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: Thu, Jan 30, 2025 10:30 AM
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 The Letter Review Poetry Prize for Unpublished Books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: Thu, Jan 30, 2025 10:30 AM
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. Bicoastal Review Poetry Writing Competitions
Deadline: March 1, 2025
Entry fee: $5
Guidelines: No previously published works or works accepted for publication elsewhere. No AI. All submissions will be considered for publication.
Prize: First Prize: $200, publication, social media promotion, a custom-designed print & digital broadside of your poem, and optional interview
Multiple Finalists: Publication and social media promotion
4. Persephone literary Magazine
Deadline: March 10, 2025
Entry fee: $5
Guidelines: Poetry submissions are limited to a maximum of five per quarter. Work that has been previously published will not be accepted. Accepts submissions across multiple categories. Do accept simultaneous submissions.
Prize: publication
5. Red Rock Review Writing Competitions
Poetry
Deadline: Sat, Mar 1, 2025 1:30
Entry Fee: $2.00
Guidelines: submissions of no more than 80 lines. Send no more than five poems/ ten pages of poetry per submission.
Traditional form and bold experimental poetry, as well as original translations of previously published work are accepted. Accepts simultaneous submissions.
For translations: accepts translations into English from any language; especially translations from Spanish. Submitter must have permission from the poem’s copyright holder in order to translate/ publish it.
Prize: Two free contributor copies + publication
Short Fiction
Deadline:Sat, Mar 1, 2025 1:30 PM
Fee: $2.00
Guidelines: submissions up to 5,000 words. Send no more than one story or essay in a single submission. Accept simultaneous submissions. No AI submissions.
Prize: Two free contributor copies + publication
Creative Fiction
Deadline: Sat, Mar 1, 2025 1:30 PM
Fee: $2.00
Guidelines: seek creative nonfiction narratives that are ambitious, thoughtfully crafted, and rich in detail. Submissions up to 5,000 words. Send no more than one story or essay per submission. Accept simultaneous submissions.
Prize: Two free contributor copies + publication
6. Swamp Pink Writing Competitions
Poetry
Deadline: Sat, Jun 1, 2025 3:30 PM
Entry fee: $3
Guidelines: submit a set of 3-6 poems. We accept simultaneous submissions for all genres.
Prize: $40
Fiction Prize Entry
Deadline: Sat, Feb 1, 2025 10:30 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: Sat, Feb 1, 2025 10:30 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. Harbor Editions- Writing Competitions
Laureate Prize
Deadline: Sat, Feb 1, 2025 1:30 PM
Entry fee: $25 per submission
Guidelines: Full length books should be between 50-80 pages. Books centered around a unifying theme will be given preference. The collection as a whole must be unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are permitted.
Prize: $500 and 20 copies of their book.
The Editor’s Prize
Deadline: Sat, Feb 1, 2025 1:30 PM
Fee: $15.00
Guidelines: People of color and marginalized folks are encouraged to apply. Submission should be exactly 10 poems. Simultaneous submissions are permitted. The collection as a whole must be unpublished. Do not accept translations.
Payment: $200 and 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. Arts & Letters Writing Competitions
Poetry
Deadline: Fri, Feb 21, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $20.00
Guidelines: 4 poems are accepted. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Submission must not exceed maximum of ten pages.
Prize: $1,000
Fiction
Deadline : Fri, Feb 21, 2025 10:30 AM
Fee: $20.00
Guidelines : accept one winning story up to 25 pages. They prefer, for the prizes, that your work not be simultaneously submitted.
Payment : $1,000 prize and publication
Susan Atefat Prize for Creative Nonfiction
Deadline : Fri, Feb 21, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee:$20.00
Guidelines: Creative Nonfiction piece of up to 25 pages. Work not be simultaneously submitted.
Payment :$1,000 prize and publication
12. Humana Obscura Poetry Prize 2025
Deadline: Sun, Feb 2, 2025 1:30 PM
Entry fee: $5.00
Guidelines: Up to 5 poems (or up to 10 haiku, tanka, or micropoetry 5 lines or less). Accepts simultaneous submissions. They will not accept work previously published in an online or print magazine.
Submissions must be accompanied by a brief 50 to 100 word third-person bio.
Prize: Publication
Prize: First Prize: $500 + publication in Midway Journal
Second Prize:$250 + publication in Midway Journal
Third Prize: $50 + publication in Midway Journal
13. 2025 RICK CAMPBELL CHAPBOOK PRIZE
Deadline: Tue, Feb 4, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $15
Guidelines: Open to all poets writing in English in the U.S. Submit 18-24 pages of original poetry. Individual poems may have been previously published. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Theme: poems that make the strange feel natural, and the natural feel strange.
Prize: $200 and 25 copies of their chapbook.
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. The Rumpus Writing Competitions
The Rumpus Poetry Prize
Deadline: Mon, Mar 3, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $20.00 per set of 2–4 poems
Guidelines: Submit 2–4 poems per entry. They are seeking to publish the single best poem or set of 2–3 poems. The entire submission should not exceed 10 pages.
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but previously published material in any format (including blogs and social media) is not eligible.
Prize: A prize of $1,000 plus publication for our first-place winner will be awarded. Honorable mention will receive $200 and will also be offered publication.
The Rumpus Fiction Prize
Deadline: Mon, Mar 3, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry Fee: $20.00
Guidelines : Submit one story, up to 5,500 words total, per entry. Writers age 18 and over are eligible to enter. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but previously published material in any format (including blogs and social media) is not eligible.
Payment: $1,000 first-place prize and publication. Honorable mention receives $200 and publication.
The Rumpus Creative Nonfiction Prize
Deadline : Mon, Mar 3, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry Fee :$20.00
Guidelines : Submit one essay or creative nonfiction piece (up to 4,000 words total) or up to 3 flash nonfiction pieces (up to 4,000 words total for all pieces combined) per entry. Writers age 18 and over are eligible to enter. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but previously published material in any format (including blogs and social media) is not eligible.
Payment: $1,000 first-place prize and publication. Honorable mention receives $200 and publication
16. Gulf Coast Submissions
Poetry, Fiction & Non Fiction
Deadline: Sun, Mar 2, 2025 11:30 AM $3.00
Entry fee: $3.00 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: pay $50 per page for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
17. Prairie Schooner Raz-Shumaker Writing Competitions
Poetry
Deadline: Mon, Jan 20, 2025 12:30 PM
Entry fee: $25.00
Guidelines: welcomes manuscripts from all living writers, including non-US citizens, writing in English. Both unpublished and published writers are welcome to submit manuscripts. Submissions are accepted.
Prize: $3000 and publication .
Fiction
Deadline :Sun, Mar 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry Fee: $25.00
Guidelines : The fiction prize is for a short story collection, and manuscripts should be at least 150 pages long. Novels are not considered; one novella along with short stories will be considered as a collection, but single novellas or a collection of novellas are not eligible.
Payment: $3000 and publication
18. WTR Writing Competitions
The West Trade Review Prize for Poetry
Deadline: March 15, 2025.
Entry fee: $15.00
Guidelines: this contest is open to all emerging writers only who have not yet published a book with a print run over 1500. Only previously UN published poems will be accepted. Unlimited entries allowed. Up to 3 poems for submission. Simultaneous submission that allowed.
Prize: $1,000
The Phyllis Grant Zellmer Prize for Fiction
Deadline:Mon, Jan 27, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry Fee: $15.00
Guidelines: This contest is open only to emerging writers only who have not yet published a book with a print run over 1,500.Only previously unpublished stories will be accepted. Unlimited entries allowed. One story per submission.Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Submission is one original story up to 5,000 words.
Payment:$1000 and publication in West Trade Review
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. Omnidawn Poetry Book and chapbook Writing Competitions
Deadline: February 16th, 2025 at 11:59 pm Pacific
Entry fee: $30 per entry
Guidelines: seek a wide range of styles, approaches, forms, diversities, and aesthetics. Online submissions are accepted from around the world. Manuscript submissions for all contests must be original and previously unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Prize: $3000 and publication
21. FIELDNOTES
Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Interview Pitches, Conversations, Translations, Work-in-progress,
Deadline: midnight 2 February 2025 GMT
Entry fee: £3
Guidelines: maximum 4000 words or 10 pages.
Prize: publication
22. Harbor Editions – Laureate Prize
Deadline: Sat, Feb 1, 2025 1:30 PM
Entry fee: $25.00
Guidelines: Full length books should be between 50-80 pages. The collection as a whole must be unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are permitted. They do not accept translations. All fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers.
Prize: $500 and 20 copies of their book
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: 17th February 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.
Poems must not exceed 70 lines, this excludes titles and includes line breaks. Poems must be written primarily in English, with a key or footnotes included for any non-English words.
Prize: Prizes cannot be exchanged for monetary value.
FIRST AWARD WINNER: £500
SECOND AWARD WINNER: £100
THIRD AWARD WINNER: £50
10 HIGHLY COMMENDED POETS
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. Arc Poetry Contest
Deadline: Sun, Feb 2, 2025 1:30 PM
Entry fee: $40.00 CDN
Guidelines: welcomes Poem of the Year entries from Canada, the United States, and around the world. Submit up to two unpublished poems. The length of each poem must not exceed 100 lines.
Prize: $5,000 grand prize to the Poem of the Year and a $500 prize for an Honourable Mention. $50 per page for poetry or prose (including feature-length reviews) published in the magazine. $50 per print-page-equivalent for poetry or prose on the website.
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. Sand Hills Poetry Writing Competitions
Poetry
Deadline: Sun, Mar 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $12.00
Guidelines: Only three poems per submission. They do not accept previously published poetry (including self-published material in print or online at personal blogs, social media, or websites).
Prize: $500
Prose
Deadline: Sun, Mar 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry Fee: $12.00
Guidelines : Contributors should include only one short story or essay per submission. Each short story or essay may be up to 5,000 words in length. Do not accept previously published prose.
Payment: publication
30. Ponder Review Writing Competitions
Poetry
Deadline: Sun, Mar 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $2.00
Guidelines: submission of up to five poems that combine to total no more than nine pages. Does not accept previously published material nor does it accept multiple submissions per issue. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Prize: publication
Fiction, Nonfiction, Short Play
Deadline: Sun, Mar 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry Fee : $2.00
Guidelines:
- Fiction: One story of up to 3,000 words (1,500 – 3,000 words preferred).
- Nonfiction: One nonfiction piece of up to 3,000 words (1,500 – 3,000 words preferred).
- Short Play : One script excerpt or one act play of 10-15 pages.
Payment: publication
31. Dorset Prize Writing Competitions
Dorset Prize 2024
Deadline: Sun, Feb 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $30.00
Guidelines: open to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. Submit a previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript. There is no mandatory page count. They suggest in the area of 48 to 88 pages of poems. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers or contests are permitted.
Prize: $3,000 and A cash prize and a 2 week-long residency in Port Angeles, WA, worth $1,500 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press, 25 copies of the winning title, a book launch, and NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION THROUGH U. OF CHICAGO PRESS, with energetic publicity and promotion.
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: Sun, Mar 2, 2025 10:30 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: Sat, Feb 1, 2025 10:30 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
Poetry, Fiction & Non Fiction
Deadline: Sun, Feb 16, 2025 1:30 PM
Entry fee: $2.00 for all genres
Guidelines: Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
- Poetry: submit up to three poems for consideration. If you are currently a student at Santa Clara University, you are eligible to submit to the Review without paying a submission fee.
- Fiction: limit your submission to 6,000 words or less. Most pieces they publish are between 2,000-4,000 words.
- Non Fiction : limit your submission to 6,000 words or less.
Prize: publication
36. Gulf Coast Writing Competitions
Poetry, Fiction & Non Fiction
Deadline: Sun, Mar 2, 2025 11:30 AM $3.00
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. Michelle Boisseau Poetry Prize
Deadline: Thu, Jan 9, 2025 11:30 AM
Entry fee: $15.00
Guidelines: submission should contain 1-3 poems. Entrants should not include any identifying information within their submission. Neither emailed nor hard copies will be accepted.
Prize: $500
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