News

Neltje Blanchan/Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Awards

2026-08-18T12:55:00+00:00

$1,000 prize, deadline change: received by November 9

Deadline November 9 (must be received by this date, don't enter before September 14), formerly November 17. Neutral free contest offers two prizes of $1,000 for creative writing by Wyoming residents aged 18+ with no more than one published book in each genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and script). Doubleday Award is for women only; Blanchan Award is for writing inspired by nature. Entries in all genres compete together. Entrant may not be a full-time high school or college student or faculty member. Complete your entry form and submit your work (poetry, maximum of 10 single-spaced pages; prose and drama, maximum of 25 double-spaced pages) online.

Latino Voices in Children’s Literature Writing Contest

2026-08-18T11:23:00+00:00

$1,000 prize, deadline change: received by October 14

Deadline October 14 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 14), formerly October 13. Neutral free contest from Free Spirit Publishing awards prizes up to $1,000 for original children's books, written for either ages 0-4 (50-125 words) or 4-8 (300-800 words), by Latino authors residing in the US who have not previously published work for children (self-published authors are eligible). The contest's mission is "to elevate authentic, culturally relevant children's stories written by and about Latino people." Every entry will be considered for publication. Enter online or via postal mail.

Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction

2026-08-18T11:09:00+00:00

500 pounds prize, deadline change: received by October 11

Deadline October 11 (must be received by this date), formerly October 13. Neutral free contest gives ebook anthology publication and 500 pounds prize for a previously unpublished short story, 2,000-7,500 words, by a UK resident aged 18+ on a theme that changes annually. For 2026, the theme is "Found Fiction". Complete the entry form online and upload your entry. Co-sponsored by Comma Press and the University of Central Lancashire. Named after founding Comma Press board member, writer Dinesh Allirajah.

Zocalo Public Square Book Prize

2026-08-18T10:52:00+00:00

$10,000 prize, deadline change: received by October 16

Deadline October 16 (must be received by this date), formerly October 10. Highly recommended free contest gives $10,000 for the best US-published nonfiction book, published or forthcoming in the current calendar year, that best enhances our understanding of community and the forces that strengthen or undermine human connectedness and social cohesion. Books may be scholarly or general-interest nonfiction from a variety of disciplines including philosophy, history, journalism, and political science. Submit by mail.

Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award

2026-08-18T08:48:00+00:00

10,000 pounds prize, deadline change: received by September 7

Deadline September 7 (must be received by this date), formerly September 8. Highly recommended free contest gives prizes up to 10,000 pounds for a published or self-published book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction (all genres compete together) by an author aged 18-35 as of December 31 of the deadline year. Books must have been first published in the UK and/or the Republic of Ireland, in the English language, between November 1 of the preceding year and October 31 of the deadline year. Authors must be UK or Irish citizens, or residents for the three years preceding the award. Send 8 physical books and one electronic copy. Sponsored by the Society of Authors.

Stories Out of School Flash Fiction Contest

2026-08-18T08:02:00+00:00

$1,000 prize, deadline change: received by September 6

Deadline September 6 (must be received by this date), formerly September 7. Recommended free contest gives prizes up to $1,000 and possible print and online publication for an unpublished flash fiction piece, 6-499 words, in which the protagonist or narrator is a K-12 teacher. Author need not be a teacher, but they must be 18+. Submit one story online. Sponsored by the Academy for Teachers, which organizes master classes and other events that bring New York City's teachers together with our culture's most brilliant and creative minds.

Jacques Maritain Prize for Nonfiction

2026-08-17T18:10:00+00:00

$500 prize, deadline change: received by December 31

Deadline December 31 (must be received by this date), formerly August 31. Neutral free contest from Dappled Things: A Quarterly of Ideas, Art, & Faith awards prizes up to $500 for nonfiction (essays, memoirs) from a Catholic perspective. No separate application process; winners selected from essays published in the preceding four issues of the journal. Enter online. Award is named for Jacques Maritain, an influential 20th century Thomist philosopher and Catholic convert.

Tim Loveday Wins the 25th Annual Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

2026-08-15T04:01:00+00:00

Winners of our 25th annual Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Tim Loveday of Melbourne, Australia, won the 25th annual Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest sponsored by Winning Writers and co-sponsored by Duotrope and Chill Subs. His entry, "Dog Act(or)", bested those of 4,824 other poets to receive the $2,000 prize. The Second Prize of $500 was awarded to Annah Chiedza Hodhera of Harare, Zimbabwe, for "Ode on a Grecian Takeout Container". The Third Prize of $250 was awarded to Cal Hunter of Belfast, Northern Ireland, for "Ink?" $3,850 was awarded in all. This contest is free to enter. Read the complete release. Read the winning entries.

Debra E. Bernhardt Labor Journalism Prize

2026-08-12T09:05:00+00:00

$1,000 prize, deadline change: received by August 31

Deadline August 31 (must be received by this date), formerly September 6. Neutral free contest gives $1,000 for a published article that furthers the understanding of the history of working people in the US or Canada. Entries should have been published in print or online between September 1, 2024 and August 31 of the deadline year. Articles focused on historical events, and articles about current issues (work, housing, organizing, health, education) that include historical context, are both welcome. Enter by email. Co-sponsored by the New York Labor History Association and LaborArts.

The Queer Love Project: Beyond the Romance

2026-08-09T14:40:00+00:00

Call for submissions: received by September 30

Deadline September 30 (must be received by this date). The Queer Love Project is a literary journal on Substack that publishes personal narratives, poetry, and artwork about the many meanings and forms of queer love. To submit, you must sign up for a free subscription. Besides the general-interest submissions that are open year-round, they are currently seeking work about relationship shifts. Accepted pieces for this themed call will be paid $75. Email your entry to QueerLoveProjectSub@gmail.com. Editor Jerry Portwood says, "We all know queer relationships rarely follow a straight line. We rewrite the rules of intimacy, turn best friends into family, and build milestones out of thin air. But what happens after the initial spark? We are looking for pieces about the exact moment the ground moved—the quiet, messy or beautiful evolution of your relationship." Read past work on the website to understand their preferred tone and length limits.