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Writing Competitions – Weekly Updates

Opportunities for aspiring and experienced writers.

Welcome to the most comprehensive list of writing competitions available online. Our list includes short story, poetry, and flash fiction competitions, as well as some events for essay writers, screenwriting, and even entire novel manuscripts. Each item on our list includes basic information about max word count, entry fees, submission deadlines, and the first place prize.

Please do your own research before deciding to enter any event. In case of questions about a particular event, please reach out to the event organizer.

Use our online form to submit a new event to our list.

We are keen to encourage quality submissions, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives. We also suggest checking out our article about the Best Apps for Creative Writing.

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september

sat30sepAll Day2023 Bardsy Fall Anthology ContestCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee$20 Max word count3,000 Top Prize$1,000 and publication

sat30sepAll DayTom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry ContestCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee$22 Max word count250 lines Top Prize$3,000

sat30sepAll DayThe Moth Nature Writing Prize 2023CategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee€15 Max word count4,000 Top Prize€1,000 and a week at Circle of Misse in France

sat30sepAll DayBest in Rural Writing ContestCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee$5 Max word count6000 Top Prize$200 and Publication

sat30sepAll DayHenshaw Press Short Story CompetitionCategoryShort StoryUKEntry Fee£6 Max word count2000 Top Prize£200

sat30sepAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Discourse Monthly Writing Competition: NovemberCategoryMultiple categoriesUSAEntry FeeFree Max word count5000 Top Prize$5 and publication

sat30sepAll DayThe Paul Cave Prize for LiteratureCategoryMultiple categories,NovelCelebrating new writing talentInternationalEntry Fee£8-£25 Max word count10,000 Top Prize£100

sat30sepAll DaySouthword Editor's Poetry AwardCategoryPoetryIrelandEntry Fee€20 Max word count3 poems Top Prize€1000

sat30sepAll DayHAMMOND HOUSE INTERNATIONAL LITERARY PRIZE 2023CategoryMultiple categoriesUKEntry Fee£10 Max word countVaries (check organizer's website for details) Top Prize£1000

sat30sepAll DayTRIO INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITIONCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee£5 Max word count40 lines Top Prize£1,000

sat30sepAll Day2023 Vocal Writing AwardsCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee$20 Max word countn/a Top Prize$14,000

sat30sepAll DayThe Galley Beggar Press Short Story PrizeInternationalEntry Fee$10 Max word count6,000 Top Prize£2,500

sat30sepAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!VII International Flash Fiction CompetitionCategoryFlash FictionInternationalEntry FeeFree Max word count100 Top Prize$20,000

october

sun01octAll Day33rd Annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ PrizeCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee$25 Max word count8,500 (prose); 10 pages (poetry) Top Prize$5,000

sun01octAll Daytue31This event is FREE to enter! Yay!Monthly Writing Competition: DecemberCategoryMultiple categoriesDiscourse Literary JournalUSAEntry FeeFree Max word count5,000 Top Prize$5 and publication

sun01octAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Dystopian Fiction Competition 2023CategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry FeeFree Max word count2,000 Top PrizePro Publisher writing courses, book formatting

sun01octAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!The Chilling Pen AwardCategoryMultiple categoriesChilling Pen Horror Writers AssosiationInternationalEntry FeeFree Max word count1,000 Top Prize$500

sat07octAll DaySLEEK CITY PRESS: I Faked My Own DeathCategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee$20 Max word count1500 Top Prize$2000

sat07octAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Ink of Ages Fiction PrizeCategoryShort FictionHistorical & Mythological Short FictionInternationalEntry FeeFree Max word count2000 Top PrizeOver $500 worth of prizes

sun08octAll DayBath Flash Fiction Award 2023CategoryFlash FictionInternationalEntry Fee£9 Max word count300 Top Prize£1,000

mon09octAll DayPeter Porter Poetry PrizeCategoryPoetryEntry Fee$30 Max word count70 lines Top Prize$6,000

sun15octAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Writing competition: [DIS]SOLUTIONCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry FeeFree Max word count1700 (essay); 700 (poetry) Top Prize€2000

sun15octAll DayThe Prose Poem Prose Poetry CompetitionCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee£3 Max word count500 Top Prize£100

sun15octAll DayGerald Cable Book AwardCategoryFull ManuscriptInternationalEntry Fee$25 Max word countat least 48 pages Top Prize$1000, publication, and 25 copies of the book

fri20octAll DayEyelands Book Awards 2023CategoryMultiple categoriesInternational Award for Published and Unpublished BooksInternationalEntry Fee$35 Max word count250,000 Top PrizeFive-day staying in Athens, Translation into Greek, and publication from Strange Days Books

fri20octAll DayNeilma Sidney Short Story PrizeCategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee$20 Max word count3000 Top Prize$5,000 and publication

sat21octAll DayFosseway Writers Short Story Competition 2023CategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee£5 Max word count2500 Top Prize£50

mon23octAll DayFFF Competition EighteenCategoryFlash FictionInternationalEntry Fee£3.75 Max word count300 Top Prize£150

mon30octAll DayDiode Editions Chapbook ContestCategoryChapbookInternationalEntry Fee$18 Max word count25-50 pages Top Prize$750.00, publication by Diode Editions, and 10 author copies

mon30octAll DayDiode Editions Book ContestCategoryFull ManuscriptInternationalEntry Fee$20 Max word count55-95 pages Top Prize$1,500.00, 10 author copies, publication by Diode Editions

tue31octAll DayInspiring Fiction's Fantasy Short Story ContestCategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee£5 Max word count2,500 Top Prize£100

tue31octAll DayThe Bedford CompetitionCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee£9 Max word count3000 (short story); 40 lines (poetry) Top Prize£1500

tue31octAll DayThe Letter Review Prize for PoetryCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee$15 Max word count70 Lines Top Prize$1000

tue31octAll DayThe Letter Review Prize for BooksCategoryFull ManuscriptInternationalEntry Fee$25 Max word countNo limit Top Prize$1000

tue31octAll DayThe Letter Review Prize for NonfictionCategoryMultiple categoriesInternationalEntry Fee$20 Max word count5000 Top Prize$1000

tue31octAll DayAnthology Poetry Competition 2023CategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee€18 Max word count40 lines Top Prize€1000

tue31octAll DayThe Letter Review Prize for Short FictionCategoryShort FictionInternationalEntry Fee$20 Max word count5000 Top Prize$1000

tue31octAll DayThe National Poetry Competition 2023CategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee£8 Max word count40 lines Top Prize£5,000

november

wed01novAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!2024 Commonwealth Short Story PrizeCategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry FeeFree Max word count5,000 Top Prize£5,000

wed01novAll DayTHE SCRIBBLE ANNUAL SHORT STORY COMPETITIONCategoryShort StoryInternationalEntry Fee£5 Max word count3000 Top Prize£100 and publication

sun05novAll DayBlue Pencil Agency Pitch PrizeCategoryNovelInternationalEntry Fee£12 Max word count500 Top PrizeAgent introduction for up to 10 winners

fri10novAll DayThe SmokeLong Grand Micro CompetitionCategoryFlash FictionUSAEntry Fee$13 Max word count400 Top Prize$1500

sun12novAll DayThe Wonderland Short Fiction CompetitionCategoryShort FictionUKEntry Fee£5 Max word count2500 Top PrizePublication

wed15novAll DayThe Joy Bale Boone Poetry PrizeCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee$10 Max word countNo limit Top Prize$750

wed15nov12:00 pmwed12:00 pmCurious Curls Fiction Contest 2023CategoryShort FictionUSAEntry Fee$2.50 Max word count10,000 Top Prize$250

thu16novAll DayIronclad Creative Short Story Competition - Winter 23CategoryShort StoryUKEntry Fee£6 Max word count6000 Top Prize£150

thu30novAll DayAnthology Travel Writing CompetitionCategoryNon-fictionInternationalEntry Fee€10 Max word count1000 Top Prize€500 and publication

thu30novAll DayMcNally Robinson Booksellers and Prairie Fire Writing ContestsCategoryMultiple categoriesCanadaEntry Fee$34 Max word count5000 (fiction and non fiction); 150 (poetry) Top Prize$750

thu30novAll DayGregory O’Donoghue International Poetry CompetitionCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee€7 Max word count40 lines Top Prize€2,000

december

mon04decAll DayMslexia Women's Poetry Competition 2023CategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee£10 Max word countNo limit? (confirm with organizer) Top Prize £2,000 and publication

fri15decAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel CompetitionCategoryNovelSponsored by Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America (MWA)InternationalEntry FeeFree Max word countNo less than approximately 65,000 words Top Prize$10,000

sun17decAll DayThe Masters Review Chapbook Open 2023CategoryChapbookInternationalEntry Fee$25 Max word count45 pages Top Prize$3000, manuscript publication, and 75 contributor copies

sun31decAll DayValorious AwardsCategoryNovelInternationalEntry Fee$35 Max word countNo limit Top Prize$500 (US), Valorious Award trophy

sun31decAll DayThe Moth Poetry Prize 2023CategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee€15 Max word countNo limit Top Prize€6,000

sun31decAll DayThe 2023 Society of Classical Poets Poetry CompetitionCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry Fee$20 Max word count108 lines Top Prize$2,000

january

mon15janAll DayRattle Chapbook PrizeCategoryChapbookInternationalEntry Fee$25 Max word count30 pages Top Prize$5,000 and 500 author copies of their chapbook

february

thu29febAll DayThis event is FREE to enter! Yay!THE CANTERBURY TALES WRITING COMPETITIONCategoryPoetryInternationalEntry FeeFree Max word count500 Top Prize£300

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