Our days are now filled with sunshine (hopefully), and we’re getting closer and closer to the longest day of the year. Take advantage of all that natural light to finish up your writing projects, and then send them off to one of these amazing contests!
FEATURED Masters Review Flash Fiction Contest
We’re cheating with this one, but our contest, our rules: The Masters Review Flash Fiction contest ends this Friday at midnight! You might be limited to 1000 words, but the winner will be rewarded with 3000 dollars! Second and third place receive $300 and $200, respectively, and all stories are considered for publication. Not only that, but all finalists receive a spot in Kathy Fish’s Fast Flash online workshop! She’s the judge, and she’s only looking for previously unpublished stories, but you’re allowed both simultaneous and multiple submissions. Don’t miss it!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: May 31
Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize
American Short Fiction and brilliant judge Rebecca Makkai 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 1
Salamander 2019 Fiction Prize
Offered through Suffolk University, Salamander is working with Wayétu Moore 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 Each submission must be less than 30 pages, include a two-page cover sheet, and be entirely unpublished.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 Learn more here.
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: June 3
Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Literature
The Vilcek Foundation plans to raise awareness of immigrant contributions to America, by honoring three foreign-born writers who have demonstrated outstanding achievement early in their careers! Applicants must have been born outside the United States, be less than 38 years old, and they need to have at least one published book. Submissions should include a CV, proof of immigration status, a portfolio of writing samples, press clippings, completed essay questions, and two professional references. The reward for all of this work? A $50,000 cash prize! Check it out now!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: June 10
Marguerite McGlinn Prize for Fiction
This annual short fiction contest is made possible through the generous support of the McGlinn and Hansma families, and they are looking for superbly crafted short stories! The winner will receive $2500 and an award dinner on the campus of Rosemont College, second place receives $750, and third place receives $500. Entries should be 8000 words or less, and simultaneous submissions are allowed. Judged by Susan Muaddi Darraj. More details here.
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: June 15
New American Fiction Prize
If you have an unpublished fiction manuscript, this is opportunity knocking! New American Press and Judith Claire Mitchell are currently accepting submissions for this prize. A full-length fiction work of outstanding merit will be selected, and the winner will receive a publication contract, including $1200 and 25 author’s copies. Do it!
Entry Fee: $25 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 17
Autumn House Press Contests
In this threefold contest offered by Autumn House Press, contestants can submit manuscript entries for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The categories are judged by Aimee Bender, Paul Lisicky, and Cornelius Eady, respectively. Not only do the winners in each contest receive $2500 in prizes and publication, but promotional help as well! Make sure to choose the correct category when you submit, and good luck! Find more details here.
Entry Fee: $30 Deadline: June 30
Barrow Street Press Book Contest
If you have been hoping for a chance to show the world your talent for poetry, your wait is definitely over with this competition! Judged by the incomparable Jericho Brown, the best previously unpublished manuscript of poetry in English will receive $1500 and publication. Each collection should be between 50-80 pages, but you are allowed multiple submissions. Don’t wait!
Entry Fee: $28 Deadline: June 30
Drue Heinz Literature Prize
This contest has some very stringent requirements, but the prize is almost beyond belief! In order to be eligible for the University of Pittsburgh Press’ award, you must have been published by a reputable journal, magazine, or publisher, before you can submit your collection of short fiction for consideration. The winner of this award, however, will have that manuscript published, and then receive $15,000! Details here.
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: June 30
Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction
The University of North Texas Press offers this prize every year, and this could be the year for you! Entries can be a combination of short-shorts, short stories, and novellas, from 100 to 200 book pages in length. Authors may submit multiple applications, and simultaneous submissions are allowed. The winner receives $1000 and publication by UNT Press! Submit here.
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: June 30
2019 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! Adrianne Kalfopoulou judges creative nonfiction, Tammy Lynne Stoner judges short fiction, Brittany Ackerman judges flash fiction, and Matty Layne Glasgow 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: June 30
Lascaux Prize in Flash Fiction
If you think you’re ready to medal in writing flash fiction, then this is the contest for you! The Lascaux Review is accepting three stories per submission, less than 1000 words each. All finalists in this contest will be published, but the winner also receives $1000 and a bronze medallion for their efforts. Check it out!
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: June 30
Spokane Prize for Short Fiction
Willow Springs Books could be the perfect home for your newest manuscript of short stories, if you have enough nerve to try! Each submission needs to contain at least three distinct stories, totalling at least 98 pages, as well as a cover letter. First place wins $2000 and publication, under the direction of poet Christopher Howell. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $27.50 Deadline: June 30
by Kimberly Guerin