Discover the top 40+ writing competitions in 2025, featuring cash prices, global recognition, and expert tips. Find deadlines, entry requirements, and how to enter these exciting writing contests!
Our list consists of the world renowned magazines, established publishing sites, authors and poets who are eager to publish and support new budding writers. So, putting forth some of the best writing competitions 2025.
If you are interested in writing competitions without any entry fee, we got you too!
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The ultimate List of WRITING COMPETITIONS 2025:
1. The Letter Review Poetry Prize 2025
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Entry fee: $15 USD
Guidelines: Up to 70 lines per poem. Open to all nationalities. No style or subject restrictions.
Prize: 1000 USD Prize pool for our 2-4 Winners. Winners are published by The Letter Review. Up to 20 entrants Shortlisted. All entries are considered for publication, and submission to anthologies such as The Pushcart Prize. Judges’ feedback available. Judged blind.
2. The Letter Review Poetry Prize for Unpublished Books
Deadline: March 31, 2025
Entry fee: $25 USD
Guidelines: Open to all nationalities. No style or subject restrictions. Submit the first 15 pages of your poetry writing chapbook. Poems of all varieties are welcome. Sonnets, comedy, blank verse, epic, rhyming, childrens, free verse etc.
Prize: $1000 USD Prize pool for our 2-4 Winners. Optional: Winners are offered the option to publish an extract at The Letter Review. Up to 20 entrants Shortlisted. Judges’ feedback available. Judged blind.
3. The Rialto Poetry Writing Competition
Deadline: Wed, Apr 2, 2025 4:30 AM
Entry fee:
- £7 FOR YOUR FIRST POEM
- £4 FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT POEM
Guidelines: Competition is open to anyone over the age of 18. Poems must have a title and must be no more than 40 lines. Poems must be the original work of the entrant and must not have been published, self-published or published online or broadcast. Poems must be written in English.
Prize:
- 1st Prize £1000
- 2nd Prize £500
- 3rd Prize £250
4. MIDWEST REVIEW
Poetry
Deadline: Fri, May 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $5
Guidelines: Poetry submissions are limited to a maximum of five per submission or 10 pages. Work that has been previously published will not be accepted. Accepts submissions across multiple categories. Do accept simultaneous submissions.
They looking for thoughtful and thought-provoking poetry that examines, interprets, and redefines the wide spectrum of life in the Midwest.
Fiction & Non Fiction
Guidelines: work up to 6,000 words is accepted.
Deadline: Fri, May 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Prize: Publication + Award nomination (for all categories)
5. New Letters Magazine
Poetry: PATRICIA CLEARY MILLER AWARD
Deadline: Tue, May 20, 2025
Entry Fee: $24.00
Guidelines: Simultaneous submissions of unpublished entries are accepted. A poetry entry may contain up to six poems. The max page count for poetry entries of up to six poems is 30 pages. Multiple entries are accepted with appropriate fees.
Prize: $2500 with publication
Fiction: Robert Day Award
Deadline: Tue, May 20, 2025 10:30 AM
Fee: $24.00
Guidelines: Fiction entries may not exceed 8,000 words.Multiple entries are accepted with appropriate fees. Simultaneous submissions of unpublished entries are accepted.
Prize: $2500 + publication
Non Fiction: Conger Beasley Jr. Award
Deadline: Tue, May 20, 2025 10:30 AM
Fee: $24.00
Guidelines: Essay entries may not exceed 8,000 words.Multiple entries are accepted with appropriate fees.No substitutions after submissions. Simultaneous submissions of unpublished entries are accepted.
Prize: $2500 + publication
6. Swamp Pink Writing Competitions
Poetry
Deadline: Sun, Jun 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $3
Guidelines: submit a set of 3-6 poems. We accept simultaneous submissions for all genres.
Prize: $40
Fiction Prize Entry
Deadline: Sun, Jun 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Fee: $20.00
Guidelines: consider stories of 25 pages or less. Submission can be up to 7,500 words in length.
Payment: $0.05 a word for prose. Maximum payout for accepted work is $200.
Nonfiction Prize Entry
Deadline: Sun, Jun 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Fee: $20.00
Guidelines: consider nonfiction pieces of 25 pages or less. Nonfiction can be up to 7,500 words in length. Accept simultaneous submissions.
Payment: $0.05 a word for prose. Maximum payout for accepted work is $200.
7. Midwest Review Writing Competitions 2025
Poetry
Deadline: Fri, May 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $5.00
Guidelines: Submit up to 5 poems or up to 10 pages of poetry in one file. They do not consider previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Prize: publication
Fiction
Deadline: Fri, May 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry Fee: $5.00
Guidelines: work up to 6,000 words.
Non Fiction
Deadline: May 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $5.00
Guidelines: thoughtful and thought-provoking essays and creative nonfiction that examines, interprets, and redefines the wide spectrum of life, past and present, in the Midwest. Submit work up to 6,000 words.
Payment: publication
8. Wingword Poetry Writing Competition
Deadline: open
Entry fee: one poem, three poems, five poems and ten poems is INR 1000, INR 2000, INR 3000, INR 5000 respectively.
Guidelines: poet must be an Indian national, resident of India or a person of Indian origin to enter the competition. Any length and style of poetry is accepted. Previously published poems are allowed.
Prize: 1st Prize: INR 50,000 + Book Publication
2nd Prize: INR 30,000
3rd Prize: INR 20,000
The top 10 rankholders will receive INR 10,000
100 Commendable Mentions are published in the annual Wingword anthology
9. The Hudson Review
Non Fiction
Deadline: March 31, 2025 1:30 PM
Entry fee: Free
Guidelines:
- 10,000 word limitNo simultaneous submissions
- No previously published work
- NO ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS
Prize: publication
10. The 2025 Perkoff Prize
POETRY, FICTION and NON FICTION
Deadline: Open
Entry fee: $4 for all genres
Guidelines: Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
- Poems up to 8-20 pages are accepted. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Entries must be previously unpublished.
- Fiction: no length restrictions.
- Non Fiction: Nonfiction of general interest only. There are no restrictions on length or topic.
Prize:
- Poetry: $1000 and publication
- Fiction: The William Peden Prize of $1,000 is awarded
11. The River Styx Competition
Poetry
Deadline: Sat, Aug 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $20.00
Guidelines: up to three poems, per entry are accepted. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Work must be previously unpublished.
Prize: $1000 each, plus publication in print and online.
Fiction
Deadline : Sat, Aug 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Fee: $20.00
Guidelines : Works of fiction should not exceed 3000 words. Send only one story per entry. Work must be previously unpublished.
Payment : $1000 each, plus publication in print and online.
River Styx’s themed issue: Mitsake
Deadline : Thu, Oct 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee:$20.00
Guidelines: submissions must be previously unpublished in print or online, including social media posts. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Translations are welcome. For fiction, they consider
- Microfiction
- Short fiction
- Short stories.
Stories of 1500 words or fewer may be sent in groups of up to three. Stories that exceed 1500 words should be sent separately.
For nonfiction, we accept work of 5000 or fewer words. Essays of 500 words or fewer may be sent in groups of up to three.
For plays, we consider all forms up to 75 pages in length.
For poetry, send up to five poems per submission.
Payment :$1,000 prize and publication
12. The Poetry London Prize
Deadline: Tue, Jul 1, 2025 4:30 AM
Entry fee: $10.00
Guidelines: The competition is open to poets anywhere in the world. Entries must be in English. The maximum length is 80 lines, not including titles or blank lines. Entries must not have been previously published or self-published, in print or online, or have won a prize in another competition.
Prize: Publication
Prize:
- First Prize is £5,000,
- Second Prize is £2,000
- Third Prize is £1,000.
13. Samfiftyfour Competitions
Deadline: May 16, 2021.
Entry fee: $2.27
Guidelines: They will consider essays of any length, but we advise to keep it under 6,000 words.
Contests:
- Justice For’ Essay Contest
- Asian Diaspora Essay Contest
- Peace for palestine Essay Contest
- Executive Orders Essay Contest
Prize: $100
14. The NARRATIVE| POEM OF THE WEEK
Deadline: open
Entry fee: $19/entry
Guidelines: May contain up to five poems. Your submission should give a strong sense of your style and range. Accept submissions of all poetic forms and genres but do not accept translations.
Prize: Authors are paid $100 (reprints) to $200 for a poem published as a Poem of the Week, and all the Poems of the Week written by new and emerging writers are eligible for our annual $4,000 Narrative Prize.
15. NELLE Writing Competitions
NELLE Poetry 2025
Deadline: Fri, May 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $3.00
Theme: She Persisted
Guidelines: Submit 1-5 poems. Writers of all backgrounds are welcome to submit.
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but previously published material in any format (including blogs and social media) is not eligible.
Prize: publication.
NELLE Creative Nonfiction 2025
Deadline: Fri, May 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry Fee: $3.00
Theme: She Persisted
Guidelines : submit one essay of no longer than 5,000 words or up to two shorter works of 2,500 words or less. They are interested in lyric and hybrid forms.
Payment: publication.
NELLE Fiction 2025
Deadline : Fri, May 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry Fee :$3.00
Theme: She Persisted.
Guidelines : submit one story of no longer than 5,000 words or up to two shorter stories of 2,500 words or less. Writers of all backgrounds are welcome to submit. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Payment: publication
16. 2025 Gulf Coast Writing Competitions
Poetry, Fiction & Non Fiction
Deadline: Thu, May 1, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $26.00 for all genres
Guidelines:
- Poetry: entry may consist of up to 5 poems at no more than 200 lines each. Poems submitted may not be previously published and must be the original work of the contestant. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
- Stories and essays: accept submissions of less than 3,000 words.
- Translations: ideally, less than 3,000 words per each piece and up to 5 poems per submission.
Prize: $1,500 and publication in Gulf Coast to the winner. Two honorable mentions will be awarded $250
17. CRAFT 2025 Writing Competitions
CRAFT 2025 Short Fiction Prize
Deadline: Mon, May 19, 2025 12:30 PM
Entry fee: $20.00
Guidelines: CRAFT submissions are open to all writers. International submissions are allowed. Submit work primarily written in English, but some code-switching/meshing is warmly welcomed. They seek short fiction only for this contest: 1,000 to 5,000 words in length. Do not send flash prose or poetry to this contest. Submit previously unpublished work only. They allow simultaneous submissions. They allow multiple submissions.
Prize:
- Winner receives a $2,000 cash award and our Tech Bonus: their choice of an iPAD, reMarkable, or Freewrite (up to $500 value before tax).
- Second- and third-place finalists receive $500 and $300, respectively.
- The top three stories will be published in CRAFT, each with an introduction by the guest judge.
- Each publication will also include an author’s note (craft essay) by the writer.
CRAFT 2025 Short Fiction Prize
Deadline : Mon, May 19, 2025 12:30 PM
Entry Fee: $20
Guidelines : CRAFT submissions are open to all writers.International submissions are allowed.Please submit work primarily written in English. They seek short fiction only for this contest: 1,000 to 5,000 words in length. Submit previously unpublished work only. They allow simultaneous submissions.
Payment:
- Winner receives a $2,000 cash award and our Tech Bonus: their choice of an iPAD, reMarkable, or Freewrite (up to $500 value before tax).
- Second- and third-place finalists receive $500 and $300, respectively.
- The top three stories will be published in CRAFT, each with an introduction by the guest judge.
- Each publication will also include an author’s note (craft essay) by the writer.
18. Desperate Literature Writing Competitions
Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction
Deadline: APRIL 13th 2025 (23h59 CEST)
Entry fee: €20 Single Entry (+ €10 every further entry)
Guidelines: Entrants must be over 18 years of age at the time of submission. The competition is open to all writers. Submissions must be in English. Submissions must be previously unpublished works of up to 2000 words. Submissions may be made simultaneously to other short fiction prizes. Entrants may submit more than one story. They accept translations.
Prize:
- €2000–
- A week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation.–
- A consultation with Literary Agent Ed Wilson from Johnson & Alcock.–
- A manuscript assessment with The Literary Consultancy.
- Runner-up Prizes:– €1000 (two prizes available).
19. American Literary Review
Poetry
Deadline: Fri, May 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines: Submit no more than five poems at a time. Poetry submitted for publication in the American Literary Review must be accompanied by a cover letter.
The poetry submission portal will close if they receive 300 submissions before the reading period ends.
Prize: publication
ESSAYS
Deadline: Fri, May 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee :$3.00
Guidelines: welcome essays in all forms, including flash, traditional essays and ones that push the boundaries of the genre. They have no set maximum word count, but most essays they publish are shorter than 8,000 words.
Payment: publication
20. The Ottoline Book Prize
Deadline: Sun, Jun 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $25.00 per entry
Men are not eligible for this prize
Guidelines: The Ottoline Book Prize is open to full-length poetry manuscripts. Poets at any stage in their writing life, published or unpublished, are eligible to submit. Poets living in any country are welcome to submit their manuscripts. There are no limitations on country of origin or immigration status. Manuscripts should be at least 45 pages. There is no maximum page limit. Multilingual poetry manuscripts are welcome, as well as self-translations into English.
Prize: $5,000 will be paid upon publication. The poet will be given a two-week residency at the T.S. Eliot House in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
21. Chestnut Review Chapbook Submission
Deadline: Thu, May 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: Submission fee is on a sliding scale between $6-$12.
Guidelines: Chapbooks may be poetry, prose, or hybrid. No images or other media.Length: 15-25 pages of poetry, or 15-30 pages of prose. Pieces may have been published individually, but never as a collection. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Submit works written in English only. Translations are not accepted.
Prize:
- honorarium ($150) and 50 copies of their chapbook in hard copy, as well as an EPUB version.
- Authors earn 30% royalties on all online (Ingram/Amazon) sales of the chapbook, paid annually.
22. Vallum Chapbook Award
Deadline: Thu, May 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $25 for Canadian entrants, $30 for US and international entrants.
Guidelines: one chapbook submission of 15-30 pages per submission. Chapbooks may be on any theme or subject, but must be original and not previously published. Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Prize: $300 prize, 25 copies of the chapbook, and promotion through social media and our website.
23. THE GRIFFIN POETRY PRIZE 2025
Deadline:
Works published between January 1 and June 30 are to be submitted
and postmarked no later than June 30. Submissions must be received
by JULY 7, 2025.
Works published between July 1 and December 31 are to be submitted
and postmarked no later than December 31. Submissions must be
received by January 7, 2025.
Entry fee: Not mentioned.
Guidelines: Submissions must come from publishers. No SELF-PUBLISHING BOOK is eligible. All books must carry an ISBN.
Prize: Winner will receive C$130,000 and the other shortlisted poets will each receive C$10,000.
24. Paperbacks & Co.
Personal Essays, Short Stories, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction
Deadline: open
Entry fee: $20.00
Guidelines: They accept all themes/topics. Submissions must be in English and all nationalities are welcome. They accept simultaneous submissions.
- Poetry: Upto 3 poems per submission. They do accept reprints and/or simultaneous submissions.
- Prose: 2000 word limit per submission.
- Optional essay theme: “On Creativity”
- Optional essay theme: “On Being Human”
- Optional essay theme: “Modern Society”
- Optional fiction theme: “Coming of Age”
- Optional poetry themes: “Love” or “Loss”
Prize: publication
25. Poetry Wales Award 2025
Deadline: Friday 4th April 2025
Entry fee: £5 per poem
Guidelines: Simultaneous submissions are not permitted. Poems cannot have been previously published either in print or online, paid or unpaid. You may not submit more than five poems. Entrants must be 18 or over at time of submission.
Include a short cover letter including a 50-word bio.
Prize: Poems £20/page
26. The Ex-Puritan Writing Competitions
Poetry
Deadline: Apr 2, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines: include a succinct description of no more than 250 words in the Cover Letter field. Submissions should not exceed 5000 words.
Prize: $50 PER POEM, OR $100 PER POET IF MULTIPLE POEMS ACCEPTED
Essays
Deadline: Wed, Apr 2, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry Fee: $3.00
Guidelines : no more than 250 words in the Cover Letter. Submissions should not exceed 5000 words.
Payment: $200 PER ESSAY
27. Poems: The New Material Ecopoetics
Deadline: Fri, May 16, 2025 12:30 PM
Entry fee: not mentioned
Guidelines: Arc is seeking experimental eco-poetry that engages with the possibilities of organic form. They welcome experiments with lyric, visual poetics, material poetries, and sound poetries. Submissions should be previously unpublished poetry in English or translations of poetry into English. Submissions must not exceed three poems or 360 lines of poetry.
Prize: Arc‘s rate for poetry of $50 per page. Payment is issued upon publication along with one free copy of the issue in which the work appears.
28. Airlie Prize For Poetry Writing
Deadline: March 31, 2025
Entry fee: $25
Guidelines: Manuscripts should be 48 to 90 pages of original poetry in English. Should not have been previously published in a book-length collection of the author’s own work. This contest is limited to single-author submissions. Translations are not eligible. They accept simultaneous submissions.
Prize: $1,000 cash award upon publication of the book.
29. 2025 FOUR WAY BOOKS Writing Competitions
LEVIS PRIZE IN POETRY
Deadline: March 31, 2025.
Entry fee: $30.00
Guidelines: Open to any poet writing in English regardless of publication history. Submit a previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript, in English. Translations and previously self-published books are not eligible. There are no length requirements save that book-length collections of poetry usually run between 48 and 80 pages of text.
Prize: $1000.00 honorarium and participation in a Four Way Books reading.
June Open Reading Period
Deadline: June 1 – June 30, 2025
Entry Fee: $12.00
Guidelines : Book-length poetry collections are accepted. Submit a previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript in English. Page lengths: A single poetry collections, approximately 48-80 pages of text, no more than one poem per page. Translations and previously self-published books are not eligible.
Payment: publication
30. Jacar Press Writing Competitions
Full-Length Poetry Book Contest
Deadline: April 30, 2025
Entry fee: $15
Guidelines: Full length manuscripts must be 40 – 80 pages of poems, not including table of contents, acknowledgments page, biography, etc. Simultaneous submissions are fine. You may submit more than one manuscript, but there is a separate fee for each manuscript submitted, and each manuscript must be submitted separately.
Prize: publication
Poetry Chapbook Competition
Deadline: April 30, 2025
Entry Fee : $10
Guidelines:
- Chapbook manuscripts must be between 20-32 pages of poems
- Simultaneous submissions are fine.
Payment: publication
31. Dorset Prize Writing Competitions
Literature in Translation
Deadline: open
Entry fee: $30.00
Guidelines: submit book-length works of literature in translation. They are open to submissions of both poetry and prose, as well hybrid and experimental work. Previously unpublished work accepted.
Prize: $2,500 – $3,000 advance for a book of poetry.
Tupelo Press Fiction & Non Fiction
Deadline: open
Entry Fee : $45.00
Guidelines: submissions of fiction (including novels and short story collections) year-round. Manuscripts are not read anonymously.
Payment: publication
2025 Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry
Deadline: Fri, May 2, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry Fee: $30.00
Guidelines: Submit a previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript with a table of contents. Area of 48 to 88 pages of poems accepted. Simultaneous submissions are permitted.
Payment: $3,000
2025 Snowbound Chapbook Award
Deadline: Apr 2, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $25.00
Guidelines: to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. Translations are not eligible for this prize, nor are previously self-published books. Submit a previously unpublished, chapbook-length poetry manuscript (20-36 pages). Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Payment: $1,000
32. Vanderbilt University Literary Prize
Deadline: April 15, 2025
Entry fee: $25
Guidelines: Previously published manuscripts, including self-published books, will not be accepted. Manuscripts must be written in English; poetry translations will not be accepted. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable.
Prize: $10,000 honorarium
33. 2025 Noemi Press Book Award For Poetry
Deadline: Fri, May 2, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $25.00
Guidelines: Poets at any stage in their career may submit a manuscript (no page limit). Strip your manuscript of all identifying material including dedications and acknowledgements; otherwise, the manuscript will not be considered.
Prize: $2,000 and publication by Noemi Press
34. Yolk Submission
Poetry, Fiction & Non- Fiction
Deadline: Sun, Jun 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines:
- Poetry: Our print publication is open to all Canadian writers. Submit a maximum of three poems; do not exceed 6 pages.
- Fiction: Do not exceed 4,000 words. Writers may submit up to two stories, but will have to submit them as separate entries.
- Non Fiction: Do not exceed 4,000 words. Writers may submit up to two individual pieces, but will have to submit them as separate entries.
Prize: $100CAD honorarium for digital publication. For print, offer $30 per page up to a maximum of $200.
35. The Santa Clara Review
Fiction & Non Fiction
Deadline: Sat, May 3, 2025 12:30 PM
Entry fee: $10
Guidelines:
- limit your submission to 1,000 words or less.
- Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
- Non previously unpublished works for submissions only
Prize: The first prize winner will be awarded $200, the first runner-up will be awarded $100, and the second runner-up will be awarded $50. The contest winner will be published in the 2025 fall issue of the Santa Clara Review. All other work will be considered for publication.
36. Gulf Coast Writing Competitions
Poetry, Fiction & Non Fiction
Deadline: Thu, May 1, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines:
- Poetry : Poems (up to 5 per submission)
- Fiction: submissions of more than 7,000 words.
- Non Fiction: submissions of more than 7,000 words.
Prize: publication
37. The Fourth River
Deadline: Thu, Jan 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines: send 3-5 poems. For all our submissions, themed or otherwise, we welcome especially work by writers who are part of marginalized groups: immigrant and indigenous writers; writers of color; women.
Prize: publication
38. Anodyne
Deadline: Thu, Jan 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: €3.00
Guidelines: include a short bio. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Submit up to three (3) poems.
Prize: publication
39. The 2025 Palette Micro Chapbook Prize
Deadline: Mon, Feb 3, 2025
Entry fee: $20
Guidelines: consisting of ten to fifteen pages (not including cover page, table of contents, or acknowledgments) containing no more than ten poems. Submissions are open internationally. They accept simultaneous submissions.
Prize: four winners will each receive $500 and 2025/2026 publication
40. Bear Review Poetry Prize
Deadline: not mentioned, most likely open through the year
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines: only accept unpublished work, and they acquire first rights. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. send three to five poems (each on a separate page). Include a brief cover letter and bio (200 words maximum) with your submission.
Prize: publication
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