Before I published my first novel, I published poetry by submitting to a variety of magazines. I always found it extremely rewarding to send off the applications and the anticipation of wondering whether I would hear back. That’s why I’ve decided to include this post with upcoming writing competitions or calls for submissions to my 30 days of blogging. Perhaps you need a push to submit a short story or you’ve always wanted to win a writing competition. No matter your reason for submitting, I hope you find something of interest here!
Name: Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships
Category: Poetry
Deadline: April 15, 2024
Prize: $27,000
Website: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/prizes-fellowship
Submission Fee: (No Fee, as far as I can tell)
Name: F(r)iction Flash Fiction Contest
Category: Flash Fiction
Deadline: April 20, 2024
Prize: $300
Website: https://frictioncontests.submittable.com/submit
Submission Fee: $10
Name: Whiting Foundation Creative Nonfiction Grants
Category: Creative Non-Fiction
Deadline: April 23, 2024
Prize: 10 grants of $40,000 each
Website: https://www.whiting.org/writers/creative-nonfiction-grant
Submission Fee: No Fee
Name: Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition
Category: Poetry, Short Story
Deadline: May 6, 2024
Prize: $5,000
Website: https://www.writersdigest.com/wd-competitions
Submission Fee: $20
Name: Fabula Press Short Story Contest
Deadline: June 7, 2024
Prize: Multiple prizes, top prize is $500
Website: https://www.pressfabula.com/submission/
Submission Fee: $10
Name: 42 Mile Press Poetry Award
Category: Poetry
Deadline: June 15, 2024
Prize: $1,000, publication of the book, and 50 author copies.
Website: https://42milespress.com/contest/
Submission Fee: $25
Name: International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition
Category: Creative Non-Fiction
Deadline: July 1, 2024 (Opens: Feb. 1st, 2024, so you can submit during that window)
Prize: $1,000 and a feature in 2026 by Vine Leaves Press.
Website: https://www.vineleavespress.com/international-voices-in-cnf.html
Submission Fee: $25
Name: Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers
Category: Short story, Poetry
Deadline: July 15, 2024
Prize: $500
Website: https://nimrod.utulsa.edu/the-francine-ringold-awards-for-new-writers/
Submission Fee: $12
Name: Jim Martin Memorial Adult Story Contest
Category: Short story, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Deadline: August 1, 2024
Prize: $200
Website: https://arizonamysterywriters.com/amw-writing-contests/jim-martin-memorial-adult-story-contest/
Submission Fee: $15
Want to Keep Up to Date on Upcoming Contests?
If you are interested in submitting to a contest, but want to be able to filter by “No Fee” and the deadline date, consider getting an account over at Submittable. This post is not sponsored by Submittable, but I used them regularly when I was actively writing poetry and short stories and I found it very helpful.
