Black folks belong across the diaspora and multiverse. Imagine a moment in time or another universe where Black people aren’t forced to question our right to be ourselves. We want to see courageous narratives about forging new relationships for the betterment of all, including the planet/land, whether among the diverse peoples of our global community or with beings from faraway worlds. We are looking for fun and dynamic adventures that give rise to a sense of belonging and showcase the importance of community.
Deadline: July 31
Genres: Prose and Poetry
No Fee. Pays .08 per word
"mother tongue | other tongue" - the other side of hope: journeys in refugee and immigrant literature
the other side of hope: journeys in refugee and immigrant literature is a UK-based literary magazine edited by refugees and immigrants. We exist to serve and celebrate the refugee and immigrant communities worldwide. we consider poetry in any language - apart from English - by refugees & immigrants only.
Deadline: August 5
Genres: Poetry
No fee. Pays: £50-300
HOME - Block Party Magazine
Straighten the paintings, sweep the porch, and welcome us HOME in Block Party’s 5th issue. HOME is your first apartment with the broken locks, the friend who ties your laces, the songs you sing in the car. HOME is where you fit, where you can kick your shoes off and feel wrapped in warmth. Above all else, HOME is Block Party’s best issue yet. Come on, let’s go HOME.
Deadline: August 15
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Photography, Art
No fee. Pays: $10
VOL. II: TOKYO 東京 - The Greyhound Journal
We are currently open for submissions to VOL. II: TOKYO. We welcome submissions that engage, deconstruct, or contextualize this city in all its heritage and historical presence. Your manuscript doesn't have to revolve around the city or focus on it in any significant way -- just belong in a collection of works set in Tokyo throughout time. We currently accept both prose and poetry in Mandarin and English.
Deadline: August 20
Genres: Poetry & Prose
No fee. No Pay.
Food & Feasting - Eye to the Telescope: The SFPA Journal of Speculative Poetry
Food is the essential connector, it links people to their identities and to each other. It fuels us, allows us to dream. In the realms of fae, it’s a curse. What might food look like in other words? Taste like? Feel like? What might it do to people? How might someone’s relationship with food be impacted by the way that it’s made? Don’t be afraid to delve into detail, no matter how disgusting. As for feasting—is it a celebration or a crime? Who does the feasting? What prestige do certain items of food have? Delicacies aren’t always delicate. In the far future, would people even eat? If not, what might feasting look like for them? I’m interested in works that explore all aspects of food and feasting, from production to consumption, from culture to detachment, from ecstasy to shame. Don't be afraid to explore form & new forms, but I admire emotional and imaginative potency above all.
Deadline: September 15
Genres: Poetry, translations
No fee. Pays: $4-25
Diaspora, immigration - Liminal Transit Review
We publish work focusing on themes including but not limited to immigration, diaspora, displacement, decolonization, and borders, and the intersections of these themes with literature, movement, and transit. We’re interested in work about geography and place, its connections with literature and identity. In addition to cross genre work, we’re also particularly drawn to experimental, abstract, and theoretical work.
Deadline: n/a
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry
No Fee. No Payment.
Places - Scrawl Place
My only fixed criteria is that your submission be about or connected to or associated with a specific, physical place that someone could visit. The more specific the place, the better. How that manifests in terms of content, style and form is up to you. The place you write about could be a Wonder of the World, a random street corner that means something to you, or anything in between. My aspirational hope is that readers will think of you and your words if they ever happen to visit the places you write about, then maybe write some words of their own and start a dialogue across time and space.
Deadline: Always Open
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid
No Fee. Pays: $35
UPROOTED - Rough Cut Press
We seek experimental work of all genres by writers and allies of the LGBTQIA community. To get a sense of what we publish please read some of our former issues. We don’t know what we like until we see it. Each month we announce a different theme, but don’t worry if the work you submit doesn’t quite fit: we often build issues around work that takes us by surprise.
Our summer theme is UPROOTED. You will hear from us within thirty days of submission if your work is accepted for publication.
Deadline: n/a
Genres: Art, Fiction, nonfiction, poetry
No fee. Pays: $25