Dust off that manuscript or poem and get ready to enter one of the many contests available now through December 2026. We’ll update this calendar regularly. Be sure to check each website for details and accuracy.
APRIL
APRIL| Contest | Type | Deadline | Fee | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest | Poetry (humor) | Apr 1 | Free | winningwriters.com |
| Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards | Published books, all genres | Apr 1 (early) | $100 | writersdigest.com |
| WOW! Spring 2026 Flash Fiction Contest | Flash fiction (250–750 words) | Apr 15 | $12 | wow-womenonwriting.com |
| Florida Review Editor’s Prizes | Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction | Apr 15 | $25 | floridareview.ucf.edu |
| Writing Fellowship for New Parents (Pen Parentis) | Fiction | Apr 17 | $20 | penparentis.org |
| MFK Fisher Writers Contest | Essay/short story (theme: “Fire”) | Apr 30 | $50 adults | mfkfisher.org |
MAY
| Contest | Type | Deadline | Fee | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest | Fiction & essay | May 1 | $25/entry | winningwriters.com |
| Mo Siewcharran Prize | Novel (10,000 words + synopsis) | May 2 | Free | check organizer site |
| Readers’ Favorite Annual Book Award | Multiple genres, published books | May 1 | $99 | readersfavorite.com |
| Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize | Poetry (published book) | May 15 | $75 | poets.org |
| Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest | Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction | May 15 | $30 | pshares.org |
| Montreal International Poetry Prize | Poetry (40 lines max) | May 15 | $25 CAD | montrealpoetryprize.ca |
| F(r)iction Spring 2026 Writing Contests | Creative nonfiction, flash, poetry, short fiction | May 16 | $15 | frictionlit.com |
| Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize | Poetry | May 16 | $15 | americanpoetryreview.org |
| Inkspot’s Flash Fiction Competition | Flash fiction (500 words) | May 17 | £10 | check organizer site |
| Bridport Prize | Poetry, short story, flash fiction, novel | May 31 | £11–£24 | bridportprize.org.uk |
| Bath Novel Award | Unpublished novel (adult/YA) | May 31 | check site | bathnovelaward.co.uk |
| Yeovil Literary Prize | Novel, short story, poetry | May 31 | Varies | yeovilliterary.co.uk |
JUNE
| Contest | Type | Deadline | Fee | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition | Full children’s novel | Jun 1 | £25 | chickenhousebooks.com |
| Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award (Bridport) | Unpublished novel excerpt | Jun 1 | check site | bridportprize.org.uk |
| Aesthetica Creative Writing Award | Short story (2,000 words) | Jun 1 | £18 | aestheticamagazine.com |
| Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize | Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry | Jun 30 | £6–£16 | wasafiri.com |
| The Moth Short Story Prize | Fiction | Jun 30 | €15 | themothmagazine.com |
| Slate Roof Press Elyse Wolf Prize | Poetry chapbook | Jun 30 | $10 | slateroof.org |
| Burnside Review Chapbook Contest | Poetry | Jun 30 | $15 | burnsidereview.org |
| Lascaux Prize in Flash Fiction/Nonfiction | Flash fiction/nonfiction | Jun 30 | $15 | lascauxreview.com |
JULY
| Contest | Type | Deadline | Fee | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG Wells Short Story Competition | Fiction (theme: “The Middle Ground”) | Jul 8 | Free–£10 | check organizer site |
| River Heron Review Poetry Prize | Poetry (up to 3 poems) | Jul 31 | $15 | riverheronreview.com |
AUGUST
| Contest | Type | Deadline | Fee | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aesthetica Creative Writing Award (late submissions) | Short story | Aug 31 | £24 (late fee) | aestheticamagazine.com |
| FC2 Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize | Fiction, cross-genre (opens Aug 15) | Nov 1 | Fee (waivers available) | fc2.org |
SEPTEMBER
| Contest | Type | Deadline | Fee | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writers’ College Annual Short Story Competition | Short story (theme: “The End of the Line”) | Sep (check site) | £8 | writerschool.co.za |
| First Page Challenge | Novel (first page, any genre) | Sep 30 | $5 | check organizer site |
| Anthology Nature Writing Competition | Essay/nonfiction (1,500 words) | Sep 30 | €12 | anthologymagazine.co.uk |
| Anthology Flash Fiction Award | Flash fiction (250 words) | Sep 30 | €12 | anthologymagazine.co.uk |
| Miller Williams Poetry Prize | Poetry manuscript (90 pages) | Sep 30 | $28 | uapress.com |
| New Letters Literary Awards | Short story, essay, poetry | Sep (check site) | check site | newletters.org |
| Ashland Poetry Press Broadside Contest | Poetry (opens Sep 1) | Nov 1 | Fee | ashlandpoetrypress.com |
OCTOBER
| Contest | Type | Deadline | Fee | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest | Poetry (published or unpublished, 250 lines) | Oct 1 | $25 | winningwriters.com |
| Book Pipeline Adaptation Contest | Graphic novel, published book, short story | Oct 15 | $45–$70 | bookpipeline.com |
| WOW! Q3 Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest | Personal essay/nonfiction (200–1,000 words) | Oct 31 | $12 | wow-womenonwriting.com |
| New American Voices Award | Published prose (immigrant experience) | Oct (check site) | $20 | fallforthebook.org |
| Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest | Short story, any length/genre | Oct (check site) | $10 | gemini-magazine.com |
NOVEMBER
| Contest | Type | Deadline | Fee | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest | Full novel manuscript | Nov 1 | $25 | fc2.org |
| CBC Short Story Prize | Fiction (opens Sep 1) | Nov 1 | Fee | cbc.ca/books |
| Foster Poetry Prize (Contemporary Verse 2) | Poetry | Nov 1 | Fee | cv2.ca |
| Perkoff Prize (Missouri Review) | Fiction, poetry, nonfiction | Nov (check site) | check site | missourireview.com |
DECEMBER
| Contest | Type | Deadline | Fee | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orison Prizes in Poetry & Fiction | Full manuscript, poetry or fiction | Dec (check site) | $25 | orisonbooks.com |
| Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition | Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, memoir, humor + more | Dec (check site) | Varies by category | writersdigest.com |
