Have you ever ever Googled “writing contests”? Many require studying charges or prizes—like seeing your work in print—that you could solely obtain if you happen to pay for it.
Some legit contests cost small entry charges, however usually a charge could be a purple flag for a rip-off, so these could be those you need to steer clear of.
In addition to, there are many free writing contests that encourage and encourage boundless creativity with actual money prizes and career-advancing alternatives! Since it may be arduous for a author to know the place to search out them, we did the legwork for you.
We discovered 40 respected, well-reviewed, free writing contests for poets, fiction writers, essayists and extra
With 1000’s of {dollars} in money prizes and quite a few alternatives to safe a publishing contract, you’re certain to search out the suitable free writing contest to your work.
For those who don’t thoughts paying a bit of cash to enter, our pals over at Sensible Blogger have rounded up some nice writing contests which have small entry charges. And if you happen to’re nonetheless hungry for extra alternatives, we even have posts on writers grants and writing fellowships.
Fiction and nonfiction writing contests this yr
Able to share your novel or private essay with the world? Whether or not you’re a beginner or extra established author, you’re doubtless eligible for a number of of those contests.
Listed below are some fiction and nonfiction writing contests value contemplating.
1. L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest
No matter your emotions about L. Ron Hubbard’s work and philosophy, the prizes for this common contest are nothing to sneeze at. Each three months, winners earn $1,000, $750 and $500, plus a further annual grand prize of $5,000.
Submissions should be brief tales or novelettes (as much as 17,000 phrases) within the style of science fiction or fantasy, and new and beginner writers are welcome to use.
Deadlines: Quarterly on March 31, June 30 and September 30
Web site: Writers of the Future
2. Inkitt
This boutique publishing agency presents money prizes and promotional packages to profitable authors. Submit a novel of 10,000 phrases or extra in any fiction style (no fanfic or poetry).
Inkitt’s writing contest runs month-to-month and offers authors the possibility to win money prizes as much as $300, unique e book badges and promotional packages whereas showcasing their books to Inkitt’s viewers of greater than 3 million customers. Winners are decided by Inkitt’s distinctive algorithm primarily based on general reader engagement.
Deadline: See particular person contest pages
Web site: Inkitt
Disclosure: Inkitt is an promoting accomplice of The Write Life. We maintain our advertisers to excessive requirements and vetted this contest similar to others on this checklist.
3. Drue Heinz Literature Prize
You’ll be able to win $15,000 and publication by the College of Pittsburgh Press with this prize, awarded for a set of brief fiction.
Chances are you’ll submit an unpublished manuscript of brief tales, two or extra novellas or a mixture of novellas and brief tales. Your complete phrase depend needs to be between 150 and 300 typed pages. You need to even have already revealed a novel or book-length work of fiction “with a good writer,” or no fewer than three brief tales or novellas in nationally-recognized journals.
Deadline: Annual submissions should be postmarked between Could 1 by June 30
Web site: College of Pittsburgh Press
4. Younger Lions Fiction Award
This $10,000 award acknowledges “younger authors,” which the principles outline as any writer aged 35 or youthful. Submit any novel or assortment of brief tales revealed or scheduled to be revealed within the calendar yr. Works should be written for adults; youngsters’s or YA items are ineligible.
Deadline: Submission data is accessible on the award web site
Web site: New York Public Library
5. Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prizes
Among the best-loved small presses within the artistic writing world, Graywolf Press hosts quite a lot of contests for each established and up-and-coming writers. Graywolf additionally presents smaller fiction and nonfiction prizes, with genres rotating by yr; 2020 was a nonfiction yr, so fiction was up in 2021, then again to nonfiction in 2022, and so forth. These awards embody a large advance—$12,000 in earlier years—in addition to publication with Graywolf.
Deadline: Contest is held yearly with rotating genres
Web site: Graywolf Press
6. The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans
Hosted by the distinguished Iowa Assessment, the Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award is obtainable to U.S. army veterans and active-duty members writing in any style about any topic. Manuscripts of as much as 20 pages will likely be accepted, and the first-prize winner will obtain $1,000 and publication within the Assessment. A second place prize of $750 can also be accessible, in addition to three runner-up prizes of $500 every.
Deadline: Biennially
Web site: The Iowa Assessment
7. Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
For 15 years, this contest has supplied visibility for rising African American fiction writers and permits them to concentrate on their writing by awarding a $15,000 money prize. Eligible authors ought to submit a piece of fiction, akin to a novel or brief story assortment, revealed within the calendar yr. (Galleys for publication inside the yr are additionally accepted.)
Deadline: Yearly. The entry window closes on December 31
Web site: The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
8. PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
Honoring the perfect work of fiction revealed by an American writer in a single calendar yr, this award has been given to the likes of John Updike, Philip Roth and Ann Patchett. Novels, novellas and collections of brief tales are all eligible.
The winner receives a hefty money prize—as much as $15,000 prior to now—and an invite to learn on the award ceremony in Washington, D.C. Plus, there aren’t any submission charges or utility types to take care of; simply ship a PDF of every e book (as many as you’d like) to [email protected].
Deadline: Submissions will likely be accepted from July 1 to September 30
Web site: Pen/Faulkner
9. PEN/Robert J. Dau Quick Story Prize for Rising Writers
This contest requires you to have already revealed a brief story in a literary journal or journal or cultural web site. However if you happen to’ve made your debut (however gone no additional), it’s possible you’ll be eligible for the beneficiant money prize of $2,000, which is yearly awarded to 12 rising writers, whose works are then revealed collectively in an anthology.
Quick tales of as much as 12,000 phrases are eligible and should be revealed within the calendar yr previous the yr by which the award is given. Moreover, hold this in thoughts: Submissions are solely eligible if submitted by an editor. Authors could not submit their very own work.
Deadline: Submissions shut November 1
Web site: PEN America
10. Anisfield-Wolf E book Awards
Fiction and nonfiction writers who’ve not too long ago revealed a e book that “contribute[s] to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural variety” are eligible for this award, which presents $10,000 money in addition to media and publicity alternatives. Plus, winners obtain their prize at a ceremony in Cleveland.
Submissions should be revealed within the prior yr (so books revealed final yr are eligible for the award this yr).
Deadline: Annual submission window is September 1 by December 31
Web site: Anisfield-Wolf E book Awards
11. Marfield Prize (aka Nationwide Award for Arts Writing)
Introduced by the Arts Membership of Washington, this award seeks to honor nonfiction books that take care of the “visible, literary, media, or performing arts.” The prize is $10,000 and could also be awarded to works of criticism, artwork historical past, memoirs and biographies, and essays.
Deadline: Yearly within the final quarter of the yr. The submission window in 2023 is October 15
Web site: The Marfield Prize
12. W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Navy Fiction
For those who’re a struggle buff, this competitors is for you. It awards $5,000—and a 24-karat-gold-framed quotation of accomplishment—to the perfect piece of fiction set throughout a interval when the U.S. was at struggle (struggle could both be the primary plot of the piece or just present the setting). Submissions could also be grownup or YA novels.
Deadline: Yearly on December 31
Web site: American Library Affiliation
13. Buddies of American Writers Chicago Awards
FAW presents two annual awards: an Grownup Literature Award for literary fiction or nonfiction, and a Younger Individuals’s Literature Award for a youngsters’s/YA e book.
Authors should reside within the state of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin—or they have to set their e book in a type of places. Prize quantities differ from yr to yr, however you don’t should hassle with an utility and all winners are celebrated on the group’s Could luncheon.
Deadline: Yearly in December
Web site: Buddies of American Writers Chicago
14. Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Contest
Hektoen Worldwide, a web-based journal devoted to medical humanities, presents two prizes yearly for essays of not more than 1,500 phrases: $5,000 is awarded to the winner and $2,500 to the primary runner-up. Eligible matters are broad as long as they’ve a relation to medication, and plenty of embody artwork, historical past, literature, training and extra.
Deadline: Yearly; September 15 is normally the deadline
Web site: Hektoen Worldwide
15. Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest
There’s no denying it: social media is a large a part of our modern-day lives. It’s simple to get used to limiting our communications to 280-character and emoji-strewn snippets, which is why this advertising and marketing agency is internet hosting an essay writing contest to “remind individuals of the advantages of writing.”
Essays of as much as 5,000 characters (roughly 1,000 phrases) will likely be accepted, and proper now they’re searching for tales of COVID-19 quarantine life. The grand prize winner will obtain $300, and 5 runners-up will likely be awarded $100 every.
The competition is free to enter, however you’ll have to register for a Biopage account to be eligible.
Deadline: The competition ends January 31 every year
Web site: Biopage
16. St. Martin’s Minotaur / Thriller Writers of America First Crime Novel Competitors
Writers 18 and older who’ve by no means had a novel revealed (in any style) are eligible for this prize, awarded to an authentic book-length manuscript the place “homicide or one other severe crime or crimes is on the coronary heart of the story.” The winner receives a publication contract with Minotaur Books and an advance of $10,000 in opposition to future royalties.
Deadline: December 17 every year
Web site: Edgar Awards
17. ServiceScape Quick Story Award
ServiceScape, a platform matching freelance writers, editors and graphic designers with shoppers (i.e. an incredible place to search for paid writing work!) presents a yearly Quick Story Award of $1,000 to a profitable fiction or nonfiction work of 5,000 phrases or fewer. The winner will even have their story featured on the ServiceScape weblog, which sees 1000’s of readers every month.
Deadline: November 29 every year
Web site: ServiceScape
18. Stowe Prize
This biennial prize of $10,000 honors an American writer whose grownup fiction or nonfiction work has had an affect on a essential social justice subject (as did Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin). The e book should be written by a U.S. writer and have been revealed in the USA in the course of the earlier three calendar years.
Deadline: Contact the Harriet Beecher Stowe Middle for this yr’s deadline.
Web site: Harriet Beecher Stowe Middle
19. The Diana Woods Memorial Award in Artistic Nonfiction
Artistic nonfiction essays of not more than 5,000 phrases on any topic are eligible for consideration for this award, whose winner receives $250 and publication in Lunch Ticket, the literary and artwork journal produced by the MFA group of Antioch College Los Angeles.
Works should not have been revealed elsewhere. Award winners are required to submit a 100-word biography, current picture and a brief notice thanking the Woods household for his or her generosity and help.
Deadlines: Biannual studying durations are in February for the Summer season/Fall subject and in August for the Winter/Spring subject
Web site: Lunch Ticket
20. The 2023 Brandon Langhjelm Memorial Essay Contest
Annually, this Canadian group presents three prizes, starting from $500 to $1,500, to the essay with probably the most considerate, well-reasoned arguments round a particular human-rights theme. (For instance, 2022’s immediate was, “Canadian governments are making Digital ID applied sciences a precondition of entry to important providers and items. What can Canadians do to guard their Constitution rights and freedoms in opposition to the hazards of those applied sciences?”)
The competition is open to Canadian faculty and college college students, and essays needs to be 2,500 phrases or much less in size.
Deadline: November 5
Web site: Justice Middle for Constitutional Freedoms
21. Write the World
For younger writers ages 13-18, these cool contests additionally function mini workshops. Recognizing that “a primary draft is rarely good,” submissions truly obtain peer overview by authors, writing lecturers and different specialists and writers are given the possibility to revise their items primarily based on this suggestions earlier than submitting them for closing prize consideration.
Contests differ every month, however there’s a $100 prize for the winner and $50 for the runner-up (plus $50 for the perfect peer-reviewer). All three are featured on Write the World’s weblog alongside feedback from a visitor decide. And since every month’s immediate is from a distinct style, growing writers get an opportunity to check out completely different kinds.
Deadline: Month-to-month
Web site: Write the World
22. Prose.
Caught with author’s block and searching for a approach to jumpstart your escape? Prose presents weekly challenges meant to spark your creativity; many are only for enjoyable, however search for the weekly numbered challenges posted by Prose (relatively than group members or sponsors) for an opportunity to win cash.
Prizes are usually between $100 to $200 and phrase counts are low—some as little as beneath 150, some as excessive as 500. So even when all you get from the immediate is an opportunity to flex your mind, it’s not a foul deal.
Deadline: Weekly and month-to-month
Web site: Prose.
23. The Stressed Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing
First-generation immigrants have an opportunity to win $10,000 and publication by Stressed Books for telling their tales (actual or imagined). The competition alternates yearly between fiction (novel or brief story assortment) and nonfiction (memoir, essay assortment, narrative nonfiction).
Deadline: Submission window is normally between December and March
Web site: Stressed Books
24. AFSA Nationwide Excessive College Essay Contest
The U.S. Institute of Peace and the American Overseas Service Affiliation sponsor this annual highschool essay contest, the place the winner receives a $2,500 money prize, an all-expense paid journey to Washington, D.C., and a full-tuition paid voyage with Semester at Sea upon the coed’s enrollment at an accredited college. Essays needs to be between 1,000 and 1,250 phrases and should reply all points of the immediate in addition to display an understanding of the Overseas Service.
Runners-up get a reasonably candy deal too, a $1,250 money prize and a full scholarship to take part within the Worldwide Diplomacy Program of the Nationwide Pupil Management Convention.
Deadline: April every year
Web site: American Overseas Service Affiliation
25. Science-me a Story
Born in 2018, the Society of Spanish Researchers invitations gifted and authentic writers to put in writing a 100-word blurb for a hypothetical novel. This would possibly sound very easy, however your blurb has to rapidly hook readers and make them need to learn extra. Open to anybody over 18 wherever on the earth, your actual or fictional brief story for this competitors should be both in English or Spanish and “conceived from the target of scientific dissemination to major college” to qualify for the money prizes: £150, £100 and £50.
Deadline: April every year
Web site: Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK
26. VCU Cabell First Novelist Award
Virginia Commonwealth College sponsors this award that honors an impressive debut novel revealed within the previous calendar yr. Whereas you could have revealed earlier books in a distinct type, the submission should be your first revealed e book marketed as a novel.
The award is a $5,000 money prize, and the profitable writer should comply with attend the award occasion, normally scheduled for November.
Deadline: Yearly; the submission window runs from July 1 by December 30
Web site: Virginia Commonwealth College
27. Daisy Utemorrah Award
The Daisy Utemorrah Award is for an unpublished manuscript of junior or YA fiction written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the moment residing in Australia. Generously supported by the Copyright Company’s Cultural Fund and the State Authorities of Western Australia, the winner of the award receives $15,000 and a publishing contract with Magabala Books.
Deadline: Submission window normally opens initially of every yr
Web site: Magabala Books
28. Quick Fiction Prize
For those who’re an undergrad at a school within the U.S. or Canada, this writing competitors is for you. (Historically, this contest has inspired candidates with an Asian background, however anybody is invited to use.) Submissions needs to be not more than 7,500 phrases.
One winner will get a $1,000 prize in addition to a scholarship to the following Southampton Writers Convention.
Deadline: Submission window is normally between March 1- July 14
Web site: Stony Brook College | Lichtenstein Middle
29. Bacopa Literary Assessment Contest
The Bacopa Literary Assessment is a global journal revealed by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. Annually, it opens submissions for items in 4 genres: fiction, artistic nonfiction, poetry and prose poetry. Discover detailed tips for every style on its web site. First place will get $300, and the second prize in every of the 4 genres will get $100.
Deadline: Could 30 every year
Web site: Writers Alliance of Gainesville
30. Insecure Author’s Assist Group Annual Anthology Contest
So long as you keep on with the rules, The Insecure Author’s Assist Group’s annual contest welcomes your 5,000- to six,000-word (beforehand unpublished) artistic story. However earlier than you ship it off, be sure that your story is polished and formatted! Plus, the prizes aren’t too shabby—profitable tales will likely be edited and revealed, authors will obtain royalties, and the highest story will even get to offer the anthology its title.
Deadlines: September 1 every year
Web site: Insecure Author’s Assist Group
31. New Voices Award
Introduced by Lee & Low Books, an award-winning youngsters’s e book writer, this award is given for a beforehand unpublished youngsters’s image e book manuscript of not more than 1,500 phrases written by a author of shade or Indigenous/Native writers who’s a resident of the U.S.
The winner receives $2,000 money and a regular publication contract, and a further Honor Award winner will obtain a money prize of $1,000. Chances are you’ll submit as much as two manuscripts.
Deadline: Watch the web site for particulars.
Web site: Lee & Low Books
32. St. Francis School Literary Prize
Since 2009, this biennial literary award has honored mid-career writers who’ve not too long ago revealed their third, fourth or fifth work of fiction. The winner receives $50,000 and could also be invited to the St. Francis School campus in Brooklyn, New York, to ship a discuss their work or train a mini fiction workshop to St. Francis college students.
Deadline: Biennially. The competition was not provided the final three years because of the pandemic and restricted campus entry
Web site: St. Francis School
33. Future Scholar Basis Quick Story Competitors
The Future Scholar Basis is a nonprofit group began and run by highschool college students in Redmond, WA. Their mission is to empower younger college students to develop their self-expression abilities by month-to-month brief story competitions. Their efforts have been acknowledged by the Seattle Occasions and Northwest Asian Weekly, and their brief story competitions have acquired a whole bunch of submissions from over 15 US states and 5 nations.
Deadline: Month-to-month on the twenty eighth
Web site: Future Scholar Basis
Free poetry contests to enter
Interested by alternatives for poets? Your stanzas—rhyming or not—may very well be value a good amount of cash in these poetry competitions.
Try these poetry writing contests.
34. Black Voices in Youngsters’s Literature Writing Contest
This contest is open to Black writers who’re over the age of 18 and residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin. It’s hosted by Try Publishing and Free Spirit Publishing and seeks to fill the necessity for Black illustration in youngsters’s and younger grownup books. Unique board and movie books for youngsters aged 0-4 and movie books for ages 4-8 are eligible, supplied they characteristic up to date, reasonable Black characters and tradition and concentrate on character improvement, self worth, group and different points of constructive childhood improvement.
Three prizes, starting from $250 to $1,000, will likely be awarded, and the first-place winner will likely be “critically thought-about” for publication, although it’s not assured.
Deadline: Often late July, every year
Web site: Free Spirit Publishing
35. James Laughlin Award
For those who’re already a printed poet, that is the award for you; it’s given for a second e book of poetry resulting from come out within the forthcoming yr. The winner receives $5,000 and an all-expenses-paid week-long residency at The Betsy Lodge in Miami Seaside, Florida. As well as, copies of the profitable e book are distributed to 1,000 members of the Academy of American Poets.
Deadline: Annual submission window is January 1 by Could 15
Web site: Academy of American Poets
36. African Poetry E book Fund Prizes
The APBF awards three prizes yearly for African Poetry. The Luschei Prize for African Poetry offers $1,000 for a e book of authentic African poetry revealed within the prior yr.
The Sillerman First E book Prize for African Poets offers $1,000 and a publication contract for a book-length assortment of poetry by an as-yet-unpublished African writer.
The Brunel Worldwide African Poetry Prize is a brand new prize that grants £3,000 to a poet who was born in Africa, or has African dad and mom, who has not but had a full-length e book of poetry revealed. (U.S. residents qualify.) To submit, you’ll want 10 poems.
Deadlines: See particular person prize pages or particulars
Web site: African Poetry E book Fund
37. Tufts Poetry Awards
Claremont Graduate College presents two awards every year to poets they deem to be “excellent.” The Kate Tufts Poetry Award grants $10,000 for a printed first e book of poetry that reveals promise.
The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award grants a mammoth $100,000 for a printed e book of poetry by a longtime or mid-career poet.
Deadline: Submission window is July 1 to June 30 every year
Web site: Claremont Graduate College
38. Graywolf Press Walt Whitman Award
The Walt Whitman Award is a $5,000 prize awarded, together with publication, to an American poet with a profitable first e book manuscript. She or he additionally receives an all-expenses-paid six-week residency on the Civitella Ranieri Middle in Umbria, Italy.
Graywolf Press can also be one of many publishers of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize, “a primary e book award devoted to the invention of remarkable manuscripts by Black poets.” Winners obtain $1,000 and Graywolf publishes each third winner of the prize.
Deadline: July 1 to September 1 every year
Web site: Poets
39. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
Now in its twenty third yr, this humor contest desires your finest revealed or unpublished work for a grand prize of $2,000; runners-up are awarded $500 and 10 honorable mentions will obtain $100 every. Writers of all ages from eligible nations can submit an authentic, humorous poem with 250 traces or much less, and it should be in English.
Deadline: April 1, every year (and no, this isn’t an April Fools joke)
Web site: Successful Writers
40. The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize
This writing competitors is searching for the perfect piece of unpublished, themed writing. For instance, one yr, the theme was “Untamed: On Wilderness and Civilization.” Submissions could also be prose, poetry or non-academic essays. Most phrase depend is 2,500, and that is open to all nationalities and to anybody 18 or older. The winner will get a £10,000 money prize, second place will get £3,000 and third place will get £2,000.
Deadline: Purposes open initially of every yr. Observe the Alpine Fellowship on Instagram for updates
Web site: The Alpine Fellowship
The place to search out extra legit, free writing contests
Searching for extra alternatives to submit your work? Listed below are a number of nice websites to regulate for writing contests.
Successful Writers
Various the contests discovered on our checklist got here extremely really useful by this website, which compiles among the finest free literary contests on the market. Together with a variety of really useful contests for writers of all stripes, Successful Writers additionally lists some contests and providers to keep away from, which is simply as helpful!
Additionally they supply a handful of contests themselves, together with the North Avenue E book Prize.
Poets & Writers
One other incredible supply for legit writing contests we consulted when compiling this checklist, Poets & Writers vets competitions, contests, awards and grants to verify they’re following legit practices and insurance policies. It’s value testing often because it options each annual and one-time contests.
This itemizing accommodates affiliate hyperlinks. Meaning if you are going to buy by our hyperlinks, you’re supporting The Write Life—and we thanks for that!
The unique model of this story was written by Kelly Gurnett. We up to date the put up so it’s extra helpful for our readers.
Photograph through Viktoriia Hnatiuk / Shutterstock
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