Below you will find writing contests including fiction contests, poetry competitions, nonfiction awards, book prizes etc. We update it once a month. We only include legitimate and trustworthy competitions with excellent industry reputations. However, it’s important to read the T&C of each opportunity carefully to make sure you understand the rules of the contest you are entering. Reach out to each organizer individually for further clarification of their rules. Happy submitting, and good luck!
Rolling Deadlines
The Letter Review Prize
Genre: Short Fiction, Poetry, and Books
Deadline: Rolling (every three months)
Prizes: The Letter Review Prize is an internationally celebrated event, offered every three months in the categories of Short Fiction, Poetry, and Books. The Letter Review publishes the winners, maintains shortlists, submits to The Pushcart, and awards over $16,000 USD annually to writers, meaning the prize is among the highest paying literary prizes administered by a literary journal in the world.
Entry Fee: $20 – $30
Enter here
The Poetry.com Contest
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: Rolling (monthly)
Prizes: $200 – $500
Entry fee: $25
Enter here
The Reedsy Prompts Contest
Genre: Fiction and Short Story
Deadline: Rolling
Prizes: $250 and publication on Reedsy Prompts; $25 credit for Reedsy Marketplace services for shortlisted entries
Theme: Submission must respond to one of five Reedsy writing prompts.
Entry fee: $5
Enter here
March 2026
National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA)
Genre: All genres (Book/Novel)
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Prizes: Various (Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals, publicity)
Entry fee: $75.00 per entry/per Category
Enter here
Rubery Book Awards
Genre: All genres (Book/Novel)
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Prizes: Book of the Year (£2,000), Category Winners (£200), glass plaque, publicity
Entry fee: Varies
Enter here
The Lascaux Prize in Poetry
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Prizes: $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review
Entry fee: $15
Enter here
Porter Fleming Literary Competition
Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and One-Act Play
Deadline: March 1, 2026
Prizes: $7,000 in cash awards across categories
Entry fee: $15 per entry
Enter here
Ennis Book Club Festival Short Story Competition
Genre: Short Story (max. 3,000 words)
Deadline: Around March 6–8, 2026 (Winner announced at the festival)
Prizes: Announcement and reading at the Ennis Book Club Festival; winner will receive €750, second prize is €400
Entry fee: €20
Enter here
April 2026
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
Genre: Poetry (Humor)
Deadline: April 1, 2026
Prizes: First prize $2,000; Second prize $500; Third prize $250; Honorable mentions $100 each (10 awards); top 13 entries published online
Entry fee: None
Enter here
Florida Review Editor’s Prizes
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Deadline: April 15, 2026
Prizes: $1,000 and publication in The Florida Review
Entry fee: $25
Enter here
Writing Fellowship for New Parents
Genre: Fiction
Deadline: April 17, 2026
Prizes: $2,000, publication in Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine (online and print) and inclusion in the annual anthology, a year of mentorship, and a reading at a Pen Parentis Literary Salon in Fall, 2025
Entry fee: $20
Enter here
Susan Kamil Scholarship for Emerging Writers
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Deadline: April 22, 2025 (approx. based on last year)
Prizes: $12,500 x 2
Entry fee: None
Eligibility: Writer must be employed at a bookstore or comic shop
Enter here
Iowa Poetry Prize
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: April 30, 2025
Prizes: Publication by University of Iowa Press under a standard royalty agreement
Entry fee: $20
Enter here
Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prizes
Genre: Poetry (Book-length manuscript: 48–84 pages)
Deadline: April 30, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
Prizes: Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize winner receives $2,000, book publication, and promotion. Robert Creeley and Rochelle Ratner prize winners receive $250 each.
Entry fee: $30
Enter here
Engen Books Novel & Novella Submissions
Genre: Novel and Novella
Deadline: April 30, 2026
Prizes: Publication (details on advance/royalty to be confirmed by publisher)
Entry fee: Check the official Engen Books website (submission period is open from February 28, 2026 to April 30, 2026)
Enter here
May 2026
The Reedsy Literary Prize
Genre: Short Fiction
Deadline: May 31, 2026
Prizes: $1,500; guaranteed publication in Reedsy’s literary magazine Prompted; and personalized feedback from a literary agent.
Theme: “Write a story that includes change or transformation.”
Entry Fee: $20 USD.
Enter here
Waterston Desert Writing Prize
Genre: Creative Nonfiction
Deadline: May 1, 2026 (approx. based on last year)
Prizes: $3,000, reading and reception at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon on September 25, 2025
Theme: The work must recognize “the vital role deserts play worldwide in the ecosystem and the human narrative”
Entry fee: None
Enter here
Noemi Press Book Award
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Prizes: $2,000 and publication by Noemi Press
Entry fee: $30
Enter here
Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: May 15, 2026 (approx. based on last year)
Prizes: $25,000
Entry fee: $75
Enter here
Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Deadline: May 15, 2026
Prizes: $2,000, publication in the Winter 2025-26 issue of Ploughshares, a conversation with Aevitas Creative Management literary agency
Entry fee: $30 (includes 1-year print and digital subscription) or free to current Ploughshares subscribers
Enter here
The Bridport Prize
Genre: Poetry and Fiction (Memoir, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Novel)
Deadline: May 31, 2026
Prizes: £1,000 – £5,000
Entry fee: £11 – £24
Enter here
John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize
Genre: Essay
Deadline: (Registration deadline May 31, 2026) June 30, 2026 (approx. based on last year)
Prizes: $1,000 – $10,000 scholarship to attend any John Locke Institute program
Theme: Essay must address a listed question (see entry details linked below)
Entry fee: None
Enter here
Bath Novel Award
Genre: Novel (First 5,000 words + synopsis)
Deadline: May 31, 2026
Prizes: £5,000, Cornerstones Literary Consultancy course, agent feedback
Entry fee: Typically around £29.99
Enter here
The Malahat Review’s Far Horizons Award for Poetry
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Prizes: CAD $1,250
Entry fee: $15 CAD – $35 CAD (early-bird rate available, $15 CAD per additional entry)
Enter here
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest
Genre: Fiction and Essay
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Prizes: $3,000 for the winner (total prizes of $12,000 in previous cycles)
Entry fee: $25 (per entry)
Enter here
June 2026
The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition
Genre: Fiction (full-length children’s novel)
Deadline: June 1, 2026
Prizes: A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £7,500 – £10,000 and a discussion of representation with an agent
Entry fee: £25
Enter here
Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: June 15, 2026
Prizes: $25,000
Entry fee: $75
Enter here
2026 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry
Deadline: June 30, 2026
Prizes: £1,000 and publication in Wasafiri magazine, Chapter and Verse or Free Reads mentoring scheme in partnership with The Literary Consultancy (dependent on eligibility), as well as a one-year print subscription to
Wasafiri
Entry fee: £6 – £16
Enter here
The Moth Short Story Prize 2026
Genre: Fiction
Deadline: June 30, 2026 (based on last year, TBC)
Prizes: 1,000€ – 3,000€
Entry fee: 15€ per story
Enter here
Slate Roof Press 2026 Elyse Wolf Prize
Genre: Poetry (Chapbook)
Deadline: June 30, 2026 (TBC)
Prizes: $100 – $500
Entry fee: $10
Enter here
Burnside Review Chapbook Contest
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: June 30, 2026 (TBC)
Prizes: $200 and publication
Entry fee: $15
Enter here
July 2026
2026 HG Wells Short Story Competition
Genre: Fiction
Deadline: July 8, 2026 (TBC)
Prizes: £500 – £1,000 and publication of all shortlisted entries
Theme: “The Middle Ground”
Entry fee: Free – £10
Enter here
Rattle Poetry Prize
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: July 15, 2026 (TBC)
Prizes: $500 – $15,000
Entry fee: $30 (includes 1-year subscription) or free to current Rattle magazine subscribers
Enter here
2026 Housatonic Book Awards
Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
Deadline: July 18, 2026 (TBC)
Prizes: 3 x $1,500 in exchange for residency appearance
Entry fee: $25 plus processing fee
Enter here
Scriptation Showcase
Genre: Screenplay, Short Script, Teleplay
Deadline: July 20, 2026 (TBC)
Prizes: $1,000; $500 cash for best script in each category
Entry fee: $59
Enter here
100 Voices of Florida
Genre: Short Film or Short Film Script
Deadline: July 31, 2026 (TBC)
Prizes: $5,000, meeting with industry professional, and career coaching
Entry fee: $25
Enter here
Susan Kamil Scholarship for Emerging Writers
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Deadline: July 31, 2026
Prizes: $12,500 x 2
Entry fee: None
Eligibility: Writer must be employed at a bookstore or comic shop
Enter here