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NewPages Blog :: Writing Contests

Discover writing and book contests from literary magazines, independent publishers, university presses, creative writing programs, and more.

Contest :: Swan Scythe Press 2020 Poetry Chapbook Contest

Swan Scythe Press logoSwan Scythe Press is now considering manuscripts for its 2020 Poetry Chapbook Contest. Submit a manuscript of 20-32 pages of poems that includes a title page with author’s name, address, phone number, and email address and a second title page without personal identifiers, book title only. Manuscripts can be mailed to 1468 Mallard Way, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 or submitted online, visit swanscythepress.submittable.com/submit. Entry fee is $18.00 payable to Swan Scythe Press. Deadline is June 15th. Winner receives $200 and 25 perfect-bound chapbooks. For full guidelines and details, please visit www.swanscythepress.com.

Memoir Magazine Extends Inaugural Book Prize Deadline

Memoir Prize for BooksOnline literary magazine Memoir Magazine has extended the deadline for its first-ever book contest to April 30. The Memoir Prize is dedicated to memoirs and creative nonfiction of book-length works of exceptional merit. They have three categories: published, self-published, and unpublished. The grand prize winner receives $2,000. The fee to enter is $95. Results to be announced in June.

Under the Gum Tree Celebrates 9 Years of Telling Stories Without Shame

Under the Gum Tree Spring 2020 Issue

Under the Gum Tree is an electronic literary magazine and they are currently celebrating nine years in 2020. They are partnering with Stories on Stage Davis for their Northern California Writers Creative Nonfiction Contest. There is no fee to submit. Winners will be featured at Stories on Stage Davis on October 10, have their stories published in the 9th anniversary issue of Under the Gum Tree, and receive a $100 cash prize.

The contest is open until June 30 at 11:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time. Entries cannot have been previously published.

Don’t forget to check out their Spring 2020 issue featuring Kathy Stearman, Laura Halferty, Kirsten Ismene Schilling, Catherine Jagoe, Marilyn Martin, and Janine DeBaise. They offer both print and digital subscriptions.

Contest :: KAKALAK 2020

KAKALAK 2019 coverDeadline: May 18, 2020
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES apply to both poetry and art. Anyone can enter. Goal: We’re looking for work that evokes the SPIRIT of the Carolinas from the Outer Banks and Low Country to the Piedmont and Appalachia. Submission Period: March 1—May 18, 2020. Entry fee: $12 for 1-3 poems or 1-3 images. All entries considered for publication. All contributors will receive one copy for each item selected for publication. Prize money ranges from $300 to $20. Details can be found on the Kakalak contest page of the www.MainStreetRag.com website.

Contest :: Fiction Southeast Story of the Month

Each month, the editors will select one short-short story (under 1,000 words). The winning story will grace the front page of the website for the entire month and will be listed on the Stories of the Month Page, as well as the Fiction Page. The reading fee will be $10, and the winner will receive $50. Submit here: fictionsoutheast.submittable.com/submit/163713/story-of-the-month.

Contest :: 3rd Annual Marystina Santiestevan First Book Prize

Conduit Books & Ephemera logoDeadline: June 30, 2020
Our third annual first book prize is open and accepting manuscripts. If you have a smoking hot manuscript or know someone who does, please give us a shot. Awarded annually to a poet writing in English who has not yet published a full-length poetry book, the Marystina Santiestevan First Book Prize champions poets who dance to their own tune not to be different but to be true. Previously unpublished manuscripts of 48-90 pages should be submitted through our Submittable page or via the USPS. Please visit www.conduit.org/book-prizes for details.

Nimrod Extends Deadline for 2020 Literary Awards

Nimrod 2020 Literary AwardsExtended Deadline: April 15, 2020
Submissions for The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry and The Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction, with prizes of $2,000 and $1,000 and publication, have been EXTENDED to April 15th. Finalists and selected semi-finalists will be published and paid at a rate of $10/page. For poetry, submit 3-10 pages (one long poem or several short poems); for fiction, one story, 7,500 words maximum. Manuscripts may be mailed or submitted online: nimrodjournal.submittable.com/submit. Each entry must be accompanied by a $20 entry fee, which includes a one-year subscription. For more information and the complete rules, email [email protected] or visit nimrod.utulsa.edu.

Contest :: Carve Magazine 2020 Raymond Carver Short Story Contest

Carve Magazine flierCarve Magazine‘s Raymond Carver Short Story Contest is open April 1 – May 15. Accepting submissions from all over the world, but story must be in English. Max 10,000 words. Prizes: $2,000, $500, $250, + 2 Editor’s Choice $125 each. All 5 winners published in Fall 2020 issue and reviewed by lit agencies. Entry fee $17 online/$15 mailed. Guest judge Pam Houston. www.carvezine.com/raymond-carver-contest/

Contest :: Black Warrior Review Seeks Work for 2020 Writing Contest

Deadline: September 1, 2020
Biannual print journal Black Warrior Review seeks 2020 contest submissions. Winners will receive publication and cash prizes ($500 for flash and $1,000 for poetry, fiction, and CNF). Judges: Mayukh Sen (nonfiction), Paul Tran (poetry), C Pam Zhang (flash), and Lucy Corin (fiction). Open until 9/1. Submission fee: $20. Complete information available at bwr.ua.edu.

Fiction Southeast Extends Hemingway Flash Fiction Prize Deadline

Good news, writers! You now have until April 30 to submit your flash fiction of 1,500 words or less to literary magazine Fiction Southeast. They have extended the deadline of their Hemingway Flash Fiction Prize from March 31. Winner receives $200 and publication in the journal. All finalists considered for publication. $10 entry fee. Check out their website for full guidelines.

Contest :: Baltimore Review Wants Short Shorts for Summer Contest

Something new: No theme for our summer contest! Subject matter is entirely up to you. Surprise us. But keep it short. Three categories: flash fiction, flash creative nonfiction, prose poem. We want to be amazed at how you abracadabra a sprinkling of words into magic. And maybe be a little jealous of how you do that. One writer in each category will be awarded a $300 prize and published in the summer issue. All entries considered for publication. Total word limit for each category is 1,000. See www.baltimorereview.org for complete details. Deadline: May 31, 2020. Fee: $5.

Contest :: Killer Nashville Wants to Know if You’re a Killer Writer

Killer Nashville 2020 ContestsThe 2020 Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference will take place August 20-23 in Nashville, Tennessee. This is a premier forum for all literature incorporating mystery, thriller, suspense, or true crime. Scholarships are available! Apply today. Killer Nashville is also seeking both published and unpublished works for its annual contests. The Claymore Award is an open competition for unpublished works open to entries through April 1. The Silver Falchion Award is an open competition for works published in 2019 open to entries through June 1. For complete details including prize information, visit www.KillerNashville.com.

April 2020 Writing Contests

Have nothing better to do and want to build up your submissions calendar? Don’t forget to check out our Big List of Writing & Book Contests. We have a whole year’s worth of contests that we work hard to keep updated for you all. April is literally around the corner . . . so why not start there?

Reader, Writer, Editor – Driftwood Press Has You Covered

Village of Knives by Helli FangDriftwood Press has plenty on the horizon for both readers and writers.

Writers looking to hone their craft can benefit from the two seminars Driftwood Press offers—Editors & Writers: The Path to Publication, and a seminar for Erasure Poetry. These are both conducted online and have plenty of information to help guide writers and editors better their work. The deadline to apply for each of these is April 30.

Readers can now order copies of Helli Fang’s new chapbook Village of Knives from the press. Chen Chen says of the collection, “The poems here listen to immigrant life and dream, to gendered expectation and subversion, to desire, to the body’s surging, briny rhythms.”

If you’re interested in having your own poetry read by the editors, consider submitting your full-length manuscript. Submissions are currently open for the rest of the month, so act fast! If you do end up missing this submission period, there are still two contests currently open until July.

Whether you’re looking to learn, read, or submit, Driftwood Press has you covered!

Home with the Kids? Write!

YA Guide There have been plenty of great resources shared around the web recently for keeping your kids occupied while schools are currently closed, and we’ve got another one to throw your way.

Our Young Writers Guide to Publications and our Young Writers Guide to Contests are great ways to get the creativity flowing and imaginations stimulated, and they may even secure a little bit of quiet time for your own working or writing.

There are a handful of contests deadlines left this month, which is a good place to start. Plus, you can find plenty of publications by young writers to read in between writing and submitting.

Contest :: Sandeen Prize in Poetry 2020

Deadline: April 30, 2020
The Sandeen Prize in Poetry is open to any author, with the exception of ND graduates, who has published at least one collection of poetry. We pay special attention to second volumes. A $15 administrative fee should accompany submissions. Make checks payable to University of Notre Dame. The volumes of the Sandeen Prize will be published in trade paperback format. The author will be offered a standard contract with the University of Notre Dame Press. There will be a $1,000 prize, a $500 award, and a $500 advance against royalties from the Notre Dame Press. Submission information on program website: english.nd.edu/creative-writing/.

Contest :: december 2020 Curt Johnson Prose Awards

december Winter 2020 LitPak flier

december magazine seeks submissions for our 2020 Curt Johnson Prose Awards in fiction and creative nonfiction. Judges: Dorothy Allison (fiction) & Brittney Cooper (nonfiction). Prizes each genre: $1,500 & publication (winner); $500 & publication (honorable mention). All finalists will be listed in the 2020 Fall/Winter awards issue. $20 entry fee includes a copy of the awards issue. Submit 1 story or essay up to 8,000 words from March 1 to May 1. For complete guidelines visit our website decembermag.org/2020-curt-johnson-prose-awards/.

Contest :: Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry 2020

Lynx House Press 2020 Poetry Prize flier

Deadline: June 1, 2020
Lynx House Press seeks submissions of full-length poetry manuscripts for the annual Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry. The winner will receive $2,000 and publication. Entries must be at least 48 pages in length. The fee for submitting is $28, and includes a copy of a book from our catalog. Previous judges include James Tate, Yusef Komunyakaa, Dorianne Laux, Dara Wier, Melissa Kwasny, and Robert Wrigley. lynxhousepress.submittable.com/submit

Contest :: Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 2020

Deadline: April 30, 2020
28th year, sponsored by Winning Writers and Duotrope. $8,000 in cash prizes, including two top awards of $3,000 each. Seeks short stories and essays up to 6,000 words each. Both published and unpublished work accepted. Fee per entry is $20. Final judge: Dennis Norris II, assisted by Lauren Singer Ledoux. Winning Writers is one of the “101 Best Websites for Writers” (Writer’s Digest). See guidelines, past winners, and enter online at winningwriters.com/tomstory.

Contest :: Gemini Magazine Short Story Contest 2020

Deadline: March 31, 2020
First prize: $1,000. Second: $100. Three honorable mentions: $25 each. Entry fee: $8. We are open to any subject, style, genre, or length. What do we want? We don’t know until we see it! Simply send your best, most powerful, unpublished work by email or snail mail. All five finalists will be published online in the June/July 2020 issue of Gemini. Both new and experienced writers have won our contests. Over four dozen winners/finalists may be read online. All entries are read blind so everyone gets an equal chance. We look forward to reading your work! Enter at www.gemini-magazine.com/shortstorycomp.html.

Contest :: Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest 2020

Deadline: April 1, 2020
19th year. Free contest sponsored by Winning Writers and Duotrope. $2,250 in cash prizes, including a top prize of $1,000. Both published and unpublished work welcome. All entries that win cash prizes will be published on WinningWriters.com. Final judge: Jendi Reiter, assisted by Lauren Singer Ledoux. Winning Writers is one of “101 Best Websites for Writers” (Writer’s Digest). See guidelines, past winners, and submit one humor poem online at winningwriters.com/wergle.

Contest :: The Masters Review Anthology IX

The Masters Review Anthology IX Contest flier

Deadline: March 29, 2020
The Masters Review opens submissions to produce our annual anthology, a collection of ten stories and essays written by the best emerging authors. Our aim is to showcase ten writers who we believe will continue to produce great work. The ten winners are nationally distributed in a printed book with their stories and essays exposed to top agents, editors, and authors across the country. This year, the anthology contest will be judged by Rick Bass. We’re looking for your best work up to 7000 words. Please note you must not have published a novel-length work at the time of submission. mastersreview.com/anthology/

Contest :: Flying South 2020

$2,000 in prizes. From March 1 to May 31, Flying South 2020, a publication of Winston Salem Writers, will be accepting entries for prizes in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. Best in Category winners will be published and receive $500 each. One of the three winners will receive The WSW President’s Favorite award and win an additional $500. All entries will be considered for publication. For full details, please visit our website: www.wswriters.org.

Prime Number Magazine February/March 53-Word Story Contests

Prime Number Mag logo

Every month, Prime Number Magazine (published by Press 53) offers a free contest, inviting writers to respond to a prompt in 53 words.

February’s prompt was: This month, the Kansas City Chiefs return to the Super Bowl after a fifty-year run of coming up short. Vegas will run the numbers and the 49ers will run the ball. Many expect the Chiefs to run the table. In this spirit, let’s run with the word that has the most dictionary definitions.

The winning story by Elizabeth Barton will appear in the next issue of Prime Number Magazine, releasing April 1.

You still have a couple weeks if you’d like to submit to the March 53-Word Contest (deadline March 21). This month’s prompt: On March 17, people everywhere, regardless of ancestry, will wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. Green can also mean someone is envious, sick, or inexperienced. Green fruit is not ripe. The Green Party protects our environment. And putting well on a green can lead to a pro golfer winning a lot of green.

Find full submission details, check out past winners, and see what’s up with the Prime Number Magazine Awards for Poetry & Short Fiction at the journal’s website.

Contest :: Jacar Press Book & Chapbook Contests 2020

Jacar Press Winter LitPak flier

Jacar Press, A Community Active Press, publishes poetry chapbooks, full-length collections, anthologies, and an award-winning online magazine, One which features Pulitzer Prize winners and new poets from 6 continents. Book sales support progressive organizations, including groups that address racism, gender discrimination, immigration issues, women’s initiatives, violence and abuse, prisoner reintegration programs, and others. Jacar Press offers low-cost workshops featuring writers like Lynn Emanuel, Patricia Spears Jones, Dorianne Laux, Li-Young Lee, Marilyn Nelson, Ilya Kaminsky, etc. Chapbook and full-length contests open through April 30. Past judges have included Chana Bloch, Toi Derricotte, Hélène Cardona, Lola Haskins, Rickey Laurentiis, Dorianne Laux, Jamaal May, and others. jacarpress.com/submissions/#contests

Contest :: Gival Press 2020 Contests

Gival Press Winter 2020 LitPak FlierGival Press is hosting three contests in 2020: the Gival Press Novel Award, the Gival Press Oscar Wilde Award, and the Gival Press Short Story Award. The Novel Award deadlines is May 30. The prize is $3k and book publication in 2021. The Oscar Wilde Award for the best LGBTQ poem deadline is June 27. The prize is $500 and online publication. The Short Story Award deadline is August 8. The Prize is $1,000 and online publication. For complete details on each contest, visit: www.Givalpress.Submittable.com.

Contest :: EVENT Non-Fiction Contest 2020

EVENT Winter 2020 LitPak FlierDeadline: October 15, 2020
EVENT: A home for writers. A destination for readers. Now in its 49th year of publication, EVENT is an award-winning, internationally recognized literary magazine that inspires and nurtures writers, showcasing the best contemporary fiction, poetry, nonfiction, notes on writing, and book reviews three times a year, with stunning cover art and illustration. We are now accepting submissions of 5,000 words or less to the annual EVENT Non-Fiction Contest. $3,000 in prizes, plus publication. Entries must be postmarked or submitted online by October 15, 2020. Visit www.eventmagazine.ca for exclusive online content, and to learn more about our unique Reading Service for Writers.

Contest :: Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry 2020

2020 Agha Shahid Ali Prize in PoetryDeadline: April 15, 2020
Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry: A poetry manuscript contest sponsored by The University of Utah Press and the University of Utah Department of English. $1000 cash prize plus publication for your poetry manuscript. Prize includes an additional $500 payment for travel and a reading in the University of Utah’s Guest Writers Series. See www.UofUpress.com/ali-poetry-prize for more details.

NewPages Winter 2020 LitPak has been Mailed!

The NewPages Winter 2020 LitPak was mailed to colleges and universities with graduate and undergraduate writing programs and classes last week!

Featured in this LitPak are fliers from

  • Diode Editions
  • Elk River Writers Workshop
  • UNCG MFA in Creative Writing
  • Jackson Center for Creative Writing
  • The MFA at FAU/Swamp Ape Review
  • Killer Nashville
  • Summer Writers Institute at Washing University in St. Louis
  • Los Angeles Review of Books Publishing Workshop
  • Rattle
  • december
  • Nimrod
  • The Fiddlehead
  • Fourth Genre
  • Jacar Press
  • Gival Press
  • EVENT
  • Colorado Review
  • University of Utah Press
  • The Main Street Rag
  • St. Petersburg Review/Springhouse Journal

You can view the majority of the fliers included in this LitPak on our website. Feel free to download, print, and share. If you are interested in getting the next LitPak delivered straight to your doorstep, you can purchase a subscription here: npofficespace.com/litpak/subscription/.

Contest :: Arts & Letters Prize Competition 2020

Arts & Letters Prizes 2020 flier

For our 22nd annual prizes in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, we offer the winner in each category a $1,000 prize and publication in the next year’s Fall or Spring issue. All writers and poets writing in English are eligible to enter, excepting friends, relatives, or current and former students of the current-year judges. All fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction prize submissions will also be considered for publication at regular payment rates. The submission period for our annual prizes is February 1 – March 31. The entry fee is $20. Submit now! artsandletters.gcsu.edu

Call :: Storm Cellar Summer 2020 Issue

Storm Cellar is currently accepting submissions of writing and art for its Summer 2020 issue. Women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, poor, neurodivergent, border-straddling, and other under-represented voices especially encouraged to submit.

They accept submissions on a rolling basis with free submissions starting at the beginning of the month. They also offer expedited and tip jar submission options.

2020 Force Majuere Flash Contest FlierBesides looking for submissions for their summer issue, they are also accepting all things flash for their FORCE MAJEURE Flash Contest. Pieces should be under 1,000 words and can contain fiction, nonfiction, marks, images, or any combination thereof.

Deadline to enter is April 30. $5 fee for 1 piece of flash or $12 for 3. Winner receives publication and $300.