The last of the leaves are falling from the trees, and these contests are also just about to fade away! Make sure to look through this list, and find the right contest for you!
FEATURED! The Masters Review Novel Excerpt Contest
This is our annual fall contest, and we’re looking to find an excerpt that stands on its own – and makes us want to read the rest of the book! The excerpt must be from an unpublished novel, and less than 6,000 words. The winning entry will receive $3,000, online publication, and a literary agent consultation. Second and third place will receive $300 and $200, respectively, as well as online publication and feedback. Matthew Salesses judges. Don’t miss it!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: November 12
Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry
Reed Magazine is currently accepting submissions for this award, but not for long! This prize recognizes outstanding works of poetry, up to 5 poems, and the winner receives $1,000! Please note that poets are encouraged to celebrate the diversity of forms and style available to the modern poet. Submit here!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: November 1
Gabriele Rico Challenge in Creative Nonfiction
They’re also currently accepting submissions for this award, but not for long! This prize recognizes outstanding works of nonfiction, up to 5000 words, and the winner receives $1,333! Please note that entries must be creative nonfiction, such as personal essays or narratives, and not scholarly papers or book reviews. Learn more here!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: November 1
John Steinbeck Award for Fiction
Another great contest from Reed Magazine ends this month, so make sure you check out this one as well! Send in works of fiction under 5000 words, with a word count and a brief bio, and you could win $1,000! All entries need to be stand-alone short stories, however, not chapters from larger works. More here!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: November 1
Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize
If you write your fiction with a futuristic or supernatural bent, this is the contest you’ve been waiting for! North American Review is looking for an original unpublished work of speculative fiction, and the winner will receive $1,000 and publication. Make a note that although they are interested in experimental fiction, they ask that you query them if your piece requires an unusual layout! Judged by Allegra Hyde. More details here.
Entry Fee: $23 Deadline: November 1
Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest
The University of Alabama Press is looking for fiction that is too innovative, challenging, and ambitious for traditional publishing, and they’re willing to pay you for the privilege of publishing yours! Open to any author writing in English who hasn’t been published with their imprint Fiction Collective Two, submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a novel of any length. The winner, chosen by judge Ray Levy, receives $1,500 and publication. Details here!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: November 1
F(r)iction Fall Contests
There are so many options in F(r)iction’s collection of contests, there’s bound to be something for everyone! Short stories are judged by Cathy Ulrich, and the winner receives $1,000. Flash fiction is judged by Sejal Shah, and the winner will receive $300. Finally, poetry is judged by Warsan Shire and also receives $300. All winners and some finalists will be published. Check it out!
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: November 5
Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship
This is an amazing opportunity for any historical writer! Applicants should have a book-length project in progress, and it should address the history and/or legacy of the U.S. founding era and/or their founding ideas (very broadly defined). The fellowship includes a $45,000 stipend, a book allowance, and a nine-month residency in Chestertown, MD. Entries need to include a cover letter, CV, a writing sample, a description of a class they might teach, and a persuasive description of the work-in-progress. More details here!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: November 15
Anton Chekhov Award for Flash Fiction
Are your stories brief, brisk, and bracing? LitMag has the contest for you! All submissions need to be between 500 and 1,500 words, and previously unpublished. Judged by the editors of the magazine, the winner receives $1,250, publication, and agency review. Three finalists will receive $100 and consideration for agency review, and all entries will be considered for publication. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $16 Deadline: November 30
Baltimore Review Contest
The Baltimore Review wants to be taken pleasantly by surprise, which is why there is no theme for this year’s contest! You can interpret this any way you like, but make sure to read the specific guidelines for each category. Flash fiction, flash creative nonfiction, and prose poetry are accepted, and each of the first-place prizes is $400. Submission guidelines here.
Entry Fee: $8 Deadline: November 30
Narrative Fall 2023 Story Contest
This contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers, writing anything from short stories and memoirs, to 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. All entries are considered for publication, and all contest entries are also eligible for the $5000 Narrative Prize! Guidelines here.
Entry Fee: $27 Deadline: November 30
by Kimberly Guerin