Our Contest Lists database of the best writing contests is updated each month and contains information about a wide range of creative writing contests including fiction competitions, novel contests, poetry awards, nonfiction prizes, and many other varieties of creative writing competition. At Contest Lists we only list contests that have excellent and proven reputations in the industry. We don’t include scammers, meaning our lists are populated with trustworthy and legimate contests. Make sure to contact organizers directly with any queries. Regarding fees: Many legitimate contests charge fees. However it is important to research each opportunity thoroughly to ensure you understand the terms and conditions of each contest.
Rolling Deadlines
The Poetry.com Contest
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: Rolling (Monthly)
Prizes: $200 – $500
Entry fee: $25
Enter here
The Reedsy Prompts Contest
Genre: Fiction and Short Story
Deadline: Rolling
Prizes: $250 and publication on Reedsy Prompts; $25 credit for Reedsy Marketplace services for shortlisted entries.
Theme: Submission must respond to one of five Reedsy writing prompts.
Entry fee: $5
Enter here
May 2025
Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: May 15, 2025
Prizes: $25,000
Entry fee: $75
Enter here
Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Deadline: May 15, 2025
Prizes: $2,000, publication in the Winter 2025-26 issue of Ploughshares, a conversation with Aevitas Creative Management literary agency
Entry fee: $30 (includes 1-year print and digital subscription) or free to current Ploughshares subscribers
Enter here
The Bridport Prize
Genre: Poetry and Fiction (Short Story, Flash Fiction, Novel)
Deadline: May 31, 2025
Prizes: £1,000 – £5,000
Entry fee: £11 – £24
Enter here
John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize
Genre: Essay
Deadline: (Registration deadline May 31, 2025) June 30, 2025
Prizes: $1,000 – $10,000 scholarship to attend any John Locke Institute program
Theme: Essay must address a listed question (see entry details linked below)
Entry fee: None
Enter here
June 2025
The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition
Genre: Fiction (full-length children’s novel)
Deadline: June 2, 2025
Prizes: A worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £7,500 – £10,000 and a discussion of representation with an agent
Entry fee: £20
Enter here
The International Audio Drama Competition 2026
Genre: Audio Drama Scripts
Deadline: June 4, 2025
Prizes: £2,500 and a trip to London x 2
Entry fee: None
Enter here
2025 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry
Deadline: June 30, 2025
Prizes: £1,000 and publication in Wasafiri magazine, Chapter and Verse or Free Reads mentoring scheme in partnership with The Literary Consultancy (dependent on eligibility), as well as a one-year print subscription to
Wasafiri
Entry fee: £6 – £16
Enter here
The Moth Short Story Prize 2025
Genre: Fiction
Deadline: June 30, 2025
Prizes: 1,000€ – 3,000€
Entry fee: 15€ per story
Enter here
July 2025
2025 HG Wells Short Story Competition
Genre: Fiction
Deadline: July 8, 2025
Prizes: £500 – £1,000 and publication of all shortlisted entries
Theme: “The Middle Ground”
Entry fee: Free – £10
Enter here
Rattle Poetry Prize
Genre: Poetry
Deadline: July 15, 2025
Prizes: $500 – $15,000
Entry fee: $30 (includes 1-year subscription) or free to current Rattle magazine subscribers
Enter here
Scriptation Showcase
Genre: Screenplay, Short Script, Teleplay
Deadline: July 20, 2025
Prizes: $1,000; $500 cash for best script in each category
Entry fee: $59
Enter here
August 2025
2025 Best Indie Book Awards (BIBA)
Genre: Fiction and Nonfiction
Deadline: August 1, 2025 (Noon EST)
Prizes: $2,000 awarded in 2024
Entry fee: $75
Enter here
The Masters Review Summer Short Story Award For New Writers
Genre: Fiction and Creative Nonfiction
Deadline: August 25, 2025
Prizes: $200 – $3,000, online publication in The Masters Review, and an agency review
Entry fee: $20
Enter here
Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2025
Genre: Poetry and Short Fiction
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Prizes: £2,500 x 2
Entry fee: £12 – £18
Enter here
September 2025
Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition
Genre: Fiction
Deadline: September 1, 2025
Prizes: $500 – $1,500 and online publication
Entry fee: $15
Enter here
Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest
Genre: Fiction and Nonfiction
Deadline: September 25, 2025
Prizes: $2,500 for each category winner
Entry fee: $45 – $60
Enter here
Anthology Flash Fiction Competition
Genre: Flash Fiction
Deadline: September 30, 2025
Prizes: First prize of €300 and the winning entry published in Anthology magazine
Entry fee: €12
Enter here
October 2025
Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction Competition
Genre: Fiction
Deadline: October 1, 2025
Prizes: $250 – $1,000, publication as an online supplement to the Spring 2025 edition of Zoetrope magazine, and consideration for representation by participating agencies
Entry fee: $30
Enter here
The Raven Short Story Contest
Genre: Fiction (Short Story and Flash Fiction)
Deadline: October 15, 2025
Prizes: $300 and publication in Pulp Literature
Entry fee: $25
Enter here
The Hope Prize
Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, Short Story
Deadline: October 31, 2025
Prizes: $1,000 – 10,000 AUD, shortlisted stories will be published in a Simon & Schuster anthology
Theme: We’re seeking powerful, original stories of hope
Entry fee: $30 AUD
Enter here
November 2025
John Steinbeck Award For Fiction
Genre: Fiction (Short Story)
Deadline: November 1, 2025
Prizes: $1,000
Entry fee: $20 (includes a free copy of the latest edition of Reed magazine)
Enter here
Gotham Writers Workshop Crossroads Contest
Genre: Fiction (Short Fiction, Flash Fiction), Poetry, Creative Nonfiction
Deadline: November 30, 2025
Prizes: Publication on the Gotham Writers website and a free Gotham Writers Workshop class
Theme: In 50 words or less, and must be about a “crossroads”
Entry fee: None
Enter here
December 2025
2025 Book Prize (Unleash Press)
Genre: Fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Short Story
Deadline: December 31, 2025
Prizes: $1,000 and standard publishing contract for the winner, finalists will be considered for publication.
Entry fee: $35
Enter here
Danahy Fiction Prize
Genre: Fiction (Short Stories and Flash Fiction)
Deadline: December 31, 2025
Prizes: $1,000 USD and publication in Tampa Review
Entry Fee: $20 USD (includes a one-year subscription to Tampa Review)
Enter here
Green Stories Writing Competition (University of Southampton)
Genre: Fiction (Short Stories and Novels)
Deadline: Late 2025, contest details to be announced
Prizes: Previously there has been a first prize of £1,000; runner up prize of £500
Theme: Entries should conform with positive visions of more sustainable futures and/or the inclusion of green solutions but needn’t have an explicitly green theme.
Entry fee: None
Enter here