The Sandy Crimmins National Prize for Poetry is an annual national poetry prize featuring a $1,000 cash award for first place. Three runners up will each receive a $250 cash award. The winning and runner up poems are published in the Spring issue with these poems and honorable mentions also appearing online. The Crimmins Prize celebrates risk, innovation, and emotional engagement. We especially encourage poets from underrepresented groups and backgrounds to send their work. Deadline: November 15, 2020.
NewPages Blog :: Writing Contests
Discover writing and book contests from literary magazines, independent publishers, university presses, creative writing programs, and more.
Contest :: Scholarship Program for High School Seniors Targeting the Ivy Leagues
Application Deadline: November 15, 2020
At IvyZen, our greatest joy is helping realize the potential of top students looking to get into Ivy League Schools. The scholarship program provides the following services and totals more than $8,000 worth of our premium mentoring services: How to craft a unique and compelling theme to make your application stand out; Overall application strategy and plan; How to write Ivy League admissions essays; Brainstorming Essays; College List Consultation; Free access to our project management platform to keep all your essays and materials organized; and 24/7 online access to the IvyZen Mentorship Team.
Contest :: Second-Ever #SWWIMEveryDay Competition
Deadline: October 26, 2020
Announcing the second-ever #SWWIMEveryDay competition: SWWIM For-the-Fun-of-It! Deadline: October 26. $5 per poem. First prize: $250 + letterpress broadside + publication; Second prize: $100 + publication; Third prize $50 + publication. Submit up to 10 times. The incomparable Ashley M. Jones is judging! Full guidelines at www.swwim.org/contest-swwim-forthefunofit.
Contest :: F(r)iction Fall 2020 Writing Contests
Deadline: October 30, 2020
F(r)iction’s Fall 2020 Writing Contests are now open! We are accepting short stories, flash fiction, and poetry and will be awarding $1,600 in prizes. Entries will be judged by our amazing guest judges Lev Grossman, Benjamin Woodard, and Rachel Mennies. The winner in each category will receive free edits from one of our stellar senior editors as well as publication of their piece either online or in our print journal. For more information and to submit your work, please go to frictionlit.org/contests.
Contest :: RHINO Founders’ Prize Deadline is October 15
Deadline: October 15, 2020
RHINO is open September 1 to October 15 for submissions for its annual Founders’ Prize Poetry Contest. Guest judge will be Ed Roberson, author of numerous poetry collections and recipient of prizes including the Jackson Poetry Prize and the Stephen Henderson Critics Award for Achievement in Literature. Roberson is currently Artist-in-Residence at Northwestern University. Entry fee is $15 for up to 5 poems; first prize $500, two runners-up prizes $100 each. All submissions considered for publication in RHINO’s 2021 issue, and for $500 Editors’ Prize. For 40+ years, RHINO’s award-winning annual print journal has featured stunning, eclectic work. Complete guidelines: rhinopoetry.org.
Contest :: 2022 Miller Williams Poetry Prize Deadline is September 30
Deadline: Rolling
Every year, the University of Arkansas Press accepts submissions for the Miller Williams Poetry Series and from the books selected awards the $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize in the following summer. For almost a quarter century the press has made this series the cornerstone of its work as a publisher of some of the country’s best poetry. The series is edited by Patricia Smith. The deadline for the 2022 Prize is September 30, 2020. For more information visit uapress.com. Michael McGriff was named 2021 Miller Williams Poetry Prize Winner.
Contest :: Interim’s 2020 Test Site Poetry Prize
Deadline: December 15, 2020
Submit your manuscript to Interim’s 3rd annual Test Site Poetry Contest! As our series title suggests, we’re looking for manuscripts that engage the perilous conditions of life in the 21st century, as they pertain to issues of social justice and the earth. The winning book will demonstrate an ethos that considers the human condition in inclusive love and sympathy, while offering the same in consideration of the earth. Because we believe the truth is always experimental, we’ll especially appreciate books with innovative approaches. The winning book will be chosen by the series editor and advisory board, which includes poets Sherwin Bitsui, Donald Revell, Sasha Steensen and Ronaldo Wilson. The winner will receive $1,000 and their book will be published by University of Nevada Press in 2021.
September 2020 eLitPak :: EVENT Non-Fiction Contest Deadline October 15
EVENT: A home for writers. A destination for readers. 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 our website for full contest guidelines, exclusive online content, and our unique Reading Service for Writers.
September 2020 eLitPak :: december magazine Seeks Submissions for our 2021 Poetry Contest
2021 Jeff Marks Memorial Poetry Prize. Carl Phillips will judge. $1,500 & publication (winner); $500 & publication (honorable mention); all finalists published in the 2021 Spring/Summer awards issue. Submit up to 3 poems per entry. $20 entry fee includes copy of the awards issue. Submit October 1 to December 1. For complete guidelines please visit our website.
Contest :: Announcing THE BOILER PRIZE
Deadline: November 30
THE BOILER challenges you to submit flash/hybrid pieces under 800 words for this year’s prize. We welcome fragments, experiments, prose poems, flash essays/fiction. The only thing that matters is whether you can sustain our attention and craft a well-written, sleek, beautiful little thing. The deadline for submission is November 30. One winner will be published in our winter issue. A runner-up will be awarded $250 and also be offered publication. Additional finalists will be considered for our winter issue. Submission fee is $7. Close friends and colleagues should not submit.
Contest :: Embracing Our Differences 2021
Deadline: October 7, 2021
Embracing Our Differences is seeking submissions for an outdoor juried art exhibit featuring 50 billboard size images created by local, national, and international artists and writers. The combination of visual art and the written word adds a deeper dimension to the overall experience. The display reflects the artists’ and writers’ interpretations of the theme “enriching lives through diversity.” The exhibit is displayed annually at Bayfront Park in downtown Sarasota and will be displayed from January 20 – April 1, 2021. A $1,000 award is given for “Best Quotation.”
Contest :: The Wishing Jewel Prize
Deadline: November 30, 2020
The Wishing Jewel Prize honors a manuscript that challenges expectations of genre, form, or mode while engaging the rich possibilities of lyrical expression. Named for an essay in Anne Carson’s innovative book Plainwater, we look forward to work that questions the boundaries of what poems and books can be. Contest awards $1,000 and publication. All finalists considered for publication. Reading fee: various. For more information visit our Submissions Manager.
Contest :: Third Annual Minds on Fire Open Book Prize
Deadline: October 31, 2020
Conduit Books & Ephemera’s third annual open book prize is accepting manuscripts. If you have a manuscript or know someone who does, please give them a shot. Open to any poet writing in English regardless of previous publication record, the prize seeks to represent the best contemporary writing in high quality editions of enduring value. Prospective entrants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Conduit, which champions originality, intelligence, irreverence, and humanity. Previously unpublished manuscripts of 48-90 pages should be submitted through their Submittable page or via the USPS. Please visit www.conduit.org/book-prizes for details.
Contest :: 2020 Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest Deadline is September 30
Deadline: September 30, 2020
The Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest is now in its 18th year, sponsored by Winning Writers. Win $3,000 for a poem in any style and $3,000 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style. Total prizes: $8,000. The top two winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value). Both published and unpublished work accepted. Winning entries published online. Fee: $15 per poem. Length limit: 250 lines. Judged by S. Mei Sheng Frazier, assisted by Jim DuBois. This contest is recommended by Reedsy as one of the best of 2020. See past winners, advice from the judge, and submit online at winningwriters.com/tompoetry.
Contest :: Ghost Story Fall 2020 Supernatural Fiction Award
Deadline: September 30, 2020
Our biannual competition is now open for submissions. We want exciting, thought-provoking short stories incorporating a supernatural theme or element. Contemporary magic realism is more than welcome. $1,000 for the winner; two honorable mentions receive $250. October 31 online publication for all three, including custom illustration by noted British Folk Horror artist Andy Paciorek, plus print anthology publication in Volume II of 21st Century Ghost Stories due for publication in 2021. (Volume I was published in 2018 by Wyrd Harvest Press of Durham, U.K., and is available for purchase.) 1,500-10,000 words. Deadline: September 30. $20 submission fee. See our website for complete guidelines.
Contest :: RHINO 2020 Founders’ Prize Judged by Ed Roberson
Deadline: October 15, 2020
RHINO is open Sept. 1 – Oct. 15 for submissions for its annual Founders’ Prize Poetry Contest. Guest judge will be Ed Roberson, author of numerous poetry collections and recipient of prizes including the Jackson Poetry Prize and the Stephen Henderson Critics Award for Achievement in Literature. Roberson is currently Artist-in-Residence at Northwestern University. Entry fee is $15 for up to 5 poems; first prize $500, two runners-up prizes $100 each. All submissions considered for publication in RHINO’s 2021 issue, and for $500 Editors’ Prize. For 40+ years, RHINO’s award-winning annual print journal has featured stunning, eclectic work. Complete guidelines at our website.
Contest :: 2020 Charles B. Wheeler Poetry Prize from The Journal
Deadline: October 5, 2020
Charles B. Wheeler Poetry Prize. Submissions open September 1, 2020. Judge Marcus Jackson will select one full-length manuscript for publication by Mad Creek Books, the trade imprint of The Ohio State University Press. In addition to publication under a standard book contract, the winner receives the Charles B. Wheeler prize of $2,500. A nonrefundable fee of $23.00 (or $11.50 for BIPOC poets) will be charged for each entry. All entrants receive a one-year subscription to The Journal. Visit our contest page for guidelines. (If it is a hardship to meet the entry fee, contact our editor ([email protected]) to discuss options.)
Contest :: Raleigh Review Fall Writing Contests Open
Deadline: Midnight on Halloween 2020
Raleigh Review is currently offering two contests. The RR Flash Fiction Prize is being judged by our esteemed Fiction team ($300 Grand Prize, $13 entry fee). Raleigh Review is also offering the Geri Digiorno Multi-Genre Prize with Dorianne Laux & Joseph Millar as the judges of the finalists. Think of our Digiorno Prize as a collage prize that includes at least two of the genres among poetry and/or visual art and/or flash nonfiction ($300 Grand Prize, $13 entry fee). Submissions close by midnight on Halloween. All entrants shall receive the prize print issue for free.
Contest :: Interim Accepting Manuscripts for Test Site Poetry Contest 2020
Deadline: December 15, 2020
Submit your manuscript to Interim’s 3rd annual Test Site Poetry Contest! As our series title suggests, we’re looking for manuscripts that engage the perilous conditions of life in the 21st century, as they pertain to issues of social justice and the earth. The winning book will demonstrate an ethos that considers the human condition in inclusive love and sympathy, while offering the same in consideration of the earth. Because we believe the truth is always experimental, we’ll especially appreciate books with innovative approaches. The winner will receive $1,000 and their book will be published by University of Nevada Press in 2021.
Contest :: $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize, edited by Patricia Smith
Deadline: Rolling
Every year, the University of Arkansas Press accepts submissions for the Miller Williams Poetry Series and from the books selected awards the $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize in the following summer. For almost a quarter century the press has made this series the cornerstone of its work as a publisher of some of the country’s best poetry. The series is edited by Patricia Smith. The deadline for the 2022 Prize is September 30, 2020. For more information visit uapress.com.
August 2020 eLitPak :: Greensboro Review 2020 Literary Awards
The Greensboro Review invites submissions for our annual Robert Watson Literary Prizes in Poetry and Fiction. Send us your previously unpublished poems or stories, now through September 15! Winners each receive a $1,000 cash award and publication in the journal; subscribers submit for free. To learn more, read past winning works, and submit, visit: greensbororeview.org/contest/.
August 2020 eLitPak :: Gival Press Sponsored Contests 2021-22
Gival Press is hosting four contests between 2021-2022: the Gival Press Novel Award, the Gival Press Oscar Wilde Award and the Gival Press Short Story Award, and the Gival Press Poetry Award. The Novel Award deadline will be May 30. 2022; the prize is $3k and book publication in 2023. The Oscar Wilde Award for the best LGBTQ poem deadline will be June 27. 2021; the prize is $500 and online publication. The Short Story Award deadline will be August 8, 2021; the prize is $1,000 and online publication. The Gival Press Poetry Award deadline will be December 15, 2021; the prize is $1K and book publication in 2022. For complete details on each contest, visit: www.Givalpress.Submittable.com.
Contest :: 30th Annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize
Deadline: October 1
Winners in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction receive a $5,000 cash prize, publication, promotion, and a virtual event to be determined. Submit one piece of fiction or nonfiction up to 8,500 words or up to 10 pages of poems. Regular entry fee: $25. All-Access entry fee: $30. Each entrant receives a one-year digital subscription to the Missouri Review (normal price $24) and the forthcoming digital short story anthology Strange Encounters, forthcoming from Missouri Review Books. (normal price $8.95). All-Access entrants receive full access to our ten-year digital archive. All entries considered for publication. Deadline: October 1. www.missourireview.com
Contest :: Gemini $1,000 Flash Fiction Prize
Deadline: August 31
Got a great short-short story? Win $1,000 for a story of 1,000 words or less in the 12th annual Gemini Magazine Flash Fiction Contest. Second prize: $100. Four honorable mentions: $25 each. Entry fee: $6. Any subject or style. Except for the word limit, we have no rules and are open to your most creative work, whether literary, noir, historical, sci-fi or any other category. All six finalists will be published online in the October 2020 issue of Gemini. Read any of the dozens of previous winners/finalists online to see the wide variety of flash fiction we have published. www.gemini-magazine.com/flashcomp.html
Contest :: Fiction Southeast Seeks to Highlight Writers with Story of the Month Contest
Each month, the editors of Fiction Southeast 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 is $10, and the winner receives $50. Submit here: fictionsoutheast.submittable.com/submit/163713/story-of-the-month. Read the first Story of the Month winner. Serena Ferrari’s “Zp, Signed with Love.”
Contest :: Minds on Fire Open Book Prize—$1500 and Publication
Deadline: October 31, 2020
Our third annual open book prize is accepting manuscripts. If you have a manuscript or know someone who does, please give us a shot. Open to any poet writing in English regardless of previous publication record, the prize seeks to represent the best contemporary writing in high quality editions of enduring value. Prospective entrants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Conduit, which champions originality, intelligence, irreverence, and humanity. 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.
Contest :: The Hunger Press Tiny Fork Chapbook Series Open through September 1
Deadline: September 1, 2020
There is under one month left to submit to the Tiny Fork Chapbook Series. The Hunger Journal has expanded to include The Hunger Press, starting with the Tiny Fork Chapbook Series. We believe art and literature is eternally important, and we want to use this opportunity to welcome new writers and readers into The Hunger community by producing well-designed, dynamic, hand-bound chapbooks. We welcome poetry, prose, and hybrid manuscripts of 15–40 pages. For more details on the Tiny Fork Chapbook Series and submission process, please go to www.thehungerjournal.com/tiny-fork-chapbooks.
Contest :: 2020 Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest
Deadline: September 30, 2020
18th year, sponsored by Winning Writers. Win $3,000 for a poem in any style and $3,000 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style. Total prizes: $8,000. The top two winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value). Both published and unpublished work accepted. Winning entries published online. Fee: $15 per poem. Length limit: 250 lines. Judged by S. Mei Sheng Frazier, assisted by Jim DuBois. This contest is recommended by Reedsy as one of the best of 2020. See past winners, advice from the judge, and submit online at winningwriters.com/tompoetry.
Black Warrior Review Now Offering No-Fee Contest Submissions to Black Writers
Black Warrior Review is a biannual print literary magazine that has been publishing exciting established and emerging literary talents since 1974. The journal is published by the students in The University of Alabama’s MFA Program in Creative Writing.
In an effort to do their part and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, they have gathered donations to launch an effort to provide free contest submissions for up to 400 Black writers to their annual writing contest. This will not be a one-off initiative, but a sustained effort they will continue into the future. In their July 28 announcement, the BWR staff stated “This is part of a much larger effort/wish of the BWR staff to do away with contest fees, but an undertaking such as this has to start somewhere, and in this pivotal moment this is our focus.”
They recognize this effort alone is not enough and are doing their best to continue to prioritize ways in which they can make their journal a more equitable place where all Writers of Color can feel welcomed and supported.
The 2020 contest judges are Paul Tran, Lucy Corin, Mayukh Sen, and C Pam Zhang. Categories are Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, and Flash. The winners of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry will receive $1,000 and publication in the Spring 2021 issue. The Flash winner will receive $500 and publication in the Spring 2021 issue. Deadline to submit is September 1.
Contest :: Tinderbox’s 2020 Brett Elizabeth Jenkins Poetry Prize
Deadline: August 31, 2020
Tinderbox Poetry Journal is pleased to announce its fourth annual contest, the 2020 Brett Elizabeth Jenkins Poetry Prize, judged by torrin a. greathouse! There are no limitations in form or content; we are interested in everything from traditional forms to free verse to lyric essay to flash fiction. The winner will receive $750, and the runner-up will receive $500. All finalists will be published and paid the standard rate of $15/contributor. Semi-finalists will also be considered for publication. Please submit up to three (3) pieces ($15, or $20 with feedback) here: tinderboxpoetryjournal.submittable.com/submit. We look forward to reading your work!
Contest :: The 2020 Coniston Prize for Women Poets
Deadline: September 1
The Coniston Prize from Radar Poetry recognizes an exceptional group of poems by a woman writing in English. This year’s judge is Ada Limón. The winner will receive $1,500 and publication. Up to 10 finalists will also be awarded publication in the contest issue. Coniston Prize entries will be accepted through Submittable until the deadline of September 1, 2020. The reading fee is $20. Visit www.radarpoetry.com/contest to review the guidelines and read the work of past winners.
14th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards Winners Announced
A leader and veteran of publishing award contests, The National Indie Excellence® Awards are open to recent English language books in print from self and independent publishers. These awards are judged by experts from various book industry professions including publishers, writers, editors, and designers. Winners and finalists are determined by the basis of superior written matter coupled with excellent presentation.
They have recently announced the finalists and winners from their 14th annual contest. Winners include Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy edited by Nicole Seitz and Jonathan Haupt (University of Georgia Press); Boy on the Bridge: The Story of John Shalikashvili’s American Success by Andrew Marble (University Press of Kentucky); The Big Book of Chakras and Chakra Healing: How to Unlock Your Seven Energy Centers for Healing, Happiness, and Transformation by Susan Shumsky (Weiser); Trove: A Woman’s Search for Truth and Buried Treasure by Sandra A. Miller (Brown Paper Press); Great River City: How The Mississippi Shaped St. Louis by Andrew Wanko (Missouri Historical Society Press); and Fabulous Beast: Poems by Sarah Kain Gutowski (Texas Review Press).
Contest :: 2022 Miller Williams Poetry Prize Deadline in 2 Months
Don’t forget the deadline to be considered for the 2022 Miller Williams Poetry Prize deadline is November 30. Every year, the University of Arkansas Press accepts submissions for the Miller Williams Poetry Series and from the books selected awards the $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize in the following summer. For almost a quarter century the press has made this series the cornerstone of its work as a publisher of some of the country’s best poetry. The series is edited by Patricia Smith. For more information visit uapress.com.
July 2020 eLitPak :: Gival Press Short Story Award
Gival 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 deadline was May 30. The prize was $3k and book publication in 2021. The Oscar Wilde Award for the best LGBTQ poem deadline was June 27. The prize was $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.
July 2020 eLitPak :: Blue Earth Review Summer Contest
Blue Earth Review is open to submissions for our Summer 2020 Contest. Submit flash fiction: up to 2 flash pieces, 750-word maximum each; flash creative nonfiction: up to 2 flash pieces, 750-word maximum each; poetry: 1-3 poems. Deadline to enter is August 15, 2020. Entry fee: $5.00. Winners receive $500 and publication. Additional finalists may also be published. For these and general submissions, go to blueearthreview.submittable.com/submit.
July 2020 eLitPak :: Greensboro Review 2020 Robert Watson Literary Prizes
The Greensboro Review invites submissions for our annual Robert Watson Literary Prizes in Poetry and Fiction. Send us your previously unpublished poems or stories, now through September 15! Winners each receive a $1,000 cash award and publication in the journal; subscribers submit for free. To learn more, read past winning works, and submit, visit: greensbororeview.org/contest/.
Contest :: 2020 Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize – 1 Month Left!
The deadline to submit to the 2020 Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize is August 15. This year’s prize is judged by Dorianne Laux and Joseph Millar. $1,000 for first place and a letterpress broadside, $500 for second, $250 for third. Top five published in Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine. Submit up to 3 original unpublished poems. $15 entry fee. For complete guidelines, see redwheelbarrow.submittable.com.
Contest :: FishFood Open to Short Stories for Inaugural Contest
Deadline: August 31, 2020
Online literary magazine FishFood Magazine is accepting submissions for its very first short story contest through August 31. Stories must be under 1,000 words. There is no set theme, so feel free to get as creative as possible. The winner of the contest receives $1000 plus publication of the story in FishFood Magazine: www.fishfoodmagazine.com.
Contest :: Driftwood Press 2020 Adrift Short Story Contest
Deadline: July 15, 2020
For our Adrift Short Story Contest, the guest judge this year is Geronimo Johnson (Welcome to Braggsville). The winning story receives $300, ten copies of the issue in which their story appears, and a featured interview. Runner-ups receive $100, five copies, and a featured interview. All stories read for the contest are considered for publication, which means your likelihood of publication and placing in the contest is much higher. For our 2019 contest, we selected three stories to publish. Deadline is on July 15th!
Contest :: Fiction Southeast seeks Short-Shorts for Story of the Month
Submissions accepted year-round.
Each month, the editors 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 first winner was Serena Ferrari with “Zp, Signed with Love.” The reading fee is $10. The winner will receive $50. Submit here: fictionsoutheast.submittable.com/submit/163713/story-of-the-month.
Contest :: One Month Left to Submit to Orison Anthology Awards
Deadline: August 1, 2020
The 2020 Orison Anthology Awards in Fiction, Nonfiction, & Poetry offer $500 and publication by Orison Books in The Orison Anthology for a single work in each genre. This year’s judges are Blair Hurley (fiction), E. J. Koh (nonfiction), and Joy Ladin (poetry). Entry fee: $15. Submission Period: May 1-August 1. There is now one month left to submit. Find complete details at www.orisonbooks.submittable.com.
Contest :: Black Warrior Review 2020 Contests Are Open
Deadline: September 1, 2020
Don’t forget biannual print journal Black Warrior Review is open to 2020 contest submissions until September 1. Winners will receive publication and cash prizes ($500 for flash and $1,000 for poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction). Judges are Mayukh Sen (nonfiction), Paul Tran (poetry), C Pam Zhang (flash), and Lucy Corin (fiction). Submission fee is reduced to $15 for fiction/nonfiction/poetry. $6 fee for flash. Complete information available at bwr.ua.edu.
Contest :: 2020 Elyse Wolf Prize
Deadline: July 31
Member-run Slate Roof Press is pleased to announce the 2020 Elyse Wolf Prize for our annual poetry chapbook contest. The winner receives $500, becomes an active member of the press, and will have their chapbook published by Slate Roof. We publish limited edition, art-quality chapbooks with letterpress covers. Winners make a 3-year commitment to the press, including monthly meetings, and share work responsibilities for many aspects of publishing. Submit no more than 28 pages of poetry. $10 reading fee; sliding scale available. Deadline July 31. Full guidelines at www.slateroofpress.com.
Contest :: Crazyhorse’s Crazyshorts! Contest Opens July 1
Deadline: July 31, 2020
July 1 is tomorrow which means Crazyhorse‘s annual Crazyshorts! competition will be officially open to submissions. From July 1st to July 31st, Crazyhorse will accept entries for our annual short-short fiction contest. Submit 3 short-shorts of up to 500 words each through our website: crazyhorse.cofc.edu. First place wins $1,000 and publication; 3 runners-up will be announced. All entries will be considered for publication; the $15 entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Crazyhorse. For more information, visit: crazyhorse.cofc.edu/crazyshorts.
Get Lit: Writing Contests & Calls for Submissions Delivered Weekly!
Writing contests and calls for submissions you want to know about delivered to your inbox every week. Plus, book and magazine review updates, new issues and title announcements, creative writing program deadlines and announcements, upcoming writing conferences and events, and more. Subscribe to the NewPages Newsletter here: npofficespace.com/newpages-newsletter/. You will also be signed up to receive our monthly eLitPak newsletter.
Contest :: The Hunger Press Seeks Chapbooks
Deadline: September 1, 2020
Don’t forget that The Hunger Journal has now expanded to include The Hunger Press, starting with their Tiny Fork Chapbook Series. They believe art and literature is eternally important, and want to use this opportunity to welcome new writers and readers into The Hunger community by producing well-designed, dynamic, hand-bound chapbooks. They will be accepting submissions from June 1–September 1. They welcome poetry, prose, and hybrid manuscripts of 15–40 pages. For more details on the Tiny Fork Chapbook Series and submission process, please go to www.thehungerjournal.com/tiny-fork-chapbooks.
Contest :: 2022 $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize
Deadline: Rolling
Every year, the University of Arkansas Press accepts submissions for the Miller Williams Poetry Series and from the books selected awards the $5,000 Miller Williams Poetry Prize in the following summer. For almost a quarter century the press has made this series the cornerstone of its work as a publisher of some of the country’s best poetry. The series is edited by Patricia Smith. The deadline for the 2022 Prize is September 30, 2020. For more information visit uapress.com. The 2020 prize winner was Jayson Iwen’s Roze & Blud which was released in March 2020.
Contest :: 2020 Barrow Street Book Prize
Deadline: June 30, 2020
Barrow Street is accepting submissions for the 2020 Book Prize Contest. This year’s contest judge is Pulitzer Prize finalist Dorianne Laux. Past winners include 2019 Simone Savannah collection Uses of My Body, chosen by contest judge Jericho Brown; Meg Day for Last Psalm at Sea Level; Page Hill Stazinger for Vestigial; and Ely Shipley for Boy with Flowers. Prize winner receives publication and $1500 cash prize. Online contest fee $28. Submit manuscripts online here: barrowstreet.org/press/submit/.
Contest :: Nickie’s Prize for Humor Writing
Deadline: Midnight (EST), August 1, 2020
Time to spill the family secrets. Submit your funny sister (or soul sister) story by midnight (EST) Aug. 1, for Nickie’s Prize for Humor Writing sponsored by the University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. $300 cash prizes for up to 20 winners. Winning essays will be published online, with the possibility of being included in a future anthology. In the spirit of Erma Bombeck, the tone can be humorous, absurd, offbeat, quirky, or fun in a smart way. All previously unpublished essays no longer than 1,000 words will be considered. Submission fee: $25. Details: humorwriters.org/nickies-prize/.
Update Your Submission Calendar – South 85 Journal
Update your calendars—South 85 Journal has announced they’ve changed their reading general reading periods. They’ll now be reading from February 1 to April 16, and August 1 to October 15, though this is subject to change in the future. For now, make note and get your subs ready for August.
Or, if you’ve already been polishing your poetry and flash fiction and are looking for somewhere to submit, submissions for the Julia Peterkin Poetry & Flash Fiction Contests are now open until August 1. Marlin Barton will judge the flash fiction submissions, and Denis Duhamel will judge the poetry.