17 writing contests to enter in 2026

Writing competitions can be a great way to push yourself, see where your writing is at, and build your reputation as a writer. And of course, a win (or even an honorable mention) can give your confidence a much-needed boost.

But with thousands of competitions and writing awards to choose from, knowing where to start can be a challenge. To help, we’ve gathered a list of promising writing contests, all offering monetary prizes.

We’ve recapped the key details here, but please make sure you read the contest terms carefully to ensure you’re comfortable with them before you enter.

Novel writing contests

Here are some exciting literary competitions focused on novels, all open to unpublished writers. We’ve arranged them in deadline order, so it’s easier to plan.

James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel (January–February)

Hosted by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), the James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel is for full, book-length manuscripts and is open to writers of all nationalities.

Key details:

• Submission: Your full novel manuscript.

• Cost: $20 for AWP members and $30 for nonmembers.

• Prize: $5,500 and publication from the University of Nebraska Press.

• Dates: Submissions are open from the 1st of January to the 28th of February 2026.

The James Jones First Novel Fellowship (October–March)

Established in 1992 by the James Jones Literary Society, the First Novel Fellowship is open to US writers who haven’t yet published a novel but are working on one.

Key details:

• Submission: The first 50 pages of a novel-in-progress or completed draft, alongside a plot outline (max 2 pages) and a cover letter.

• Cost: $30 (+$3 processing fee)

• Prize: $12,000 for the winner, with smaller prizes for runners-up potentially being awarded.

• Dates: Submissions are open from the 1st of October 2025 to the 15th of March 2026.

Novel Beginnings (February–March)

This is an international contest from ProWritingAid, designed to help emerging and unpublished writers kick-start their writing careers. Track your progress, access free resources, and join in with community events like workshops from expert judges, group critique sessions, and writing sprints.

You can find out more and register interest on the Novel Beginnings page.

Key details:

• Submission: The first 5,000 words of an original, unpublished novel manuscript.

• Cost: Free to people with a paid ProWritingAid plan or $20.

• Prize: $50,000 for the winner, and multiple $5,000 prizes for shortlisted writers.

• Dates: Submissions are open from the 2nd of February to the 31st of March 2026.

The Bath Novel Award (May)

This respected Bath Novel Award is open to unagented writers from around the world. There’s also a children’s novel award from the same organizers, which opens later in the year.

Key details:

• Submission: The opening (up to 5,000 words) of an adult or YA novel, along with a synopsis. If longlisted, you’ll be invited to submit your full manuscript. Novels should be unpublished, self-published, or independently published without an advance.

• Cost: £33

• Prize: £5,000 for the winner, with shortlisted and longlisted writers receiving comments on their work.

• Dates: Submissions are open until the 31st of May 2026.

The First Novel Award from the Bridport Prize (May)

The Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award is open to unagented writers anywhere in the world. It’s part of the Bridport Prize, a notable international writing contest, which counts successful writers like Kit de Waal among its winners. There’s also a prize for memoirs.

Key details:

• Submission: An extract from the opening chapters of a novel (5,000–8,000 words) that hasn’t been traditionally published and a synopsis (maximum 300 words). YA fiction is allowed if there’s a genuine crossover with adult fiction. If shortlisted, you’ll be asked to submit 30,000 words, including the original extract.

• Cost: £26

• Prize: The winner receives £1,500, publication, and advice from industry professionals, including a literary agent. Second place receives £750, publication, and an editorial appraisal from The Literary Consultancy. There are smaller prizes for runners up and longlisted writers.

• Dates: Submissions are open until the 31st of May 2026.

The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition (June)

Run by publisher Chicken House, this well-established children's fiction competition is for emerging authors from anywhere in the world who are working on novels for children and young adults. There’s also an additional prize for a children’s/YA speculative fiction novel.

Key details:

• Submission: The full manuscript of an unpublished novel for children or young adults (7–18), synopsis, and cover letter.

• Cost: £25

• Prize: Both winners receive a publishing contract with a £10,000 advance and a conversation with a literary agent, with shortlisted writers receiving judges’ feedback and longlisted writers receiving a reader’s report.

• Dates: Submissions are open until the 1st of June 2026.

Masters Review Novel Excerpt Contest (September–November)

Literary magazine The Masters Review, which aims to provide a platform for emerging writers, runs a novel excerpt contest every fall.

Key details:

• Submission: An excerpt (up to 6,000 words) of an unpublished novel. The excerpt can come from any point of the story but should be able to be understood without a synopsis.

• Cost: $20

• Prize: $3,000 for the winner, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place, with each receiving online publication. The winner also receives an hour-long consultation with a literary agent, while the other placed writers receive written feedback from the agent.

• Dates: 2026 dates have yet to be announced, but 2025’s contest ran from early September to early November.

Short story writing contests

If you’re looking for somewhere to submit something shorter, here are some short story and flash fiction writing competitions that could be worth a look, organized in deadline order.

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize (March)

Organized by performing arts center Symphony Space, the Stella Kupferberg Memorial Prize gives you the chance to have your work published by notable digital publisher Electric Literature and performed by an actor.

Key details:

• Submission: An unpublished short story, up to 750 words.

• Cost: $25

• Prize: $1,000, publication, your piece performed by an actor, and a Gotham Writers course.

• Dates: Submissions are open until the 6th of March 2026.

Ploughshares Emerging Writers’ Contest (February–March)

Celebrated literary journal Ploughshares offers a short story category as part of its annual Emerging Writers' Contest.

Key details:

• Submission: An unpublished short story or self-contained excerpt, up to 6,500 words.

• Cost: Free for existing subscribers or $30 (though this entry fee does come with other benefits).

• Prize: $2,000, publication in Ploughshares, and a conversation with a literary agent.

• Dates: Submissions are open from the 1st of February to the 31st of March 2026.

The Bridport Prize Short Story competition (May)

In addition to the novel award mentioned above, noteworthy contest the Bridport Prize also has a short story prize, open to writers internationally.

There’s also a flash fiction prize (with a maximum word count of 250).

Key details:

• Submission: An unpublished short story of up to 5,000 words.

• Cost: £15

• Prize: £5,000 for the winner, £1,000 for second place, £500 for third, and £100 for highly commended. Placed and highly commended entries are published. All shortlisted entries will be read by a literary agent.

• Dates: Submissions are open until the 31st of May 2026.

Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition (June)

Writer's Digest runs an annual competition, with over 500 prizes up for grabs. There are a wide range of categories, including literary and mainstream fiction, genre fiction, and children’s/YA.

It’s open to writers globally, but there are a few excluded countries, so double-check the competition rules.

Key details:

• Submission: An unpublished piece. The specific word count requirements depend on which category you’re entering.

• Cost: Early bird entries are $30 for prose entries, rising to $35 after the 4th of May 2026.

• Prize: The grand winner receives $5,000, publication, a published interview, a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference, and the opportunity to speak to editors and/or literary agents. Category winners receive $1,000 and publication, with smaller prizes for other placed writers.

• Dates: Submissions are open until the 1st of June 2026, though the price does go up after the 4th of May.

Aesthetica Magazine’s Creative Writing Award (December–September)

Hosted by arts and culture magazine Aesthetica, this international competition is designed to spotlight fresh writing talent.

Key details:

• Submission: A short story of up to 2,000 words.

• Cost: £18, rising to £24 for late submissions.

• Prize: £2,500, publication, consultation with a literary agency, and a range of courses and magazine subscriptions. Shortlisted submissions receive publication.

• Dates: Regular submissions are open from the 1st of December 2025 to the 31st of August 2026, with late submissions (which have a higher entry fee) accepted from the 1st to the 6th of September 2026.

Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize (August–November)

Organized by literary journal the North American Review and open to writers from around the world, the Kurt Vonnegut Prize is for stories that fit under the broad umbrella of speculative fiction (anything from horror to fairy tale).

Key details:

• Submission: An unpublished speculative fiction short story or self-contained excerpt, between 500 and 10,000 words. Alternatively, you can submit up to two flash fictions (defined as 500–1,500 words).

• Cost: $23 (includes a copy of the magazine)

• Prize: $1,000 for the winner. Submissions may be offered publication.

• Dates: Submissions are likely to be open from the 1st of August to the 1st of November 2026.

Websites with creative writing competitions throughout the year

If none of the contests above feel like a good fit or you’re looking for a more regular challenge to keep you motivated, here are some websites that host online writing competitions throughout the year. All are open internationally.

• Reedsy Prompts: Reedsy releases 5 writing prompts each week and offers $250 for the best submission (1,000 to 3,000 words). Submissions are published via the Prompts website. Entry costs $5. You can enter for free and may still have your work published, but you won’t be eligible for the prize.

• Bath Flash Fiction Award: This international flash fiction contest (for stories up to 300 words) has rounds throughout the year and awards £1,000 to the winner, with smaller prizes for other placed writers and commendations. Entry is £9.

• Flash500: Flash500 runs a quarterly flash fiction contest (for stories up to 500 words), with £300 for the winner and smaller prizes for second/third. Entry costs £5.

• The Ghost Story Contests: Website The Ghost Story holds several contests throughout the year for short stories and flash fictions that have an “uncanny element” (supernatural, paranormal, or magical realism). The winners receive publication and $1,500 (short story) or $1,000 (flash fiction), with smaller prizes for honorable mentions. Entry costs $20 for short fiction and $15 for flash.

Websites like Globe Soup, Writing Battle, and NYC Midnight also organize regular competitions with cash prizes—you can read more about those in our blog post about writing challenges.

What to look for while researching writing contests

Here are a few things to look out for when researching a writing contest.

• Organizer: Research the organizer of a contest to verify that they’re reputable. Look into the background of the contest and check what people are saying online.

• Fees: Entry fees are common with writing contests for money but it’s important to weigh up whether a particular contest is a good investment for you. Think about what’s actually on offer and check what similar contests are charging. Additionally, some contests offer early bird deals, discounts for multiple entries, or assistance for writers on a low income.

• Dates: It’s important to take note of the deadline, but it would also be sensible to work out which time zone applies, in case you need to submit at the last minute.

• Eligibility: Some contests have eligibility requirements for people entering (such as age or residence requirements) or for submissions (for instance, some contests won’t accept pieces you’ve already published online, even on your blog).

• Formatting requirements: There may be requirements for how to format your entry. There may also be requirements about not including your name if entries are being judged anonymously.

• Rights: Some contests ask for some form of publication rights, and it’s important to understand what you’re granting.

• Judging: Check who’s judging the competition—what credentials do they have?

• Feedback: Some contests offer feedback, but many don’t. If you’re keen to hone your craft, you might want to prioritize those that do.

The most important takeaway is to scrutinize the fine print and make sure you know exactly what you’re agreeing to. Reputable resources like Writer Beware and The Alliance of Independent Authors have guides to help.

Do your research, then get entering

While the number of writing contests out there can be a bit overwhelming when you first start looking, the exciting part is that it also means there are bound to be some that are a good fit for you and your writing. Read all the details carefully, make sure you’re comfortable, and then get polishing that submission.