Contest Database

View our curated results of the best free literary contests!

Name	Deadline	Type	Status	Top Prize	WW Rating
Governor General's Literary Awards	05/15/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	C$25,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 15, May 15, July 15 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest awards prizes up to C$25,000 for best English-language and French-language books in each of 7 categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People's Literature (text), Young People's Literature (illustrated books), and Translation (from French to English or from English to French). Books must be first foreign or first Canadian edition trade books that have been written, translated, or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada aged 18+. Submission by publishers only. For each title, send one e-book and four hard copies along with the completed nomination form. Electronic submissions accepted in Fiction and Nonfiction categories, but one hard copy of nominated title must still be sent. See website for more details about eligibility and deadline requirements. Sponsored by Canada Council for the Arts.
James Laughlin Award	05/15/25	Published Poetry Book	Active	$5,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline May 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Highly recommended free contest for a US poet's second book of 48-100 pages in length, under contract to a US publisher and forthcoming in 2026. The Academy of American Poets will award the winner $5,000, a weeklong residency in Miami Beach, FL, and buy 1,000 copies of the winning book for distribution to its members. Publisher should submit entry form online and upload PDF of manuscript with author's name removed.
SUSPECT Poetry Contest	05/15/25	Individual Poems	Active	$300.00	Neutral
Deadline May 15 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards online publication in SUSPECT (formerly called the Singapore Poetry Blog) and prizes up to $300 for poetry containing a particular word or words that change annually. For 2025, poems must include "the word 'fable' in an imaginative fashion". Submit 1-3 poems of any length, along with a brief bio, by email. No simultaneous submissions. Sponsored by Singapore Unbound, a New York City-based nonprofit that celebrates Asian authors. Prior to 2025, this contest was called the Singapore Poetry Contest.
Dr. Jim Duggins Outstanding LGBTQ Mid-Career Novelist Prize	05/16/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$5,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 16 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 2). Recommended free contest gives $5,000 prize to an LGBTQ mid-career novelist who has published at least three novels, or two novels and substantial additional literary work (including poems, stories, or essays), and who shows both demonstrated ability as well as promise for growth in their writing. Nominees must submit a sample from an already published book, maximum 20 pages, as well as a sample from (or outline of) ongoing work, maximum 10 pages. Applicants' contributions to the LGBTQ literary field beyond their writings and publications also will be considered. Sponsored by the Lambda Literary Foundation.
Judith A. Markowitz Award for Exceptional New LGBTQ Writers	05/16/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 16 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 2). Recommended free contest gives two prizes of $1,500 each for LGBTQ authors who have published 1-2 books of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Candidates' contributions to the LGBTQ literary field beyond their writings and publications will also be considered. Submit a writing sample of your strongest representative work (an excerpt of a larger piece or a stand-alone work, 10 pages maximum for poetry and 20 pages maximum for prose). In addition, supplemental literary work such as short stories and essays, or editing LGBTQ-themed anthology collections may be submitted for consideration. Submit your application, along with supporting materials, online. Sponsored by the Lambda Literary Foundation.
Creative Future Writers' Award	05/18/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	£75.00	Neutral
Deadline May 18 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest from UK-based arts organization Creative Future gives anthology publication, mentorships, networking opportunities, and cash prizes up to 75 pounds for a poem (50 lines maximum) or prose piece (2,000 words maximum) on a theme that changes annually by underrepresented UK residents age 18+. Theme for 2025 is "Wild". Sponsor considers "talented creatives who face barriers to opportunities due to mental health issues, physical health/disability, sensory impairment, learning disabilities, neurodivergence, substance misuse, survivors, working-class backgrounds, and those from the LGBTQIA+, and Black, Asian, mixed heritage, or other global minority backgrounds or traveller communities" as "underrepresented writers". Writers must not have previously published a book/stand-alone publication via an established press/publisher in creative prose or poetry. You can submit only one piece of writing in one category (poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction). Enter online, by email, or by mail.
GLCA New Writers Awards	05/25/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 25. Recommended free contest gives a reading tour of 12 Midwestern colleges, with a $500 honorarium per visit, for the US author of a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction that is the author's first published book in that genre. One winner in each category. Publisher should nominate a book online and then submit 4 copies of book along with signed author's statement agreeing to the terms of the campus visits. Publisher may enter only one work in each genre. Self-published titles accepted. Books must have been published in the US and bear a publication imprint of 2024 or 2025. Selection process favors recipients of major first-book awards.
Roscommon New Writing Award	05/26/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction	Active	€500.00	Neutral
Deadline May 26 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards two top prizes of 500 euros for a poem, 30 lines maximum, or a short story, 2,000 words maximum, by a writer aged 18+ with a strong connection to Roscommon, Ireland: e.g. birth, current or former residency, education, or employment. Winning entries will be published in the Roscommon Herald. Send up to two entries (one per genre) along with an explanation of your connection to the county by email. Sponsored by the Roscommon County Council.
Changing Light Prize for a Novel-in-Verse	05/30/25	Poetry Manuscript Prose Manuscript	Active	$500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 30 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama gives $500 and publication for a novel-in-verse, 90-160 pages. Send the manuscript as a Word attachment including contact information, brief bio, and letter to jwt@uwa.edu. List Novel-in-Verse on your subject line.
Irene Adler Prize for Women Writers	05/30/25	Creative Nonfiction	Active	$1,000.00	Neutral
Deadline May 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 30). Neutral free contest gives a $1,000 scholarship for a 500-word essay by a woman commencing or continuing to pursue a bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the following academic year (e.g. 2025-26 for the contest with May 2025 deadline). See themes on website. Contest sponsor and judge Lucas Aykroyd is a Canadian journalist and travel writer. He created this award to thank the female colleagues and mentors who have supported his writing career. It is named for a strong female character in the Sherlock Holmes story "A Scandal in Bohemia".
A Voice for Animals Teen Essay Contest	05/31/25	Scholarly Essay	Active	$400.00	Neutral
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before March 1). Neutral free contest gives prizes up to $400 for essays by students between the ages of 14-18 on an animal rights topic. In both the 16-18 year olds and the 14-15 year olds categories, essays should be between 1,400-1,500 words. Writers must be enrolled in middle or high school or be homeschooled. Submit entry online. Co-sponsored by the Humane Education Network, the Animal Welfare Institute, and the Palo Alto Humane Society.
Black Orchid Novella Award	05/31/25	Prose Chapbook	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31. Recommended free contest gives $1,000 and publication in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine for the best traditional mystery novella. Entries should be 15,000-20,000 words. See website for thematic and stylistic restrictions. Essentially, they are looking for an old-fashioned story of deduction, with a witty style and an engaging relationship between the characters, and no overt sex or violence. Enter online. Contest co-sponsor The Wolfe Pack is the official fan club for Nero Wolfe, a legendary fictional sleuth created by Rex Stout in a series of mystery novels published from 1934 to 1975.
bpNichol Poetry Chapbook Award	05/31/25	Published Poetry Book	Active	C$4,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 31). Recommended free contest awards C$4,000 to the Canadian author and C$500 to the publisher of the best English-language poetry chapbook, 10-48 pages long, published in Canada in the preceding year. Limit of 10 chapbooks per publisher. Author or publisher should submit 3 copies of book plus author's curriculum vitae and completed submission form by Canada Post or courier. Contest now administered by Meet the Presses (formerly Phoenix Community Works Foundation). Named for the late poet, novelist, and indie publisher bpNichol.
Furphy Literary Award	05/31/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction	Active	A$15,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before February 1). Recommended free contest for Australian residents gives prizes up to A$15,000 for adults, A$300 for junior and youth entrants (limited to Goulburn Valley residents). Adult authors should send one story, maximum 5,000 words. See length limits on website for youth poetry and fiction entries. Contest honors Joseph Furphy (1843-1912), pseudonym Tom Collins, an Australian author whose novels combine an acute sense of local Australian life and colour with the eclectic philosophy and literary ideas of a self-taught workingman.
James Bartleman Indigenous Youth Creative Writing Awards	05/31/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	C$2,500.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest awards up to six prizes of C$2,500 for poems, short stories, and essays celebrating Indigenous culture by Indigenous students under the age of 18 who reside and attend school in Ontario. All genres compete together. There are two age categories (up to age 12, ages 13-18) as well as three geographic categories (fly-in community, on reserve, off reserve). A junior and senior winner are chosen from each geographic category. Entries may be of any length. Submit online. Include your creative writing piece, brief description of what inspired you, and contact information for your parent/guardian and school representative. Sponsored by Ontario's Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest	05/31/25	Short Fiction	Active	$150.00	Neutral
Deadlines January 31, May 31, and September 30 (must be received by these dates). Thrice-yearly free neutral contest awards $150 and web publication for short fiction. The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film, and theatre, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-20th century America. Entries should appeal to a reader with these characteristics. Submit a story of up to 4,000 words (3,000 words is ideal), along with a brief 100-word story synopsis, by email.
Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest	05/31/25	Short Fiction	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date), subsequent deadlines on the last day of each month. Neutral free contest for short fiction gives a monthly prize of $100 plus 50% of the site's subscription revenue for that month, and publication in their monthly Substack newsletter that is archived on the website. Entries may be published or unpublished, as long as you have the reprint rights. Send one story, 6-10,000 words, by email to shortstorystack@gmail.com as an MS Word or Google Doc file.
Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant	05/31/25	Fellowship Fellowship	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline May 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before May 1). Recommended free contest awards one grant of $1,000 for unpublished writing samples (poetry, drama, fiction, or nonfiction) by writers aged 50+ who are just starting to write professionally. Submit a sample of up to 10 pages of poetry or drama, or 5,000 words of fiction or creative nonfiction. Along with your writing sample, send a 500-word autobiographical statement as well as a bibliography of any previously published work. If sending a segment of a novel, novella, or novelette, include a 1-page synopsis. See website for other submission requirements. Enter online.
Bard Fiction Prize	06/01/25	Published Prose Book	Active	$30,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards $30,000 for US authors aged 39 and under who have published a book of fiction. Winner also receives one-semester appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College. Send 3 copies of book, proposal for new project, and CV.
Dan Veach Prize for Younger Poets	06/01/25	Individual Poems	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 1). Neutral free contest awards $100 and publication in the Atlanta Review for poems by college-age students, aged 18-23, on any subject or style. Note that sponsor is particularly interested in "poems with an international focus". Enter up to 2 English-language poems, 40 lines maximum for each poem, via sponsor's online submissions portal. Be sure to include 500-word author's statement and 500-word letter of recommendation with your entry.
Fred Otto Prize for Oz Fiction/C. Warren Hollister Prize for Oz Nonfiction	06/01/25	Short Fiction Scholarly Essay	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest gives prizes of $100 and $50 in each genre for previously unpublished short fiction and scholarly essays about the Land of Oz. Maximum 10,000 words per entry. Postal entries must be postmarked on or before May 15; online entries will be accepted through June 1. Winners will be announced in July at The Wizard of Oz Club National Convention in Aberdeen, South Dakota. All entries considered for publication.
Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Awards	06/01/25	Individual Poems	Active	$200.00	Neutral
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest gives publication and prizes up to $200 for an English-language haiku. Sponsor welcomes both modern, freestyle haiku and traditional haiku. No simultaneous submissions permitted. Limit of 2 haiku per poet. No senryu, renku, haibun, or tanka accepted. All haiku must be previously unpublished. Enter by email. Sponsored by The Heron's Nest, an online journal that publishes haiku quarterly. Contest named after haiku poet Peggy Willis Lyles.
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children's and YA Novelists	06/01/25	Fellowship	Active	$5,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline June 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 1). Highly recommended free contest awards a grant of $5,000 to an author of children's or young adult fiction. An eligible candidate is a writer of children's or YA fiction who has published at least one novel for children or young adults which has been warmly received by literary critics, but has not generated significant sales. The writer's book(s) must have been published by a US trade publisher. Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated by a fellow writer. Submit all application materials online, including a cover letter, project outline, excerpt of 50-75 pages from current project (a novel-in-progress that will not be published before April 1, 2026), a letter of recommendation, a professional review, and a letter of utility (explanation of how the funds will be used to complete the project).
Dream Foundry Speculative Short Story Contest	06/02/25	Short Fiction	Active	$1,500.00	Neutral
Deadline June 2 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 7). Neutral free contest awards prizes up to $1,500 for a previously unpublished speculative fiction short story, 10,000 words maximum, by early-career writers in the genre. To qualify, an author must have published no more than 4,000 words of paid or income-earning speculative fiction in English and have earned less than $320 from those words. Author must also have never been nominated for any major speculative fiction award. Submit your story online. Sponsored by Dream Foundry, a Chicago-based nonprofit that seeks "to bolster and sustain the nascent careers of professionals working in the field of speculative literature."
Fraser Institute Student Essay Contest	06/05/25	Scholarly Essay	Active	C$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline June 5 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest for Canadian high school, college, and graduate students awards prizes up to C$1,500 in each age category for short scholarly essays, 1,000-1,500 words long, on an annual theme dealing with current events. 2025 topic is "What would the Fraser Institute's Essential Scholars say about Canadian economic prosperity today?". Enter online. The Fraser Institute is a Canadian free-market think tank.
Anne Brown Essay Prize	06/06/25	Creative Nonfiction	Active	£1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline June 6 (must be received by this date; don't enter before February 3). Recommended free contest from Scotland's Wigtown Book Festival gives 1,500 pounds for a literary essay, maximum 4,000 words, by an author aged 16+. Entrants must be resident in Scotland, born in Scotland or have a longstanding association with Scotland. Unpublished essays are preferred, but authors and their publishers are also invited to submit work published no earlier than July 1 of the year preceding the deadline year. Enter by email. This prize commemorates Anne Brown (1942-2021), former Wigtown Book Festival chair of trustees and a widely respected BBC radio producer.
Baltimore Science Fiction Society Amateur Writing Contest	06/15/25	Short Fiction	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline June 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 15). Neutral free contest awards top prize of $250 for a science fiction, fantasy, or horror story with a speculative fiction element, written by a Maryland resident or college student over 18 who is not a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America and has not been published in a professional science fiction/fantasy magazine. Send one story, between 1,000-5,500 words. Enter by email. No simultaneous submissions, fan fiction, or works previously published in print or online.
Norton Writer's Prize	06/15/25	Creative Nonfiction Scholarly Essay	Active	$1,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline June 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 15). Highly recommended free contest gives three $1,000 prizes for essays, 1,000-3,000 words, by undergraduates age 18+ (one prize to be awarded in each of the following categories: first-year students in 2- or 4-year colleges/universities, students in 2-year colleges/universities, and students in 4-year colleges/universities). Any excellent writing done for an undergraduate class will be considered (e.g., literary narratives, literary and other textual analyses, reports, profiles, evaluations, arguments, memoirs, proposals, multimodal pieces, and more). Contest is open to students enrolled during the current academic year (ending in June of the deadline year) at an accredited 2- or 4-year college or university. Must be nominated by college instructor. Enter by email. Sponsored by W.W. Norton & Co., a prestigious literary and academic press.
Scotiabank Giller Canadian Book Prize	06/20/25	Published Prose Book	Active	C$100,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 14, April 17, June 20, August 15 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest awards top prize of C$100,000 for a full-length novel, graphic novel, or short story collection written in English (either originally or in translation) by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, that is scheduled for publication in Canada between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the deadline year. Book must be available for sale in retail/book stores across Canada. Publishers of shortlisted titles must agree to pay C$2,000 per shortlisted book. Shortlisted authors must attend award ceremony in Toronto in November, participate in various marketing activities, and sign 2,000 copies of their book (purchased by sponsor for internal distribution). Deadline varies based on the time of year that the book was published; see website for complete schedule and entry rules. Publisher must send 5 hard copies by post AND provide e-books as PDFs. Founded in 1994 to honor literary journalist Doris Giller, the prize has been sponsored by Scotiabank since 2005.
Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize	06/25/25	Published Prose Book	Active	C$60,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 26, April 30, June 25 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest from Writers' Trust of Canada awards C$60,000 for novels or short story collections published in Canada between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the deadline year by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Deadline varies depending on when the book was published: Books published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025 must be received by February 26; those published between February 26 and April 29 must be received by April 30; and those published between April 30 and September 30 must be received by June 25. Publisher should send 5 hard copies of the book (or 3 bound galleys, to be followed by at least 2 copies of the book) and submit entry form, PDF of the book, press kit, and list of eligible titles published by that publisher, to establish eligibility via sponsor's online form. See website for detailed requirements. Prize is named after Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson, Writers' Trust co-founders.
Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers	06/25/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	C$12,000.00	Recommended
Deadlines February 26, April 30, June 25 (must be received by these dates). Recommended free contest from Writers' Trust of Canada awards C$12,000 top prize for a debut book in any genre published in Canada between October 1, 2024 and September 30 of the deadline year by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community. Deadline varies depending on when the book was published: Books published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025 must be received by February 26, those published between February 26 and April 29 must be received by April 30, and those published between April 30 and September 30 must be received by June 25. Publisher should send 5 hard copies of the book and submit entry form, PDF of the book, press kit, and list of qualifying titles published by that publisher, to establish eligibility via sponsor's online form. See website for detailed requirements. Prize is named in memory of editor, writer, and literary manager Dayne Ogilvie.
Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction	06/25/25	Published Prose Book	Active	C$75,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadlines February 26, April 30, June 25 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest from Writers' Trust of Canada gives top prize of C$75,000 for nonfiction published in Canada between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the deadline year by Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Deadline varies depending on when book was published: books published between October 1, 2024 and February 25, 2025 must be received by February 26; those published between February 26 and April 29 must be received by April 30; and those published between April 30 and September 30 must be received by June 25. Publisher should send 5 copies of the book (or 3 bound galleys, to be followed by at least 2 copies of the book) and submit entry form, PDF of the book, press kit, and list of titles published by that publisher, to establish eligibility via sponsor's online form. See website for detailed requirements.
Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers	06/30/25	Creative Nonfiction	Active	$200.00	Neutral
Deadlines April 30, June 30, August 31, October 31 (must be received by these dates). Neutral free contest gives prizes up to $200 and web publication for essays, 1,000-5,000 words, by unpublished writers, defined as those whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year. Nonfiction categories are General, Biographical, Travel, and Animal. April 30 deadline is for entries in the Animal Nonfiction category; June 30 deadline is for entries in the General Nonfiction category; August 31 deadline is for entries in the Biographical Nonfiction category; and October 31 deadline is for entries in the Travel Nonfiction category. The Preservation Foundation is a Tennessee-based nonprofit with the goal of preserving the extraordinary stories of ordinary people. "Since our object is to preserve these stories for future generations, not to put them up one year and take them down the next, all contest entries will be posted on our website and must remain on the site for as long as the Preservation Foundation exists." Submit up to 2 entries in each of the 4 nonfiction categories via email.
Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest	06/30/25	Short Fiction	Active	$100.00	Neutral
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date), subsequent deadlines on the last day of each month. Neutral free contest for short fiction gives a monthly prize of $100 plus 50% of the site's subscription revenue for that month, and publication in their monthly Substack newsletter that is archived on the website. Entries may be published or unpublished, as long as you have the reprint rights. Send one story, 6-10,000 words, by email to shortstorystack@gmail.com as an MS Word or Google Doc file.