Discover 40+ top writing competitions in 2025-26. Entry details, deadlines & prizes included. Submit stories, essays & poetry to win awards & get published.
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 2025-2026.
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The ultimate List of WRITING COMPETITIONS 2025-26:
1. WEST TRADE REVIEW (Poetry & Fiction Competitions)
Deadline: Mon, Sep 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $3 USD
Guidelines:
- All submissions must be previously unpublished
- Upto five poems per reading period
- letter and a biography of no more than 150 words.
- Submit only once per reading period.
Prize: publication
2. Tabula Rasa Review – submission
Deadline: September 30, 2025
Entry fee: $1 USD for 5 poems or 1 prose piece.
Guidelines: using Duosoma (Duotrope’s submission manager) to receive submissions.
- Open to all nationalities.
- Theme: human condition
- simultaneous submissions are accepted
- unlimited submissions are accepted
- previously published (reprint) submissions are accepted
Prize: publication
3. THE HYPERBOLIC REVIEW- submission
Deadline: October 1, 2025
Entry fee: $20.00
Guest Judge: Alejandro Heredia
Guidelines:
- International submissions are welcome.
- Work must be written primarily in English
- Send excerpts of book-length fiction only
- Adhere to the 5,000 word count maximum
- Submit previously unpublished work only
- Allows simultaneous submissions
- Include a brief cover letter
Prize:
- $2,800 for the winner
- Second and third place will receive $500 and $300, respectively.
4. 2025 Omnidawn Poetry Open Book Contest
Poetry Competition 2025
Deadline: Mon, Sep 1, 2025 12:30 PM
Entry fee: $30.00
Guidelines: Prize judge is Jose-Luis Moctezuma
- Approximately 40 pgs to 90 pgs for submitting in an 8.5 x 11 size page
- Approximately 60 pgs to 110 pgs for submitting in a 6 x 9 size page
- Multiple and simultaneous submissions are permitted
- Seek a wide range of styles, approaches, forms, diversities, and aesthetics to send to the judge
- There are no citizenship requirements or limitations.
Prize: $3000, publication and 20 author copies
5. Gasher Writing Competitions 2025
The Two Languages Book competition: Poetry manuscripts writing in both Korean and English
Deadline: Mon, Sep 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Fee: $15.00
Guidelines:
- Manuscripts should be 48-90pgs.
- International writers are welcome to submit.
- Simultaneous submissions of unpublished entries are accepted.
Prize: receive $500 advanced royalty prize + publication in Spring 2027 and 20 author copies.
2025 Poetry Chapbook Prize
Deadline: Sat, Nov 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Fee: $10.00
Guidelines: Only for minority
- Submit manuscripts between 20-37pgs of poetry.
- Include a brief bio with your submission.
- Accept simultaneous submissions.
- only accept submissions from those residing in the U.S.
Prize: The chapbook prize includes 10 free copies and $250.
6. Hybrid Grain Poetry Contest
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Entry fee:
- for Canadian entrants is $40
- for US entrants is $50
- for international entrants is $60
Guidelines:
- a maximum of five pages.
- Entry must be original, unpublished, not submitted or accepted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, nor entered simultaneously in any other contest
Prize:
- 1st prize: $1000 Cash Prize and Publication
- 2nd prize: $750 Cash Prize and Publication
- 3rd prize: $500 Cash Prize and Publication
7. Fractured Lit Writing Competitions 2025
Fractured Lit 2025 Elsewhere Prize
Deadline: Mon, Sep 15, 2025 12:30 PM
Entry fee: $20.00
Guest Judge: Jemimah Wei
Guidelines:
- Only consider unpublished work for contests
- Send flash fiction only—1,000 word count maximum per story.
- Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
- include a brief cover letter with your publication history
Prize: offer the winner of this prize $3,000 and publication, while the second– and third-place winners will receive publication and $300 and $200, respectively. All entries will be considered for publication.
8. Writing Nepal 2025: A Free Short Story Contest
Deadline: October 31, 2025
Entry fee: free entry
Guidelines: Participation is limited to writers of Nepali origin.
- Only one submission per participant is allowed.
- Submissions should be between 2,000 to 5,000 words.
- Previously published poems are allowed.
Prize:
- 1st Prize: Rs. 30,000
- 2nd Prize: Rs. 25,000
- 3rd Prize: INR 20,00
9. The Chestnut Review
Poetry, Prose & Flash Competitions 2025
Deadline: Sept 30, 2025
Entry fee: $5
Guidelines:
- simultaneous submissions are accepted
- No previously published work
- NO ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS
- They do not accept submissions of AI generated work.
- Language must be English
- All nationalities are welcome to participate
- All those who submit work must be at least 18 years of age
- For poetry submit up to 6 poems
- Flash, 1000 words submission
- Between 1000 and 5000 words are accepted for prose
Prize: publication & US $120 per piece
10. 2025 Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize
POETRY, FICTION and NON FICTION Writing Competitions
Deadline: October 1, 2025
Entry fee: $25
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:$5000 plus publication in the Spring 2026 issue
11. The River Styx Competition
Poetry Writing Competition
Deadline: Tue, Sep 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 Writing Competition
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 2025 Pamphlet Prize
Deadline: Tue, Sep 16, 2025 4:30 AM
Entry fee: £20 per each single pamphlet
Guidelines: judge is Andrew McMillan.
- The competition is open to all nationalities
- 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: £250, publication of their pamphlet with Poetry London Editions and ten author copies of the work. The winner will also be invited to launch their pamphlet at Poetry London’s Spring 2026 Readings.
13. Cleaver Magazine 2025 Visual Poetics Contest
Deadline: Tue, Sep 2, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $20.00
Guidelines: Judge: Kazim Ali
- 1-4 poems of up to 3 pages each
- Do consider simultaneous submissions.
- No previously published work.
- Multiple submissions are welcome and encouraged
Prize:
- $500 First Prize
- $250 Second Prize
- $100 Third Prize
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. Breakwater Review – submissions
General Poetry Submission
Deadline: Tue, Dec 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines:
- Submit up to 3 poems per reading period
- 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.
General Fiction Submission
Deadline: Wed, Oct 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry Fee: $3.00
Guidelines :
- 5,000 word maximum (though most of stories are 2,000-4,000 words)
- simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Payment: publication
General Nonfiction submission
Deadline : Wed, Oct 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry Fee :$3.00
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. The Phoebe Contest
Poetry Writing Contest
Deadline: Thu, Oct 16, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines:
- submit up to five poems per entry
- submit unpublished poems only.
- welcome simultaneous submissions
- You may include a cover letter and brief bio
- Multiple entries are acceptable with an additional fee.
Prize: $30 per accepted poem and publication
17. The Moth Writing Competition 2025
Nature Writing Prize
Deadline: 30 September 2025
Entry fee: €15
Guidelines:
- Open to anyone above 16 years of age
- They seek for this contest: 4000 words in length.
- Submit previously unpublished work only.
- They allow simultaneous submissions.
- They allow multiple submissions.
Prize:
- First prize €1000 and a week at The Moth Retreat in ireland
- Second- €500
- Third – € 250
18. Frontier Poetry Competition
The 2025 Myths & Fables Prize
Deadline: Mon, Sep 8, 2025 12:30 PM
Entry fee: $20.00
Guidelines: Guest judge Jennifer Chang
- Submissions are open to all poets, regardless of publication history.
- Accepts simultaneous submissions
- No more than three poems (five pages) per submission
- Submissions must be previously unpublished works.
- Submissions are open internationally
Prize:
- The first-place winner will receive $3000 and publication.
- The second- and third-place winners will receive $300 and $200, respectively, along with publication.
- All finalists will be considered for paid publication in New Voices.–
- Runner-up Prizes:– €1000 (two prizes available).
19. American Literary Review 2025
Poetry Competition: ( Judge: Carl Phillips)
Deadline: Tue, Sep 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $15.00
Guidelines:
- Submit no more than three poems at a time.
- All work should be previously unpublished.
Prize: publication
ESSAYS Competition
Deadline: Tue, Sep 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee :$15.00
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 Bridport Prize
Deadline: Wed, Oct 1, 2025 4:30 AM
Entry fee: £26.00 per entry
Guidelines:
- 8,000 words max, (5,000 minimum) taken from the opening chapter/s and a 300 word overview which should form the first page/s of your entry.
- Long listed entrants will be asked to submit 15,000 words for the next stage of the judging process.
- Shortlisted entrants will be asked to submit 30,000 words for the final stage of the judging process.
Prize:
- 1st Prize £1,500 plus package
- Runner up £750 plus package
- Dorset Award £100
- Publication
21. The 2025 McNally Robinson Booksellers Poetry Contest
Deadline: November 30, 2025 (11:59:59pm CST)
Entry fee: $34 (comes with a 1-year subscription to Prairie Fire)
Guidelines: ( guests: Tolu Oloruntoba, Shashi Bhat, Basma Kavanagh )
- consists of up to three poems
- length of your poetry submission should not exceed 150 lines
- Each piece must be unpublished, not submitted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, nor accepted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, nor entered simultaneously in any other contest or competition for which it is also eligible to win a prize.
Prize:
- $1250
- publication in Prairie Fire’s summer issue
- one-year subscription to Prairie Fire
22. Blackbird Submission
Book Reviews, Craft Essays, and Interviews
Deadline: open
Entry fee: $2.00
Guidelines:
- Accepts book reviews of up to 500 words or fewer.
- Only accept reviews of first or second books.
- Completed craft essays and interviews of up to 2,000 words.
Prize: Publication
23. Sundress Publications
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Entry fee: $15
Guidelines:
- submissions of full-length poetry manuscripts
- welcome authors from marginalized and underrepresented communities.
- looking for manuscripts of forty-eight to eighty (48–80) single-spaced pages
- Manuscripts translated from another language will not be accepted.
Prize: publication
24. The Master’s Review
2025 Summer Short Story Award
Deadline: Mon, Sep 8, 2025 12:30 PM
Entry fee: $20.00
Guidelines: Judged by Jennine Capó Crucet
- Submissions of fiction or nonfiction must be under 6,000 words.
- Submitted work must be previously unpublished.
- No translations
- This contest is for emerging writers only
- AI-generated submissions will be automatically disqualified.
- Simultaneous and multiple submissions are allowed
Prize:
- The first-place winner receives $3,000, online publication, and agency review.
- The second- and third-place finalists receive cash prizes ($300/$200), online publication, and agency review.
25. Meridian 2025
Deadline: Thu, Oct 16, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines: Simultaneous submissions are not permitted. Poems cannot have been previously published either in print or online, paid or unpaid. Submit no more than five poems, no more than ten pages.
Prize: publit
26. The Ex-Puritan Writing Competitions
Poetry
Deadline: Fri, Sep 26, 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: Fri, Sep 26, 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. Pigeon Pages Submission
Deadline: Tue, Sep 16, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $15.00
Guidelines: Judged by Cecily Parks
- Original, previously unpublished poems by a single author are eligible for this contest.
- Do accept simultaneous submissions
- allows one poem submission up to 3 pages.
Prize: The winning author will receive $250 and publication in Pigeon Pages. Honorable mentions will receive $50 and publication in Pigeon Pages. All submissions will be considered for publication.
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. Tupelo Press Competitions
Tupelo Press Fiction
Deadline: year-round
Entry fee: $45.00
Guidelines:
- novels and short story collections
- Manuscripts are not read anonymously.
- No more than one or two works accepted per year.
Prize: publication
Tupelo Press Nonfiction
Deadline: year-round
Entry Fee: $45
Guidelines :
- submit only completed manuscripts for our consideration.
- Previously unpublished works accepted
Payment: publication
30. Gulf Coast Writing Competitions
2025 Gulf Coast Barthelme Prize in Short Prose
Deadline: Mon, Sep 1, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $20.00
Guidelines:
- Submit a prose poem, a piece of flash fiction, or a micro-essay of up to 500 words.
- Each entry can include up to three pieces.
- Simultaneous submissions are fine.
- Only previously unpublished work will be considered.
Prize:
- $1,000 and publication in Gulf Coast
- Two honorable mentions will each receive $250
2025 Gulf Coast Prize in Translation
Deadline: Mon, Sep 1, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry Fee : $20.00
Guidelines:judge is Wendy Chen.
- Submit up to 10 pages of prose, fiction or non fiction translated into English and a copy of the original text.
- Excerpts from longer works are welcome.
- Only previously unpublished work will be considered.
Payment:
- prize of $1,000 and publication in Gulf Coast will be given annually for a work of prose translation into English.
- Honorable mentions will each receive $250.
31. The Georgia Review Writing Competitions
2025-2026 Poetry Submissions
Deadline: Mon, May 18, 2026 9:30 AM
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines: publishes multiple pages of poetry by each poet we feature. consideration, submit 6–10 pages of poetry or one long poem. Expect translators to acquire translation rights before submitting.
Prize: $4 per line for poetry, up to $800
2025-2026 Prose Submissions
Deadline: Mon, May 18, 2026 9:30 AM
Entry Fee : $3.00
Guidelines:
- submit only one essay. Rarely publish prose works 9000 words or longer. Expect translators to acquire translation rights before submitting.
- Publishes literary fiction. Submit only one story. Publish prose works 9000 words or longer.
Payment: $50 per printed page for prose
2025-2026 Book Review Submissions
Deadline: Mon, May 18, 2026 9:30 AM
Entry Fee: $3.00
Guidelines: Reviewers should cite the title, author, place of publication and publisher, year, number of pages, and price of the book or books in the review. Publishes standard reviews (typically 1,750–2,000 words), which focus on only one book, and essay-reviews (typically 4,000–6,000 words)
Payment: $50 per printed page for prose
32. The X. J. Kennedy Poetry Prize
Deadline: September 30
Entry fee: $28
Guidelines: 2025 Judge: Shane McCrae
- Open to any poet writing in English. Translations are not eligible.
- The Prize is open to poets at any stage of their career.
- Poems may have been published individually in magazines or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished.
- Simultaneous submissions are acceptable.
- Submitters must be 18+ years of age.
Prize: $10,000 advance, a standard royalty contract, and 10 copies of the published book.
33. Inkspot Publishing’s Inaugural Short Story Competition
Deadline: 12 Midnight GMT, Sunday 30th November 2025
Entry fee: £10 for stories up to 2,500 words. £15 for stories up to 5,000 words
Guidelines: Judge: Kate Nash
- There is no lower age limit
- Submission must be written in English
- Multiple entries are accepted
- Add the title and word count on the front page.
Prize:
- First Prize: £1000
- Second Prize: £250
- Third Prize: £100
34. Yolk Submission
Poetry, Fiction & Non- Fiction
Deadline: November 30th, 2025
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. Edinburgh Competitions
Flash Fiction
Deadline: 31 August 2025 at 23.59 UK Time
Entry fee: £10.00 per story
Guidelines: Judge: Meg Pokrass
- The £500 Golden Hare Award is given to the top story entered in the Edinburgh Flash Fiction Awards by anyone over 16 years who is living or studying in Scotland.
- Mango stories are fun, amusing, bizarre and as delicious as a mango. Stories can be up to 250 words.
- 250 words (not including the title)
- Open to all writers worldwide, published and unpublished, who are over 16 years.
- Entries can be on any theme or subject but must be written in English.
- Simultaneous submission is permitted.
- Entries must not have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.
Prize:
- First Prize: £2,000
- Second Prize: £500
- Third Prize: £250
- Golden Hare Award: £500
- Write Mango Flash Award: £300
- 5 Commendations £100 each
- Scottish Arts Club free membership for one year for 1st, 2nd, 3rd prize winners and the winner of the Golden Hare Award.
36. The London Magazine Short Story Prize 2025
Deadline: Thu, May 1, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: 29th September 2025
- £12 per story
- Student/Low Income Entry: £6 per story
Guidelines: Judged by: Gurnaik Johal, Ben Pester and Erika Price.
- Previously unpublished short stories that do not exceed the maximum of 4,000 words, from writers across the world.
- Multiple stories will not be considered
Prize:
- First Prize: £750
- Second Prize: £450
- Third Prize: £300
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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