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
- 2/13 Writers & Artists (Up to 2000 words.)
- 2/14 College Lex Allen (Any length.)
- 2/15 Eisteddfod Competition (Up to 5000 words.)
- 3/1 TreadBikely Cycling (Up to 1500 words relating to cycling.)
- 3/31 SFF Writers of the Future (Up to 17,000 words.)
Personal Essays/Short Nonfiction
Creative nonfiction only. List does not include informative scholarship essays, articles, or journalism.
- 1+ Weekly Contest
- 2/28 Chicken Soup: Listen to Your Dreams (Up to 1200 words on title theme.)
- 2/28 Woods Memorial Award (Up to 5000 words.)
- 3/1 TreadBikely Cycling (Up to 1500 words relating to cycling.)
Poetry
Includes poetry collections and chapbooks.
- 1+ Weekly Contest
- 2/7 Bethesda Urban (Up to 21 lines.)
- 2/7 USA:Southeast White Oak Kitchen (Up to 40 lines.)
- 2/15 USA: Midwest/Collection Spahr Prize (Up to 48 pages.)
- 2/15 Collection Ambroggio Prize (48-100 pages.)
- 2/15 College Cha Son Haiku Award (Up to 3 haiku poems.)
- 2/15 College Spencer Poetry Award (Up to 3 poems.)
- 2/15 College/Bilingual Espaillat Award (Up to 3 poems submitted in both Spanish and English.)
- 2/15 Eisteddfod Competition (1-5 poems.)
- 2/28 Chicken Soup: Listen to Your Dreams (Up to 1200 words on title theme.)
- 3/1 TreadBikely Cycling (Up to 1500 words relating to cycling.)
- 3/1 Collection/African American Madgett Award (60-90 pages.)
- 3/3 Hart Crane (Any length.)
Flash Fiction
Novels and Collections (Fiction/Nonfiction)
See the poetry section for poetry collection/chapbook contests.
- 5+ Monthly Contests
- 2/13-16 Author Mentor Match
- 2/12-14 Sweetheart Pitchfest
- 2/14 #KissPitch Twitter Pitch Party
- 2/29 NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza
- 2/29 Low-Income Working Class Writer’s Grant
Children’s/MG
For picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels by adult authors. See “Youth” for contests for young authors.
- None this month (that I could find).
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.
- None this month (that I could find).
Other
Youth
Does not include student scholarship essays, unless they are creative nonfiction.
- 1+ Monthly Contests
- 2/12 Foster Care Voices Competition (Up to 500 words.)
- 3/2 Tower Poetry Prize (Up to 48 lines by ages 16-18.)
