It’s hard to believe we’re heading into the middle of summer, but we’re already nearing the end of our chances for these contests. It’s time to cross some of the items off your summer wishlist, and you can start by finally pressing that submit button!

FEATURED! Short Story Award for New Writers

Our contest has finally arrived, and we couldn’t be more excited! The Masters Review is looking for stories under 7000 words, written by emerging writers who are good with grammar and show finesse with fiction! The winner receives $3000, publication, and agency review, and the runners-up also receive cash prizes, publication, and review. Don’t miss your chance! Details here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: July 31 

Bellevue Literary Review Prizes

All three of the Bellevue Literary Review’s contests are ending soon, so enter now if you want to receive one of the three $1000 and publication first-place prizes! All entries should be related to themes of health, healing, illness, the mind, and the body. Maud Casey is judging fiction, Jennifer Bartlett is judging poetry, and Elisabeth Rosenthal is judging nonfiction. Honorable mention winners also earn $250 and publication! Guidelines here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: July 1

Richard J. Margolis Award

Inspired by journalist and essayist Richard J. Margolis, this prize has provided financial and other support to a promising journalist whose work combines warmth, humor, and wisdom with social justice since 1992. This prize recognizes one writer with $5000, and a one-month residency at the Blue Mountain Center in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. Applicants need to provide a biographical note, a project description, and two writing samples. Submission guidelines here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: July 1

Oregon Literary Fellowships

These fellowships are meant to help emerging Oregon writers initiate, develop, or complete literary projects, whether they are writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama! Literary Arts has awarded over 600 authors and publishers since 1987, and dispensed more than $900,000 in fellowships and award monies. Submissions require the completed application and a writing sample, in triplicate, and possibly an addendum if you qualify for the Women Writers or Writers of Color fellowships. There’s a fellowship for everyone, so don’t be shy! Specific details here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: July 9

The Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers

These awards, presented by Nimrod International Journal through the University of Tulsa, honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers in either fiction or poetry. Contestants can enter up to five pages of poetry, and up to 5000 words of prose. The winner of each category will receive $500 and their manuscript will be published in the spring issue of Nimrod! Details here.
Entry Fee: $12 Deadline: July 15

The Peseroff Prize Poetry Contest

Breakwater, operating from the University of Massachusetts, is searching for something new in poetry, and thus this contest specifically has no restrictions in content or form. Clearly this is a call to all poets who think that their work can make the cut! Judged by the fantastically creative Lillian-Yvonne Bertram, the winner receives $1000 and publication in Breakwater’s fall issue. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $10 Deadline: July 15

(more…)

Temperatures have certainly started rising, but there’s no excuse for falling into the summer doldrums just yet…These contests should kick your mind into high gear, and you can truly relax once you’ve submitted your best work!

OPEN SOON! Short Story Award for New Writers

Our own contest is just about to begin, and we’re here to give you an excellent head start! The Masters Review is looking for stories under 7000 words, written by emerging writers who have a knack for nouns and a facility with phrases! The winner receives $3000, publication, and agency review, and the runners-up also receive cash prizes, publication, and review. Don’t let this chance slip by! Details here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: July 31

Boston Review Annual Poetry Contest

Now open, Boston Review’s Annual Poetry Contest is a big one, with the winner receiving $1500 and publication. Submissions should be kept to five poems, on ten pages or less, and any poet writing in English is eligible! Judged by the astute and insightful Mary Jo Bang. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: June 1

Thomas A. Wilhelmus Short Prose Award

There’s only a little time left to enter Southern Indiana Review’s writing contest for short prose! Each submission should only be 40-80 pages, whether it is a novella, a novel excerpt, or a creative nonfiction piece. The first-place winner is awarded $2000 and their collection will be published by Southern Indiana Review Press. Judged by David H. Lynn. Don’t miss it!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: June 1

Salamander Fiction Prize

Offered through Suffolk University, Salamander is working with Molly Antopol to discover amazing new fiction! Each submission must be less than 30 pages, include a two-page cover sheet, and be entirely unpublished. First prize is $1000, second prize is $500, and all entries are considered for publication. Check it out!
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: June 4

Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize

American Short Fiction and brilliant judge ZZ Packer are looking for writers who are confident, concise, and creative—could that be you? Stories must be between 2000 and 6500 words, but multiple entries are allowed. First place receives $2500 and guaranteed publication in an upcoming issue! Details here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: June 15

Bard Fiction Prize

This amazing prize is offered to a promising emerging writer through Bard College, and the winners receive a stipend of $30,000, an appointment as writer-in-residence on campus for one semester, and the opportunity to give a public lecture. Be aware, though, they’re looking for writers who are 39 years old or younger. You’ll need to have published a book in order to apply, but this is the chance of a lifetime! Learn more here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: June 15

(more…)

It’s finally feeling like spring, and the world is full of green growing things. Now it’s your turn to create something new, and send it off to one of these amazing events!

FEATURED The Masters Review Flash Fiction Contest

Never before has each word in a submission been worth so much…You might be limited to 1000 words, but the winner will be rewarded with 3000 dollars! Second and third place receive $200 and $100, respectively, and all stories are considered for publication. We’re only looking for previously unpublished stories, but you’re allowed both simultaneous and multiple submissions. Don’t miss it!
Entry Fee: $20 for 2 stories Deadline: May 31

FEATURED Frontier Poetry Industry Prize

If ever there was a time to shine and polish your most magnificent poem, this is it! This prize allows submitters the chance to be read by astoundingly influential people; this year it’s Don Share, Nicole Sealey, and Matt Zapruder. They will collaborate to choose one winning poem, and that winner receives $3000 and publication (Second and third place receive $200 and $100 respectively). Check it out!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: May 15

Creative Nonfiction Grants

The Whiting Foundation offers a helping hand to authors in the midst of completing a book-length work of nonfiction for a general, not academic, audience by awarding up to eight grants of $40,000. They welcome submissions such as works on history, biography, the sciences, philosophy, travel writing, and even personal essays, but these projects must be under contract to a publisher in the United States. Work must have been ongoing for two years, to ensure that the author can identify upcoming challenges, but any applicants who fulfill all the requirements already know that this is an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don’t miss out!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: May 2

Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize

This amazing prize is available through Duke University, and it’s based on the collaboration between photographer Dorothea Lange and writer Paul Taylor. They’re looking for extended projects that rely on combining words and images, up to eighteen images and fifteen pages! Applications must include a project description, a statement, and a biography. The winner will receive $10,000, a feature story, and their work will be placed in the Archive of Documentary Arts at Duke University. More details here.
Entry Fee: $70 Deadline: May 15

Emerging Writer’s Contest

Ploughshares is now focusing on their commitment to promoting the work of up-and-coming writers, so there’s no better time to submit! This contest is meant to celebrate emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, awarding $2000 and publication to the winners of each category. Carmen Maria Machado is judging fiction, Roxane Gay is judging nonfiction, and Roger Reeves is judging poetry. Guidelines here.
Entry Fee: $24 Deadline: May 15

Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize

If you have a poem to share, Ruminate wants to read it! Judged by the impressive poet Ilya Kaminsky, the first-place prize is $1500 and publication. Each submission is only two poems, 40 lines or less, but there are no limits on the number of entries per person. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: May 15

The Loraine Williams Poetry Prize

Natasha Trethewey is judging this contest for The Georgia Review, and they are looking for a masterful poem! The final winner will receive $1000 and publication, but all submitted poems will be considered for publication (at $4 a line). Learn more here.
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: May 15

Prophecy Creek Book Award in Speculative Fiction

If you write your fiction with a futuristic or supernatural bent, this is the contest you’ve been waiting for! Hidden River Press is looking for an original unpublished work of speculative fiction, and the winner will receive $1000 and publication. Make a note that submissions need to include a brief biography, outline, and full synopsis along with the full manuscript! More details here.
Entry Fee: $22 Deadline: May 15

(more…)

They may seem too good to be true, but we promise that none of these events are April Fool’s Day pranks! We checked each and every one ourselves, so you can go ahead and submit with confidence!

The Orison Prizes in Poetry and Fiction

Every year Orison Books accepts submissions of full-length poetry and fiction manuscripts between December and April, and this year’s window is closing fast! Fiction entries may be novellas, novels, or collections of short stories and flash fiction, but they must be a minimum of 30,000 words. Poetry entries may be between 50 and 100 pages. Vandana Khanna is judging poetry, Lan Samantha Chang is judging fiction, and the winners of each genre receive $1500, publication, and a standard royalties contract. Check it out!
Entry Fee: $30 Deadline: April 1

The Southampton Review

TSR accepts submissions in different categories twice each year, and they’re only accepting entries for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, and screenplays until the beginning of April. You may only submit once per reading period, but if you want to be published alongside the best established authors and newcomers, this could be your shot! Submission guidelines here.
Entry Fee: $3 Deadline: April 1

Waterston Desert Writing Prize

Inspired by author and poet Ellen Waterston, this prize provides financial and other support to writers of literary nonfiction whose work illustrates artistic excellence and a connection to the desert. The Waterston Desert Prize recognizes one writer with $2000, a reading and reception, and a four-week residency at Summer Lake, OR. Applicants need to provide a biographical statement, a proposal, and a writing sample. Details here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: April 1

Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting

If you think that you’re the next cinema legend, now’s your chance! This contest awards up to five $35,000 fellowships to amateur screenwriters, who are allowed to enter up to three original screenplays no longer than 160 pages. Fellowship winners are expected to complete at least one original feature film screenplay during the fellowship year. Do it!
Entry Fee: $60 Deadline: April 10

Cowles Poetry Book Prize

In honor of Vern Cowles, a man who loved literature, Southeast Missouri State University Press offers this prize for an unpublished poetry manuscript. It is open to any living poet writing in English, age 18 or older, and the manuscript only needs to be 48-100 pages! First place receives $2000, publication, and receives 30 copies of their book. Get started!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: April 13

Chautauqua Editor’s Prize

The Chautauqua Institution is an educational center in New York State, and their literary journal has always focused on personal, social, political, spiritual, and aesthetic inquiry. Now, for the first time, Chautauqua will be awarding a prize to the writing that best features an issue’s theme and the spirit of the journal! They publish one volume a year, at the start of summer, and this year’s theme is the courage, grit, determination, and energy that make up moxie. All submissions to the publication are automatically considered, and the winner receives $1000 and a nomination for the Pushcart Prize! Learn more here.
Entry Fee: $3 Deadline: April 15

(more…)

Spring is bursting into bloom, and so can your creativity. Take a small chance, submit to these contests, and watch your confidence grow!

FEATURED The Masters Review Anthology Prize

It’s finally that time of year again, when The Masters Review is accepting entries for our annual print anthology! Submissions can be fiction or narrative nonfiction, but they need to be less than 8000 words. The 10 winners will be published in the seventh volume of The Masters Review, and will each receive $500. This contest is judged by the fantastic Rebecca Makkai, and she will be looking for today’s best new emerging writers. Get started!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: March 31

2018 Contest: The Future

The future is always full of possibilities, and Sonora Review is willing to pay you to find out your thoughts on the subject! Each year they award $1000 and publication to a winning short story, essay, and poem, and this year’s contest theme is The Future. Charles Yu is judging fiction, Rubén Martínez is judging nonfiction, and Harmony Holiday is judging poetry. Get ready here!
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: March 1

International Poetry Competition

In this contest meant for poets, the Atlanta Review is looking for original and unpublished creative work. Entrants can send in up to 10 poems, although the reading fee increases after the first two poems. The Grand Prize winner will receive $1000 and publication, but the next twenty winners will also be published! Learn more here.
Entry Fee: $11 & up Deadline: March 1

Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Residency

This is a unique chance for any author who feels the need for unparalleled solitude while working on their current project! In return for an hour a day of maintenance, the resident receives a $5000 stipend and the use of a comfortable house in the Rogue River backcountry of southwestern Oregon for up to 10 months. Applications need to include a brief resume, a 20-page writing sample, and a letter explaining your suitability for the experience. More details here!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: March 1

Non/Fiction Collection Prize

Journal is looking to publish the best essay/short story collection written this year, and they are very upfront about their plan! The contest is open to writers of fiction and creative nonfiction, and entries must be less than 350 pages. The winner receives $1500 and a publishing contract from The Ohio State University Press. Check it out!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: March 1

Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowships

This is a golden opportunity for any student finishing up their MFA or PhD in Creative Writing by August 15! If that’s you, then here is your chance to receive a nine-month fellowship that includes a stipend of $38,000, generous health benefits, and several teaching assignments. It is also important that applicants have not published more than one book. Applications must include a resume and a writing sample. Apply here!
Entry Fee: $50 Deadline: March 1

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

If you want a chance to have your story of 750 words or less read aloud on Selected Shorts—then enter this contest! The winner will also be published in Electric Literature, earn $1000, and get a free course through Gotham Writers. This year’s judge is Jess Walter. So cool. Check out all the deets here.
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: March 1

Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction

Colorado State University sponsors this prize, through the Colorado Review, and awards $2000 and publication to the winner. There are no theme restrictions, but entries must be over 2500 words to qualify! Judged by Margot Livesey, all submissions will be considered for publication. More details here.
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: March 14

(more…)

Happy 2018, everyone! Anything could be around the corner—including these contests. Hold on to the promise of a fresh new year, and submit your work for consideration!

FEATURED! Winter Short Story Award for New Writers

This one is our own contest, and it’s featured for so many good reasons! The Masters Review is looking for stories under 7000 words, written by emerging writers who have a way with words and a love for language! The winner receives $3000, publication, and agency review, and the runners-up also receive cash prizes, publication, and review. Don’t let this chance slip by! Details here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: January 15

Poetry and Fiction Prizes

This is a compilation of Bayou Magazine’s two wonderful awards, the James Knudsen Prize for Fiction and the Kay Murphy Prize for Poetry! Fiction entries, judged by Kiese Laymon, should be less than 7500 words, and poetry entries, judged by the titular Kay Murphy (!), may include up to three poems. The winners will both receive $1000, and all entries will be considered for publication. Check it out!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: January 1

The 2018 MR Prize

Awarded through Mississippi Review, this prize is available to prose writers and poets alike! Winners receive $1000 and publication for the categories of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Prose entries should be 1000-8000 words, and poetry should be less than 10 pages, but there is no limit on the number of entries! Learn more here.
Entry Fee: $16 Deadline: January 1

Christopher Doheny Award

As a memorial to Chris Doheny, this contest is looking for excellence in fiction or creative nonfiction on the topic of serious medical illness. The award includes $10,000, production of the book in an audio edition, and promotion. Entries need to include a bibliography of previously published work, a personal statement, a synopsis, and the full manuscript. Get started here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: January 2

Glimmer Train Family Matters Contest

This is the annual installment of Glimmer Train’s Family Matters contest! It’s open to all writers, writing about families of all configurations, and entries can run from 1000 to 12,000 words. The winner receives $2500, the runner-up receives $700, and both are published in Glimmer Train Stories. Authors receive 10 copies of that issue. Submission guidelines here.
Entry Fee: $18 Deadline: January 2

Glimmer Train Very Short Fiction Contest

Don’t worry, this isn’t déjà vu! Glimmer Train currently has two contests open, and this one is specifically for short fiction! The contest is open to all writers, but entries must be between 300 and 3000 words. First place is $2000 and publication, as well as 10 copies of that issue. Submit here!
Entry Fee: $16 Deadline: January 2

Steinbeck Fellowships in Creative Writing

The Steinbeck Fellows Program of San José State University, endowed by Martha Heasley Cox, is looking for emerging writers of any age and background! Their creative writing fellowship accepts work in fiction, drama, creative nonfiction, and biography (but not in poetry). Accepted fellows will receive a $10,000 stipend, interaction with other writers and faculty, and monthly readings. Each application needs to include a prospectus, resumé, three letters of recommendation, and a writing sample. Learn more here!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: January 2

Tony Hillerman Prize

If you’ve ever wondered what to do with your unpublished murder mystery manuscript, there couldn’t be a more perfect contest than this! Sponsored by St. Martin’s Press and Western Writers of America, this annual prize awards $10,000 and publication to the winning author’s entry. The story’s central theme needs to be the solution for a serious crime, it must be set in the American Southwest, and it must be longer than 220 pages. What are you waiting for? Submit here!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: January 2

Desert Writers Award

Established to honor the memory of Ellen Meloy, the Ellen Meloy Fund for Desert Writers is devoted to creative nonfiction work about the desert. The Fund provides support to writers whose work brings deeper meaning to the body of desert literature, awarding $5000 every spring! To be considered, entrants must include the completed application form, a biographical statement, a project proposal, and a 10-page writing sample. More details here!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: January 15

(more…)

If you don’t feel up to braving the weather, you can build your endurance by braving these literary challenges instead! Screw your courage to the sticking place and send in your submissions!

ONGOING! Winter Short Story Award for New Writers

Our own contest isn’t ending anytime soon, but that just gives you more of an opportunity to get started! The Masters Review is looking for stories under 7000 words, written by emerging writers who have a way with words and a love for language! The winner receives $3000, publication, and agency review, and the runners-up also receive cash prizes, publication, and review. Don’t let this chance slip by! Details here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: January 15

Foglifter Submissions

Here is a great opportunity for daring and thoughtful writers, as your work could be published in Foglifter! This is the entry period for the upcoming spring edition, and they’re interested queering form and perspective, with cross-genre, intersectional, marginal, and transgressive works. Include a 50 word bio, and be ready to send in a photo if accepted! Submit here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: December 1

Provincetown Fellowship

Given by the Fine Arts Work Center, this is a seven-month residency for writers in the emerging stages of their careers. The five poets and five fiction authors chosen will receive a monthly $750 stipend, as well as a living/work space. Writers who have published a full-length book are unfortunately not eligible. Applicants must send in a writing sample, a current CV, and an optional personal statement. There is a lot of competition, but there is no great reward without risk! Don’t miss it!
Entry Fee: $50 Deadline: December 1

Stegner Fellowship

This astounding fellowship is offered to ten writers through Stanford University, five in poetry and five in literary fiction, and the winners receive a yearly living stipend of $26,000 for two years, tuition, workshops, and other events. They’re looking for writers who are diverse in experience and style, who have talent and the ability to focus. You’ll need two contacts for recommendations, a statement of plans, and a manuscript up to 9000 words, but this could be your shot! Learn more here.
Entry Fee: $85 Deadline: December 1

W. Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction

There are some very specific contests out there, and this is one of them! Administered by the American Library Association, this award honors the best fiction published in the last year that was set in a time when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel, although the incidences of war may only function as the setting of the story. All entries are judged on the excellence of writing and attention to detail. The winning entrant will receive $5000 and a gold-framed citation of achievement. More details here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: December 1

Chautauqua Prize

This competition is a daring gauntlet run by the Chautauqua Institute, but the reward at the end is worth the work! A $7500 prize and one-week residency is awarded to an author of a book of original fiction or narrative nonfiction that was published this year. They accept all books published in 2017, from short story collections to memoirs. Could this be you? Do it!
Entry Fee: $75 Deadline: December 15

(more…)

The holidays are fast approaching! Before hunkering down with family and friends to gorge on turkey and mashed potatoes, give thanks for these twelve enticing contests.

FEATURED! The Masters Review Fall Fiction Contest

Our very own Fall Fiction Contest, judged by the estimable Brian Evenson, closes in the middle of the month. So go ahead and send us your best fiction under 7000 words. The winning story receives $2000, publication, and a note from Brian Evenson himself. Second and third place stories earn $200 and $100, respectively, correspondence from the judge, and publication. Peep the deets.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: November 15

FEATURED! The Frontier Open

The Frontier Open will award a $5000 prize and publication to one winning poem. The contest is open to all poets, established and emerging alike. Ten finalists will also receive $100 each and publication with Frontier Poetry. For more details about this amazing opportunity for poets, click here.
Entry Fee: $20, for up to four poems Deadline: November 30

The Briar Cliff Review Writing Contest

This is The Briar Cliff Review’s annual contest for fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Winners in each of the three categories will earn $1000 and publication in the next issue of The Briar Cliff Review. Fiction and nonfiction submissions should be no more than 5000 words; poets can submit up to three poems per entry. To submit, go here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: November 1

Mid-American Review – Sherwood Anderson Fiction Prize & James Wright Poetry Prize

First prize for each contest is $1000 plus publication. Finalists also receive notation and possible publication. There is a 6000-word limit for fiction and you can submit up to three poems. Final judges to still be announced, but last year’s judges were Charles Yu and Jeannine Hall Gailey. For complete guidelines and to enter, go here.
Entry Fee: $10 Deadline: November 15

Pleiades Press – The Robert C. Jones Short Prose Book Contest & The Lena-Miles Wever Todd Prize for Poetry

Pleiades Press is holding two great contests that close this month. Dinty Moore is judging the short prose contest, which is open to collections of fiction and nonfiction: “short stories, flash fiction, lyric essays, and anything else you can think of.” The winning manuscript receives $2000, publication by Pleiades Press, and national distribution through LSU Press. Marcus Wicker is judging the poetry contest. The winning poetry manuscript receives a $2000 prize and $1000 to help pay for a book tour, plus publication by Pleaides press, and national distribution through LSU Press. And get this: the winning poet will have the opportunity to launch his or her book tour from the University of Central Missouri, where Pleaides is located. For complete details on both contests, go here.
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: November 15

Ruminate: VanderMey Nonfiction Prize

This is a wonderful opportunity for authors of creative nonfiction. Ruminate’s prize offers $1500 and publication for an essay or short memoir of 5500 words or fewer. All applicants receive a copy of the prize issue. The finalist judge is Camille Dungy! Ruminate recommends that you read a copy of the magazine to get a sense of its style before submitting (a good tip for all contests and submissions!). Enter now here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: November 15

Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition

Writer’s Digest is looking for short shorts of 1500 words or less. The first-place winner receives $3000, publication, and a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference in the Big Apple! The second-place winner receives $1500 and publication. For entry forms and more information, go here.
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: November 15

(more…)

The temperature keeps rising as we move into July, but it only takes a little ingenuity to avoid the doldrums. Our idea? Beat the summer heat by drinking lemonade, visiting the pool, and fanning yourself with a pile of submissions!

FEATURED! Short Story Award For New Writers

This is our biggest submission period of the year! The Masters Review is looking for stories under 7000 words, written by emerging writers who have a way with words and a passion for prose. The winner receives $3000, publication, and agency review, and the first and second place authors also receive cash prizes, publication, and review. Don’t let this opportunity slip by! Details here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: July 31

Bellevue Literary Review Prizes

All three of the Bellevue Literary Review’s contests are ending soon, so enter now if you want to receive one of the three $1000 and publication first-place prizes! All entries should be related to themes of health, healing, illness, the mind, and the body. Geraldine Brooks is judging fiction, Rachel Hadas is judging poetry, and Rivka Galchen is judging nonfiction. Honorable mention winners also earn $250 and publication! Guidelines here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: July 1

Richard J. Margolis Award

Inspired by journalist and essayist Richard J. Margolis, this prize provides financial and other support to a promising journalist whose work combines warmth, humor, and wisdom with social justice. This prize recognizes one writer with $5000, and a one-month residency at the Blue Mountain Center in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. Applicants need to provide a biographical note, a project description, and two writing samples. Submission guidelines here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: July 1

Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers

These awards, presented by Nimrod International Journal through the University of Tulsa, honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers in either fiction or poetry. Contestants can enter up to five pages of poetry, and up to 5000 words of prose. The winner of each category will receive $500 and their manuscript will be published in the spring issue of Nimrod! Details here.
Entry Fee: $12 Deadline: July 15

 Rattle Poetry Prize

Rattle is looking for an outstanding piece of poetry, and they are definitely willing to compensate you handsomely for it! This annual competition awards $10,000 for a single poem to be published in the winter issue of their magazine. Ten finalists also receive $200, and additional poems from the entries are frequently published. Four poems are allowed per entry, and there is no line limit. What are you waiting for? Enter here!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: July 15

(more…)

There is nothing like cozying up with a few submissions as the autumn leaves begin to fall. October is a busy month for literary magazine contests, and here are some that you won’t want to miss.

The American Literary Review

The American Literary Review is awarding $1,000 apiece and publication in the Spring 2017 issue to a story, a poem, and an essay! Get those entries in fast. More details here.

Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: October 1

Zoetrope: All-Story Fiction Contest

This is a big one. You have just a few short days to polish up those stories of 5,000 words or fewer and submit them to the Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction Contest, which is now in its twentieth year. The guest judge is Anthony Marra. The first-place story wins $1,000; the second- and third-prize winners are awarded $500 and $250 respectively. All winners and honorable mentions receive agency review. Do it!

Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: October 1

The Missouri Review Editors’ Prize

Another huge fall contest! Entries to the 26th Annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize from The Missouri Review close right as October begins. Winners in the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry categories each receive $5,000, publication, and an invitation to a reception and reading. Don’t miss it.

Entry Fee: $22 Deadline: October 1

StoryQuarterly Annual Fiction Prize

StoryQuarterly, the literary magazine run out of Rutgers University Camden, is accepting submissions to its annual fiction prize through the middle of the month. The winner receives publication and $1,000. Writers can submit up to 6,250 words. Judged by Alexander Chee! Submit here.

Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: October 15

River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Contest

Do you have a longer nonfiction manuscript that is ready to (gasp!) send out for consideration? Then let us suggest the River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Contest. The winner receives $1,000 and publication of their manuscript by The University of New Mexico Press. Entries of up to 400 pages will be considered. More details here.

Entry Fee: $25 (hard-copy submission); $27 (online submission) Deadline: October 31

Truman State T. S. Eliot Prize

Calling all poets with manuscripts! The winner of the Truman State T. S. Eliot Prize earns $2,500 and publication for their book-length collection. What are you waiting for? Submit here.

Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: October 31

Indiana Review Fiction Prize

The Indiana Review Fiction Prize awards $1,000 and publication to the best short story. Did we mention that this year’s judge is Aimee Bender? Submit your fiction by All Hallows’ Eve. Submission guidelines here.

Entry Fee: $20 (includes a yearlong subscription) Deadline: October 31

Glimmer Train Short Story Award for New Writers

The end of October marks the deadline for Glimmer Train’s triannual Short Story Award for New Writers. $2,500 and publication is awarded to the winning short story by an emerging writer. Check out the details.

Entry Fee: $18 Deadline: October 31

PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

The PEN/Faulkner Award honors a book of fiction published during each calendar year with a prize of $15k. Four finalists receive $5,000 and bragging rights. Submissions are open to story collections, novellas, or novels published in 2016. This years’ judges are Sigrid Nunez, Chris Abani, and Chantel Acevedo. More information here.

Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: October 31

Ooligan Press Write to Publish Flash Fiction Contest

Ooligan Press is seeking submissions of less than 1000 words for their 2017 Write to Publish flash fiction contest! This contest is open to all writers, but the submission must be original and can not have been previously published. Only one submission per person allowed. What’s more? The winner earns $50 and we are acting as judge and will publish the winning story on our site! More information here.

Entry Fee: $10 Deadline: October 31

Time to polish up those pieces you’ve been preparing throughout the spring. Here are ten opportunities for cash prizes and more in the month of July.

FEATURED! The Masters Review Short Story Award For New Writers

Welcoming all new and emerging writers! We’re awarding $2,000, publication, and agency review to the winning work of fiction 6,000 words or fewer. Second and third prizewinners will also earn publication and review, as well as $200 and $100, respectively. Find full details and submit to the Short Story Award here.
Submission fee: $20 Deadline: July 15

NANO Fiction Prize

Flash fiction writers, time to start slashing the word count! NANO Fiction is awarding $1,000 and publication to the best piece up to 300 words. This year’s contest will be judged by Kellie Wells. Submit up to three fiction pieces here.
Submission fee: $10 Deadline: July 1

Bellevue Literary Review Prize

From their website: “The BLR Prizes award outstanding writing related to themes of health, healing, illness, the mind, and the body.” $1,000 and publication goes to the winning works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. $250 and publication goes to honorable mentions. Submit fiction and nonfiction between approximately 2,000 and 4,000 words, and up to three poems. Read more about the Bellevue Literary Prize here.
Submission fee: $20 Deadline: July 1

Fairy Tale Review Awards in Poetry and Prose

Kelly Link and Traci Brimhall are judging the Fairy Tale Review’s third annual contest, which awards $1,000 and publication to the winners. Send prose up to 6,000 words, and up to five poems. Read more about the Fairy Tale Review Awards here.
Submission fee: $10 Deadline: July 15

Gigantic Sequins Flash Fiction and Poetry Contest

Judged by Lucas de Lima and Annie Liontas. Awarding $100, publication, and Factory Hollow Press gifts to the winners. Submit up to three works of flash fiction (1,000 words or less) or three poems of any length per entry. Read more about submission guidelines and judges for the Gigantic Sequins contest here.
Submission fee: $5 Deadline: July 15

The Cincinnati Review Robert and Adele Schiff Awards in Poetry and Prose

The Cincinnati Review’s annual contest is awarding $1,000 and publication to the best poem and prose piece. Submit up to eight pages of poetry or forty pages of prose. The entry fee includes a one-year subscription! Full details here.
Submission fee: $20 Deadline: July 15

The Story Prize

The first-place award for this contest is a whopping $20,000, and runners-up will receive $5,000. Submit a collection of short fiction (at least two stories and/or novellas). From their website: “Eligible books must be first publication of the work in the United States during the calendar year, in either hardcover or paperback, and available for purchase by the general public. Collections must also include work previously unpublished in book form.” Full details on The Story Prize can be found here.
Submission fee: $75 Deadline: July 15

Portable Story Series

Portable Story Series marries short fiction and audio with their themed, four-times-a-year contests. The winning author receives $250 or 75% of the submission fee proceeds (whichever is greater), and their story is recorded with CDM Sound Studios. Portable makes a behind-the-scenes video about the process of recording the story, and the video and audio recording are posted on the website. The current theme is Time Travel. Stories must be between 2,000 and 4,000 words. Learn more here.
Submission fee: $10 Deadline: July 29

Narrative Spring 2016 Story Contest

Narrative winners and finalists have received a host of other honors and awards, including the Pushcart Prize. $2,500, $1,000, $500, and $100 go to first, second, third, and finalists, respectively. All submissions are also considered for Story of the Week and the $4,000 Narrative Prize. Read more about Narrative’s Spring Story Contest and submit here.
Submission fee: $24 Deadline: July 31

Crazyhorse’s Crazyshorts! Short-Short Fiction Contest

For the month of July, Crazyhorse is accepting submissions of 1-3 shorts up to 500 words each. First prize is $1,000 and publication. Entry fee includes a one-year subscription to the magazine. Submit here.
Submission fee: $15 Deadline: July 31

by Lauren Klepinger

We love the motivation of a deadline, so here are twelve excellent opportunities to submit to in May. This month’s list reflects some great lit mags with general submissions closures as well as free contests. Check it!

Glimmer Train Very Short Fiction Contest