Home » NewPages Blog » Where to Submit » Writing Contests » Page 6

NewPages Blog :: Writing Contests

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

May 2021 eLitPak :: Enter the 2021 Marguerite McGlinn Prize for Fiction Contest!

Screenshot of Philadelphia Stories May 2021 NewPages eLitPak Flier
click image to open full-sized flier

Our annual national short fiction contest features a first place $2,500 cash award; a second place cash prize of $750; and a third place cash prize of $500. The winners’ stories will be published in the Fall issue of Philadelphia Stories. We accept unpublished works of fiction up to 8,000 words. The deadline to submit is June 15, 2021.

View the full NewPages May 2021 eLitPak Newsletter. Don’t forget to subscribe today to get it delivered to your inbox every month along with weekly updates on calls, contests, lit mag news, book news, and more.

May 2021 eLitPak :: Upcoming Gival Press Contests

screenshot of Gival Press February 2021 eLitPak flier
click image to open PDF

Gival Press has the following contests for authors and poets which carry a cash prize and for which a reading fee is required: Oscar Wilde Award (deadline June 27); Short Story Award (deadline August 8); Poetry Award (deadline December 15). Visit our website for full details.

View the full NewPages May 2021 eLitPak Newsletter. Don’t forget to subscribe today to get it delivered to your inbox every month along with weekly updates on calls, contests, lit mag news, book news, and more.

May 2021 eLitPak :: 2021 Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry Deadline June 15

Screenshot of NewPages April 2021 eLitPak flier for Lynx House PressDeadline: June 15, 2021
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.

View the full NewPages May 2021 eLitPak Newsletter. Don’t forget to subscribe today to get it delivered to your inbox every month along with weekly updates on calls, contests, lit mag news, book news, and more.

May 2021 eLitPak :: North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books

Screenshot of Winning Writers May 2021 NewPages eLitPak Flier
click image to open full-size flier

Deadline: June 30, 2021
Winning Writers will award a grand prize of $5,000 in its seventh annual North Street Book Prize competition, and $13,750 in all. The top eight winners will enjoy additional benefits from our co-sponsors BookBaby and Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Submit self-published books in one of seven categories. All self-publishing platforms are welcome. $65 entry fee. Learn more at our website.

View the full NewPages May 2021 eLitPak Newsletter. Don’t forget to subscribe today to get it delivered to your inbox every month along with weekly updates on calls, contests, lit mag news, book news, and more.

Contest :: Autumn House Press Prizes in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction

Autumn House Press logoDeadline: June 15, 2021
Autumn House Full-Length Prizes (Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction): Winners of each prize receive publication of their full-length manuscripts. Each winner also receives $2,500 ($1,000 honorarium and a $1,500 travel/publicity grant to promote the book). The submission period closes June 15 (Eastern Time). To submit online, please visit our online submission manager. The judges for the 2021 full-length prizes are Eileen Myles (poetry), Deesha Philyaw (fiction), and Steve Almond (nonfiction).

Contest :: 2021 Francine Ringold Award for New Writers

Screenshot of Nimrod's flier for the 2021 Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers
click image to open full-size flier

Deadline: July 15, 2021
Submissions are open for Nimrod’s Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers. The Ringold Awards offer prizes of $500 and publication for fiction and poetry. They are open only to writers with no more than two previous publication credits in their genre. For poetry, submit up to five pages; for fiction, one short story, 5,000 words maximum. The contest is open internationally. All finalists will also be published and paid at our normal rates. Manuscripts may be mailed or submitted online: nimrodjournal.submittable.com/submit. Each entry must be accompanied by a $12 entry fee. Email [email protected] or visit artsandsciences.utulsa.edu/nimrod/ for complete rules.

Contest :: River Styx’s International Poetry Contest is Open!

River Styx 2021 International Poetry Contest bannerDeadline: May 31, 2021
River Styx’s International Poetry Competition is open for submissions. Judged by Adrian Matejka, the competition features a grand prize of $1,000 and publication in River Styx. Runner-ups will also be published at our standard rate. For more information and to submit, visit www.riverstyx.org/submit/poetry-contest/.

Contest :: The Puerto del Sol 2021 Prose & Poetry Contest

Puerto del sol 2021 Poetry & Prose Contests bannerDeadline: September 1, 2021
Puerto del Sol will be accepting entries to our annual contest in poetry and prose between May 1 and September 1. Judges are Eileen Pollack in prose and Todd Dillard in poetry. Winners receive $500 and publication. $9 entry fee includes one-year subscription. All manuscripts entered will be considered for publication. See website for complete guidelines—puertodelsol.org.

Contest :: The Conium Review 2021 Innovative Short Fiction Contest

blue cover with sketched open jaws with Animals Eat Each Other written in white capital lettersDeadline: June 1, 2021
The Conium Review 2021 Innovative Short Fiction Contest is open for submissions. The winner receives $500, publication in the next print edition, five copies of the issue, and a copy of the judge’s latest book. This year’s judge is Elle Nash, author of Nudes (SF/LD) and Animals Eat Each Other (Dzanc Books). June 1st deadline. $15 entry fee. Full guidelines here: coniumreview.com/contests/.

Contest :: 2021 Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize Still Open for Submissions

Red WheelbarrowDeadline: July 31, 2021
RED WHEELBARROW POETRY PRIZE 2021 will be Judged by Mark Doty. $1,000 for first place and a letterpress broadside printed by Felicia Rice of Moving Parts Press, $500 for second, $250 for third. Top five published in Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine. Submit up to 3 original, unpublished poems. $15 entry fee. Deadline: July 31, 2021. For complete guidelines, see redwheelbarrow.submittable.com/submit.

Contest :: May 31 Deadline for Flying South 2021

painting of buildings and mountains with flying south and book pages flyingFlying South 2021 Call for Submissions – $2000 in Prizes

Deadline: May 31, 2021
Don’t forget! $2,000 in prizes. From March 1 to May 31, Flying South 2021, 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/flying-south.

Contest :: The MacGuffin Poet Hunt 26 Open

Screenshot of The MacGuffin's 26th Annual Poet Hunt
click image to see full-size flier

Poet Hunt 26, Judged by Indigo Moor, is Now Open!!

Deadline: June 15, 2021
Indigo Moor judges the MacGuffin’s 26th Poet Hunt contest, open April 1 through June 15! $500 first prize plus publication; up to two Honorable Mentions will also be published. All entrants receive one copy of this issue. Send no more than five poems per $15 entry fee. Include a cover page that lists your contact info and poem titles. On the following page(s), include your poem(s), beginning each poem on a new page devoid of personally identifiable information to preserve the blind review process. Enter via Submittable, or to enter by email or post, see full rules at schoolcraft.edu/macguffin/contest-rules.

New Letters Volume 87 Numbers 1 & 2

woman looking at a poster for a ballet performanceLiterary magazine New Letters publishes two double issues a year in print. Their Winter/Spring 2021 issue is now available for purchase and features fiction by Blair Hurley, Robert P. Kaye, Kirstin Scott, Anthony Varallo, and Leslie Blanco; essays by Carolina Avarado Molk, Emily Howorth, and Michaela Django Walsh; and poetry by Rebecca Foust, Jennifer Perrine, D.S. Waldman, Ted Kooser, Mihaela Moscaliuc, and Liane Strauss.

Also in this issue find the winners of their annual literary awards!

  • “Indigent” by Elizabeth Robinson, winner of the Editor’s Choice Award
  • Two poems by Mark Wagenaar, winner of the Patricia Clearly Miller Award for Poetry
  • “Lobu Hoteru” by Jacob R. Weber, winner of the Robert Day Award for Fiction
  • “Joan” by Rebecca Young, winner of the Beasley Jr. Award for Nonfiction

Their current awards in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction are open to entries through midnight CST on May 18! Check out the 2020 winners and don’t forget to pick up this issue and support the journal by subscribing!

Contest :: 7th North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books

sketched lion head surrounded by text reading North Street Book PrizeDeadline: June 30, 2021
Now in its seventh year, the North Street Book Prize is sponsored by Winning Writers and co-sponsored by BookBaby and Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Self-published books in seven categories can win up to $5,000 plus additional benefits. Submit online or by mail. Winning Writers is a partner member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, and this contest is recommended by Reedsy. Entry fee: $65/book. Free gifts for everyone who enters. winningwriters.com/northnp21

Contest :: 2021 Raleigh Review Laux/Millar Poetry Prize open until 01 June 2021!

Raleigh Review 2021 Laux/Millar Poetry Prize bannerA firm deadline of June 1, 2021 at midnight EST.
The 2021 Laux/Millar Raleigh Review Poetry Prize is now underway. Dorianne Laux & Joseph Millar are the judges of the finalists. This contest closes to submissions on 01 June 2021 at midnight Eastern Standard Time. Our deadlines are firm at Raleigh Review. Top prize is $500. There is a $15 entry fee to submit, and all entrants will receive a free copy of the fall 2021 prize issue. raleighreview.submittable.com/submit

Contest :: Carve Magazine Raymond Carver Contest

Screenshot of NewPages April 2021 eLitPak flier for CARVE Magazine
click image to open full-size flier

Deadline: May 15, 2021
Carve 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 2021 issue and reviewed by lit agencies. Entry fee $17 online. Guest judge Leesa Cross-Smith.

Contest :: Swan Scythe Press 2021 Chapbook Contest

Swan Scythe Press logoDeadline: June 15, 2021
Swan Scythe Press announces its 2021 poetry chapbook contest. Entry fee: $18. We are accepting submissions from March 1 to June 15 (postmark deadline). Winner receives $200 and 25 perfect-bound chapbooks. The 2020 winner is Lana Issam Ghannam for Evolution of Stone. For full submission guidelines, visit our website and swanscythepress.submittable.com/submit.

April 2021 eLitPak :: Submit to the 2021 Blue Lynx Prize For Poetry

Screenshot of NewPages April 2021 eLitPak flier for Lynx House Press
click image to open full-size flier

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.

View the full April 2021 NewPages eLitPak newsletter here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly updates on lit mags, presses, writing programs, literary events, and more along with the monthly eLitPak newsletters.

April 2021 eLitPak :: May 1 Deadline for december 2021 Curt Johnson Prose Awards

screenshot of december magazine's March/April 2021 eLitPak flier
click image to open full-size flier

Submit Now!

december Magazine seeks submissions for our 2021 Curt Johnson Prose Awards in fiction and creative nonfiction. Prizes each genre: $1,500 & publication (winner); $500 & publication (honorable mention). $20 entry fee includes a copy of awards issue. Submit 1 story or essay up to 8,000 words from March 1 to May 1. For complete guidelines visit our website.

View the full April 2021 NewPages eLitPak newsletter here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly updates on lit mags, presses, writing programs, literary events, and more along with the monthly eLitPak newsletters.

April 2021 eLitPak :: Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Screenshot of NewPages April 2021 eLitPak flier for Winning Writers
click image to open full-size flier

Deadline: April 30

Winning Writers will award $3,000 for the best story and $3,000 for the best essay in its Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest. The winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from the contest co-sponsor, Duotrope. Top 12 entries published on Winning Writers. Submit published or unpublished work. This contest is recommended by Reedsy. Enter online via Submittable.

View the full April 2021 NewPages eLitPak newsletter here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly updates on lit mags, presses, writing programs, literary events, and more along with the monthly eLitPak newsletters.

April 2021 eLitPak :: Flying South 2021 Prizes

Screenshot of NewPages April 2021 eLitPak flier for Flying South
click image to open full-size flier

Flying South 2021 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.

View the full April 2021 NewPages eLitPak newsletter here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly updates on lit mags, presses, writing programs, literary events, and more along with the monthly eLitPak newsletters.

April 2021 eLitPak :: CARVE Magazine 2021 Raymond Carver Short Story Contest

Screenshot of NewPages April 2021 eLitPak flier for CARVE Magazine
click image to view full-size flier

Carve 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 winners published in Fall 2021 issue and reviewed by lit agencies. Entry fee $17. Guest judge Leesa Cross-Smith.

View the full April 2021 NewPages eLitPak newsletter here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly updates on lit mags, presses, writing programs, literary events, and more along with the monthly eLitPak newsletters.

Contest :: The Heartland Review Press 2021 Chapbook Contest

Deadline: May 15, 2021
Grand Prize $750 and 25 copies. Submit and no more than 32 pages of original poetry in one Word document. Include a cover page with personal and contact information and a list where poems were previously published if needed. We are not looking for the most publications, but the best short collection of poems. www.theheartlandreview.com/chapbooks

Contest :: Poet Hunt 26, Judged by Indigo Moor, is Now Open!!

Screenshot of The MacGuffin's 26th Annual Poet Hunt
click image to see full-size flier

Deadline: June 15, 2021
Indigo Moor judges the MacGuffin’s 26th Poet Hunt contest, open April 1 through June 15! $500 first prize plus publication; up to two Honorable Mentions will also be published. All entrants receive one copy of this issue. Send no more than five poems per $15 entry fee. Include a cover page that lists your contact info and poem titles. On the following page(s), include your poem(s), beginning each poem on a new page devoid of personally identifiable information to preserve the blind review process. Enter via Submittable, or to enter by email or post, see full rules at schoolcraft.edu/macguffin/contest-rules.

Contest :: 2021 Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize Now Open for Submissions

Red WheelbarrowDeadline: July 31, 2021
RED WHEELBARROW POETRY PRIZE 2021: Judged by Mark Doty. $1,000 for first place and a letterpress broadside printed by Felicia Rice of Moving Parts Press, $500 for second, $250 for third. Top five published in Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine. Submit up to 3 original, unpublished poems. $15 entry fee. Deadline: July 31, 2021. For complete guidelines, see redwheelbarrow.submittable.com/submit.

Contest :: North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books

sketched lion head surrounded by text reading North Street Book PrizeDeadline: June 30, 2021
Now in its seventh year, the North Street Book Prize is sponsored by Winning Writers and co-sponsored by BookBaby and Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Self-published books in seven categories can win up to $5,000 plus additional benefits. Submit online or by mail. Winning Writers is a partner member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, and this contest is recommended by Reedsy. Entry fee: $65 per book. Free gifts for everyone who enters.

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

Lion's head on pastel blue and purple backgroundDeadline: April 30, 2021
29th year, sponsored by Winning Writers, co-sponsored by Duotrope, and recommended by Reedsy. Submit published or unpublished work online to win $3,000 for the best story and $3,000 for the best essay. Ten Honorable Mentions will receive $200 each. Length limit: 6,000 words. Entry fee: $20. Top 12 entries published online. Final judge: Dennis Norris II. Learn more at winningwriters.com/tomstorynp2104.

Contest :: Flying South 2021

painting of buildings and mountains with flying south and book pages flyingFlying South 2021 Call for Submissions – $2000 in Prizes

Deadline: May 31, 2021
$2,000 in prizes. From March 1 to May 31, Flying South 2021, 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/flying-south.

March 2021 eLitPak :: 2021 Curt Johnson Prose Awards Now Open!

screenshot of december magazine's March/April 2021 eLitPak flier
click image to open full-size flier

december 2021 Curt Johnson Prose Awards – Submit Now!

december Magazine seeks submissions for our 2021 Curt Johnson Prose Awards in fiction and creative nonfiction. Prizes each genre: $1,500 & publication (winner); $500 & publication (honorable mention). $20 entry fee includes a copy of awards issue. Submit 1 story or essay up to 8,000 words from March 1 to May 1. For complete guidelines visit our website.

View the full March 2021 eLitPak Newsletter.

March 2021 eLitPak :: Shooter’s 2021 Short Story Competition

screeshot of Shooter Literary Magazine March 2021 eLitPak Flier
click image to view full-size flier

Shooter’s 2021 Short Story Competition Welcomes Entries through May

Shooter‘s annual story contest frees writers from thematic restrictions and welcomes short fiction up to 5,000 words long. The winner receives £400 and publication both in Shooter‘s summer issue and online; runner-up wins £100 and online publication. Discounted entry for multiple stories. All entrants receive an e-copy of the summer issue. Guidelines at our website. Deadline: May 9th.

View the full March 2021 eLitPak Newsletter.

March 2021 eLitPak :: Poetry Prize for West Coast Poets

Screenshot of Catamaran February, March, April 2021 eLitPak flier
click image to open full-size flier

Catamaran Poetry Prize for West Coast Poets

Submit your book length manuscript to the Catamaran Poetry Prize for West Coast poets. This year’s judge is Pulitzer Prize finalist Dorianne Laux! The prize winner will receive $1,000 and book publication. Submission deadline is April 20th, 2021. This contest is only open to poets living in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii.

View the full March 2021 eLitPak Newsletter.

Contest :: Swan Scythe Press Announces its 2021 Poetry Chapbook Contest!

Swan Scythe Press logoDeadline: June 15, 2021
Swan Scythe Press announces its 2021 poetry chapbook contest. Entry fee: $18. We are accepting submissions from March 1 to June 15 (postmark deadline). Winner receives $200 and 25 perfect-bound chapbooks. The 2020 winner is Lana Issam Ghannam for Evolution of Stone. For full submission guidelines, visit www.swanscythepress.com and swanscythepress.submittable.com/submit.

Contest :: Grist Wants You to Fix the Future with Fiction

Grist 2021 Climate Fiction ContestFix the Future with Fiction and Win $8,700 in Prizes and Publication

Deadline: April 12, 2021
Fix, Grist’s solutions lab, is launching a new climate-fiction contest, Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors. Imagine calls for short stories envisioning the next 180 years of climate progress, judged by renowned authors Adrienne Maree Brown, Morgan Jerkins, and Kiese Laymon. The top contest winners will be awarded $3000, $2000, and $1000 respectively, and nine finalists will receive a $300 honorarium. Winners and finalists will be published in an immersive digital collection. We want to see—and share—stories that bring into focus what a truly just and regenerative future could look like. Submit your story by April 12 at grist.submittable.com/submit and contact us at [email protected].

Contest :: New American Voices Post-Publication Prize Deadline Approaching!

New American Voices Award 2021 bannerNew American Voices: Post-Publication Book Prize for Immigrant Writers

Deadline: March 31, 2021
Fall for the Book and the Institute for Immigration Research’s New American Voices Award recognizes recently published books that illuminate the complexity of the human experience as told by immigrants, whose work is historically underrepresented in writing and publishing. The prize will be juried by Irina Reyn, Justin Torres, and 2019 New American Voices winner Melissa Rivero. All three finalists and the judges will appear at the Fall for the Book festival in October 2021 for the fourth annual award presentation. The winning writer will receive $5,000 and the two finalists each will receive $1,000. Full guidelines: fallforthebook.org/submitnav/.

Contest :: The 2021 Housatonic Book Awards are Open for Submissions!

banner for the 2021 Housatonic Book AwardsDeadline: June 13, 2021
The Housatonic Book Awards at Western Connecticut State University’s MFA in Creative and Professional Writing are now open for 2021 submissions. The Awards are open to all books published in 2020 in the genres of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young adult/middle grade. Winners of the Housatonic Book Awards receive $1,500 and present a masterclass and reading at one of WCSU MFA’s residencies. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, June 13, 2021. To enter, click here.

Contest :: About A Month Left to Enter Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry

University of Utah Press logoAgha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry Manuscript Contest

Deadline: April 15, 2021
“The world is full of paper. Write to me.”—Agha Shahid Ali, “Stationery.” Submit your poetry manuscript to the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry, judged this year by Matthew Olzmann. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, publication by The University of Utah Press, plus a $500 honorarium for reading in the University of Utah’s Guest Writers Series. Deadline: April 15, 2021. Entry fee: $25. We are on Submittable. Read about our guidelines Here: www.uofupress.com/ali-poetry-prize.php. Email Hannah New with any questions [email protected].

Contest :: Able Muse Write Prize Closes March 15!

Screenshot of Able Muse 2021 Contest Flier
click image to open PDF

Deadlines: March 15 & March 31, 2021
2021 ABLE MUSE CONTESTS :: SUBMIT NOW. WRITE PRIZE (poetry & fiction): $500 each + publication. Final Judges: Jehanne Dubrow (poetry), William Baer (fiction); $15 entry; deadline: March 15, 2021. BOOK AWARD (poetry): $1000 + book publication. Final Judge: Mark Jarman; $25 entry; deadline: March 31, 2021. ENTER NOW—go to www.ablemusepress.com for details.

Contest :: Paul Nemser Book Prize from Lily Poetry Review Books Closes March 31!

Lily Poetry Review Books logoPaul Nemser Book Prize from Lily Poetry Review Books

Deadline: March 31, 2021
Submission Dates: January 1 – March 31, 2021. Eligibility: Open to any poet writing in English regardless of publication history. Must not have studied with Tom Daley (the judge) within past ten years. Awards a standard book contract and virtual or in-person launch. Member of CLMP. lilypoetryreview.submittable.com/submit

Contest :: Gemini Magazine 12th Annual Short Story Contest

shadowy hands in front of a burst of colorsDeadline: March 31, 2021
We are open to any subject, style, or genre. All five winners will be published online in the June/July 2021 issue of Gemini. Both new and experienced writers have won our contests. All entries are read blind so everyone gets an equal chance. Maximum length: 6,000 words. First prize: $1,000. Second: $100. Three honorable mentions: $25 each. Entry fee: $8. All winning stories may be read online. Advice from Ray Bradbury: “I’ve had a sign over my typewriter for over 25 years now, which reads ‘DON’T THINK!’ You must never think at the typewriter—you must feel.” Enter at our website.

Contest :: 20th Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest (no fee)

black and white sketched lion head on lilac backgroundDeadline: April 1, 2021
20th year. Top prize: $2,000. Total prizes: $3,500. Sponsored by Winning Writers, co-sponsored by Duotrope, and recommended by Reedsy. Winning entries published online. Submit one humor poem online, up to 250 lines long. Both published and unpublished work accepted. Final judge: Jendi Reiter. Enter for free at winningwriters.com/werglenp21.

Contest :: Flying South 2021 – $2,000 in Prizes

painting of buildings and mountains with flying south and book pages flyingDeadline: May 31, 2021
$2,000 in prizes. From March 1 to May 31, Flying South 2021, 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/flying-south.

Contest :: Two Weeks Left to Enter 15th Annual National Indie Excellence Book Awards

2021 National Indie Excellence Awards bannerDeadline: March 31, 2021
The National Indie Excellence® Awards (NIEA) are open to all English language printed books available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors. NIEA is proud to be a champion of self-publishing and small independent presses going the extra mile to produce books of excellence in every aspect. All entries for the 15th Annual NIEA contest must be postmarked by March 31st, 2021. www.indieexcellence.com

February 2021 eLitPak :: Gival Press 2021 Contests

screenshot of Gival Press February 2021 eLitPak flier
click image to open PDF

Gival Press has the following contests for authors and poets which carry a cash prize and for which a reading fee is required: Oscar Wilde Award (deadline June 27); Short Story Award (deadline August 8); Poetry Award (deadline December 15). Visit our website for full details.

Gival Press is participating in the virtual AWP 2021 Bookfair & Conference. Don’t forget to stop by their exhibitor booth.

View the entire February eLitPak here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get first access to future eLitPaks.

February 2021 eLitPak :: Tartt First Fiction Award

November 2020 - January 2021 Livingston Press eLitPak flier screenshot
click image to open PDF

Deadline: March 15, 2021
Winning short story collection will be published by Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama, in simultaneous hardcover and trade paper editions, also in e-book and Kindle formats. Winner will receive $1000, plus our standard royalty contract, which includes 50 copies of the book. Author must not have had
a book of short fiction published at time of entry, though novels or poetry are okay.

View the entire February eLitPak here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get first access to future eLitPaks.

Contest :: New American Voices: Post-Publication Book Prize for Immigrant Writers

New American Voices Award 2021 bannerDeadline: March 31, 2021
Fall for the Book and the Institute for Immigration Research’s New American Voices Award recognizes recently published books that illuminate the complexity of the human experience as told by immigrants, whose work is historically underrepresented in writing and publishing. The prize will be juried by Irina Reyn, Justin Torres, and 2019 New American Voices winner Melissa Rivero. All three finalists and the judges will appear at the Fall for the Book festival in October 2021 for the fourth annual award presentation. The winning writer will receive $5,000 and the two finalists each will receive $1,000. Full guidelines: fallforthebook.org/submitnav/.

Contest :: Fix the Future Climate Fiction Contest

Grist 2021 Climate Fiction ContestDeadline: April 12, 2021
Fix, Grist’s solutions lab, is launching a new climate-fiction contest, Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors. Imagine calls for short stories envisioning the next 180 years of climate progress, judged by renowned authors Adrienne Maree Brown, Morgan Jerkins, and Kiese Laymon. The top contest winners will be awarded $3000, $2000, and $1000 respectively, and nine finalists will receive a $300 honorarium. Winners and finalists will be published in an immersive digital collection. We want to see—and share—stories that bring into focus what a truly just and regenerative future could look like. Submit your story by April 12 at grist.submittable.com/submit and contact us at [email protected].

Contest :: Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry Manuscript Contest

University of Utah Press logoDeadline: April 15, 2021
“The world is full of paper. Write to me.”—Agha Shahid Ali, “Stationery.” Submit your poetry manuscript to the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry, judged this year by Matthew Olzmann. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, publication by The University of Utah Press, plus a $500 honorarium for reading in the University of Utah’s Guest Writers Series. Deadline: April 15, 2021. Entry fee: $25. We are on Submittable. Read about our guidelines Here: www.uofupress.com/ali-poetry-prize.php. Email Hannah New with any questions [email protected].

Contest :: The Journal’s Non/Fiction Collection Prize at The Ohio State University

The Journal Issue 44.2 coverDeadline: March 21, 2021
Submission Dates: February 1 – March 21, 2021. The Non/Fiction Collection Prize is awarded annually to a book-length collection of short stories, essays, or a combination of the two. This year’s judge is Nick White, author of How to Survive a Summer and Sweet and Low. A $1,500 prize and publication with The Ohio State University Press is awarded for a collection of short stories, essays, or a combo. $23 entry fee (reduced fee for BIPOC writers). Visit thejournalmag.org/book-prizes/prose-prize for guidelines.

Contest :: Still Accepting Submissions for The Headlight Review Chapbook Prize

Kennesaw State University logoDeadline: After 80 submissions received
The Headlight Review’s Annual Chapbook Prize in Prose is still open and seeking submissions! Send us your very best literary fiction, between 6k and 10k words, and you will be considered by our expert panel of judges for a $500 cash prize and publication of your manuscript. Submissions are $20 each, and all finalists will also be considered for publication. Publication in THR’s regular genres (Poetry, Nonfiction, Fiction, Book Reviews, & Interviews) is also year-round, and it is free to submit. Submission Guidelines for The Chapbook Prize, and for our year-round submissions, can be found on our website. We look forward to reading your work!