Contest Database
View our curated results of the best free literary contests!
| Name | Deadline | Type | Status | Top Prize | WW Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drue Heinz Literature Prize | 06/30/25 | Prose Manuscript | Active | $15,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline June 30 (don't enter before May 1). Highly recommended free contest for an unpublished book-length collection of short fiction (150-300 double-spaced pages) awards $15,000, publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press, and book promotion support. Open to writers who have published a novel, a book-length collection of fiction, or at least three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or journals; online and self-publication does not count. Authors may submit more than one ms. to the competition. Enter online. | ||||||
| L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest | 06/30/25 | Short Fiction | Active | $6,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadlines March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31. Highly recommended free contest for emerging writers of short science fiction, fantasy, and horror awards quarterly prizes of $1,000 plus an annual $5,000 grand prize for one of the four winners. Send only one story per quarter, maximum 17,000 words. See website for eligibility rules. Entrants may not have professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. | ||||||
| Lee & Low New Voices Award | 06/30/25 | Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction | Active | $5,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline June 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 1). Highly recommended free contest gives top prize of $5,000 and publication for a picture book story (4,500 words maximum) by an adult US writer of color or of a Native/Indigenous nation who has no prior published books in this genre. Manuscripts must be aimed at readers ages 5-12 and "address the needs of children of color or Native/Indigenous children". No simultaneous submissions. Entries may be poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. No folklore or animal stories. Submit up to 2 entries online. | ||||||
| Preservation Foundation Essay Contest for Unpublished Writers | 06/30/25 | Creative Nonfiction | Active | $200.00 | Neutral | |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 Neutral free contest gives prizes up to $200 and web publication for essays, 1,000-5,000 words, by unpublished writers, defined as those whose creative writing has never produced revenues of over $250 in any single year.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. | ||||||
| Sargeson Prize | 06/30/25 | Short Fiction | Active | NZ$15,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline June 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before April 1). Recommended free contest from the University of Waikato awards prizes up to NZ$15,000 for previously unpublished short stories by New Zealand citizens or permanent residents aged 16+. Prizes are given in two categories: the Open Division (for New Zealand authors aged 18+) and the Secondary Schools Division (for students enrolled at New Zealand secondary schools who are 16-18 years old as of the contest deadline). A writer may submit in either the Open or the Secondary Schools Divisions, but not both. Stories must be under 5,000 words in the Open Division, and under 3,000 words in the Secondary Schools Division. No simultaneous submissions. Complete entry form online and upload your story, or send your completed form and entry by mail. Prize is named in memory of New Zealand novelist and short story writer Frank Sargeson. | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| Utah Original Writing Competition | 06/30/25 | Poetry Manuscript Prose Manuscript | Active | $1,500.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline June 30 (must be received by this date; don't enter before May 1). Recommended free contest for Utah residents aged 18+ awards prizes up to $1,500 for previously unpublished book-length novels, creative nonfiction and history, poetry or short story collections, and juvenile literature, plus smaller awards for individual poems, stories, and essays. Manuscript prizes are for authors with no published books in the genre they are entering; other prizes are open to all. Enter online only. See full terms and conditions on sponsor's website. | ||||||
| Washington State Book Awards | 06/30/25 | Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book | Active | Neutral | ||
Deadlines June 30, September 15, November 15, January 16 (must be received by these dates). Neutral free contest recognizes seven authors for published books of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction/memoir, and general nonfiction/biography for adults, along with children's book awards for picture, young reader, and young adult books, that were published during the calendar year. Authors must currently reside in Washington. An author who lives in Washington part of the year and considers Washington to be home is eligible. Publisher or author should complete entry form online and submit 6 copies of book (4 copies for children's books). Sponsored by The Washington Center for the Book at The Washington State Library. | ||||||
| ALCS Educational Writers' Award | 07/01/25 | Published Prose Book | Active | £2,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline July 1. Recommended free contest awards 2,000 pounds prize for an outstanding example of a traditionally published, English-language, single-volume nonfiction book (with or without illustrations) that stimulates and enhances learning for either 5-11 year olds (in odd-numbered years) or 11-18 year olds (in even-numbered years). For 2025, titles must be for ages 5-11. Books must have been first published in the UK within the previous two calendar years (2023 or 2024 of the current deadline year). For multi-author works, the prize will be divided equally between the authors; for works illustrated by a named illustrator, the prize is divided between the author and illustrator. Complete the entry form online, mail 5 copies of the book, and email a digital copy of the text and book cover. Co-sponsored by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and the Society of Authors. | ||||||
| BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean | 07/01/25 | Short Fiction | Active | $1,750.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline July 1 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival gives $1,750 cash prize, publicity, and other awards for previously unpublished, English-language short fiction, 3,000 words maximum, by a writer age 18+ who was born/raised and holding nationality in the Caribbean. Writers currently on temporary assignment elsewhere in the world (except the US and Canada) are eligible to enter. Writers can be at any stage in their career. Limit one entry per writer. Enter online. Prize is named in honor of award-winning author and creative writing professor Dr. Elizabeth Nunez. | ||||||
| BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer's Prize | 07/01/25 | Short Fiction | Active | $1,750.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline July 1 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest from the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival gives $1,750 cash prize, publicity, and other awards for previously unpublished, English-language short story, 3,000 words maximum, by a writer of Caribbean heritage or a Caribbean-descended writer residing in the US or Canada. Writer must be aged 18+, and their work must not have appeared in a nationally distributed publication. Limit one entry per writer. Enter online. Prize is named in honor of award-winning author and creative writing professor Dr. Elizabeth Nunez. | ||||||
| Kate Tufts Discovery Award | 07/01/25 | Published Poetry Book | Active | $10,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline July 1. Highly recommended free contest awards $10,000 for a first published book of poetry, 48 pages minimum, by a US citizen or legal resident. Books must have been published between July 1 of the previous year and June 30 of the deadline year. Send 8 copies of book and entry form from website. Judges seem to favor books that have already won prizes and/or come from the top literary presses. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University in California. | ||||||
| Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award | 07/01/25 | Published Poetry Book | Active | $100,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline July 1. Highly recommended free contest awards $100,000 for a published book of poetry by a US citizen or legal resident. This award is presented for a full-length work by a poet who is past the very beginning but has not yet reached the acknowledged pinnacle of their career. "While some poetry prizes discover and honor new voices and others crown an indisputably major body of work, this award aims to sustain a poet who is laboring in the difficult middle between these extremes." Books must have been published between July 1 of last year and June 30 of the deadline year. Winner must agree to spend a week in residence at Claremont Graduate University for lectures, workshops, and poetry readings in Claremont, CA and the greater Los Angeles area. Send 8 copies of book and entry form from website. | ||||||
| Richard J. Margolis Award | 07/01/25 | Creative Nonfiction | Active | $5,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline July 1 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest awards a $5,000 stipend and a month-long residency at the Blue Mountain Center, a writers' and artists' colony in the Adirondacks in Blue Mountain Lake, New York, to a promising new journalist or essayist whose work "combines warmth, humor, and wisdom and sheds light on issues of social justice". Send 2 or 3 nonfiction pieces (published or unpublished), up to 30 pages total, with a short biographical note including a description of your current and anticipated work. Note that at least one sample must be non-memoir material. Sponsor accepts entries via email or postal mail. | ||||||
| Col. Darron L. Wright Memorial Writing Awards | 07/04/25 | Individual Poems Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction | Active | $250.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline July 4 (must be received by this date; don't enter before May 1). Neutral free contest gives prizes up to $250 and anthology publication for poetry, fiction, and essays by current and former US military service members and their immediate family (parents, siblings, children). Send 1-5 poems or one prose piece up to 5,000 words. Contest sponsor Line of Advance is a literary journal founded by veterans of the war in Afghanistan. | ||||||
| Hubert Butler Essay Prize | 07/04/25 | Scholarly Essay | Active | £1,500.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline July 4 (must be received by this date). Neutral free contest awards prizes up to 1,500 pounds for English-language essays, maximum 3,000 words, by UK or European Union citizens aged 18+ on a theme that changes annually. For 2025, the theme is "Have we no more active rights over life, birth, and death?" Email your completed entry form along with your essay. Named after Irish essayist Hubert Butler, the prize is sponsored by the Ireland-based Kilkenny Arts Festival. | ||||||
| Blessing the Boats Selections | 07/14/25 | Poetry Manuscript | Active | $2,500.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline July 14 (don't enter before June 1). Recommended free contest from BOA Editions gives $2,500 honorarium and publication with a standard royalties package to a US woman poet of color for a book-length manuscript, between 65-120 pages. Cis, trans, and nonbinary people who are "comfortable in a space that centers on women's experiences" are encouraged to enter. Limit one entry per poet. Enter online or send your paper MS. by mail, along with your cover letter. | ||||||
| Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature | 07/14/25 | Published Poetry Book Published Prose Book | Active | £3,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline July 14 (must be received by this date). Recommended free contest gives 3,000 pounds for the best published book on the theme of mountains, first published or distributed in the UK between July 14 of the previous year and July 14 of the deadline year. Entries must be submitted by publisher, and may be poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or drama. Early entries are encouraged. Send entry form, 4 copies of the work, the book cover image, and a 40-word summary of the book for use on the sponsor's website. | ||||||
| Donn Goodwin Poetry Prize | 07/14/25 | Individual Poems | Active | $100.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline July 14 (must be received by this date; don't enter before June 1). Neutral free contest from Milwaukee Irish Fest awards $100 prize for a previously unpublished poem reflecting Irish or Irish-American poetic traditions. Open to all authors. Email or send one poem, of any length. | ||||||
| Simon & Schuster's Books Like Us First Novel Contest | 07/14/25 | Novel Excerpt | Active | $50,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline July 14 (must be received by this date; don't enter before June 30). Recommended free contest from Simon & Schuster awards a $50,000 advance, publication, and an option for literary agent representation to a US resident age 18+ for a 25-page excerpt from a completed adult fiction manuscript. Because this contest "facilitates accessibility to underrepresented writers and celebrates the diversity of readers", the sponsor is seeking "inclusive...and ground-breaking reads". Complete the online entry form, and submit the opening 25 pages of your manuscript, along with a personal response (250-500 words) describing your book and its relevance to today's publishing climate. | ||||||
| Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize | 07/14/25 | Short Fiction | Active | $1,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline July 14 (must be received by this date; don't enter before March 1). Recommended free contest for college students in the US and Canada awards $1,000 prize, a scholarship to the Stony Brook Southampton Writing Conference, and consideration for publication in The Southampton Review. Send one story, maximum 7,500 words, and proof of current undergraduate enrollment for the academic year in which the deadline falls. Enter by mail or online. Traditionally this prize encouraged submissions from students with an Asian background, but currently all students are encouraged to enter. Sponsored by Stony Brook Southampton. | ||||||
| Governor General's Literary Awards | 07/15/25 | 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. | ||||||
| Helen Schaible Sonnet Contest | 07/15/25 | Individual Poems | Active | $50.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline July 15 (must be received by this date; don't enter before June 1). Neutral free contest gives two top prizes of $50 apiece for the best sonnets (one Shakespearean or Petrarchan and one Modern). One poem per category per person. Submit your previously unpublished entry via the sponsor's online submission form. Be sure to specify which sonnet type (Shakespearean, Petrarchan, or Modern) you're submitting on each entry. No simultaneous submissions. Sponsored by the Poets & Patrons of Chicago, an organization that fosters an appreciation of poetry through writing workshops and other activities. | ||||||
| Stone Canoe Awards | 07/15/25 | Individual Poems Short Fiction | Active | $250.00 | Neutral | |
Deadlines July 15 (fiction), August 18 (poetry) (must be received by these dates). Neutral free contest gives prizes of $250 apiece for previously unpublished poetry and fiction by writers who live or have lived in upstate New York and who have not yet published full-length books. Winners will be published in Stone Canoe literary journal. Awards are for work already published in the journal. No separate application process; all submissions are automatically considered for the prizes. An entrant may submit one entry in each of the two genres. Submit 1-5 poems and/or one story (up to 7,500 words), through the sponsor's online submissions portal. Be sure to include a biographical note clearly detailing your current or past residency in the eligible region of New York State. | ||||||
| Black Voices in Children's Literature Contest | 07/22/25 | Prose Manuscript | Active | $1,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline July 22 (don't enter before June 16). Recommended free contest gives prizes up to $1,000 and possible publication for children's picture book and board book manuscripts. Entries should be original fiction or nonfiction board books for ages 0-4 (50-125 words) and picture books for ages 4-8 (300-800 words) featuring Black characters and culture and focusing on one or more of the following topics: character development, self-esteem, identity, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, or other topics related to positive childhood development. The contest is open to Black authors who have not previously published work for children, are residents of the United States, and are at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Enter by mail, email, or online. Co-sponsored by Free Spirit Publishing and Strive Publishing. | ||||||
| Anthem Essay Contest for Students | 07/31/25 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $2,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadline July 31 (must be received by this date). Highly recommended free contest for 8th-12th graders awards top prize of $2,000, other large prizes, for essays on Ayn Rand's novella 'Anthem'. After registering for the contest online, student will receive instant access to the book, the essay prompt(s), and the word limit. Submit one essay online. Past first-prize winners are ineligible. Sponsored by the Ayn Rand Institute. | ||||||
| Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest for Students | 07/31/25 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $25,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadlines July 31, September 20, December 27 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest for high school, college, and graduate students awards $25,000 annual grand prize, three $3,000 top seasonal prizes, and other large prizes, for essays on Ayn Rand's novel 'Atlas Shrugged'. After registering online for the contest, students will receive instant access to the book, the essay prompts, as well as the word limit. The winning essays in the three seasonal contests are eligible to win the annual grand prize. A student can enter any or all of the three seasonal rounds. Enter online. Contest is looking for entries that are sympathetic to Rand's rationalist, libertarian philosophy. See sponsor's website for other student contests. | ||||||
| Diverse Writers/Diverse Worlds Grants | 07/31/25 | Prose Manuscript Fellowship | Active | $500.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline July 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before July 1). Recommended free contests award two diversity-centered grants (Diverse Writers and Diverse Worlds) of $500 apiece for book-length speculative fiction rich in diversity. Diverse Writers is for "underrepresented and underprivileged groups...whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing/publishing process"; Diverse Worlds is for "work that best presents a diverse world, regardless of the writer's background". Submit an excerpt of 5,000 words or fewer from an in-progress manuscript. See website for other submission requirements. Enter via sponsor's online application form. Sponsored by Speculative Literature Foundation. | ||||||
| Fountainhead Essay Contest for Middle and High School Students | 07/31/25 | Scholarly Essay | Active | $25,000.00 | Highly Recommended | |
Deadlines July 31, September 13, December 20 (must be received by these dates). Highly recommended free contest for middle and high school students in grades 8-12 awards $25,000 annual grand prize, three $3,000 top seasonal prizes, and other large prizes, for essays on Ayn Rand's novel 'The Fountainhead'. After registering for the contest online, student will receive instant access to the book, the essay prompt(s), as well as the word limit. The winning essays in the three seasonal contests are eligible to win the annual grand prize. A student can enter any or all of the three seasonal rounds. Submit your essay online. Contest is looking for entries that are sympathetic to Rand's rationalist, libertarian philosophy. See sponsor's website for other student contests. | ||||||
| Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award | 07/31/25 | Individual Poems | Active | Highly Recommended | ||
Deadline July 31. Highly recommended free contest for unpublished poems, 40 lines maximum, by authors aged 11-17 gives winners anthology publication, tuition to a week-long Arvon writing class, and other prizes. All 100 winners will be invited to an awards party in London. Online entries accepted. Poets aged 11-12 must submit a signed parent/guardian permission form to enter. Submissions can be made by the individual poet, a parent/guardian, or a teacher. Sponsored by the Poetry Society of the UK, a prestigious literary society. | ||||||
| Short Story Substack's Monthly Contest | 07/31/25 | 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. | ||||||
| Sisters in Crime Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers | 07/31/25 | Short Fiction Novel Excerpt | Active | $2,000.00 | Recommended | |
Deadline July 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before June 1). Recommended free contest from Sisters in Crime awards $2,000 grant for unpublished crime fiction, 2,500-5,000 words, by an emerging writer in the LGBTQIA+ community who has not published more than ten pieces of short fiction or two books. (Preference is given to previously unpublished authors.) Entries may be aimed at readers of all ages (from children's chapter books through adults). Winner may be asked to share thoughts on their win and the impact the award has made as well as serve as a member of next year's award selection committee. Send short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript-in-progress, resume, and cover letter describing how the applicant is emerging in the genre and how the grant money would be used. Submit application materials via sponsor's online portal. | ||||||
| Tilted House 1BR/3BATH Chapbook Prize | 07/31/25 | Poetry Chapbook | Active | $200.00 | Neutral | |
Deadline July 31 (must be received by this date; don't enter before June 1). Neutral contest gives $200 prize, a publication run of 150-200, and 15 author copies to poets for an "innovative, sonic, omissive, dislocated, explorative, cryptic, and/or transgressive" poetry chapbook, between 16-35 pages. This contest has a sliding scale reading fee, and you can pay zero. Excerpts may have been previously published, but MS. must be unpublished. Author can submit multiple entries online. Sponsored by Tilted House, a New Orleans-based mico-press that publishes experimental works. | ||||||
