Fashion rules might strictly kick in after Labor Day, but these contests have a much more spread out schedule! Add them to your calendar, and you’re sure to always be on time!
FEATURED! Frontier Poetry Debut Chapbook Prize
Open to new and emerging poets, Frontier Poetry is hosting a contest to find a new chapbook—they want a collection that reveals emotional truths and has something urgent to say… The wonderful Nancy Miller Gomez is judging. The winning poet will receive $2,000 and publication for their manuscript, as well as fifty author copies. Get started!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: September 1
Dogwood Literary Awards
These are actually three contests offered by Dogwood: A Journal of Poetry and Prose, looking for exceptional writing and outstanding poetry! Submissions may be up to twenty-two pages, or a set of one to three poems, and the winner of each contest receives $1,000 and publication. Make sure to select the correct contest for your submission (poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction)! Submit here.
Entry Fee: $12 Deadline: September 5
Young Lions Fiction Award
If you’ve published a book during the 2024 calendar year, and you’re younger than thirty-five, this is an amazing opportunity tailor-made for you! Offered through the New York Public Library, both novels and short story collections are accepted, and the winner receives $10,000. This is the 25th anniversary of the first contest, so it’s a big year! Books must be entered by the publisher, not the author. Learn more here!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: September 6
Cullman Center Fellowships
The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers offers up to fifteen fellowships each year, for academics, journalists, and creative writers. Part of the New York Public Library system, this is an amazing opportunity to access the research collections at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building! A Cullman Center Fellow receives a stipend of up to $85,000, an office, and full use of the Library’s physical and electronic resources. Don’t miss out!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: September 27
The Berlin Prize
The American Academy in Berlin is now accepting applications for their residential fellowships, to enrich transatlantic dialogue in the arts and address the themes of the future. Writers need one published book to be eligible, and fellowships are restricted to US residents. About twenty Berlin Prizes are awarded each year, and those selected receive round-trip airfare, a monthly $5,000 stipend, and lodging at the Hans Arnhold Center. More details here!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: September 30
Dzanc Books Contests
Dzanc Books is offering opportunities for all writers, with three different contests ending this September! The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction, judged by Farah Ali, Chika Unigwe, and Sarah Yahm, awards a $5,000 advance and publication for the original and daring winning manuscript. The Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Competition celebrates imaginative and inventive short form writing, offering a $2,500 advance and publication to the winning submission. Finally, the Dzanc Poetry Prize is judged by Keith Taylor and Jonathan Fink, who will award a $1,000 advance and publication to the winning poetry collection. Check them all out!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: September 30
Hackney Literary Award for Novels
Sponsored by the Morris Hackney family, this is an amazing prize for any aspiring novelist! This $5,000 prize will be awarded to an unpublished novel, and there is no limit on length or subject matter. Check it out now!
Entry Fee: $30 Deadline: September 30
The Iowa Short Fiction Award
Presented by the University of Iowa Press for a book-length collection of short stories, this contest is open to any writer who hasn’t published a volume of prose fiction! The winning manuscript will be published under a standard royalty agreement. Learn more here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: September 30
Juniper Literary Prizes
The University of Massachusetts Press honors the memory of Robert Francis, who lived and wrote his poetry in Fort Juniper, and applicants should keep in mind his dedication to creativity and nature! The Juniper Prize for Poetry awards $1,000 and publication to two original poetry manuscripts, one first book prize for an unpublished author, and one prize for a previously published author. The Juniper Prize for Fiction also awards $1,000 and publication to two original fiction manuscripts, one for a short story collection, and one for a novel. The Juniper Prize for Creative Nonfiction awards $1,000 and publication to one original manuscript. Details here!
Entry Fee: $30 Deadline: September 30
Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction
If you think you’re ready to medal in writing creative nonfiction, then this is the contest for you! They’re looking for memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, or literary journalism. The Lascaux Review is accepting multiple submissions, fewer than 10,000 words each. All finalists in this contest will be published, but the winner also receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion for their efforts. Check it out!
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: September 30
Miller Williams Poetry Prize
This prize is named for and operated to honor the longtime director of the University of Arkansas Press, Miller Williams. Submissions of book-length poetry manuscripts should reflect his preference for poetry that was plain spoken, evocative, ironic, and humorous. The top four entries will receive publication, and the first-place winner also receives $5,000. Submit here!
Entry Fee: $28 Deadline: September 30
by Kimberly Guerin