high school writing contests 2022

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If you're a writer—fiction, non-fiction, or fanfiction—you can put those skills to work for you. There are tons of writing contests for high school students, which can award everything from medals to cash prizes to scholarships if you win .

Not only will a little extra money, whether cash or scholarships, help you when it comes time to pay for college, but the prestige of a respected reward is also a great thing to include on your college application.

Read on to learn more about what writing contests for high school students there are, how to apply, and what you could win !

Writing Contests With Multiple Categories

Some high school contests accept entries in a variety of formats, including the standard fiction and non-fiction, but also things like screenwriting or visual art. Check out these contests with multiple categories:

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

• Award Amount: $1,000 to $12,500 scholarships
• Deadline: Varies between December and January, depending on your region
• Fee: $10 for single entry, $30 for portfolio

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards celebrate art by students in grades seven through twelve (age 13 or older) on a regional and national scale. These awards have a huge number of categories and styles, including cash prizes or scholarships for some distinguished award winners . Categories include science-fiction and fantasy writing, humor, critical essays, and dramatic scripts, among others.

Deadlines vary by region (but are mostly in December and January), so use Scholastic's Affiliate Partner search to find out when projects are due for your area.

Scholastic partners with other organizations to provide prizes to winners, so what you can win depends on what you enter and what competition level you reach. Gold medal portfolio winners can earn a $12,500 scholarship, and silver medal winners with distinction can earn a $2,000 scholarship , as well as many other options in different categories.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are open to private, public, or home-schooled students attending school in the US, Canada, or American schools in other countries. Students must be in grades seven through twelve to participate. Eligibility varies between regions, so consult Scholastic's Affiliate Partner search tool to figure out what applies to you .

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have a $10 entry fee for individual submissions and $30 for portfolio submissions, which may be waived for students in need . These fees may vary depending on location, so be sure to check your local guidelines .

Ocean Awareness Contest

• Award Amount: Scholarships up to $1,500
• Deadline: June 13, 2023 (submissions open in September)

The Ocean Awareness Contest asks students to consider the future of a coastal or marine species that is under threat from climate change. Submissions are accepted in a variety of art forms, but all must consider the way that climate change impacts ocean life .

Submissions for all categories, including art, creative writing, film, interactive and multimedia, music and dance, and poetry and spoken word are due in June, although the exact date varies slightly each year.

Winners may receive prizes of up to a $1,500 scholarship , depending on which division they fall into and what prize they win.

The contest is open to all international and US students between the ages of 11 and 18.

River of Words

• Award: Publication in the River of Words anthology
• Deadline: January 31, 2023

The River of Words contest asks students to consider watersheds—an area that drains into the same body of water—and how they connect with their local community. Students can explore this concept in art or poetry, with winners being published in the annual River of Words anthology .

Entries in all categories must be submitted by January 31, 2023. 

The River of Words contest is primarily for recognition and publication, as the website doesn't list any prize money . The contest includes specific awards for certain forms, such as poetry, some of which may have additional prizes .

The contest is open to International and US students from kindergarten to grade 12 (ages 5 through 19). Students who have graduated from high school but are not yet in college are also eligible.

Adroit Prizes

• Award Amount: $200 cash award
• Deadline: Typically April of each year

Sponsored by the Adroit Journal, the Adroit Prizes reward high school students and undergraduate students for producing exemplary fiction and poetry. Students may submit up to six poems or three works of prose (totaling 3,500 words) for consideration. Submissions typically open in spring .

Winners receive $200 and (along with runners-up) have their works published in the Adroit Journal . Finalists and runners-up receive a copy of their judge's latest published work.

The contest is open to secondary and undergraduate students, including international students and those who have graduated early . The Adroit Prizes has a non-refundable fee of $15, which can be waived.

YoungArts Competition

• Award Amount: Up to $10,000 cash awards
• Deadline: October 15, 2022; application for 2024 opens June 2023

Open to students in a variety of disciplines, including visual arts, writing, and music, the YoungArts competition asks students to submit a portfolio of work. Additional requirements may apply depending on what artistic discipline you're in .

Winners can receive up to $10,000 in cash as well as professional development help, mentorship, and other educational rewards.

Applicants must be 15- to 18-year-old US citizens or permanent residents (including green card holders) or in grades 10 through 12 at the time of submission . There is a $35 submission fee, which can be waived.

Fiction Writing Contests for High School Students

Many contests with multiple categories accept fiction submissions, so also check out the above contests if you're looking for places to submit original prose.

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

• Award Amount: $100 - $500 cash prize
• Deadline: February 1, 2023

This year's EngineerGirl Writing Contest asks students (though the name of the organization is "EngineerGirl," students of any gender may participate) to submit a piece of writing that shows how female and/or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements. Word counts vary depending on grade level.

At every grade level, first-place winners will receive $500, second-place winners will receive $250, and third-place winners will receive $100 . Winning entries and honorable mentions will also be published on the EngineerGirl website.

Students of any gender from third to 12th grade may submit to this contest. Home-schooled and international students are also eligible.

Nonfiction Contests for High School Students

Like fiction, non-fiction is often also accepted in contests with multiple categories. However, there are quite a few contests accepting only non-fiction essays as well.

The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $1,250 to $2,500
• Deadline: April 3, 2023

The American Foreign Services Association sponsors a high school essay contest tasking students with selecting a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe, in 1,500 words or less, how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals in this country/region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years .

One winner will receive $2,500 as well as a Washington D.C. trip and a scholarship to attend Semester at Sea . One runner-up receives $1,250 and a scholarship to attend the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

Entries must be from US students in grade nine through 12, including students in the District of Columbia, US territories, or US citizens attending school abroad, including home-schooled students.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest

• Award Amount: $100 - $10,000
• Deadline: January 13, 2023

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage contest tasks students with writing an essay between 700 and 1,000 words on an act of political courage by a US elected official serving during or after 1917 , inspired by John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage . Each essay should cover the act itself as well as any obstacles or risks the subject faced in achieving their act of courage. Essays must not cover figures previously covered in the contest, and should also not cover John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, or Edward M. Kennedy.

One first-place winner will receive $10,000, one second-place winner will receive $3,000, five finalists will receive $1,000 each, and eight semi-finalists will win $100 each.

The contest is open to students in grades nine through 12 who are residents of the United States attending public, private, parochial, or home schools . Students under the age of 20 in correspondence high school programs or GED programs, as well as students in US territories, Washington D.C., and students studying abroad, are also eligible.

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $300 - $1,000 scholarships
• Deadline: February 19, 2023 (submissions open in November)

The SPJ/JEA high school essay contest , organized by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association, asks students to  analyze the importance of independent media to our lives (as of now, the official essay topic for spring 2023 is TBD) . Essays should be from 300 to 500 words.

A $1,000 scholarship is given to a first-place winner, $500 to second-place, and $300 to third-place.

The contest is open to public, private, and home-schooled students of the United States in grades 9-12 .

Playwriting Contests for High School Students

For those who love the stage, playwriting contests are a great option. An original play can earn you great rewards thanks to any of these contests!

VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition

• Award: Participation in professional development activities at the Kennedy Center
• Deadline: January 4, 2023 (Application opens in October)

The VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition asks students with disabilities to submit a ten-minute script exploring their personal experiences, including the disability experience . Scripts may be realistic, fictional, or abstract, and may include plays, screenplays, or musical theater.

All entries are due in January. Scripts may be collaborative or written by individuals, but must include at least one person with a disability as part of the group .

One winner or group of winners will be selected as participants in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Winners will have access to professional assistance in developing their script as well as workshops and networking opportunities.

This contest is open to US and international students in ages 14 to 18 . Groups of up to five members may collaborate on an essay, but at least one of those students must have a disability.

Worldwide Plays Festival Competition

• Award: Professional production in New York
• Deadline: March (official 2023 deadline TBD)

In the Worldwide Plays Festival Competition , students from around the world can submit an eight-minute script for a play set in a part of a neighborhood —specifically, at a convenience store, outside a character's front door, or at a place where people convene. Each play must have roles for three actors, should not have a narrator who isn't also a character, and should not contain set changes.

Entries are due in February. Winners will have their play produced by professionals at an off-Broadway New York theater . Scholarships are also available for winners.

Any student, including US and international, in first through 12th grade may submit work for consideration.

• Award Amount: $50 - $200 cash prize
• Deadline: 2023 deadline TBD (application opens January 2023)

Students may submit a one-act, non-musical play of at least ten pages to YouthPLAYS for consideration . Plays should be appropriate for high school audiences and contain at least two characters, with one or more of those characters being youths in age-appropriate roles. Large casts with multiple female roles are encouraged.

One winner will receive $250, have their play published by YouthPLAYS, and receive a copy of Great Dialog , a program for writing dialog. One runner up will receive $100 and a copy of Great Dialog.

Students must be under the age of 19, and plays must be the work of a single author.

The Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest

• Deadline: Spring of each year

Students in grade 11 may submit a ten-minute play for consideration for the Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest . Plays should be 10 pages long, equivalent to 10 minutes.

One first-prize winner will receive $500, one second-prize winner will receive $250, and one third-prize will receive $100.

All entries must be from students in the 11th grade .

Poetry Writing Contests for High School Students

For those who prefer a little free verse or the constraints of a haiku, there are plenty of poetry-specific contests, too.

Creative Communications Poetry Contest

• Award Amount: $25
• Deadline: December

Students in ninth grade or below may submit any poem of 21 lines or less (not counting spaces between stanzas) for consideration in the Creative Communications Poetry Contest .

Students may win $25, a free book, and school supplies for their teacher .

Public, private, or home-schooled US students (including those in detention centers) in kindergarten through ninth grade may enter.

Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize

• Award Amount: $500-$1500
• Deadline: November 

Students in 11th grade may submit up to three poems for consideration in the Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize . Submissions are due in November .

One first-prize winner will receive $1500, one second-prize winner will receive $750, and a third-prize winner will receive $500. Poems may be published on arts.princeton.edu. All entrants must be in the 11th grade.

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

• Award Amount: $500 - $5,000 renewable scholarship, $350 cash prize
• Deadline: October 31, 2022

Women poets who are sophomores or juniors in high school may submit two poems for consideration for the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest .

One first-place winner will receive a $350 cash prize, publication in and ten copies of Cargoes , Hollins' student magazine, as well as a renewable scholarship of up to $5,000 for Hollins and free tuition and housing for the Hollinsummer creative writing program. One second-place winner will receive publication in and two copies of Cargoes, a renewable scholarship to Hollins of up to $1,000, and a $500 scholarship to attend Hollinsummer.

Applicants must be female students in their sophomore or junior year of high school .

What's Next?

If you're looking for more money opportunities for college , there are plenty of scholarships out there— including some pretty weird ones .

For those who've been buffing up their test scores , there are tons of scholarships , some in the thousands of dollars.

If you're tired of writing essays and applying for scholarships, consider some of these colleges that offer complete financial aid packages .

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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23 Writing Competitions for High School Students

What’s covered:, why should you enter a writing competition, writing competitions for high school students, how do writing competitions affect my admissions chances.

Do you dream of writing the next great American novel? Are you passionate about poetry? Do you aspire to become a screenwriter? No matter what genre of writing you’re interested in—whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or something else entirely—there’s a writing competition focused on it.

Writing competitions provide great motivation to put pen to paper (or finger to key). Moreover, they’re an excellent step toward getting published, and can ultimately start you on the path to becoming a professional writer.

One of the best ways to improve your writing is simply to write—and competitions provide an excellent impetus to do so. Writing competitions also serve as an introduction to what life is like for many writers; participants entering writing competitions will receive a prompt or must think of an original idea, compose a piece of work, and submit it for review.

Another benefit of entering a writing competition for high schoolers is that many offer cash awards and scholarships, which can be used to help with the costs of college.

Additionally, many writing competitions are run by colleges and universities, so submitting them is a great way to introduce faculty to yourself and your work. If you win an award—especially a prestigious award—it can significantly improve your odds of college acceptance.

1. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

Type: Poetry and Prose

Submission Fee: $15

Prize: $200

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Eligibility:

• All secondary and undergraduate students

Guidelines:

• Each student may send up to five total submissions across the genres of poetry and prose
• Each poetry submission may include up to six poems (maximum of ten pages single-spaced). Each prose submission may include up to three works of fiction or creative nonfiction (combined word limit of 3,500 words; excerpts are acceptable).

Adroit Prizes are awarded to emerging high school and college writers in two categories: poetry and prose. Winning pieces are considered for publication in the Adroit Journal and winners receive an award of $200. The 2023 judges are Natalie Diaz and Ocean Vuong.

2. Ten-Minute Play Contest

Type: Plays

Submission Fee: N/A

Deadline: Passed, but the contest will reopen in 2024

Eligibility: Students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. (or international equivalent of the eleventh grade)

Guidelines: Applicants may submit only one play (10 pages maximum)

The Ten-Minute Play Contest is put on by Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts. Applicants are allowed to submit one play that is no longer than 10 pages. Their submissions are judged by members of Princeton University’s Theater Program faculty.

3. Ayn Rand Anthem and The Fountainhead Essay Contests

Type: Essays

• Anthem: $2,000
• The Fountainhead : $5,000
• Anthem: Grades 8-12
• The Fountainhead : Grades 11-12
• Anthem: Essays must be written in English only and between 600 and 1,200 words in length, double-spaced
• The Fountainhead: Essays must be written in English only and between 800 and 1,600 words in length, double-spaced

In this essay competition, students pick one of three prompts about a topic related to Ayn Rand’s books and write an essay that goes through three stages of grading. Students are graded on their clarity, organization, understanding, and ability to stay “on topic.”

4. Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Type: Poetry

Prize: $500-$1,500

Eligibility: Students must be in the 11th grade in the U.S. or abroad

Guidelines: Applicants may submit up to 3 poems

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize is another contest run by Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts. Winners are chosen by judges who are both poets and members of Princeton University’s creative writing faculty. Three monetary awards are available.

5. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Prize: $500

Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs

Guidelines: Essays should be approximately 1,000 words

Winners of this competition receive a $500 prize along with a free yearlong membership to the World History Association . To apply, you must submit an approximately 1,000-word essay responding to the following prompt:

• Submit an essay that addresses the following topic and discusses how it relates to you personally and to World History: Your view of a family story related to a historical event or your personal family cultural background, or an issue of personal relevance or specific regional history/knowledge.

6. Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Prize: $250-$1,000

Deadline: June 1, 2023

Eligibility: Open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students

• Must be submitted by the student through the official Essay Contest Submission website
• Entries may include a statement about the student’s mentor; however, a mentor statement is not required
• The essay must be 6-8 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page
• The essay must use MLA documentation, including a Works Cited page and parenthetical citations in the body of the text. Use endnotes only for substantive notes. Source material that is directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized must be cited. Quotations from the Jane Austen work under discussion should be cited as well.

The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Essay Contest is an annual writing competition aimed at fostering an appreciation for its namesake’s work. The contest is broken down into three divisions—high school, college/university, and graduate school.

First-place winners are awarded a $1,000 prize along with free registration and lodging for two nights at JASNA’s Annual General Meeting—smaller monetary awards are also given to second- and third-place essayists.

This year’s essay topic:

• In Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen’s other novels, we see proposals and marriages that are motivated by love, as well as those that are better described as arranged marriages or marriages of convenience. Many cultures today also expect arranged marriages (not the same as forced). In your essay, compare and discuss the different types of marriages or courtships found in the novels, whether those relationships are new or longstanding.

7. Bennington College Young Writers Awards

Type: Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction

Deadline: November 1, 2023

Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12

• 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)

Bennington College has a strong history of developing writers—it’s produced twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, and countless New York Times bestsellers—and the Bennington College Young Writers Awards celebrate this legacy.

In addition to offering cash awards to winners and finalists in all three categories, winners and finalists who apply and are accepted to Bennington College are also eligible for substantial scholarships.

8. Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder/Sense of the Wild Contest

Type: Poetry and Essays

Deadline: November 16, 2023

• You are required to have a team of 2 or more people
• The team must be intergenerational

Guidelines: Maximum length of 500 words (approximately 2 pages)

This unique writing competition requires that entries must be submitted by a team of two people from different generations—for example, a high school student and a teacher. Contestants can compete in a number of categories and themes, each with unique submission requirements.

9. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

Type: Fiction and Poetry

Prize: $2,000

Deadline: October 2, 2023

Eligibility: Rising high school students graduating in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and recently graduated 2023 seniors

• Poetry: Students may submit their original poetry in any style, from formal verse to free verse to experimental. The poem should be formatted as you wish it to appear in the publication.
• Fiction: Students may submit a piece of short fiction, which must be no more than 5,000 words and should not be single-spaced. The entry may be any genre of the student’s choice, including graphic novel or story.
• Must submit educator recommendation, academic resume, and current transcript with application

Winning works for this competition are chosen based on their creativity, technique, expression, and originality. Three winners are chosen in each category and each winner receives a $2,000 prize.

10. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest

Prize: $100-$10,000

Eligibility: The contest is open to United States high school students in grades 9-12, U.S. students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program,  and U.S. citizens attending schools overseas.

• Essays can be no more than 1,000 words but must be a minimum of 700 words. Citations and bibliography are not included in the word count.
• Essays must have a minimum of five sources.

The prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest is one of the most recognizable and prestigious writing competitions for high schoolers in the nation. Essays for the contest are required to describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917. The first-place winner of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest takes home a $10,000 award and second place receives a $3,000 prize.

11. YoungArts National Writing Competition

Deadline: Opens June 2023

Eligibility: 15- to 18-year-old visual, literary, or performing artist based in the United States

Guidelines: To be released

YoungArts supports talented young artists between the ages of 15 and 18 (or grades 10-12) in 10 disciplines, including writing. Applicants can submit entries in six genres—creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word.

12. SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

Submission Fee: $5

Prize: $300-$1,000

Eligibility: All students enrolled in grades 9-12 in U.S. public, private and home schools within the United States

• The essay should be 300-500 words
• Entries may be typed or handwritten but must be double-spaced

This high school writing contest is presented by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Journalism Education Association (JEA) to increase awareness of the importance of independent media.

Last year’s prompt was:

• While consumers are drawn toward tweets and sound bites, how can journalists tell more of the story without losing readers’ interest?

13. VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competitions

Eligibility: High school students with disabilities

• 10-minute script
• Entries may be the work of an individual student or a collaboration between two students that includes at least one student with a disability

This writing competition, presented by the Kennedy Center, is open to students ages 15-18 (or enrolled in high school) with disabilities. Writers may submit a “ten-minute” script in any genre, including plays, musicals, multimedia, video, film, TV, and podcasts.

Entries can be the work of an individual or the product of collaboration—provided that at least one of the collaborators has a disability. Multiple winners are chosen and given the chance to work with industry professionals, attend Kennedy Center professional development activities, and participate in networking opportunities.

14. Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Prize: $350

Eligibility: Women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school

Guidelines: No more than two poems by any one student may be submitted

For almost six decades, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest has provided recognition, scholarships, and awards to the best female high school sophomore and junior poets. Submissions are reviewed by faculty members of Hollins University’s creative writing program and students enrolled in its M.F.A. in creative writing.

The first-place winner receives a $350 cash prize, a renewable $5,000 scholarship to Hollins University if they choose to enroll there, as well as free tuition and housing at the university’s Hollinsummer creative writing program. Their winning work is also published in Cargoes , the university’s student literary magazine.

15. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Type: Various

Submission Fee: $10 for individual entry, $30 for portfolio (can use Fee Waiver Form)

Prize: Varies

Deadline: Opens in September

Eligibility: Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up)

Guidelines: Varies by category

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. They offer 28 submission categories, including writing, critical essay, dramatic scripts, flash fiction, journalism, humor, novel writing, personal essay and memoir, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, and short story.

Works are judged by famous jurors who look for works that show originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Students can earn a variety of scholarships through success in these competitions.

Works that celebrate individual differences or personal grief, loss, and bereavement are eligible for $1,000 scholarships. High school seniors submitting winning portfolios of six works are eligible for up to $12,500 in scholarships.

16. Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

Type: Creative Writing and Poetry

Prize: $100-$1,500

Deadline: June 13, 2023

• Students ages 11-18 from around the world
• Students can participate as an individual or as a club, class, or group of any size
• All students must provide the contact information for an Adult Sponsor (teacher, parent, mentor, etc.)
• Creative Writing: no more than 5 pages (approximately 1,250 words)
• Poetry: no more than 2 pages
• A written reflection is required to accompany your submission, regardless of category. It is like the introduction to a book or an artist’s statement in a museum.

The 12th annual Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Students can participate in six different categories, including poetry and spoken word, and creative writing.

This year’s prompt centers around climate issues:

• Research and choose an inspirational scientist, activist, artist, educator, or other hero who is working to solve climate change issues. Create a piece of art, writing, or media that highlights their efforts, organizations, and/or positive impacts. We are familiar with the amazing work of environmental giants like Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough. We challenge you to introduce the Bow Seat community to a Climate Hero whose work we may not know about yet – but should.

17. John Locke Global Essay Competition

Submission Fee: N/A (unless late entry)

Prize: $2,000-$10,000 toward attending any John Locke Institute program

Deadline: June 30, 2023 (must register by May 31, 2023)

Eligibility: Candidates must be no older than 18 years old on June 30, 2023 (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be no older than 14 on the same date)

Guidelines: Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2,000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration)

Students competing in this competition have the opportunity to write an essay in one of seven categories—philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law. Each category has three prompts, from which students choose and respond to one.

Essays are judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style, and persuasive force.

If you miss the deadline, you can submit a late entry up until July 10. Late entries will be charged a $20 late fee.

18. AFSA National High School Essay Contest

Prize: $2,500

• Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate.
• Students must be in grades 9-12 in any of the 50 states, Washington, D.C, the U.S. territories, or—if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents —attending high school overseas.

Guidelines: Your essay should be at least 1,000 words but should not exceed 1,500 words (word count does not apply to the list of sources)

The AFSA Essay Contest focuses on knowledge of foreign policy and the American Foreign Service. Last year’s prompt was:

• In your essay, you will select a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe, in 1,500 words or less, how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals – including promoting peace – in this country/region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

The first-place winner receives $2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital with their parents from anywhere in the U.S., and an all-expenses-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. The runner-up wins $1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

19. EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Prize: $100-$500

• The contest is open to individual students in the following three competition categories—Elementary School Students (grades 3-5), Middle School Students (grades 6-8), or High School Students (grades 9-12).
• You can also qualify with corresponding homeschool or international grade levels.
• High school student essays must be no more than 750 words
• You must also include a reference list of 3-10 resources

In this competition, students choose one of four prompts related to the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century and explore the technologies that have been developed in the last century and technologies that are being developed today. Students are judged based on their presentation and examples of engineering (~35%), their celebration of diversity (~50%), and their quality of writing (~15%).

20. The Blank Theatre Young Playwright’s Festival

Prize: Play is produced

Eligibility: Playwrights must be 19 years old or younger as of March 15, 2023; co-authored plays are welcome, provided all authors are 19 or younger

• Original plays or musicals of any length or genre and on any subject
• Up to three plays per playwright or team

While winners of this theater competition do not receive a cash prize, they have the unique opportunity to be mentored by leaders in the field, then will have their play directed and performed by professional artists during the following summer. The 12 best submissions are produced and professionally performed.

21. Saint Mary’s College of California River of Words Contest

Type: Poetry and Arts

• The contest is open to K-12 students, ages 5-19
• Students must be enrolled in school to be eligible
• Participants may submit up to 5 entries for poetry and 5 entries for art (total of up to 10 entries)
• Poems should not exceed 32 lines in length (written) or 3 minutes (signed)
• Collaborative poems and artwork are accepted, but only one student (chosen as the group representative) will be eligible for any prizes awarded

The River of Words contest aims to promote environmental literacy through the exchange of arts and culture. River of Words has been inspiring educators and students through this competition for over 25 years.

The goal of River of Words is to connect youth with their watersheds—the environments they live in—through engagement with art and poetry related to the idea of “place.” They look for art and poetry that shows the connection between students and the worlds around them.

22. Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: November 6, 2023

Eligibility: Open to all 12th grade, college, and graduate students worldwide

Guidelines: Essays must be between 800 and 1,600 words in length

In this essay competition, high school seniors pick one of three prompts about a topic related to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and write an essay that goes through three stages of grading. Students are graded on their clarity, organization, understanding, and ability to stay “on topic.”

23. Writopia Lab’s Worldwide Plays Festival

Prize: Play produced

Eligibility: Playwrights ages 6 to 18

• 8 minutes maximum
• Any genre or style
• Plays should have no more than three characters
• There can be no narrator of the play who is not emotionally invested in the story
• Students must incorporate at least one of the following props or costumes —blue plates, a yellow blouse, a Valentine’s heart with the word “Love,” a flower crown, a plush hotdog, a Mardi Gras bead with jester heads, a pack of clothespins, Russian nesting dolls, a set of miniature cymbals, a lavender blouse, a lei, or a roll of aluminum foil

Since 2010, Writopia Lab has been producing, designing, and directing one-act plays submitted by young playwrights. These winning plays are then performed by New York City theater professionals. The contest looks for playwrights who embody fearlessness and imagination. Writopia Lab says, “Write deeply! Write fiercely! Write politically and personally! And don’t be afraid to write with a sense of play – they are called plays, after all.”

While we can’t know exactly how activities outside of the classroom will affect your college admissions odds, the 4 Tiers of Extracurricular Activities provide a helpful framework for understanding how colleges view your extracurriculars.

Extracurricular activities in Tiers 1 and 2 are reserved for the most exclusive and acclaimed awards, and can significantly improve your odds of college admission. By contrast, Tiers 3 and 4 are reserved for more common extracurriculars, and have less of an impact on your chances of college admission.

For example, if you place in a nationally renowned writing competition—a Tier 2 activity—this will positively affect your admissions chances. On the other hand, if you receive an honorable mention in your high school’s poetry contest—a Tier 4 activity—your admissions chances will not be significantly affected.

That said, if you are applying to an English Literature or Creative Writing program with a well-developed essay and recommendations that emphasize your commitment to language, participation in Tier 3 and 4 writing competitions could help admissions officers conceptualize your passion for your future career.

Curious how the writing competition you participated in will affect your college admission chances? CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of factors—including grades, test scores, and extracurriculars—to estimate your odds of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities, while also providing insight into how to improve your profile.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Writing Contests for Young Writers – the NewPages Guide

Updated October 2, 2023

View Publications for Young Writers

Where young writers can find print and online literary magazines to read, places to publish their own works, and legitimate contests. Some publish only young writers, some publish all ages for young readers. For specific submission guidelines, visit the publication’s website. Ages can include elementary, teen, or early college. This is an ad-free resource: publications and writing contests listed here have not paid to be included. This guide is maintained by Editor Denise Hill, a teacher who loves to encourage young writers.

Safety Matters! We expect sites listed in this guide to adhere to the  Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act . This includes a transparent method for obtaining parental/guardian permission when collecting information from contributors under the age of 13 years old.

This is a select list of contests from reputable sources. There are many contests that charge fees, but for this resource, I have sought contests which mean to recognize and encourage young writers and do not charge reading or entry fees. Of those listed that do charge a fee, some provide a publication subscription in return as they are trying to gain new readers; that seems fair and the publishers are upfront about it. Other fee-based contests are from reputable members of the literary community, and the fee is considered reasonable in relation to the prize winnings being offered.

Please avoid contests that tell you you’ve won and then want you to purchase expensive copies of the book in which you have been published. These types of “scam” contests publish hundreds, even thousands of entrants, and profit greatly from book sales. These contests take advantage of young writers and inexperienced writers of all ages.

Also see the NCTE Guidelines for Contests , which is helpful for contest organizers who want to reach out to K-12 students and for teachers assessing the legitimacy of contests for their students.

Contest Deadlines : I make every effort to update the contest list monthly and update deadline dates as the contest sponsors update them on their websites. Contest dates may change without anyone notifying me, so users of this guide should check the contest website for the most accurate information. If a previous year’s date is noted here, then the contest sponsor may not have updated their website yet, but they will likely be running the contest again. Please check back here or on the contest sponsor’s site if you are interested in that contest.

January    February     March     April     May    June     July August     September     October     November     December

The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Grades 7-12 during the current school year Deadline: Varies by Region – Enter zip code to find deadline

The Earth Chronicles

Monthly Summer Writing Contests June/July/August Grades 6-12

Homer Humanities

Prompt-based Ages 10-22 Bimonthly

Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest

National Federation of State Poetry Societies Grades 6-12 Each participating state conducts its own contest with deadline. Each participating state sends its top entrants to the national contest. Click here for a list of participating states.

NAACP ACT-SO Program

Open to U.S. citizen students of African descent grades 9-12 Multiple categories within academic, scientific, and artistic achievement Requires local program oversight and participation that culminates in a national competition.

National History Day Project Competition

Junior Division (grades 6, 7, 8) and Senior Division (grades 9, 10, 11, 12) Categories: Paper, Performance, Documentary, Exhibit, Website Check the website for an affiliate region near you for timelines.

National PTA Reflections Awards

Grades Pre-K to 12 Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography and Visual Arts Each state holds its own contest, submitting winners to the national contest.

The New York Times

Ages 13-19 Various contests with varying deadlines Editorial Cartoon Contest, Civil Conversation Challenge, Review Contest, Year in Rap Contest, Vocabulary Video Contest, Editorial Contest, Found Poetry Contest, Summer Reading Contest

Poetry in Voice

A monthly poetry contest for Canadian students grades 9-12. Based on a monthly prompt. All poems submitted are considered for publication in Voices/Voix.

Six Word Memoirs

Six Words hold monthly contests for which writers must respond to a prompt in exactly six words.

Stone Soup Flash Contest

Stone Soup holds a monthly flash contest challenge based on a prompt for writers 13 and under.

Write the World

WtW holds monthly contests based on an idea or genre (poetry, fantasy, sports journalism, fiction, etc.). For young writers 13-18 years old.

An organization that runs quarterly writing contests with topics centered around different world issues, encouraging charity donations, and prompting teens 12-18 years old to reflect on current crises and inspiring solutions.

Youth Communication

Every three months, YC will highlight five recent articles and ask readers ages 14-19 to write a response to the author of a story (up to 300 words). Three winners will receive prizes of $150 (1st prize), $75 (2nd prize), and $50 (3rd prize.)

VSA Playwright Discovery Competition

Grades 6-12 / Ages 11-18 Ten-minute play, screenplay, or music theater exploring the disability experience Written by young writers with disabilities and collaborative groups that include students with disabilities Deadline: January 4, 2023

National Youth Foundation

Amazing Women Writing Contest Theme: Local Heroines Grades K-8 Deadline: January 9, 2023

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Sponsored by the JFK Memorial Library and John Hancock Grades 9-12 Deadline: January 13, 2023 postmark

Atkins Center for Ethics Essay Contest

Carlow University Grades 11 and 12 Deadline: January 15, 2023

Ringling College of Art and Design

High School Creative Writing Contest High School Age Writers Deadline: January 15, 2023

In Search of Walt Whitman

East Rock Films Essay, Video Essay, Performance High School Juniors/Seniors (U.S. or Canada) College Freshman/Sophomore (U.S. or Canada) Deadline: January 15, 2023

Northeastern University – London

[Formerly New College of the Humanities] Essay Competition Prompts provided in humanities and social sciences. Grade 12 only Deadline: January 16, 2023

Power to Explore Writing Challenge

California Institute of Technology U.S. Students in grades K-12 Deadline: January 17, 2023

Columbus State University

The Carson McCullars Literary Award Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Expository Essay, Playwriting, Screenwriting High School Age Category for Georgia and Alabama High School Students Deadline: January 27, 2023

Columbia College Chicago

Young Authors Writing Competition Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry High School Age Writers Deadline: January 30, 2023

Saint Mary’s College

River of Words Poetry and Art Contest Grades K-12 (Ages 5-19) Deadline: January 31, 2023

Outdoor Writers Association of America

Norm Strung Youth Writing Awards Grades 6-8 or 9-12 For outdoor-oriented works. Deadline: January 31, 2023

Arizona Mystery Writers

Mary Ann Hutchison Memorial Story Contest for Youths Ages 9-13; 14-17 Both age groups awarded prizes. Deadline: February 1, 2023

Bluefire 1000-word Story Contest

Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation Grades 6-12 Deadline: February 1, 2023

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Fiction in which the main character is a female who uses engineering skills to solve a problem. Grades 3-12 Deadline: February 1, 2023

Gannon University

High School Poetry Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: February 1, 2023

Holocaust Art and Writing Contest

Chapman University Grades Middle and High School Deadline: Postmark February 1, 2023 or by February 3, 2023 for digital submissions

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society

University of Central Florida Middle & High School Writing Contest Story, Poem, Essay Deadline: February 1, 2023

North Carolina Poetry Society

Student Poetry Contest Grades 3-College Undergraduate North Carolina Residents Only Deadline: February 3, 2023

U.S. Kids Annual Cover Art Contest

Ages 2-12 Deadline: February 1, 2023

Write On! Story Writing Contest

Ann Arbor District Library Flash Fiction and Short Story Grades 3-5 Open to Michigan Residents Only Deadline: February 6, 2023 [See March for Grades 6-12 contest.]

Korean Spirit & Culture Promotion Project

Nationwide Essay Contest Topic provided on website. Middle School and High School Deadline: February 12, 2023

Davidson Fellows Scholarship

Davidson Institute, Reno, NV Ages 18 and under as application date For completion of a significant work in STEM or Humanities categories Deadline: February 15, 2023

NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing

For Juniors in the current academic school year Students must be nominated by their school’s English Department Deadline: February 15, 2023

NCTE Promising Young Writers Program

For 8th grade students in the current academic year Students must be nominated by a school committee or department Deadline: February 15, 2023

Writopia Labs Worldwide Plays Festival

Micro-Play Contest Grades 1-12 Deadline: February 15, 2023

Society of Professional Journalists and Journalism Education Association

Essay based on prompt. Grades 9-12 U.S. Public, Private, & Home Schools Deadline: February 19, 2023

Curieux Research Scholarship Award

Middle or High School Students Deadline: February 20, 2023

Keats-Shelley Memorial Association

Young Romantics Prizes Poetry, Essay Ages 16-18 Deadline: February 23, 2022

Paterson Prize for Books for Young People

Open to books published in the previous year FOR young readers. Categories: Pre-K to Grade 3; Grades 4-6; Grades 7-12 Deadline: February 1, 2023

Polyphony Lit Black History Month Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open February 1-February 28, 2023

Polyphony Lit Winter Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open February 1 – February 28, 2023

American Society of Human Genetics

DNA Day Essay Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: March 1, 2023

Carl Sandburg Student Poetry Contest

Grades 3-12 Deadline: March 1, 2023

Dear Poet Project

Grades 5-12 Letters written in response to poets reading poems Select letters will be published online; Select letters will receive a response Deadline: March 1, 2023

Elephant Aid International Essay Contest

Essay Prompts Grade 3-5 and 6-8 Deadline: March 1, 2023

Project Yellow Light

Scholarship Competition Grades High School or College Video, Billboard, Radio PSA on not driving distracted [Also listed under April] Deadline: March 1, 2023

Cancer Unwrapped Teen Essay Writing Contest

Cancer Pathways Grades: 9-12 Deadline: March 3, 2023

It’s All Write! Teen Writing Contest

Ann Arbor District Library Flash Fiction and Short Story Grades 6-12 Open to Michigan Residents Only Deadline: March 5, 2023 [See February for Grades 3-5 contest.]

Taradiddle Youth Writing Contests

Animal-themed prompt-based fiction Age Categories: Elementary under 13; High School 14-18 Deadline: March 9, 2023

Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program

Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction/Memoir Online Flexible Dates June 20-August 1 High School and Gap Year Students Financial Aid Available Deadline: March 15, 2023

The Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Festival Competition

Original Plays or Musicals on any subject Ages 9-19 Deadline: March 15, 2023

Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition

The Word Works Grades 9-12 Deadline: March 15, 2023

West Chester University

Several contests for undergraduate college/university. Deadline: March 15, 2023

The Haiku Society of America

Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition Grades 7-12 Deadline: March 27, 2023

Radiant Peace Education Awards

Essay, Art, Video, Projects Grades 1-12 Deadline: Postmark March 23, 2023

Essay and Art Contest on Human and Civil Rights

Hindus for Human Rights Open to South Asian American students in grades 6-12 Deadline: March 30, 2022 [sent inquiry 3/19: plan to update soon]

ukiaHaiku Festival

Haiku Contest All Ages – Some Regional to California Counties No Fee (except for Adult Contemporary Haiku) Deadline: Will reopen in 2023 The website includes helpful guidelines for writing haiku.

The Caterpillar

Best Poem for Children Contest This contest is actually for adults writing for readers ages 7-11(ish). Deadline: March 31, 2023

Princeton University

Lewis Arts Center Ten-Minute Play Contest Grades 11 and 12 in the current school year Deadline: March 31, 2023

Sarah Mook Poetry Prize

Grades K-12 Deadline: March 31, 2023

The Sejong Cultural Society

Essay, Sijo (Poetry) Open to Pre-college and Young Adults Deadline: March 31, 2023

Scholarship Competition Grades High School or College Video, Billboard, Radio PSA on not driving distracted [Also listed under March] Deadline: April 1, 2023

United States Institute for Peace

High School Essay Contest Deadline: April 3, 2023

American Foreign Service Association

High School Essay Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: April 4, 2023

All-Media Public Anti-Hate Message Contest Grade Categories: K12; 7-12 Grade; Higher Education Individual and Class Group Submissions Deadline: December 1, 2023 and April 5, 2024

The Legacy Project

“Listen to a Life” Writing Contest Ages 8-18 Deadline: April 14, 2023

We the Students Essay Contest

Bill of Rights Institute Ages 14-19 Deadline: on hiatus for 22-23

Americans Against Gun Violence

National High School Essay Contest Theme provided on website. Deadline: April 15, 2023

Short on Words

Poetry or Prose in response to one of ten photographs. Age Categories 17 and under, 18 and older $10 Nonprofit fundraising entry fee Deadline: April 22, 2022 [Sent inquiry 3/19; said site should be updated soon.]

fingers comma toes

National Flash Fiction Day Youth Competition All ages Deadline: April 30, 2023

The Wilbur & NISO Smith Foundation

Author of Tomorrow Adventure Writing Contest Ages 11 and under; 12-15; 16-21 Deadline: April 30, 2023

Under the Madness Magazine

Teen Poetry Contest Ages 13-19 Deadline: April 30, 2023

Leaders Igniting Generational Healing & Transformation Under 18 category “How might we recreate public health as art, letters, stories, and poetry?” Letters, Poetry, Stories, Art, and a “Surprise Us” category Deadline: May 1, 2023

New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

YouthPLAYS Non-musical, one-act play suitable for HS audience Written by Playwrights 19 years and under Deadline: May 1, 2023

World Historian Student Essay Competition

World History Association Grades K-12 Deadline: May 1, 2023

Skipping Stones Asian Celebration Haiku Contest

Ages 7-18 Deadline: May 5, 2023

Skipping Stones Youth Honors Award

Promoting Multicultural Awareness, International Understanding and Nature Appreciation Original Writing and Art Ages 7-17 Deadline: May 5, 2023

Holocaust Center for Humanity

Holocaust Writing, Art, and Film Contest Open to ages 9-18 in WA, OR, ID, AK Deadline: May 15, 2023

Go On Girl! Scholarships

Aspiring Writer and Unpublished Writer Each has unique criteria; See website Deadline: May 15, 2023

The Roadrunner Review

High School Writing Contest Poetry and Prose (“any genre”) Deadline: May 15, 2022 [Publication on hiatus as of 1/4/23.]

Toyin Fálọlá Prize

Short Story Theme: Africanfuturism Ages 15-35 Entrants must be African Deadline: May 15, 2022 [sent inquiry 3/19]

Quills and Keyboard

Poetry, Song Lyrics, SciFi, Fantasy, Short Story, Personal Essay, Memoir, Novel Excerpts, Journalism, Humor, Flash Fiction, Dramatic Script, Critical Essay, Horror, Philosophy, Speeches, Classic Literary Adaptations High School Students 14+ Deadline: May 20, 2023

Humane Education Network

A Voice for Animals Essay Contest for 14-15 and 16-18-year-olds Video Action Project for 16-18-year-olds Essay with Photos for 16-18-year-olds Deadline: May 21, 2023

The Adroit Journal

Prizes for Poetry and Prose Open to Secondary and Undergraduate Students Fee Waiver Request Form available Deadline: May 31, 2022

Last House Writing Contest for Emerging Writers

Sponsored by Audubon Canyon Ranch Essay, Short Story, Poetry Age Categories 8-12 years old and 13-17 years old Deadline: May 17, 2023

California Young Playwrights Contest

Open to residents of California only. Ages Under 19 as of June 1 Deadline: June 1, 2023

Fraser Institute Student Essay Contest

Open to students studying in Canada and Canadian students studying abroad. High School / Undergraduate / Graduate Categories Topic changes each year Deadline: June 1, 2023

Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Ages High School / College / Graduate School Topic changes each year Deadline: June 1, 2023

Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest

“Youth” Category of High School Age and Younger Deadline: June 1, 2023

Natures Wild Neighbour Society

“Get to Know Your Wild Neighbors” Art, Writing, Photography, Videography, Music Ages 11-18 Deadline: June 1, 2023

John Estey Student Writing Competition

American Writers Museum Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Cross-Genre, Drama/Playwriting, Hybrid Elementary, Middle, and High School Categories Deadline: June 5, 2023

Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

Art, Poetry, Prose, Film, Music, Multimedia, Performing Arts, Spoken Word Ages 11-18 Deadline: June 13, 2023

Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Contest

Theme Essay Contest Ages 25 and under Deadline: June 15, 2023

National Teen Storyteller Contest: Solidarity

The Center for Fiction and The Decameron Project Ages 13-18 Deadline: June 1-June 25, 2022

Chicago Young Writers Review (CYWR)

Theme: “The Story That Made Me Feel” Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry Grades K-8 Deadline: June 30, 2022

Eden Mills Writers’ Festival

Poetry Contest for Children Ontario Residents Only Grades 1-3, Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8 Deadline: June 30, 2022

Poetry Contest for Teens Ontario Residents Only Grades 9-10 and Grades 11-12 Deadline: June 30, 2022

The Geek Partnership Society

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural and Alternate History Fiction Poetry, Fiction, Graphic Novel Various age categories (K-Adult) Deadline: [on hiatus for 2023]

Polyphony Lit Pride Month Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open June 1-June 30, 2023

Polyphony Lit Summer Contest

Theme: “2020 Hindsight” Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open June 1-June 30, 2023

Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Award

Ages: Adult; Youth (13-18); Youth (12 and under) No fee for 12 and under. Deadline: Postmark July 1, 2023

1455 Teen Poetry Contest

Ages 13-19 Deadline: July 4, 2023

Johnson County Library Youth Short Story Contest

Short Story in Verse on a theme Grades 3-12 Deadline: Postmark July 6, 2023

Johnson County Library Youth Sticker Design Contest

Theme: “Oceans of Possibilities!” Ages 11 and under Deadline: Postmark July 6, 2023

Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize

State University of New York Only undergraduates enrolled full-time in American and Canadian universities and colleges for the academic year are eligible Deadline: July 14, 2022

Youth Innovation Challange

Global Environmental Education Partnership Themed Essay Contest Ages 15-30 Deadline: July 19, 2023

NCTE Excellence in Student Literary Magazines

Open to all accredited middle and secondary schools (US, CA, VI, US schools abroad) Deadline: July 31, 2023

Student Book Scholars

National Youth Foundation Theme: Anti-Bullying Grades K-8 Deadline: July 15, 2023

“I Matter” Poetry Contest

National Youth Foundation Topic: “Black Lives Matter” Grades: K-12 Deadline: July 23, 2023

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award

The Poetry Society Ages 11-17 Deadline: July 31, 2023

The Lincoln Forum

Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest Specific topic posted on the website. For full-time college/university students. Deadline: Postmark July 31, 2023

Stone Soup Book Contest

Fiction, Memoir, Poetry Manuscript Ages 14 or under for 2023 Deadline: August 15, 2023

Young Writers Project

Summer of Stories 2022 Written and Visual Submissions – All genres Grades K-12 Deadline: August 15, 2022

Wax Poetry and Art Poetry Contest

Ages under 25 Deadline: August 31, 2023

William Faulkner Literary Competition

Student Short Story Category Open to Mississippi High School Students Deadline: August 31, 2023

Woolgathering Young Voices Prize

Poetry Ages under 22 years Deadline: September 1, 2022

Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize

Topic Essay Contest Grade 12 or equivalent Deadline: September 2, 2022

Youth Free Expression Film Contest

National Coalition Against Censorship Ages 19 and under Deadline: September 8, 2023

Gigantic Sequins: Teen Sequins

Poetry Ages 14-18 (before June 2022) Deadline: September 12, 2022

Animal-themed prompt-based fiction Age Categories: Elementary under 13; High School 14-18 Deadline: September 21, 2023

Art of Unity Creative Award

International Human Rights Art Festival Poetry, Short Story, Essay as well as any creative media Youth Age Category 18 and under Deadline: September 30, 2022

Creators of Justice Literary Awards

International Human Rights Art Festival Poetry, Short Story, Essay 2500 words or less on Human Rights Theme Youth Age Category 18 and under Deadline: September 30, 2022

Embracing Our Differences

Art Exhibit and Quote Contest For all ages Deadline: October 5, 2023

National YoungArts Foundation

Ages 15-18 Various Arts Categories Receive up to $10k + educational support Applications Open June 12 – October 13, 2023

American Geosciences Institute

Earth Science Week Essay Contest Theme: “Finding ‘Art’ in Earth” Grades 6-9 Deadline: October 13, 2023

Polyphony Lit Latin Heritage Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open September 15 – October 15, 2023

Polyphony Lit Fall Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open October 1 – October 31, 2023

VFW Patriot’s Pen

Themed Essay Competition Grades 6-8 Deadline: October 31, 2023

VFW Voice of Democracy

Audio Essay Competition Grades 9-12 Deadline: October 31, 2023

Hollins University

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest For High School Sophomore and Junior Girls Deadline: October 31, 2022

Bennington College

Young Writers Competition Grades 10-12 Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction Deadline: November 1, 2023

Interlochen Arts Academy

Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition Fiction, Poetry, Spoken Word Personal essay or memoir, Screenwriting, Playwriting, Comics, Experimental or unclassifiable writing Grades 8-11 Deadline: November 15, 2023

Theme: A Story Worth Telling Fiction, Nonfiction, POetry Grades K-8 Deadline: November 7, 2022

Lions International

International Peace Essay Contest Ages 11, 12, 13 years old on November 15, 2023 Open to students who are considered visually impaired according to their national guidelines.

Rachel Carson Sense of the Wild Contest

Poetry and Prose w/ or w/o Photograph Intergenerational Team of two or more only Deadline: November 16, 2023

Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Open Call for Submissions Ages 15 or younger Deadline: November 16, 2023

One Teen Story Contest

Open Call for Submissions Ages 13-15, 16-17, 18-19 Deadline: November 27, 2023

Leonard Milberg ’53 Secondary School Poetry Prize Any student who is in the eleventh grade in the academic year is eligible. Deadline: November 27, 2022

International Bipolar Foundation

High School Essay Contest Ages 13-29 Deadline: October 15 – November 30, 2022

Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Kenyon Review High School Sophomores and Juniors Award: First place: Full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop and publication. Second and third place: Publication. Deadline: November 1 – 30, 2023

NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program

National Novel Writing Month November 1 – 30, 2023 Many free events year-round; visit their website for details.

The Telling Room

Themed Poetry and Fiction Grades 6-12 / Ages 11-18 For Maine Residents only Deadline: November 30, 2023

Literacy In Place

Rural Teen Writing Contest Fiction, Nonfiction Grades 9-12 Deadline: December 1, 2023

Smith College

The Poetry Center High School Prize An annual prize for sophomore & junior girls in New England Deadline: September 1 – December 1, 2022

Essay, Art Grades 1-8 Deadline: December 4, 2022 Note: This contest is run twice each year. See entry under March/April.

Quantum Shorts

Short Story “Entries must take inspiration from quantum physics and be no longer than 1000 words.” Ages 13+ Alternates between sci-fi and sci films each year. Deadline: December 6, 2022

Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation Essay Contest

Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation Essay Contest High School Students Deadline: December 10, 2022

Rider University

Annual High School Writing Contest Grades 9-12 Essay, Short Story, Poetry Deadline: December 20, 2022

The Fire Scholarship Contest

Essay: Prompt using video examples on topic of Free Speech Grades High School Juniors & Seniors Deadline: December 31, 2021 [On hiatus 2022; check back in August for 2023]

The Fitzgerald Museum

Fiction, Poetry, Multi-Genre High School and College Students Deadline: September 1 – December 31, 2022

Kay Snow Student Writing Contest

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry Grades 1-12 and College Deadline: December 31, 2021

Kay Snow YA Writing Contest

Roland Smith Award for YA and Middle-Grade Fiction Written by adults for young adult or middle-grade readers. Deadline: December 31, 2021 [Submissions open in November; check back for deadline.]

The Lyric Magazine

Poetry Contest Undergraduate Students – USA and Canada Deadline: Postmark December 31, 2023

Poetry Society of America

Louise Louis/Emily F. Bourn Student Award Poetry Award Teacher/Administrator Nominated unpublished poem by 9-12 grade student. Deadline: Postmark October 1-December 31, 2023

The Society of Classical Poets

Poetry Competition Ages 13-19 Deadline: December 31, 2023 [New info is posted September 1]

Looking for a list of publications that publish young writers? Check out our guide here .

The NewPages Young Writers Guide to Contests is a free and ad-free resource for anyone looking for writing contests for teens, writing contests for high school students, scholastic writing contests, writing contests for middle school students, writing contests for kids, high school writing contests, writing contests for elementary students, creative writing contests for high school students, poetry contests for high school students.

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The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024

Help your students take their writing to the next level.

When students write for teachers, it can feel like an assignment. When they write for a real purpose, they are empowered! Student writing contests are a challenging and inspiring way to try writing for an authentic audience— a real panel of judges —and the possibility of prize money or other incentives. We’ve gathered a list of the best student writing contests, and there’s something for everyone. Prepare highly motivated kids in need of an authentic writing mentor, and watch the words flow.

1.  The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

With a wide range of categories—from critical essays to science fiction and fantasy—The Scholastic Awards are a mainstay of student contests. Each category has its own rules and word counts, so be sure to check out the options  before you decide which one is best for your students.

How To Enter

Students in grades 7-12, ages 13 and up, may begin submitting work in September by uploading to an online account at Scholastic and connecting to their local region. There are entry fees, but those can be waived for students in need.

2.  YoungArts National Arts Competition

This ends soon, but if you have students who are ready to submit, it’s worth it. YoungArts offers a national competition in the categories of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word. Student winners may receive awards of up to $10,000 as well as the chance to participate in artistic development with leaders in their fields.

YoungArts accepts submissions in each category through October 13. Students submit their work online and pay a $35 fee (there is a fee waiver option).

3. National Youth Foundation Programs

Each year, awards are given for Student Book Scholars, Amazing Women, and the “I Matter” Poetry & Art competition. This is a great chance for kids to express themselves with joy and strength.

The rules, prizes, and deadlines vary, so check out the website for more info.

4.  American Foreign Service National High School Essay Contest

If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington, DC.

Students fill out a registration form online, and a teacher or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is the first week of April.

5.  John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

This annual contest invites students to write about a political official’s act of political courage that occurred after Kennedy’s birth in 1917. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up also receive a variety of cash prizes.

Students may submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay through January 12. The essay must feature more than five sources and a full bibliography.

6. Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College offers competitions in three categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), and nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). First-place winners receive $500. Grab a poster for your classroom here .

The contest runs from September 1 to November 1. The website links to a student registration form.

7. The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest

Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? This exclusive competition, which is open only to high school juniors, is judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University. Students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. ( Note: Only open to 11th graders. )

Students submit one 10-page play script online or by mail. The deadline is the end of March. Contest details will be published in early 2024.

8. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in 11th grade. Prizes range from $100 to $500.

Students in 11th grade can submit their poetry. Contest details will be published this fall.

9. The New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest

This contest is also a wonderful writing challenge, and the New York Times includes lots of resources and models for students to be able to do their best work. They’ve even made a classroom poster !

Submissions need to be made electronically by November 1.

10.  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

The deadline for this contest is the end of October. Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Prizes include cash and scholarships. Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins.

Students may submit either one or two poems using the online form.

11.  The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open to high school sophomores and juniors, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a  Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop .

Submissions for the prize are accepted electronically from November 1 through November 30.

12. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 and publication by entering an essay on a topic specified by the Jane Austen Society related to a Jane Austen novel.

Details for the 2024 contest will be announced in November. Essay length is from six to eight pages, not including works cited.

13. Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Open to students from 15 to 18 years old who are interested in publication and exposure over monetary awards.

Teachers may choose five students for whom to submit up to four poems each on their behalf. The deadline is November 15.

14. The Black River Chapbook Competition

This is a chance for new and emerging writers to gain publication in their own professionally published chapbook, as well as $500 and free copies of the book.

There is an $18 entry fee, and submissions are made online.

15. YouthPlays New Voices

For students under 18, the YouthPlays one-act competition is designed for young writers to create new works for the stage. Winners receive cash awards and publication.

Scroll all the way down their web page for information on the contest, which accepts non-musical plays between 10 and 40 minutes long, submitted electronically. Entries open each year in January.

16. The Ocean Awareness Contest

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest, Tell Your Climate Story , encourages students to write their own unique climate story. They are asking for creative expressions of students’ personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about climate change. Students are eligible for a wide range of monetary prizes up to $1,000.

Students from 11 to 18 years old may submit work in the categories of art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, accompanied by a reflection. The deadline is June 13.

17. EngineerGirl Annual Essay Contest

Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world, and students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. The new contest asks for pieces describing the life cycle of an everyday object. Check out these tips for integrating the content into your classroom .

Students submit their work electronically by February 1. Check out the full list of rules and requirements here .

18. NCTE Student Writing Awards

The National Council of Teachers of English offers several student writing awards, including Achievement Awards in Writing (for 10th- and 11th-grade students), Promising Young Writers (for 8th-grade students), and an award to recognize Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines.

Deadlines range from October 28 to February 15. Check out NCTE.org for more details.

19. See Us, Support Us Art Contest

Children of incarcerated parents can submit artwork, poetry, photos, videos, and more. Submissions are free and the website has a great collection of past winners.

Students can submit their entries via social media or email by October 25.

20. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry & Prose

The Adroit Journal, an education-minded nonprofit publication, awards annual prizes for poetry and prose to exceptional high school and college students. Adroit charges an entry fee but also provides a form for financial assistance.

Sign up at the website for updates for the next round of submissions.

21. National PTA Reflections Awards

The National PTA offers a variety of awards, including one for literature, in their annual Reflections Contest. Students of all ages can submit entries on the specified topic to their local PTA Reflections program. From there, winners move to the local area, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.

This program requires submitting to PTAs who participate in the program. Check your school’s PTA for their deadlines.

22. World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international contest open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, as well as those in home-study programs. The $500 prize is based on an essay that addresses one of this year’s two prompts.

Students can submit entries via email or regular mail before May 1.

23. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

The National Society of High School Scholars awards three $2,000 scholarships for both poetry and fiction. They accept poetry, short stories, and graphic novel writing.

Apply online by October 31.

Whether you let your students blog, start a podcast or video channel, or enter student writing contests, giving them an authentic audience for their work is always a powerful classroom choice.

If you like this list of student writing contests and want more articles like it, subscribe to our newsletters to find out when they’re posted!

Plus, check out our favorite anchor charts for teaching writing., you might also like.

The Big List of Student Contests and Competitions

50+ contests for STEM, ELA and the arts, and more! Continue Reading

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• June 3, 2021

10 Writing Competitions for High School Students in 2021-2022

Are you an aspiring novelist, a hobby writer, or a burgeoning poet? Have you tried your hand at nonfiction essays or playwriting? If so, you might be a great candidate for a national, regional, or state writing competition for high school students. Although specifics of each competition vary widely, these are usually great opportunities to showcase your talents, win some scholarship money, and buff up your writer’s resume. You might even get the chance to publish your work in a major journal or literary magazine or gain a mentor.

Here are ten writing competitions with deadlines during the 2021-2022 school year that you can start preparing yourself for right now. While most of these competitions are only for U.S. citizens, some are open to international students as well. Check each competition’s webpage for more information.

Genres: Nonfiction, Novel, Play or Script, Poetry, Short Story, Spoken Word

Award: Up to $10,000 and national recognition

Eligibility: US citizens and permanent resident/green card recipients in grades 10-12 or

15-18 years of age on December 1, 2021

Fee: $35 (waivers available)

Deadline: October 15, 2021 at 11:59 pm EST

YoungArts is one of the most prestigious artistic competitions in the country, encompassing a wide variety of disciplines and forms. Through this competition, the National YoungArts Foundation identifies the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts, and provides them with creative and professional development opportunities throughout their careers.

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Award: Up to $10,000 and national, state, and/or regional recognition

Eligibility: Grade 7-12 or 13+ years old

Fee: $7 per individual, $25 per portfolio (waivers available)

Deadline: December 2021/January 2022 (depends on region)

The Awards give students opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Students across America entered nearly 230,000 original works in 2021 in 28 different categories of art and writing.

The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest

Genre: Nonfiction

Award: Up to $2,500 an all-expense paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at

Eligibility: U.S. citizens in grades 9-12 or whose parents are in the Foreign Service

Deadline: TBD; Likely spring 2022

Although details for the 2021-2022 contest are not yet available, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)’s National High School Essay Contest encourages students to think about how and why the United States engages globally to build peace, and about the role that diplomacy plays in advancing U.S. national security and economic prosperity.

VFW Voice of Democracy

Award: Up to $30,000 in scholarships

Eligibility: U.S. Citizens in grades 9-12

Deadline: October 31, 2021 at midnight

Established in 1947, our Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 64,500 9-12 grade students from across the country enter to win their share of more than $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program. All student entries must be submitted to a sponsoring local VFW Post.

Bennington Young Writers Awards

Genres: Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry

Award: Up to $500 and potential scholarships at Bennington College

Eligibility: U.S. and international students in grades 9-12

Deadline: November 1, 2021

Bennington launched the Young Writers Awards to promote excellence in writing at the high school level. All entries must be original work reviewed, approved, and sponsored by a high school teacher. Winners’ works will be published on Bennington’s website.

YouthPlays New Voices One-Act Competition

Genre: Playwriting

Award: Up to $250 and publication by YouthPlays

Eligibility: Unpublished plays by playwrights younger 19 or younger

Deadline: Submissions open January 2022, deadline likely in May 2022

YouthPLAYS, the publisher of challenging, entertaining plays and musicals for schools, youth theatres, universities, community theatres, and professional theatres for young audiences, hosts an annual New Voices competition for unpublished, non-musical one-acts between 10-40 minutes in length. Specific details for this year’s contest will be announced at the beginning of next year.

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

Genre: Poetry

Award: Scholarships to Young Writers Workshop, publication

Eligibility: Grades 10 & 11

Deadline: Submissions open November 1-30, 2021

Hosted annually by the Kenyon Review, the Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize was created in 2007 to recognize outstanding young poets. The Kenyon Review also hosts a Short Fiction and Short Nonfiction competition yearly for a wide variety of authors.

Center for Environmental Literacy — River of Words

Award: Recognition and publication

Eligibility: Grades K-12 and/or ages 5-20

Deadline: December 1, 2021 for U.S. students, except in GA or AZ

February 1, 2022 for international students and students in GA or AZ

This free, annual, international youth poetry and art contest — the largest in the world — inspires children ages 5 to 19 to translate their observations into creative expression. Submit original poetry around the theme of the contest: “watersheds.”

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Award: Up to $10,000

Eligibility: U.S. citizens in grades 9-12

Deadline: TBD, likely early 2022

The Profile in Courage Essay Contest challenges students to write an original and creative essay that demonstrates an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage . This is a great fit for any student interested in government, politics, or history.

The Concord Review

Genres: Nonfiction, historical research

Award: Potential to win The Emerson Prize

Eligibility: Work completed while you were a high school student

Deadline: Rolling basis

The Concord Review was founded in March 1987 to recognize and publish exemplary history essays by high school students in the English-speaking world. Although this is not a traditional writing competition, it offers students the opportunity to publish their historical research and gain recognition throughout the academic year. Outstanding submissions may even receive the Emerson Prize, an award named after essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. The entry fee is steeper than most, but it comes with a year-long subscription to The Concord Review.

What are you waiting for? Polish your submissions and share your work today. If you’re looking for help editing your work or general guidance during the college admissions process, don’t hesitate to set up a free consultation today.

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15 Writing Competitions for High School Students

Whichever field you’re passionate about, being able to write well can help you make an impact. Be it in research, for a college application, in an assignment, or simply to express yourself, writing is essential to communicating your thoughts. The ability to write well can set you apart! This is why every year, organizations around the world host competitions to celebrate this skill in students. Participating in and doing well at these competitions does more than just make your college application look good - several writing competitions also offer the chance to win cash prizes and scholarships to summer programs! Writing contests often offer multiple levels of recognition, so you do not have to be the top winner to earn a title that will recognize your work and look good on applications! In this article, we bring to you 15 writing contests that offer high school students the chance to showcase their talent, and exercise their creativity through writing.

Here are 15 Writing Competitions for High School Students:

1. National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards

The National Council of Teachers of English hosts these awards every year to encourage high school students who write. Students submit one themed essay based on a specified prompt and one composition in any genre of their choice which displays their best work. A certificate and a letter are given to students who are assessed to have exceptional writing skills. Their names can be seen on the NCTE website as well. Juniors in high school who have been nominated by their English department are eligible to compete.

2. National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

This contest accepts entries in a variety of genres, including critical essays, dramatic screenplays, flash fiction, personal essays, and short stories, and begins regionally and advances to the national level.

Regional competitions are held by local organizations, and the winners are sent to the national level for consideration. There is a $5 per entry or $20 per portfolio submission charge, however it can be waived for those who apply and meet the criteria for financial aid.

Students get Honorable Mentions, Silver or Gold Keys, or Nominations for the American Visions and Voices Medals at the regional level. Gold and Silver Medals, as well as the American Visions and Voices Medal, which acts as a "Best in Show" award for each region, are awarded to regional Gold Key winners. National award winners are invited to Carnegie Hall in New York City for a National Ceremony and Celebration. At the national level, there are various sponsored monetary rewards that vary by genre and sponsor, and certain National Medal winners will also be picked for college scholarships or summer programs.

Students in grades 7 through 12 in the United States are able to participate.

3. Princeton University Contests

Princeton University hosts two contests for high school juniors. One is a poetry contest judged by members of the Princeton University Creative Writing faculty. The other is a Ten-Minute Play Contest judged by members of the Princeton University Program in Theater faculty. Each contest has a first place prize of $500, second place prize of $250, and third place prize of $100.

4. The Bennington Young Writers Awards

This tournament is open to students in grades 10 through 12, and the judging panel includes faculty and students from Bennington College. Seven Pulitzer Prize winners, three US poet laureates, and a slew of New York Times bestsellers are among the college's graduates. Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction are all acceptable forms of submission (personal and academic essays). Each category's first-place winner receives $500, while second-place winners receive $250.

5. YoungArts

In 1981, the National YoungArts Foundation was established with the goal of identifying and supporting the next generation of artists in the artistic, literary, and performing arts. Each year, thousands of students apply, and the winners are selected to attend weeklong programs in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Students participate in workshops with master artists as part of these programs. A $35 application fee is required, however cost exemptions are available for those who qualify. Honorable Mentions from each region are asked to attend regional workshops. Finalists are invited to National YoungArts Week, where they will have the opportunity to meet with the judges and compete for cash prizes of up to $10,000. Finalists are also eligible for a nomination as a US Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Students in grades 10th to 12th are eligible to apply.

6. AFSA's National High School Essay Contest

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) collaborate to host this annual contest, which aims to "engage high school students in learning and writing about issues of peace and conflict, encouraging appreciation for diplomacy's role in building partnerships that can advance peacebuilding and protect national security." One winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize, an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., and a full scholarship to the Semester at Sea Program for one semester upon admission at an accredited university. One runner-up will receive a cash reward of $1,250 as well as a full scholarship to the National Student Leadership Conference's International Diplomacy Program. Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in the USA.

7. We the Students Essay Contest by Bill of Rights Institute

This essay contest, sponsored by the Bill of Rights Institute, encourages students to think critically and creatively about people's rights and how they affect society. One grand prize winner will earn $5,000 in addition to a Constitutional Academy scholarship. Six runners-up will each receive $1,250, and eight honorable mentions will each receive $500. Citizens or legal residents of the United States between the ages of 14 and 19 are eligible.

8. Profile in Courage Essay Contest by JFK Presidential Library

This competition is based on JFK's book Profiles in Courage, which told the tales of eight U.S. senators who showed political courage by standing up for a larger good while sacrificing their careers in the process. Entrants must describe and analyze an act of political courage in the form of a similar profile for the competition. The first-place reward is $20,000 in this competition. Twenty-five smaller cash prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000 are also available.

The competition is open to high school students in the United States in grades nine through twelve.

9. VFW Voice of Democracy

Our Voice of Democracy audio-essay program, which began in 1947, gives high school students the opportunity to express themselves through a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Nearly 64,500 school kids from grades 9 to 12 from across the country join each year, for a chance to earn a piece of the more than $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives provided via the program. All student entries must be submitted to a local VFW Post that is supporting the event. Students in grades 9 through 12 are eligible to compete. 10. SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

This contest, sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association, urges students to consider the role of the press in American society. Essays should be between 300 and 500 words long.

The first-place winner receives a $1,000 scholarship, second-place receives $500, and third-place receives $300. The competition is accessible to students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States. The registration fee for the competition is $5.

11. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 by entering an essay on a specified topic related to Jane Austen novels. In addition, each winner will receive a year of membership to the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and a collection of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen's novels. The winning pieces appear on the JASNA website as well. The theme of the 2022 Essay Contest is based on Jane Austen's first published novel, Sense & Sensibility. Students from all around the world are welcome to enter, however all contributions must be written in English.

12. Engineer Girl Annual Essay Contest

Engineer Girl hosts an essay contest every year that focuses on the impact of engineering on the world. Prize money of up to $500 is available to students. This competition is a great way to combine English language writing with STEM research. Students can send in their submissions via the internet. The contest is open to individual girls and boys in the following three competition categories: Elementary School students (grades 3-5), Middle School students (grades 6-8), or High School students (grades 9-12). The word limit for submissions varies depending on the grade level.

13. Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder / Sense of the Wild Contest

Entries for this writing contest must be submitted by a team, consisting of at least two people, representing different generations (for example, a student and a teacher or a teenager and her grandmother). Submission categories include poetry and essays, along with optional photographic elements. Annual topics for the contest are tied to nature. Winners receive a certificate from the Rachel Carson Landmark Alliance, and have their winning entry posted on the RCLA website.

14. World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12. Winners receive $500 and a one year membership in the World History Association. Each competitor submits an essay that addresses the issue: "In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which I live?"

15. John Locke Essay Competition

The John Locke Essay Competition is hosted by the John Locke Institute, a non-profit educational organization based in Oxford, United Kingdom. The John Locke Institute promotes young people to develop the qualities that make great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasive style. Senior professors from the University of Oxford assess the submissions. The judges select their favourite essay from each subject group, as well as an overall "best essay" from all seven subjects.

Bonus entry: Atlas Shrugged novel Essay Contest

The Atlas Shrugged novel essay contest is open to all students globally. Atlas Shrugged is a heroic mystery novel written by Ayn Rand. Choose a prompt and write an 800-1,600 word essay in English. First prize: $10,000; 3 second prizes: $2,000; 5 third prizes: $1,000; 25 finalists: $100; 50 semifinalists: $50. Entry is free!

Learn the art of academic writing with the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you are interested in a selective, structured research program, consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers. The program pairs you with a full-time researcher to develop your own independent research project, in any discipline of your choice. Last year over 1500 students applied to 500 slots in the research program! You can find the application form here.

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Friday, February 12, 2021

• 11 Writing Contests for High School Students with Cash Awards

Calling all high school student writers! If you’re looking for scholarships or ways to fund your future education, look no further than writing contests. 

If you are a talented writer, you can find plenty of contests that will allow you to submit your writing for consideration. Many of them offer cash prizes and/or scholarships. 

Below are 11 writing contests for high school students, but you can find plenty of other contests, both niche and general, by searching online.

1. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards celebrate art created by students age 13 and older in grades 7 through 12 on both a regional and national scale. You can submit in a huge variety of categories and styles, and you can enter awards that have cash prizes or scholarships.

Categories include science fiction and fantasy writing, critical essays, humor, dramatic scripts, and more.

Prizes vary as well. Gold medal portfolio winners can earn a $10,000 scholarship, and silver medal winners with distinction can earn a $1,000 scholarship, and there are more options for various categories. Fees to apply also vary by region, but the fee is generally $7 for a single entry and $25 for a portfolio entry.

Since these contests vary, you can use Scholastic’s Affiliate Partner search to find out when projects are due for your specific area.

2. Young Lions Fiction Award

To apply for this award, sponsored by the New York Public Library, any writer age 35 or younger may submit a novel or collection of short stories.

Each year, a reading committee of Young Lions members, writers, editors, and librarians select five finalists, and a panel of judges selects the winner.

The winner of this award will receive a $10,000 scholarship.

The deadline to apply is usually in September of the scholarship year, and it’s free to apply.

3. Ocean Awareness Contest

Students ages 11 through 18 from around the world are invited to participate in the Ocean Awareness Contest by submitting work in the form of visual art, creative writing, film, interactive and multimedia, performing arts, and poetry and spoken word.

The Junior Division is for students ages 11 through 14, and the Senior Division is for students ages 15 through 18.

In the Junior Division, the Gold Award is $1,000, Silver $750, Bronze $250, and Honorable Mention $50. In the Senior Division, the Gold Award is $1,500, Silver $1,000, Bronze $500, and Honorable Mention $100.

The 2021 theme is WATER RISING, and students can choose from five different prompts to which they will respond through their choice of submission.

4. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

Each year, the Adroit Prizes awards two students who must be in high school or studying at the undergraduate level. 

Submissions may include up to six poems (maximum of ten pages single-spaced) and/or up to three works of prose (combined word limit of 3,500 words). Students may submit excerpts of longer works if they choose. 

Simultaneous submissions are also accepted, as long as students acknowledge in their cover letter that the work has been submitted elsewhere. Students may only submit one work per genre, per year, but they may submit entries to both the poetry and prose categories in a given year.

The submission fee is $13, but students can fill out a form if they need financial assistance.

All submissions will be considered for publication in the Adroit Journal , and winners will be awarded $200. 

The deadline for this prize is typically in April each year.

5. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

High school students of all ages are eligible for this creative writing scholarship, sponsored by the National Society of High School Scholars. Students can submit work (that has not been previously published) in one or both categories: poetry and fiction. 

In the poetry category, students may submit their original poetry in any style, from formal verse to free verse and experiment. The poem should be formatted as you wish it to appear in publication.

In the fiction category, students may submit a piece of short fiction, no more than 5,000 words and not single-spaced. The student may choose any genre, including graphic novel or short story.

A prize of $2,000 will be awarded to one student winner in each category.

Though the submissions are closed for the 2020 scholarship, the 2021 scholarship applications will be open, likely sometime in the spring of 2021.

6. YoungArts Competition

Emerging artists ages 15 through 18, or grades 10 through 12, are invited to apply for this award in various disciplines, including visual arts, writing, and music, by submitting a portfolio of work. The winner is selected through a blind adjudication process conducted by an independent panel of highly accomplished artists. 

There is a $35 application fee, but it can be waived.

Winners of the YoungArts Competition receive financial awards up to $10,000, creative and professional development experiences with renowned guest artists, and eligibility for a nomination as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the arts. 

The application for the 2021 competition is closed, but the 2022 YoungArts application will open in the summer of 2021. By visiting the website, you can sign up for application news and updates.

7. The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest

US students grade 9 through 12, as well as students in the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, or US citizens attending school abroad or at home are welcome to submit an essay identifying the United States’ strengths and weaknesses in establishing peace in foreign countries. The essay must be between 1,000 and 1,250 words and answer three questions about US foreign policy and national security.

The winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize as well as a Washington D.C. trip and a scholarship to attend Semester at Sea. A runner-up will receive $1,250 and a scholarship to attend the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

The deadline to apply is April 5, 2021, and there’s no application fee.

8. The Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest

Students in the eleventh grade (or international equivalent) are eligible for this annual playwriting contest. Each year, the jury consists of members of the Princeton University Program in Theater faculty.

Applicants may submit only one play of 10 pages maximum. 

The award for first prize is $500, second prize $250, and third prize $100.

Entries for the 2021 prize are due by March 31, 2021 at 11:59 pm EST.

9. We the Students Essay Contest

This contest, run by the Bill of Rights Institute, asks students to answer the question, “What are the essential qualities of a citizen in your community in 21st century America?” in an essay between 500 and 800 words. 

Students must be US citizens or legal residents between the ages of 14 and 19 attending public, private, charter, or religious schools in the U.S., U.S. territories or districts, or Armed Forces schools abroad to apply. Home-schooled students and those enrolled in correspondence or GED programs are also eligible to apply.

One national winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a scholarship to Constitutional Academy. 6 runners-up will receive $1,250 each, and eight honorable mentions will receive $500 each. 

The deadline to enter is April 15, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST.

10. Young Writers Awards

To promote excellence in writing at the high school level, Bennington College invites submissions from students in grades 9 through 12 for this annual award.

Students may submit work in three different categories:

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

A first, second, and third place winner is selected in each category. First place winners are awarded $500, second place $250, and third place $125.

There is no fee to enter this competition, which typically runs from September 3 to November 1 each year, with winners posted on the website in mid-April.

11. YouthPLAYS

Students under the age of 19 may submit a one-act, non-musical play of at least ten pages for consideration. The play submitted should be the work of a single author, appropriate for high school audiences, and contain at least two characters, with one or more of those characters being youths in age-appropriate roles. The contest encourages large casts with multiple female roles.

One winner will receive $200, have their play published by YouthPLAYS, and receive a copy of Great Dialog, a program for writing dialog. One runner-up will receive $50 and a copy of Great Dialog.

The deadline to apply is May 1, 2021.

About NSHSS

Since 2002, NSHSS has supported young academics on their journey to college and beyond as they prepare to become the leaders of tomorrow. The mission behind NSHSS is to recognize academic excellence and honor high-achieving students, providing them with the resources and network to excel in college, career and community. In doing so, NSHSS connects members with global events, scholarship opportunities , college fairs, internships, career and leadership programs , partner discounts, and more. Discover what makes NSHSS worth it to student members and how you can get involved. 

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2022 Writing Contests – When, How and Why to Enter

• on Nov 01, 2021
• in Writing Tips
• Last update: December 27th, 2022
• at 11:14 am

Note: Be sure to check out 2023 writing contests !

Who doesn’t love a good writing contest? The thrill of winning is always incomparable! Nothing pumps up a writer’s adrenaline and makes him up his game like competing with other greatest writers. Whether you have a passion for horror, science fiction, or even tragedy, proving yourself amongst your peers will help you get ahead in the writing field.

If you’re up for the challenge, we’ve gathered some of the best writing contests happening in 2022 to help you find the right one for you.

The 2021 Exeter Novel Prize

Eligibility & Restrictions

To apply, submit a 10,000 word novel in English. The novel can’t have been published by a traditional publishing house. Anyone above 18 can enter. All genres excluding children’s, but including Young Adult and New Adult, are acceptable.

Mississippi Review Contest

The contest is open to all writers in English except current or former students or employees of The University of Southern Mississippi. Fiction and non-fiction entries should be 1000-8000 words; poetry entries should be three to five poems totaling ten pages or less.

The Hunger Winter Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. You may submit up to 3 poems; please include them all in the same file. Multiple submissions are allowed with a separate entry fee for each submission.

The Tony Hillerman Prize For Best First Mystery Set In the Southwest

Anyone above 18 and is a resident of one of the US, the District of Columbia or Canada can enter. Entries must be unpublished, publication on an entrant’s website of a single one-chapter excerpt from a work is eligible. The Manuscript must be written in English and must be approximately 60,000 words or 220 pages. The theme is murder or another serious crime and should focus on the solving of the crime(s) rather than the details of such crime(s).

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) can apply. Critical essay: 500-3,000 words. Dramatic Script: 500-3,000 word. Flash Fiction: 1,000 words. Humor: 500-3,000 words. Journalism: 500-3,000 words. Novel Writing: Up to 3,000 words. Personal Essay & Memoir: 500-3,000 words. Poetry: 20–200 lines. Science Fiction & Fantasy: 500-3,000 words. Short Story: 500-3,000 words. Deadlines vary between December 2021 and January 2022, depending on your region.

Mississippi Review Prize

Submit three to five poems totaling up to 10 pages or a short story or essay of 1,000 to 8,000 words,

NCH Essay Competition

The NCH London Essay Competition is open to students who are currently in their penultimate (second to last) year of secondary education (Year 12 in England) and who are interested in studying humanities or social sciences at university. Pupils can submit up to 1,500 words, choosing from a range of set essay titles that span a broad range of topics including humanities, philosophy, social issues, the law and creative writing.

Stacy Doris Memorial Poetry Award

Anyone can enter. Minimum 3 pages; maximum 10 pages. You can only submit one entry. Submission must be previously unpublished material. Students currently enrolled at San Francisco State University are ineligible.

James Knudsen Prize for Fiction

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be original, previously unpublished work of fiction, no longer than 7500 words. UNO students and alumni are ineligible. All current and former Bayou staff, previous contest winners, and current or former students of the judge are ineligible to submit.

Kay Murphy Prize for Poetry

Anyone can enter. Submissions must be original, previously unpublished poetry. You may enter up to three poems per entry. UNO students and alumni are ineligible to submit. Previous contest winners, along with current or former students of the judge are also ineligible to submit.

Korean Spirit and Culture

Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project is hosting its first National Essay Contest in the United Kingdom. The Essay Contest is open to students in two groups: Group A (Years 6 – 9) and Group B (Years 10-13). Choose from one of two topics based on the book ‘Chung Hyo Ye’.

North Carolina Writers’ Network

Submit a short story or essay of up to 3,000 words

San José State University Steinbeck Fellowships in Creative Writing

Anyone can enter. Residency in the San Francisco Bay Area is required during the academic year. Submit a writing sample up to 25, a project proposal for work to be written, a résumé, and three letters of recommendation.

Fan Story 80 Word Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. The submitted work must be between 78 – 82 words.

Gemini Magazine Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Entries Must Be Unpublished, Poems on Personal Blogs Are Eligible,

Gemini Magazine Poetry Open

Submit up to three poems of any length with an $8 entry fee

Fan Story 20 Syllable Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has exactly 20 syllables. Any format.

2022 Book Prize (unleash press)

All submissions must be in English. The minimum length of a manuscript is 30,000 words. Genres accepted include fiction and creative nonfiction. Author must have full rights to reprint entries

The Henshaw Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Entries must be fictional short stories of up to 2000 words on any theme. All entries must be the original work of the author, must not have been published before the date of submission.

National Youth Foundation

Each entry must incorporate the theme of Local Heroines. From the time of submission, entries become the property of the National Youth Foundation and will not be returned. All students must be in grades K to 8 and live in the United States. Each book must be between 20 and 30 pages. The cover, dedication and back pages do not count towards this number

Nova Writes Competition

Entry must be a work of short fiction or an excerpt from a longer work of fiction (up to a maximum of 3,000 words) and may be in any genre (historical fiction, literary fiction, mystery, romance, speculative fiction, or otherwise). You must be 16 years of age or older.

Fan Story 3-6-9 Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. This poem has three stanzas. The subject can be anything.

Song Writing Competition 2022

Bethesda essay contest.

Residents of Montgomery County, MD and Upper NW Washington, D.C. (20015 and 20016 ZIP codes) are eligible. The contest will take entries in two categories: High School (grades 9-12) and Adult (ages 18+). Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer’s choosing. Only one entry per person. Stories must be limited to 4,000 words or less.

The Mogford Prize for Food and Drink Writing

Anyone above 18 can enter. The English short story should have a maximum of 2,500 words. Entries must never have been published, self-published, broadcast or published on any website, blog or online forum. Entries must be the sole work of the entrant.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Any United States high school students in grades 9-12 may apply. Describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917. Length: 1,000 words max with a minimum of 700. Past winners and finalists, employees of John Hancock Financial Services and members of their families are not eligible to participate.

Magma Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems may be on any subject, and must be in English and your own original work. They must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, broadcast, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time. Length: 11–50 lines.

The Royal Society of Literature Encore Award

The Award is open for any published second novel, which must be a full-length work of fiction. The writer must have been resident in the United Kingdom (UK) or the Republic of Ireland (RoI) for the past three years. Novellas or children’s books are ineligible. Books published with vanity publishers are not eligible.

Law Day Contest

Writing – Grades 1st through 12th: Students will respond to a prompt based on their grade level provided below or may submit an essay based on a prompt relating to the Law Day theme. Each prompt provided has been tailored to align with the Oklahoma State Department of Education social studies standards. Poetry and creative writing entries will also be accepted as part of the writing contest. There is no word-count minimum or maximum requirement.

Rattle Chapbook Prize

Anyone can enter. Each poet may submit 15–30 pages of poems in English only (no translations).Individual poems may be previously published in any format, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished as a collection.

Driftwood Press Short Story Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be between 1,000-5,000 words. The work must not have been previously published. Submit works written in English only, no translations.

Driftwood Press Poem Contest

Submitters may send up to five poems in a single document for consideration. Each poem must not exceed sixty lines. Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual element are all welcome. Any submissions should be written primarily in English.

Rose Post Creative non-fiction Contest

The competition is open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. Theme: Lasting non-fiction that is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism. Each entry must be an original and previously unpublished manuscript of no more than 2,000 words.

William Matthews Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Submit 3 poems in a single file, any style, any subject, any length. Previously published work and translations are not eligible. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but notify us immediately if a poem is accepted for publication elsewhere.

Desert Writers Award

Anyone can enter. Length: no more than 10 pages, double spaced with 1-inch margins. You may submit published, unpublished, or work in progress but it must be an original work.

Heron Tree Volume 8

Anyone can enter. Poems that have previously appeared online (temporarily or permanently, on your own or a third-party site) should not be submitted, nor should work that has already been published electronically or in print. Simultaneous submissions are welcome with timely notification of acceptance elsewhere.

Storytellers of Tomorrow

we’re inviting all high-school-age students to submit unpublished, original English-language stories of up to 2,000 words in length for the 7th Annual “Storytellers of Tomorrow” Contest. The sole criterion for earning prizes in this contest is simply overall quality, meaning that well-edited, engaging, and evocative stories have the best chance of winning over the judges.

Border Crossing Contest

Fiction: No longer than 5000 words, with title and page number on each page after the first. NonFiction: No longer than 5000 words, with title and page number on each page after the first. Poetry: submit 3-5 poems in one file up to 10 pages; do not submit poems separately. Please note that you may only submit one file per reading period; multiple submissions will not be considered.

Novella-in-Flash Award

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original, unpublished previously, not have won a prize, and written in English between 6,000 and 18,000 words long.

Emma Howell Rising Poet Prize

Poets 35 or younger who have not previously published a book-length poetry manuscript are eligible. Poets who have previously published chapbooks are welcome to enter. Submissions must be original, book-length poetry manuscripts (minimum of 48 pages) written in English. There is no maximum page count. Translations are not accepted. One manuscript per submission.

The Bournemouth Writing Prize

Anyone above 16 can enter. Short Story length: Up to 3000 words maximum. It can be about any topic and in any style. Poetry length: Up to 42 lines. We are looking for poetry that is fresh and unexpected. All entries should be in English and be accompanied by a short (75 word) biography of the author and postal address. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition.

great weather

One prose/creative nonfiction piece, two if both under 500 words. Maximum word count: 2,500. Please include the word count on the first page.

Calibre Essay Prize

Anyone can enter except ABR staff and board members. Essay length: 2,000 to 5,000 words, written in English. Exclusivity is essential for longlisted essays.

Past Search Prize for Non-Fiction

Anyone can enter. Maximum 1,000 ~ 1,500 words.

North American Book Award

Anyone can enter. The book of poetry submitted must be the work of a single author, at least 64 pages long, and published in 2020 by an established press. Manuscripts, videos, CDs, chapbooks, and self-published books are not eligible, nor are books that have won awards, including a pre-publication award by the publishing press. It is expected that the book will contain both new and previously published poems.

Poetry Society of Virginia 2022 Contest

Anyone can enter. All entries must be in English, typed, unpublished, origi­nal, and not scheduled for publication before May, 2020. All entries not in compliance with category specifications will be disqualified.

Stage It! 10-Minute Plays Competition

Anyone can enter. Plays should be in generally-accepted script format and in English. Length: 10 pages or a 10 minutes read.

DISQUIET Prize

Anyone above 18 can enter. Only previously unpublished work in English can be submitted by authors who have not yet published more than one book. For the Novel/short story category: One short story or novel excerpt, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry. For the Poem category: No more than SIX poems per entry, up to 10 pages total and for the Nonfiction category: One piece of non-fiction, maximum 25 (double-spaced) pages per entry.

8th Ó Bhéal Five Words International Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and must include all five words listed during this week. A modicum of poetic license is acceptable. Poems should be newly written, during the relevant 7-day period.

Fan Story Nonet Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. It has to be a nonet, but it can be on any subject and rhyming is optional.

Horror Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Put your readers on edge or terrorize them.

Manchester Poetry Prize

The Competition is open internationally to anyone aged 16 or over who is not excluded by these Rules. There is no upper age limit for entry. Entrants may submit as many entries as they wish, but each submission must be submitted as a separate entry with payment of a separate entry fee.

Joe Gouveia Outermost Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Send up to 5 of your best unpublished poems, any style or subject matter, no more than 7 pages in total.

Manchester Fiction Prize

The Competition is open internationally to anyone aged 16 or over who is not excluded by these Rules. There is no upper age limit for entry, a portfolio comprising a minimum of three and a maximum of five poems. There is no minimum or maximum line limit for each individual poem, but the overall maximum length of the poems combined must not exceed 120 lines.

Fan Story Share A Story In A Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. In this contest you are challenged to write a poem that tells a story and also rhymes.

First Chapter Competition

Anyone can enter. International entries are welcome but first chapters must be written in English and can be up to 3,500 words (no minimum word count) and on any theme and subject (except children’s fiction). The novel should be unpublished and not have been accepted by a publisher.

Parracombe Prize 2022

To enter, simply submit a short story of no more than 2,022 words. Entries must be in English, your own original work, must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.

3rd Annual Short Short Story Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a short short story no longer than 100 words. The contest is open to prose, any genre. Topics: ants, bowling, 1940s, water.

The Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Competition

Anyone can enter. Poems must be in English, unpublished, not accepted for publication, and must be your original work. They must be no longer than 40 lines.

Fish Publishing Short Memoir Prize

Anyone can enter. The entries can’t have been previously published. Maximum number of words is 4,000 in English.

GCWA Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Youth category: 11-17; adult category: above 18. Your entry must be original, in English, unpublished, and unproduced, not accepted by any other publisher or producer before April 1, 2022. Fiction/non-fiction/children’s —1500 words maximum. Poetry – 40 lines maximum.

Lancashire Authors’ Association Open Competition

Anyone 16 or above can enter. The story must be exactly 100 words. Entries must be original, unpublished work which is not currently submitted for publication or entered into any other competition or award.

The Big Moose Prize

Anyone can enter. The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional unpublished novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel. Manuscripts should be 90-1,000 pages in length.

The Brucedale Press Annual Acrostic Story Contest

Anyone under 18 can enter. Stories entered must be original, unpublished work created by the entrant, not previously entered in this contest. Stories may not be longer than 26 sentences. The first sentence must begin with “Because I can…”. Any subject or theme is acceptable, provided there is no profanity, obscenity, ageism, racism or sexism.

The BookLife Prize

Anyone can enter. Both unpublished or self-published books in the English language are eligible for the BookLife Prize. Entries must contain 40,000 to 100,000 words.

Clash of the Query Letters

One page—maximum 500 words, Only original, unpublished, unrepresented work may be submitted, Word documents & PDFs accepted, The winning submissions will be published on the Chopping Blog, All entrants will be notified of winners and shortlist by email.

The Fiction Desk

We are able to consider stories that are between 1,000 and 20,000 words in length; please do not send anything longer or shorter than this. Most of the stories we publish are between about 2,000 and 7,000 words.

Arts & Letters

Send only one submission per genre at any one time. (In other words, submitting a short story and an essay at the same time is fine, but please wait to hear from us before submitting another story.), All submissions must be typed and all prose double-spaced.

The Page Prize

Fiction: Manuscripts should be double-spaced. Please use 1″ margins and include page numbers. Maximum length is about 5000 words. NonFiction: Manuscripts should be typed and double-spaced. Please use 1″ margins and include page numbers. Manuscripts should be no more than about 5,000 words. Poetry: A maximum of three poems may be submitted.

The Danuta Gleed Literary Award

All entries must be Canadian-authored titles published in English between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 and available through bookstores and libraries. Submission must be a first collection/first edition of short fiction, no co-authored entries, no posthumously published works, electronically published works not eligible, submission must be made by a publisher. Translations from other languages into English are eligible if all other criteria are met.

Cambridge Autumn Festival Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. The word limit is 1500 words.The theme for this year’s competition is “Lockdown”.

Cúirt New Writing Prize 2022

Poetry entries must consist of up to three poems under 50 lines each. Short stories should be no longer than 2,000 words. Entry costs €10 in total which covers one story or up to three poems. Entries are welcome in English and Irish. An Irish language adviser will be approached to assess entries in the Irish language. The story or poems submitted should not have been accepted for publication elsewhere.

Bluefire 1000-Word Short Story Contest

Anyone in school grades 6-12 can enter. Entries must be original and not previously published. Length: exactly 1000 words. Previous grand prize winners are not eligible to submit in the same grade category (6-8, or 9-12) in which they have won.

EngineerGirl Essay Contest

Anyone in school (grades 3-12) can enter. Submit a piece of writing that salutes engineering’s role in meeting and defeating the challenges presented by COVID-19. Check guidlines for your category. Grades 3-5: 600 words limit. Grades 6-8: 650 words limit. High school: 700 words limit.

St. Gallen Symposium Esay Competition

Anyone enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate programme (master level or higher) and born in 1992 or later can enter. Essay should be in English and length should be max. 2,100 words. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest.

Arizona Mystery Writers Mary Ann Hutchison Memorial Story Contest for Youths

Writers from 9-16 years of age. Submission must be up to 2500 words (about 10 double-spaced pages).

Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award

Anyone can enter. Submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words, that shows the near future (no more than about 50-60 years out) of manned space exploration.

Blinkpot Flash Fiction Awards

Anyone above 18 can enter. The entry must be in English and must have been written by the person making the submission. Entries must not have been previously published, broadcast or won a prize. Entries can be on any theme or subject. Maximum entry length is 100 words and minimum length 80.

Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize

Graywolf awards the Nonfiction Prize to a previously unpublished, full-length work of outstanding literary nonfiction by a writer who is not yet established in the genre. The Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize seeks to acknowledge—and honor—the great traditions of literary nonfiction. Whether grounded in observation, autobiography, or research, much of the most beautiful, daring, and original writing over the past few decades can be categorized as nonfiction.

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

You should submit an informative essay about the role of engineering in meeting one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals. All entries are limited to 650 words. High school students are also required to submit a reference list with their essay. A reference list is optional for middle and elementary school students. This list does not count toward the word limit.

Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards

Current high school seniors at a public high school in the United States graduating Spring of 2022, 21 years of age and under, Plan to enroll in an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or approved vocational-technical school Fall 2022, ubmit one original literary composition in English in one of the following genres of poetry, spoken word, fiction/drama or personal essay/memoir. Only the first 1000 applications will be accepted.

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

Stories must be original unpublished fiction, typed and double-spaced, and may not exceed 3,500 words in length. There are no theme or genre restrictions. Copyright remains the property of the author.

1000 Words Contest

open to all students enrolled in grades 6-12. Each entrant may submit a fiction piece consisting of exactly 1,000 words (not including title or author’s name). The fiction piece can be on any topic, as long as it is not vulgar or offensive, does not use inappropriate profanity, and is the original work of the entrant not previously published.

The Southampton Review

Fiction: We accept short stories and novel excerpts.5,000 words max. Flash Fiction is welcome!, NonFiction: We accept creative nonfiction, memoir, personal essay, traditional essay, and hybrid forms. 5,000 words max. Poetry: 5 poems max per submission.

Ottawa Travel Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Eligible entries include items in English or in French that have appeared in magazines, newspapers, or online media in 2021 that highlight Ottawa as a travel destination.

Accenti Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Submissions for original and unpublished English prose texts only. Maximum length: 2000 words. No poetry, plays, reviews, and scholarly essays. No footnotes and endnotes. No pseudonyms. Submissions can be an English translation of the author’s unpublished original work in another language.

Adamah Media writers’ competition

This competition is open to young adults, aged between 18 and 28. The writers’ competition is open to articles in English submitted by applicants globally and from all nationalities. All images used within any entry should be credited in the image description, otherwise these images will not be used and alternatives will be found for publication. word limit: 1000-1500 words

Fan Story 2-4-2 Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem. The subject can be anything.

The National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest for High School Students

All high school students in the US can enter. All 2022 contest entries must have been published, e-published, broadcast, or issued between February 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022. Entries must be produced by a current high school student or a recently graduated student who produced the work in their senior year after February 1, 2021.

The National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest for Professionals

The NFPW Communications contest is open to anyone regardless of sex, professional status or location. College students do not have to be 18 to enter any of the categories in the Collegiate Division. High school students may enter the professional contest if they are acting in a professional capacity. Entrants must enter the contest into their home state if that state is sponsoring a contest. Entrants who reside in a state without a contest must enter the at-large contest. Entries in the at-large contest may be regionally divided depending upon entries. All work must have been published or broadcast between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, to be eligible for entry.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

The 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards is open to all indie book authors and publishers who have a book, a manuscript, or a galley proof written in English and published in 2020, 2021 or 2022 or with a 2020, 2021 or 2022 copyright date.

Writers’ & Artists’ Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Submit a short story (for adults) of no more than 2,000 words.

The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize

The competition is for novel manuscripts in any genre by unpublished women writer residents in the UK and Ireland. Literary and genre fiction are equally welcomed, and novels for children and young adults may be entered as long as they are primarily word-based. Picture books are not accepted. To enter, send the first 30 to 50 pages and a synopsis between three and five pages.

Scissortail Creative Writing Festival

All Oklahoma high school students (9th – 12th grade) are eligible. Poetry (up to 100 lines) or Short Fiction (up to 6,000 words) is acceptable. Limit 5 poems and 1 short fiction piece per student. All entries must be the original work of the student. All entries must be neatly typed; please double-space fiction entries.

Create The Future Writing Competition

Individual entrants can enter one submission. Poetry (up to 40 lines), Short stories (up to 2,000 words), All other creative prose (up to 2,000 words), Entries must not have been published (including self-published, published on a website, broadcast or featured amongst the winners in another competition). The competition is open to all writers over the age of 18, The Create the Future competition is open worldwide and applicants from non-English-speaking countries are warmly welcomed.

Adventures in Fiction Spotlight First Novel Award

Anyone can enter. To enter, submit the first page of your novel and a one-page synopsis. The winner should be prepared to submit the manuscript of their novel in hard copy (12pt, double-spaced, single side of the paper only) to Adventures in Fiction by the beginning of April. Prize: A Stage One Mentoring package for a novel of up to 550 pages/170,000 words including a full manuscript appraisal, a development strategy and two consultations and a dedicated page on the Adventures in Fiction website including a profile of you and your novel.

IndieReader Discovery Awards

Only books that have been either self-published or published by an independent publisher and have an ISBN or ASN can enter.

Achievement Awards in Writing

All 11th grade students in the current academic school year are eligible to be nominated by their school’s English department. Schools in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands and American Schools Abroad are eligible. Nominating schools must be US accredited. Participating students submit two types of writing: themed writing (AWA prompt) and best writing. 2022 prompt: My Community. Writing options include poetry, short story, personal narrative, essay, or graphic storytelling. Themed Writing: max 4 pages. Best Witing: max 6 pages.

Promising Young Writers Program

All 8th grade students in the current academic school year are eligible to be nominated by their school’s English department. Schools in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands and American Schools Abroad are eligible to nominate juniors. Nominating schools must be US accredited. Participating students submit two types of writing: themed writing (AWA prompt) and best writing. 2022 prompt: Change; Amidst isolation in 2020. You may produce any genre, or kind, of writing. Themed Writing: max 4 pages. Best Witing: max 6 pages.

Ambroggio Prize

Any US citizen or resident for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline can enter. Poets are not eligible to apply if they have studied with the judge in full-time accredited courses within the last three years The manuscript must be originally written in Spanish and accompanied by a translation in English. Poets may translate their own work or collaborate with a translator who may or may not be a poet. The poet and translator must share the $1,000 prize. Poems may have been previously published in periodicals or chapbooks, but the collection must not have been previously published, including self-publications and e-books. The original manuscript in Spanish must contain original poetry by one poet and must be between 48 and 100 pages, typed single-spaced, unless the poems are meant to be presented using nonstandard spacing.

Morton and McCarthy Prizes

Open to any short fiction writer in English. Employees and board members of Sarabande Books, Inc. are not eligible. Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a short novel. Works that have previously appeared in magazines or in anthologies may be included.

Apprentice Writer

Only high school students can enter. You can submit poetry, chorepoetry, spoken word submissions, graphic fiction and non-fiction, and prose.

New Welsh Writing Awards

Writers from the UK and Ireland as well as those who have been educated in Wales for over six months can enter. Entries should be prose with a Welsh theme or setting and should be an unpublished book (between 5,000 and 30,000 words) in English. Entries this year may vary across the categories, from short form Welsh-themed- or Welsh-set non-fiction to a novella or short story collection set in Wales or with a Welsh theme.

Robert Watson Literary Prize

Anyone who is an active Greensboro Review subscriber can enter. Entries must be previously unpublished. No simultaneous submissions. Length restrictions: no more than 7,500 words or 25 pages for fiction; up to 500 words for flash fiction; up to 10 pages for poetry.

Guernsey Literary Festival 2022

Your poem could be on show in 2022. The Guernsey Literary Festival, together with Guernsey Arts and Guernsey Post, presents a competition that could deliver your work to thousands of readers. Winning entries are selected in two phases: 21 poems will be chosen, and 9 of these will take part in a second, Entries must be no longer than 14 lines and must fit on a single A4 page.

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award

resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, Only books published in the United States during 2021 are eligible for the 2022 prize. Books must be published in a standard edition (48 pages or more). Self-published books will not be considered.

Short Prose Competition

Original, unpublished fiction or nonfiction up to 2,500 words in the English language. Writers who have had no more than one book published (traditionally or self-published) in any genre or language and who are not currently under contract for a second book. Writers not published in book format are also eligible. Writers must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

All 9-12 high school students in the US can apply. The essay should be 300-500 words of original work. Entrants must write about: “Why must journalists strive to improve diversity and representation in both their coverage and in their newsrooms, and how might this happen?”

Willow Run Poetry Book Award

Anyone can enter. Must be an unpublished English book length collection of poetry of 75 to 100 pages.

This Sentence Starts The Story

Anyone can enter. Write a story that starts with this sentence: It’s happening tonight. You have the option to put it in quotes (for dialogue) and to change the punctuation at the end for proper grammar.

Writing for Children Competition 2022

Waxing & waning tennessee tempest edition.

Anyone can enter. Poetry: 1-5 poems, up to 3,000 words. Fiction / creative non-fiction: 100-5,000 words (if any longer, it should be good enough to merit the space it will take up).

Waxing & Waning Screenplay Contest

Anyone can enter. Screenplays or plays can be up to 25 pages (may be a part of a whole).

The George Floyd Short Story Competition

All genres/styles are accepted. Word count shouldn’t exceed 5000 words. This year’s theme is climate change.

The Chaucer Tales Writing Competition

The competition is open to all students of school age including not only those in schools and college communities (ages 5-18), but also students who are home educated and in any other young people’s community organisations. The maximum word count is 500 words in English. The special theme of the competition this year is Be Careful What You Wish For!

Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition

Anyone can enter. The international competition is open to all – both published and unpublished authors from all over the world – and is for short stories of up to 3,500 words. The story cannot have been previously published anywhere, or shortlisted for this competition.

The Exeter Writers Short Story Competition

The competition is open to anyone. Writing is ok in any genre except children stories. Stories must not have been previously published nor won a prize in any other competition. Previous prize-winning stories are not eligible for re-entry. Length: 3,000 words max.

Flash 500 Short Stories competition

Anyone can enter. Stories should range between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used).

Fish Publishing Flash Fiction Prize

Anyone can enter. Maximum number of words is 300 and it must be in English. The winning stories must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously. Fish will hold publishing rights for one year only after publication.

Reflex Fiction Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries must be in Enflish and must be the work of the entrant and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere in print or online including blogs or personal websites. Entries must be fiction but can be on any subject, and written in any style or form. No fan fiction or use of copyrighted material, characters, song lyrics etc.

Southword Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. All poems must be previously unpublished. Works of translation where the original author is still in copyright will require the bios of both the original author and the translator. There is a suggested limit of 40 lines per poem.

The annual Lancaster Writing Award

All students in year 12-13 can enter. Categories: criticism, fiction, poetry, script and screen writing. Students may enter in more than one category and write in any style they wish. The word limit for criticism and fiction is 1500 words.The limit for poems is 25 lines. The limit for screenplays is 8 pages.

Scottish Arts Trust Short Story Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. Length: 2,000 words or fewer. The entry should not have been previously published, online or in print. Short stories entered for the competition may be on any topic. Stories do not have to be set in Scotland or on Scottish themes but they must be in English.

The Isobel Lodge Award

Anyone above 16, is unpublished, and a resident of Scotland or studying in Scotland can enter. Entry can be published online or in print without compensation can qualify for the Isobel Lodge Award. Writers also qualify if they have self-published a work of fiction. Length: 2,000 words or fewer. The story should not have been previously published, online or in print. Stories do not have to be set in Scotland or on Scottish themes but they must be in English.

Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest

Any Canadian (citizen or resident) can enter. Topic: poems written in response to an existing occasion, personal or public, or poems that make an occasion of something ordinary or by virtue of the poet’s attention. No word limit, must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Minds Shine Bright’s first annual competition

Short stories: 5000 words/Flash Fiction: 1000 words /Poetry: 240 lines/Scripts: 90 pages, Each submission must be original, unpublished fiction written by the submitting author. Each submission must be entered into one of four categories including: poetry, micro/flash fiction, short stories or script writing.

Blue Mesa Review

accepts previously unpublished work in Fiction (up to 6,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words), Poetry (up to 3 poems).

The Debut Dagger Award

the opening of a crime novel not exceeding 3,000 words and a synopsis of up to 1,500 words. You do not need to have completed the novel in order to enter. You must never have had a traditional publishing contract for any work of fiction over 20,000 words.

Self-Publishing Literary Awards

This contest is free and open to all self-published authors who meet the requirements. All eBooks submitted to the contest must be: In the poetry or fiction genres, A PDF or an ePUB file, In the English language, An original work that you own the rights to, Written by an African American author born in the U.S.

Red Hen Press Women’s Prose Prize

25,000 word minimum, 80,000 word maximum. Entries will be accepted via Submittable only. The award is open to all women writers with the following exceptions: Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press, Employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press, Relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors

Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize

The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers.

Deep Wild 2021 Undergraduate Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be a single poem of up to 70 lines.

Southword Fiction Story Prize

Anyone can enter. There is an upper limit of 5000 words for short stories. Only unpublished work.

Blue Mesa Awards

This competition is open to original English language works in the genres of Fiction, and Nonfiction. The submission must be an unpublished work. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. accepts previously unpublished work in Fiction (up to 6,000 words), Nonfiction (up to 6,000 words). For the poetry category, Submissions of up to 3 unpublished poems are accepted.

Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award

Have never published a book, Have published no more than one full-length book in the genre in which they are applying, Writers may apply in poetry and/or fiction (only one manuscript per category). Poetry manuscripts should not exceed ten pages, single or double-spaced (minimum of 7 pages). Fiction manuscripts should not exceed 25 pages and must be double-spaced. Fiction manuscripts may include stories and/or excerpts from novels.

The Christopher Tower Poetry Competition

Open to submissions from students between 16-19 years of age who are educated in the UK. Entries must be on written in English, and be no more than 48 lines in length. Entrants must be in full or part-time education at a school, college or other educational institution in the United Kingdom. Each poem must be the entrant’s own work, joint authorship is ineligible.

Fowey Festival Short Story Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. The title for the competition is “Breaking Point”. Length: max 1500 words. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, commended, long-listed or short-listed in another writing competition.

True Story Contest

Anyone can enter. Share a true story from your life. Write a story that shares a moment, an object, a feeling, etc. This does not have to be a profound memory, but should allow readers insight into your feelings, observations and/or thoughts. Use at least 100 words. No poetry.

Cheshire Prize for Literature

The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire. Entry must be an original and previously unpublished piece of creative work in one of four categories themed around all aspects of the pandemic including “lockdown”: poetry, short fiction, children’s literature and scriptwriting.

Geographies of Justice: Call for Submissions

Anyone can enter. Poetry/Lyric: no more than 50 lines. Fiction, essays, creative non-fiction and other prose: up to 4000 words. Must hold the rights to the work and must be unpublished.

Evesham Festival of Words Short Story Competition

Anyone above 16 can enter. Any genre or subject, must be unpublished and original, aimed at adults only. Length: max 2,500 words.

Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction

Anyone can enter. The stories must be at least 10 pages (or 2500 words) but no more than 50 pages (12,500 words). Stories must be previously unpublished.

Eludia Award

All women age 40 and above, who do not yet have a book-length publication of fiction, can enter. The author must be unpublished and the entry should be in English.

Minute Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The Minute Poem is a poem that follows the “8,4,4,4” syllable count structure. It must have 12 lines total and 60 syllables.

James Jones First Novel Fellowship

Have never published a novel, Are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of America with Green Cards, May have published any other type of work including non-fiction articles and short stories. A two-page (maximum) outline or synopsis of the entire novel and the first 50 pages of the novel-in-progress are to be submitted. A specific format for the outline or synopsis is not required.

The 15th Annual Short Story Challenge

Anyone can enter.

The Phare Write Words Poetry Competition

Anyone 18 or above can enter. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast, or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length: 40 lines max.

The Phare Write Words Short Story Competition

Anyone 18 or above can enter. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length: 3000 words max.

The Phare Write Words Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone 18 or above can enter. An entry can only be made by the work’s individual author. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize. They can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English. Non-fiction and fiction/poetry written for young adults or children is not eligible. Length – 1000 words max.

Never Such Innocence Poetry Competition 2022

Poems must not be longer than 40 lines and should be your own, original work.

Two Line Poem

Anyone can enter. Write an essence poem. The poem should be of two lines with six syllables per line, each containing an internal rhyme and an ending rhyme.

Op-Ed Competition 2022

Young writers ages 13-18, 600 – 1,000 words.

5-7-5 Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The entry should be a 5-7-5 poem that follows the structure of a Haiku but without any limitation to the topic.

SWAMP Writing

Anyone enrolled in a postgraduate program in any university across the globe can enter. Entries must be unpublished poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction and memoir. This year’s theme: Reflection.

Free Verse Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. No restrictions.

The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

All Canadians (citizen or resident) can enter. No word limit (2,000 – 5,000 expected), must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Four Line Poem

Anyone can enter. Write a four line poem that has a specific syllable count. The subject can be anything.

Driftwood Poetry Collections

Anyone can enter. It should be between 40-100 pages of poetry. Experimental poetry, hybrid work, poetry with a visual element, prose poetry, and any avant-garde poetry are welcomed! Submissions should be primarily in English, but collections with a moderate bilingual component will of course be considered.

Dark Tales Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Each entry must be no longer than 5000 words, must be the original, unpublished work of the stated author.

Dream One Quest Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Previously published poems in other contests, books, magazines, etc. are accepted and welcomed as long as they are original works created by the contest entrant(s). All entries must be composed or translated into the English language. Poems must be 30 lines or fewer.

Dream One Quest Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Previously published short stories in other contests, books, magazines, etc. are accepted and welcomed as long as they are original works created by the contest entrant(s). All entries must be composed or translated into the English language. Any fiction, non-fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, diary, journal entries, and short stage-plays and screenplays are accepted within a maximum of (5) pages or less.

Rubery Book Award

Anyone can enter. Your entry must be a book that is either self-published or published by an independent press.

Fish Publishing Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Poem length is restricted to 60 lines. The title is not included in the word limit, and it must be in English. The winning poem must be available for the Fish Anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously. Fish will hold publishing rights for one year only after publication.

The Lascaux Prize in Poetry

Poets may enter more than once, and as many as five poems may be submitted per entry (all pasted into one document). There are no length restrictions. All genres and styles are welcome.

Wild Atlantic Writing Awards

For both categories, They’ve decided on an intriguing theme for both which is Time. The maximum length of your story should be 500 words, not including the title.

The Word Guild 2021 Fresh Ink Student Writing Awards

All entries must be published in 2021 and have a 2021 copyright date. Eligible entries must be in English or French. Self-published entries are admissible. We suggest the work be edited by a professional editor with experience in the publishing industry. The Word Awards are limited to writers who are Canadian. Submitter must confirm all entrants have Canadian Citizenship or Legal Permanent Resident Status.

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2022

Anyone above 16 can enter. The poem has to appeal to children aged 7-11 and it must be original and previously unpublished.

The Blue Mountain Novel Award

Anyone can enter. Entries must be original, and in English. It must be of a published novel of any length.

The Writers Of The Future

All amateur writers can enter. Entries must be original works by the entrant, in English. No excessive violence or sex. Entries may not have been previously published in professional media. Entries must be works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. No poetry, or works intended for children.

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing

The contest is open to first-generation immigrants of their country. Entries should be unpublished and in English (translations welcome). Fiction manuscripts must be complete, a minimum of 45,000 words. non-fiction submissions must consist of either a complete manuscript, or a sample of at least 25,000 words and a detailed proposal.

Princeton 10-Minute Play Contest

All entrants must be students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. (or international equivalent of the eleventh grade).

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). The poem you submit should be in English.

Zone 3 First Book Award in Poetry

Anyone can enter. Only unpublished work of a full-length collection of poems (48 pages or more) is eligible; those with chapbooks may participate. Manuscript should be 48-80 pages.

The Orison Prizes in Poetry & Fiction

Anyone can enter. Must be book-length manuscripts. Submissions should be of full-length poetry and fiction (minimum 30,000 words) manuscripts. Original English work only; no translations.

Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest

There are two divisions: Grade 6-8 (Junior Division) and Grades 9-12 (Senior Division). Each NFSPS member state may submit ten (10) poems in each division. Poems may have been printed and/or have won previous awards. Each poem must be neatly typed or computer-generated and have no more than 35 lines including space lines with no line having more than 60 characters including spaces and punctuation. Every poem entered should appear on a single sheet.

2022 White Rose Memorial Essay Contest

Middle school Essay: Length: 500-1000 words. Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8 at the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year may participate. Students may win an award only once in each school category. High school essay: Length: 750-1500 words, Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12 at the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year may participate. Students may win an award only once in each school category. Use entry form attached.

Claymore Award

The contest is limited to only the first 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense NOT currently under contract.

Books By The Banks Writing Contest

This year’s contest theme is Home. You are encouraged to interpret this theme as literally or figuratively as you desire. Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry are welcome. Submitted work must be original and unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

The Alpine Fellowship Academic Writing Prize

Anyone 18 and above can enter. Awarded for the best piece of academic essay writing on the theme of the 2021 Alpine Fellowship. A maximum of 4000 words per entry. Text must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time.

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

Anyone 18 and above can enter. All genres permitted. A maximum of 2,500 words per entry. Text must not have been published, self-published or accepted for publication in print or online, or have won or been placed in another competition at any time (including the Alpine Fellowship Academic Writing Prize).

Nonfiction: We seldom publish prose that is more than 5,000 words in length. Fiction: We seldom publish prose that is more than 5,000 words in length. We will consider novel excerpts and flash pieces. Poetry: please submit no more than 6 poems.

Seaborne Magazine: Call for submissions about the sea

Anyone can enter. They are looking for rich, atmospheric fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual artwork about the sea. Submissions must be formatted to UK spelling. They do not accept previously published submissions, in other magazines, websites or personal blogs. Fiction should be between 2,000-5,000 words for short stories, and 300 words for vignettes. Creative non-fiction should be between 800-1,500 words.

The American Foreign Service Association’s National High School Essay Contest

Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades 9 – 12 in the US, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens attending high school overseas including home-schooled students. Previous first-place winners and immediate relatives of directors or staff of the AFSA and Semester at Sea are not eligible to participate. Length: 1,250 words max.

Oklahoma Poem Contest

Only Oklahoma residents are eligible to enter. Poems will be judged in 4 categories: K-4th, 5th-8th, 9th-12th, and Adult, The maximum length for poems is 30 lines, Poems can be rhymed or unrhymed, One poem per person, Previous winning poems cannot be submitted again.

The Colin Sutton Cup for Humour

Maximum 12-page spreads (totalling to 24 internal pages). No more than 500 words. Let your illustrations tell the story, Use whichever medium you’re most comfortable with, paint, pencil, collage, print etc….but don’t be afraid to experiment, word limit: 500, 12 page spreads (24 pages in total).

Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose Prize

Anyone 18 and above who lives in the state of Victoria can enter. Stories must be biographical. Stories must be between 1000 to 3000 words. The work must be original, written in English and not have been previously published. It should not have won a prize in any other competition.

Fan Story Dribble Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. The submitted work must be between 48 – 52 words.

Fan Story New Arrival Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a story that uses exactly 100 words.

Fan Story Future Flash Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a flash fiction story that takes place in the future. Maximum length 500 words.

Etel Adnan Poetry Prize

Anyone of an Arab heritage can apply. Only first or second full-length books of poetry written in English may be submitted. Chapbooks are not considered as a previous publication in this regard. Manuscripts must be between forty-eight and ninety pages. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

The Art and Writing Environmental Awareness Contest

All winners will be notified of the results in late April- mid May, Students ages 12-26 anywhere in the world are eligible to apply, Entries must involve the environment/environmental awareness,

We the Students Essay Contest

All students who are legal US residents or citizens, older than 14 and younger than 19, may apply. Stay tuned for updates on the 2021 contest prompt.

Fan Story Faith Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The theme for this poetry contest is “faith”.

Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2022

100 word flash fiction.

Anyone can enter. The entry should be exactly 100 words.

Ayn Rand anthem contest

Entrant must be at least 13 years old and in 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade for any part of the school year in which the contest is held. Essays must be submitted electronically through the online portal. Essays must be written in English only, and must be no fewer than 600 and no more than 1,200 words in length, double-spaced. One entry per student per contest.

Ayn Rand The fountainhead contest

Entrant must be in 11th or 12th grade for any part of the school year in which the contest is held. Essays must be submitted electronically through the online portal. Essays must be written in English only, and must be no fewer than 800 and no more than 1,600 words in length, double-spaced. One entry per student per contest.

Tanka Poetry Contest

Marsh hawk press poetry prize.

Anyone can enter. Manuscripts must be between 48 – 84 pages in length. Individual poems from the manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks of less than 25 pages, but the collection, as a whole, must be unpublished.

The Claudia Ann Seaman Awards For Young Writers

High School students from anywhere in the world are eligible to submit original work written in English. Creative writing that was not previously published, can be submitted in the categories of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. Submit a maximum of three pieces across the three genres. Poetry, up to 80 lines. Fiction and creative non-fiction must be 1,800 words or less.

FAPA President’s Book Awards

Any English writing author can enter. All entries must be books with a copyright date from 2020 to 2022. Ebooks should be submitted in PDF format

3 Minute Drama Competition

The competition is open to all, but the script must be in English, and in PDF format. Warranty and Copyright. The script must be an original work that does not infringe upon another person’s copyright or other rights. It may or may not have been published before. The copyright in your script will remain your sole property.

Adventure Writer’s Competition

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian, Romance not allowed! – we can’t state it more straightforward than that unless we change the name of the competition to “The Not SciFi, Fantasy, Dystopian or Romance Competition.”,

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition

Anyone can enter. This competition is for original, previously unpublished poems in English, on any subject, in any style up to 50 lines long. Poems posted on members-only non-public groups for review/critique as part of the creative process are not deemed to have been previously published.

Cranked Anvil Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. The competition is open to any theme or genre, but your story must be a maximum of 1,500 words and must be written in English. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant. This includes publication online, including (but not limited to) personal blogs or websites. Each entry must not be currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award.

The Ernest Hemingway Short Fiction Prize

Anyone can enter. Entries should be approximately 1500 words or less. Submissions should be unpublished.

Ver Poets Open Competition

Anyone 16 and above can enter. Poems should not have been published, or accepted for publication, in print or online. They should not have won prizes in other competitions, be simultaneously entered for other competitions or be translations of other poets’ work. Poems must be your own original work and may be on any theme. Length: no longer than 30 lines.

Tadpole Press 100 Word Writing Contest

Limit: 100 words per entry. Submit as many entries as you’d like. Writers: All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome. Theme: The power of words.

CYGNUS Book Awards for Science Fiction | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Jan 1, 2019 will be disqualified. All works that have been published must be published after Jan. 1, 2019. Novels must be 60,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

World Historian Student Essay Competition

Only students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs can apply. Past winners may not compete in the same category again. The entry should be approximately 1,000 words.

Bristol Short Story Prize

Anyone above 16 can enter. The maximum length of submissions is 4,000 words in English. Stories can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-base .Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been previously published, in print or online, or broadcast or won a prize in another writing competition.

15 Syllable Poem

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with exactly 15 syllables.

Writers’ Digest Annual Writing Competition

Anyone can enter. All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published (at the time of submission) in print, digital or online publications, Self-published work, unproduced scripts. Entries in the Print or Online Article category may be previously published.

Fan Story Non-Fiction Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Submit literary works of non-fiction on any topic. It doesn’t matter if it’s spiritual, political, intellectual, emotional, funny, serious, or an essay about your DVD player. New entries only. Minimum length 500 words. Maximum Length 7,000 words. Recommended length 2,000 – 3,500 words.

3 Line Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. The poem has to have a syllable count of either 5-7-5 or 5-7-7. It shouldn’t rhyme. But the poem must address a loved one.

The Montreal International Poetry Prize

The Montreal Prize is awarded every 2 years for a single poem of 40 or fewer lines. Submissions open in January 2022. Entry fee rises to $25 CAD ($20 USD) from 2nd May.

James Laughlin Award

Any US citizen or resident for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline can enter. Book must be under contract with a U.S. publisher and scheduled to be published between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.Must be published by December 31, 2021. The author must have published one book of poetry in a standard edition (48 pages or more). Entries must be an English. Submissions are welcome from small presses, university presses, and trade publishers that have previously published at least four books of poetry. Translations and new editions of previously published books are not eligible.

Sports Writing Competition 2022

Fan story flash fiction contest.

Anyone can enter. Entry should be exactly 150 words.

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, philosophical ruminations, stageplays, fragments, chapters, and excerpts are all acceptable.

Time Travelers Contest

You must write at least one chapter – there’s no maximum chapter limit. Because this contest is open to all audiences, your entries must not be sexually explicit and can’t feature graphic displays of gratuitious violence. Fan-fic novels are not eligible. The main character or characters of your entry must go through a change of temporality and must have a significant impact on the plot. This change must occur in the story before the end of the fourth chapter and must be mentioned in your book description.

The Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award

All Canadians who haven’t published either a first novel or short story collection can enter. No word limit (2,000 – 5,000 expected), must be unpublished nor accepted for publication elsewhere.

Rhyming Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem that has a rhyme scheme. How it rhymes is up to you.

Script Pipeline TV Writing Contest

The 2022 Script Pipeline TV Writing Competition heads into its 15th season, continuing the search for up-and-coming talent and connecting them with top producers, agencies, and managers. As one of the longest-running and most successful screenplay contests, we focus specifically on finding writers representation, supporting diverse voices, championing marketable, ambitious storytelling, and pushing original projects into production.

First Novel Prize

Entry is open to writers in the English language worldwide, regardless of the author’s country of residence. Entry is open to unpublished or independently published/self-published novelists only. Self-published/independently published means the author owns the rights to the work in full. Both represented and unrepresented novelists are welcome to enter the Prize. Only completed novels of over 50,000 words will be accepted, there is no maximum requirement for the number of words.

Accenti Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Submissions are open for entries unpublished and not under consideration by any other publication. Maximum length: 40 lines. Submissions can be an English translation of the author’s unpublished original work in another language.

Fiction Factory Poetry Competition

Fiction Factory welcomes submissions to its first ever poetry competition, judged by novelist and poet: Helen Cox. Maximum length: 40 lines.

Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

All students in school, university, or graduate school can apply.

Farnham Flash Fiction Competition

Anyone can enter. Story length: 500 words.

Fan Story Write A Script Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a script of any size (can be a small script as shown in the example) for any medium on any topic.

Bath Flash Fiction Award

Anyone above 16 can enter. Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. They must also be for adult or young adult readers. Non-fiction and fiction written for children under 13 years are not eligible. Max length is 300 words. Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.

Fan Story ABC Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a one-stanza, five-line poem.

Fan Story 6 Word Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem with only 6 words.

Ocean Awareness Contest

All students aged 11 – 18 can apply. All entries must be original work in English and not previously submitted. Students ages 11-14 may enter the Junior Division (Creative Writing: up to 750 words; Poetry & Spoken Word: no more than 1 page). Students ages 15-18 may enter the Senior Division (Creative Writing: up to 1,250 words; Poetry & Spoken Word: no more than 2 pages).

Fan Story Haiku Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Only haiku poems.

Narrative Prize

We accept submissions only through our electronic submission system. We do not accept submissions through postal services or email. All manuscripts should be in 12-point type, with at least one-inch margins, and sequentially numbered pages. Fiction and nonfiction should be double-spaced. Poetry should be single-spaced.

Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award

Eligible works must have been first published in English between January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2022. To be eligible for the Silver Falchion Award, works must be published the year previous the competition and must be readily available to a North-American audience (either in print or digital format).

Baby Boomer Plus

he word count for this contest is 900 – 4000 words. Stories Through The Ages – Baby Boomers Plus is open to people born 1966 or earlier. There is no prompt for the contest Authors may write about any topic.

Poetry Chapbook Prize

Each manuscript should consist of a 20-30 page chapbook in a standard 12-point font. Chapbooks may not have been previously published nor be forthcoming, though individual poems may have been published elsewhere (provided rights have reverted to the author).

International Essay Contest for Young People

Essays may be submitted by anyone up to 25 years old (as of June 15, 2022) in one of the following age categories: a) Children (ages up to 14) b) Youth (ages 15 – 25) Essays must be 700 words or less in English or French, or 1600 characters or less in Japanese. Essays must be typed, with your name and essay title included at the top of the first page

TCK Publishing Flash Fiction Contest

This contest is open to writers from all countries, backgrounds, and levels of experience and we invite you to join the 2022 TCK Publishing Flash Fiction Contest. Any writer (regardless of who your publisher is or if your work has been previously published) may submit a short story totaling no more than 500 words (less is fine).

Food Writing Competition 2022

The lascaux prize in flash fiction.

Writers may enter more than once, and as many as three stories may be submitted per entry (all pasted into one document). Individual story length should not exceed 1,000 words. All genres and styles are welcome.

Fan Story Cinquain Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Entries must adhere to the contest’s syllable specifications.

Fan Story Love Poem Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. But it must clearly be a love poem.

Drue Heinz Literature Prize

Open to writers who have published a novel or a book-length collection of fiction in English. Translations are not eligible if the translation was not done by the author. Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Length: 150 – 300 pages.

North Street Book Prize

Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). Length limit: 200,000 words maximum in English. You may submit a collection of short stories or essays as a single entry.

The Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest

Anyone can enter. Must be original and unpublished. Each entry must consist of a single sentence. The entry shouldn’t go beyond 50 or 60 words.

Blackwater Press short story contest

Anyone can enter. Word limit should be between 1000 words to 10,000 words.

The Orison Chapbook Prize

Anyone can enter. Must be manuscripts of 20-45 pages, in any genre (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or hybrid). Original English work only; no translations. Individual poems, stories, or essays—or excerpts—may have been previously published in periodicals and/or chapbooks, but the manuscript as a whole must not have been published in book form, whether digital or in print. Self-published manuscripts are not eligible.

Saudi Historical Fiction Awards

The AWARDS are open worldwide for entries, and there are no eligibility criteria except that manuscripts must be historical, in the English language and with a Saudi setting. To qualify for the prize, your novel must total at least 60,000 words and should be no longer than 150,000 words.

The Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize

The Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize is awarded for an outstanding opening page of an unpublished novel. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers.

Fantasy Writing Competition 2022

Short story competition clean vs green.

Open to all – international writers are encouraged. All submissions must be in English and unpublished. A short story of between 1000 and 3000 words. Please submit your short story plus around 200 words on your thinking behind your approach and how your story meets the criteria. The title of the document should be the title of your story.

Fan Story Rhyming Poem Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem of any type. But there must be a rhyme scheme.

Cozy and Not-So-Cozy Mystery Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

WOW! Women on Writing Creative non-fiction Essay Contest

All women can enter. Entries should be creative non-fiction in English. Maximum words: 1000. Minimum words: 200.

Polar Expressions National Poetry and Short-Story Contest

Any Canadian resident or citizen can enter. There are two seperate prize categories: 1) ages 16 and above, and 2) ages 15 and under. All work must be original. Entries should not have been previously published and no simultaneous submissions. Poems must be 48 lines or less. Short stories must be 750 words or less. Fanfiction and essays are not permitted. Entries should be in English or accompanied by an English translation.

Highlands & Islands Short Story Association

Any amateur author can enter. Any theme (unusual story lines preferred), must be unpublished and original and won no prize before. Short Story length: max 2,000 words. Flash Fiction length: max 500 words.

Fan Story New Arrival Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. This is a “New Arrival” contest which is designed to welcome new members to the site.

Red Hen Press Novella Award

15,000 word minimum, 30,000 word maximum. Entries will be accepted via Submittable only. The award is open to all writers with the following exceptions: Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press; or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press, Employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press, Relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors.

Western, Pioneer, & Civil War, Americana Historical Fiction Novels, and First Nations Novels | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Historical fiction pre-1750s writing contest | chaucer | chanticleer book reviews.

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2017 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Historical Fiction Post 1750s Writing Contest | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

The Orison Anthology Awards

Anyone can enter. Submissions are for single works in 3 genres (poetry, fiction, an non-fiction). Submit up to 3 poems (10 pp. max), 1 story (up to 8,000 words), or 1 work of non-fiction (up to 8,000 words). You may submit in multiple genres, and/or submit multiple entries in each genre.

Fan Story Loop Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Loop Poetry requires that the last word of each line becomes the first word of the next line. The rhyme scheme is abcb.

Fan Story My Faith Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Share a poem that is about your faith or how faith has impacted your life. Any type of poem accepted.

Flash Fiction Competition 2022

Anthology magazine short story competition.

Anyone can enter. Stories submitted must be on the theme of ‘Memories’ in English. To enter, submit an original, unpublished short story, written in English on the subject of ‘Memories’ with a maximum of 1,500 words.

Young Adult and Teen Writing Contests | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Middle Grade Fiction Writing Contests | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest. 20,000+ word count .

Oxford Flash Fiction Prize

Anyone can enter. All entries must be the work of the person entering and must not have been published anywhere online (including blogs and websites) or accepted for publication elsewhere. It must be in English. The copyright remains with the author. Length: 1000 words, no minimum word limit.

Fan Story Take A Photo Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter. Write a poem about a photo you’ve taken.

Aesthetica Poetry Creative Writing Award

Anyone can enter. Poetry entries should be no more than 40 lines. They accept works on any theme.

Aesthetica Short Story Creative Writing Award

Anyone can enter. Fiction entries should be no more than 2,000 words. They accept works on any theme.

Romantic Fiction Writing Contests | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before January 1, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Coniston Prize for Women Poets

All women can enter. Submit 3-6 previously unpublished poems in English. This award recognizes an exceptional group of poems.

Blue Mesa Review Writing Contest

Anyone can enter. Must be in English, unpublished original work, simultaenous submissions acceptable. Please submit a packet of up to 3 poems or up to 6,000 words of prose.

Miller Williams Poetry Prize

Anyone can enter. Length: Manuscripts must be between sixty and ninety pages. The manuscript must be previously unpublished. Individual poems may have been published in chapbooks, journals, and anthologies. Work in translation is not accepted.

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

Anyone can enter except those from Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). Length limit: 250 lines maximum per poem. The entry should be your own original work and in English. You may submit the same poem simultaneously to this contest and to others, and you may submit poems that have been published or won prizes elsewhere. (However, please do not submit work that has previously received recognition at Winning Writers.)

The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, learned, or discovered. Writers may enter more than once. Length should not exceed 10,000 words. All topics are welcome; pieces should be written in a nonacademic style

Thriller, Suspense Writing Contest | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. 12 point font – Times New Roman suggested. Single or double-spaced. Single spaced preferred by judges. Name, title, and word count on cover page. Pages should be numbered. Digital WORD documents or PDF only. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Little Peeps Picture Books and Early Readers Writing Contests | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Non-Fiction Writing Contests | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Works published before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Books must be 50,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

The Crucible First Novel Award

Anyone can enter. Submit the first 5,000 words of their manuscripts, along with a 150 word ‘elevator pitch’. Manuscripts which have been published in any form, either traditionally or self-published, are ineligible to enter. Entries which fall within the genres of crime, mystery, thriller, or their sub-genres are eligible.

Embracing Our Differences Quotation Contest

Anyone can enter. Entries can be no longer than 20 words on embracing our differences. Please consider submitting an original quotation.

The Calvino Prize

Submit up to 25 industry standard (double-spaced, 12-point font, pages numbered) pages of a novel. Do not send publication history of the author.

The Raven Short Story Contest

This contest is for previously unpublished short fiction between 250 and 2500 words in length. Multiple entries welcome. Total entries limited to 200.

The Galley Beggar Press

Submissions must be no longer than 6,000 words.

Letter Review Prize for Short Stories

submit an original unpublished short story which is 400 – 3000 words, written in English, in size 12 font, as a word doc. Include a short biography of less than 200 words. Don’t include your name in the title of your document, or in your story, as the Prize is judged blindly.

Fiction Factory Short Story Competition

Length of story: max 3,000 words. Entries should be as a Word document. All types of stories are welcome (excluding Children’s and Young Adult Fiction).

The Larry Brown Short Story Award

The submitted story must be less than 4,000 words. No previously published work will be considered. The writer’s name and contact information should only appear within the cover letter box in Submittable.

Flash 500 Novels competition

Anyone can enter. Entries may have appeared online in private (password protected) peer review sites, but should not have been published in any commercial online form including blogs or personal websites or accepted for publication elsewhere. Chapters must not exceed 3,000 words and must be accompanied by a one page synopsis of the balance of the story. Entries must be in English.

OZMA Book Awards for Fantasy Fiction | Sword & Sorcery Fiction | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Copyrighted works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

Paranormal Writing Competition | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2019 will be disqualified. Novels must be 50,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

Global Thriller Writing Contest | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Virginia b. ball writing contest.

All students in grades 8-11 during the 2022-2023 school year are eligible to apply. Poetry: Your sample should include 1-4 poems/spoken word pieces. Fiction: Your sample should include 1-3 stories, novel or story excerpts, or flash fiction pieces. Each piece should be fewer than 3,500 words.ersonal essay/memoir: Your sample should include 1-3 essays. Each piece should be fewer than 3,500 words.Screenwriting: Your sample should be fewer than 20 pages. Playwriting: Your sample should be fewer than 20 pages.

CIBA Fiction Series Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels must be PUBLISHED: Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pubs accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation. Unpublished Manuscripts are not accepted into the CIBA Book Series Awards. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Each book in the series must be at least 60,000 plus words. YA and Middle-Grade Works may be less but at least 40,000 words. The first book in the series must have been published AFTER January 1, 2010. Three Books or more is the qualifying number of works to be considered a series in the CIBA Series Book Awards. You may enter in more than one category. However, each complete series entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.

20c Wartime Historical Fiction | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pub accepted. All published novels must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Published works before Dec. 31, 2018 will be disqualified. Novels must be 60,000 plus words.You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee.You may enter more than one novel into a given contest.

Satirical & Allegorical Fiction Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Contemporary & literary novel writing contest | chanticleer book reviews, non-fiction guides and how-to book awards | chanticleer book reviews.

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Works published before December 30, 2018 will be disqualified. Books must be 50,000 plus words OR at least 75 pages for Photobooks, Graphic Books, Charts, and other types of visual books or cookbooks/instructional books (knitting, etc). You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

Works may be published on the web or in print or may be non-published. E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. International entries are accepted but they must be written in the English language. Entries must be in the English language. STYLE GUIDERS ACCEPTED: AP, Chicago Manual of Style, MLA, and APA. Works published before December 30, 2018 will be disqualified. Works must be 10,000 plus words. Works must be 10,000 plus words. You may enter more than one work into a given contest.

Business, Technology, and Enterprise Non-Fiction Guides and How-To Book Awards | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. Entries must be in the English language. Works published before December 31, 2018 will be disqualified. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

Mind and Spirit Non-Fiction Guides and Works | Chanticleer Book Reviews

Books may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. E-pubs accepted. Word Documents and PDFs are accepted. All published books must have ISBN/ASIN designation, manuscripts are not required to have this designation at the time of submission. Entries must be in the English language. No erotica. No graphic violence. Works published before January 1, 2019 will be disqualified. Books must be 40,000 plus words. You may enter in more than one category. However, each entry must be accompanied by the entry fee. You may enter more than one book into a given contest.

Hearten Book Awards for Uplifting Non-Fiction Works | Chanticleer Book Reviews

The grindstone novel prize.

The 2022 International Novel Prize is open to authors from all countries, providing their submissions are in English. The prize is open to authors who are; unrepresented and unpublished, unrepresented and self-published, or previously published but currently unrepresented. Entrants are asked to submit the first 5,000 words of their finished or part-finished manuscripts, accompanied by a brief synopsis. Manuscripts must have a finished, or projected-finished length of at least 50,000 words. Entries of all genres are accepted, with the exception of worked aimed at children. YA is accepted.

Orna Ross Green Stories Novel Prize

Typically novels are 60,000 – 95,000 words. Submit three chapters (minimum of 4000 words, maximum 10,000 words), including the first chapter, another chapter that best showcases how your novel meets the green stories criteria, and a third chapter (the final chapter if possible). Prepare a synopsis between 500 and 1000 words that covers genre, plot, characters, and details of how it meets the green stories criteria of showcasing positive visions of a more sustainable society or incorporating green solutions into the context of an otherwise mainstream story.

H.E. Bates Short Story Competition

Anyone can enter. Must be unpublished (except on social media) and original work, and won no prize before. Length: max 2,000 words.

Daisy Pettles Women’s Writing Contest

All women writers, age 40 or older.

Dynamo Verlag Book Contest

This contest is open to all authors who have not published more than one (1) full length book in their primary genre (this does not include self-published works). Current and under-contract Dynamo Verlag authors are ineligible, as are any persons employed or associated with the press.This contest is open to primarily textual poetry or prose, minimum 8,000 words for poetry and maximum 75,000 words for prose.

7 Day Story Writing Challenges

The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over at the time of entering. International entries are welcome. All entries must be written in English. You must register for the competition using your real name. You can only register once.

Flash Fiction Competition

Entries must be in English. Entries must be the work of the entrant and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere. The competition is international and welcomes non-UK entrants. Copyright remains with the author.

The Moth Poetry Prize

The Prize is open to anyone (over 16), as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. There is no line limit, and the poems can be on any subject.

Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Contest

Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming, although we find that non-rhyming poetry reads better. Write about real emotions and feelings and that you have, some special person, or an occasion that comes to mind as you write. Poems are judged on the basis of originality and uniqueness. English-language entries only, please.

53-Word Story Contest

Your story must be 53 words—no more, no less—titles are not included in the word count. Stories not meeting this rule will be disqualified. Send only stories; poetry with line breaks will not be considered. Hyphenated words count as one word. One submission per person. there are no age restrictions.

Shooter Flash

We welcome stories up to 1,000 words long on a rolling basis, any theme/genre. Stories must be no longer than 1,000 words excluding title. Stories may be submitted at any time as submissions are open on a rolling basis. Stories can be previously published or unpublished, and writers may submit multiple stories for consideration.

Keeping your writing hidden won’t do much for your self-esteem and help you advance in your chosen career. Joining contests and competing with the best of writers out there is the one way to give yourself the boost you need.

Read more here.

Incredible Writing Retreats to Attend in 2022

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Amber Byers

Thanks for including the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest in your valuable directory of writing contests for 2022!

We’re excited to let you know that we are now hosting this contest twice a year—with deadlines every April 30 and November 30.

If you make any updates to this list, would you kindly include our updated deadlines?

Many thanks! Amber https://www.tadpolepress.com/100-word-writing-contest

Hello Amber, Thanks for letting us know. We’ll make sure to add the new dates in the next update.

Michael Gordon

As a writer I would suggest other writers to take part in writing contests because they are a great way to increase your exposure.

oussama boutoual

We at Neovel are excited to announce our upcoming writing contest with the theme of “Suspense” and the name The Mysterious Case We are seeking talented writers to submit their best work and compete for a chance to win prizes and gain recognition.

We would be grateful if you could help spread the word about our contest to your audience of writers and readers. We believe that your website is a great platform to reach out to potential participants and we would be honored if you could feature our contest on your website.

The contest is open for submissions starting 06/02/2023 and will close on April 2, 2023. The winners will be announced on May 8, 2023.

The entry is completely FREE

The prizes for winning authors are:

1st place: 500€,

2nd place: 250€,

3rd place: 100€.

Additionally, we will also be offering prizes for readers who read the most chapters from books that are participating in the contest :

1st : 1 year of free premium membership,

2nd : 6 months of free premium membership

3rd : 3 months of free premium membership.

Here is the link to the contest for more details : https://neovel.io/contest/the-mysterious-case-contest

If you have any questions or need more information about our contest, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that you can help us make this contest a success.

If you have any questions, please contact Oussama at oussama@neovel.io for further assistance.

Best regards, The Neovel Team.

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35 Writing Contests to Enter Right Now (2022)

Find 35 excellent writing contests below for 2022. They're all open to direct, unagented submissions. Polish your manuscript and submit it to one of these great publishers (and, if you're looking for a class in fiction , poetry , nonfiction , or screenwriting , we've got you covered): New American Press

Poetry Prize

A prize of $1,500, publication by New American Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Eduardo C. Corral will judge. Using only the online...

Hippocrates Prize

Prizes for poetry and medicine.

A prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,379) and publication in the Hippocrates Prize anthology and as a video recording on the Hippocrates website is given annually for a single...

Arrowsmith Press

Derek walcott prize for poetry.

A prize of $1,000 will be given annually for a poetry collection published in English by a writer who is not a citizen of the United States. The winner will also receive an...

Academy of American Poets

Raiziss/de palchi book prize.

A prize of $10,000 is given biennially for the translation into English of a significant work of modern Italian poetry published in the United States. Books by living...

Ambroggio Prize

A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Arizona Press is given annually for a book of poetry originally written in Spanish by a living writer and translated into...

Furious Flower Poetry Prize

Furious flower poetry center.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Obsidian , the literary journal of Illinois State University, is given annually for a group of poems. The winner also receives a $500...

Milkweed Editions

Ballard spahr prize for poetry.

A prize of $10,000 and publication by Milkweed Editions is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet currently residing in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South...

Harold Morton Landon Translation Award

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry translated from any language into English and published in the United States during the previous year. David Shook will...

Sarabande Books

Morton and mccarthy prizes.

Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication by Sarabande Books are given annually for collections of poetry and fiction. For the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry, submit a...

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

A prize of $1,500 and publication on the competition website is given annually for a short story by a writer whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally distributed...

Hidden River Arts

Willow run poetry book award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Hidden River Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a...

Sustainable Arts Foundation

Writing awards.

Up to twenty awards of $5,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers with children. Writers with at least one child under the age of...

Black Caucus of the American Library Association

Self-publishing literary awards.

Two prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for a poetry e-book and a fiction e-book by an African American writer self-published in the United States during the previous year...

Fish Publishing

Flash fiction prize.

A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,164) and publication in the Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short short story. The winner is also invited to give a...

Omnidawn Publishing

First/second poetry book contest.

A prize of $3,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. Mary Jo Bang will judge. Submit a...

Little Tokyo Historical Society

Short story contest.

A prize of $500 and publication in Rafu Shimpo and on the Discover Nikkei website is given annually for a short story that takes place in the Little Tokyo district of...

Association of Writers & Writing Programs

Award series.

Two prizes of $5,500 each and publication by a participating press are given annually for a poetry collection and a short story collection. In addition, two prizes of $2,500...

Austin Community College

Balcones prizes.

Two prizes of $1,500 each are given annually for a poetry collection and a book of fiction published during the previous year. Authors or publishers may submit three copies of...

Tupelo Press

Snowbound chapbook award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Tupelo Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Submit a manuscript of 20 to 36 pages with a $25 entry fee by February 28. All...

Red Hen Press

Women’s prose prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a book of fiction or nonfiction by a writer who identifies as a woman. Melanie Conroy-Goldman will...

University of Wisconsin

Wisconsin institute for creative writing fellowships.

An academic year in residence, which includes a stipend of at least $39,000, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison is given annually to at least five writers working on a...

Alabama State Council on the Arts

Literary arts fellowships.

Fellowships of $5,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in the state of Alabama for at least two years. Using...

Broadside Lotus Press

Naomi long madgett poetry award.

A prize of $500 and publication by Broadside Lotus Press is given annually for a poetry collection by an African American poet. Submit two copies of a manuscript of 60 to 90...

Mississippi Arts Commission

Literary artist fellowships.

Grants of up to $5,000 each are given in alternating years to Mississippi poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. This year the fellowships will be offered in...

Poets & Writers

Maureen egen writers exchange award.

Two prizes of $500 each are awarded annually to a poet and a fiction writer from a select state. Each winner will also receive a monthlong residency at the Jentel Artist...

Selected Shorts

Stella kupferberg memorial short story prize.

A prize of $1,000 and tuition for a 10-week writing class through New York City's Gotham Writers Workshop is given annually for a short story. The winning work will be...

Persea Books

Lexi rudnitsky editor’s choice award.

A prize of $2,000 and publication by Persea Books is given annually for a poetry collection by a U.S. poet who has published at least one book of poetry. Using only the online...

Colorado Review

Nelligan prize for short fiction.

A prize of $2,500 and publication in Colorado Review is given annually for a short story. Ramona Ausubel will judge. Submit a story between 2,500 and 12,500 words with a...

University of Notre Dame

Andrés montoya poetry prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Notre Dame Press is given biennially for a debut poetry collection by a Latinx poet residing in the United States. John...

National Poetry Series

Open competition.

Five prizes of $10,000 each and publication by participating trade, university, or small press publishers are given annually for poetry collections. The 2022 publishers are...

Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a single poem. Forrest Gander will judge. Submit up to three poems of no more than three pages each with a $10 entry fee by March 15....

Airlie Press

Airlie prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Airlie Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a...

Prairie Schooner

Raz-schumaker book prizes.

Two prizes of $3,000 each and publication by University of Nebraska Press are given annually for a poetry collection and a short story collection. Kwame Dawes will judge....

Eludia Award

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Sowilo Press is given annually for a first book of fiction by a woman writer over the age of 40. Using only the online submission system,...

James Jones Literary Society

First novel fellowship.

A prize of $10,000 is given annually for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. Runners-up will each receive $1,000. Using only the online...

A Public Space

Writing fellowships.

Three six-month fellowships of $1,000 each are given annually to emerging fiction and nonfiction writers who have not published a full-length book. The fellows will work with...

First Pages Prize

A prize of $2,000, developmental editing support, and an agent consultation will be given annually for the first five pages of a work of fiction or creative nonfiction. A...

Bauhan Publishing

May sarton new hampshire poetry prize.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Bauhan Publishing, and 50 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Rebecca Kaiser Gibson will judge. Submit a manuscript of 50...

Fordham University at Lincoln Center 

Poetic justice institute prizes.

Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by Fordham University Press are given annually for poetry collections. The winners also receive a publicity consultation and headline...

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A powerhouse of voices. A champion of different perspectives. A pipeline of talent.

A POWERHOUSE OF VOICES. A CHAMPION OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. A PIPELINE OF TALENT. This is Girls Write Now.

Connect with us, writing contests & publication opportunities for youth.

Girls Write Now is a dynamic, multi-generational community of writers on a mission. For more than 20 years, our nationally award-winning programs have provided creative, critical and digital writing training, college and career readiness, personalized mentoring and massive opportunities for the next generation of leaders.

Know about a great writing contest for teens or young adults? Feel free to reach out to Sally Familia at [email protected] .

CONTEST SOURCES FOR YOUTH

Approaching writing contests can be overwhelming. Where do you even start?

• Submittable.com is a great source for perusing around different writing contests. From annual contests to general submissions and publications, Submittable is a place where many journals and literary organizations list their search for unpublished writing of all genres! Once you set up a Submittable account, you’ll even have a neat little dashboard to keep all your submissions in order. No mess = less stress!

SELECT YOUTH CONTESTS

These select contests are not only specific to youth, but they will also come and go faster than you can spell “onomatopoeia.” Check back periodically for new contests throughout the year!

If you write historical or mythology-inspired short fiction, and are 18 years old or above, you can enter a story of between 1,500 and 2,000 words to win some great prizes from World History Encyclopedia and Oxford University Press! Make sure it’s set before 1939, the current cut-off date for World History Encyclopedia. Submission Deadline: October 7, 2023.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is a provocative novel that presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction—that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress. Enter the Fountainhead  Essay Contest to win a $5,000 prize! Follow the instructions on the website to receive more information on how to apply.

The nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens, The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards recognizes art in 28 categories. Students will first apply for regional awards, and those that receive a Gold Key will be judged in the national competition. Find your region to determine your deadline and learn more about submitting at: https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/ . When you apply, make sure to identify Girls Write Now as your organization. Click here for more details about how to have your fee waived as a Girls Write Now mentee.

The New York State (NYS) Youth Poet Laureate Program aims to identify young writers and leaders committed to creating change through civic engagement and poetic excellence. Along with the official title and a cash prize of $500, the NYS Youth Poet Laureate gets both high-level performance and learning opportunities and the chance to apply to be the National Youth Poet Laureate.

Select Annual Contest Schedules

Bennington’s Young Writers Awards exists to promote excellence in writing at the high school level. Included genres are poetry, fiction and nonfiction. A first, second, and third place winner is selected in each category. The details below can be found on their Submittable page at https://www.bennington.edu/events/young-writers-awards .

Awards & Rules First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; third-place winners receive $250.

There is no entry fee.

All entries must be original work reviewed, approved and sponsored by a high school teacher. We will use your sponsoring teacher as a contact for the competition should we have any questions. For homeschooled students, please contact a mentor to sponsor your writing.

Young Writers Award finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington. YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $40,000. YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $15,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $60,000.

Black Lawrence Press has annual awards and competitions for a variety of genres. The schedule below, as well as individual descriptions for each award, can be found on their Submittable page at https://blacklawrencepress.submittable.com/submit . The Big Moose Prize: Open December 1 – January 31 (Open competition, novels) The Hudson Prize: Open February 1 – March 31 (Open competition, poetry and short story collections) The Spring Black River Chapbook Competition : Open April 1 – May 31 (Open competition, poetry and prose chaps) Open Reading Period 1: Between June 1 – June 30 The St. Lawrence Book Award: Open July 1- August 31 (First book competition, poetry and short story collections) The Fall Black River Chapbook Competition: Open September 1 – October 31 (Open competition, poetry and prose chaps) Open Reading Period 2: Between November 1 – November 30 (Please note that Black Lawrence Press occasionally offers early bird specials on their contests. These specials allow authors to submit their manuscripts ahead of time at a discounted rate.)

This contest challenges students to submit a sonnet in iambic pentameter, using Shakespearean, Spenserian, Petrarchan or Non-Traditional rhyme schemes. Winners will be announced in early August with cash prizes totaling over $3,000. Learn more at h ttps://sonnetcontest.org/sonnet-contest/ .

Learn more at  http://www.bowseat.org/contest .

This Goi Peace Foundation essay contest aims to inspire society to learn from the young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the world. This year’s theme challenges writers to explore their values, and how those values shape their lives. Three winners will be selected, with cash prizes of up to $840. To learn more, visit https://www.goipeace.or.jp/en/work/essay-contest/ .

The American Writers Museum, John Estey Student Writing Competition, has opened its 4th annual student writing competition. To learn more, visit American Writers Museum

PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMERGING WRITERS

THE ADROIT JOURNAL  is run by high school students, college students, and emerging writers. Adroit publishes within “over 21” and “under 21” categories, so your writing will appear alongside great work by writers of any age. Adroit publishes fiction and poetry, and includes art and photography. They will reopen our submission reading period in January 2021. Find them online at:  http://www.theadroitjournal.org/

AFFINITY MAGAZINE works to spotlight teen voices about current events. We find that the media sometimes forgets the voices of teens on many topics! So we are here to give them a voice. Affinity Magazine allows you to get your writing published and read by thousands of people! You can get your work published and sharpen up on your writing so you can write for The New York Times one day (hopefully!!). For ages 13-20. Visit http://affinitymagazine.us/write-for-us/ for more information on all the different

AGNI  is Boston University’s well-respected journal. It appears in both print and online. AGNI submissions are not limited to high school writers, but the journal is known to accept and publish lots of work by new writers. Get published in high school at AGNI and you’ve taken an important step to becoming a writer in the real world! Find them online at:  http://www.bu.edu/agni/submit.htm

THE ALCOTT YOUTH MAGAZINE is a magazine devoted to sharing the written perspectives of young people. The magazine publishes work on a variety of topics, including current events, young adult life, and women’s rights issues. Published works are primarily focused on young women from ages thirteen to twenty-two. However, anyone who is interested in sharing their voice is encouraged to submit to the magazine, regardless of age or gender. The Alcott Youth Magazine is open to publishing articles, essays, short stories, illustrations, cartoons, photographs, or any other works. Visit https://www.alcottmagazine.com/submit

THE AUDACITY is Roxanne Gay’s bi-monthly newsletter where she features emerging writers with fewer than three article/essay/short story publications and no published books or book contracts. The Audacity features only non-fiction and is particularly interested in literary essays and memoir. All essays are paid a flat fee of $2,000. For more information, visit https://gay.submittable.com/submit

BLUE MARBLE publishes four times a year and accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, opinion pieces, travel writing, photography and art on a rolling basis. Blue Marble looks for new work from writers ages 13-21 that hasn’t been published anywhere else either online or in print. For more details on how to submit your work, visit https://bluemarblereview.com/submit/ .

DIALOGUE HUMANITIES is an online, biannual journal that publishes high quality, humanities-focused essays written by middle and high school students. Essays will be reviewed by a panel of experts in various humanities-based fields and will be chosen based on the strength of the writing, the author’s familiarity with his or her chosen topic, and the appropriateness of the essay’s content. Dialogue Humanities Review aims to include academic essays from a wide variety of fields, including but not limited to: African-American Studies; American Studies; Anthropology; Archaeology; Art Criticism, History, and Theory; Classics; Ethics; Ethnic Studies; Folklore; Geography; History; History and Ethics of Science; International Studies; Jurisprudence; Languages and Linguistics; Literature; Music History and Criticism; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Religion and Comparative Religion; Sociology; Social Sciences; Theatre History and Criticism; and Women’s Studies. If selected, authors will be asked to revise their essays to ready it for publication. Please visit http://dialoguehumanitiesreview.org/about/ or contact Jessica Rafferty at [email protected] for more information.

ÉLAN LITERARY MAGAZINE accepts original fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, plays, and all kinds of art from students ages 14-18 in locations internationally. Élan produces two online editions a year, one in the Fall/Winter and another in the Spring/Summer. The two editions are combined into a single Print Edition each Summer. For more information on how to submit, visit: https://www.elanlitmag.com/submit .

EMBER only publishes twice a year, but this beautiful and dreamy journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction appeals to all age groups. Although it doesn’t exclusively publish young writers, submissions from writers and artists ages 10 to 18 are strongly encouraged. Submissions open March 1, 2023 . For more details, visit them online at:  http://emberjournal.org/ .

ENOUGH PLAYS is taking submissions from teen writers (ages 13-19) of 10-MIN PLAYS confronting the issue of gun violence. Six plays will be selected by a panel of astonishing writers to be published and performed nationwide and the writers will receive $500. Deadline for submissions is April 20, 2023 . Visit them online: https://www.enoughplays.com/amplify

GIRLS RIGHT THE WORLD  is a literary journal inviting young, female-identified writers and artists, ages 14–21, to submit work for consideration for the fourth annual issue. They believe girls’ voices transform the world for the better. We accept poetry, prose, and visual art of any style or theme. Girls Right The World ask to be the first to publish your work in North America; after publication, the rights return to you. Please include a note mentioning your age, where you’re from, and a bit about your submission. Send your best work, in English or English translation, to girlsri[email protected] between September 1 and December 31. 

HANGING LOOSE PRESS has had a section of high school writing in their issues since 1968. Hanging Loose has long been known for its special interest in new writers. This press reads manuscripts throughout the year, accepting poetry and prose. For more details on the submission process, visit https://www.hangingloosepress.com/submissions/ .

HELLOGIGGLES a positive online community for female-identifying readers (although others are always welcome!) covering the latest in beauty and style, relationships, career and money, culture, identity, and more. Featuring a mix of news, personal essays, reported features, and service, we’re committed to providing our readers with smart, thoughtful, and relatable content representing a range of voices. We were founded by Zooey Deschanel, Molly McAleer, and Sophia Rossi in 2011 as a place on the Internet to inspire a smile, and years later, we’re still doing just that. for ages 14 and up

HOT DISH MAGAZINE , an online journal serving up a bubbling mixture of poetry and fiction by teens (grades 9–12), wants your voice to be heard! We award cash prizes for fiction, poetry, and the Hot Dish Challenge. Our submission period is October-January. Visit us at  www.hotdishmagazine.com . 

ICE LOLLY REVIEW:  Ice Lolly Review accepts a variety of pieces including, creative nonfiction, fiction, haikus, poems, plays, spoken word, and etc. They are looking for pieces that have a strong, solid voice and aren’t afraid of delving into deep topics. For more details, go to  https://www.icelollyreview.com/submissions .

jGIRLS   MAGAZINE:   jGirls Magazine accepts submissions on an ongoing basis from self-identifying Jewish teenage girls and gender-expansive youth ages 13-19. You can submit articles, essays, fiction, poetry, cultural reviews, humor, photographs, music, videos, artwork and other creative materials. You can submit as often as you’d like. For more details, visit  https://jgirlsmagazine.org/submission-guidelines/ .

KIDSPIRIT is a nonprofit online magazine and community by and for youth to engage each other about life’s big questions in an open and inclusive spirit. Its mission is to promote mutual understanding among 11- to 17-year-olds of diverse backgrounds and support their development into world citizens with strong inner grounding. KidSpirit is in syndication on the Huffington Post and Spirituality & Practice and has won numerous awards from major educational, parenting, and spiritual organizations. Visit the Get Involved section to learn more about publishing your work, becoming an editor, or facilitating a conversation about one of the 50 themes KidSpirit contributors have explored: https://kidspiritonline.com/get-involved/

THE LUMIERE REVIEW is a literary magazine dedicated to shining the light on all voices through poetry, prose, and art. General submissions are now open. Submissions to the forthcoming Issue 08 of The Lumiere Review in poetry, prose (creative fiction and non-fiction), and all forms of art can be sent to [email protected]. Details on how to submit and format your work can be found at: https://lumierereview.com/submit .

THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM : invites middle and high school students to enter the Morgan’s Teen Writing contest with a first-person poem or narrative telling a story from the perspective of a hero or heroine. Submission deadline is February 24, 2023. Written work should be submitted using this online form . Submissions must be written in English. Works can contain mature themes but inappropriate or graphic content is subject for removal. More details can be found at: https://www.themorgan.org/education/writing-contest

POLYPHONY LIT:  invites submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from high school students worldwide. Student editors provide feedback to all submissions, including the ones not accepted for publication. Submissions are open from February 1-28, 2022 and June 1-30, 2022. More details can be found at  https://www.polyphonylit.org/.

TEEN INK is one of the most popular and diverse writing spaces to get published in high school. The broad categories for publication reflect the diversity of writing that this lively online magazine celebrates. Some publication categories include: community service, travel and culture, the environment, health, reviews of TV shows and video games, and college essays, among the more traditional poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Visit online at:  http://www.teenink.com

THE TRAILBLAZER LITERARY MAGAZINE is an international high school publication dedicated to push for cultural diversity through creative writing. For general submissions, the magazine accepts fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction all year, from middle and high school students between 14 and 18 years old. In addition, they host the Cultural Heritage Writing Contest, which welcomes submissions about the young creatives’ cultural background, ancestry, values, customs, etc. Visit online at: https://www.thetrailblazerreview.com/ TRAVELNITCH was founded in 2018 to encourage a love of travel and make it more accessible to all families. Travelnitch believes travel has the power to changes lives, open minds, and build stronger communities. They love to feature new & aspiring travel writers who can delight and entertain readers. They currently need support developing family-centric travel content to engage kids (and sometimes parents) in fun and innovative ways.  If you are a writer who loves to travel, this could be the perfect fit for you—turn your own passion into an inspiring story for our readers! https://travelnitch.org/writers/storyteller-spotlight/

TYRIAN INK is an independent LGBTQIA+ press that is dedicated to uplifting youth voices. TYRIAN INK is currently open to chapbook manuscripts of any genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrid, etc) with a minimum of 30 pages and a maximum of 50 pages in length. Please only submit if you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community and are 22 or below. Writers will be paid $250 for their manuscripts and receive a percent of royalties for every chapbook sold. https://tyrianinkpress.com/home/submission-guidelines/

Auroras & Blossoms’ third annual PoArtMo Anthology , gives a voice to people whose stories and/or art seek to nurture hope and optimism. Writers of poetry, short stories, flash fiction, essays, and six-word stories are all encouraged to send in their work! To read more about The PoArtMo Anthology, visit the Auroras and Blossoms Anthology guidelines page at https://abpositiveart.com/youth .

WRITING RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIPS

Hedgebrook’s mission is to support visionary women-identified writers,18 and older, whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come. Writers must be women, which is inclusive of transgender women and female-identified individuals.

Hedgebrook’s Writer-in-Residence Program supports writers from all over the world for fully-funded residencies of two to four weeks (travel is not included and is the responsibility of the writer to arrange and pay for). Up to 6 writers can be in residence at a time, each housed in their own handcrafted cottage. They spend their days in solitude – writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property or on nearby Double Bluff beach. In the evenings, “The Gathering” is a social time for residents to connect and share over their freshly prepared meals.

Writers can apply here for a residency in Fiction, Non-fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Screenwriting/TV Writing, or Songwriting. Read more and apply at https://www.hedgebrook.org/writers-in-residence.

MacDowell’s mission is to nurture the arts by offering creative individuals an inspiring environment in which they can produce enduring works of the imagination. We encourage applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and who are investigating an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns.

MacDowell  is currently accepting applications for the Spring Summer 2023 residency season (March – August 2023). Learn more at https://macdowell.slideroom.com/#/Login.

The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is a $8,000 unrestricted cash grant available to artists living in New York State and/or one of the Indian Nations located therein. This grant is awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period (five categories a year) and the application is free to complete. The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is not a project grant, but is intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, at all levels of their artistic development.

Learn more at https://www.nyfa.org/awards-grants/artist-fellowships/ .

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Fall 2022 High School Writing Contest

From September through December 1st, 2023,  The Crossings is accepting submissions of original, unpublished work from high school Juniors and Seniors. Writers may submit one of each category short fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry, for a total of four submissions.

A winner will be chosen by The Crossings editorial team from each of the four categories, and an overall first-place and second-place winner will be chosen from the winners of the four categories.

The winners from each of the four categories will have their pieces published in the print and online version of The Crossings and will receive a copy of the Spring 2023 Edition of The Crossings.

In addition, the overall first-place winner will receive a $4,000 scholarship and the overall second-place winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship to Bethel University.  In order to use this scholarship, the student will be a full-time residential student for Fall of 2024.  This scholarship cannot exceed tuition when combined with other scholarships.

Submission Guidelines

Writer must be a high school Junior or Senior (11th or 12th grade) as of   Fall 2023.

All short fiction, non-fiction, and drama pieces should be between 500 and 2,500 words. Poetry  submissions should be no more than 30 lines.

Previously published stories are not accepted.

Only one submission per person per category. Multiple submissions from one person will only be accepted if each piece is a different genre.

All submissions should be typed, double spaced in 12pt Times New Roman or 11pt Arial.

Late submissions will NOT be accepted.

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Poetry idol.

We’re inviting 4-18 year-olds to write a poem about their favorite person. Who do they idolise & why?

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We’re inviting all 4-18 year-olds to write a poem or story inspired by superheroes...

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27 Writing Competitions for High School Students in 2023

• Last modified 2023-08-21
• Published on 2021-04-03

Feel free to save the infographic at the end of the article to keep track of all writing competitions for high school students happening throughout the year of 2023. Please keep in mind that the infographic provides a deadline for competitions; however, each competition’s actual preparation time can vary, from 2 weeks to several months.  

1. Ocean Awareness Writing Contest

• Junior Division: 11-14 years old 
• Senior Division: 15-18 years old 

2. New York Times Summer Reading Competition

Competition Introduction:  Since 2010, the New York Times has held a summer reading competition for middle school students from all over the world every summer. So far, more than 50,000 middle school students have participated. 

The Summer Reading Contest invites students to choose something in The Times that has sparked their interest, then tell us why. At the end of every week, judges from the Times newsroom pick their favorite responses, and the winner’s work will be published in NY Times.  

Competition schedule : Before the end of the competition (August), participants can choose any article, essay, video, interaction, podcast, or photo published in the New York Times to analyze, write about, and submit to the competition.

Every Tuesday after the start of the competition, the previous week’s winners will be announced and their writing pieces will be published. 

Competition time:   June 9 – August 18, 2023

Suitable for students: 13-19-year-old students from all over the world; 

• Students aged 13-15 can submit via the form in the link to the weekly article, subject to parent or guardian consent; 
• Students aged 16-19 can directly submit in the comments of the weekly articles.

Official website of the competition

3. Write the World Series Writing Contest

4. john locke essay competition.

Competition Introduction:  The John Locke Essay Competition is organized by John Locke Institute, an independent education organization located in Oxford, UK. The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasive style. All of their essay prizes are judged by senior academics from the University of Oxford. The judges will choose their favorite essay from each subject category and an overall ‘best essay’ across seven subjects. Read more about the complete guide to John Locke Competition . 

Competition time: June 30, 2023

Suitable for students: 2 Levels – High school students 18 years old or younger and Middle School students 14 years old or younger at the submission deadline. 

Official website of the competition. 

5. National Scholastic Art and Writing Competition

Competition Introduction: The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the longest-running, oldest, and most prestigious literary and art competition in the United States, aiming to find creative works and original technical skills by students in grades 7-12. Since 1923, the Academic Art and Writing Award has recognized the vision, originality, and talent of young people, and has provided opportunities and academic awards for creative young people to express their talent. The high school award is a symbol of the pursuit of excellence and will help students stand out in university and scholarship applications .

Competition time:   Deadlines vary by region and can be as early as December 1

Suitable for students:   Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) can apply in 28 categories of art and writing.

6. Young Authors Writing Competition

Competition Introduction: Young Authors Writing Competition is sponsored by the English and Creative Writing Department at Columbia College Chicago. The competition has grown into a yearly international contest of high school writers. You may enter up to two works (in separate files) in each category of Creative Nonfiction and Fiction. In the Poetry category, you may enter up to two files, but each can have 1-5 poems. You can submit up to six files (two in each category). You cannot upload three or more files in the same category.

Competition time: The deadline was January 31, 2023

Suitable for students: Open to students in grades 9-12 worldwide

7. River of Words Poetry and Art Contest

Competition Introduction: River of Words Poetry and Art Contest is a free, international youth poetry and art contest — the largest in the world — inspires children ages 5 to 19 to translate their observations into creative expression. River of Words® (ROW) is a program of The Center for Environmental Literacy and a part of the Kalmanovitz School of Education, at Saint Mary’s College of California.

Competition deadline: January 31, 2023

Suitable for students: K through 12th-grade students, ages 5-20. Students must be enrolled in school to be eligible. All entries must be submitted by a parent, guardian, educator, or facilitator unless the student is 18 years old or older.

8. Harvard International Economics Essay Contest (HIEEC)

Competition Introduction: The Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association (HUEA) is organizing its flagship Harvard International Economics Essay Contest with the collaboration of the Harvard College Economics Review. HIEEC allows students to demonstrate an accomplished level of writing and understanding of economic theory. Students hone their academic and professional skills through the contest and exhibit their knowledge.

Competition deadline: 11:59pm EST January 7, 2023

Suitable for students: Students in grades 9 to 12 

9. Annual DNA Day Essay Contest

10. new york times stem writing contest, 11. princeton university 10-minute play contest.

Competition Introduction: The Princeton Ten-minute Play Contest is hosted by the Lewis Art Center of Princeton University. The annual competition’s judging committee comprises faculty and staff from the Program in Theater of Princeton University. They are all members of Princeton University.

Competition date: January 17, 2023 to March 31, 2023

Suitable for students: U.S. domestic or international students studying in the eleventh grade. International students in the equivalent of eleventh grade in the US

Official website of the competition.

12. Write the World Series - Opinion Writing

Competition Introduction: Write the World, developed by David Weinstein – who’s currently working at Harvard University, is dedicated to improving the writing of high school students through a global online community and guided interactive process. The monthly competition is developed around a particular idea or genre of writing, such as poetry, fantasy, sports journalism, or flash fiction. Through multiple competitions throughout the year, students are encouraged to develop their voices, refine their editing skills, and publish on an international platform. Write the World helps students develop the writing strategies and communication tools essential for success in school, career, and life. Students can receive peer and expert feedback before submitting their final piece.

Competition date: March 21, 2023

Suitable for students: Young writers ages 13-18

More information on the competition. 

13. Ayn Rand Essay Contests

14. young reporters for the environment competition.

Competition Introduction:  Young Reporters for the Environment Competition is operated by Foundation for Environmental Education. YRE gives young people aged 11-25 a platform to research environmental issues and promote solutions through investigative reporting, photography, and video journalism. Competition Structure: There are three ways to participate in the YRE International Competition: General YRE International Competition, Litter Less Campaign Competition, and International Collaboration

Competition date: Competitions open during end of March

Suitable for students: Three age categories in the International Competition: 11-14, 15-18, and 19-25

15. New York Times Student Editorial Contest

Competition Introduction: New York Times invited students to write short, evidence-based persuasive essays through the New York Times Students Editorial Contest. Students can choose a topic of interest, then gather evidence from sources within and outside The NY Times and write a concise editorial (450 words or fewer) to convince readers of their view. The Editorial should focus on a topic that matters to students, cite reliable sources that illustrate different perspectives, and persuade readers of the student’s opinions. Last year, the competition received a peak of 16,664 submissions came in, about 5,000 more than ever before.

Competition date: March 15 to April 19, 2023.

Suitable for students: You must be a student ages 13 to 19 in middle or high school to participate. All students must have parent or guardian permission to enter.

16. Jane Austen Society of North America

Competition Introduction: JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) conducts an annual student Essay Contest to foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen’s works in new generations of readers.

Competition date: June 1, 2023

Suitable for students: Students and home-schooled students enrolled at the high school level during the contest year

17. Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

Competition Introduction: Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest is created by Winning Writers, the organization finding and creating quality resources for poets and writers. Winning Writers is among the “101 Best Websites for Writers” (Writer’s Digest, 2015-2019). The judges are Soma Mei Sheng Frazier, the winner of CutBank’s 2018 contest, released in 2019, and Michal Jones, Pushcart Prize-nominated poet, and parent in Oakland, California.

Competition date: April 15 – September 30, 2023

Suitable for students: No restriction on the age of the author. All countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions)

18. Marshall Society Essay Competition

Competition Introduction: Established in 1927, the Marshall Society is the Economics Society of the University of Cambridge. The competition invites pre-university students to write a convincing and well-structured essay related to economic theories.

Competition date: August 19, 2022

Suitable for students: Preuniversity students around the world

19. Bennington College Young Writers Award

Competition Introduction:  Bennington College Young Writers Awards are created by Bennington College, to promote excellence in writing at the high school level and to recognize outstanding writing achievement by high school students. The competition runs annually from September 1 to November 1. Over 5,000 students submitted poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to the Young Writers Awards competition each year. Each year, students in the 9th-12th grades are invited to enter one of the following categories with the following submission:

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)

Competition date: September 1 to November 1

Suitable for students: 9th-12th grades, welcome submissions from both US and international students.

20. Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Competition Introduction: The Leonard Milberg High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in the 11th grade in the U.S. or abroad. Contest judges are poets on the Princeton University Creative Writing faculty, which includes Michael Dickman, Paul Muldoon, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, James Richardson, Tracy K. Smith, Susan Wheeler, Jenny Xie, and Monica Youn.

Competition date: November 27, 2022

Suitable for students: Students in the 11th grade in the U.S or around the world

21. New York Times Personal Narrative Writing Contest

Competition Introduction: The New York Times Personal Narrative Writing Contest invites middle and high school students ages 11-19 to tell a short story in 100 words or less. Your work will be read by New York Times journalists, Learning Network staff members, and educators from around the United States.

Competition date : October – November

Suitable for students: Students ages 13 to 19 who are in middle or high school worldwide.

22. New York Times Annual Student Review Contest

Competition Introduction: The NY Times invites students to play critic and write an original review for their New York Times Student Review Contest. Students can review anything that fits into a category of creative expression that The New York Times covers — from architecture to music.

Competition date: December 2022

Suitable for students: Students ages 11-19 anywhere in the world attending middle or high school can participate

23. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Competition Introduction: In Profile in Courage, John F. Kennedy tells the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do the right thing for their country. These leaders demonstrated political courage by standing up for the public good despite pressure from interest groups, political parties, and even constituents. The JFK Courage Essay Contest asks students to write an original and creative essay demonstrating an understanding of the political courage described in John F. Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage.

Competition date: January 13, 2023

Suitable for students: High school students in the United States and its territories in grades 9-12

24. New York Times 100-Word Tiny Memoir Contest

Competition Introduction: The New York Times invites all junior and senior high school students to write a memoir in less than 100 words that is very meaningful to each person. This can be a special situation, a scene, or a meaningful event. New York Times hopes to hear unique stories from the “young writers” in their own words. The judges hope to see how the “young authors” solve a problem in this short story and see the larger meaning behind the story.

Competition date: October 12

Suitable for students:  Writers of all ages and levels of experience

25. SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

26. the concord review (tcr).

Competition Introduction: The Concord Review (TCR) is an academic journal dedicated to publishing historical research papers of high school students in English. With the spring issue, the quarterly journal has published 1,362 research papers from authors in 46 states and 41 countries. Many of the authors of TCR have gone to prestigious universities and colleges across the US and around the world.

Competition date: Summer: February 1. Fall: May 1. Winter: August 1. Spring issue: November 1.

Suitable for students: Students must complete the paper before finishing secondary school and you have not yet enrolled in a college or university

27. The Foyle Young Poets

Competition Introduction: Founded in 1998, the Foyle Young Poets Competition is a highly regarded global contest that attracts thousands of entries annually from aspiring poets around the globe. The competition is free to enter and allows young writers to showcase their work, gain recognition for their talents, and receive support and guidance from established poets. Many previous winners have succeeded in the literary world, becoming published authors and receiving numerous accolades for their work.

Competition date: Midnight July 31, 2023 (BST)

Suitable for students: Everyone aged between 11-17 on 31st July 2023.

28. F(r)iction Contest

Competition Introduction: F(r)iction is a triannual publication that boasts work from both industry legends and emerging writers. Each issue is carefully curated to evaluate an important cultural topic from vastly different perspectives. They accept short fiction, creative nonfiction, flash fiction, comics, and poetry submissions all year round, and also host contests featuring celebrity guest judges and cash prizes twice a year (each spring and fall). Every piece published in F(r)iction is also accompanied by custom artwork.

Competition date: April 27, 2023<

Submission length: Short stories: 1,001 – 7,500 words; Flash fiction: up to 1,000 words per piece; Poetry: up the three pages per poem

Prizes: $300 (Poetry and Flash), $500 (Creative Nonfiction), or $1,000 (Short Fiction)

Entry fee: $10 – $15

Judges: Jennifer Wortman (Short Fiction), Charlie Clare Burgess (Creative Nonfic), Exodus Oktavia Brownlow (Flash Fiction), Kyle Carrero Lopez (Poetry)

In early 2021, the nation’s art and writing contest (Scholastic Art & Writing Awards) announced their winners. Excitingly, Aralia students received a total of 38 awards, which consisted of 10 Golden Key Awards, 8 Silver Key Awards, and 20 Honorable Mentions! More information about the awards can be found here . 

In order to achieve these great results, most of the award-winning students have participated in the writing competition preparation program with the instruction and leadership of Aralia’s famous writing teachers. Aralia’s tutors are inspired teachers and professors who are committed to student success. They are recognized in their field or are currently teaching at top high schools and colleges/universities in the US. 

What's next?

How can I improve my writing? 20 Tips to Improve Your Writing

How can I stand out in writing competitions? The only 5 tips you need to know are here: 5 Tips to Stand Out in a Writing Competition

Heard about John Locke Essay Competition but not sure where to start? Read this Complete Guide to John Locke Essay Competition

Finished your writing work but not sure where to submit it? Where to Submit Your Writing Works: 5 Main Platforms will answer your questions

This class is offered in the summer every year. Students from 13 to 18 years old wanting to learn how to shape their written English into effective and publishable creative pieces will find this particular Writing Competition course very exciting. The class will be shown a range of tools to learn the nuances of controlled, purposeful writing, including: figurative language, effective structuring and specific forms that they will apply to their own pieces.

• Competitions

Interested in learning more?

Aralia Education is an innovative online education platform for ambitious middle and high school students worldwide. Aralia’s instructors propel students forward by helping them build a strong foundation in traditional academic courses. They also actively engage and guide students in exploring personal interests beyond their school curriculum. With this holistic approach, Aralia ensures its students are well-prepared for college and equipped for success in their future careers.

• Signature Courses
• High School Introduction
• Academic Tutoring
• Test Preparation Courses
• 1 on 1 Tutoring
• Student Awards

Give us a call: +1 (603) 932 7897

Add us on WhatsApp:

1. Rattle Young Poets Anthology

This project seeks young authors who are up to 15 years old when they wrote the poem and 18 or less when submitted. The students’ parents, teachers, and guardians can also submit poems. Checking out some helpful tips in writing can help you create the best poem ever.

Submissions: 50 poems are chosen from all applications.

Ages: 18 or less

Closing date: late June

2. Ocean Awareness Student Contest

The proposed theme challenges young essayists to explore, understand, research, and write their views on the relations between people’s actions and the oceans’ state. Rewards vary from $100 to $1,500.

Eligibility: High and Middle school students may participate.

Deadline : June

3. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

This challenge recognizes exceptional writings by young authors at high school.

Awards: The winning prize is $500, and then $250 is given for the 2 nd best, and $100 for the third top poem.

Grades : 11.

Closing period: Fall.

4. Hypernova Lit

In this contest, any kind of work is accepted. You may send poetry, prose, long or tiny stories, essays about your life as well as experiences, journal writing, plays, scripts, or letters.

Grades: All ages with grades are eligible.

Deadline : submission is year-round.

5. Canvas Literary Journal

The prominent literary journal for teens arranges this challenge. It seeks novice authors to send novel excerpts, cross-genre, plays, nonfiction, or fiction, poems, and innovative media.

Ages: 13-to18.

Closing period: papers are accepted in the fall.

6. The Bennington Young Writers Awards

The teenagers of grades 9th to 12th worldwide are requested to write original compositions in three types: fiction (a brief narrative story), poetry (three best poems), or nonfiction (an individual essay). The leaders in each classification receive a reward of $500, and the other top writers are awarded $250.

Grades: from 10 to 12.

Deadline: All works are accepted in the fall.

7. Princeton University 10 Minute Play Contest

Eminent professors and lecturers of the Academic Program assess the works. Permissibility for this yearly writing competition is limited to learners in grade 11. The sums given to the top three works are as follows: $100, $250, and $500.

Grades: only 11.

8. The New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

By sending your selected one-act play to the creative contest, you can possibly win some money or technical innovations from wonderful promoters and even get approval for future publication!

Ages of applicants: up to 19.

Period for submission : Fall.

9. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

This popular contest has the widest selection of prospects for resourceful self-expression. Twenty-nine categories range impressively. Via the contest, high schoolers receive great publication opportunities, demonstration prospects, grants, as well as recognition.

Grades: 7 to 12, and 13 years or over, residing in the USA, or Canada .

Deadlines vary by category, starting from September to late December.

10. One Teen Story

This is an esteemed book publication for story creators and admirers of teen literature. Subscribers have an opportunity to get one revised and corrected brief story once a month via mail. Professionals in composition, professors, in addition to seasoned lecturers, revise the papers, but you may also contact a free essay editing service to help you out.

Ages: 13 to 19.

Submission period: begins in September and ends in May.

11. Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

The challenge is for novice women writers, currently juniors, in any high school. It affords prizes, grants, and countrywide recognition for their best poems. Rewards are usually up to $5,000. The participants of the inventive writing project select the best authors. Qualified specialists and experienced lecturers grade the papers.

Grades: 11 to 12.

Period for submission: October every year.

12. The Claremont Review

The main publishing managers of the venture provide a great opportunity for emerging writers to choose from various styles: modern writing or traditional. Undergraduate students can publish their narrative stories, plays, poems, and even photography.

Eligible ages: 12 to 19.

Submission: September to April each year

13. YoungArts

The program is an application-based contest for novel writers or artists. Young people may apply in a broad range of disciplines, comprising essay writing, visual arts, design, and music. The project organizers ask the participants to prepare a decent portfolio.

Ages: 15-to 18 or from grades 10-12.

The closing period for submission: October.

14. Achievement Award in Writing

This famous award is nominated for new creative writers in the US, Canada, and abroad (accredited American schools). Authors must submit a sample of their best composition and one specific essay to their school’s language department. Apparently, this project is helpful for students to learn to write as well as improve writing exam results easily.

Eligible ages: 13 to 18.

Deadline: Essay submissions are open starting from November 15 to February 15.

Tip to win these contests

Students can win the contests after practicing in writing platforms. Like online notepad , MS word and typing tutor software etc. In every challenge, they get new types of tasks and the prize amount varies accordingly. This contest will help them to boost their confidence. Students can use these tools where they can practice for the contest and win the competitions.

If you’re planning to host a writing contest or other events, custom medals are a great idea. This can not only improve the brand awareness of the writing organizer but also be a great reward for outstanding writing students. Go to GSJJ, which provides personalized customization services and discounts for a bulk order of medals.

Submitting your composition for review and publication can lead your creative energy into a significant and rewarding venture. Participating in a competition, or having your essay published, is also vital in college admissions decisions for a graduate.

You will study how to write better, pass your exams, and be more successful in your course. Excellence in writing and high marks will help you get several higher education opportunities and get a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in top universities.

Obviously, you need to be creative and sincere in your works. Write and try your luck in the famous contests mentioned. Who knows, you may become the best writer in your region or even state! So be brave and do not hesitate to take part!

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creative writing conferences 2023

Book Publicist Scott Lorenz offers Authors Book Marketing Tips and Techniques on his Blog “The Book Publicist”

The Top Writers’ Conferences for 2023 by Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

by Scott Lorenz | Blog , Book Promotion , Book Publicity , Marketing a Book , Promoting a Book , Writers Conferences , Writing a Book | 5 comments

By Scott Lorenz Westwind Communications

If you are a serious writer with high aspirations, then you’ll want to go to a writers’ conference. Want to meet authors and exchange ideas, tips and techniques? Then sign up for a writer’s conference today.

A writers’ conference is a think tank for authors to build on each other’s ideas and inspire new achievements in their own work. For the cost of lodging and registration, the payoff for attending a writers’ conference could be tremendous.

Attending a writers’ conference gives you a chance to pitch your book, learn about the various publishing options and meet book editors, agents and book marketing specialists. If your book is six months or a year from being finished, you can talk to people with valuable input on shaping your book. At a writers’ conference, you’ll get all sorts of advice to help you wrap up your project when you return home.

Of course, you will want to prepare for any writers’ conference you attend by having a plan of what you want to find out and what you will do while there. I suggest you develop an ‘elevator pitch’ about your book that you can deliver in 30 seconds. Have a one-pager available with your book cover, author headshot, short 50-word synopsis, short bio, website URL, Twitter handle and your contact information. You never know who you’ll meet so be prepared for that moment!

Here are some upcoming writers’ conferences in 2023:

January 14-21, 2023: Writers in Paradise Conference (St. Petersburg, FL). Located on the beautiful waterfront campus of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, this writers’ conference features professional writers at the top of their form spending quality time with motivated and talented participants seeking an intimate, unhurried climate for learning…in paradise. https://www.writersinparadise.com/

January 20-21, 2023: Roanoke Regional Writers Conference 2023 (Roanoke, VA). Welcome! It’s my extreme honor to invite you to the 14th Annual Roanoke Regional Writers Conference! This is the perfect event to learn, grow, and connect with other writers in the area. RRWC23 takes place on January 20-21, 2023, at Hollins University in Roanoke. The snow date is January 27-28. The cost of the conference is $70 ($25 for students and faculty), including brunch in the dining hall on Saturday. https://www.hollins.edu/events/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D163162100

February 8-16, 2023: 2023 Sierra Writers Conference (Rocklin, CA). The 2023 Sierra Writers Conference celebrates the 20th anniversary of Sierra College Press and Standing Guard, its landmark book of stories about Japanese internment during WWII. This year’s conference draws on the spirit of the Sierra College Press, its first publication, and the talent of a diverse group of speakers who will discuss and provide instruction on stories of social justice, the environment, and the craft of writing. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-sierra-writers-conference-tickets-470040352347

February 16–19, 2023: 19th annual San Francisco Writers Conference (San Francisco, CA). The San Francisco Writers Conference (“SFWC”) enjoys a rich literary culture. Over the course of four days, over 500 attendees and renowned keynote authors, presenters, editors, and agents, attend SFWC, combining the best of both the traditional publishing industry with the latest technology to empower authors to publish anywhere. Situated just north of Silicon Valley, the SFWC is truly a one-of-a-kind celebration of craft, commerce, and community. https://www.sfwriters.org/

February 17-19, 2023: Southern California Writers Conference (San Diego, CA). Founded and run by professional writers the SCWC provides veteran and emerging talent with authoritative guidance to help distinguish those manuscripts that are ready for market consideration, having facilitated well over $4 million worth of first-time authors’ book and screen deals. https://writersconference.com/sd/

February 20-24, 2023: 28th Annual Writers at the Symposium by the Sea (San Diego, CA). Writer’s Symposium by the Sea is an annual event to inspire readers and writers alike, featuring evocative conversations with exemplary writers from various genres, backgrounds, and perspectives. During each interview, the audience is invited to actively listen in as writers share what inspires their writing and delve into the practices that propel their success. https://www.pointloma.edu/opportunities/writers-symposium-sea

February 24, 2023: 21st Annual Rocky Mountain Legal Writing Conference (Las Vegas, NV). The Rocky Mountain Regional Legal Writing Conference began in 2000 at University of Arizona Law as the brainchild of Professor Suzanne Rabe (University of Arizona Law), Professor Judy Stinson (Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU) and Professor Terrill Pollman (William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV). The three professors designed the conference as an informal exchange of teaching ideas among legal writing professors from schools in the loosely defined “Rocky Mountain” region, but it quickly grew into one of the largest and most popular regional legal writing conferences in the nation, drawing participants from across the nation and, indeed, across the globe. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rocky-mountain-legal-writing-conference-tickets-426601325047

March 2-3, 2023: Write to Learn Conference (Columbia, MO). This year’s conference theme will be “Compassion as Our Compass, Diversity Without Distrust,” a variation on best-selling author Padma Venkatraman’s opening keynote address title. https://web.cvent.com/event/62fe5b66-3dbb-4204-908b-c3d854fc95f7/summary

March 2-3, 2023: 26th ASU Writers Conference in Honor of Elmer Kelton (San Angelo, TX). The 2023 conference will commemorate the 26th Angelo State University’s Writers Conference in Honor of Elmer Kelton. Our two-day conference is one of the few in the state that requires no registration or attendance fees for presenters and guests. https://www.angelo.edu/departments/english-modern-languages/writers_conference.php

March 3-4, 2023: I Write Writing Conference (Denver, CO). Whether you are a Creator, Author, or Soon-to-Be, this conference was designed with you in mind. Giving you a 2-Day Experience for you to network with others in your field. Come Learn, Create, and Thrive with us! https://www.iwriteconference.com/

March 4, 2023: Bay to Ocean Writers Conference 2023 (Wye Mills, MD). Now celebrating its 26th year, the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference is a one-day event that has attracted more than 4,000 writers over its history. It is sponsored by the Eastern Shore Writers Association (ESWA), a non-profit organization of writers from across the Delmarva Peninsula. https://www.easternshorewriters.org/event-5053495

March 6-7, 2023: Writing For Your Life Conference (Atlanta, GA). If you write, or read, books that matter – books with substance and soul – then this is the place for you. https://writingforyourlife.com/wfyl-atlanta-2023/

March 10-12, 2023: SAGA 2023 Genre Fiction Writers’ Conference (Winston-Salem, NC). SAGA is fast becoming the premier genre fiction writing conference east of the Mississippi. With a concentration on genre writing (science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.), SAGA brings the master class-style presentation of a professional writers’ conference to commercial fiction, with presentations and workshops focused both on craft and on the business of writing. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saga-2023-genre-fiction-writers-conference-tickets-349890049557

March 11, 2023: AWP Conference 2023 (Seattle, WA). The AWP Conference & Bookfair is the annual destination for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers of contemporary creative writing. It includes thousands of attendees, hundreds of events and bookfair exhibitors, and four days of essential literary conversation and celebration. The AWP Conference & Bookfair has always been a place of connection, reunion, and joy, and we are excited to see the writing community come together again in Seattle, Washington in 2023. https://www.awpwriter.org/awp_conference/

March 11, 2023: The 2023 Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA). The title of the Atlanta Writing Workshop is “How to Get Published.” It focuses on classes and advice intended to help you get your works published. https://atlantawritingworkshop.com/

March 17-18, 2023: Moravian Writers Conference (Bethlehem, PA). This conference (featuring in-person and online events) will explore writing about war and the veteran experience in today’s world. https://www.moravian.edu/writersconference

March 23-25, 2023: 54th Annual UND Writers Conference (Grand Forks, ND). Founded in 1970 and held every year since, the UND Writers Conference is a three-day event featuring six to eight authors annually ranging from Gwendolyn Brooks and August Wilson to Tommy Orange and Colson Whitehead. The UND Writers Conference is committed to community outreach, engagement, and finding ways to increase audience access to literature. https://und.edu/writers-conference/

March 25, 2023: Kentucky Writers Conference (Bowling Green, KY). Bestselling authors and educators participating in SOKY Book Fest will teach craft workshops about everything from plotting techniques to employing poetic language to getting published on Saturday, March 25. The Kentucky Writers Conference is made possible through the generous support of Dollar General. https://sokybookfest.org/programs/ky-writers-conference/

March 25-26, 2023: Let’s Just Write! An Uncommon Writers Conference (Chicago, IL). Let’s Just Write! An Uncommon Writers Conference was named one of the best conferences in the U.S. by The Writer Magazine two years in a row! Two days, twenty-plus presenters, workshops, sessions, panels…and more. https://www.chicagowrites.org/conference

March 30, 2023: Tampa Bay Publishing Conference (St. Petersburg, FL). The three-day conference includes authors sharing their personal publishing journeys and what they learned along the way, as well as panels tackling topics related to publishing and writing for poets, fiction writers, memoirists, and others. http://www.wordierthanthou.com/tampa-bay-publishing-conference-2021

March 29 – April 1, 2023: Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference (Andalusia, AL). At Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat, you’ll experience the benefits of a large writers’ conference, but on a more personal level. Whether you’re a beginning or experienced writer, interested in fiction or nonfiction, our faculty of seasoned professionals can teach you how to improve your writing skills, market your work, and get published. https://bluelakecwr.com/

March 31 – April 4, 2023: Vision Christian Writers Conference (Felton, CA). The Vision Christian Writing Conference is the response to the devastating news that Mt. Hermon was ceasing their legacy 50-year writing conference at the beginning of the pandemic. https://vcwconf.com/

April 1-2, 2023: South Asian Literary Association Annual Conference (San Antonio, TX). In the 2023 annual meeting of SALA, we take seriously the call for collective action, coalition building and solidarity between Black and South Asian peoples across the world in the aftermath of Black Lives Matter and new awareness about anti-Asian racism. https://www.southasianliteraryassociation.org/

April 1-2, 2023: Write In The Springs – ACFW Colorado Springs Christian Writer’s Conference (Colorado Springs, CO). American Christian Fiction Writers, Colorado Springs Chapter, has offered an affordable conference experience for Christian writers annually since 2009. We invite you to join us at Glen Eyrie Castle in the foothills of Colorado Springs, Colorado, for an unforgettable weekend of teaching, fellowship and inspired writing, whether you are already an established author or just starting your journey to publication. https://allevents.in/colorado%20springs/write-in-the-springs-acfw-colorado-springs-christian-writers-conference/10000433110223337

April 13-15, 2023: Las Vegas Writers Conference (Las Vegas, NV). This year – and every year – the Las Vegas Writers Conference is dedicated to helping writers of all genres improve their craft, sharpen their business skills, and network with publishing professionals. Held each spring, this year’s conference will draw virtual attendees from around the world. Pitch sessions with literary agents and editors are included in the price of registration. Writers will have the opportunity for one-on-one mentoring sessions with faculty members and other published authors. https://lasvegaswritersconference.com/

April 13-17, 2023: Monterey Writers Retreat Conference (Pacific Grove, CA). Join us on the wondrously scenic and soothing Monterey Peninsula in Pacific Grove for the express purpose of working intimately with experienced author and agent professionals. Know that writers of every kind have journeyed for over a century to this location on the California west coast. They come in search of inspiration, individuality, purpose and vision, but more importantly, to share an understanding that art has preceded their arrival in the form of a brutally beautiful sea and windswept shore. https://montereywritersretreat.com/

April 14-15, 2023: 26th Annual Blue Ridge Writers’ Conference (Blue Ridge, GA) . The Blue Ridge Writers Conference is a hidden gem tucked away at the tip of the blue ridge mountains. This year’s keynote speaker, Melissa Fay Green, is an award-winning nonfiction author. Green will be one of many professional authors taking part in discussions and panels at the event. https://www.blueridgewritersconference.com/registration-forms.html

April 20-22, 2023: NWG Annual Conference (Omaha, NE). The Nebraska Writers Guild offers three days of consultations, critique boot camps, and shop talk seminars. Appointments with literary agents like Kristina Slater are first-come, first-served, and have no extra cost. This conference is perfect for writers who would rather focus on intimate group or pair discussions rather than large panels. Workshops are capped to allow for in-depth discussion and a focus on networking without small talk. https://nebraskawriters.org/news-events/annual-events/annual-conference.html

April 22-23, 2023: International Conference on Linguistics and Literary Semantics ICLLS (Boston, MA). International Conference on Linguistics and Literary Semantics aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Linguistics and Literary Semantics. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered, and solutions adopted in the fields of Linguistics and Literary Semantics. https://waset.org/linguistics-and-literary-semantics-conference-in-april-2023-in-boston

April 27-30, 2023: 30th Annual Pikes Peak Writers Conference (Colorado Springs, CO). Pikes Peak Writers Conference will be held virtually this year. Writers can participate in workshops taught by subject matter experts and listen to keynote speakers. A 3-day fiction-writing conference for writers of all levels, indie and traditionally published, featuring a variety of craft and business workshops, acquiring editors/agents and well-known authors across a variety of genres. https://pikespeakwritersconference.com/

April 27-30, 2023: The Chanticleer Authors Conference (Bellingham, WA). What makes the Chanticleer Author Conferences so special? Most importantly, the attendees! You are what makes this conference so special. Learning from the experts – Learn from the Best! Learning from each other and Networking and making new friends and connections. https://www.chantireviews.com/chanticleer-conference/

April 28-30, 2023: Sonoma Valley Author’s Festival 2023 (Sonoma, CA). 2023 will be the Sonoma Valley Authors Festival’s 6th annual three-day weekend. Featuring an influential array of authors and speakers at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, the event sold out all 400 hundred passes in 2022. The same response is anticipated for the event to be held April 28-30, 2023. https://www.sonomavalley.com/event/sonoma-valley-authors-festival-2023/16709/

April 29, 2023: The 2023 Michigan Writing Workshop (Detroit, MI). At this writers’ conference, participants will enjoy a day of intense instruction on how to get their works published. https://michiganwritingworkshop.com/

April 29, 2023: Atlanta Self-Publishing Conference (Atlanta, GA). They offer the Atlanta Self-Publishing Conference annually for authors who are interested in self-publishing or who have self-published and want to get the most out of their publishing business. https://atlantawritersclub.org/aspc/

April 2023: Muse and the Marketplace (Boston, MA). It will include goal setting, small cohorts of writer friends and those working in your genre, and 70 sessions given by excellent guest authors on the craft of the novel, memoir, poetry, and more, plus sessions on navigating the publishing world led by premiere literary agents, editors, publicists, and more. https://museandthemarketplace.com/muse-2023/

May 4, 2023: 2023 OWFI Writers Conference (Oklahoma City, OK). Founded in 1968, the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI) is a non‑profit federation of writers’ groups dedicated to promoting higher standards for the written word. We believe that the literary profession has come of age and merits a fair share of the critical acclaim so generously lavished on other worthwhile arts. OWFI shall seek to coordinate and encourage professional writing within and without its organization and promote the recognition of outstanding contributions to the written language. https://www.owfi.org/

May 5-6, 2023: Lakefly Writers Conference, (Oshkosh, WI). EVERYONE HAS A STORY! Come to the Oshkosh Premier Waterfront Hotel and Convention Center for a two-day conference. They offer workshops on the craft and business of writing designed to inspire and guide your creative journey. https://lakeflywriters.org/

May 12-13, 2023. 10th Annual Washington Writers Conference, (Rockville, MD). You will be able to choose from a pool of roughly 20 literary agents. Once we have the full slate set, registrants will be sent a link where you can make your selections; agent bios will be available on www.wirobooks.com. https://wirobooks.regfox.com/2023-washington-writers-conference

May 13-16, 2023. Kachemak Bay Writers Conference (Homer, AK). The Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference has been the place where writers from Alaska and beyond come together to create community and learn how to be better writers. https://writersconf.kpc.alaska.edu/

May 14-17, 2023: Technical Communication Summit (Atlanta, GA). The STC Summit makes technical communication come to life like no other event. Every year, technical communicators gather together to: Learn! Attend educational sessions on numerous topics with a variety of formats and experience levels. Hear from industry experts, well-known authors, and inspiring new voices to upgrade your skill sets and bring best practices back to your workplace. https://summit.stc.org/

May 18-21, 2023: Looking Glass Rock Writers Conference (Brevard, NC). Exploring the theme “A Sense of Place,” small select groups of conference attendees experience working under the guidance of notable writers. Founded in 2016 as a partnership between the Transylvania County Library and Brevard College, the annual conference consists of writing workshops for select participants and public readings by the workshop leaders free to the community. https://www.lgrwc.org/

May 24-30, 2023: TWH Maine Mini MFA All-Fiction Writers Conference (Boothbay Harbor, ME). The Writer’s Hotel Maine “Mini MFA” is a unique, hybrid, comprehensive writing program. Our programming includes our TWH two-editor pre-conference Team Reading and our conference, to be held IN-PERSON this year from May 24-30, 2023. TWH will be at the Spruce Point Inn Resort and Spa in Boothbay Harbor, Maine! https://www.writershotel.com/twh-maine-mini-mfa-all-fiction-conference-2023

May 25-27, 2022: 2023 Writing Heights Writers Conference (Fort Collins, CO). Effective January 1, 2023, NCW will be doing business as Writing Heights Writers Association. Since 2007, they have provided support and encouragement to writers of all levels and genres in Northern Colorado and beyond. Through monthly meetings, classes, networking & social events, the annual conference, the monthly newsletter and annual retreat, WHWA helps writers navigate their way to success. https://www.writingheights.com/page/conference

May 2023: ASJA Annual Conference (Virtual). With more than 900 members, ASJA stands as the country’s leading and most prestigious association of successful journalists, authors, and nonfiction and literary nonfiction writers, and we’ve never had a better time to talk about collaboration and networking. https://www.asja.org/events-overview/

May 5-6, 2023: Atlanta Writers Conference (Atlanta, GA) . The Atlanta Writers Conference offers one-on-one manuscript sample critiques, pitch sessions, and workshops. On Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, 2023, the Atlanta Writers Club will present its 28th Atlanta Writers Conference, in-person at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel. We will now only offer a virtual option for critique and pitch meetings with the agents and editors, due to the ever-increasing expense of the audio-visual equipment and personnel involved and the ever-dwindling number of virtual participants. https://atlantawritersconference.com/

May 11-13, 2023: Storymakers Conference (Provo, UT) . The Storymakers Conference will consist of various classes that cover various topics such as cover design, marketing, creating a writing business, and the nuts and bolts of screenwriting. The Storymakers conference features over a hundred classes geared toward aspiring and established writers alike, taught by some of the best presenters in the publishing industry. https://storymakersguild.org/storymakers-conference/

June 09-11, 2023: Between the Pages Writers Conference (Springfield, MO). Springfield Writer’s Guild, Sleuths’ Ink, and Ozarks Romance Authors are pleased to present the second annual Between the Pages Writers Con, June 9-11, 2023. Join us for an exciting lineup of guest speakers, workshops, and the opportunity to network with industry professionals. https://btpwriterscon.com/

June 12-16, 2023: Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference (Draper, UT). A #kidlit writing conference that “Turns more writers into authors than any other conference of its kind.” https://www.facebook.com/wifyr

June 14-17, 2023: Write-to-Publish Conference (Wheaton, IL). Since 1971, Write-to-Publish has been training, inspiring and encouraging writers like you, connecting them with editors to help them improve their craft, with publishers who are looking for good books to publish, and with literary agents who can represent them. https://writetopublish.com/

June 20-25, 2023: Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference (Bemidji, MN) . The Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference has given hundreds of participants from Minnesota and across the United States the opportunity to work closely with award-winning faculty. We offer a range of scholarships to support emerging writers, important voices, and community leaders. This writing conference is full of workshops, Q&A sessions, panel talks. https://www.northwoodswriters.org/

June 21-25, 2023: St. Davids Christian Writers’ Conference (Meadville, PA). St. Davids is special. They’re an intimate gathering of writers that provides an opportunity to build a network, not by exchanging business cards in a busy hallway. Here they connect, like real people – laughing over lunch, chatting about their projects in the lounge, or giving their elevator pitch in genre group meetings. Writing is a different beast with the digital world but connecting with people is still done face to face. http://stdavidswriters.com/

June 22-24, 2023: Jackson Hole Writers Conference (Jackson, WY). The annual Jackson Hole Writers Conference brings top agents, editors and authors together each June for a celebration of the craft of writing. https://jhwriters.org/

June 22-25, 2023: Computers and Writing Conference (Davis, CA). The conference itself will, in fact, be a hybrid experience, intentionally designed to bridge online and on-site experiences. In engaging with a hybridized experience, us, we’ll explore an expansive range of questions about the goals and purposes of hybridity. Who does hybridity benefit? And what do we strive to accomplish by engaging in explicitly hybrid ways both within and beyond the classroom? https://cwcon2023.ucdavis.edu/

June 28 – July 2, 2023: GCLS Annual Conference (Denver, CO). The GCLS’s annual conference is the premier literary event for both authors and readers. The event brings together readers, fans, writers, editors and publishers to celebrate women-loving-women and sapphic literature. https://www.goldencrownliterarysociety.org/2023-annual-conference

July 13-16, 2023: Readercon 32 Conference (Quincy, MA). Although Readercon is modeled on “science fiction conventions,” we have no art show, no costumes, no gaming, and almost no media. Instead, Readercon features a near-total focus on the written word. In many years the list of Readercon guests rivals or surpasses that of the Worldcon in quality. Readercon is the only small convention regularly attended by such giants of imaginative literature as Samuel R. Delany, Ellen Datlow, Amal El-Mohtar, John Crowley, Greer Gilman, and Catherynne M. Valente. https://readercon.org/

July 14-16, 2023: Imaginarium (Louisville, KY). Join bestselling fantasy authors, Michael Williams and Tim Waggoner, at Imaginarium 2022! More than 130 panels will be taking place during this three-day celebration of storytelling. This event is more than your typical conference. It’s also a film festival, gaming tournament, Comicon convention, and a book fair! Imaginarium prides itself on being family-friendly with something for everyone. Kids 12 and under can attend for free! https://www.entertheimaginarium.com/

July 16-22, 2023: Port Townsend Writers Conference (Port Townsend, WA) . The Port Townsend Writers Conference will feature guided free writes as well as readings and lectures by contemporary writers in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. In 2023, Centrum’s writing programs will offer participants vital support for the creation and revision of new and existing work from PTWC Artistic Curator Gary Copeland Lilley and award-winning faculty (listed alphabetically) Kim Addonizio, Quenton Baker, Elizabeth Colen, Alice Derry, ​Melissa Febos, CMarie Fuhrman, Tess Gallagher, Jennifer Givhan, Derrick Harriell, Arna Bontemps Hemenway, Brandon Hobson, Ravi Howard, Sasha LaPointe, ​Sam Ligon, Rena Priest, Sebastian Matthews, Laura Read, Anastacia Reneé, Shawn Vestal, and Kristen Millares Young. https://centrum.org/the-port-townsend-writers-conference/

July 19-22, 2023: Romance Writers of America Conference (Anaheim, CA). RWA works to support the efforts of its members to earn a living, to make a full-time career out of writing romance – or a part-time one that generously supplements their main income. https://www.rwa.org/conference

July 22-25, 2023: Sun Valley Writers’ Conference (Sun Valley, ID). The Sun Valley Writers’ Conference (SVWC) began with a conversation among four friends – journalist Reva B. Tooley, Sun Valley Community School leaders Jon and Leslie Maksik, and venture capitalist Gordon Russell, who sat around a kitchen table in 1994 and fantasized about starting a writers’ conference. One year later, SVWC held its first event in a tent at Sun Valley Community School, featuring 12 writers, 108 attendees, and an opening talk by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, David Halberstam. https://svwc.com/

July 23-29, 2023: Leopardi Writing Conference (Recanati, Italy). An immersive program for new and experienced authors, the Leopardi Writing Conference offers workshops and craft talks in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. As writing tends to be a solitary endeavor, the Leopardi Writing Conference will serve the inspiring purpose of community and place. We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to receive expert feedback on your writing project, and get to know your fellow writers, including the distinguished members of our faculty. https://www.leopardiwc.org/

July 30 – August 4, 2023: Napa Valley Writers Conference (Napa, CA) . Since 1981, the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference has provided literary fellowship and a craft-focused experience among the foothills and vineyards that have made this region famous. http://www.napawritersconference.org/

August 2-6, 2023: Willamette Writers Conference (Portland, OR). Willamette Writers is the largest writers’ organization in the Pacific Northwest. Writers of all genres and at all stages of their careers come to our meetings, annual conference, and workshops to connect with their community, develop their craft, and advance their career. https://willamettewriters.org/

August 3-5, 2023: Mendocino Coast Writers Conference (Mendocino, CA). The Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference is a vibrant gathering that offers morning workshops in a wide range of genres. Afternoons are packed with craft seminars, panels, one-on-one consultations, and open mics; and every evening offers an opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie and connection that make this conference, in the words of one participant, “life changing.” At this conference, writers can participate in morning workshops that are related to various genres. https://mcwc.org/

August 3-6, 2023. The 60th Cape Cod Writers Center Conference (Barnstable, MA). The Cape Cod Writers Center is committed to assisting published and aspiring writers of all genres, abilities and ages to develop their writing skills and learn the business of editing, publishing and promotion. https://capecodwriterscenter.org/conference-2/

August 4-6, 2023: Advanced Speakers & Writers Conference (AWSA). AWSA is a special fellowship of over 800 Christian women. We are professional authors, entertainers, publishers and speakers who encourage and train one another. https://awsa.com/

August 4-6, 2023: Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference (Culiver City, CA). Learn how to take your writing to the next level at the Annual Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference. AGLAWC offers everything you need to advance your writing career creatively and professionally. Gain invaluable tips to improve your craft, explore publishing options and learn how to establish a sustainable career—all while being inspired by successful authors and your fellow attendees. It is a great opportunity to receive educational and inspirational guidance from a wealth of literary agents, veteran educators, industry professionals, professional editors, and publishers in the craft and business of writing fiction, nonfiction, plus screenwriting taught by Hollywood veterans. http://www.wcwriters.com/aglawc/

August 7–13, 2023: 28th Annual Postgraduate Writers’ Conference (Montpelier, VT). VCFA’s annual Postgraduate Writers’ Conference is a haven for serious, emerging practitioners seeking to connect, recharge, and lift their process and craft to new levels. https://vcfa.edu/postgraduate-writers-conference/

August 17-20, 2023: 2023 Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference (Franklin, TN). Killer Nashville is the premier forum for all genres incorporating mystery, thriller, or suspense elements; learn, present, meet agents & editors, sign books, mingle with forensic experts, and network. Writers who attend the Killer Nashville Writers Conference can expect writing workshops, pitch sessions, panel discussions, author signings, and a book fair. https://www.killernashville.com/

August 24-27, 2023: American Christian Fiction Writers Conference St. Louis (St. Louis, MO). If you’ve attended an ACFW conference before, you understand what the excitement’s about. Each year, hundreds of veteran authors and those just learning the craft of Christian fiction gather in a setting like this to hear skilled instructors, inspiring keynoters…to gain from the insights of industry professionals…to interact with other writers…and to present their ideas to agents and editors looking for stories like theirs, or to mentors who can help them move forward in their writing career. If you write Christian fiction—or want to learn how—the ACFW conference is an investment worth making. We hope you’ll join us on this exciting journey, taking a major step forward in your writing career. ACFW, the Voice of Christian Fiction. https://acfw.com/acfw-conference/

September 8-10, 2023:   Colorado Gold Writers Conference (Denver, CO).   They want to help you “lift up and lift off” your writing career at 2023’s Colorado Gold Writers Conference with a smashing line-up of keynotes, super-star agents (including for film adaptation), workshops for a variety of topics and genres, and networking galore. (Did someone say Bar-con?). https://rmfw.org/conference-2023/

October 12-14, 2023: Ozarks Creative Writers Conference (Eureka Springs, AR). This conference is for new, emerging, and accomplished writers focusing on the craft of writing, further developing skills, as well as stimulating and encouraging participants. OCW also focuses on opportunities for the participants to interact with editors, agents, and publishers. https://www.ozarkcreativewriters.com/

Select a writers’ conference of interest to you and be prepared to enjoy the benefits of meeting other writers. You may acquire knowledge you can use immediately, find a new market for your book, elevate your professional effectiveness, meet editors, agents and publishers, become inspired and return home energized.

The Bottom Line: Take a little working vacation and hit some writers’ conferences. Make it a priority to sign up for one in the coming weeks and months. You’ll be glad you did!

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Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications’  book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at  [email protected]  or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter  @aBookPublicist . Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book:  Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book   www.BookTitleGenerator.net .

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Writing conferences are great for new writers, and writers who don’t have much support or know what to do next, but they’re good for experienced writers too, to network or brush up on new trends or changes in the publishing world. Thanks for this great list!

Glad you liked the list. Sometimes it’s just good to get out and about and commiserate with fellow authors. Most authors share info, agents and help one another. I highly recommend that authors attend a writer’s confab.

This is a great list! If your favorite gets canceled, just go to their website and see if they put it on the next year, or month, etc. Sometimes there are online conferences too. You can meet a diverse group of writers, agents, publishers, and PR people at one of these.

Thank you for your kind words I’m glad you found it informative it’s a major project to keep up with all these not to mention the fact that it’s a moving target with COVID-19.

Thanks so much for including our conference on your list. We just sold out! This is our 4th year and it gets bigger and better every year.

It’s inspiring and motivating being in the company of other writers.

Thank you for acknowledging us.

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2023 Top Writers Conferences and Workshops in All Genres

• on Dec 27, 2022
• in Writing Tips
• Last update: June 18th, 2023
• at 11:25 am

Since writing could get pretty lonely, being around fellow writers is often a welcomed change. It can help authors explore different writing styles, discover new writing tips, and connect with other like-minded writers. That is where writing conferences and workshops come in; they can help you grow as a writer and improve your writing skills.

This year, we have compiled a list of many great conferences and workshops happening around the world, both virtually and in person.

Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Residency Writers Conference

Under the Volcano

Key West Literary Seminar Writers’ Workshop Program

Key West Literary Seminar

Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway

Writers in Paradise Conference

TMW January Jumpstart

Digital Book World

Tupelo’s Online Manuscript Conference

Get The Lead Out!

Colrain Classic

Todos Santos Writers Workshop

National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Annual Conference

ICRWAL: International Conference on Reading, Writing and Applied Linguistics

San Francisco Writers Conference

Southern California Writers’ Conference

Southern California Writers Conference – San Diego

Coastal Magic Convention

Asheville Christian Writers Conference

California Creative Writers Conference

Bay to Ocean Thursdays with ESWA Special Conference Reading

The AWP Conference & Bookfair

Alabama Writing Workshop

The New York Pitch Conference

Algonkian Writers New York Pitch Conference

The Power of Narrative Conference

Scottish Association of Writers Conference

Moravian Writers’ Conference: Voices of War

UND Writers Conference

The Write Stuff Writer’s Conference

Let’s Just Write! An Uncommon Writers Conference

Teen Author Boot Camp In Person Conference

Kentucky Writers Conference

National Undergraduate Literature Conference

Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference

Norwescon 45

Authors’ Salon at Clockwork Alchemy

The Las Vegas Writers Conference

Blue Ridge Writers’ Conference

Red Clay Writers Conference

A rally of writers conference.

San Antonio Book Festival

Paris Cafe Writing

Nebraska Writers Guild Conference

The Creativity Workshop in New York

Breakout Novel Intensive Workshop

Chanticleer Authors Conference

Pikes Peak Writers Conference

Poetry At Round Up Festival

Malice Domestic Convention

Ozarks Writers League Conference

Melbourne Writers Festival

The Lakefly Writers Conference

Atlanta Writers Conference

Bay Area Book Festival

Nonfiction Writers Conference

Storymakers Conference

Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshops

Florida Writing Workshop

Longleaf Writers Conference

Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference

Breakout Novel Intensive Workshop: Boni Virtual Edition

Ignite Your Imagination Conference

Fiction Readers Summit

Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference

Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival

Biographers International Organization Conference

TWH Maine “Mini Mfa” All-Fiction Writers Conference

North Words Writers Symposium

Writing Heights Writers Conference

Northern Colorado Writers Conference

Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference

Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference

Thrillerfest

Writing the Midwest: A Symposium of Scholars and Writers

Book Lovers Con

Wyoming Writers Conference

Bread Loaf Translators’ Conference

Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference

Walker Percy Weekend

Arkansas Writers’ Conference

Reader & Author Get Together

Historical Novel Society North American Conference

Author Advantage Live

West Chester University Poetry Conference

California Crime Writers Conference

Screencraft Writers Summit

Juniper Summer Writing Institute

Write-to-Publish Conference

Youth Workshops and Activities

Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference

Western Writers of America Convention

Chautauqua Writers’ Festival

Jackson Hole Writers Conference

Book Bonanza

Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop

Disquiet International Literary Program

Haiku North America Conference

Information, Medium & Society: International Conference on Publishing Studies

Ledbury Poetry Festival

Taos Writers Conference

Tin House Summer Writers’ Workshop

National Writers’ Conference

ASLE Biennial Conference

Southampton Writers Conference

Readercon 32

Imaginarium Convention

International Creative Writing Conference

Sun Valley Writers’ Conference

The Leopardi Writing Conference

National Book Club Conference

Taylor University’s ​Professional Writers’ Conference

Napa Valley Writers Conference

Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference

When Words Collide

Swanwick Writers’ Summer School

Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference

Nashville’s 18th Annual Writers’ Conference

Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention

Bear River Writers’ Conference

PNWA Writer’s Conference

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

Creatures, Crimes & Creativity Con

Yucatan Writing Conference

Milford Writer’s Workshop

Kingston WritersFest

The Black Authors & Readers Rock Conference (BARR)

Write on the Sound Writers’ Conference

Next Chapter Con

The DFW Writers Conference

Writing Sisters Summit in the Hills

Ozark Creative Writers Conference

The Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference

Moonlight & Magnolias Conference

Women Writing the West Annual Conference

West Coast Christian Writers

Surrey International Writers Conference

Medical Writing & Communication Conference

Kauai Writers Conference

International Conference on Reading, Writing and Applied Linguistics

Looking to write the next best-seller? Sign up now for one of the abovementioned conferences and workshops to discover writing secrets and meet fellow authors and publishers.

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Hi David, thank you for letting us know about your event. Sounds like an exciting opportunity for writers. Can you send us more details on blog@kotobee.com please so we can add it to our next article update?

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Help us keep this database current. If you know about a conference or residency that is not currently listed, please let us know. Be sure to include the name and email address of an appropriate contact person.

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Looking to meet up with agents and editors? To join a supportive writing community? Or to find the perfect environment to fuel your writing practice? The Conferences & Residencies database includes details about over two hundred writing conferences, writers residencies, and literary festivals.

A Rally of Writers

The 34th annual A Rally of Writers conference was held on April 9 at the West Campus of Lansing Community College in Lansing, Michigan. The conference featured workshops, panel discussions, and readings in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction...

A.I.R. Studio Paducah

A.I.R. Studio Paducah offers residencies of two weeks to three months year-round to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in the Lower Town Arts District of Paducah, Kentucky. Residents are provided with a private apartment, Wi-...

Agents & Editors Conference

The Writers’ League of Texas (WLT) 2022 Agents & Editors Conference was held from June 24 to June 26 at the Hyatt Regency on Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. The conference featured presentations, panels, authors in conversation, a keynote...

All Write Creative Nonfiction Conference

The 2022 All Write Creative Nonfiction Conference was held from October 19 to October 23 at the Spencertown Academy in Columbia County, New York. The conference featured one-hour workshops to discuss 15 to 20 pages of each writer’s work, an...

All Write Fiction Conference

The 2023 All Write Fiction Conference will be held from November 9 to November 12 at the Spencertown Academy in Columbia County, New York. The conference features workshops to discuss 15 to 20 pages of each writer’s work, an opening night...

American Literary Translators Association Conference

The 46th annual American Literary Translators Association Conference will be held from November 8 to November 11 at the Tucson Marriott University Park Hotel in Tucson. Programming includes panels, roundtables, bilingual readings, a bookfair, a...

American University of Paris Summer Creative Writing Institute

The American University of Paris Summer Creative Writing Institute offered workshops to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers from June 28 to July 19 on the university’s campus in the seventh arrondissement of Paris. The faculty...

Anderson Center Artist Residencies

The 2023 General Artist Residency Program offers residencies of two weeks or one month during July, September, October, and November to poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and translators at Tower View, a 350-acre historic estate...

Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency

The Adirondack Center for Writing will offer a residency from September 24 to October 8 to six poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers at a lodge on Twitchell Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. Three of the residents...

Art Omi Writers Residency

Residencies of one week to two months are offered to poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and translators from late March through early June and from early September through early November at Omi International Arts Center,...

Aspen Summer Words Writing Conference and Literary Festival

The 47th annual Aspen Summer Words Writing Conference and Literary Festival was held from June 18 to June 23 at the Viewline, a resort in the mountain town of Snowmass, Colorado, around 15 minutes from downtown Aspen. The conference featured...

Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference and Bookfair

The 2023 AWP Conference and Bookfair was held from March 8 to March 11 at the Seattle Convention Center in Washington and alsod include a virtual component comprising prerecorded and livestreamed events. The conference featured panel discussions...

The Fall 2023 Atlanta Writers Conference will be held from November 3 to November 4 at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel in Atlanta. The conference features pitch sessions, a workshop on emotional survival skills for writers, a bookfair, and...

The 2023 Biographers International Organization (BIO) Conference was held from May 19 to May 21 at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York in New York City as well as online. The conference featured panels on current issues in...

Bogliasco Foundation

The Bogliasco Foundation offers month-long residencies from January to May and from September to December to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in the coastal fishing village of Bogliasco, Italy, located seven miles southeast...

Brattleboro Literary Festival

The 22nd annual Brattleboro Literary Festival will be held in person in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont, from October 13 to October 15, and will be recorded for online presentation. The festival features readings, panels, and special events....

The 2023 Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference was held from June 2 to June 8 in the Green Mountains of Ripton, Vermont. The conference, designed for poets and prose writers whose work deals with the environment and the natural world,...

The 2023 Bread Loaf Translators’ Conference was held from June 2 to June 8 in the Green Mountains of Ripton, Vermont. The conference, designed for both emerging and established translators, featured translation workshops in poetry, fiction, and...

Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference

The 2023 Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference was held from August 16 to August 26 in the Green Mountains of Ripton, Vermont. The conference featured workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction as well as lectures; craft classes; meetings...

Broadleaf Writers Conference

The eighth annual Broadleaf Writers Conference will be held from September 23 to September 24 at the Decatur Library in Decatur, Georgia. The conference features panels and workshops for poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers, as well as...

Brown Foundation Fellows Program

The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston offered residencies of one to three months from July 1 to November 30 to mid-career poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers at the Dora Maar House in Ménerbes, France. Residents were provided...

Buinho Creative Hub Residencies

Buinho Creative Hub offers residencies of two weeks to three months year-round to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in the historic town of Messejana, Portugal. Residents are provided with private lodging and shared work...

Cambridge Writers’ Workshop Paris Writing Retreat

The Cambridge Writers’ Workshop Paris Writing Retreat was held from July 19 to July 25 in the historic Montparnasse neighborhood of Paris. The retreat featured writing and publishing workshops, craft seminars, and generative writing sessions for...

Cambridge Writers’ Workshop Spring in New Orleans Writing Retreat

The 2020 Cambridge Writers’ Workshop Spring in New Orleans Writing Retreat was held from March 19 to March 22 at the Pelham Hotel, a five-minute walk from the French Quarter. The retreat featured multi-genre and publishing workshops, craft...

Cape Cod Writers Center Conference

The 2023 Cape Cod Writers Center Conference was held from August 3 to August 6 at the Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis in Barnstable, Massachusetts. The conference featured workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, an agent...

October 12 - 14, 2023

A gathering of hearts and minds

As a teaching conference, Desert Nights, Rising Stars (DNRS) Writers Conference covers the craft of writing, and the nuts and bolts of being a writer by offering practical advice for editing, creative and professional development, and navigating the literary marketplace.

Our 2023 keynote speaker is internationally renowned poet, Joy Harjo, who served three terms at the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States.

Teaching Fellows

Conference Faculty

View the Schedule

Registering for the conference

Registration opens july 7 | register before september 7 to save $50.

Our conference has a number of ways to participate and engage so you can create the experience that works best for you: 

• Early registration is $225 through September 7
• Standard registration is $275
• Single-day passes are available for $150

We offer a number of discounts for Arizona educators, ASU affiliates, senior citizens, people with disabilities, students, and active or retired military personnel.

In addition, we offer discounted presenter fees under MFA Presents for MFA students and Community Writers for those interested in presenting panels at the conference. We also offer emerging writers the opportunity to apply for the Conference Teaching Fellowship program, which offers emerging writers the opportunity to teach alongside award-winning faculty and receive a free registration.

Hear from past attendees

"as a first time attendee who had never participated in a writer’s conference before, i wasn’t sure what to expect. what i discovered was a unique opportunity to engage with other individuals who are passionate about writing. every session offered up an overall experience that made me feel part of a supportive, close-knit community. when i left the conference, i know i left gaining new friendships, a renewed sense of purpose, and an even stronger commitment to continue pursuing what i’m most passionate about.".

Sara Steven

“This conference exceeded my expectations. I am the author of a book of poems and have been writing and programming in creative writing communities since I received my MFA, so I was already familiar with the excellent work that the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing does. What I learned firsthand while attending is how this is accomplished: by offering inspired talks and workshops led by gifted and open-hearted writers and by giving attendees plenty of time to digest what we’ve heard and learned. There was an authentic spirit of camaraderie here. Hands down, my favorite conference in years.”

Emma trelles, “the desert nights, rising stars conference is the premier literary event in phoenix. it’s worth flying in for, and if you’re from town, it’s a must. countless strides in my writing can be traced back to a connection or lesson learned from the conference. i often feel like i get a semester’s worth of knowledge in only three days. i definitely plan to go every year.”, bart bergfeld, our sponsors.

Putting together a creative writing conference is a monumental endeavor, one we couldn't possibly accomplish without support. We're deeply grateful to all of the businesses, organizations, and individuals who donate to the conference for their graciousness, generosity, and commitment to the literary arts. 

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Beyond recognition, sponsors receive special registration rates, exhibitor space, advertising, promotional opportunities and more. Your investment allows us to continue improving the lives of individual writers and giving back to the larger community. Learn more about  becoming a sponsor  today! 

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The AWP Conference & Bookfair is the annual destination for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers of contemporary creative writing. It includes thousands of attendees, hundreds of events and bookfair exhibitors, and four days of essential literary conversation and celebration. The AWP Conference & Bookfair has always been a place of connection, reunion, and joy, and we are excited to see the writing community come together again in Kansas City, Missouri in 2024.

2024 AWP Conference & Bookfair

Kansas City, Missouri February 7–10, 2024

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Creative Writing Conferences 2023/2024/2025

Creative Writing Conferences 2023/2024/2025 is an indexed listing of upcoming meetings, seminars, congresses, workshops, programs, continuing CME courses, trainings, summits, and weekly, annual or monthly symposiums.

Creative Writing Conferences 2023/2024/2025 lists relevant events for national/international researchers, scientists, scholars, professionals, engineers, exhibitors, sponsors, academic, scientific and university practitioners to attend and present their research activities.

Creative Writing conference listings are indexed in scientific databases like Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, Zenedo, OpenAIRE, EBSCO, BASE, WorldCAT, Sherpa/RoMEO, Compendex, Elsevier, Scopus, Thomson Reuters (Web of Science), RCSI Library, UGC Approved Journals, ACM, CAS, ACTA, CASSI, ISI, SCI, ESCI, SCIE, Springer, Wiley, Taylor Francis, and The Science Citation Index (SCI).

• Sep 29 The Creativity Workshop in New York - New York, United States
• Dec 08 The Creativity Workshop - New York, United States

Next city Atlanta!

GET CRE8TIVECON 2023 UPDATES

#IAMCRE8TIVE

Developed by AAMBC inc., Cre8tiveCon is an interactive writers conference that brings emerging literary creatives with educators and skilled professionals in publishing and film who are knowledgeable and skilled in their field.

The conference includes hands-on, creative clinics, masterclasses, artists' talks, a pitch fest for filmmakers and authors, and a film fest

Hundreds of creators will gather allowing you to connect with fellow artists easily.

Talent is everywhere, but opportunities are not. Gain the skills needed to advance your creativity past a vision and transform it into a reality.

Freely create your stories and place them in the hands of those who can enhance your vision in print or on the screen.

Cre8te stories that will reach the masses.

CRE8TIVECON is going On the Road

Cre8tive con, aambc inc mission.

African Americans On the Move Book Club, Inc., founded by Tamika Newhouse, is to develop interactive literacy-based programs centered around African American books and those who write them. We advocate for literary arts, literacy, and bridging the gap for black writers and opportunities.

Our premier annual events, the AAMBC Literary Awards and Black Writers Weekend bridges the gaps between black literary creatives and opportunities that will advance their careers. Powered by AAMBC Inc., the organization focuses on new and emerging voices in literature and fusing them with established creatives in film, television, and publishing

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The Arizona Writing Workshop

Get your writing published at a writers conference, future arizona writing workshops — and conferences happening in 2023.

Our past Arizona Writing Workshop events were successes — thank you to all who attended! The AWW conference has happened multiple times before, and we at Writing Day Workshops have loved connecting writers and literary agents, and seeing so many success stories from our events .

We are not certain exactly when the next Phoenix / Arizona event will happen (and whether it will be online vs, in person). That said, if you’d like to attend a writers conference in 2023, we have both in-person conferences as well as online events coming up in 2023 to suit your needs. For our online writers conferences, anyone can attend from anywhere. Each event has great instructional classes and 30-40 attending literary agents! Don’t let your location stop you from connecting with publishing professionals and furthering your writing journey. Details:

• Feb. 3-4, 2023: Boston Writing Workshop (Online)
• March 3-4, 2023: Chesapeake Writing Workshop (Online)
• March 10, 2023: Alabama Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person )
• March 11, 2023: Atlanta Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person )
• March 11, 2023: Cincinnati Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person )
• March 11, 2023: St. Louis Writers Conference ( Live and In-Person )
• March 25, 2023: Minnesota Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person )
• April 14-15, 2023: Writing Workshop of San Francisco (Online)
• April 22, 2023: Philadelphia Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person )
• April 29, 2023: Michigan Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person )
• April 29, 2023: Seattle Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person )
• April 29, 2023: San Diego Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person )
• May 12-13, 2023: Florida Writing Workshop (Online)
• May 13, 2023 : Writing Conference of Los Angeles ( Live and In-Person )
• June 2-3: Tennessee Writing Workshop (Online)
• June 24, 2023: Chicago Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person )
• July 7-8, 2023: Carolina Writing Workshop (Online)

If you have questions, or want to register for any 2023 writers conferences, either online events or in-person events, contact us (Brian Klems) at [email protected] and we are happy to assist. Writers can sign up for more than one event. If you and several people from your writing group all want to register together, ask us about a group discount.

All online classes are recorded and sent out to attendees afterward, so you can study the instruction and enjoy the experience. All virtual pitches are one-on-one with literary agents seeking writers, and done over Zoom (though phone is also an option). Thanks, all, and we hope to see you in 2023 at an event!

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Another Great Conference is in the books!

The 28th Annual White County Creative Writers Conference was held on Saturday September 2, 2023.

And what a conference it was. Attendance was even higher than expected, and the session leaders were wonderful! And lunch was great too!

You can view pictures from the conference on our Facebook page.

Conference Pictures Part 1   | Conference Pictures Part 2

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

The following sponsored contests, donated door prizes, contributed to the goodie bags or otherwise helped make this event a success. We sincerely appreciate them.

Solander Press

Scrivenings Press

BCC Freight Haulers

Razorback Auto Sales

Lindsey Pawn and Storage

Lindsey Plumbing

Penpoint Writers Group

Gin Creek Poets

Authors Anonymous 2.0

Harding English Department

Lindsey Breeding, Independent Mary Kay Consultant

Carol Hodges

Renee LaViness

WCCW Members

2023 RECAP: FEATURED SPEAKERS

Linda apple.

Linda Apple is the author of nonfiction, women’s fiction, and children’s books. Book three of her Moonlight Mississippi Series , Lexi’s Choice was released in 2022. Sixteen of her stories have also been published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

Her middle-grade early reader, BOWWOW! Book of Winston’s Words of Wisdom , was chosen by a Pennsylvania school district for their One-Book programs. It was also on the short list for the Benjamin Franklin award. Winston’s newly released book, Winston’s World: The Way He Sniffs It , was one of the books exhibited at UK’s London Book Fair in April.

Linda has served as president of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. and the Ozark Creative Writers Conference. She also has the great honor of being chosen to be inducted into the 2023 Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame . Linda has taught writing workshops in the Midwest and southern portions of the United States, as well as Great Britain and Ireland. She is also a motivational speaker.

She is a firm believer in writing with the reader in mind and to leave them better after having read her books. She also encourages writers and readers alike to value their own stories and to share them. Her goal is to spread seeds of inspiration and give wings to all she has the privilege to mentor. She writes from her soul and speaks from her heart.

Linda lives in Northwest Arkansas with her husband, children, thirteen grandchildren and her writing partner, Winston, a feisty Scottish Terrier. He barks, she types.

You may find out more about Linda at her website: lindaapple.com

CLARISSA WILLIS

Clarissa Willis is an author, consultant, and professional developmental specialist. She provides workshops, keynote addresses, and customized professional development both nationally and internationally. In her spare time, she writes early childhood curricula, teacher resource books, and books for children.

Clarissa (Chrissy) Willis grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and has lived all over the United States. Clarissa has an extensive background in early childhood education. She has been a writer since second grade when her story “O.T. Rich” was selected for the school newspaper.

Clarissa is excited to announce that her newest Children’s books Anderson the Ornithologist , and Fast as The Wind: The Story of Johnny Fry Pony Express Rider are now available. She is the owner of two small businesses: Solander Press and C-W International Rights. Books from Solander Press have been nominated for Spur Awards, Ben Franklin Awards and recently the Will Rogers Medallion Awards. In the international community, she represents independently published authors and small publishing companies at International Book Fairs.

As someone who has reinvented herself multiple times in her career, Clarissa loves to talk about author branding and marketing. You can learn more about Clarissa at her website: clarissawillis.com

2023 RECAP: FEATURED SESSIONS

There were 5 sessions at this year’s conference, plus an afternoon read around. Our scheduled sessions included:

View Our Upcoming Writer Programs and Events - Click to Learn More

• Non-Fiction Checklist
• Novel Revision Checklist
• Short Story Checklist
• Top 10 YA Tropes
• Ultimate Guide to Literary Agents
• Ultimate Guide to Writing YA Fiction
• Group Writer Coaching
• 1-on-1 Writer Coaching
• Manuscript Review
• Query Letter Review
• Professional Editing
• SYWW Gift Card
• Join our Email List
• Supporting Child Literacy

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The Top 25 Writers’ Conferences in 2022

January 11, 2022 6 min read Education Workshops

By Author Phoebe A. Lee

  Another year means another year of writers conferences! Below is a list of 2022's best in-person and virtual writers conferences, workshops and retreats in North America to help you along your writing journey.

*Note: Please check COVID-19 rules and restrictions before booking any in-person tickets.

1.  Pacific Oregon University Residency Writers Conference

Writers looking to improve their craft will be in residency with MFA students, faculty and guest speakers. Presentations and events include craft talks, workshops, classes and readings.

The residency includes lunches and lodging at Best Western Ocean View Resort in Seaside. Students and faculty will have their own private rooms.

When: January 6-16, 2022; June 16-26, 2022

Where: January – on the northern Oregon Coast in the small, resort town of Seaside  June – on Pacific University’s campus in Forest Grove

2.  2022 North Island Writers Conference

Throughout the month of January, notable Canadian writers of all genres will host a writing workshop . Options to register for individual sessions.

Check for prices – some sessions are free and others are not. Open to the public.

When: January 7-23, 2022

Where: Virtual

3.  2022 Moravian Writers’ Conference

A free conference for writers, activists, medical practitioners and narrative medicine specialists on writing about health, healthcare and justice. 

When: March 18-19, 2022

Where:  Online and in-person ( Moravian University, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA)

4.  Let’s Just Write! An Uncommon Writers Conference

Presented by the Chicago Writers Association, the conference features two-days of in-person conference in Chicago with over 20 presenters, workshops, sessions, and panels on storytelling, publicity, and all other things that a writer needs to know, even a panel on what writers can learn from sports psychology . 

When: March 19-20, 2022

Where: The Warwick Allerton Hotel,  701 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 

5.  Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference

For writers, teachers, students, editors and publishers. One of the biggest and prestigious writing conferences in North America, attracting thousands of attendees.

Events include panels, discussion rooms, pedagogy events and readings. There are in-person and virtual events, or a virtual-only registration option.

When: March 23-26, 2022

Where:  Virtual and in-person ( Pennsylvania Convention Centre, 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA)

6.  University of North Dakota Writers Conference

A three-day conference featuring six to eight authors, who will be discussing their work and engaging with the community. Past authors include Gwendolyn Brooks, Tommy Orange and Colson Whitehead. All events are free and open to the public.

When: March 24-26, 2022

Where: In-person and online

7.  Breakout Novel Intensive 2.0

Taught by literary agent and author, Donald Maass of the Donald Maass Literary Agency. Ideal for new writers or writers starting a new project, the breakout fundamentals will cover strong characters , inner conflict, personal stakes , plot layers, powerful scenes and more. In-person and virtual options.

When: April 18-24, 2022

Where: Hood River, Oregon

When: June 13-19, 2022

8.  Nebraska Writers Guild Annual Conference

A three-day event with a writers retreat and breakout classes. Experts in the industry teach and share their insights on the writing business and craft. More details to be announced.

When: April 21-23, 2022

Where: Comfort Inn and Suites,  7007 Grover Street, Omaha, NE

9.  Nonfiction Writers Conference

Taking the traditional writers conference model and redesigning it specifically for nonfiction authors, the Nonfiction Writers Conference helps nonfiction writers find the best publishing path, marketing methods, uncover business and revenue opportunities, and build a powerful platform. Held entirely online.

When: May 4-6, 2022

10.  Atlanta Writers Conference

The Atlanta Writers Club is presenting the 26 th Atlanta Writers Conference in-person with virtual options. Writers will be given a chance to access 18 top publishing acquisitions editors and literary agents who are actively seeking new clients. There will be Q&A panels and help with getting your work ready.

When: May 6-7, 2022

Where: Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel,  4736 Best Road, Atlanta, GA 

11.  2022 Washington Writers Conference

Attendees get to pitch to three literary agents , as well as network with industry professionals and fellow writers and attend expert sessions.

When: May 13-14, 2022

Where: Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Centre,  5701 Marinelli Road,  Rockville, MD

Want to learn how to become a freelance writer?   Book a 1-on-1 consultation   with Freelance Writer Mike Pietrzak.

12.  Annual BIO Conference

Hosted by the Biographers International Organization, seasoned biographers will be present to help guide, mentor and advise attendees on various topics related to the craft of biography writing. 

When: May 13-15, 2022

Where: CUNY Graduate Centre (Tentative),  365 5 th Avenue,  New York, NY

13.  The Writer’s Hotel New York City Writers Conference

The programming has two components: two editor pre-conference team readings and the in-person conference in New York City. The team readings are a comprehensive consultation on each writer’s full-length manuscript, followed by a phone call to discuss strategy on the next steps.

The conference itself features workshops, lectures and one-on-one pitch sessions with literary agents. There is also an industry session for poets. Applications are on a first-come first-serve basis and will close once it’s full.

When: June 8-14, 2022

Where: Various hotels

14.  Yale Writers’ Workshop

A seven-day workshop taught by seasoned instructors with strong publication credits. Featuring craft talks, readings and individual meetings with workshop leaders, workshops are done in small groups of 10-12 people.

Participants with book-length manuscripts will be invited to join in pitch sessions. Open to applicants over 18 years old. Admissions are based solely on the writing sample. See website for more details on application process. There is also a workshop for high school students.

When: June 4-11, 2022

Where: 55 Whitney Avenue, Fourth Floor,  New Haven, CT

When: June 12-18, 2022

15.  Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference

A week-long conference for anyone interested in writing about the environment and the natural world. Featuring small, focused workshops and specialized classes, participants receive individualized attention from workshop leaders.

Established editors , literary agents and publishers will also be present to give advice on how to place work in magazines and the publishing world.

Where: Bread Loaf Campus of Middlebury College,  75 Franklin Street, Middlebury, VT

16.  SleuthFest

For writers and fans of mystery, suspense and thriller fiction. Featuring workshops, craft talks, panels, forensic classes and a cocktail party. Agents and editors will also be accepting pitches.

When: July 7-10, 2022

17.  Imaginarium Convention

Imaginarium is part film festival, part writing conference, part cosplay — an expo for all creatives, including writers and creators of all genres. Panelists include authors, editors, publishers, filmmakers, screenwriters, game designers, comic creators, artists, actors, and all other creatives. 

When: July 8-10, 2022

Where: Holiday Inn Louisville East,  1325 South Hurstbourne Parkway, Louisville, KY

18.  The Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference

A conference for writers of all genres, including screenwriters and graphic novel writers. Open to writers in all stages of their career, from aspiring first-time writers to already established writers.

Workshops include one-on-one with agents and publishers to prepare writers for pitch meetings, which are also included in the conference.

When: August 5-7, 2022

Where: Hilton Los Angeles Westside,  6161 West Centinela Avenue, Culver City, CA

19.  When Worlds Collide

A festival to connect readers, writers, artists and publishers of commercial and literary fiction of all genres, with public readings, master classes and other workshops on the business of writing.

When: August 12-14, 2022

Where: Delta Hotels by Marriott Calgary South,  135 Southland Drive SE, Calgary, AB

20.  Fernie Writers’ Conference  

A week-long intensive writing workshops, panel discussions and performances in the Rocky Mountains. There will also be opportunities to mix and mingle with editors, literary agents and notable writers who will also be workshop leaders.

When: August 15-21, 2022

Where: Lizard Creek Lodge, Fernie Alpine Resort,  5346 Highline Drive, Fernie, BC

21.  Pacific Northwest In-Person Conference

Featuring writing contests in all genres for a chance to win a free critique. There are master classes and pitching sessions. There are also membership options for conference pricing discount.

When: September 23-25, 2022

22.  GayRomLit Retreat

For writers, readers and publishers of LGBT literature. More details coming soon.

When: October 19-23, 2022

Where: Renaissance Portsmouth Norfolk Waterfront Hotel,  425 Water Street, Portsmouth, VA

23.  Surrey International Writers’ Conference

A professional development event for writers of all genres, featuring master classes, workshops and pitch sessions.

When: October 21-23, 2022; Master classes – October 20, 2022

24.  Indie Romance Convention

A smaller setting that provides attendees a chance to get to know each other. Three days of learning, workshops, panels, and fun events at night.

When: November 2-5, 2022

25.  The Sarah Lawrence College Publish and Promote Your Book Virtual Conference

Featuring interactive panel discussions with prominent New York City literary agents, major publishing house editors and public relations professionals, author talks, Q&A’s and pitch sessions. 

26. WriteOnCon

A favourite for kidlit, middle grade, and YA writers. Perfect if you want to learn everything from how to land an agent, to how to market your book, to how to improve your craft.

When: July 15-17, 2022

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23 Awesome Writing Conferences in April 2022

Erica Verrillo

Curiosity Never Killed the Writer

T his April there are nearly two dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but some will be held in person as pandemic restrictions ease. Virtual events still offer everything a writer might want: intensive workshops, pitch sessions with agents, to how to market yourself and your books, discussions — there is something for everyone.

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences . Quite a few offer scholarships, so apply early.

_________________________

WonderCon . April 1–3, 2022 Anaheim, CA. HUGE comic book convention.

West Chester University Poetry Conference . April 6–10, 2022: West Chester, PA. The conference offers poetry workshops and features a keynote speaker, critical seminars, panel discussions, faculty readings, and an opportunity for participants to have conferences with workshop leaders and resident poets. Will be held online and in person.

Las Vegas Writer’s Conference April 7–9, 2022: Las Vegas, Nevada. Join writing professionals, agents publishers and marketing experts for a weekend of workshops and enlightening discussions about the publishing industry. A chance to pitch your manuscript and ideas to agents. Will be held online and in person.

Tennessee Mountain Writers Annual Conference . April 7–9, 2022: Oak Ridge, TN. Speakers and session leaders include Lisa Coffman, Pamela Duncan, Shawna Kay Rodenberg, and more!

Chanticleer Authors Conference . April 7–10, 2022: Bellingham, Wash. Sessions with a special focus on the business of being a working writer on topics such as marketing, publicity, platform, sales tools & strategies, publishing, production, distribution, organization, storycraft, editing, and more. Will be held online and in person.

Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference . April 8–11, 2022. The Colrain Manuscript Classic is a highly focused, 3-day conference designed for poets with manuscripts in progress–book-length or chapbook-length. The Classic features in-depth pre-conference work and candid, realistic evaluation and feedback from nationally-known poets, editors and publishers. In preparation, participants work at home on the pre-conference assignments and then, in the workshop, review, arrange, and winnow their work based on the pre-conference work. In addition to the manuscript preparation workshop and editor sessions, there will be an editorial Q&A, and an after-conference strategy session. Will be held virtually .

Rally of Writers Conference . April 9, 2022: Lansing, Michigan. Michigan authors and educators in 15 breakout sessions and workshops on all aspects of writing, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, the Nuts & Bolts of manuscript submissions, and more.

Norwescon . April 14–17, 2022: Sea Tac, WA. Norwescon is one of the largest regional Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions in the United States.

The Monterey Writer Retreat in California . April 14–18, 2022: Monterey, CA. Participants in the Monterey Writer Retreat will work one-on-one with two of the best literary “closers” in the business: Gina Panettieri and Michael Neff combine 38 years of working with aspiring authors and ushering them to publication. They will be available for multiple private consultations from 9 AM to noon and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM each day of the retreat. Choice of sessions and focus will be up to each individual writer. Additionally, as circumstances permit, Gina and Michael will also join retreaters in their quest for superb dining and festivity opportunities in the Monterey and Carmel area.

Breakout Novel Intensive 2.0 . April 18–24, 2022: Hood River, Oregon. “Writers of commercial fiction who wish to soar out of category, as well as literary novelists who want to learn how to make powerful story principles work for them, will find the Breakout Novel Intensive 2.0 an idea-packed and career enriching experience. This workshop is as ideal for those just beginning a new project as it is for those embarking on a revision of a completed work. Breakout fundamentals are also covered: strong characters, inner conflict, personal stakes, plot layers, powerful scenes, micro-tension, practical theme techniques and much more.”

Grub Street Muse and the Marketplace Conference . April 22 — May 1, 2022, Boston, Massachusetts. The Muse and the Marketplace is a three-day literary conference designed to give aspiring writers a better understanding about the craft of writing fiction and non-fiction, to prepare them for the changing world of publishing and promotion, and to create opportunities for meaningful networking. On all three days, prominent and nationally-recognized established and emerging authors lead sessions on the craft of writing — the “muse” side of things — while editors, literary agents, publicists and other industry professionals lead sessions on the business side — the “marketplace.” Will be held virtually and in person .

Writeaway in New Mexico . April 23–30, 2022: Casa Bellisima, New Mexico. $2,100 for private room; $1,650 each for friends or couple sharing a room Includes writing consultations and daily writing workshops, all meals, wine and cocktails, plus a cooking class and excursion.

IBPA Publishing University . April 20–21, 2022 online , April 29- 30, 2022, Orlando, Florida. The Independent Book Publishers Association offers 30+ educational sessions including experiential learning labs, insightful keynotes, a gala book award ceremony, networking events, and more! Cost: $195-$475.

Nebraska Writers Guild Annual Conference and Writing Retreat . April 21–23, 2022: Omaha, NE. Workshops, pitch sessions with an agent and writing sessions followed by evening keynote speakers.

Ozarks Writers League Conference . April 22–23, 2022: Branson, MO. The Ozarks Writers League is a group of like-minded individuals dedicated to promoting writing, literacy, photography, and art. Since 1983, OWL has welcomed individuals at all stages of their development.

North Carolina Writers’ Network Spring Conference . April 23, 2022: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina. Features intensive workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as publisher exhibits, on-site “lunch with an author” readings, and an open mic. Will be held online.

Poetry at Round Top Festival . April 23–24, 2022: Round Top, Texas. Past faculty includes Mark Doty, Allison Joseph, Alicia Ostriker, ire’ne lara silva, Mary Szybist, Edward Vidaurre, and Jenny Xie. The cost of the conference is $150 ($50 for students) or $75 for Saturday only. Workshops are an additional $40. Private manuscript consultations are available for an additional $70.

Writing on the Door: “Memoir,” with Paul Lisicky . April 25–29, 2022: Fish Creek, WI. “What does it mean to write creative nonfiction and memoir in 2022? How to write out of our personal urgency while also asking questions about community, survival, isolation, and power — all that is wrong with the world and all we’d like to make better? How does it feel to be alive right now? We’ll think about those questions, and more. alongside all the matters of craft: voice, structure, focus, aboutness, sonics, description, polarity, openings, closings. We’ll look at some excerpts of outside work, but your writing will be our primary text. There will be time for exercises. Along the way we’ll work hard, take care of each other, and make sure that joy and seriousness share the same space.” Deadline: February 15 .

Northern Colorado Writers Conference . April 28 — April 30, 2022: Fort Collins, CO. Workshops, seminars, speakers, entertainment, agent roundtables, pitch sessions, networking with authors and industry professionals. Will be held online and in person.

Chicago-North RWA’s Spring Fling . April 28–30, 2022: Oak Brook, IL. Three day Biennial writer’s conference geared towards both aspiring and established writers of any genre but focused on romantic fiction. Bookseller/Blogger/Librarian event, Masterclass in Craft and Marketing, Closing Gala.

The Pikes Peak Writers Conference . April 29 — May 3, 2022: Colorado Springs, Colorado. “The three-day conference is full of topical, in-depth workshops, dynamic keynote speakers, opportunities for one-on-one time with agents and editors, the chance to read your work aloud for constructive critique, plus time to socialize with fellow writers. Will be held online and in person.

Write Now! April 30, 2022, Raleigh, NC. One day writing conference hosted by Triangle Association of Freelancers. Sessions include screenwriting, financial tips for writers, pillars of freelance success, copyediting, trade pubs, column writing, publishing tips and more. Cost: $89; $75 for students with ID, seniors 65+ and retired/active duty military; $109 at the door.

Northeast Texas Writers Organization . April 30, 2022, Jefferson, TX. One-day bootcamp.

Like this article? For more articles about the publishing world, useful tips on how to get an agent, agents who are looking for clients, how to market and promote your work, building your online platform, how to get reviews, self-publishing, as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers (no agent required) visit Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity .

Written by Erica Verrillo

Helping writers get published and bolstering their flagging spirits at http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/

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Take IELTS test in or nearby Elektrostal'

There is no IELTS test center listed for Elektrostal' but you may be able to take your test in an alternative test center nearby. Please choose an appropriate test center that is closer to you or is most suitable for your test depending upon location or availability of test.

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An Overview of the IELTS

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is designed to measure English proficiency for educational, vocational and immigration purposes. The IELTS measures an individual's ability to communicate in English across four areas of language: listening , reading , writing and speaking . The IELTS is administered jointly by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment at over 1,100 test centres and 140 countries. These test centres supervise the local administration of the test and recruit, train and monitor IELTS examiners.

IELTS tests are available on 48 fixed dates each year, usually Saturdays and sometimes Thursdays, and may be offered up to four times a month at any test centre, including Elektrostal' depending on local needs. Go to IELTS test locations to find a test centre in or nearby Elektrostal' and to check for upcoming test dates at your test centre.

Test results are available online 13 days after your test date. You can either receive your Test Report Form by post or collect it from the Test Centre. You will normally only receive one copy of the Test Report Form, though you may ask for a second copy if you are applying to the UK or Canada for immigration purposes - be sure to specify this when you register for IELTS. You may ask for up to 5 copies of your Test Report Form to be sent directly to other organisations, such as universities.

There are no restrictions on re-sitting the IELTS. However, you would need to allow sufficient time to complete the registration procedures again and find a suitable test date.

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Writers conferences to consider for 2023 and beyond. Table of Contents. Here are 60 writing conferences to check out in the coming year. General interest. Fiction Conferences. Blogging. Freelancing. Children's book writing and illustrating. Christian writing. International (Outside of U.S.) Canada. UK & Ireland. Europe. Asia and Oceania.

February 8-16, 2023: 2023 Sierra Writers Conference (Rocklin, CA). The 2023 Sierra Writers Conference celebrates the 20th anniversary of Sierra College Press and Standing Guard, its landmark book of stories about Japanese internment during WWII.

About. Writing Programs & Pedagogy. Careers. Contests. Community & Calendar. Magazine & Media. AWP Conference. Writers' Conferences & Centers. Directory of Conferences & Centers. Discover the conferences, centers, festivals, residencies, and retreats that best fit your writing needs.

Key West Literary Seminar. Florida, USA. Jan 12-15, 2023. $675. This year's seminar marks the 40th year of creating world-class literary programming in this subtropical island city.

WriterCon. September 1-4, 2023: Waterford, Oklahoma. Last year's conference featured over 70 presentations from authors, editors, agents, and publishers, opportunities for pitching and private...

25. A Rally of Writers. Conference. Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction. Lansing, MI. The 34th annual A Rally of Writers conference was held on April 9 at the West Campus of Lansing Community College in Lansing, Michigan. The conference featured workshops, panel discussions, and readings in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction... read more.

The Best Writing Conferences and Workshops of 2023. January 4, 2023. Pro Writing Opportunities. If you're making 2023 your big year for writing, you may wonder which writing workshops to research and apply to. Though the terms writers conference and writers workshop are often used interchangeably, they mean slightly different things.

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences. Quite a few offer scholarships, so apply early. Popular conferences also tend to close early. I've included conferences that have early application dates on my list.

Start networking. Enhance your self-publishing experience by attending a writers' conference. From meeting industry professionals to attending writing workshops, writers' conferences offer an exciting opportunity for growth as a self-published author. Here, we've compiled our list of upcoming writing conferences for 2023. January 14-21, 2023.

October 12 - 14, 2023. A gathering of hearts and minds. As a teaching conference, Desert Nights, Rising Stars (DNRS) Writers Conference covers the craft of writing, and the nuts and bolts of being a writer by offering practical advice for editing, creative and professional development, and navigating the literary marketplace.

Get away to write: 7 writing retreats happening in 2023 - The Writer. Become a member and get exclusive access to articles, contests and more! Start Your Free Trial. The Writer. Favorites Sign In. Subscribe. Improve Your Writing. Fiction. Nonfiction. Writing for Young Readers. Revision & Grammar. Conferences, Residencies, & Retreats.

The AWP Conference & Bookfair is the annual destination for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers of contemporary creative writing. It includes thousands of attendees, hundreds of events and bookfair exhibitors, and four days of essential literary conversation and celebration.

Sep 29 The Creativity Workshop in New York - New York, United States. December, 2023. Dec 08 The Creativity Workshop - New York, United States.

Atlanta! REGISTER TODAY! #IAMCRE8TIVE. Developed by AAMBC inc., Cre8tiveCon is an interactive writers conference that brings emerging literary creatives with educators and skilled professionals in publishing and film who are knowledgeable and skilled in their field.

Details: Feb. 3-4, 2023: Boston Writing Workshop (Online) March 3-4, 2023: Chesapeake Writing Workshop (Online) March 10, 2023: Alabama Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person) March 11, 2023: Atlanta Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person) March 11, 2023: Cincinnati Writing Workshop ( Live and In-Person)

The 28th Annual White County Creative Writers Conference will be held on Saturday September 2, 2023. Click here to register. And what a great conference it will be! Interesting speakers, inspiring sessions, incredible food, and a can't-miss opportunity to spend the day with friends old and new — it all makes for an unforgettable event.

Education Workshops. By Author Phoebe A. Lee. Another year means another year of writers conferences! Below is a list of 2022's best in-person and virtual writers conferences, workshops and retreats in North America to help you along your writing journey. *Note: Please check COVID-19 rules and restrictions before booking any in-person tickets. 1.

For a full list of conferences held throughout the year see Writing Conferences. Quite a few offer scholarships, so apply early. _________________________ WonderCon. April 1-3, 2022 Anaheim, CA. HUGE comic book convention. West Chester University Poetry Conference. April 6-10, 2022: West Chester, PA.

These 30 writing conferences across the United States offer countless opportunities to hone your craft, network with industry professionals, and have a blast with fellow writers! Conferences can even become an integral part of the pitching process as they offer face to face time with agents.

. Show all 15 photos. Elektrostal' View Activity Map . . Attractions. . Restaurants. . Shopping. Elektrostal' Travel Guide. Elektrostal' is a city in Moscow region, Russia. It has many popular attractions, including Park of Culture and Leisure, Electrostal History and Art Museum, Statue of Lenin, making it well worth a visit. Show Less.

IELTS test centers and test dates 2023 in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, Russia. Locations. russia. elektrostal' Take IELTS test in or nearby Elektrostal' There is no IELTS test center listed for Elektrostal' but you may be able to take your test in an alternative test center nearby.

Best Business Hotels in Elektrostal on Tripadvisor: Find 42 traveler reviews, 19 candid photos, and prices for business hotels in Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, Russia.

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Jakarta students win silver trophy in Moscow science contest

10th September 2018

President Joko Widodo chats with school student leaders from across West Java in Majalengka. (Joko Susilo)

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