Just like the longest day of the year has come and gone, these contests are also about to fly right by you. So make use of the extended daylight while you can, and send in those submissions!
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. Toni Jensen is judging fiction, Phillip B. Williams is judging poetry, and Rana Awdish is judging nonfiction. Honorable mention winners also earn $250 and publication! Submit here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: July 1
2022 LAR Literary Awards
Here is a great chance for writers of all stripes, as the Los Angeles Review’s contest rewards authors in creative nonfiction, short fiction, flash fiction, and poetry! Chelsea Catherine judges creative nonfiction, Landon Houle judges short fiction, Thea Prieto judges flash fiction, and Joshua Rivkin judges poetry. The winner in each category receives $1000 and publication – Make sure you submit to the correct category! Submission guidelines here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: July 1
New Millennium Writing Awards
There’s a little something for everyone in this contest, presented by literary journal New Millennium Writings! Writers can send in submissions for poetry, fiction, flash fiction, or nonfiction, with no restrictions on style or subject matter. Fiction and nonfiction must be less than 7499 words, flash fiction must be less than 1000 words, and poetry may include three poems less than five pages long. First place in each category receives $1000, a certificate, publication online and in print, and two copies. Select finalists may also be published and receive complimentary copies. Don’t wait!
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 $10,000, and a one-month residency at the Blue Mountain Center in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. Applicants need to provide a cover letter, biographical note, a project description, and two writing samples. Guidelines here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: July 1
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
Rattle Poetry Prize
Rattle is looking for an outstanding piece of poetry, and they are definitely willing to bribe you for it! This annual competition awards $15,000 for a single poem to be published in the winter issue of their magazine. Ten finalists also receive $500 and publication, and are eligible for the $5000 Reader’s Choice Award. Four poems are allowed per entry, and there is no line limit. What are you waiting for? Enter here!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: July 15
Robert and Adele Schiff Awards
The Cincinnati Review is currently accepting submissions for their annual contest, but all good things will eventually come to an end. The winning poem, fiction piece, and literary nonfiction piece will be judged by Rebecca Lindenberg, Michael Griffith, and Jerald Walker, respectively. The winning entries will be published in 2023 and receive $1000 each, so don’t lose your chance! Learn more here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: July 15
The Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition
The Ghost Story is looking for the finest work they can find that incorporates the uncanny, as long as it’s less than 1000 words! Stories don’t need to involve ghosts specifically, but they do need fresh perspectives and superb writing. The winner receives $1000 and both online and print publication. Submit here!
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: July 15
The Story Prize
This competition is a daunting gauntlet for any first-time author to run, but the reward at the end is well worth the effort! A $20,000 book prize is awarded to the author of a collection of short stories that was published this year, and entries may be submitted by agents, authors, or publishers. Currently they’re accepting submissions of books that were published from January through June. Are you eligible? Do it!
Entry Fee: $75 Deadline: July 15
William Faulkner Literary Competition
This is a multi-faceted event, with opportunities for a staggering variety of writers. Authors can submit their work to novel, adult short story, student short story, one-act play, and poetry categories! Prizes and deadlines vary for each category, with the winning novel receiving $2000 and publication. Make sure you read each category closely! More information here.
Entry Fee: $50 Deadline: July 15
2022 Literary Awards
Created by the Santa Fe Writers Project, this contest is meant to recognize excellence in writing! Entries can be fiction or nonfiction, of any genre (past winners have included flash fiction, memoirs, short story collections, essays, and even a graphic novel). This year’s judge is the mega-talented Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. The grand prize is $1500, and two runners-up will receive $500. Winners will then be offered a competitive book contract, separate from the prize money! Check it out!
Entry Fee: $30 Deadline: July 18
Howling Bird Press Nonfiction Prize
Howling Bird Press, the publishing house of Augsburg University’s MFA program, is currently accepting submissions for their contest, but all good things will eventually come to an end. Entries are open to both established and emerging writers, as long as their work is original, innovative, and between 20,000 to 60,000 words. The winning manuscript will receive $2500 and publication. Don’t lose your chance!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: July 31
Narrative Spring Story Contest
This contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers, writing anything from short stories and memoirs, to photo essays and literary nonfiction! The entries need to be less than 15,000 words and previously unpublished, while containing a strong narrative drive and intense insights. First prize is $2500, second is $1000, and third is $500. Guidelines here.
Entry Fee: $27 Deadline: July 31
The Sewanee Review Contest
The oldest continuously published quarterly in the US, the Sewanee Review is opening its fifth annual Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction contest on July 1! Entries can be up to 10,000 words or 6 poems. Raven Leilani is judging fiction, Richie Hofmann is judging poetry, and Lisa Taddeo is judging creative nonfiction. The winners of each category receive $1000 and publication! More details here.
Entry Fee: TBA Deadline: July 31
by Kimberly Guerin