The Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction, Poetry, and Books

The Letter Review Prize is a quarterly international competition run by The Letter Review literary journal, open to writers anywhere in the world. It runs across three categories: Short Fiction (up to 5,000 words), Poetry (up to 70 lines), and Books (the first 5,000 words of an unpublished novel, novella, or nonfiction work, or the first 15 pages of a poetry collection). There are no theme, genre, or style restrictions in any category.

Each category has its own prize pool of $1,000 USD, shared equally between 2–4 winners per round, giving a total prize fund of $3,000 USD per round and over $16,000 USD annually. Up to 20 entries per category are shortlisted. All entries are judged blind, and winning entries are published in The Letter Review and considered for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other prestigious anthologies. Winners retain full copyright.

Entries must be original, previously unpublished work (though pieces that have appeared on personal blogs or social media are eligible). Self-published and indie-published book manuscripts are accepted provided the author retains copyright.

Is this competition legit?YES! – Based on our research this event is legitimate and the organizer is well established. However, as with any event, please remember to do your own research before submitting your work.

FAQ
If you are curious how writing competitions work, or it’s your first time entering one, we recommend reading our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page first.