List Of Writing Contests

Submit Now! 

A free list of writing contests for creative writers. These listings are organized by deadline and include themes (if any), entry fees, prizes, and URLs. Advertisers are not affiliated with Writer's Relief. 

Learn more about Writer's Relief, an author's submission service. Want a listing in our classifieds section? Email info@wrelief.com for information. 

Deadline: 2/15/2012
Submit to: Cleveland State University Poetry Center Prizes, (please specify: First Book or Open Competition), Department of English, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-2214
Entry Fee: $25
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication
Type: Poetry (48 to 100 pages)
URL: CSU Poetry Center Prizes

Deadline: 2/15/2012
Submit to: Georgetown Review Poetry Manuscript Contest, Georgetown College, PO Box 227, Georgetown KY 40324. Or send online. Online Form
Entry Fee: $20
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication and 20 copies
Type: Poetry (48 to 80 pages MAX).
URL: Georgetown Review Poetry Manuscript Contest

Deadline: 2/25/2012
Submit to: String Poet Prize. Send via attachment (or pasted-in text). Email Address
Entry Fee: $10
First Prize: $200, a musical performance based on the accepted piece, and publication
Type: Poetry (40 lines MAX)
URL: String Poet Prize

Deadline: 2/25/2012
Submit to: The Nassau Review Writer Awards. Online Form
Entry Fee: None
First Prize: $250 per genre plus publication
Type: Prose poetry (3 poems, 1 poem per page) and flash fiction (500 words MAX)
URL: The Nassau Review Writer Awards

Deadline: 2/29/2012
Submit to: Norton Girault Literary Prize. Luisa A. Igloria, Director of the MFA Creative Writing Program, BAL 5000, English Department, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529. Or send online. Online Form
Entry Fee: $25
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication in Barely South Review
Type: Short stories (25 pages MAX)
URL: Norton Girault Literary Prize

Deadline: 3/1/2012
Submit to: Bartholomew County Writers Group Short Story Contest. 5110 W Co Rd 400 N, Scipio, IN 47273. Email submissions are accepted, but will not be entered until entry fee is received. Email Address
Entry Fee: $5
First Prize: $50 and publication in Pen It! Magazine
Type: Short stories up to 2 pages, 12-point Arial. Name, address, email, and/or phone # MUST be on the first pg of submission
URL:

Deadline: 3/1/2012
Submit to: Kundiman, P.O. Box 4248, Sunnyside, NY 11104. Or send online. Online Form
Entry Fee: $28
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication
Type: Poetry (50 to 70 pages). Writers MUST be Asian American.
URL: Kundiman

Deadline: 3/10/2012
Submit to: Nelligan Prize – Colorado Review, 9105 Campus Delivery, Department of English, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-9105. Or send online. Online Form
Entry Fee: $15 (paper submission) or $17 (online submission)
First Prize: $2,000 plus publication
Type: Short stories (49 pages MAX)
URL: Nelligan Prize - Colorado Review

Deadline: 3/15/2012
Submit to: Bellday Books, Inc., P.O. Box 3687, Pittsburgh, PA 15230
Entry Fee: $25
First Prize: $2,000 plus publication
Type: Poetry (60 - 90 pages)
URL: Bellday Poetry Prize

Deadline: 3/15/2012
Submit to: Gulf Coast Prizes in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction. Gulf Coast Prize in [Genre], Department of English, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-3013. Online entries preferred. Online Form
Entry Fee: $23
First Prize: $1,500 plus publication
Type: Poetry (5 poems, 10 pages MAX), short stories, and essays (25 pages MAX)
URL: Gulf Coast Prizes in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction

Deadline: 3/15/2012
Submit to: Omnidawn Poetry Chapbook Contest, Omnidawn Publishing, 1632 Elm Avenue, Richmond, CA 94805-1614. Or send online. Online Form
Entry Fee: $15
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication
Type: Poetry (20 to 40 pages MAX)
URL: Omnidawn Poetry Chapbook Contest

Deadline: 3/31/2012
Submit to: CutBank Chapbook Contest. Online Form
Entry Fee: $17
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication and 25 copies
Type: Poetry (25 to 40 pages)
URL: CutBank Chapbook Contest

Deadline: 3/31/2012
Submit to: Press 53 Open Awards, PO Box 30314, Winston-Salem, NC 27130-0314. Or send online. Online Form
Entry Fee: $15 for all genres ($17 online submission), except $25 for novella ($28 online submission)
First Prize: $250 for each genre, award, plus publication
Type: Poetry, flash fiction, short-shorts, short stories, creative nonfiction, novella (see website guidelines for specific word counts)
URL: Press 53 Open Awards Writing Contest

Deadline: 3/31/2012
Submit to: The Four Way Books Intro Prize in Poetry. Four Way Books, POB 535 Village Station, New York, NY 10014. Online submissions preferred. Online Form
Entry Fee: $28
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication
Type: Poetry collection
URL: Four Way Books Intro Prize in Poetry

Deadline: 3/31/2012
Submit to: Winning Writers, Attn: Tom Howard Short Story Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060-3961. Or send online. Online Form
Entry Fee: $15
First Prize: $3,000 plus online publication
Type: Stories and essays (5,000 words MAX)
URL: Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest

Deadline: 4/1/2012
Submit to: Winning Writers, Attn: Wergle Flomp Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060-3961. Or send online. Online Form
Entry Fee: None
First Prize: $1,500 plus online publication
Type: Humor. Poetry (1 poem MAX)
URL: Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Deadline: 6/1/2012
Submit to: Tiferet Writing Contest. Online Form
Entry Fee: $20
First Prize: $400 per genre
Type: Poetry (6 poems) or prose (20 pages). Must have a spiritual slant.
URL: Tiferet Writing Contest

Deadline: 6/15/2012
Submit to: James DenBoer, Managing Editor, Swan Scythe Press, 515 P Street, Apartment 804, Sacramento, CA 95814
Entry Fee: $16
First Prize: Publication of chapbook and 25 copies
Type: Poetry (20 - 32 pages MAX)
URL: Chapbook Contest

Sponsored Listing

Debra Winegarten's poetry chapbook "There's Jews in Texas?" won the 2011 Poetic Magazine's national contest. Following her beloved mother's advice, she won't quit her day job—unless, of course, she sells a million copies. Read a free sample poem from the book on Debra's website—such a deal!
Read More

Deadline: 2/15/2012
Submit to: Able Muse Write Prize. Online submissions are preferred. Submission Link
Entry Fee: $15
First Prize: $500 plus publication
Type: Poetry (5 poems, 10 pages MAX) or flash fiction (2 stories, 1500 words MAX)
URL: Able Muse Write Prize

Deadline: 2/29/2012
Submit to: IndieReader Discovery Awards. Everyone entering the IRDA’s will get a guaranteed book review. Submission Link
Entry Fee: $150 per title per category. $50 for each add'l category (we are currently offering 20% off the $150 fee).
First Prize: Winners announced at Book Expo America. A review from Kirkus Reviews. Inclusion in IndieReader Selects. “First-look” deal with Book Ends Entertainment.
Type: Self-published books
URL: IndieReader Discovery Awards

Deadline: 2/29/2012
Submit to: Arizona Mystery Writers Writing Contest. PO Box 31992, Tucson, Arizona 85715. Three copies of each entry. No certified or registered mail accepted. No e-mail submissions.
Entry Fee: $10
First Prize: $200
Type: Mystery stories (2,500 words MAX)
URL: Arizona Mystery Writers

Deadline: 2/29/2012
Submit to: CutBank’s Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry, Montana Prize in Fiction and Creative Nonfiction. Online Form
Entry Fee: $17
First Prize: $500 plus publication
Type: Poetry (5 poems MAX), short stories, and essays (40 pages MAX)
URL: CutBank's Prizes in Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction

Deadline: 3/1/2012
Submit to: The Write Place At the Write Time - Winter Writers' Contest. Submit pasted-in text and a brief bio via email. No attachments. Email Address
Entry Fee: None
First Prize: $15 Barnes & Noble gift card and publication
Type: Short stories (500 words MAX) on the end of the Mayan calendar. See website for details.
URL: Winter Writers' Contest

Deadline: 3/2/2012
Submit to: CONTEST, Selected Shorts, Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, New York, NY 10025 or Online Form
Entry Fee: $25
First Prize: $1,000 plus a free 10-week creative writing class with Gotham Writers’ Workshop.
Type: Short stories (750 words MAX) on the topic of "Objects of Desire"
URL: Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Deadline: 3/5/2012
Submit to: ATTN: Fiction Contest, Folio, Department of Literature, American University, Washington, DC 20016-8047
Entry Fee: $15
First Prize: $500
Type: Fiction (5,000 words MAX)
URL: Folio Prose Contest

Deadline: 3/15/2012
Submit to: Bellingham Review's Contests for Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction. Online Form
Entry Fee: $20 per genre
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication
Type: Poetry (3 poems MAX), short stories, and essays (6,000 words MAX)
URL: Bellingham Review's Contests

Deadline: 3/31/2012
Submit to: Able Muse Book Award. Online submissions are preferred. Submission Link
Entry Fee: $25
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication
Type: Poetry (50 to 120 pages MAX)
URL: http://www.ablemusepress.com/ablemuse-book-award

Deadline: 4/1/2012
Submit to: Robert Crawford, The Frost Farm Prize, 280 Candia Rd., Chester, NH 03036
Entry Fee: $5 per poem
First Prize: $1,000 plus invitation to read
Type: Poetry
URL: The Frost Farm Prize

Deadline: 4/15/2012
Submit to: The Argos Prize. Attn: Danielle Sellers, The Country Dog Review, P.O. Box 1476, Oxford, MS 38655
Entry Fee: $10
First Prize: $500 plus publication
Type: Poetry (3 poems MAX)
URL: The Argos Prize

Deadline: 4/30/2012
Submit to: Trio Award for First or Second Book. Online Form
Entry Fee: $25
First Prize: $1,000 plus 20 copies
Type: Poetry (48 to 70 pages)
URL: Trio Award for First or Second Book

Deadline: 5/1/2012
Submit to: Ruminate Magazine: Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize. Online Form
Entry Fee: $15
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication
Type: Poetry (3 poems MAX, 40 lines/poem MAX)
URL: Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize

Deadline: 10/15/2012
Submit to: Ruminate Magazine: William Van Dyke Short Story Prize. Online Form
Entry Fee: $15
First Prize: $1,000 plus publication
Type: Short stories (7,000 words MAX)
URL: William Van Dyke Short Story Prize
A free list of writing contests for creative writers, compiled and updated regularly by Writer’s Relief. This easy-to-skim writing contest list is developed for all levels of writers. You’ll find competitions for poetry, short stories, flash fiction, personal essays, creative nonfiction, fiction, memoir, novels, poetry collections, chapbooks, books of all kinds, and more. Some of these writing contests are free (no entry fee, aka “no fee contests”) and some of them require an entry fee. Prizes often include publication (online or in print) and also some monetary award. Writers must look into and research these writing contests prior to entering them. We hope you enjoy our free writing contests list, and we encourage writers to share these listings with their friends. Learn how you can advertise your writing contest with us and reach our subscribers.