Contest Database

View our curated results of the best free literary contests!

Name	Deadline	Type	Status	Top Prize	WW Rating
Zocalo Public Square Poetry Prize	01/24/25	Individual Poems	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline January 24 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 25). Recommended free contest awards $1,000 for a poem by a US author that best evokes a connection to place. "Place" may be interpreted by the poet as a location of historical, cultural, political, or personal importance; it may be a literal, imaginary, or metaphorical landscape. Send 1-3 unpublished poems, no length limit, by email. Zocalo Public Square connects people to ideas and to each other in an open, accessible, non-partisan, and broad-minded spirit.
Nine Dots Prize	01/27/25	Scholarly Essay Fellowship	Active	$100,000.00	Neutral
Deadline January 27 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 11). Neutral free contest awards a $100,000 prize for a summary response (up to 3,000 words) to a set social science-related question by authors age 18+. For 2025, the question is "Is data failing us?" The winner will expand on the ideas expressed in their summary response by participating in a seminar at the University of Cambridge or virtually and by writing a short book (25,000-40,000 words) to be published by Cambridge University Press. Submit all required application materials (summary response, book outline, and justification statement) via sponsor's online submissions portal. Co-sponsored by the Kadas Prize Foundation, Cambridge University Press, and the University of Cambridge. Named after the lateral thinking puzzle that can only be solved by thinking outside the box, this prize honors "innovative thinking that tackles contemporary societal issues".
Orwell Prize for Political Fiction	01/27/25	Published Prose Book	Active	£3,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline January 27 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 13). Highly recommended free contest awards 3,000 pounds for the best book of political fiction first published in the UK or Ireland between June 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025. In addition, a Special Prize may be awarded at the judges' discretion. Entries may be novels, collections of short stories, graphic novels, or YA. Publisher, agent, or editor should complete entry form online, upload 1 copy of the book in electronic form as well as other required materials, and mail 2 hard copies of the book (a further 4 copies may be requested by the sponsor); a publisher or imprint may enter up to 5 titles. The Special Prize is not a separate submission category, and it includes no monetary award unless specifically stated.
Orwell Prize for Political Writing	01/27/25	Published Prose Book	Active	£3,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline January 27 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 13). Highly recommended free contest awards 3,000 pounds for the best political nonfiction first published in the UK or Ireland between June 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025. In addition, a Special Prize may be awarded at the judges' discretion. Publisher, agent, or editor should complete entry form online, upload 1 copy of the book in electronic form as well as other required materials, and mail 2 hard copies of the book (a further 6 copies may be requested by the sponsor); a publisher or imprint may enter a maximum of 5 titles. The Special Prize is not a separate submission category, and it includes no monetary award unless specifically stated.
Dandelion Cottage Short Story Contest for Michigan Students	01/31/25	Short Fiction	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 1). Neutral free contest gives publication and prizes up to $250 for short stories, between 500 and 4,000 words, written by secondary and middle school students in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Also open to home-schooled students. See sponsor's detailed formatting requirements before entering. Teacher or school representative must submit student's entry via sponsor's online entry form. No limit to number of entries a teacher can make, but only one story per student may be submitted. Sponsored by the Michigan-based nonprofit Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association.
Danuta Gleed Literary Award	01/31/25	Published Prose Book	Active	C$10,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before November 12). Highly recommended free contest awards top prize of C$10,000 for the best first collection of short fiction written in the English language by a Canadian author and published in Canada during the preceding calendar year. Publisher must send 4 copies to the Writers' Union of Canada and also complete a submission form online, which includes uploading publicity materials.
Jerry Jazz Musician Fiction Contest	01/31/25	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	01/31/25	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.
Story Unlikely Short Story Contest	01/31/25	Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline January 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 1). Recommended free contest gives prizes up to $1,500 and online publication for a short story or essay in any genre, maximum 4,000 words. No simultaneous submissions. To qualify for this contest, and receive the results, you must subscribe to their free monthly newsletter. Email your entry following the detailed formatting instructions on sponsor's rules page.
$1,000 for 1,000 Words Middle and High School Creative Writing Contest	02/01/25	Short Fiction	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 1 (must be received by this date; don't enter before December 1). Recommended free contest awards two top prizes of $1,000 for previously unpublished flash fiction, exactly 1,000 words long, by students in grades 6-12 (one prize for grades 6-8 and the other for grades 9-12). Winners may be published online and in the sponsor's annual Bluefire journal. Previous grand prize winners are ineligible. Submit one entry via the sponsor's online submission form. Sponsored by the Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation.
Gannon University's High School Poetry Contest	02/01/25	Individual Poems	Active	$100.00	Recommended
Deadline February 1 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest for US students in grades 9-12 awards prizes of $100, $75, $50. Open to home schoolers. Winners also receive signed book by an acclaimed poet and will be published in Writing Awards program as well as sponsor's literary magazine. Email 1-2 poems, maximum 40 lines apiece. Sponsored by Gannon University, a Catholic college in Erie, PA.
Paterson Poetry Prize	02/01/25	Published Poetry Book	Active	$2,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 1. Recommended free contest awards $2,000 for the strongest collection of poems published during the previous calendar year. Book must have 48+ pages. To receive the prize, the winning poet must participate in a reading and teach a workshop at the Poetry Center in Paterson, NJ or virtually. Publisher or author should submit 2 copies plus entry form. Recent winners have been well-established poets. Sponsored by the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College.
Paterson Prize for Books for Young People	02/01/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 1. Recommended free contest awards $1,000 in each of three age categories: books for PreK-Grade 3, Grades 4-6, or Grades 7-12. Books must have been published in the previous calendar year. Send 3 copies of book plus entry form. Publisher or author may submit more than one title for prize consideration. Sponsored by the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College.
Wednesday Club Junior Poetry Contest	02/01/25	Individual Poems	Active	$200.00	Neutral
Deadline February 1 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest for students in grades 9-12 awards top prize of $200. Entrants must attend high schools in the area of St. Louis, MO. Entries must be submitted through their school's English Department. Send 2 copies of 2 previously unpublished poems, one page per poem maximum, signed with a pen name, along with entry form.
Wednesday Club Poetry Contest	02/01/25	Individual Poems	Active	$500.00	Neutral
Deadline February 1 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest gives top prize of $500 for previously unpublished poetry by writers age 18+ living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis, MO. Send 2 copies of 2 poems, maximum of 2 pages per poem.
Narrative Magazine High School Writing Contest	02/05/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	$500.00	Recommended
Deadline February 5 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 6). Recommended free contest gives prizes up to $500 for unpublished poems by high school students in grades 9-12 on a theme that changes annually. The theme for 2025 is 'What I Cannot Say, I'll Say Here'. Student's English teacher must submit on behalf of entrant (one poem, 10-50 lines OR one story/essay, maximum 600 words) via sponsor's online submission system. Winners will be mentored and published in Narrative Magazine, a prestigious online journal. The schools of winners will also receive special recognition and prizes.
Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize	02/06/25	Published Prose Book	Active	£10,000.00	Neutral
Deadline February 6 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Neutral free contest awards 10,000 pounds for an adventure novel of any length that was published by a recognized, UK-based trade publisher between May 1 of the previous year and April 30 of the deadline year. Be sure to review the sponsor's description of the adventure writing genre before entering. Entry must be made online by publisher or literary agent. Multiple qualifying works by the same author may be submitted. Sponsored by the Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation.
Writers' and Artists' Short Story Competition	02/14/25	Short Fiction	Active		Neutral
Deadline February 14 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards tuition to an Arvon Foundation residential writing retreat and online publication, for previously unpublished short fiction, up to 2,000 words, on a theme that changes annually. 2025 theme is "Wonder". Writer must not be agented or under a publishing contract. Enter online. Sponsored by Bloomsbury Publishing, publishers of The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook, an annual directory of markets and advice for writers.
Center for African American Poetry and Poetics Book Prize	02/15/25	Poetry Manuscript	Active	$3,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before December 15). Highly Recommended free contest awards publication and $3,000 prize for a first or second book by a writer of African descent "that is, or intersects with, poetry" (e.g. poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation). Open to the full range of writers embodying African American, African, and African diasporic experiences. Enter your manuscript, between 48-168 pages, online. Co-sponsored by the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics at the University of Pittsburgh and Autumn House Press.
Governor General's Literary Awards	02/15/25	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.
Haiku Society of America Merit Book Awards	02/15/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before January 1). Neutral free contest awards up to $250 for the best English-language book of haiku, or primarily haiku, published in the previous calendar year. At least 50 percent of the book must be haiku, senryu, or haibun, or prose about these subjects; books mostly of tanka are ineligible. Haiku Society of America members, authors, or publishers may submit or nominate more than one title; send two copies of each book. Early entries are encouraged.
Harold Morton Landon Translation Award	02/15/25	Published Poetry Book	Active	$1,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 15). Highly recommended free contest from the Academy of American Poets awards $1,000 for the best book of poetry, 48+ pages, translated from any language into English and published in the US during the previous calendar year. Translator must be a living US citizen or resident who has resided in the United States for the past decade. To submit a book for consideration, the publisher must enter it online.
Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award	02/15/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 15. Recommended free contest awards $1,000 for a book published within 3 calendar years immediately preceding the year of the competition (e.g., a copyright notice of 2022-2024 for current contest) by authors with a connection to the state of Kansas by birth, education, employment, residence, or other significant claim. Award alternates between genres every 3 years. Poetry is the 2025 deadline genre, and poetry collections must be at least 60 pages long. Publishers, authors, or anyone interested in seeing a book considered must submit 2 signed copies of each book nominated. Sponsored by Washburn University's Center for Kansas Studies, the Thomas Fox Averill Kansas Studies Collection at Mabee Library, and the Friends of Mabee Library.
Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Award	02/15/25	Published Poetry Book Fellowship	Active	$10,000.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before September 15). Highly recommended free contest from the Academy of American Poets alternates between a $10,000 prize for published books (48 pages minimum) of English translations of modern Italian poetry and a $25,000 fellowship for translators of modern Italian poetry to complete a work-in-progress. Open to US citizens and residents who have resided in the United States for at least a decade. For 2025, the Raiziss/de Palchi book prize will be given for the translation into English of a significant work of modern, standard (non-dialect) Italian poetry. Publisher must enter online.
Veterans Writing Award	02/15/25	Prose Manuscript	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 15 (don't enter before November 15). Recommended free contest from Syracuse University Press awards publication and $1,000 prize for a prose manuscript, 90,000 words maximum, by a US veteran, an active duty member of the US military, or one of their immediate family members who has never published a full-length manuscript before. This biennial contest alternates between fiction and nonfiction each award cycle; for 2025, the contest is for fiction (novels, novellas, or collections of short stories). Sponsor seeks works with "original voices and fresh perspectives that will expand and challenge readers' understanding of the lives of veterans and their families". Enter by email or post.
Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant	02/15/25	Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 15 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest awards a $1,000 grant to an Ohio writer aged 30 and under with no published books. Submit 1-4 prose pieces (fiction or creative nonfiction), 10-40 total double-spaced pages. Applicants must have been born in Ohio or lived there for at least 3 years. See sponsor's website for details and entry form. Enter by email. Sponsored by the Ohioana Library Association.
Charles Crupi Memorial Poetry Contest	02/16/25	Individual Poems	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline February 16 (must be received by this date; don't enter before December 6). Neutral free contest awards prizes up to $250 for unpublished poems by Michigan high school students. Winners published in The Albion Review, the literary journal of Albion College in Michigan. Submit 1-3 poems online, maximum 50 lines each. Prior to 2012, contest was known as the Michigan High School Poetry Contest.
Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award	02/17/25	Individual Poems	Active	$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline February 17 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from West Chester University awards prizes up to $1,500 for unpublished poetry "composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme, and received forms" by US undergraduate students. Submit 1-3 poems, of any length, online.
Myong Cha Son Haiku Award	02/17/25	Individual Poems	Active	$1,500.00	Recommended
Deadline February 17 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from West Chester University awards prizes up to $1,500 for unpublished haiku by US undergraduate students. Submit 1-3 poems online.
Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award	02/17/25	Individual Poems	Active	$1,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 17 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from West Chester University awards $1,000 for unpublished poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish by US undergraduate students. Submit 1-3 poems, of any length, online.
Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award	02/19/25	Creative Nonfiction Fellowship	Active	$12,500.00	Recommended
Deadline February 19 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest awards $12,500 grant for article proposals from promising early-career, creative nonfiction writers age 21+ to report on "an untold story that uncovers truths about the human condition". The completed project, which will probe an important public issue in depth (4,000-6,000 words), and which the sponsor expects to be featured in an English-language publication of strong reputation, must be delivered no later than December 31 of the deadline year. Winner may receive visiting scholar privileges at NYU, including full online and on-site library access from April-November. Complete sponsor's comprehensive application online by answering several questions regarding the proposed project and by supplying required application materials (e.g., URL addresses of previously published articles, resume/CV, references). Sponsored by the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. Named in honor of Matthew Power, an award-winning journalist who passed away in 2014 while reporting in Uganda.
Christopher Tower Poetry Competition	02/20/25	Individual Poems	Active	£5,000.00	Recommended
Deadline February 20 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest sponsored by Christ Church, Oxford, gives 5,000 pounds prize for unpublished poems of 48 lines maximum by UK students aged 16-18. Themes change annually. For 2025, the theme is 'Roots'. No simultaneous submissions. Enter online.
Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest	02/21/25	Individual Poems	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadline February 21 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest from the annual Gaithersburg Book Festival in Gaithersburg, MD gives prizes up to $250 in gift certificates for poems, maximum 1 page, by high school students (grades 9-12) from across the Washington Metropolitan Area (Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC). For 2025, poems must focus on the theme: "Civic Duty". Submit your entry using the sponsor's online submissions portal. Homeschool students in that age group are also eligible.
Black Caucus of the American Library Association Self-Published E-Book Literary Award	02/28/25	Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book	Active	$2,500.00	Highly Recommended
Deadline February 28 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards two prizes of $2,500 for self- published e-books of fiction and poetry written by African-Americans that depict the "cultural, historical, or sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora". Author must be the copyright holder of the English-language work. Complete online submission process, which includes uploading the e-book file. Author can submit as many of their ebooks as they would like. Sponsored by the BCALA.
Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction	02/28/25	Creative Nonfiction	Active	$250.00	Neutral
Deadlines February 28, August 31 (must be received by these dates; don't enter before February 1, August 1). Neutral twice-yearly contest awards $250 and publication in Lunch Ticket, the literary journal of the Antioch University Los Angeles MFA program, for an unpublished creative nonfiction essay, 3,500 words maximum. Enter via online form.
Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation and Multilingual Texts	02/28/25	Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction	Active	$200.00	Neutral
Deadlines February 28, August 31 (must be received by these dates; don't enter before February 1, August 1). Neutral free contest gives $200 and publication in Lunch Ticket for multilingual texts and English translations of poetry or literary prose. Send 1-3 poems (any length) or 1 story/essay (maximum 3,500 words). If submitting a translation, please include a translator's statement as well as the original work along with your translation. See sponsor's terms and conditions regarding rights and permissions for the translated works. Enter online. Lunch Ticket is the literary journal of the MFA community of Antioch University of Los Angeles; the prize is named for Colombian novelist and Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest	02/28/25	Short Fiction	Active	$500.00	Neutral
Deadline February 28 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards three prizes of $500 in English-language, Japanese-language, and youth (under 18) divisions for unpublished stories set in past, present, or future Little Tokyo (Japanese-American region of Los Angeles). Maximum 2,500 words for English entries. Winning stories will be published in The Rafu Shimpo and Discover Nikkei website, and winners will be invited to an award ceremony in Little Tokyo. Submit via email. Include a signed agreement, which can be found on the sponsor's website, along with your entry. Sponsored by the Little Tokyo Historical Society.
Orwell Society Dystopian Fiction Prize	02/28/25	Short Fiction	Active	£750.00	Neutral
Deadline February 28 (must be received by this date; don't enter before October 31). Neutral free contest from the UK-based Orwell Society gives 750 pounds prize, a trophy, and journal publication for a dystopian short story, maximum 3,000 words, by a current undergraduate or postgraduate student at a British university who is also a permanent UK citizen. Enter online.
Sejong Cultural Society Essay Writing Competition	02/28/25	Scholarly Essay	Active	$1,000.00	Neutral
Deadline February 28 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest from the Sejong Cultural Society awards prizes up to $1,000 for an English-language essay, 1,000 words maximum, by US and Canadian residents on topics that change annually. Be sure to read more about this year's writing prompts on the sponsor's rules page. Entrants must participate in their age-appropriate division: Adult (19-30), Senior (grades 9-12), or Junior (grade 8 and younger). Limit one essay per author. Enter online.
Sejong Cultural Society Sijo Writing Competition	02/28/25	Individual Poems	Active	$1,000.00	Neutral
Deadline February 28 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest from the Sejong Cultural Society awards prizes up to $1,000 for an English-language sijo poem, 3 lines maximum, by US and Canadian residents on any topic. Be sure to read more about this Korean poetic form in the resources provided on the sponsor's rules page. Entrants must participate in their age-appropriate division: Adult (19+) or Pre-college (18 and under); college students who are 18 as of the deadline date must participate in the adult category. Limit one sijo per author. Enter online.
Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest	02/28/25	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.