You’ve somehow made it through the dog days of summer, so we know that you can make it through the application process for at least one of these contests! We believe in you, and we believe in your heat-resistant perseverance!
FEATURED! 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! Our summer edition of this contest won’t last forever, so it’s time to buckle down! Second and third place receive $300 and $200, 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 We’re only looking for previously unpublished stories, but you’re allowed both simultaneous and multiple submissions.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 Deadline: September 30
FEATURED! Frontier Award for New Poets
Open to new and emerging poets, Frontier Poetry is hosting a contest to find the best single poem – they describe it as one full of color and fire, that strikes hot… The winning poet will receive $3000 and publication for their poem, and second and third place receive $300 and $200 respectively. All fifteen finalists will be recognized. Get started!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: September 15
FEATURED! CRAFT Elements Contest
CRAFT Literary is awarding a total of $3000 to stories that focus on one of three particular craft elements: setting, dialogue, or character. Deets.
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: September 30
Black Warrior Review
We want you to play to your strengths, and Black Warrior Review has an opportunity for everyone in this contest! The 2018 Fiction Contest is judged by Laura van den Berg, the 2018 Nonfiction Contest is judged by Kate Zambreno, and the 2018 Poetry Contest is judged by Vanessa Angélica Villarreal. The first-place prize is $1000 and publication in each genre. There’s also a Flash Contest, judged by Jennifer S. Chang, that awards $500. Let’s get started!
Entry Fee: $20 Deadline: September 1
Dogwood Literary Prizes
These are actually three contests offered by Dogwood: A Journal of Poetry and Prose, looking for exceptional writing and outstanding poetry! Lia Purpura is the judge for poetry and nonfiction, and the fiction judge will only be revealed later! Submissions may be up to 22 pages, or a set of 1-3 poems, and the winner of each contest receives $1000 and publication. Make sure to select the correct contest for your submission! Submit here.
Entry Fee: $10 Deadline: September 5
Hamptons Literary Competition in Poetry
Woven Tale Press, along with judge Joyce Peseroff, offers a wonderful one-week retreat to the Hamptons to the winner of their current competition, called the Elizabeth Sloan Tyler Memorial Award, along with publication! Applicants may submit 3-5 poems of any style or subject, as long as they are unpublished. Second and third place receive $300 and $100, respectively. Learn more here.
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: September 15
Poetry and Fiction Contest
This is a compilation of The New Guard ’s two wonderful awards, the Machigonne Fiction Contest and the Knightville Poetry Contest! Fiction entries, judged by Rick Moody, should be less than 5000 words, and poetry entries, judged by Patricia Smith, may include up to three poems. The winners will both receive $1500, and all entries will be considered for publication. Check it out!
Entry Fee: $22 Deadline: September 24
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 28
Dzanc Books Contests
Dzanc Books is offering a plethora of opportunities for all writers, with three different contests all ending this September! The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction, judged by John Domini, Emily Geminder, and Alice Hatcher, awards a $5,000 advance and publication for the original and daring winning manuscript. The Dzanc Books Nonfiction Prize bestows a $1500 advance and publication upon the winning nonfiction manuscript that is innovative and inspiring, whether it is memoir, essays, historical writing, or biographies. Lastly, the Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Competition celebrates imaginative and inventive short form writing, offering a $2500 advance and publication to the winning submission. Check them all out!
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: September 30
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
The 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 awards $1000 and publication to two original fiction manuscripts, one for a short story collection, and one for a novel. Finally, the sole winner of The Juniper Prize for Creative Nonfiction receives $1000 and publication of their original manuscript. Learn more here!
Entry Fee: $30 Deadline: September 30
2020 Miller Williams Poetry Prize
This prize is named for and operated to honor the cofounder and 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, Morri Creech, 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 Criterion Books. More details here.
Entry Fee: $25 Deadline: September 30
by Kimberly Guerin