A Curated List of Creative Writing Competitions, Contests and Awards
Opportunities for experienced and aspiring writers to get published.
Almond Press / A Curated List of Creative Writing Competitions, Contests and Awards
We would like to share with you our curated list of creative writing competitions. Included are details about max word count, associated fees, submission deadlines, and direct links to each event.
We try to keep this list as up-to-date as possible. If you’d like to add a writing competition or if you have any suggestions on how we can improve this directory please feel free to contact us using our writing competition submission form. You can also reach us via email or on social media.
CompetitionDeadlinePrizeEntry
FeeMax Words
Tell a TaleNovember 19th£300Free500
Bath Children's
Novel AwardNovember 20th£2,000£22First 3,000
Synopsis
Frightening First Line ContestNovember 21stGotham Writers
ClassFree31
The Romance NovelistNovember 27th$1000Free+40,000
Aeon Award
Short Fiction ContestNovember 30th€1000€7.5010,000
Hackney Literary AwardsNovember 30th1st $600
2nd $400
3rd $250$205,000
Atlantis Short Story ContestNovember 30th1st $300
2nd $100
3rd $50$202,500
1000 Word ChallengeNovember 30th£100£51,000
Springtime Short Story AnthologyNovember 30thPublicationFree5,000
National Novel Writing MonthNovember 31stVariousFreeUnlimited,
50,000 minimum
Mona Schreiber Prize
Humorous Fiction and NonfictionDecember 1st$500$5750
The Sci-Fi NovelistDecember 4th$1000Free+40,000
Celtic Mythology
Short Story CompetitionDecember 10th1st $500
2nd $250
3rd $100$74,000
The Fantasy NovelistDecember 11th$1000
Free+40,000
Minotaur Books
First Crime Novel CompetitionDecember 12th$10,000Free40,000
Opening Up Digital Fiction
Writing CompetitionDecember 15th£300FreeSee site for details
The Times/Chicken House
Children’s Fiction Competition
December 18th£10,000£1580,000
Twelfth Planet Press
Year's Best Speculative FictionDecember 31stPublicationFree10,000
Fiction Factory
Short Story CompetitionDecember 31st1st £150
2nd £50
3rd £25£63,000
Canadian Tales of the Fantastic
Short Story Writing ContestDecember 31st1st $500
2nd $150
3rd $100$155,000
Crimson Cloak Publishing
Fantasy CompetitionDecember 31st$150
$103,000
Story Shares
Relevant Reads Writing ContestDecember 31st$3,000Free10,000
International Literary Contest
"Nature 2016"December 31stPublicationFree3,000
James Knudsen
Prize for Fiction
January 1st, 2017$1,000$207,500
Exeter Novel Prize
January 1st, 2017£500
Trophy£1810,000
Fresher Writing Prize
January 5th, 2017Depends on category£6Varies
The Henshaw Competition
January 10th, 20171st £100
2nd £50
3rd £25£52.000
Doolin Writers’ Weekend Competition
January 13th, 2017€1000$143,000
Moment Magazine
Karma Foundation Contest
January 29th, 20171st $1000
2nd $500
3rd $250$157,000
Novella-in-Flash Award
January 31st, 2017£300
Publication
£1618,000
Queerly Lit (LGBTQ)
January 31st, 2017$2,000Free1,000
Philosophy Through Fiction
Short Story Competition
February 1st, 2017$500Free7,500
American Short(er)
Fiction Contest
February 1st, 2017$1,000
Publication$171,000
Mercier Press
Fiction CompetitionFebruary 1st, 2017€1000Free12,000
National Flash
Fiction Youth Competition
February 10th, 20171st £100
2nd £75
3rd £50Free360
Bath Flash Fiction Award
February 12th, 20171st £1,000
2nd £300
3rd £100£9300
Readers’ Digest
100 Words Competition
February 20th, 20171st £2,000
2nd £200
3rd £200Freeexactly 100
Chiplitfest
Short Story Competition
February 20th, 20171st £500
2nd £100
3rd £50£85,000
Young Writers
Short Story Competition
February 28th, 2017£150Free3,500
Exeter Writers
Short Story Competition
February 28th, 20171st £500
2nd £250
3rd £100£63,000
Wundor Short Fiction Contest
February 28th, 2017£500£105,000 - 45,000
Flash 500
Short Story Competition
February 28th, 20171st £500
2nd £200
3rd £100£73,000
Fish Flash Fiction Competition
February 28th, 2017€1,000€14300
Kelpies Prize
February 28th, 2017£2,000
PublicationFree30,000-70,000
Jane Austen
'A Life in Hampshire'
February 28th, 2017£1000£5< 2017
Nature & Place
Poetry Competition
March 1st, 20171st £1000
2nd £500£6?
Emerging Writer's Contest
March 1st, 2017$1,000$246,000
Stella Kupferberg Memorial
Short Story Prize
March 1st, 2017$1,000$25750
Rubery Book Award
March 17th, 2017£1,500£35Manuscript
New Deal Writing Competition
March 27th, 20171st $200
2nd $100
3rd $50$510,000
Scottish Arts Club
Short Story Competition
March 31st, 2017£800£101,500
Fish Poetry Contest
March 31st, 2017€1,000€14300
Writer's Games
April 30th, 2017Various perksFree
5,000
Remastered Words
Short Story Contest
May 1st, 2017£100£55,000
Questions Writing Prize
May 1st, 2017$2,000Free2,000
Bristol Short Story Prize
May 3rd, 20171st £1,000
2nd £700
3rd £400£84,000
New Deal
Writing Competition
May 27st, 2017$200$510,000
Birds of a Feather Press
Travel Writing Competition
May 27st, 2017$200Free2,000
Claymore Award
April 1st, 2017Publishing contract$40First 50 pages
Hourglass Literary Magazine
Best Poem Contest
April 30th, 2017$1,000$15< 3,500
Hourglass Literary Magazine
Best Essay Contest
April 30th, 2017$1,000$159,000
Hourglass Literary Magazine
Best Short Story Contest
April 30th, 2017$1,000$157,000
Gertrude Stein Award in FictionJune 1st, 2017$1,000
Publication$108,000
