Writer’s Digest – Short Short Story Competition

The 21st Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition seeks entries of short fiction up to 1,500 words.

DEADLINE: November 16, 2020 (early bird); December 14, 2020 (final).

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all writers except for Writer’s Digest authors, editors, columnists, and instructors.

FEE: $25 (early bird); $30 (final).

PRIZE: 1st place: $3,000 cash, publication, paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference; 2nd–10th place: $100–1,500, publication.

WHAT TO ENTER: Short fiction up to 1,500 words.

HOW TO ENTER: Via Submittable.

Bennington College — Young Writers Awards

Bennington College’s Young Writers Awards promote excellence in writing at the high school level. All entries must be original work and sponsored by a high school teacher. A first, second, and third place winner is selected in each category.

DEADLINE: November 1, 2020

ELIGIBILITY: Students in grades 9–12.

PRIZES: 1st place: $500; 2nd place: $250; 3rd place: $125.

WHAT TO ENTER: Students may submit in one of the following categories:

  • Poetry: A group of three poems.
  • Fiction: A short story (1,500 words or fewer) or one-act play (run no more than 30 minutes of playing time).
  • Nonfiction: A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer).

HOW TO ENTER: Online.

Gemini Magazine: Flash Fiction Contest

DEADLINE: August 31, 2020

FEE: $6 per entry.

PRIZE: 1st place: $1,000; 2nd place: $100; honorable mention: $25. All finalists will be published in the October 2020 issue of Gemini.

WHAT TO ENTER: Previously unpublished flash fiction up to 1,000 words in length. All styles, subjects, and genres accepted. Multiple entries allowed.

HOW TO ENTER: Via email or by post. See website for complete guidelines.

Red Hen Press: Novella Award

DEADLINE: July 31, 2020

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all writers except those who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press.

FEE: $25.

PRIZE: $1,000 and book publication.

WHAT TO ENTER: Fiction manuscript of 15,000–30,000 words.

HOW TO ENTER: Via Submittable.

JUDGE: Donna Hemans, author of Tea by the Sea and River Woman.

Rattle: Poetry Prize 2020

Rattle Poetry Prize: $15,000 for a single poem. Deadline: July 15th.

The 2020 Rattle Poetry Prize is open for submissions until July 15. Please see the website for full guidelines.

DEADLINE: July 15, 2020

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all writers worldwide. Poems must be written primarily in English. Simultaneous submissions allowed.

FEE: $25 (includes one-year subscription to Rattle).

PRIZE: One winner: $15,000 and publication; 10 finalists: $500 and publication; one Reader’s Choice Award: $5,000. Other submissions may be chosen for publication.

WHAT TO ENTER: Up to four poems per entry. No line or style limit. Multiple entries allowed.

HOW TO ENTER: Via Submittable or by post (US only).

Ploughshares: Emerging Writer’s Contest 2020

DEADLINE: May 15, 2020

ELIGIBILITY: Writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book may enter.

WHAT TO ENTER: Fiction and nonfiction: up to 6,000 words. Poetry: 3–5 pages.

FEE: $24. The fee includes a 1-year subscription to Ploughshares (beginning with the Spring 2020 issue and ending with the Winter 2020-2021 issue) and free submissions to the 2020 regular reading period.

PRIZE: Publication, $2,000, review from Aevitas Creative Management, and a 1-year subscription for one winner in each of the three genres.

HOW TO ENTER: Submissions must be made via Ploughshares’ online submission manager. You must create an account before submitting.

JUDGES: Kirstin Valdez Quade (fiction), Ilya Kaminsky (poetry) and Esmé Weijun Wang (nonfiction). 

Young Romantics Prize 2020

Young Romantics Prize 2020

The Young Romantics Writing Prize, sponsored by the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association, is aimed at poets and essayists aged between 16 and 18. Entrants are encouraged to respond to the work of the Romantics by writing their own original poem or essay. Essayists are asked to respond to a particular question inspired by the life or work of the Romantic writers. The poets respond to a theme which changes from one year to the next.

This year, poems must address the theme “Songbird”; essays must respond to the question, “How can the poetry of PB Shelley and/or John Keats help us in our current climate crisis?”

Deadline: January 14, 2020

Eligibility: writers aged 16–18, writing in English, from anywhere in the world

Entry: free; online (open in December 2019)

Prizes: over £5000 total; distributed among winners

Judges: Deryn Rees-Jones & Will Kemp (poetry); Sharon Ruston & Simon Bainbridge (essay)

Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington Young Writers Awards logo

Bennington College has a unique literary legacy, including ten Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, the youngest Man Booker Prize winner, countless New York Times bestsellers, and two of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.

Deadline: November 1, 2019

Eligibility: 10th-12th graders

Awards: 1st place $500; 2nd place $250; 3rd place $125

What to Submit: Submit to only one of the following categories: poetry (three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play under 1,500 words), or nonfiction (a personal or academic essay under 1,500 words). All entries must be original and sponsored by a high school teacher.

How to Submit: Online or by mail.

Get more information and read past winners’ work here.

Philadelphia Stories – Marguerite McGlinn Prize for Fiction

Deadline: June 15, 2019

Entry: via Submittable; $15 fee

Prize: $2500 and publication

Judge: Susan Muaddi Darraj

Guidelines:

  • Previously unpublished works of fiction up to 8,000 words. Please note, “published” includes any work published in print or online, including online magazines, blogs, public social media sites, etc.
  • Multiple submissions will be accepted for the contest only. Simultaneous submissions are also accepted; however, you must notify immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
  • Only authors currently residing in the United States are eligible.
  • Submissions will only be accepted via Submittable. Please email contest@philadelphiastories.org if you are having any trouble with your submission.

Southern Poetry Review – Guy Owen Prize

Deadline: May 31, 2019

Entry: online or mail; $20 fee (includes one-year subscription)

Prize: $1000 and publication

Guidelines:

  • Submit 3-5 poems, 10 pages maximum.
  • For online submissions, include contact information only with entry form, not on any poem submitted.
  • For hard-copy submissions, include contact information on separate cover sheet, not on any poem submitted.

Salamander – Fiction Contest

Salamander Magazine logo

Deadline: June 3, 2019

Entry: online; $15 fee (includes one-year subscription)

Prize: $1,000 and publication (1st), $500 and publication (2nd)

Judge: Wayétu Moore

Guidelines:

  • All entries will be considered for publication. All entries will be considered anonymously.
  • Send no more than one story per entry. Each story must not exceed 30 double-spaced pages in 12 point font. Multiple entries are acceptable, provided that a separate reading fee is included with each entry.
  • Please submit a two page cover sheet document with each entry, page one with the title of the story ONLY, and page 2 with the title of the story and your name, address, phone number, and email. Your name should NOT appear anywhere on the story itself.
  • Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but the contest fee is non-refundable if the submission is withdrawn. Please notify the editors as soon as possible if a submitted story is accepted elsewhere.
  • Previously published works and works accepted for publication elsewhere cannot be considered. Salamander’s definition of publishing includes electronic publication.
  • No handwritten, faxed, emailed, or poorly copied/printed manuscripts will be considered.
  • Salamander will not consider work from anyone currently or recently (within the past 4 years) affiliated with Suffolk University or the prize judge.

Black Lawrence Press – Black River Chapbook Competition

Black River Chapbook Competition

Twice each year Black Lawrence Press will run the Black River Chapbook Competition for an unpublished chapbook of poems or prose between 16-36 pages in length. The contest is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner will receive book publication, a $500 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes are awarded on publication.

Deadline: May 31, 2019

Entry: via Submittable; $15 fee

Prize: $500 and publication

Guidelines:

  • All entries are read blind by a panel of judges and editors. All manuscripts should include a title page (listing only the title of the work), table of contents, and when appropriate, an acknowledgments page. Manuscripts should be paginated and formatted in an easy-to-read font such as Garamond or Times New Roman. Manuscripts should be 16-36 pages in length (double-spaced for fiction and creative non-fiction), not including front and back matter (table of contents, title page, etc.). Identifying information for the author should not be included anywhere on the manuscript itself, including in the name of the file or in the “title” field in Submittable. The author is welcome to include a brief bio in the cover note on Submittable, which will only be made accessible to the editorial panel after the group of Semi-Finalist and Finalist manuscripts has been chosen.
  • Chapbooks containing individual stories or poems that have been previously published online or in print are eligible for the BRCC. Please simply note previously published work on an acknowledgments page. On the other hand, if a chapbook has been previously published as a collection (including publication with a press, self-publication, online/digital publication, and publication in a small, limited-edition print run), then the manuscript is not eligible for the BRCC.
  • Simultaneous submissions are acceptable and encouraged, but please withdraw the manuscript on Submittable immediately if it is accepted for publication elsewhere.
  • Multiple submissions (the submission of more than one manuscript to the contest) are permitted.
  • Collaborative collections are welcome.
  • Hybrid/multi-genre submissions are also welcome; please enter under the submission category that best fits your work.
  • Prose category: Beginning with the Spring 2019 contest, our category previously titled “fiction” has been re-categorized as “prose” to accommodate fiction, creative non-fiction, lyric essay, and prose hybrid manuscripts. (Chapbooks of prose poems and poetry/prose hybrid projects can be submitted under either poetry or prose, per your preference.)
  • Translations are not accepted for the BRCC.

Foyle Young Poets Award

Deadline: July 31, 2019

Prizes:

  • All 100 winners will be invited to a prestigious Awards Ceremony in London.
  • The top 15 winners will have their poems printed in the winners’ print anthology, over 20,000 copies of which are distributed to school libraries and poetry enthusiasts. The anthology is also available online.
  • The 85 commended poets will have their work published in an online anthology and their names in the print anthology.
  • The top 15 Winners will be invited to attend a life-changing residential writing course at one of the prestigious Arvon Centres, or receive mentoring from a professional poet (age dependent).
  • All 100 winners receive a year’s Youth Membership of The Poetry Society.
  • All 100 winners will receive a goody bag full of books and other treats donated by our generous supporters.

Entry: Register here to enter. Entry is free.

Eligibility: Any young poet, writing in English, aged 11-17 as of the deadline.

Guidelines:

  • You must be aged 11-17 on the closing date of the 31st July 2019 (inclusive) in order to enter.
  • Individuals may enter more than one poem, however we strongly advise that you concentrate on drafting and redrafting your poems and send only a selection of your very best. Remember, quality is more important than quantity.
  • The competition is free to enter and poems can be of any length and on any theme.
  • Your work is accepted on the basis that this will be its first publication anywhere in the world. This includes:
    • anthologies, magazines, solo collections, school prints;
    • online, including blogs and online magazines;
    • social media such as Twitter, Facebook or Instagram;
    • any regional, national or online TV station or via any radio platform.
  • Poems cannot have won any other competition.
  • Poems must be the original work of the author (we do run checks for plagiarism on all selected poems).
  • Poems must be in English.
  • You cannot enter a poem written by more than one author.
  • Entries will be accepted from anywhere in the world.
  • If you are 11-12 your parent or guardian will need to give permission for you to enter. Permission can be given online or by sending in the parent or guardian permission form.

Indiana Review – Fiction & Poetry Prizes

Deadline: March 31, 2019

Entry: online submissions manager; $20 fee

Prize: $1000 & publication

Judges: R.O. Kwon (fiction), Nuar Alsadir (poetry)

Fiction Guidelines:

  • Remember to send one short story, up to 8k words.
  • Entrant’s name must not appear on the submission.
  • A cover letter is not required but can be included in the comments box if you like.
  • Each $20 fee gets you a year-long subscription of the journal. International addressees, please add $12 for postage ($7 for addresses in Canada). If the fee provides a hardship, please submit during the discounted rate period: February 1-15, 2019.
  • Be sure to select the genre “2019 Fiction Prize” on the submission form. Submissions with incorrectly designated genres will not be read.
  • Hit “Submit Entry” below to get started. You will be redirected to the Submissions Manager to upload your submission after making the PayPal payment. If you are not automatically redirected, please contact inreview@indiana.edu and we will ensure you are able to complete your submission.

Poetry Guidelines:

  • Remember to send up to three poems in a single word document.
  • Entrant’s name must not appear on the submission.
  • A cover letter is not required but can be included in the comments box if you like.
  • Each $20 fee gets you a year-long subscription of the journal. International addressees, please add $12 for postage ($7 for addresses in Canada). If the fee provides a hardship, please submit during the discounted rate period: February 1-15, 2019.
  • Be sure to select the genre “2019 Poetry Prize” on the submission form. Submissions with incorrectly designated genres will not be read.
  • Hit “Submit Entry” below to get started. You will be redirected to the Submissions Manager to upload your submission after making the PayPal payment. If you are not automatically redirected, please contact inreview@indiana.edu and we will ensure you are able to complete your submission.

Fish Publishing: Flash Fiction Prize

Fish Publishing

Deadline: February 28, 2019

Entry: online or by post; €14 fee

Eligibility: writers of any nationality writing in English

Prize: €1,000 (1st), €300 (2nd), online writing course (3rd), publication (top 10

Judge: Pamela Painter

Guidelines:

  • You can enter as many times as you wish.
  • There is no restriction on theme or style.
  • Maximum number of words is 300.
  • The winning stories must be available for the anthology, and therefore must not have been published previously.
  • Judging is anonymous. Name and contact details must not appear on the stories.

Selected Shorts Short Story Prize

Selected Shorts 2019 Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Deadline: March 1, 2019

Entry: via Gotham Writers; $25 fee

Prize: $1000, publication on Electric Lit, and a 10-week course with Gotham Writers. The winning story will also be performed and recorded live at Symphony Space.

Guidelines:

  • Entries should be 750 words or less.
  • Stories can be on any theme.
  • There is a fee of $25 to enter.
  • Submissions must be entered by 11:59 PM EST on March 1, 2019.
  • Writers of all ages and nationalities are eligible.
  • The story must have a title.
  • We do not accept work that has been previously published in print, online, or any other medium.
  • We do not accept works in translation.
  • Once entered, we do not accept revisions for any stories. Your $25 is nonrefundable.
  • You may enter as many stories as you like, but a $25 fee is required for each story.
  • We no longer accept mailed, paper submissions. Stories received in the mail will be returned unread with your uncashed check. If you have problems with the online form or are unable to submit online for some extenuating circumstance, please contact Selected Shorts directly at shorts@symphonyspace.org and we will make sure your work reaches us.
  • The winner will be announced in May 2019.