Story Contest
Sponsor – Narrative
Deadline Date – 15-Jun-2025
Funding – $5,000.00 USD
Program Information – View Details
The contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. The sponsor is looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest. All submissions with a reading fee, from new or emerging writers, are eligible for the $5,000 Narrative Prize, awarded annually.
The sponsor is looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.
The contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers.
Payment to Authors: Narrative is strongly committed to supporting our authors’ work. Our current rates for work are as follows:
- $500 for a Story of the Week.
- $200 for a Poem of the Week.
- $250 to $500 for 500 to 2,000 word manuscripts.
- $500 to $1,000 for 2,000 to 15,000 word manuscripts.
- $200 minimum for each accepted poem or audio/video piece. ($100 for poetry reprints.)
- $100 for Readers’ Narratives.
All submissions with a reading fee, from new or emerging writers, are eligible for the $5,000 Narrative Prize, awarded annually.
Places Writing Competition
Sponsor – Minds Shine Bright
Deadline Date – 31-May-2025
Program Information – View Details
The sponsor is calling for local and international writers to submit stories and poems about place. It could be the place where the writer lives, a place that they love visiting or a place that they left behind. It should be a place that sets the imagination free, that inspires and challenges the writer to bring its story to life.
Minds Shine Bright run an international creative writing competition every year and publish the winning and commended writers in a curated anthology. The new competition is called Places.
All winning and commended entries will be published in the Minds Shine Bright Places anthology or the Young Writers Places Anthology. Each writer will receive a print copy and an e-book copy of the anthology they are published in.
- First Prize $1500
- Poetry Prize $500
- Short Story Prize $500
- Flash Fiction Prize $500
- English as a Second Language Prize $500
- Young Writers Prize (15 and under) $250
Commended writers $100 (up to 3000 words) $150-200 (up to 5000 words) ( (25 to 30 prizes awarded) These writers will form the Places shortlist.
Young writers $50 ( Writers aged 15 and under will be considered for all major prizes in the first round of judging and then considered for publication in the Young Writers Places anthology in the second or third round of judging.)
All writers will be eligible for one major prize only however some writers may receive commendations and publication for more than one piece.
Longlisted writers will not be published. They will be given a special mention on the Minds Shine Bright website and sent an e-certificate of Recognition.
Certificates of recognition and Gifts. Ten to twelve writers will receive Certificates of Recognition and small gifts for writing that shines brightly in some way
This year the sponsor increased the prize pool to support our aim of paying writers fairly for their work. All prizes are shown in Australian dollars. International entries are welcome.
- $1600 – The overall winner, plus publication in Confidence Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2023
- $800 – for each of the four category winners plus publication in Confidence Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2023 (The overall winner is excluded from all other prizes) Categories include short stories, short scripts, flash fiction and poetry)
- $175 – for each commended entry plus publication in Confidence Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2023
15 certificates of recognition and gifts will be sent to writers whose creativity shone in some way.
Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards
Sponsor – American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
Deadline Date – 22-May-2025
Program Information – View Details
The ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards program recognizes books, articles, and liner notes on the subject of music selected for their excellence.
This awards program recognizes books, articles, and liner notes on the subject of music selected for their excellence.
Eligible authors must be, at the time of entry: (a) a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident or enrolled student with a valid and current U.S. student visa and (b) at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in the state or country of residence, whichever is older.
The foundation is accepting books, articles and liner notes published in 2024.
The following monetary prizes totaling $4000 U.S. Dollars shall be awarded to Entrants (to be shared equally among all co-writers of the articles that are the subject of the Submission) as follows:
- Each Entrant of the two (2) highest rated book Submissions that are books focusing on the Pop Music Genre, shall receive $500.00 (U.S. Dollars);
- Each Entrant of the two (2) highest rated Submissions that are books focusing on the Concert Music Genre, shall receive $500.00 (U.S. Dollars);
- The Entrant of the highest rated Submission that is an article focusing on the Pop Music Genre, shall receive $250 (U.S. Dollars);
- The Entrant of the highest rated Submission that is an article focusing on the Concert Music Genre, shall receive $250 (U.S. Dollars);
- Two Entrants by nomination to receive the award for Media (Broadcast TV/Cable/Streaming/Radio/Podcasts) shall each receive $250 (U.S. Dollars);
- Two Entrants by nomination to receive the award for the article focusing on the Music Critic Awards in Pop ($250) and Concert ($250) (U.S. Dollars); and
- The Entrant of the highest rated Submission in the recording liner notes category shall receive $500 (U.S. Dollars).
Akron Poetry Prize
Sponsor – University of Akron Press
Deadline Date – 15-Jun-2025
Funding – $1,500.00 USD
Program Information – View Details
The University of Akron Press annually offers the Akron Poetry Prize, a competition open to all poets writing in English. The winning poet receives $1,500 and publication of his, her, or their book.
Manuscripts must be a total length of at least 48 pages and no longer than 90 pages. Individual poems may have appeared in chapbooks or literary magazines, but the University of Akron Press is unable to consider collections that have been previously published as a full-length volume. Translations are not eligible.
The competition open to all poets writing in English. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but The University of Akron Press must be notified immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are accepted.
The winning poet receives $1,500 and publication of their book as part of the Akron Series in Poetry.
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists
Sponsor – PEN America
Deadline Date – 01-Jun-2025
Funding – $5,000.00 USD
Program Information – View Details
The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists is offered annually to an author of children’s or young adult fiction for a novel-in-progress. Previously called the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship, the award was developed to help writers whose work is of high literary caliber and assist a writer at a crucial moment in their career to complete their novel. The author of the winning manuscript, selected blindly by judges unaware of nominees’ names, will receive an award of $5,000.
The award was developed to help writers whose work is of high literary caliber and assist a writer at a crucial moment in their career to complete their novel. The submitted work must be a novel-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2026.
Eligibility criteria is as follows:
- Candidates must be writers of children’s or young adult fiction.
- Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated significant sales.
- The writer’s previously published book(s) must be published by a U.S. trade publisher. Self-published works are ineligible.
- The submitted work must be a novel-in-progress that will not be published prior to April 1, 2026.
- Graphic novels, picture books, and manuscripts written by more than one person are not eligible for the fellowship.
The author of the winning manuscript will receive an award of $5,000.
Short Story Competition
Sponsor – British Fantasy Society
Deadline Date – 30-Jun-2025
Program Information – View Details
The British Fantasy Society provides prizes for stories in the fantasy genre.
Short stories must be written in English with a maximum word count of 5000, and they must be the entrant’s own original work.
Only stories in English are accepted. UK English preferred, but American and Australian English are accepted.
The story must have some fantastical, speculative or horror element to it to qualify. Any fantasy or horror sub-genre is welcome and encouraged.
The BFS strives to be an inclusive organisation and our competition is open to anyone and everyone, whether member or not, whether published or not. Entrants must be 18 years old or over.
Multiple entries are welcome. Members get one free entry, non-members and subsequent entries by members incur a £5 fee.
There will be three prizes awarded:
- 1st prize: £100, a year’s membership of the BFS, and publication in BFS Horizons
- 2nd prize:£50, a year’s membership of the BFS, and publication in BFS Horizons
- 3rd prize: £20, a year’s membership of the BFS, and publication in BFS Horizons.
Writing Competition
Sponsor – British Czech and Slovak Association
Deadline Date – 31-Jul-2025
Funding – $528.00 USD
Program Information – View Details
Each year, the BCSA runs a writing competition for original writing in English on the links between Britain and the Czech and/or Slovak Republics, at any time in their history, or (2) society in those Republics since 1989.
The suggested (but not compulsory) theme of this year’s BCSA writing competition is “Liberation.” It’s prompted by 2025 seeing the 80th anniversary of the ending of World War Two. Entries on this theme it can be related to that anniversary but it needn’t be – it could be something on a much more individual, personal or local level.
Entries should be original writing, in English and not more than 2,000 words long. Fiction or fact – either is welcome.
Entry is free. Submissions are invited from individuals of any age, nationality or educational background. Entrants do not need to be members of the BCSA. An author may submit any number of entries.
The first prize is £400 and the second prize £150. The two prizewinning entries will be published in the British Czech and Slovak Review.
Editors’ Prize Book Award
Sponsor – Cider Press Review
Deadline Date – 30-Jun-2025
Funding – $1,000.00 USD
Program Information – View Details
The annual Cider Press Review Editors’ Prize offers a $1,000 prize, publication, and 25 author’s copies of a book length collection of poetry.
The annual Cider Press Review Editors’ Prize offers a monetary prize, publication, and 25 author’s copies of a book length collection of poetry. Applicants must submit 48 to 80 pages of original poetry in English not previously published in book form (individual poems may have been previously published in journals, anthologies, and chapbooks).
The Editor’s Prize offers a $1,000 prize, publication, and 25 author’s copies of a book length collection of poetry. No First- or Second book requirement. Author receives a standard publishing contract. Initial print run is not less than 1,000 copies.
Ethnographic Poetry Competition
Sponsor – Society for Humanistic Anthropology
Deadline Date – 20-Jul-2025
Program Information – View Details
Since 1986, the Society for Humanistic Anthropology has hosted a prize for ethnographic poetry. The Poetry Prize Competition seeks to support poets writing with ethnographic material and encourage anthropologists to use poetic methods in their work. The first-place winner will receive a monetary award. All winning poets will be recognized at the Society’s Awards Ceremony, receive a year of SHA membership, and have their poems considered for publication in the Society’s journal, Anthropology and Humanism.
The Society for Humanistic Anthropology announces our annual poetry competition as a means to encourage scholars to use diverse literary genres to explore anthropological concerns. These concerns may be any of those associated with any of the five fields of anthropology: Archaeological, Biological, Linguistic, Sociocultural and Applied.
Before submission, please consider exploring the work of the ethnographic poets we have published in our journal.
Poems should exhibit technical virtuosity, through attention to poetic convention, form, and technique, and the sonic and musical qualities of language, combined with fresh language, vivid imagery, imagination, and risk-taking, and an ability to convey penetrating insights into human experience. We seek a layer of trust concerning the writer’s experience and perspective as both anthropologist and creative writer – one who is ethically responsible in terms of representing the other, one who is able to locate his or her reader in the context of the ethnographic study and reveal anthropological themes associated with any of the fields of anthropology. As well as ethnographic poems, we welcome autoethnographic poems, auto-theoretical poems, found poems, and other experimental forms that still adhere to the above.
Eligible poets are practitioners of the crafts of poetry and ethnography, and may be affiliated with a university, independent scholars, authors, journalists, or other professionals in the field(s) of anthropology and ethnography. Poets may submit up to three poems. There is no entry fee.
The first-place winner will receive a monetary award. All winning poets will be recognized at the Society’s Awards Ceremony, receive a year of SHA membership, and have their poems considered for publication in the Society’s journal, Anthropology and Humanism.
