Directory of Contests Resources

Home > Arts > Writers Resources > Contests

Legitimate writing and literary contests, competitions, awards and prizes of all kinds. In this general category, contests that offer prizes in two or more different genres will be found. Contests that focus on specific genres, like Essays, Poetry, Screenwriting and Short Stories, are listed in those specific sub-categories. Contests do not have to have monetary rewards, but that is what is most likely to be found in this category.

Subcategories

Resources in This Category

3-Day Novel Contest

http://www.3daynovel.com/
Held annually on Labor Day weekend. Rules, survival guide, prizes, and past winners.
A Woman's Write

http://www.awomanswrite.com/
Writing contest for women seeks a story, memoir or book chapter on a given theme. Deadline; December 31, thence monthly. Entry fee: $7. First prize: $70.
Annual APEX Awards for Publication Excellence

http://www.apexawards.com/
An annual competition for writers, editors, publications staff, and both business and non-profit communicators.
Associated Writing Programs Awards

http://www.awpwriter.org/
Annual awards of $2,000 (plus publication) are offered for original, unpublished, book-length work in each of three categories: novels, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Reading fee: $20. Deadline: February 28. Open to U.S. residents only.
AwardWeb

http://www.dpsinfo.com/awardweb/
Information on major literary awards throughout the USA and other countries, particularly focusing on (though not limited to) science fiction and fantasy.
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest

http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/
San Jose State University sponsors this yearly challenge "to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels". No entry fee. Official deadline: April 15.
Communicator Awards, The

http://www.communicatorawards.com/
Annual competitions honoring excellence in all areas of communication, with separate categories for print (177 sub-categories), video (216 sub-categories) and audio (140 sub-categories).
Fish Publishing - Writing Contests

http://www.fishpublishing.com/writing-contests/
Poetry, flash fiction, short story and short memoir writing contests.
Flyway

http://flyway.org/
6th Annual Flyway Sweet Corn Prize. $150 and a book bag of Iowa sweet corn for top entries in each category: fiction, nonfiction (maximum: 4,000 words) and poetry. Reading fee: $18. Deadline March 1st.
Indie Book Awards

http://www.indiebookawards.com/
An awards program for self-published authors, independent book publishers, university presses, small/ medium publishers. Cash awards and a chance at professional literary agency representation.
Manchester Fiction Competition

http://www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk/fiction/
Annual online fiction competition with £10,000 prize, lead by Poet Laureate MMU Professor Carol Ann Duffy for the Manchester Writing School.
Milkweed Editions

http://www.milkweed.org/
Milkweed Editions is a non-profit publisher of literature for adults and young adults based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Milkweed National Fiction Prize is awarded annually for the best fiction manuscript submitted by an author not previously published by Milkweed.
Mona Schreiber Prize for Humorous Fiction and Non-Fiction

http://www.brashcyber.com/mona.htm
Humorous stories and essays up to 750 words are required. Reading fee: $5. Deadline: December 1. Cash prizes total $850.
Park Publications U.K.

http://www.parkpublications.co.uk/
Publishers of the magazines, "Scribble" and "Countryside Tales", holding quarterly competitions for original, unpublished short stories and poems, some open, some limited to specific themes.
Pomegranate Words Writing Contests

http://www.pomegranatewords.com/
Offers free monthly contests for poetry and fiction. Open worldwide, but to teenagers only.
Pronghorn Press Publishing

http://www.pronghornpress.org/
Promotes annual prose (up to 5,000 words) and poetry (no more than 60 lines) contests relating to contemporary life in three specific regions, namely, the Rockies, the Desert Southwest, and the Northwest Coast.
Salamander - Contest

http://salamandermag.org/contests/
Salamander magazine will award a cash prize and publication for the best fiction story. Entries accepted from May 15-June 15.
Santa Fe Writers Project

http://www.sfwp.com/
SFWP provides resources for authors and features online fiction as well as an annual writing contest for prose, both fiction and non-fiction, including short stories, essays and sample chapters of novels. $6,000 in cash prizes. Deadline: mid-January.
Shelf Unbound - Writing Competition

http://www.shelfmediagroup.com/pages/competition.html
Writing competition for best indie book open to self-published or small press books in any genre.
Tennessee Williams/ New Orleans Literary Festival

http://www.tennesseewilliams.net/
Fiction, one act play and poetry contests.
The New Guard - Writing Contests

http://www.newguardreview.com/tng-contests/
Annual fiction and poetry contest.
William Saroyan International Prize for Writing

http://library.stanford.edu/projects/william-saroyan-international-prize-writing
An annual award is intended to encourage new writers who have recently published a work of fiction or memoirs. Standford University Libraries.
Word Smitten Annual Literary Fiction Contest

http://www.wordsmitten.com/fiction.html
Offers a prize of $1,010 for the best on-line submission of literary (no genre) fiction totaling exactly 1,010 words. Reading fee: $15. Deadline: July 1.
Writer's Digest Writing Competitions

http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions
Offers $25,000 in prize money for original, unpublished work in ten categories including poetry, short stories, plays, television scripts, articles, and children's fiction. Deadline: mid-May. Also provides separate annual awards for short short stories, screenplays and self-published books.
WYRM's Gauntlet

http://www.wyrmsgauntlet.com/
The Gauntlet is a new format, underground writing contest for speculative fiction.

Related Categories

Home > Arts > Events
Home > Arts > Literature > World Literature > Canadian > Contests
Home > Arts > Photography > Contests

Home > Arts > Writers Resources > Contests

Thanks to DMOZ, which built a great web directory for nearly two decades and freely shared it with the web. About us