The Elegant Literature Prize is a $3,000 cash award presented monthly by Elegant Literature, a digital magazine, to a new, unpublished writer. The award is part of the organizer’s mission to help new talent launch their writing careers by providing financial support and publication opportunities.

This contest invites you to explore After The Ashes, whatever that means to you. Fantasy, contemporary, romance, crime.  All genres are welcome. Minimum 500, maximum 2000 words.

Submissions close June 30th at 11:59 pm EST. Contest only open to new writers.

Who can enter? New or unpublished authors, from anywhere in the world (excluding Quebec, Canada).

Prizes:

• 1st place: $3,000 USD. Free enrolment in the New Novelist Accelerator.
• 2nd – 10th: 10c/word and publication.
• 11th – 35th: $20 USD and an honorable mention in the magazine.

The judges will choose the winner based on creativity, character, structure and flow, quality of writing.

Find out more about the event and submit your work.

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.

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The Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize is an annual competition organised by award-winning novelist and writing teacher Joan Dempsey, open to writers aged 18 and over who are working on an as-yet-unpublished novel. The prize aims to identify the best opening page of a novel-in-progress written in English, across any adult fiction genre including YA with adult readership (excluding middle-grade, younger fiction, and erotica).

Entrants submit only the first page of Chapter One.  There is no word count requirement; the page simply ends wherever it ends. Entries must be entirely the writer’s own original work. Writers may submit more than one entry, each paid for separately.

Submissions open on 16 June 2026 and close promptly at 5:00 PM ET on 16 July 2026. Three cash prizes are awarded: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second, and $250 for third. Winning and honourable mention entries are published on the competition website, with copyright retained by the author.

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.

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Regeneration: Poetry Exploring the Environment is an annual poetry competition organised by Renard Press, an independent London-based publisher. Following previous themed anthologies including New Beginnings, Spectrum, Kinship, Building Bridges, and Interwoven, the 2026 competition invites poets to explore the relationship between people and nature under the broad theme of regeneration — from rewilding and environmental renewal to darker meditations on ravaged landscapes.

Entrants may submit one original, previously unpublished poem of up to 100 lines or 750 words (whichever is lower) on the theme of regeneration and the environment. There is no minimum or maximum age requirement, though entrants under 18 require parental or guardian consent.

The competition is free to enter and open to poets anywhere in the world. All shortlisted poems will be published in a printed anthology, with every shortlisted poet receiving a copy of the book and an invitation to a virtual launch event in November 2026.

The winner receives £200, with a second prize of £100 and additional special mentions at the judges’ discretion.

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.

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The Wells Festival of Literature’s International Creative Writing Competitions 2026 are organised by the Wells Festival of Literature, an annual literary festival in Wells, Somerset, England that celebrates writing across genres with cash prizes, publication visibility, and public readings. These competitions welcome writers and poets from around the world, offering multiple categories that include poetry, short fiction, and children’s writing.

There are  four competition categories: Open Poetry, Short Story, Book for Children, and Young Poets. Each category is judged independently by experienced writers or industry professionals, and winners are celebrated at a prize-giving ceremony and poetry reading held during the festival. Entries must be original, unpublished work in English and submitted anonymously online.

Prizes:

• Open Poetry: £1000, £500, £250
• Short Story: £750, £300, £200
• Book for Children: £750, £300, £200
• Young Poets: £200, £150, £100 + a year’s subscription to The Poetry Society

The fee for each separate entry is £8. Competitors may submit any number of entries.

Competitions open 1 April 2026 and close on 30 June 2026.

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.

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Poetry.com prides itself in supporting and encouraging all writers, regardless of background, education or experience. All poets, whether just starting out or with many years of practice, are encouraged to submit to their monthly contests as an opportunity to gain motivation, inspiration, exposure and most importantly, build passion and enjoyment for the written word.

Every month, a new contest will begin. The following month, Poetry.com willl announce the winners on the contest. All nominated poems will be displayed on the Poetry.com site and feature a special badge, highlighting it is a contest nominee.

Eligibility:

• Work must be an original composition, human-created, and not previously recognized or awarded in any other contest.
• Your poem should not exceed 75 lines in length excluding stanza breaks.
• Poems may take any poetic form and cover any theme or subject as long as material is respectful and inoffensive.
• Poems must be in English.
• There is no limit to the number of poems you may apply with, a new application form must be filled out for each new entry.
• entries are capped at 150 poems per contest.

Prizes:

• First Place: Badge + $500
• Second Place: Badge + $300
• Third Place: Badge + $200
• 5 Runners-up Personalized Mug

At the end of the year, the twelve monthly winners will compete for the Poem of the Year grand prize of $1,000.

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.

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The Poetry London Prize is an internationally renowned annual competition for a single outstanding poem, organised by Poetry London Magazine, based at Goldsmiths, University of London. The 2026 prize is judged by poet and author Seán Hewitt, with the winning poems published in the Autumn 2026 issue of Poetry London and on the magazine’s website.

The competition is open to poets anywhere in the world. Entrants may submit as many poems as they wish, each accompanied by the appropriate entry fee. Poems must be original, unpublished, and not previously entered in another competition. They must be written in English and must not exceed 80 lines (excluding titles and blank lines). There are no restrictions on theme, subject, or form. A limited number of free entries are available for writers from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

The prize fund totals £8,000: £5,000 for first place, £2,000 for second, and £1,000 for third. Winners will be notified by the end of September 2026, with prizes awarded at the Autumn launch reading in London.

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.

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The Weatherglass Novella Prize is organised by Weatherglass Books, an independent UK-based literary press. The competition invites submissions of original novellas written in English, with manuscripts required to fall between 20,000 and 40,000 words.

There is no set theme, and the prize is open to writers worldwide. Entries are judged by a panel including established literary figures (for 2027, judge Ali Smith is named). The competition focuses on high-quality literary fiction and aims to champion the novella as a distinct and valuable form.

There is a maximum of 3 submissions per person.

The shortlist will be announced Autumn 2026. An advance of £500 will be paid to the winning author(s) and the winning entry(ies) will be published within 12 months of announcement

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.

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The May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize 2026 is organised by Bauhan Publishing, an independent publisher based in Peterborough, New Hampshire, USA, dedicated to poetry and regional literary works. Named in honour of poet and writer May Sarton, the annual prize recognises outstanding book-length poetry collections and awards publication plus cash.

This competition accepts original, previously unpublished poetry manuscripts written in English. Manuscripts should be 50–80 pages in length and may include poems previously published in journals or anthologies. Translations and co-authored collections are not eligible. Entrants may submit multiple manuscripts with separate fees.

The contest is international, open to poets worldwide who meet the submission criteria, with blind judging by a notable poet appointed each year. Winning manuscripts are published by Bauhan Publishing and distributed with other spring titles.

The first-place winner receives a $1,000 prize, book publication by Bauhan Publishing, 50 author copies, and distribution through the press’s channels. Finalists may also receive recognition as determined by the judge.

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.

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The Ozma Book Awards / Fantasy Fiction Novel Writing Contest is organised by Chanticleer Book Reviews, a U.S.-based platform offering book awards, reviews, and editorial services. The competition recognises excellence in published and unpublished fantasy fiction novels, including sword and sorcery, high fantasy, and related subgenres.

Eligible entries include novels that are either published or unpublished manuscripts, written primarily in English. There is no thematic restriction beyond the broad fantasy fiction genre. Entries must be original and previously unpublished if submitted as manuscripts. Authors may submit multiple titles, each with a separate entry fee.

The competition is international, open to writers worldwide. Entries are evaluated by the Chanticleer awards team for originality, storytelling, world-building, and overall quality. Winners are announced online and may receive recognition, promotional features, or review opportunities through Chanticleer services.

Prizes:

• The Ozma Grand Prize Winner is named Chanticleer Reviews Best Fantasy Fiction Book of the Year, and goes on to compete for the Chanticleer Overall Grand Prize Best Book of the Year
• The Overall Grand Prize Winner is named Chanticleer Reviews Best Book of the Year, and awarded the $1000 prize.
• All Winners receive a Chanticleer Prize Package which includes a digital badge, a ribbon and a whole assortment of goodies.

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.

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The Cranked Anvil Quarterly Play Writing Competition is a new international competition seeking original radio and audio drama scripts for professional broadcast. Run by Cranked Anvil in partnership with Radio Northumberland, the competition runs four times a year, with deadlines at the end of March, June, September, and December.

Scripts should be written for radio or audio broadcast and run approximately 10–20 minutes in length. Any theme, genre, or setting is welcome, and there is no limit on the number of characters. Theatre or film scripts that can be adapted for audio are also eligible. Entries are judged by a panel headed by Cranked Anvil Editor-in-Chief Paul Dunn, who has written and performed for BBC Radio and whose theatre plays have been professionally produced throughout the UK. Entrants may submit up to three plays per quarter.

Beyond the cash prizes of £50 and £35, an unlimited number of Special Mentions are awarded each quarter. All placed and commended scripts, including Special Mentions, are professionally produced as audio recordings, broadcast on Radio Northumberland, made available on demand online worldwide, and guaranteed inclusion in a future playscripts digital anthology published by Cranked Anvil. A selection of short-listed entries may also be considered for recording and anthology inclusion.

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.

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The Indie Gold Awards is an online writing competition open to independent and emerging authors worldwide. The event is sponsored by crime fiction author and Mystery Writers of America member James Dain.

The contest is open to short stories, novellas, and novels across multiple crime fiction sub-genres. Entries must be original work by the submitting author and must comply with specific formatting and submission guidelines.

The awards aim to recognize promising indie crime fiction writers and help them build visibility through recognition that can support their sales, promotion, and marketing efforts. Detailed information about judging criteria, submission categories, and eligibility requirements is provided in the contest rules.

Prizes:

• Grand Prize: $500
• Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards will also be presented to multiple outstanding entries.

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.

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The Olga Sinclair Prize is an annual short story competition run by the Norwich Writers’ Circle, open to writers worldwide regardless of membership or experience level. Each year the competition is built around a theme connected to Norwich; the 2026 theme is “Walls,” inspired by the city’s medieval flint walls.

Entrants must submit an original short story of up to 2,000 words (excluding the title) in any genre, with the concept of walls as the central theme. Stories do not need to be set in or about Norwich — the theme may be interpreted freely, whether the walls are physical, psychological, or metaphorical. Entries are judged anonymously by an independent judge.

Ten winners are selected in total: the top three receive cash prizes (£300, £150, and £50 respectively), and all ten are published in the Norwich Writers’ Circle annual anthology.

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.

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The Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust invites publishers to submit entries for the Boardman Tasker Award, one of the most prestigious prizes in mountain literature. The prize was established in 1983 in memory of British climbers Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker, both of whom wrote books about their mountaineering expeditions, after their deaths on the northeast ridge of Mount Everest in 1982.

The award recognises the best literary work — fiction, non-fiction, drama, or poetry — whose central theme concerns the mountain environment.

Eligible works must be written in English (or translated into English) and first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between 1 July 2025 and 1 July 2026. Authors of any nationality are eligible, and self-published books are accepted.

Entries must be submitted by publishers rather than authors directly (unless self-published), and must include four physical copies of the book, a completed entry form, a PDF copy, a cover image, and a short summary of up to 40 words.

The prize winner is announced at the Award Ceremony held at the Kendal Mountain Festival in late November. Shortlisted Authors will be requested to attend the Award Ceremony and participate in the Shortlisted Authors (SLA) event to talk about their books.

Prize: £3,000

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.

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The Chaotic Creators Magazine Poetry Contest is run by Chaotic Creators Magazine, an independent online publication. The contest welcomes poems on any theme from writers at all levels, with all eligible entries published on the magazine’s website.

Entrants may submit any number of poems, each no longer than 42 lines with no minimum. There is no set theme. Writers retain the rights to their work, but by entering they grant the magazine permission to feature and promote their poem across its platforms.

Free entry is available for low-income creators — up to five places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis to those receiving benefits, students, or anyone for whom the fee is a significant burden. Applicants should email the organisers to apply.

The winner receives a cash prize of £50, which the organisers note may increase if entries exceed expectations. All entries that comply with the rules are published on the online magazine.

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.

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The North Street Book Prize 2026 is organised by Winning Writers, a U.S. nonprofit that runs international writing contests and supports authors through prizes with cash awards and publication exposure. This annual competition recognises excellence in book-length works across multiple categories including fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, and genre fiction.

Eligible entries are original books in English that were published in 2025 (or are scheduled for publication by the entry deadline). Submissions may be from any genre that fits one of the prize categories; each title must be entered separately in the most appropriate category. Self-published books are eligible. Titles should have ISBNs and be available for purchase online or in print.

The competition is international, open to authors worldwide whose books meet the publication and eligibility criteria. Judging is done by panels of literary professionals and past winners; winners are announced on the Winning Writers site and across partner platforms.

Winning authors receive cash awards and publication exposure via Winning Writers’ promotional channels.

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.

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The International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir is an annual writing competition organised by Canadian author Alison Wearing, created in honour of Amy MacRae – a gifted memoirist and teacher who died of ovarian cancer in 2020 at the age of 35. Entry fees are donated to Amy’s Living Legacy Fund for ovarian cancer research.

The competition invites writers worldwide to submit original, unpublished works of memoir or personal essay of up to 2,000 words. Entries must use literary techniques such as dialogue, scene, and character to explore personal experience. Travel writing told from a personal perspective is also eligible. Work previously posted on personal websites, Substack, or social media remains eligible, but work published elsewhere does not. Judging is blind, and multiple entries are permitted.

The 2026 contest is judged by Merilyn Simonds, author of 20 books including the memoir Walking With Beth. Longlisted finalists are notified in September, with the winner and shortlist announced in October.

The winning story is published on Alison Wearing’s website and featured in her Memoir Writing Ink course. The winner receives CAD$1,000.

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.

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The HG Wells Short Story Competition is an international writing contest that celebrates the legacy of H.G. Wells by encouraging original short fiction linked to a yearly theme — for 2026, “The Cheat.” Winners and shortlisted stories are published in a professionally produced paperback anthology.

The competition is open to original, previously unpublished short stories written in English on the theme for this year. Submissions must be 1,500–5,000 words and uploaded online as PDF or text. Stories should be anonymised (no author name on the manuscript) to enable blind judging.

There are two categories:

• Under 21 category: Writers aged 21 or under on the closing date can enter for free and compete for a £1,000 prize.
• Senior category (22+): Writers aged 22 or over pay a £10 entry fee (£5 with valid student ID) and compete for a £500 prize.

The competition is international, open to writers anywhere. Judges select shortlists and winners, and shortlisted entries will be published in the annual anthology.

Top prize: £1,000 (Under 21 category) and £500 (Senior category), plus anthology publication.

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.

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The New Writers Poetry Competition 2026 is run by NewWriters.org.uk, a Leeds-based writing platform. The competition is open to poets worldwide and offers a total prize pot of £1,400, with a top prize of £1,000 and four runners-up prizes of £100 each.

Entrants must submit original, previously unpublished poetry in English. Poems must not exceed 42 lines (excluding the title and any line spaces).The competition is judged anonymously, and the 2026 Head Judge is JLM Morton, a Gloucestershire-based poet whose debut collection was highly commended by the Forward Prizes.

The competition is international and open to writers anywhere in the world. A limited number of free entries (one per person) are available for low-income writers on a first-come, first-served basis, no later than 10 July 2026 (see the terms and conditions for details).

Winning and shortlisted poems will be published on the NewWriters.org.uk website and in the New Writers Anthology. Results will be announced no later than 23 September 2026. Ten per cent of competition proceeds are donated to charity, split between Duchenne UK and The Funzi & Bodo Trust.

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.

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The Rattle Poetry Prize is an annual international poetry competition organized by Rattle, an American poetry magazine. The contest is open to poets of any nationality writing in English and awards $15,000 for a single poem. Entries are judged anonymously by the editors of Rattle.

Poets may submit up to four poems per entry. Poems may be any length, any style, or any subject, but must be written primarily in English and must be unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, provided Rattle is notified immediately if a poem is accepted elsewhere. Multiple entries are allowed, with each additional group of up to four poems requiring a separate entry fee.

The entry fee is $30, which includes a one-year subscription to Rattle magazine or a one-year extension for current subscribers.

Entries close on 15 July 2026. Winners will be announced on 15 September 2026, with the Readers’ Choice Award winner announced in February 2027.

Prizes:

• 1st place: $15,000 USD and publication in the Winter 2026 issue of Rattle.
• Ten finalists: $500 USD each and publication
• Readers’ Choice Award: $5,000 USD, selected by subscriber and entrant vote from among the finalists.

Additional poems submitted to the contest may also be offered standard publication.

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.

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The Write Catalyst Annual Short Story Contest is an international short fiction competition open to writers aged 18 and over. Recognised by Kindlepreneur and Reedsy as one of the best short story contests to enter, it welcomes original, previously unpublished work across all genres — from literary fiction to speculative, thriller, romance, mystery, and more.

Entries are judged anonymously through a blind process, with author names excluded from all submitted manuscripts. Stories must be between 1,000 and 5,000 words and formatted to Classic Shunn manuscript standard. Multiple entries are permitted, with a separate $5 fee per submission.

The first-place winner receives $100 (cash or gift card), publication on the Write Catalyst blog, social media promotion, and a free one-year membership to the Write Catalyst writing group and app. Second place receives $50 and publication; third place receives $25 and publication. Winners are announced on 22 October 2026.

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.

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The Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction is an international writing event that challenges writers to create an original piece of flash fiction based on two typical writing prompts plus one anti-prompt. Participants will compete for AU$4,000 in cash prizes, including AU$1,500 for the winner, a trophy, and a publishing contract. The competition is open to writers of all levels of experience worldwide.

When the competition kicks-off, the prompts will be announced by email. Entrants will receive details about how and where to submit their entry when the competition opens.

Participants have 60 hours to write up to 500 words in response to 2 prompts and 1 anti-prompt.

There is a total prize pool of AU$4,000 up for grabs in each round of the competition:

• 1st Place: AU$1,500 and the coveted Not Quite Write Trophy
• 2nd Place: AU$1,000
• 3rd Place: AU$500
• 4th Place: AU$350
• 5th Place: AU$250
• 6th Place: AU$200
• Wildcards (2): AU$100

Top 6 stories are read aloud on the podcast and published on the Not Quite Write website and receive a publishing contract for the Not Quite Write Prize anthology (Print and eBook).

The next round of the competition commences at midday Friday 24 July 2026 AEDT (Sydney, Australia time). Entrants have until midnight Sunday 26 July AEDT to submit a 500-word piece of original fiction in response to the given criteria.

Find out more about the Not Quite Write Flash Fiction Prize here.

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.

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The Protopian Prize is a new fiction contest that invites writers, storytellers, and dreamers to imagine futures that are neither flawless nor catastrophic—but workably better than today. “Protopian”—a word coined by Kevin Kelly, one of our contest’s judges—means an achievable, optimistic future characterized by continuous, incremental progress rather than revolutionary leaps or a static, perfect state.

This year’s inaugural competition has two categories for previously unpublished short stories of between 500 and 6,000 words. The categories are:

1. The Public AI Prize invites us to imagine AI development, ownership, policy, and tools, built for — and following the basic principles of — public benefit;
2. The Democratic Futures Prize invites us to imagine institutions, tools, and organizational methods that expand and enhance public autonomy and shared control over societal futures.

One winner from each category will win $5,000 and publication in an anthology titled, In the Loop: Stories from the Future of People, Power, and Machines, published by MIT Press and edited by judging leads Gideon Lichfield and Ruthanna Emrys, alongside invited stories by professional science fiction authors.

The contest is hosted by Metagov and the Public AI Network. Metagov is a research-and-infrastructure nonprofit dedicated to collective self-governance in a digital age. The Public AI Network AI is a growing coalition working to bring about AI as public infrastructure: provisioned like electricity, water, roads, libraries, or the Internet itself.

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.

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The Ironclad Short Story Competition is run by Ironclad Creative CIC, a Brighton-based community interest company that supports writers and storytellers. The competition runs up to four times a year, with winning and shortlisted stories published in a themed anthology available in print and eBook via Amazon KDP.

Entrants must submit an original, previously unpublished short story in English of up to 6,000 words, responding in any way to the prompt word — for this round, HARVEST. Stories may interpret the prompt loosely; the organisers welcome any genre and any approach.

The competition is open to published and unpublished writers of any age from anywhere in the world. A small number of free places are available for low-income writers currently living in the UK — interested writers should email the organisers before submitting.

The first-place writer receives £100 and publication; second place receives £50 and publication; third place receives £25 and publication. Shortlisted writers are also offered publication in the anthology. Authors retain full copyright and may republish their work elsewhere.

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.

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The Precocious Prize for Fantasy is run by Precocious Press, an independent publishing imprint based in Brighton, UK. The competition invites writers to submit original, unpublished short fiction in the fantasy genre,  including urban, dark, contemporary, and romantic fantasy, with no set theme or prompt.

Precocious Press is looking for bold, character-led work with a strong sense of voice, tension, and emotional stakes. Stories that explore desire or feature romance — including explicit content between adult characters — are welcome. The press notes a particular interest in stories by and about LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent writers, though this is not a requirement. Entries must be complete, standalone stories rather than excerpts from longer work.

The winner receives £100 and publication in the inaugural Precocious Prize for Fantasy anthology, due for release in autumn 2026 in paperback and e-book. Up to ten shortlisted writers will also be published in the anthology, and all published contributors will receive a complimentary copy in their preferred format. The competition is open internationally to writers aged 16 and over.

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.

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The Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition is organised by the Munster Literature Centre, a not-for-profit organisation based in Cork, Ireland. Named after one of Ireland’s most celebrated short story writers and theorists, the competition is judged in 2026 by Louise Hegarty, whose fiction has appeared in Banshee, The Stinging Fly, and The Dublin Review, and whose debut novel Fair Play and short story collection Getting the Electric are published by Picador.

Entrants must submit an original, previously unpublished and unbroadcast short story in English of up to 3,000 words. Any subject and any style is welcome; translated work is not eligible. Multiple entries are permitted, each requiring a separate fee. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but entrants must notify the organisers immediately if a story is accepted elsewhere.

The competition is open to writers of any nationality living anywhere in the world. Entries may be submitted by email or post. Previous first-prize winners are not eligible to enter again.

The first-place winner receives €2,000, a featured reading at the Cork International Short Story Festival (with four nights’ hotel accommodation and full board for those based outside Cork), and publication in Southword. The second-place winner receives €800 and publication; four runners-up each receive €400 and publication.

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.

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The Squat Pen Rests Short Story Competition is an annual short fiction competition sponsored by the Royal Society of Literature and Wiltshire Writes@Swindon New College. The competition is open to writers of short stories and aims to recognise and showcase original work from emerging and established writers.

The competition is open to all writers aged 18 and over who live in the UK. Submissions must be original short stories written in English.

Entries must not exceed 750 words, excluding the story title. The entry fee is £5 per submission. All entries must be submitted by 31 July 2026 at 23:59.

Prizes will be determined based on the number of entries received and awarded to the top six winners. Winners will be announced in September 2026.

In addition to cash prizes, the top six winners will be invited to an awards ceremony in October 2026, where they may read their work to an audience of friends, family, and members of the public. During this event, winners will also compete for an additional Readers’ Choice Award.

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.

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The International Dark Poets Prize returns for its fifth edition, serving as the flagship global competition for the Dark Poets Club. The collective provides a dedicated platform for emerging and established writers whose work embraces “real-world rawness” and themes that mainstream publications might find too heavy or intense.

Poets worldwide are invited to submit pieces exploring the beauty, complexity, and intrigue found within the shadows. The contest welcomes all styles of verse that lean into the gothic, melancholic, macabre, unsettling, surreal, or quietly haunting. Keeping with the organizer’s philosophy that great poetry should be shared without limitations, previously published work is fully welcome and accepted. All entries are automatically considered for future publication on the club’s platforms, and a portion of all submission fees is donated to the mental health charity SANE. Poems must be submitted in English.

For this landmark fifth edition, the competition introduces its largest prize pool yet, transitioning to award major financial prizes to three individual top entries alongside a series of shortlist selections and honourable mentions.

First Prize: £1000 plus a Dark Poets Prize certification and a Dark Poets Club T-shirt

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.

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The Grateful American Book Prize is an annual award recognising exceptional historical fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults that highlights important moments and figures in American history. Founded by author and philanthropist David Bruce Smith, the prize aims to encourage young readers to engage more deeply with the nation’s past.

The competition is open to U.S.-published authors of books for readers aged approximately 11–15 (middle-grade and early teen). Eligible books must be published within the specified award year by a recognised publisher.

Books published between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, are eligible. Self-published books do not qualify.

The Prize consists of a $13,000 award in commemoration of the 13 original Colonies, and a lifetime membership to The New York Historical. In addition, the winner receives a silver medallion designed by Smith’s mother, the renowned artist, Clarice Smith. The two “Honorable Mentions” get $500 each and the silver medallion.

Prize:

• $13,000 cash award
• A lifetime membership to the New-York Historical Society
• A medal and recognition

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.

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The Cranked Anvil Quarterly Short Story Competition invites writers to submit original, unpublished short fiction of between 501 and 1,500 words on any theme or genre. Run by Cranked Anvil, an independent press and digital publishing service established in 2012, the competition runs four times a year, with deadlines at the end of January, April, July, and October.

Entrants may submit up to three stories per quarter. Stories must be previously unpublished and written in English. The competition is open internationally.

Beyond the two cash prizes of £100 and £30, an unlimited number of Special Mentions are awarded each quarter. All placed and commended stories, including Special Mentions, are published on the Cranked Anvil website, guaranteed inclusion in a future digital anthology, and professionally produced as audio recordings broadcast on Radio Northumberland and made available on demand online worldwide. A selection of short-listed entries may also be considered for anthology inclusion and audio recording.

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.

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Established to recognise and encourage creative writing and provide a platform for publication, the Anthology Short Story Competition is open to original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. There is no restriction on theme or style. Stories submitted must not exceed the maximum of 1,500 words. Writers can submit as many entries as they wish.

Prizes

• FIRST: €1,000 and the winning story will be published in a future issue of Anthology.
• SECOND: €250
• THIRD: €150

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.

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The Winchester Poetry Prize is an annual competition run by Winchester Poetry Festival, a registered charity based in Winchester, England. The prize is open to poets aged 16 and over from anywhere in the world, and welcomes poems on any subject and in any form or style. The 2026 competition is judged by Julia Copus, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and author of four collections including Girlhood (Faber, 2019).

Poems must be original, previously unpublished, typed, in English, no longer than 40 lines (excluding the title), and must not have been entered for or won any other competition at the time of submission. AI-assisted work is not eligible. Multiple entries are permitted at a reduced rate per poem. A “Pay It Forward” scheme offers free entries for poets on low incomes.

A longlist is announced in September, with winners revealed live at Winchester Poetry Day on 10 October 2026. All longlisted poems are published in a printed competition anthology. Cash prizes are awarded for first (£1,000), second (£500), and third place (£250). The Kathryn Bevis Prize is additionally awarded to the best poem submitted by a Hampshire-based poet.

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.

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The Prairie Schooner Summer Creative Nonfiction Contest is organised by Prairie Schooner, a long-established literary journal based at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the United States. The contest invites writers to submit original creative nonfiction essays written in English. Submissions must be previously unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are typically allowed, provided the author notifies the journal if the work is accepted elsewhere. This year’s guest judge is Orenda Fink, author of The Witch’s Daughter.

There is no specific theme, allowing entrants to explore a wide range of subjects and styles within creative nonfiction. The competition is open internationally, and entries are judged by editorial staff and guest judges associated with the magazine. Winning and selected entries are considered for publication in Prairie Schooner, offering significant exposure in a respected literary journal.

Submissions to the 2026 Summer Creative Nonfiction Contest open May 15 2026.

Top prize: $1,000 and publication in Prairie Schooner.

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.

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The Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Literary Festival Poetry Competition is open for submissions. This year, the theme of the competition is New World.

Entrants must be over 18 and from the island of Ireland, or resident in Ireland. Entries to be in English, or Irish with a translation. Entry is free.

You may submit two poems; only one submission per person. Maximum length of each poem to be 30 lines, excluding title.

Five shortlisted poets will be invited to read their entries at the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Literary Festival on Saturday 17th October when the overall winner will be announced.

The closing date for entries is Friday 21st August 2026. Results will be announced by the end of September. Three highly commended entries will receive cash prizes.

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.

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The Ink of Ages Fiction Prize is an annual international contest run by the non-profit World History Encyclopedia and sponsored by Oxford University Press. The award celebrates short fiction that engages readers with cultural heritage and explores the interconnected human past.

Writers are invited to submit original, previously unpublished short stories in English across two specific categories: Historical Fiction and Mythological Fiction. All submissions must follow a strict timeline constraint: no part of the story can be set more recently than 50 years ago. Historical pieces must ground themselves in the past’s social, political, or cultural atmosphere (alternative history is permitted, but time travel is not). Mythological stories must actively draw from a genuine, specific mythic figure, folkloric tradition, or cultural belief, though they do not need to be set in the time or place of the original myth. Stories set in prehistory are welcome if they plausibly evoke the lived experience or oral traditions of the era.

The competition is open to writers worldwide. There are two entry tiers evaluated by age on the closing deadline: an Adult category for writers aged 18 and over (stories must be strictly 1,500–2,000 words) and a Youth category for writers aged 13 to 17 (stories must be strictly 800–1,000 words, accompanied by parental consent). Submissions must be written in English and are judged anonymously. Simultaneous submissions are permitted provided the organizers are notified immediately upon acceptance elsewhere.

Top prize: US$500 cash, global publication and promotion to over 7 million monthly readers, custom artwork (map, infographic, or family tree) by an in-house cartographer, story translation into multiple languages, and a lifetime World History Encyclopedia membership.

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.

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The Cranked Anvil Quarterly Flash Fiction Competition invites writers to submit original, unpublished flash fiction of up to 500 words on any theme or genre. Run by Cranked Anvil, an independent press and digital publishing service established in 2012, the competition runs four times a year, with deadlines at the end of February, May, August, and November.

Entrants may submit up to three stories per quarter, each submitted as a separate document via email. Stories must be previously unpublished (including on personal blogs or websites) and written in English. Writers must be aged 16 or over; the competition is open internationally.

Beyond the two cash prizes of £100 and £30, an unlimited number of Special Mentions are awarded each quarter. All placed and commended stories, including Special Mentions, are published on the Cranked Anvil website, guaranteed inclusion in a future digital anthology, and professionally produced as audio recordings broadcast on Radio Northumberland and made available on demand online worldwide. A selection of short-listed entries may also be considered for anthology inclusion and audio recording.

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.

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The Charleston Writing Contest is organised by Bound by Words Magazine and hosted via Chatoyant Magazine. It invites writers to submit original work – fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry – inspired by Charleston, South Carolina. The theme is open, but all submissions must be grounded in Charleston itself: its history, beauty, contradictions, resilience, secrets, and soul. Work may be rooted in the past or present, real or imagined, so long as the city is central to the piece.

The contest is open to emerging and established writers worldwide, and welcomes writing that feels vivid, intentional, and emotionally resonant – writing that could only be about Charleston. Submissions must be original and unpublished;

The winner receives a $500 cash prize and publication, with up to 10 honourable mentions also considered for publication.

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.

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The Nine Syllables Press Chapbook Contest is an annual competition run by Nine Syllables Press, a student-involved small press affiliated with Smith College. The contest invites submissions of original, unpublished poetry chapbooks and is judged in a two-stage anonymous process: students enrolled in Smith College’s chapbook publishing courses provide initial reads before passing finalists to a named guest judge.

Eligibility is restricted by gender: the contest is open to trans and nonbinary poets of all genders, and to cis women poets, with particular encouragement for trans/LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC poets. Poets may have previously published full collections, but the submitted manuscript must be unpublished as a whole; individual poems may have prior publication credits.

The 2026 guest judge is poet Nicole Sealey.

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.

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The Oxford Poetry Prize is an annual single-poem competition organised by Partus Press Ltd on behalf of Oxford Poetry magazine. The 2026 prize is judged by poet and critic Rowan Ricardo Phillips, with entries initially sifted by the Oxford Poetry editorial team before shortlisted and prize-winning poems are passed to the guest judge.

Entrants must submit original, previously unpublished poems written primarily in English (self-translations are permitted provided the original has not been previously published). Each poem must be submitted as a separate PDF file via Submittable and must not exceed 60 lines; blank lines, titles, subtitles, dedications, and epigraphs do not count toward the line limit. There is no limit on the number of poems an individual may enter.

The competition is open internationally to writers aged 18 or over. The winner receives £2,000 and publication in a print issue of Oxford Poetry; the runner-up receives £1,000 and is offered publication; the third-place poet receives £500 and is also offered publication. Oxford Poetry holds exclusive publication rights to the winning poem for four months, after which rights revert to the author.

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.

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The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award celebrates outstanding writers and was launched to support the next generation of literary talent. The Award is open to Poetry and Short Fiction submissions on any theme, however, the organizers are particularly interested in works that reflect upon our ever changing world. Poetry entries should be no more than 40 lines. Fiction entries should be no more than 2,000 words.

Prizes:

• £5,000 prize money (£2,500 for the Poetry Winner, £2,500 for the Short Fiction Winner)
• Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Anthology
• One-year print subscription to Granta (Poetry & Fiction Winners)
• One-year digital subscription to Mslexia (Poetry & Fiction Winners)
• Six-Week Online Course from Curtis Brown Creative (Poetry Winner)
• A course from the Poetry School (Poetry Winner)
• Consultation with Redhammer Management (Fiction Winner)
• Six-week writing short stories course from Curtis Brown Creative (Fiction Winner)
• Full membership to Litopia (Poetry & Fiction Winners)
• One-year Deluxe Subscription to The London Magazine (Poetry & Fiction Winners)

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.

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The Anthology Personal Memoir Competition is open to original and previously unpublished memoirs in the English language by writers of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. In the spirit of authenticity, there are no constraints on themes or writing styles. Authors are invited to share a unique life experience. Whether your memoir recounts a transformative journey, a poignant moment, or a life-altering event, we welcome your story. Memoirs submitted must not exceed a maximum of 1,500 words.

The winner will receive a €500 and the chance to see their work published in a future issue of Anthology.

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.

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The Best in Rural Writing Contest is run by The Milk House, an online literary platform dedicated to exploring the rural experience through fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and music. The contest accepts both short stories and creative essays, and work that has already been published (or is scheduled for publication) elsewhere is eligible to enter.

Submissions must be connected in some way to “the rural” — the interpretation of this is deliberately broad and not limited to rural characters or settings. Entries are read anonymously by the judge; the 2026 judge is celebrated American author Will Weaver. Ten entries will be shortlisted, from which the judge selects the best short story and best essay. A final vote — split between the audience, the judge, a co-sponsor, and a Milk House staff member — determines the overall winner.

The contest is international and open to writers worldwide. WRITER or SUPPORTER subscribers to The Milk House may enter one submission free of charge. The top two finalists will have the option to be published in the print Best in Rural Writing anthology; shortlisted authors may also elect to have their work published on The Milk House website in 2027.

First place receives $500 and second place $200.

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.

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The Climate Playwriting Prize is organised by Shakespeare’s Globe in London as part of its ongoing commitment to climate action and environmental storytelling. The prize seeks an original, full-length play that responds to the climate crisis and explores its human, social, political, or ecological dimensions. The competition is aimed at writers who are passionate about theatre and environmental issues, and whose work engages meaningfully with the realities of climate change.

Submissions must be original, unpublished full-length plays written in English. The selected script will be developed with the Globe, offering the winning playwright professional support and the opportunity to see their work realised within one of the UK’s most prominent theatrical institutions. The prize forms part of Shakespeare’s Globe’s wider climate and sustainability initiatives, encouraging artists to imagine bold, urgent, and theatrically compelling responses to the defining issue of our time.

Submitted plays:

• Should be full length plays, of 70 minutes or longer
• Should be written by UK and UK-based playwrights in the English language
• Should not have had a previous production

The winning playwright will receive:

• A cash prize of £15,000
• Dramaturgical support on the development of the play to rehearsal draft with specialists at the Globe, Climate Spring and Fern Culture
• Industry exposure to leading theatre professionals
• The winning play will be optioned for production at the Globe, with an aspiration to produce, or supported by the award producers to find a home for the play.

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.

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The Lantern Lighters Contest is run by The Lantern and the Pen, a small press dedicated to creating fiction for children. The contest is designed specifically for teen writers taking their first steps in submitting work, offering a safe and supportive environment to develop their craft.

Entrants must submit an original short story of up to 1,000 words centred on the theme of Belonging, written for an upper Middle Grade or YA audience. Accepted genres are contemporary, historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction. Stories must not contain profanity, gore, or sexual content, and no part of the story may be generated or edited by AI. Up to two submissions per author are permitted.

The first-place winner receives a $50 Amazon gift card, the Lantern Lighters 2026 Award, editorial feedback, and publication on the website and social media. Second place receives a $25 Amazon gift card, editorial feedback, and publication; third place receives publication on the website and social media.

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.

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The McNeile Writing Competition is organised by Clapham Writers, a South West London writing charity, in honour of the late Penelope McNeile. Run in association with the Clapham Book Festival, it is open to unpublished and self-published writers of all levels, celebrating creativity, diversity, and emerging literary voices.

Entrants must submit an original, previously unpublished opening section of a short story responding to the theme “Absent Friends“. The theme may be interpreted broadly, encompassing ideas of memory, loss, distance, reunion, nostalgia, or the enduring presence of those no longer with us. Submissions must be a maximum of 1,000 words or two paragraphs, whichever is the shorter.

The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom only. Entries are judged by a panel of published authors appointed by Clapham Writers. Winners are announced at the Clapham Book Festival on 17 October 2026. Authors retain copyright; winners and shortlisted entrants may have their work published or promoted in connection with the competition, with full credit given.

First prize is £200, with second and third prizes of £50 each.

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.

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The Southam Book Festival Flash Fiction Competition is an annual 100-word story contest run as part of the Southam Book Festival, held each October in Southam, Warwickshire. Each year a judge selects a required keyword that must appear somewhere in the story (but not as the title); the 2026 word is HORIZON. The competition attracted over 250 entries from around the world in 2025.

Entrants must be aged 16 or over. Stories must be 100 words or fewer, must include a title (counted within the word limit), and must contain the keyword “horizon”. Stories must be previously unpublished, must not be simultaneously entered elsewhere, and must be submitted by email with payment made in advance via PayPal. Authors retain copyright, though the festival reserves the right to publish a selection of entries.

The competition is international and open to writers worldwide aged 16 and over. Shortlisted entrants will be named on the Southam Book Festival website, and the winner and runners-up will be announced after the festival. Cash prizes are £60 for first place, £30 for second, and £20 for third.

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.

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The Wild Muse Nature Writing Prize is organised by Wild Muse, founded by writer Gabriela Blandy. The prize celebrates personal writing that explores our relationship with the natural world, and is judged this year by bestselling nature writer and journalist Alice Vincent, known for works including Rootbound and Why Women Grow.

Entrants must submit an original, previously unpublished piece in English of up to 2,000 words (including the title) on the theme of nature’s power to heal, guide, and transform. The organisers welcome writing in which the natural world is an active presence — shaping thought, feeling, and change — and are open to a range of forms including essays, personal narratives, and diary entries.

The competition is open to writers worldwide. Ten bursary places are available for writers who would find the entry fee prohibitive; applicants should email the organisers with evidence of financial need before submitting.

The first-place winner receives £750; second place receives £300; third place receives £150. Winners grant Wild Muse the right to publish their work on the Wild Muse Substack; all copyright remains with the author.

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.

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The Cranked Anvil Quarterly Play Writing Competition is a new international competition seeking original radio and audio drama scripts for professional broadcast. Run by Cranked Anvil in partnership with Radio Northumberland, the competition runs four times a year, with deadlines at the end of March, June, September, and December.

Scripts should be written for radio or audio broadcast and run approximately 10–20 minutes in length. Any theme, genre, or setting is welcome, and there is no limit on the number of characters. Theatre or film scripts that can be adapted for audio are also eligible. Entries are judged by a panel headed by Cranked Anvil Editor-in-Chief Paul Dunn, who has written and performed for BBC Radio and whose theatre plays have been professionally produced throughout the UK. Entrants may submit up to three plays per quarter.

Beyond the cash prizes of £50 and £35, an unlimited number of Special Mentions are awarded each quarter. All placed and commended scripts, including Special Mentions, are professionally produced as audio recordings, broadcast on Radio Northumberland, made available on demand online worldwide, and guaranteed inclusion in a future playscripts digital anthology published by Cranked Anvil. A selection of short-listed entries may also be considered for recording and anthology inclusion.

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.

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The Writers’ College Short Story Competition is an annual contest run by The Writers’ College. It is open to emerging writers aged 16 and over from around the world. The competition is specifically designed to support writers who are unpublished or have appeared in print no more than four times; professional journalists, copywriters and anyone who has earned a living from writing are not eligible to enter.

For 2026, the theme is The End of the Line. Entrants must write an original, unpublished story of up to 2,000 words in which the exact phrase “the end of the line” appears somewhere in the text. All genres are welcome, though the organisers note that literary fiction typically performs strongest with the judging panel. Only one entry per writer is permitted, and submissions must be in English.

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.

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The First Page Challenge is an annual writing contest run by The Darling Axe, a Canadian editorial services company. The contest is open to writers of fiction, narrative nonfiction, short stories, and full-length manuscripts, and invites entrants to submit just the opening page of their work – the one that has to make a reader want to keep going.

Entries must be original, unpublished, and unrepresented work. Multiple submissions are accepted, each at the entry fee of $5 CAD. Judging is carried out by editor Michelle Barker, whose sole criterion is how compellingly the first page draws the reader in.

The top three finalists each receive cash prizes ($700, $200, and $100 CAD respectively), publication on The Darling Axe’s Chopping Blog, and a complimentary copy of one of the company’s craft books. An optional feedback add-on is also available for an additional $45 CAD, providing brief notes from the contest screeners, a score out of five, and relevant craft resources delivered after winners are announced.

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.

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The Moth Nature Writing Prize is an international competition run by The Moth Magazine that aims to encourage and celebrate nature writing. The prize is awarded annually to an unpublished piece of prose or poetry that combines literary merit with an exploration of the writer’s relationship with the natural world. Entries are judged anonymously by a single judge each year. Previous judges have included Richard Mabey, Helen Macdonald, Max Porter, Kathleen Jamie and Cal Flyn.

The competition is open to writers worldwide aged 16 and over. Entries may consist of either a single poem of any length or a single prose piece, fiction or non-fiction, of up to 4,000 words. Work must be original, unpublished, written in English, and not previously self-published, published online or broadcast. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but AI-generated work is not eligible. There is no limit on the number of entries.

Although entries may be on any subject, they should reflect concerns about or appreciation for the natural world.

Submissions close on 30 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Ireland time). The entry fee is €16 per poem or prose piece.

Prizes:

• 1st place: €1,000 and a one-week stay at The Moth Retreat in rural Ireland.
• 2nd place: €500.
• 3rd place: €250.

The winning entries are also published online by The Irish Times. Winners are expected to be notified by the end of November, with results announced in December.

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.

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The Anthology Nature Writing Competition 2026 is organised by Anthology Magazine, a lifestyle and creative publication based in Ireland that runs periodic writing awards. This competition invites writers to craft original, nature-themed non-fiction essays or creative reflections that explore aspects of the natural world, from close-to-home observations to broader environmental ideas.

Submissions must be original, previously unpublished works written in English with a maximum length of 1,500 words. There is no specified minimum word count beyond being a complete piece, and writers may submit multiple entries, each with a separate entry form and fee. Themes are open within the broad remit of nature and the environment; there is no fixed prompt. Entries must not have been published before in any other format.

The competition is international and open to writers of any age, nationality, or country of residence. Anthology magazine will judge entries and select the winner based on creativity, insight, and engagement with the natural world. The winning piece is eligible for publication in a future issue of Anthology.

The first-place winner receives €300 and publication in Anthology magazine.

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.

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The Anthology Flash Fiction Award 2026 is organised by Anthology Magazine, an Ireland-based creative and lifestyle publication that hosts international writing competitions. The award seeks original, previously unpublished flash fiction pieces, offering writers a platform to showcase concise storytelling with strong narrative impact.

Submissions must be written in English, original, and unpublished in any format. Each story should be up to 250 words and can explore any theme or subject. Writers may submit multiple entries, with a separate entry fee for each submission.

The competition is international, open to writers of all ages and nationalities. Entries are judged by the editorial team at Anthology Magazine, with winners selected for their originality, narrative skill, and engagement within the flash fiction form.

The first-place winner receives €300 and publication in Anthology Magazine. Runners-up may receive recognition or publication at the discretion of the organisers.

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.

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The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction is an annual competition organised by Dzanc Books, an independent non-profit literary publisher, recognising daring, original, and innovative novels. Contest fees support both the prize fund and Dzanc’s broader literary programmes, including its Writers-in-Residence programme in public schools and low-cost workshops for writers.

Entrants must submit a full, previously unpublished novel-length manuscript (generally over 40,000 words, though there is no hard minimum) along with a brief synopsis, author bio, and contact information. Simultaneous submissions are permitted. Children’s books and YA fiction are not eligible, nor are previously released or self-published titles. Active and former Dzanc authors and employees are not eligible.

Submissions are open from 1 March to midnight on 30 September. Finalists are selected in-house before being passed to a panel of judges; the winning submission and a shortlist are announced on the Dzanc website in November. The 2026 judges are Alyssa Quinn, Alan Michael Parker, and Ruyan Meng.

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.

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The Miller Williams Poetry Prize is organised by University of Arkansas Press in honor of the late poet and press cofounder Miller Williams. The prize recognises outstanding unpublished full-length poetry manuscripts and offers emerging and established poets the opportunity for professional publication.

Eligible submissions are full-length poetry manuscripts between 60 and 90 pages, previously unpublished as a book. Individual poems may have appeared in journals, chapbooks, or anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted. Manuscripts are judged anonymously, and each author may submit only one manuscript per year. The competition is international, open to poets worldwide, provided the work is in English.

The prize is judged by series editor Patricia Smith, with the assistance of screeners. Three manuscripts are selected for publication in the Miller Williams Poetry Series; from these, one winner receives the $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize. Winners benefit from full professional editing, design, and production by the press.

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.

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The Six Word Wonder Contest is an annual microfiction competition run by Doug Weller, author and storyteller. The contest is free to enter and open to anyone aged 16 or over worldwide.

Now in its 2026 edition, the contest invites writers worldwide to craft a complete story, memoir, poem, or joke in exactly six words, with over 30,000 entries submitted across previous rounds. Each entrant may submit up to five entries. All entries must be original, unpublished work written in English. Judging is blind, and entries are assessed on creativity, originality, and impact.

The winner is awarded $100 cash and the title of Six Word Wonder 2026; shortlisted entries are also published in a future volume of the Six Word Wonder book series. Writers retain copyright of their work.

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.

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The John Steinbeck Award for Fiction is an annual short fiction contest run by Reed Magazine, the literary journal of San José State University’s Department of English and Comparative Literature. Named in honour of the Nobel Prize-winning author who was born and raised in the region, the award recognises exceptional stand-alone short stories across a wide range of styles, including experimental and literary approaches.

Entrants must submit an original, unpublished short story of up to 5,000 words. Submissions must be stand-alone works and not excerpts or chapters from a longer piece. Multiple entries are permitted as separate submissions, each requiring its own fee. Unsuccessful contest entries may still be considered for publication in the journal or online.

The $25 entry fee includes a copy of the latest edition of Reed Magazine; US-addressed submitters receive a print copy, while those with international addresses receive a digital copy. Results are communicated to entrants by the end of December 2026.

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.

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The Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest is organised by Winning Writers, a U.S.-based nonprofit that runs international writing contests for poets and prose writers. This annual competition highlights outstanding poems in any style or genre as well as traditional or rhymed poetry, offering substantial cash prizes and publication opportunities.

Entrants may submit up to three original poems per entry, each poem written in English and no longer than 250 lines. Poems may be previously published or unpublished; all are judged anonymously, and submissions should omit identifying information. The contest is open to writers globally (with some country restrictions due to U.S. government regulations on certain regions).

The competition is international, open to writers of any age and nationality whose work meets the guidelines. Submissions are made via the online entry system during the contest period, and winning poems are published on the Winning Writers website.

Prizes:

The contest awards two top prizes, each $3,500 — one for a poem in any style or genre (the Tom Howard Prize) and one for a poem that rhymes or uses a traditional style (the Margaret Reid Prize). In addition, ten honorable mentions of $500 each are given, and the top 12 entries are published online. Two-year Duotrope gift certificates are also awarded to the top two winners.

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.

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The Book Pipeline Adaptation Contest is an annual competition run by Pipeline Media Group, seeking published books, graphic novels, comics, and short stories with strong potential for film or television adaptation. Now in its 13th year, the contest is open to writers worldwide and accepts entries across all genres, including fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and horror.

Books and graphic novels must already be published (traditionally or self-published), or due for release before January 2027. Short stories are the exception and may be unpublished. Entries are judged on concept originality, quality of writing, and viability for adaptation in the current marketplace. Fiction and nonfiction entrants should submit approximately the first 5,000 words along with a logline and a 1–3 page synopsis; short story entrants submit the complete story with a brief overview.

The winner receives $5,000 in cash, extensive project development with Pipeline’s in-house team to prepare a script or pitch, and circulation to over 200 production companies, managers, agents, and industry executives. Authors retain all rights to their work regardless of their placement in the contest.

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.

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The Alice James Award is an annual full-length poetry manuscript competition run by Alice James Books, an independent cooperative poetry press based in New Gloucester, Maine. The award welcomes submissions from both emerging and established poets and is committed to publishing work that elevates historically marginalised voices and engages readers on important social issues.

Entrants must submit a full-length, previously unpublished poetry manuscript of 48 to 100 pages (single-spaced), with a numbered table of contents and paginated throughout. Individual poems may have appeared previously in magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks of fewer than 25 pages, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. Translations, self-published books, and multi-authored collections are not eligible.

All manuscripts are screened anonymously by a minimum of two readers, at least one of whom is a board member. Finalists are then reviewed non-anonymously by the full editorial board, who select the winner. In addition to the winning manuscript, one or more additional manuscripts may be selected as Editor’s Choice for publication.

The competition is open to US residents only.

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.

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The Bedford Short Story and Poetry Competition is an established nonprofit organisation that has run annual short story and poetry competitions since 2012. Open to writers worldwide aged 17 and over, it offers prizes across multiple categories: the main international prize, a Bedford Prize for local residents, and the Cygnature Prize for writers aged 17–25.

Entries must be original, previously unpublished work written in English. Short stories must not exceed 3,000 words (title excluded) and must be typed, double-spaced in a readable 12-point font, with nothing that identifies the author. Online entry is available to all international entrants; postal entry is restricted to UK addresses only.

Shortlisted and winning entries are published in an anthology available as both an e-book and a paperback. Results are announced at an annual Presentation of Awards Event.

The Novel Opening & Synopsis Competition is run by Flash 500, the UK-based writing competition platform. It invites published, self-published, and unpublished novelists to submit the opening of an unpublished novel alongside a compelling synopsis, and is judged by the editorial team at Bookouture, the digital-first commercial fiction publisher.

Entrants submit up to 3,000 words of their novel opening — which may be one or more chapters — together with a synopsis of no more than 750 words, in a single file. If a first chapter runs longer than 3,000 words, the entry should be closed within the word limit with a note that the chapter continues.

The competition is open to writers worldwide and welcomes simultaneous submissions, provided entrants notify Flash 500 if their work is accepted elsewhere. An optional paid critique of the entry and synopsis is available for an additional £35.

First prize is £500 and second prize is £200.

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.

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The Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest is an annual competition run by FC2 (Fiction Collective 2), an author-run, not-for-profit publisher dedicated to artistically adventurous and non-traditional fiction. The contest seeks manuscripts that push the limits of American publishing – work considered too challenging, innovative, or unconventional for mainstream commercial publishers.

Eligible entries may take the form of a novel, one or more novellas, or a collection of short stories, with no minimum or maximum length requirement. The manuscript must be unpublished as a whole, though individual pieces that have previously appeared in magazines or anthologies may be included in a collection. The contest is open to writers of, from, or in the United States writing in English who have not previously published with FC2.

FC2 particularly encourages submissions from writers who are Black, Indigenous, people of colour, disabled, LGBTQIA+-identifying, immigrant, or otherwise underrepresented in US literary publishing, and offers fee waivers to writers for whom the entry fee would pose a significant barrier.

Manuscripts are judged anonymously; finalists are selected by the FC2 Editorial Board, with the winner chosen by a final judge. The winner receives $3,000 and publication by FC2, an imprint of the University of Alabama Press.

Submissions for the 2027 contest will be open 15 August 2026.

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.

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The Ascent Novel Prize is an international competition for unagented writers who have not yet accepted a traditional publishing deal. Open to adult novelists writing in English — including young adult fiction — it welcomes writers of all backgrounds worldwide, with additional highly commended awards reserved for entrants from under-represented areas of the publishing industry.

Entrants submit the first 3,000 words of their novel along with a one-line pitch and a one-page synopsis. All entries are judged anonymously, and the top 100 entrants are guaranteed a personalised paragraph of feedback from the judging panel. Every entrant also receives free access to a membership area featuring videos and craft training.

The prize opens for entries on 1 June and closes on 1 November. The top 100 are announced in December, the longlist in January, the shortlist on 1 February, and the winner on 1 March. Sponsored entry places are available for writers for whom the cost is a barrier, courtesy of independent bookshop Messrs Fletcher and Frost. Multiple entries are permitted, each requiring a separate fee.

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.

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The Anthology Travel Writing Competition is run by Anthology, an Irish luxury lifestyle magazine, and is open to writers of any nationality worldwide. The competition invites original, non-fictional, previously unpublished travel articles written in English, seeking pieces that convey a strong sense of place and local culture with literary merit and originality.

Entrants must submit an article of no more than 1,000 words. Multiple entries are permitted, with each submission requiring a separate entry form and fee. There is no age limit, and AI-generated work is not eligible.

The winner receives €300 and has their article published in a future issue of Anthology magazine. Prize money is paid on publication of the winning piece. Copyright remains with the author, though Anthology reserves the right of first publication.

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.

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The Bath Children’s Novel Award is an international prize for children’s fiction by emerging authors — defined as unagented writers who are unpublished, self-published, or independently published without an advance. The award covers a wide range of children’s writing, including YA novels, middle grade, early readers, chapter books, and picture book texts.

Entrants submit the opening of their manuscript (up to 5,000 words) along with a one-page synopsis, in English. Full manuscripts may be of any length. Submissions are judged blind, first by Junior Judges aged 7–17 who select a shortlist, then by a leading children’s literary agent who selects the winner. AI-generated or AI-edited work is not eligible.

The competition is open to writers of any age, nationality, or residency. Sponsored places are available for writers on a low income. The winner is announced in March 2027 and receives £5,000 and a Minerva Trophy. Longlisted writers receive written feedback on their initial submission, and one longlisted writer also wins a free place on an 18-week novel editing course from Cornerstones Literary Consultancy and the Professional Writing Academy, valued at £1,980.

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.

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Got a horror short story? Killer Shorts wants to read it.

Killer Shorts is a premier launchpad dedicated to discovering, championing, and launching the next wave of voices in horror fiction. Founded in 2019, the competition connects emerging authors directly with the industry professionals who actively publish, manage, and option dark fiction for the screen.

To give submissions the highest level of validation, work is evaluated by an elite jury that includes legendary author and producer Tananarive Due (The Twilight Zone, Horror Noire), literary manager John Zaozirny (Bellevue Productions), and genre icon Barbara Crampton.

Winners receive official publication on the Killer Shorts website to guarantee industry eyes on their work, a professional Scrivener software license, and an exclusive one-on-one career consultation with author and screenwriter Chris Hicks, who successfully adapted his own short prose into a major Hollywood film package.

Authors can submit their killer short stories to Killer Shorts today to launch their literary careers.

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.

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Every year, Reneé Bibby (an American flash / short story writer) runs a competition to see who can acquire the most literary rejections in a calendar year. Inspired by Kim Liao’s Lit Hub article “Why you Should Aim for 100 Rejections a Year” the competition reframes rejections as “wins”.

The competition is for literary magazine publication rejections of poetry, essays, creative non fiction, micro fiction, flash, and short stories. Currently this does not support rejections for novels, agent representation, residencies, or writing positions.

The event is open to writers of all levels, all genres, all ages, all over the world.

The competition runs January 1st–December 31st every year.

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.

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The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is currently accepting published books, unpublished manuscripts, galley copies, and advanced reader copies which have a copyright/release date of 2025, 2026, or 2027 from independent publishers and authors for the 2027 awards year.

The entry fee is $80 for the first category entered and $65 for every additional category entered for the same title. 80 categories across fiction and non-fiction are offered.

Winners in each of the 80 categories receive cash prizes, gold medals, possible representation by a leading literary agent, complimentary stickers, social media coverage and website exposure. Three Grand Prize Winners will be selected from all entries received and will be awarded cash prizes of $1,500, $750, and $500 based on their order of win. All Winners are invited to attend the Indie Book Awards gala reception.

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.

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The Next Generation Short Story Awards is accepting unpublished short stories and poems of less than 5,000 words for the 2027 awards year. It is open to all authors worldwide, including first-time writers, who have an original, previously unpublished short story written in English.

The entry fee is $25 for the first category and $20 for every additional category entered for the same story. 30 categories across fiction, non-fiction and poetry are offered.

Winners in each of the 30 categories receive cash prizes, gold medals, story published in an Anthology of Winners along with a complimentary copy, digital promotional stickers, social media coverage, and website exposure. Three Grand Prize Winners will be selected from all entries received and will be awarded cash prizes of $500, $300, and $200 based on their order of win, exposure in a Press Release, and an invitation to attend the Next Generation Indie Book Awards gala reception.

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.

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The Reader Views Literary Awards, founded in 2005, honour excellence in independent publishing. The programme is open to self-published authors and those published through small presses, hybrid publishers, or university presses worldwide, provided the submitted work is in English and carries a copyright date within the last five years. Books from major traditional publishing houses are not eligible.

The awards operate in two seasonal tracks: the Fiction Programme (open March–September 2026, winners announced late November 2026) and the Non-Fiction Programme (open September 2026–March 2027, winners announced late May 2027). Poetry and all children’s titles are evaluated within the Fiction track.

Every entry receives a full professional editorial review and a detailed 20-point evaluation, which authors may use for promotional purposes.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards are presented in each genre category, with additional Finalist designations based on scoring. Grand Prize cash awards, starting at $1,000 (Gold), $350 (Silver), and $150 (Bronze) are selected from category winners and may increase based on entry volume. A range of sponsored awards are also available, including prizes from Dabble, AutoCrit, and others, covering categories such as debut fiction, historical fiction, debut poetry, and children’s books.

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.

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Could your writing use a second pair of eyes?
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