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.
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The ultimate List of WRITING COMPETITIONS 2025:
1. WEST TRADE REVIEW (Poetry & Fiction)
Deadline: Sat, Aug 2, 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- All submissions must be previously unpublished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
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 Reign Short Fiction Prize 2025
Deadline: June 30th, 2025
Entry fee: $7
Guest Judge: Amy DeBellis
Guidelines:
- Submit short fiction up to 7500 words.
- Submit original short fiction only.
- Multiple entries are allowed.
- Submissions will be just anonymously.
Prize: cash price and Publication online and may also receive Publication in a printed anthology.
4. The 42 Miles Press Poetry Award
Poetry Competition
Deadline: Mon, Jun 16, 2025 9:30
Entry fee: $25.00
Guidelines:
- There is no limit on the number of entries an author may submit.
- Work that has been previously published will not be accepted.
- Accepts submissions across multiple categories.
- Do accept simultaneous submissions.
Prize: $1,000, publication of their book, and 50 author copies.
The winner will also be invited to give a reading at Indiana University South Bend as part of the release of the book.
5. Gasher Competitions
The 2025 Gasher Press Book Award
Deadline: Tue, Jul 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Entry Fee: $25.00
Judge: Melissa Kwasny
Guidelines: prize is open only to those who currently reside in the United States.
- Simultaneous submissions of unpublished entries are accepted.
- Only accept unpublished works.
- Manuscripts must include a table of contents.
- Multiple entries are accepted with appropriate fees.
Prize: $1,000 + 20 free copies upon publication.
The Two Languages Book Prize
Deadline: Mon, Sep 1, 2025 9:30
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.
The Bennett Nieberg Transpoetic Broadside Prize
Deadline: Fri, Aug 1, 2025 9:30 AM
Fee: $20.00
Judge: Michal “MJ” Jones
Guidelines: Only for minority
- Submit ONLY 1 unpublished poem on any subject/theme with a brief author bio.
- Limit one submission per writer.
- No substitutions after submissions.
- Simultaneous submissions of unpublished entries are accepted.
Prize: $500, 5 limited edition letterpress broadsides of the winning poem.
6. Swamp Pink Writing Competitions
Poetry Contest
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. Fractured Lit Writing Competitions 2025
Lit Flash Fiction
Deadline: Mon, Jul 14, 2025 12:30
Entry fee: $20.00
Guest Judge: Gwen E. Kirby
Guidelines:
- allows up to two stories of 1,000 words or fewer each per entry
- send flash and microfiction only—1,000 word count maximum per story.
- Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
- include a brief cover letter with your publication history
Prize: $2,000 and publication, while the fifteen finalists will receive $100 and publication
Flash Fiction
Deadline: open
Payment: $50
Guidelines: Micro fiction for Fractured Lit is 400 words or less.
Micro Fiction
Deadline: May 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $5.00
Guidelines:
- Micro fiction for Fractured Lit is 400 words or less.
- Submit previously unpublished work
Payment: $50 for original micro fiction and $75 for original flash fiction.
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 20,00
- The top 10 rankholders will receive INR 10,000
- 100 Commendable Mentions are published in the annual Wingword anthology
9. The Chestnut Review
Poetry, Prose, Flash Competitions
Deadline: June 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. 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 Competition
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 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 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. Mississippi Review Competitions (Fiction, Poetry & Non Fiction)
Deadline: Tue, Jul 1, 2025 10:30
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines:
- Stories should be 8,000 words or less.
- Do consider simultaneous submissions.
- Submit up to five poems
- Essays should be 8,000 words or less.
Prize: each contributor $50
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 Competition 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 Non-fiction competition 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 Competitions
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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