We’re getting closer and closer to the beginning of fall, and closer and closer to the end of these contests! It’s not too late to enter, though, and it’s not the end of summer just yet. Don’t miss out on your chance!
FEATURED: Dzanc Books Contests
Dzanc Books is offering a plethora of opportunities for writers, with three different contests all ending this September! The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction, judged by Lindsey Drager, Chrissy Kolaya, and Daniel A. Hoyt, awards a $10,000 advance and publication for the innovative and daring winning manuscript. The Dzanc Books/Disquiet Open Borders Book Prize bestows a $5000 advance and publication upon the winning fiction or nonfiction manuscript that focuses on global understanding and cultural exchange. Lastly, the Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize celebrates imaginative and innovative short form writing, offering a $2500 advance and publication to the winning submission. Check them all out!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: September 15
Black Warrior Review
All three of the Black Warrior Review contests are ending soon, so enter now if you want to receive one of the three $1000 first-place prizes! Nicola Griffith is judging the fiction section, Rachel McKibbens is judging the poetry section, and Hanif Willis-Abduraqib is judging the nonfiction applicants. All of the winners and a selection of other entries will be published! See more here.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: September 1
Slippery Elm Prize
This annual contest from Slippery Elm Literary Journal is looking for the best in both poetry and prose! David Garrison is judging in poetry, up to three poems per entry. Mary Grimm is judging in prose, with a 5000 word maximum. The winner of each contest receives $1000, and all entries are considered for publication in the 2017 print issue. Submit here!
Entry Fee: $15 Deadline: September 1
Barthelme Prize For Short Prose
This is Gulf Coast’s current contest, and they’re looking for a very specific sort of entry. Submissions can be prose poetry, fiction, or essays, but they all need to be less than 500 words. The winner receives $1000 and publication, and it’s judged by our friend Roxane Gay! Check it out!
Entry Fee: $18 Deadline: September 8
Young Lions Fiction Award
If you’ve published a book during the 2017 calendar year, and you’re younger than 35, 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. The winner will be announced during a special ceremony at the New York Public Library this spring. Apply now!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: September 8
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 migration and social integration. Writers need one published book to be eligible, and the fellowships are restricted to US residents. About twenty Berlin Prizes are awarded each year, and those selected receive round-trip airfare, a monthly $5000 stipend, and lodging at the Hans Arnhold Center. More details here!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: September 29
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 $70,000, an office, and full use of the Library’s physical and electronic resources. Don’t miss out!
Entry Fee: FREE Deadline: September 29
Hackney Literary Award For Novels
Sponsored by the Morris Hackney family, this is an amazing prize for any aspiring novelist! This $5000 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
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 $1000 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 $1000 and publication to two original fiction manuscripts, one for a short story collection, and one for a novel. Learn more here!
Entry Fee: $30 Deadline: September 30
Miller Williams Arkansas 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 $5000. Submit here!
Entry Fee: $28 Deadline: September 30
New Criterion Poetry Prize
Presented by The New Criterion for a book-length manuscript of poems, this contest is open to new as well as established poets! Roger Kimball, Charles Martin, and David Yezzi are judging, and they’re looking for a collection that pays close attention to form. The winner will receive $3000 and publication through St. Augustine’s press. More details here.
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: September 30
by Kimberly Guerin
PS: If you are an emerging poet still looking for a contest to enter this fall, consider the Frontier Poetry Award for New Poets
Frontier Poetry is hosting an award for emerging poets, and the guest judge is Tyehimba Jess! The winner receives $2000 and publication. Intrigued? Go for it.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: September 30