Prose writers! If you have a story, essay, novel, or memoir ready to submit, below are ten writing contests to consider. Each contest offers a prize of at least $1,000 and has a deadline of Wednesday, January 31.
Balcones Center for Creative Writing Fiction Prize: A prize of $1,500 is given annually for a book of fiction published during the previous year. Entry fee: $30
Black Lawrence Press Big Moose Prize: A prize of $1,000, publication by Black Lawrence Press, and 10 author copies is given annually for a novel. Entry fee: $25
Chattahoochee Review Lamar York Prizes: Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Chattahoochee Review are given annually for a short story and an essay. Entry fee: $18
Crazyhorse Literary Prizes: Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication in Crazyhorse are given annually for a short story and an essay. Entry fee: $20
Fish Publishing Short Memoir Prize: A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,180) and publication in the Fish Publishing anthology is given annually for a short memoir. Entry fee: $19
Iowa Review Awards: Two prizes of $1,500 each and publication in Iowa Review are given annually for a story and an essay. Entry fee: $20
New Millennium Writings New Millennium Awards: Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in New Millennium Writings are given twice yearly for a short story, a work of flash fiction, and a work of creative nonfiction. Entry fee: $20
Ohioana Library Association Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant: A prize of $1,000 is given annually to an Ohio fiction writer or creative nonfiction writer age 30 or under who has not published a book. Writers born in Ohio or who have lived in Ohio for a minimum of five years are eligible. No entry fee.
Winter Anthology Writing Contest: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Winter Anthology is given annually for a group of poems, a story, or an essay. Entry fee: $11
Writers at Work Writing Competition: Two prizes of publication in Quarterly West are given annually for a short story or novel excerpt and an essay or memoir excerpt. The winners also choose to receive either $1,000 or tuition to attend the Writers at Work Conference in Alta, Utah, in June. Writers who have not published a book in the genre in which they are applying are eligible. Entry fee: $20
Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out our Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more upcoming contests in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.