Welcome to my Calendar of free writing contests! Subscribe to the once-a-month newsletter here to get updated when this list posts!
Dates posted are usually DUE DATES, or the exact dates of one-day events. Follow @writevent or search #writevent to see all upcoming contests on Twitter. Or check out these lists for monthly, weekly, or future contests:
Short Stories
- 5+ Monthly Contests
- 10/31 UK Benjamin Franklin House (1000-1500 words on a given Ben Franklin quote.)
- 10/31 SciFi Aftermath Story Contest (Up to 5000 words involving the dire state of our environment, etc.)
- 11/1 Commonwealth Commonwealth Story Prize (2000-5000 words, Commonwealth countries only.)
- 11/1-11/30 Writer in Motion (Month-long workshop event.)
- 11/1 USA:VT Vermont Writer’s Prize (Up to 1500 words.)
- 11/18 USA:GA Creative Loafing (Up to 3000 words on theme “Connect.”)
- 11/30 Servicescape Story Award (Up to 5000 words.)
- 11/30 Ooma Nyk Multiverse (A collaborative project building a multiverse, 10,000-20,000 characters.)
- 11/30 Faith Dappled Things Powers Prize (Up to 8000 words.)
- 12/1 fresh.ink
- 12/9 Nobrow Competition (Up to 3000 words on theme “the censor.”)
Essays/Short Nonfiction
Creative nonfiction only. List does not generally include informative scholarship essays.
- 1+ Weekly Contest
- 10/31 UK Benjamin Franklin House (1000-1500 words on a given Ben Franklin quote. May be scholarly articles.)
- 10/31 Kraemer Intergenerational Contest (Up to 500 words containing intergenerational characters, eg a grandparent and a grandchild.)
- 11/1 USA:VT Vermont Writer’s Prize (Up to 1500 words.)
- 11/15 CAN:Lab/Newf Labrador/Newfoundland Arts and Letters Awards
- 11/24 Humor/USA Klunky Monkey (1200-3000 words.)
- 12/9 Nobrow Competition (Up to 3000 words on theme “the censor.”)
- 12/15 Chicken Soup: You Go Girl (Up to 1200 words on theme “you go girl.”)
- 12/16 Be Animal Essay Contest (Up to 1000 words on one of three nature-related themes.)
Poetry
Includes poetry collections and chapbooks.
- 1+ Weekly Contest
- 10/31 Kraemer Intergenerational Contest (Up to 500 words containing intergenerational characters, eg a grandparent and a grandchild.)
- 10/31 USA: Undocumented Frontier New Voices (Up to 5 poems.)
- 10/31 UK/Northern Ireland, Age: Under 30 Gregory Awards (Collection up to 50 pages.)
- 11/1 USA:VT Vermont Writer’s Prize (Up to 1500 words.)
- 11/1 Treehouse Climate Action Poem (Any length regarding dire state of environment.)
- 11/15 CAN:Lab/Newf Labrador/Newfoundland Arts and Letters Awards
- 12/1 Anglica Competition (Metric poems up to 100 lines.)
- 12/1 Better than Starbucks (Metrical sonnets.)
- 12/1 AFRICA/Collection Sillerman Prize
- 12/2 New York Encounter (Up to 40 lines on theme “Crossing the Divide.”)
- 12/15 Female Women Artists Datebook (Up to 30 lines that promote healing and/or activism.)
- 12/15 Nonfiction Chicken Soup: You Go Girl (Up to 1200 words on theme “you go girl.”)
Flash Fiction
- 10+ Monthly Contests
- 11/1 USA:VT Vermont Writer’s Prize (Up to 1500 words.)
- 11/2 Weird Christmas Flash (Max 350 words for “weird” stories about Christmas or other winter holidays.)
- 11/6 Scary Photo Flora (Up to 350 words on photo theme.)
- 11/30 Servicescape Story Award (Up to 5000 words.)
- 11/30 Kanturk Flash (Up to 500 words on image prompt.)
Novels and Collections (Fiction/Nonfiction)
See the poetry section for poetry collection/chapbook contests.
- 5+ Monthly Contests
- 10/31 Diverse WNDB Mentorships
- 10/31 Age:40+ McKitterick Prize
- 10/31 UK/IRE/Commonwealth, Novel-In-Progress Rogers Writers Award
- 11/1 Mystery Deeck Malice Domestic (Traditional mystery.)
- 11/15 CAN:Lab/Newf Labrador/Newfoundland Arts and Letters Awards
- 11/20 Inspirational #FaithPitch
- 12/1 fresh.ink
- 12/5 #PitMad Pitch Party
Children’s/MG
For picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels by adult authors. See “Youth” for contests for young authors.
- 12/1 Picture Books Khyentse/Bala Kids (Buddhism-related, up to 2000 words.)
For Published Writers
Includes those who have published short stories, essays, novels, and poetry. Submission may or may not be the published work itself, depending on the contest. Does not include contests requiring the publisher to submit.
- 10/31 UK/IRE/Commonwealth Gallon Award (Up to 5000 words by anyone with at least one story published.)
- 10/31 UK McKitterick Prize (Books previously published in the UK are accepted.)
- 12/13 UK/IRE Sunday Times/Audible (For stories up to 6000 words by any author previously published in the UK/IRE.)
- 12/20 Fantasy Yardley Fantasy Song (For songs within published fantasy stories.)
Other
- 5+ Monthly Contests
- 11/1 USA:VT, Drama Vermont Writer’s Prize (Up to 1500 words.)
- 11/15 CAN:Lab/Newf Labrador/Newfoundland Arts and Letters Awards
- 12/1 fresh.ink (Novelllas, novelettes, short stories, novels.)
- 12/20 Yardley Fantasy Song (For songs within published fantasy stories.)
Youth
Does not include student scholarship essays, unless they are creative nonfiction.
- 1+ Monthly Contests
- 10/31 Girls Thorp Poetry Contest (1-2 poems by high school girls.)
- 11/15 CAN:Lab/Newf Labrador/Newfoundland Arts and Letters Awards
- 11/29 Milberg Poetry Prize (For juniors; poetry.)
- 11/30 Gross Poetry Prize (For juniors and sophomores; poetry.)
- 11/30 Renee Duke Poetry Award (For poems inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.)
