International Writing Contests
Domestic Writing Contests
International Writing Contests
Fish Publishing – Fish Short Story Prize 2013
Entry fee: $30
Prizes: A prize of € 3,000 (approximately $4, 048) and publication in the annual Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short story. Claire Kilroy will judge. Submit a story of up to 5,000 words either by mail with a €22 (approx. $ 30 U.S.)Or using the on-line submission system with a €20 (approx. $27 U.S.) entry fee.
Deadline: November 30, 2013.
Ten finalists will also be published, and all entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines: http://www.fishpublishing.com.
The Fish Short Story Prize is an established event on the literary calendar. Previous judges, Roddy Doyle, Dermot Healy and Colum McCann are honorary patrons.
Publication in the Fish Anthology (Fish Books) has been, for many authors, a stepping-stone to successful writing careers.
Novelist, Claire Kilroy, author of All Summer, Tenderwire and All Names Have Been Changed, will be selecting 10 stories from the submissions to this competition. These 10 will be published in the 2014 Fish Anthology.
Critique Service is for writers who require an appraisal of their work prior to entering a writing contest, or at any time.
The Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition 2013
Entry fee: £ 5 for a single poem, £ 20 per batch of 5 poems.
Prizes: 1st prize: £ 1,000 (approx. 1,349.98 U.S.) a week’s residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and publication in Southword Literary Journal. The Munster Literature Centre (MLC) will subvent travel costs for the winner up to £ 600 and provide hotel accommodation and meals for three days during the Cork Spring Poetry Festival; 2nd prize of £ 500, 3rd prize of £ 250, and the ten runners-up will each have their poems published in Southword and receive Southword’s standard fee of £ 30. The winner will be notified in late January.
Deadline: Closing date: December 15, 2013. You may submit by email or postal mail. If you use postal mail, be sure and mail prior to December 1. If you miss that date, it is advisable to enter on-line.
The competition is open to original, unpublished poems in the English Language of 40 lines or less. The poem can be on any subject, in any style, with a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. Translated work is not in the scope of this competition. Entries should be typed. Judging is anonymous, so the entrant’s name and contact details, along with the title(s) of the poem(s) submitted must be on a separate sheet of paper. All entries from outside the Republic of Ireland should pay their entry fee via PayPal; please quote the receipt number and the email address where payment was issued from. Please also add a note about how you heard about this competition. No entry form is necessary. You may submit as many entries as you wish. For additional information, please click here.
Poetry International: C.P. Cavafy Poetry Prize 2013
Entry fee: $15 for up to three poems; you may include additional poems, for a $3 reading fee per poem cost. Make checks payable to Poetry International or use their donate button online to pay the entry fees.
Prizes: $1,000 and publication in Poetry International is given annually for a poem.
Deadline: November 16, 2013.
The purpose of the C. P. Cavafy Poetry Prize is to honor a great poet of the 20th century by publishing the best possible poem we can find on an annual basis. The editorial staff will judge. All finalists are considered for publication. Make checks payable to: Poetry International. Please mail your submissions to: C. P. Cavafy Award, Poetry International, Dept. of English and Comparative Literature, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-6020. Only previously unpublished work will be eligible. Provide your contact information and titles of all poems submitted, on the title pate. Author name and information should appear only on the title page. No hand-written entries, no illustrations, fancy fonts or decorative borders. For additional information, please click here.
Domestic Writing Contests
Crab Apple Orchard Review – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction 2013
Entry fee: $22.50 for initial entry; additional entries $ 10; up to two additional entries) All entrants receive a year’s subscription ($ 20) additional entries receive one back issue each entry)
Prizes: $1,500 prize in each genre. One winner will be selected to be published in the issue.
Deadline: May be submitted on-line up until 11:59 p.m. (PST) on November 15, 2013
Entries should fit the topic: “The West Coast and Beyond,” focusing on writing exploring the people, places, history and changes shaping these U.S. States, Commonwealths, and Territories: California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guan, The Northern Mariana Islands, The United States Virgin Islands, and other areas which have been a part of the United States beyond the lower 48 states (excepting those states listed here).
The editors are looking for the work in each genre that best embodies the tropic of the special issue. Entries must be previously unpublished, original work, written in English by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (current students and employees at SIU-Carbondale are not eligible). The author’s name should not appear on any page. Guidelines. Poetry entries should consist of one poem up to five pages in length, Prose entry length: up to 6,000 words for fiction and up to 6,500 words for literary nonfiction. For additional information and to submit your work for consideration, please go towww.craborchardreview.submittable.com.
SLWG Short Story Contest
Entry fee: $15.00
Prizes: First Place – $100, Second Place – $25, Third Place $50, Top Three “Honorable Mention” – Certificate and $10
Deadline: May be submitted on-line up until 11:59 p.m. (PST) on November 15, 2013.
Since its founding in 1920, St. Louis Writers Guild has sponsored an annual short story contest. The contest is one of the oldest in the country, and is certainly one of the most prestigious. Tennessee Williams won first place in 1935 for his story, “Stella for Star.”
Annual Short Story Contest opens for submissions every October, the deadline is in December, and prizes are awarded in January. Historically, entries have come from all across the nation and Canada. Stories are blind-judged by an expert in the fields of writing and literature.
This year’s judge is Jason Makansi, Co-founder of Blank Slate Press, and an author of both fiction and non-fiction. His short stories have been published in a variety anthologies and literary journals. Visit www.jasonmakansi.com for a complete list of his works. To learn more about Blank Slate Press visit www.blankslatepress.com.
Click here for submission guidelines and more information.
Glimmer Train Press—Fiction Award 2013
Entry fee: $ 15 per story; please no more than three entries per contest.
Prizes: A first place prize of $1,500 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given quarterly for a short story by a writer whose fiction has not been published in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000. (Entries must not have appeared in any print publication.) and 20 copies. 2nd place prize wins $500 (or 700 and 10 copies if accepted for publication) 3rd prize wins $300 (or $700 and 10 copies, if accepted for publication). Please make your submissions at Glimmer Train’s on-line submission site.
Deadline: November 30. 2013 (There is always a one-week grace period)
Most entries run from 1,500 to 6,000 words, but any lengths up to 12,000 words are welcome. Click here for more information.
The Formalist: Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award 2013
Entry Fee: $3.00
Prizes: $1,000 and publication in Measure: A Review of Formal Poetry
Deadline: November 15, 2013 (postmark date)
Although The Formalist ceased publication after the fall/winter 2004 issue, the annual Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award competition continues. Sonnets must be original and unpublished. No translations. Writers may enter as many sonnets as they wish, but each sonnet will be considered individually. Please submit $3 per sonnet. Entry fees from outside the U.S. must be paid in cash— U.S. dollars—or by a check drawn on a U.S. bank. The author’s name, address, e-mail address, and phone number should be typed on the BACK of each entry. The final judge will be Dick Davis. All submissions should be sent to: Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award, The Formalist, 320 Hunter Drive, Evansville, IN 47711. These are the complete guidelines.
Narrative Fall Short Story Contest, Fiction or Creative Nonfiction 2013
Entry Fee: $22 for each piece
Prizes: A prize of $2,500 is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, or an excerpt from a longer work of prose. A $1,000 second-place prize is also given. Third place prize is $500, and ten finalists will receive $100 each. All entries will be considered for publication. In addition, all contest entries are eligible for the $4,000 Narrative Prize for 2014 and for acceptance as Story of the Week.
Deadline: November 30, 2013, at midnight, Pacific standard time
The fall contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist or honorable mention in another contest. For additional information, go to http://www.narrativemagazine.com/fall-2013-story-contest.
New Millennium Writings Awards—Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction 2013
Entry Fee: $20 for each submission; poetry submissions may include 3 poems and up to 5 pages
Prizes: $1,000 in each category
Deadline: November 17, 2013 Midnight, all U.S. time zones
No restrictions as to style, content, number of submissions, or writer’s nationality . Enter as often as you like. Previously published material welcome if under 5,000 circulation or if previously published on-line only. Each fiction or non-fiction piece is counted as a separate entry and should total no more than 6,000 words except short-short fiction (no more than 1,000 words). Each poetry entry may include up to three poems, not to exceed five pages total per entry. All poetry Honorable Mentions will be published. For complete guidelines, please see: www.newmillenniumwritings.com/awards.php.
River Styx 2014 Schlafly Beer Micro-Fiction Contest 2013
Entry Fee: $20 includes a one-year subscription (three issues)
Prizes: $1,500 first prize plus one case of micro-brewed Schlafly Beer
Deadline: December 31, 2013
500 words maximum per story, up to three stories per entry. Include name and address on cover letter only. Include S.A.S.E. for notification on contest results (to be mailed out in March). The winner will be published in the Spring issue. All stories will be considered for publication. Previously published stories, including those that have appeared on web sites, blogs, and personal home pages, are not eligible. Though submissions are anonymous, judges will remove from consideration any entries they recognize as having been written by writers with whom they have worked or studied.
Mail entries to: River Styx’s Schlafly Beer Micro-Fiction Contest, 3547 Olive Street, Suite 107, St. Louis, MO 63103. For additional information, please go to www.riverstyx.org.contests.
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival – Fiction—Short Story 2013
Entry Fee: $25
Prizes: $1,500 and publication in the journal Louisiana Literature is given for a short story. The winner also receives an all-expenses-paid trip: domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the 2014 New Orleans Literary Festival; VIP All-Access ($500 value) Festival pass. Public reading at a literary panel at the next Festival. The top 10 finalist’s prize: They will receive a panel pass ($75 value) for the next festival.
Deadline: November 15, 2013 on-line and postmark date
This contest is open only to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction. Published books include self-published books with ISBN numbers. Those who have published books in other genres besides fiction remain eligible. Submit one original, unpublished, short story, written in English, up to 7,000 words. Judges: Victor LaValle and Emily Raboteau. The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript. Enter on-line or via mail: Send to: Fiction Contest, Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, 938 Lafayette Street, Suite 514, New Orleans, LA 70113. Imperative: This contest has specific format requirements. For complete guidelines, please go to: www.TennesseeWilliams.net/contests/fiction-contest.
University of North Texas Press Vassar Miller Prize—Poetry
Entry Fee: $25, checks made payable to UNT Press + a letter-sized envelope for notification
Prizes: $1,000 and publication by the University of North Texas Press
Deadline: November 15, 2012 (postmark date)
This year’s judge will be Chad Davidson. To avoid conflicts of interest, current or former students of the judge should not enter. Submit a 50-80 page, typed manuscript, including an additional title page that does not bear the name of the poet. All pages indicating the poet’s identity will be removed from the manuscript prior to its being forwarded to the final judge.
For complete guidelines, please click here.
Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition 2013
Entry Fee: $ 20
Prizes: The first place winner will be given: $3,000 in cash, the short story title published in Writer’s Digest, and a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City, a copy of the Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition Collection, a copy of the 2014 November and Short Story Writer’s Market and a copy of the 2014 Guide to Literary Agents. The second place winner receive: $1,500 in cash + publication and the books as stated above. The third place winner will receive $500 in cash +the publication and the free books. Eleventh through twenty-five will receive a $50 gift certificate and a copy the 14th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Story Competition.
Deadline: November 15, 2013
We’re looking for short stories! Think you can write a winning story in less than 1,500 words? Enter the 14th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition for your chance to win $3,000 in cash, get published inWriter’s Digest magazine, and a paid trip to our ever-popular Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City! The winning entries will be on display in the 14th Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection.
For additional information, go to website: www.writersdigest.com/competitions/short.
