STROKESTOWN INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITIONThe Hudson Valley Writers' Center, 300 Riverside Dr., Sleepy Hollow NY 10591. (914)332-5953. Fax: (914)332-4825. E-mail: info@writerscenter.org. Website: www.writerscenter.org. Contact: Margo Stever, editor. The annual competition is open to poets who have not published a book or chapbook, though individual poems may have already appeared. Manuscripts may be either a collection of poems or one long poem and should be a minimum of 16 pages and a maximum of 20 pages (not including the title page or table of contents). Purpose is to provide publishing opportunities for emerging poets. Deadline: May 15. Prize: $1,000, publication of chapbook, 20 copies of chapbook, and a reading at The Hudson Valley Writers' Center.
Slipstream, Slipstream Poetry Contest, Dept. W-1, P.O. Box 2071, Niagara Falls NY 14301. E-mail: editors@slipstreampress.org. Website: www.slipstreampress.org. Contact: Dan Sicoli, co-editor. Slipstream Magazine is a yearly anthology of some of the best poetry you'll find today in the American small press. Send up to 40 pages of poetry: any style, format, or theme (or no theme). Send only copies of your poems, not originals. Manuscripts will no longer be returned. See website for specific details. Offered annually to help promote a poet whose work is often overlooked or ignored. Open to any writer. Deadline: December 1. Prize: $1,000, plus 50 professionally-printed copies of your book.
The Texas Institute of Letters, P.O. Box 609, Round Rock TX 78680. E-mail: tilsecretary@yahoo.com. Website: http://texasinstituteofletters.org/. Offered annually for the best book of poems published January 1-December 31 of previous year. Poet must have been born in Texas, have lived in the state at some time for at least 2 consecutive years, or the subject matter must be associated with the state. See website for submission details and information. Deadline: January 10. Prize: $1,200.
Ashland Poetry Press, 401 College Ave., Ashland University, Ashland OH 44805. E-mail: app@ashland.edu. Website: www.ashlandpoetrypress.com. Contact: Cassandra Brown, managing editor. Submissions must be unpublished in book form. Considers simultaneous submissions. Submit 50-96 pages of poetry. Competition receives 400+ entries/year. Winners will be announced in Writer's Chronicle and Poets & Writers. Copies of winning books available from Small Press Distribution and directly from the Ashland University Bookstore online. The Ashland Poetry Press publishes 2-4 books of poetry/year. Deadline: April 1. Prize: $1,000 plus book publication. Judged by Andrew Hudgins in 2016.
The Society of Classical Poets, 11 Heather Ln., Mount Hope NY 10940. E-mail: submissions@classicalpoets.org. Website: www.classicalpoets.org. Contact: Evan Mantyk, president. Annual competition for a group of poems that address one or more of the following themes: beauty, Falun Dafa, great culture, or humor. Poems must incorporate meter and rhyme. All entries are considered for publication. Submit 3-5 poems of up to 50 lines each. Deadline: December 31. Prize: $500. Judged by Evan Mantyk, the society's president.
The Sow's Ear Review, 1748 Cave Ridge Rd., Mount Jackson VA 22842. (540)955-3955. E-mail: sepoetryreview@gmail.com. Website: www.sows-ear.kitenet.net. Contact: Sarah Kohrs, managing editor. The Sow's Ear Poetry Review sponsors an annual chapbook competition. Open to adults. Open to adults. Send 22-26 pages of poetry plus a title page and a table of contents, all without your name. On a separate sheet list chapbook title, your name, address, phone number, e-mail address if available, and publication credits for submitted poems, if any. No length limit on poems, but no more than one poem on a page. Simultaneous submission is allowed, but if your chapbook is accepted elsewhere, you must withdraw promptly from our competition. Poems previously published are acceptable if you hold publication rights. Send SASE or e-mail address for notification. Entries will not be returned. Deadline: May 1 (postmark). Prize: Offers $1,000, publication as the spring issue of the magazine, 25 author's copies, and distribution to subscribers.
The Sow's Ear Poetry Review, 1748 Cave Ridge Road, Mount Jackson VA 22842. E-mail: rglesman@gmail.com. Website: www.sowsearpoetry.org. Contact: Sarah Kohrs, managing editor. Open to adults. Send unpublished poems to the address above. Please do not put your name on poems. Include a separate sheet with poem titles, name, address, phone, and e-mail address if available, or a SASE for notification of results. No length limit on poems. Simultaneous submission acceptable (checks with finalists before sending to final judge). Send poems in September or October. Deadline: November 1. Prize: $1,000, publication, and the option of publication for approximately 20 finalists.
Prairie Schooner, 123 Andrews Hall, P.O. Box 880334, Lincoln NE 68588-0334. (402)472-0911. Fax: (402)472-9771. E-mail: prairieschooner@unl.edu. Website: www.prairieschooner.unl.edu. Contact: Editor in Chief. Offered annually for poetry published in Prairie Schooner in the previous year. Prize: $1,000.
NFSPS Stevens Poetry Manuscript Competition, 499 Falcon Ridge Way, Bolingbrook IL 60440. E-mail: stevens.nfsps@gmail.com. Website: www.nfsps.org. Contact: Wilda Morris, Chair. National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) offers annual award of $1,000, publication of ms, and 50 author's copies for the winning poetry manuscript by a single author. Submit 48-70 pages of poetry by a single author, typewritten, or computer printed. No illustrations. No author identification in the manuscript. No more than one poem per page. May include previously published poems (acknowledgements on separate sheet). Simultaenous and multiple submissions permitted. Deadline: October 1. Submissions open September 1. Prize: $1,000, publication and 50 copies of the book.
Vermont College, 36 College St., Montpelier VT 05602. (802)828-8517. E-mail: hungermtn@vcfa.edu. Website: www.hungermtn.org. Contact: Samantha Kolber, managing editor. The Ruth Stone Poetry Prize is an annual poetry contest. Enter up to 3 original, unpublished poems. Do not include name or address on submissions; entries are read blind. Accepts submissions online or via postal mail. Deadline: March 1. Prize: One first place winner receives $1,000 and publication on Hunger Mountain online. Two honorable mentions receive $100 and publication on Hunger Mountain online. Judged by Lee Upton in 2016.
Southwest Review, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 750374, Dallas TX 75275-0374. (214)768-1037. Fax: (214)768-1408. E-mail: swr@mail.smu.edu. Website: www.smu.edu/southwestreview. Contact: Jennifer Cranfill, senior editor, and Willard Spiegelman, editor-in-chief. Offered annually to the best works of poetry that have appeared in the magazine in the previous year. Please note that mss are submitted for publication, not for the prizes themselves. Guidelines for SASE and online. Prize: $300. Judged by Jennifer Cranfill and Willard Spiegelman.
STROKESTOWN INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITIONStrokestown International Poetry Festival, Strokestown Poetry Festival Office, Strokestown, County Roscommon Ireland. (+353) 71 9633759. E-mail: director@strokestownpoetry.org. Website: www.strokestownpoetry.org. Contact: Martin Dyar, Director. Poem cannot exceed 70 lines. Ten short-listed poets will be invited to Strokestown for the festival. This annual competition was established to promote excellence in poetry and participation in the reading and writing of it. Acquires first publication rights. Deadline: January. Prize: 1st Place: €1,500; 2nd Place: €500; 3rd Place: €300; 3 shortlisted prizes of €100 each.
University of Tampa, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa FL 33606. 813-253-6266. E-mail: utpress@ut.edu. Website: www.ut.edu/tampareview. Annual award for the best previously unpublished collection of poetry (at least 48 pages, though preferably 60-100). Deadline: December 31. Prize: $2,000, plus publication.
E-mail: editor@wordworksbooks.org. Website: www.wordworksbooks.org. Contact: Leslie McGrath, Series Editor; Nancy White, Editor. Publication and cash prize awarded annually by The Word Works to a full-length ms by a poet who has already published at least 2 full-length collections. Submit 48-80 pages. Include acknowledgments and past book publications in the "NOTES" section of the online submissions manager. Submit via online submissions manager: wordworksbooks.org/submissions. Founded in honor of Jane Hirshfield, The Tenth Gate Prize supports the work of mid-career poets. Deadline: July 15. Open to submissions on June 1. Prize: $1,000 and publication. Judged by the editors.
Winning Writers, Winning Writers, 351 Pleasant St., PMB 222, Northampton MA 01060-3961 USA. (866)946-9748. Fax: (413)280-0539. E-mail: adam@winningwriters.com. Website: www.winningwriters.com. Contact: Adam Cohen. Winning Writers provides expert literary contest information to the public. It is one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest). Submissions maybe published or unpublished, may have won prizes elsewhere, and may be entered in other contests. Length limit: 250 lines per poem. Deadline: September 30. Submission period begins April 15. Prizes: Two top awards of $1,500 each, with 10 Honorable Mentions of $100 each (any style). All entries that win cash prizes will be published on the Winning Writers website. Judged by Soma Mei Sheng Frazier.
Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation, Poetry Prize Coordinator, Tor House Foundation, Box 223240, Carmel CA 93922. (831)624-1813. Fax: (831)624-3696. E-mail: thf@torhouse.org. Website: www.torhouse.org. Contact: Eliot Ruchowitz-Roberts, Poetry Prize Coordinator. The annual Prize for Poetry is a living memorial to American poet Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962). Open to well-crafted poetry in all styles, ranging from experimental work to traditional forms, including short narrative poems. Poems must be original and unpublished. Each poem should be typed on 8 1⁄2" by 11" paper, and no longer than three pages. On a cover sheet only, include: name, mailing address, telephone number and e-mail; titles of poems; bio optional. Multiple and simultaneous submissions welcome. Deadline: March 14. Prize: $1,000 honorarium for award-winning poem; $200 Honorable Mention.
Claremont Graduate University, Claremont Graduate University, 160 E. Tenth St., Harper East B7, Claremont CA 91711-6165. (909)621-8974. E-mail: tufts@cgu.edu. Website: www.cgu.edu/tufts. The $100,000 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award was created to both honor the poet and provide the resources that allow artists to continue working towards the pinnacle of their craft; the Kingsley Tufts Awards goes to a book published by a mid-career poet. The $10,000 Kate Tufts Award is presented annually for a first book by a poet of genuine promise. "Any poet will tell you that the only thing more rare than meaningful recognition is a meaningful payday. For two outstanding poets each year, the Kingsley and Kate Tufts awards represent both." Deadline: July 1, for books published in the preceding year. Prize: $100,000 for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and $10,000 for the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Please see website for current judges.
UTMOST CHRISTIAN POETRY CONTESTUtmost Christian Writers Foundation, 121 Morin Maze, Edmonton Alberta T6K 1V1 Canada. (780)265-4650. E-mail: nnharms@telusplanet.net. Website: www.utmostchristianwriters.com. Contact: Nathan Harms, executive director. Utmost is founded on—and supported by—the dreams, interests and aspirations of individual people. Contest is only open to Christians. Poems may be rhymed or free verse, up to 60 lines, but must not have been published previously or have won any prize in any previous competition of any kind. Submit up to 5 poems. Deadline: February 28. Prizes: 1st Place: $1,000; 2nd Place: $500; 10 prizes of $100 are offered for honorable mention; $300 for best rhyming poem; and $200 for an honorable mention rhyming poem. Judged by a committee of the Directors of Utmost Christian Writers Foundation (who work under the direction of Barbara Mitchell, chief judge).
New England Poetry Club, 376 School St., Watertown MA 02472. E-mail: contests@nepoetryclub.org. Website: www.nepoetryclub.org. Contact: Audrey Kalajin. For an unpublished poem (not a translation) worthy of Daniel Varoujan, a poet killed by the Turks in the genocide which destroyed three-fourths of the Armenian population. Previous winners may not enter again. Send entry in duplicate, one without name and address of writer. Deadline: May 31. Prize: $1,000. Judged by well-known poets and sometimes winners of previous NEPC contests.
University of North Texas Press, 1155 Union Circle, #311336, Denton TX 76203. (940)565-2142. Fax: (940)565-4590. Website: http://untpress.unt.edu. Contact: John Poch. Annual prize awarded to a collection of poetry. No limitations to entrants. In years when the judge is announced, it is asked that students of the judge not enter to avoid a perceived conflict. All entries should contain identifying material only on the one cover sheet. Entries are read anonymously. Deadline: Mss may be submitted between 9 A.M. on September 1 and 5 P.M. on October 31, through online submissions manager only. Prize: $1,000 and publication by University of North Texas Press. Judged by a different eminent writer selected each year. Some prefer to remain anonymous until the end of the contest.
16TH ANNUAL VENTURA COUNTY WRITERS CLUB POETRY CONTESTVentura County Writers Club Poetry Contest, P.O. Box 3373, Thousand Oaks CA 91362. E-mail: poetrycontest@venturacountywriters.com. Website: www.venturacountywriters.com. Contact: Poetry Contest Chair. Annual poetry contest for youth and adult poets. Youth division for poets under 18: Division A is open to entrants ages 13-18; and, Division B is open to poets ages 12 and under. Adult division for poets 18 and older. Club membership not required to enter and entries accepted worldwide as long as fees are paid, poem is unpublished and in English. Enter through website. Deadline: February 14. Entries accepted beginning January 1. Prize: The adult winners will be awarded $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third place. The two youth categories will receive $50 for first place, $35 for second and $25 for third place.
Bellevue Literary Review, New York University School of Medicine, OBV-A612, 550 First Ave., New York NY 10016. (212)263-3973. E-mail: info@BLReview.org. Website: www.BLReview.org. Contact: Stacy Bodziak. The annual Marica and Jan Vilcek Prize for Poetry recognizes outstanding writing related to themes of health, healing, illness, the mind, and the body. All entries will be considered for publication. No previously published poems (including Internet publication). Submit up to 3 poems (5 pages maximum). Electronic (online) submissions only; combine all poems into 1 document and use first poem as document title. See guidelines for additional submission details. Guidelines available for SASE or on website. Deadline: July 1. Prize: $1,000 for best poem and publication in Bellevue Literary Review. Previous judges include Mark Doty, Cornelius Eady, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Tony Hoagland.
Sycamore Review, Department of English, 500 Oval Dr., Purdue University, West Lafayette IN 47907. E-mail: sycamore@purdue.edu; sycamorepoetry@purdue.edu. Website: www.sycamorereview.com/contest/. Contact: Anthony Sutton, editor-in-chief. Annual contest for unpublished poetry. For each submission, send up to 3 poems (no more than 6 total pages). Ms pages should be numbered and should include the title of each poem. See website for more guidelines. Submit online via Submittable. Deadline: December 1. Prize: $1,000 and publication.
The Word Works, Dearlove Hall, SUNY Adirondack, 640 Bay Rd., Queensbury NY 12804. E-mail: editor@wordworksbooks.org. Website: www.wordworksbooks.org. Contact: Rebecca Kutzer-Rice, Washington Prize administrator. In addition to its general poetry book publications, The Word Works runs four imprints: The Washington Prize, The Tenth Gate Prize, International Editions, and the Hilary Tham Capital Collection. Selections announced in late summer. Book publication planned for spring of the following year. Submit a poetry ms of 48-80 pages. Submit online with no identifying information appearing within the manuscript; or, if on paper, include 2 title pages, 1 with and 1 without author information, including an acknowledgments page, a table of contents and a brief bio. Electronic submissions are accepted at www.wordworksbooks.org/submissions. The Washington Prize allows poets from all stages of their careers to compete on a level playing field for publication and national recognition. Deadline: Submit January 15-March 15 (postmark). Prize: $1,500 and publication of a book-length ms of original poetry in English by a living US or Canadian citizen. Judged by two tiers of readers, followed by five final judges working as a panel.
Winning Writers, 351 Pleasant St., PMB 222, Northampton MA 01060 USA. (866)946-9748. Fax: (413)280-0539. E-mail: adam@winningwriters.com. Website: www.winningwriters.com. Contact: Adam Cohen. Winning Writers provides expert literary contest information to the public. It is one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest). Submit one humor poem online. Length limit: 250 lines. The poem should be in English. Inspired gibberish is also accepted. Submissions may be previously published and may be entered in other contests. Deadline: April 1. Prize: 1st prize of $1,000; 2nd prize of $250; 10 honorable mentions of $100 each. All winners of cash prizes published on website. Judged by Jendi Reiter, assisted by Lauren Singer.
White Pine Press, P.O. Box 236, Buffalo NY 14201. E-mail: wpine@whitepine.org. Website: www.whitepine.org. Contact: Dennis Maloney, editor. Offered annually for previously published or unpublished poets. Manuscript: 60-80 pages of original work; translations are not eligible. Poems may have appeared in magazines or limited-edition chapbooks. Open to any US citizen. Deadline: November 30 (postmarked). Prize: $1,000 and publication. Final judge is a poet of national reputation. All entries are screened by the editorial staff of White Pine Press.
Wick Poetry Center, P.O. Box 5190, Kent OH 44240. (330)672-2067. E-mail: wickpoetry@kent.edu. Website: www.kent.edu/wick/stan-and-tom-wick-poetry-prize. Contact: David Hassler, director. Offered annually to a poet who has not previously published a full-length collection of poetry (a volume of 50 or more pages published in an edition of 500 or more copies). Submissions must consist of 50-70 pages of poetry, typed on one side only, with no more than one poem included on a single page. Also accepts submissions online through Submittable. See website for details and guidelines. Deadline: May 1. Submissions period begins February 1. Prize: $2,500 and publication of full-length book of poetry by Kent State University Press.
Poetry, 61 W. Superior St., Chicago IL 60654. (312)787-7070. Fax: (312)787-6650. E-mail: editors@poetrymagazine.org. Website: www.poetrymagazine.org. Offered annually for poems published in Poetry during the preceding year (October-September). Upon acceptance, Poetry licenses exclusive worldwide first serial rights, including electronic rights, for publication, as well as non-exclusive rights to reprint, reuse, and archive the work, in any format, in perpetuity. Copyright reverts to author upon first publication. Prize: $5,000.
Blue Collar Review, P.O. Box 11417, Norfolk VA 23517. E-mail: red-ink@earthlink.net. Website: www.partisanpress.org. Poetry should be typed as you would like to see it published, with your name and address on each page. Include cover letter with entry. Guidelines available on website. Deadline: May 15. Prize: $100, 1-year subscription to Blue Collar Review (see separate listing in Magazines/Journals) and 1-year posting of winning poem to website.
Mid-American Review, Dept. of English, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH 43403. (419)372-2725. Fax: (419)372-4642. E-mail: clouda@bgsu.edu. Website: www.bgsu.edu/midamericanreview. Contact: Abigail Cloud, poetry editor. Offered annually for unpublished poetry. Open to all writers not associated with Mid-American Review or judge. Guidelines available online or for SASE. Deadline: November 1. Prize: $1,000 and publication in spring issue of Mid-American Review. Judged by editors and a well known poet, i.e., Kathy Fagan, Bob Hicok, Michelle Boisseau. Judged by Maggie Smith in 2016.
Yale University Press, P.O. Box 209040, New Haven CT 06520-9040. Website: youngerpoets.yupnet.org. The Yale Series of Younger Poets champions the most promising new American poets. The Yale Younger Poets prize is the oldest annual literary award in the United States. Open to U.S. citizens under age 40 at the time of entry who have not published a volume of poetry; poets may have published a limited edition chapbook of 300 copies or less. Poems may have been previously published in newspapers and periodicals and used in the book ms if so identified. No translations. Submit 48-64 pages of poetry, paginated, with each new poem starting on a new page. Accepts hard copy and electronic submissions. Deadline: November 15. Submissions period begins October 1.
Yemassee, Department of English, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC 29208. E-mail: editor@yemasseejournal.com. Website: http://yemasseejournal.com. Contact: Contest Coordinator. The annual Yemassee Poetry Contest offers a $1000 prize and publication in Yemassee. Submissions must be unpublished. Considers simultaneous submissions with notice of acceptance elsewhere. Submit 3-5 poems via Submittable page: https://yemassee.submittable.com/submit. Include cover letter with poet's name, contact information, and poem title(s); no identifying information on ms pages except poem title (which should appear on every page). Deadline: January 15.
Zone 3, Austin Peay State University, Austin Peay State University, PO Box 4565, Clarksville TN 37044. (931)221-7031. Fax: (931)221-7149. E-mail: spofforda@aspu.edu; wallacess@apsu.edu. Website: www.apsu.edu/zone3/. Contact: Andrea Spofford, poetry editor; Susan Wallace, managing editor. Offered annually for anyone who has not published a full-length collection of poems (48 pages or more). Submit a ms of 48-80 pages. Deadline: April 15. Prize: $1,000 and publication.
AESTHETICA ART PRIZEAesthetica Magazine, P.O. Box 371, York YO23 1WL United Kingdom. E-mail: info@aestheticamagazine.com; artprize@aestheticamagazine.com. Website: www.aestheticamagazine.com. The Aesthetica Art Prize is a celebration of excellence in art from across the world and offers artists the opportunity to showcase their work to wider audiences and further their involvement in the international art world. There are 4 categories: Photograpic & Digital Art, Three Dimensional Design & Sculpture, Painting & Drawing, Video Installation & Performance. See guidelines at Artwork & Photography, Fiction, and Poetry. See guidelines at www.aestheticamagazine.com. The Aesthetica Art Prize is a celebration of excellence in art from across the world and offers artists the opportunity to showcase their work to wider audiences and further their involvement in the international art world. There are 4 categories: Photograpic & Digital Art, Three-Dimensional Design & Sculpture, Painting & Drawing, Video Installation & Performance. See guidelines at Artwork & Photography, Fiction, and Poetry. See guidelines at www.aestheticamagazine.com. Works should be completed in English Deadline: August 31. Prizes include: £5,000 main prize courtesy of Hiscox, £1,000 Student Prize courtesy of Hiscox, group exhibition and publication in the Aesthetica Art Prize Anthology. Entry is £15 and permits submission of two works in one category.
English Department, 2801 S. University Ave., Little Rock AR 72204. E-mail: editor@mariealexanderseries.com. Website: mariealexanderseries.com. Contact: Nickole Brown. Annual contest for a collection of previously unpublished prose poems or flash fiction by a U.S. writer. Deadline: July 31. Open to submissions on July 1. Prize: $1,000, plus publication.
Alligator Juniper/Prescott College, 220 Grove Ave., Prescott AZ 86301. (928)350-2012. Fax: (928)776-5102. E-mail: alligatorjuniper@prescott.edu. Website: www.prescott.edu/alligatorjuniper/national-contest/index.html. Contact: Skye Anicca, managing editor. Annual contest for unpublished fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Open to all age levels. Each entrant receives a personal letter from staff regarding the status of their submission, as well as minor feedback on the piece. Accepts simultaneous submissions, but inform on cover letter and contact immediately, should work be selected elsewhere. Maximum length: 30 pages or 5 poems. Deadline: October 1. Prize: $1,000 plus publication in all three categories. Finalists in each genre are recognized as such, published, and paid in copies. Judged by the distinguished writers in each genre and Prescott College writing students enrolled in the Literary Journal Practicum course.
Consortium of Latin American Studies Program, Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Tulane University, 100 Jones Hall, New Orleans LA 70118-5698. Website: http://claspprograms.org/americasaward. Contact: Denise Woltering. The Américas Award encourages and commends authors, illustrators, and publishers who produce quality children's and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States. Up to 2 awards (for primary and secondary reading levels) are given in recognition of US published works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected nonfiction (from picture books to works for young adults). The award winners and commended titles are selected for their (1) distinctive literary quality; (2) cultural contextualization; (3) exceptional integration of text, illustration and design; and (4) potential for classroom use. To nominate a copyright title from the previous year, publishers are invited to submit review copies to the committee members listed on the website. Publishers should send 8 copies of the nominated book. Deadline: January 4. Prize: $500, plaque and a formal presentation at the Library of Congress, Washington DC.
FilmMakers Magazine / Write Brothers, FilmMakers Magazine (filmmakers.com), E-mail: info@filmmakers.com. Website: http://filmmakers.com/contests/short_story/. Contact: Jennifer Brooks. Worldwide contest to recognize excellent short screenplays and short stories. Ms submissions must be between 3-45 pages (there is an extra fee for anything between 46-65 pages) and up to industry standards. See website for more details. Must not have been previously optioned or sold to market or to a film producer. Preferable that the ms has not yet been adapted to a screenplay. Short stories should be no more than 50 pages, double-spaced, to a maximum of 12,500 words. Must not have been previously published. Deadlines: Early: Feb 29; Regular: April 30; Late: June 30; Final: July 31. Prize: Short Script: 1st Place: $1,000. Other cash and prizes to top 5.
American Literary Review, P.O. Box 311307, University of North Texas, Denton TX 76203-1307. (940)565-2755. E-mail: americanliteraryreview@gmail.com. Website: www.americanliteraryreview.com. Contest to award excellence in short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Multiple entries are acceptable, but each entry must be accompanied with a reading fee. Do not put any identifying information in the file itself; include the author's name, title(s), address, e-mail address, and phone number in the boxes provided in the online submissions manager. Short fiction: Limit 8,000 words per work. Creative nonfiction: Limit 6,500 words per work. Deadline: October 1. Submission period begins June 1. Prize: $1,000 prize for each category, along with publication in the Spring online issue of the American Literary Review.
Arizona Authors’ Association, 6939 East Chaparral Road, Paradise Valley AZ 85253-7000 USA. (602) 554-8101. E-mail: AzAuthors@gmail.com. E-mail: AzAuthors@gmail.com. Website: www.azauthors.com. Contact: Lisa Aquilina, President. Arizona Authors’ Association sponsors annual literary competition in poetry, short story, essay, unpublished novels, and published books (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature) and Arizona Book of the Year. Cash prizes awarded ($500 Book of the Year) from Green Pieces Press and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in seven categories ($150, $75 and $30, respectively) from Vignetta Syndicate LLC. New category in 2016, New Drama Writing, with a grand prize of $250. All category winners are published in the Arizona Literary Magazine. Poetry, short story, essay, and new drama writing submissions must be unpublished. Work must have been published in the current or immediate past calendar year. Considers simultaneous submissions. Entry form and guidelines available on website or upon request after submitting an SASE. Deadline: July 1. Begins accepting submissions January 1. Finalists notified by Labor Day weekend. Prizes: Grand Prize, Arizona Book of the Year Award: $500. All categories except new drama writing: 1st Prize: $150 and publication; 2nd Prize: $75 and publication; 3rd Prize: $30 and publication. New drama writing grand prize $250 and publication. Features in Arizona Literary Magazine can be taken instead of money and publication. 1st and 2nd prize winners in poetry, essay, and short story are nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Judged by nationwide published authors, editors, literary agents, and reviewers. Winners announced at an awards dinner and ceremony held the first Saturday in November.
Art Affair - Contest, P.O. Box 54302, Oklahoma City OK 73154 USA. E-mail: artaffair@aol.com. Website: www.shadetreecreations.com. The annual Art Affair Writing Contests include (General) Short Story and Western Short Story categories. See separate listing for Poetry contest. Open to any writer. All short stories must be unpublished. Multiple entries accepted in both categories with separate entry fees for each. Submit original stories on any subject and timeframe for general Short Story category, and submit original western stories for Western Short Story—word limit for all entries is 5,000 words. Guidelines available on website. Put word count in the upper right-hand corner of first page; mark "Western” on western short stories. All ms must be double-spaced on 8.5x11 white paper. Type title of story on first page and headers (with page numbers) on following pages. Include cover page with writer's name, address, phone number, and manuscript title. Deadline: October 1. Prize (in both categories): 1st Place: $50; 2nd Place: $25; 3rd Place: $15.
1835 12th Ave., Seattle WA 98122. (209)467-8734, ext. 11. Fax: (866)218-7878. E-mail: info@artisttrust.org. Website: www.artisttrust.org. Contact: Miguel Guillen, program manager. Fellowships award $7,500 to practicing professional artists of exceptional talent and demonstrated ability. The Fellowship is a merit-based, not a project-based award. Recipients present a Meet the Artist Event to a community in Washington state that has little or no access to the artist and their work. Awards 14 fellowships of $7,500 and 2 residencies with $1,000 stipends at the Millay Colony. Artist Trust Fellowships are awarded in two-year cycles. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, Washington State residents at the time of application and payment, and generative artists. Deadline: January 13. Applications available December 3. Prize: $7,500.
Arts & Letters Journal of Contemporary Culture, Campus Box 89, GC&SU, Milledgeville GA 31061. (478)445-1289. E-mail: al.journal@gcsu.edu. Website: al.gcsu.edu. Contact: The Editors. Offered annually for unpublished work. Deadline: March 31. Prize: $1,000 prize for each of the four major genres. Fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction winners are published in Fall or Spring issue. The prize-winning one-act play is produced at the Georgia College campus (usually in March). Judged by the editors (initial screening); see website for final judges and further details about submitting work.
The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, 219 S. 6th St., Philadelphia PA 19106-3794. (215)925-2688. Fax: (215)925-3755. E-mail: jilly@PhilaAthenaeum.org. Website: www.PhilaAthenaeum.org. Contact: Jill Lee, Librarian. The Athenaeum Literary Award was established to recognize and encourage literary achievement among authors who are bona fide residents of Philadelphia or Pennsylvania living within a radius of 30 miles of City Hall at the time their book was written or published. Any volume of general literature is eligible; technical, scientific, and juvenile books are not included. Nominated works are reviewed on the basis of their significance and importance to the general public as well as for literary excellence. Deadline: December 31.
ATLANTIC WRITING COMPETITION FOR UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTSWriters' Federation of Nova Scotia, 1113 Marginal Rd., Halifax NS B3H 4P7. (902)423-8116. Fax: (902)422-0881. E-mail: programs@writers.ns.ca. Website: www.writers.ns.ca. Contact: Robin Spittal, communications and development officer. Annual program designed to honor work by unpublished writers in all 4 Atlantic Provinces. Entry is open to writers unpublished in the category of writing they wish to enter. Prizes are presented in the fall of each year. Categories include: novel, writing for children, poetry, short story, juvenile/young adult novel, creative nonfiction, and play. Judges return written comments when competition is concluded. Page lengths and rules vary based on categories. See website for details. Anyone resident in the Atlantic Provinces since September 1st immediately prior to the deadline date is eligible to enter. Only one entry per category is allowed. Each entry requires its own entry form and registration fee. Deadline: January 7. Prizes vary based on categories. See website for details.
P.O. Box 60100, Pittsburgh PA 15211. (412)381-4261. E-mail: gcerto@autumhouse.org; info@autumnhouse.org. E-mail: https://autumnhousepress.submittable.com/submit. Website: http://autumnhouse.org. Contact: Christine Stroud, senior editor. Offers annual prize and publication of book-length ms with national promotion. Submission must be unpublished as a collection, but individual poems, stories, and essays may have been previously published elsewhere. Considers simultaneous submissions. "Autumn House is a nonprofit corporation with the mission of publishing and promoting poetry and other fine literature. We have published books by Chana Bloch, Ellery Akers, Gerald Stern, Ruth L. Schwartz, Ed Ochester, Andrea Hollander, George Bilgere, Ada Limon, and many others." Submit 50-80 pages of poetry or 200-300 pages of prose (include 2 cover sheets requested). Guidelines available for SASE, by e-mail, or on website. Competition receives 1,500 entries/year. Winners announced through mailings, website, and ads in Poets & Writers, American Poetry Review, and Writer's Chronicle (extensive publicity for winner). Copies of winning books available from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers. Deadline: June 30. Prize: The winner (in each of three categories) will receive book publication, $1,000 advance against royalties, and a $1,500 travel/publicity grant to promote his or her book. Judged by David St. John(poetry), William Lychack (fiction), and Michael Martone (nonfiction).
Association of Writers & Writing Programs, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 1E3, Fairfax VA 22030. E-mail: supriya@awpwriter.org. Website: www.awpwriter.org. Contact: Supriya Bhatnagar, director of publications. AWP sponsors the Award Series, an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike. Guidelines on website. Entries must be unpublished. Open to any writer. Entries are not accepted via postal mail. Offered annually to foster new literary talent. Deadline: Postmarked between January 1 and February 28. Prize: AWP Prize for the Novel: $2,500 and publication by New Issues Press; Donald Hall Prize for Poetry: $5,500 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press; Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction: $5,500 and publication by the University of Massachusetts Press; and AWP Prize for Creative Nonfiction: $2,500 and publication by the University of Georgia Press.
descant, Texas Christian University's literary journal, TCU, Box 297270, Fort Worth TX 76129. Fax: (817)257-6239. Website: www.descant.tcu.edu. Contact: Matthew Pitt, Editor. Annual award for an outstanding poem published in the latest issue of descant. Deadline: September-April. Prize: $250 for Baskerville Award; $500 for Betsy Colquitt Award. Publication retains copyright, but will transfer it to the author upon request.
Black Lawrence Press, 326 Bingham St., Pittsburgh PA 15211. E-mail: editors@blacklawrencepress.com. Website: www.blacklawrence.com. Contact: Kit Frick, senior editor. Twice each year Black Lawrence Press will run the Black River Chapbook Competition for an unpublished chapbook of poems or short fiction between 16-36 pages in length. Submit through Submittable. Spring deadline: May 31. Fall deadline: October 31. Prize: $500, publication, and 10 copies. Judged by a revolving panel of judges, in addition to the Chapbook Editor and other members of the BLP editorial staff.
JAMES TAIT BLACK MEMORIAL PRIZESUniversity of Edinburgh, School of Literatures, Languages, and Cultures, 50 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LH Scotland. (44-13)1650-3619. E-mail: s.strathdee@ed.ac.uk. Website: http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/events/tait-black. Open to any writer. Entries must be previously published. Winners notified by phone, via publisher. Contact department of English Literature for list of winners or check website. Accepts inquiries by e-mail or phone. Eligible works must be written in English and first published or co-published in Britain in the year of the award. Works should be submitted by publishers. Deadline: December 1. Prize: Two prizes each of £10,000 are awarded: one for the best work of fiction, one for the best biography or work of that nature, published during the calendar year January 1 to December 31. Judged by professors of English Literature with the assistance of teams of postgraduate readers.
THE BOARDMAN TASKER PRIZE FOR MOUNTAIN LITERATUREThe Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust, 8 Bank View Rd., Darley Abbey Derby DE22 1EJ UK. 01332 342246. E-mail: steve@people-matter.co.uk. Website: www.boardmantasker.com. Contact: Steve Dean. Offered annually to reward a work with a mountain theme, whether fiction, nonfiction, drama, or poetry, written in the English language (initially or in translation). Subject must be concerned with a mountain environment. Previous winners have been books on expeditions, climbing experiences, a biography of a mountaineer, novels. Guidelines available in January by e-mail or on website. Entries must be previously published. Open to any writer. Writers may obtain information, but entry is by publishers only (includes self-publishing). Awarded for a work published or distributed for the first time in the United Kingdom during the previous year. Not an anthology. The award is to honor Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker, who disappeared on Everest in 1982. Deadline: August 1. Prize: £3,000 Judged by a panel of 3 judges elected by trustees.
BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDSaskatchewan Book Awards, Inc., P.O. Box 20025, Regina SK S4P 4J7 Canada. (306)569-1585. E-mail: director@bookawards.sk.ca. Website: www.bookawards.sk.ca. Offered annually. This award is presented to a Saskatchewan author for the best book, judged on the quality of writing. Books from the following categories will be considered: children's; drama; fiction (short fiction by a single author, novellas, novels); nonfiction (all categories of nonfiction writing except cookbooks, directories, how-to books, or bibliographies of minimal critical content); poetry. Visit website for more details. Deadline: November 1. Prize: $3,000 (CAD).
BOROONDARA LITERARY AWARDSCity of Boroondara, 340 Camberwell Rd., Camberwell VIC 3124 Australia. E-mail: bla@boroondara.vic.gov.au. Website: www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/literary-awards. Contest for unpublished work in 2 categories: Young Writers: 5th-6th grade (Junior), 7th-9th grade (Middle), and 10th-12th grade (Senior), prose and poetry on any theme; and Open Short Story (1,500-3,000 words). Deadline: 5pm on August 28. Prizes: Young Writers, Junior: 1st Place: $150; 2nd Place: $100; 3rd Place: $50. Young Writers, Middle and Senior: 1st Place: $600; 2nd Place: $400; 3rd Place: $200. Open Short Story: 1st Place: $1,500; 2ndPlace: $1000; 3rd Place $500.
The Boston Authors Club, 33 Brayton Road, Brighton MA 02135. (617)783-1357. E-mail: alan.lawson@bc.edu. Website: www.bostonauthorsclub.org. Contact: Alan Lawson, president. Julia Ward Howe Prize offered annually in the spring for books published the previous year. Two awards are given: one for adult books of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and one for children's books, middle grade and young adult novels, nonfiction, or poetry. No picture books or subsidized publishers. There must be two copies of each book submitted. Authors must live within 100 miles of Boston the year their book is published. Deadline: January 15. Prize: $1,000 in each category. Several books will also be cited with no cash awards as Finalists or Highly Recommended.
The Briar Cliff Review, Briar Cliff University, 3303 Rebecca St., Sioux City IA 51104-0100. E-mail: tricia.currans-sheehan@briarcliff.edu (editor); jeanne.emmons@briarcliff.edu (poetry). Website: www.bcreview.org. Contact: Tricia Currans-Sheehan, editor. The Briar Cliff Review sponsors an annual contest offering $1,000 and publication to each 1st Prize winner in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Previous year's winner and former students of editors ineligible. Winning pieces accepted for publication on the basis of first-time rights. Considers simultaneous submissions, "but notify us immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. We guarantee a considerate reading." No mss returned. Word limit for short story/creative nonfiction is 5,000. For poetry, no more than one poem per page. Award to reward good writers and showcase quality writing. Deadline: November 1. Prize: $1,000 and publication to each 1st Prize winner in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Judged by Briar Cliff Review editors.
THE BRIDPORT PRIZEP.O. Box 6910, Dorset DT6 9QB United Kingdom. E-mail: info@bridportprize.org.uk; kate@bridportprize.org.uk. Website: www.bridportprize.org.uk. Contact: Kate Wilson, Bridport Prize administrator. Award to promote literary excellence, discover new talent. Categories: Short stories, poetry, flash fiction, first novel. Entries must be unpublished. Length: 5,000 maximum for short stories; 42 lines for poetry, 250 words for flash fiction and 8,000 words max for opening chapters of a novel. Deadline: May 31 each year. Open for submissions starting November 15. Prize: £5,000; £1,000; £500; various runners-up prizes and publication of approximately 13 best stories and 13 best poems in anthology; plus 6 best flash fiction stories. 1st Prize of £1,000 for the best short, short story of under 250 words. £1,000 plus up to a year's mentoring for winner of Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award for a first novel. Judged by 1 judge for short stories (in 2016, Tessa Hadley), 1 judge for poetry (in 2016, Patience Agbabi) and 1 judge for flash fiction (in 2016, Tim Stevenson). The Novel award is judged by a group comprising representatives from The Literary Consultancy, A.M. Heath Literary Agents, and (in 2016) judge Kerry Young.
BRITISH CZECH AND SLOVAK ASSOCIATION WRITING COMPETITION24 Ferndale, Tunbridge Wells Kent TN2 3NS England. E-mail: prize@bcsa.co.uk. Website: www.bcsa.co.uk/specials.html. Annual contest for original writing (entries should be 1,500-2,000 words) in English on the links between Britain and the Czech/Slovak Republics, or describing society in transition in the Republics since 1989. Entries can be fact or fiction. Topics can include history, politics, the sciences, economics, the arts, or literature. Deadline: June 30. Winners announced in November. Prize: 1st Place: £300; 2nd Place: £100.
THE RBC BRONWEN WALLACE AWARD FOR EMERGING WRITERSThe Writers' Trust of Canada, 460 Richmond St. W., Suite 600, Toronto ON M5C 1P1 Canada. (416)504-8222. Fax: (416)504-9090. E-mail: info@writerstrust.com. Website: www.writerstrust.com. Contact: Amanda Hopkins. Presented annually to a Canadian writer under the age of 35 who is not yet published in book form. The award, which alternates each year between poetry and short fiction, was established in memory of Bronwen Wallace. Deadline: March 7. Prize: $5,000. Two finalists receive $1,000 each.
BURNABY WRITERS' SOCIETY CONTESTE-mail: info@bws.ca. Website: www.bws.ca; www.burnabywritersnews.blogspot.com. Contact: Contest Committee. Offered annually for unpublished work. Open to all residents of British Columbia. Categories vary from year to year. Send SASE for current rules. For complete guidelines see website or burnabywritersnews.blogspot.com. Purpose is to encourage talented writers in all genres. Deadline: May 31. Prizes: 1st Place: $200; 2nd Place: $100; 3rd Place: $50; and public reading.
Commonwealth Club of California, 555 Post Street, San Francisco CA 94102 USA. (415) 597-6700. Fax: (415)597-6729. E-mail: bookawards@commonwealthclub.org. Website: www.commonwealthclub.org/. Contact: Renee Miguel. Offered annually to recognize California's best writers and illuminate the wealth and diversity of California-based literature. Award is for published submissions appearing in print during the previous calendar year. Can be nominated by publisher or author. Open to California residents (or residents at time of publication). Submit at least 6 copies of each book entered with an official entry form. Open to books, published during the year prior to the contest, whose author must have been a legal resident of California at the time the manuscript was submitted for publication. Entry form and guidelines available for SASE or on website. Deadline: December 22. Prize: Medals and cash prizes to be awarded at publicized event. Judged by 12-15 California professionals with a diverse range of views, backgrounds, and literary experience.
CANADIAN AUTHORS ASSOCIATION EMERGING WRITER AWARD6 West St. N., Suite 203, Orilla ON L3X 5B8 Canada. Website: www.canadianauthors.org. Contact: Anita Purcell, executive director. Annual award for a writer under 30 years of age deemed to show exceptional promise in the field of literary creation. Deadline: January 15. Prize: $500. Judging: Each year a trustee for each award appointed by the Canadian Authors Association selects up to 3 judges. Identities of the trustee and judges are confidential.
CBC Radio/Radio Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, enRoute magazine, P.O. Box 6000, Montreal QC H3C 3A8 Canada. (877)888-6788. E-mail: canadawrites@cbc.ca. Website: www.cbc.ca/canadawrites. Contact: Daphné Santos-Vieira, coordinator. The CBC Literary Prizes Competitions are the only literary competitions that celebrate original, unpublished works in Canada's 2 official languages. There are 3 categories: short story, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Submissions to the short story and creative nonfiction must be 1,200-1,500 words; poetry submissions must be 400-600 words. Poetry submissions can take the form of a long narrative poem, a sequence of connected poems, or a group of unconnected poems. Canadian citizens, living in Canada or abroad, and permanent residents of Canada are eligible to enter. Deadline: October 31 for short story; February 29 for creative nonfiction; May 30 for poetry. See website for when each competition is accepting entries. Prize: For each category, in both English and French: 1st Prize: $6,000; 2nd Prize: $1,000. In addition, winning entries are published in Air Canada's enRoute magazine and broadcast on CBC radio. Winning authors also get a 10 days residency at the Banff Centre. First publication rights are granted by winners to enRoute magazine and broadcast rights are given to CBC radio. Submissions are judged blind by a jury of qualified writers and editors from around the country. Each category has 3 jurors.
Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, 9633 S. 48th St., Suite 140, Phoenix AZ 85044. (480)966-3998. Fax: (480)966-1944. E-mail: info@ecpa.org. Website: www.ecpa.org. Contact: Stan Jantz, ED. The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) recognizes quality and encourages excellence by presenting the ECPA Christian Book Awards® (formerly known as Gold Medallion) each year. Categories include Fiction, Nonfiction, Children, Inspiration, Bibles, Bible Reference, and New Author. All entries must be evangelical in nature and submitted through an ECPA member publisher. Books must have been published in the calendar year prior to the award. Publishing companies submitting entries must be ECPA members in good standing. See website for details. The Christian Book Awards® recognize the highest quality in Christian books and is among the oldest and most prestigious awards program in Christian publishing. Deadline: September 30. Submission period begins September 1. Judged by ECPA members, who are experts, authors and retailers with years of experience in their field.
THE CITY OF VANCOUVER BOOK AWARDCultural Services Dept., Woodward's Heritage Building, 111 W. Hastings St., Suite 501, Vancouver BC V6B 1H4 Canada. (604) 829-2007. Fax: (604)871-6005. E-mail: marnie.rice@vancouver.ca; culture@vancouver.ca. Website: https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/city-of-vancouver-book-award.aspx. The annual City of Vancouver Book Award recognizes authors of excellence of any genre who contribute to the appreciation and understanding of Vancouver's history, unique character, or the achievements of its residents. The book must exhibit excellence in one or more of the following areas: content, illustration, design, format. The book must not be copyrighted prior to the previous year. Submit four copies of book. See website for details and guidelines. Deadline: May 18. Prize: $3,000. Judged by an independent jury.
Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book, 7935 E. Prentice Ave., Suite 450, Greenwood Village CO 80111. (303)894-7951. Fax: (303)864-9361. E-mail: lansdown@coloradohumanities.org. Website: www.coloradohumanities.org. Contact: Marnie Lansdown. An annual program that celebrates the accomplishments of Colorado's outstanding authors, editors, illustrators, and photographers. Awards are presented in at least ten categories including anthology/collection, biography, children's, creative nonfiction, fiction, history, nonfiction, pictorial, poetry, and young adult. To be eligible for a Colorado Book Award, a primary contributor to the book must be a Colorado writer, editor, illustrator, or photographer. Current Colorado residents are eligible, as are individuals engaged in ongoing literary work in the state and authors whose personal history, identity, or literary work reflect a strong Colorado influence. Authors not currently Colorado residents who feel their work is inspired by or connected to Colorado should submit a letter with his/her entry describing the connection. Deadline: January 8.
CutBank Literary Magazine, CutBank, University of Montana, English Dept., LA 133, Missoula MT 59812. E-mail: editor.cutbank@gmail.com. Website: www.cutbankonline.org. Contact: Allison Linville, editor-in-chief. This competition is open to original English language mss in the genres of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. While previously published stand-alone pieces or excerpts may be included in a ms, the ms as a whole must be an unpublished work. Looking for startling, compelling, and beautiful original work. "We’re looking for a fresh, powerful manuscript. Maybe it will overtake us quietly; gracefully defy genres; satisfyingly subvert our expectations; punch us in the mouth page in and page out. We’re interested in both prose and poetry—and particularly work that straddles the lines between genres." Accepts online submissions only. Submit up to 25-40 pages of poetry or prose. Guidelines available online. Deadline: March 31. Submissions period begins January1. Prize: $1,000 and 25 contributor copies. Judged by a guest judge each year.
Council for Wisconsin Writers, 6973 Heron Way, De Forest WI 53532. E-mail: karlahuston@gmail.com. Website: www.wiswriters.org. Contact: Geoff Gilpin, president and annual awards co-chair; Karla Huston, secretary and annual awards co-chair; Jennifer Morales, annual awards co-chair; Edward Schultz, annual awards co-chair. Offered annually for work published by Wisconsin writers during the previous calendar year. Nine awards: Major Achievement (presented in alternate years); short fiction; short nonfiction; nonfiction book; poetry book; fiction book; children's literature; Lorine Niedecker Poetry Award; Christopher Latham Sholes Award for Outstanding Service to Wisconsin Writers p(resented in alternate years); Essay Award for Young Writers. Open to Wisconsin residents. Entries may be submitted via postal mail only. See website for guidelines and entry forms. Deadline: February 1. Submissions open on November 1. Prizes: First place prizes: $500. Honorable mentions: $50.
200 Fosseway Dr., Greensboro NC 27445. (336)644-8028. E-mail: danaawards@gmail.com. Website: www.danaawards.com. Contact: Mary Elizabeth Parker, chair. Three awards offered annually for unpublished work written in English. Works previously published online are not eligible. The Dana Awards are re-vamping. The Novel Award is now increased to $2,000, based on a new partnership with Blue Mary Books: Blue Mary has agreed to consider for possible publication not only the Novel Award winning manuscript, but the top 9 other Novel finalists, as well as the 30 top Novel semifinalists. The Short Fiction and Poetry Awards offer the traditional $1,000 awards each and do not offer a publishing option (currently, Blue Mary publishes only novels). See website for further updates. Categories: Novel: For the first 40 pages of a novel completed or in progress; Fiction: Short fiction (no memoirs) up to 10,000 words; Poetry: For best group of 5 poems based on excellence of all 5 (no light verse, no single poem over 100 lines). Purpose is monetary award for work that has not been previously published or received monetary award, but will accept work published simply for friends and family. Deadline: October 31 (postmarked). Prizes: $2,000 for the Novel Award; $1,000 each for the Short Fiction and Poetry awards awards.
New Michigan Press, P.O. Box 210067, English, ML 424, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ 85721. E-mail: nmp@thediagram.com. Website: www.thediagram.com. Contact: Ander Monson, editor. The annual DIAGRAM/New Michigan Press Chapbook Contest offers $1,000, plus publication and author’s copies, with discount on additional copies. Submit 18-44 pages of poetry, fiction, mixed-genre, or genre-bending work. Do not send originals of anything. Include SASE. Guidelines available on website. Deadline: April 29. Prize: $1,000, plus publication. Finalist chapbooks also considered for publication.
Eaton Literary Agency, P.O. Box 49795, Sarasota FL 34230-6795. (941)366-6589. Fax: (941)365-4679. E-mail: eatonlit@aol.com. Website: www.eatonliterary.com. Contact: Richard Lawrence, V.P.. Offered biannually for unpublished mss. Entries must be unpublished. Open to any writer. Guidelines available for SASE, by fax, e-mail, or on website. Accepts inquiries by fax, phone, and e-mail. Results announced in April and September. Winners notified by mail. For contest results, send SASE, fax, e-mail, or visit website. Deadline: March 31 (short story); August 31 (book-length). Prize: $2,500 (book-length); $500 (short story). Judged by an independent agency in conjunction with some members of Eaton's staff.
Prairie Schooner, 123 Andrews Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE 68588-0334. (402)472-0911. Fax: (402)472-1817. E-mail: PrairieSchooner@unl.edu. Website: www.prairieschooner.unl.edu. Contact: Kwame Dawes. Offered annually for work published in Prairie Schooner in the previous year. Categories: short stories, essays, novel excerpts, and translations. Accepts inquiries by fax and e-mail. Reads unsolicited mss between May 1 and September 1. Winning entry must have been published in Prairie Schooner in the year preceding the award. Results announced in the Spring issue. Winners notified by mail in February or March. Prize: $1,000. Judged by editorial board.
Mid-American Review, Dept. of English, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH 43403. (419)372-2725. E-mail: mar@bgsu.edu. Website: www.bgsu.edu/midamericanreview. Contact: Abigail Cloud, editor-in-chief. Offered annually for previously unpublished submissions. Contest open to all writers not associated with current judge or Mid-American Review. Deadline: June 1. Prize: $1,000, plus publication in fall issue of Mid-American Review; 10 finalists receive notation plus possible publication. 2015 judge: Michael Czyzniejewski.
FISH SHORT MEMOIR PRIZEFish Publishing, Durrus, Bantry Co. Cork Ireland. E-mail: info@fishpublishing.com. Website: www.fishpublishing.com. Annual worldwide contest to recognize the best memoirs submitted to Fish Publishing. Submissions must not have been previously published. Enter online or via postal mail. See website for full details. Word limit: 4,000. Deadline: January 31. Prize: 1st Prize: $1,200. The 10 best memoirs will be published in the Fish Anthology, launched in July at the West Cork Literary Festival.
FREEFALL SHORT PROSE AND POETRY CONTESTFreefall Literary Society of Calgary, 922 9th Ave. SE, Calgary AB T2G 0S4 Canada. E-mail: editors@freefallmagazine.ca. Website: www.freefallmagazine.ca. Contact: Ryan Stromquist, managing editor. Offered annually for unpublished work in the categories of poetry (5 poems/entry) and prose (3,000 words or less). Recognizes writers and offers publication credits in a literary magazine format. Contest rules and entry form online. Acquires first Canadian serial rights; ownership reverts to author after one-time publication. Deadline: December 31. Prize: 1st Place: $500 (CAD); 2nd Place: $250 (CAD); 3rd Place: $75; Honorable Mention: $25. All prizes include publication in the spring edition of FreeFall Magazine. Winners will also be invited to read at the launch of that issue, if such a launch takes place. Honorable mentions in each category will be published and may be asked to read. Travel expenses not included. Judged by current guest editor for issue (who are also published authors in Canada).
GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARDSCanada Council for the Arts, 150 Elgin St., P.O. Box 1047, Ottawa ON K1P 5V8 Canada. 1-800-263-5588, ext. 5573. Website: www.canadacouncil.ca. The Canada Council for the Arts provides a wide range of grants and services to professional Canadian artists and art organizations in dance, media arts, music, theatre, writing, publishing, and the visual arts. Books must be first edition literary trade books written, translated, or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and published in Canada or abroad in the previous year. In the case of translation, the original work must also be a Canadian-authored title. For complete eligibility criteria, deadlines, and submission procedures, please visit the website at www.canadacouncil.ca. The Governor General's Literary Awards are given annually for the best English-language and French-language work in each of 7 categories, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, children's literature (text), children's literature (illustrated books), and translation. Deadline: Depends on the book's publication date. See website for details. Prize: Each GG winner receives $25,000. Non-winning finalists receive $1,000. Publishers of the winning titles receive a $3,000 grant for promotional purposes. Evaluated by fellow authors, translators, and illustrators. For each category, a jury makes the final selection.
The Great Lakes Colleges Association, 535 W. William, Suite 301, Ann Arbor MI 48103. (734)661-2350. Fax: (734)661-2349. E-mail: wegner@glca.org. Website: www.glca.org. Contact: Gregory R. Wegner, Director of Program Development. The Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) is a consortium of 13 independent liberal arts colleges in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. Nominations should be made by the publisher and should emphasize literary excellence. Deadline: July 25. Prize: Honorarium of at least $500 for winning writers who are invited to give a reading at a member college campus. Each award winner receives invitations from several of the 13 colleges of the GLCA to visit campus. At these campus events an author will give readings, meet students and faculty, and occasionally lead discussions or classes. In addition to an honorarium for each campus visit, travel costs to colleges are paid by GLCA and its member colleges. Judged by professors of literature and writers in residence at GLCA colleges.
4650 Old Looney Mill Rd, Birmingham AL 35243. E-mail: info@hackneyliteraryawards.org. Website: www.hackneyliteraryawards.org. Contact: Myra Crawford, PhD, executive director. Offered annually for unpublished novels, short stories (maximum 5,000 words), and poetry (50 line limit). Guidelines on website. Deadline: September 30 (novels), November 30 (short stories and poetry). Prize: $5,000 in annual prizes for poetry and short fiction ($2,500 national and $2,500 state level). 1st Place: $600; 2nd Place: $400; 3rd Place: $250; plus $5,000 for an unpublished novel. Competition winners will be announced on the website each March.
The Boston Authors Club, The Boston Authors Club, 36 Sunhill Lane, Newton Center MA 02459. E-mail: bostonauthors@aol.com;. Website: www.bostonauthorsclub.org. Contact: Alan Lawson. This annual award honors Julia Ward Howe and her literary friends who founded the Boston Authors Club in 1900. It also honors the membership over 110 years, consisting of novelists, biographers, historians, governors, senators, philosophers, poets, playwrights, and other luminaries. There are 2 categories: trade books and books for young readers (beginning with chapter books through young adult books). Authors must live or have lived (college counts) within a hundred 100-mile radius of Boston within the last 5 years. Subsidized books, cook books and picture books are not eligible. Deadline: January 15. Prize: $1,000. Judged by the members.
Creative Writing Program, 219 Bryan Hall, P.O. Box 400121, University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA 22904-4121. (434)924-6675. Fax: (434)924-1478. E-mail: creativewriting@virginia.edu. Website: creativewriting.virginia.edu. Contact: Jeb Livingood, associate director. Two-year MFA program in poetry and fiction; all students receive fellowships and teaching stipends that total $18,000 in both years of study. Sample poems/prose required with application. Deadline: December 15.
Indiana Review, Ballantine Hall 465, 1020 E. Kirkwood Ave., Indiana University, Bloomington IN 47405-7103. (812)855-3439. Fax: (812)855-9535. E-mail: inreview@indiana.edu. Website: http://indianareview.org. Contact: Katie Moulton, consulting editor. Offered annually for unpublished work. Maximum story/poem length is 500 words. Guidelines available in March for SASE, by phone, e-mail, on website, or in publication. Open to any writer. Cover letter should include name, address, phone, e-mail, word count and title. No identifying information on ms. "We look for command of language and form." Results announced in August. Winners notified by mail. For contest results, send SASE or visit website. Deadline: August 15. Submission period begins July 1. Prize: $1,000, plus publication, contributor's copies, and a year's subscription to Indiana Review.
Insight Magazine, 55 W. Oak Ridge Dr., Hagerstown MD 21740-7390. Fax: (301)393-4055. E-mail: insight@rhpa.org. Website: www.insightmagazine.org. Contact: Omar Miranda, editor. Annual contest for writers in the categories of student short story, general short story, and student poetry. Unpublished submissions only. General category is open to all writers; student categories must be age 22 and younger. Deadline: July 31. Prizes: Student Short and General Short Story: 1st Prize: $250; 2nd Prize: $200; 3rd Prize: $150. Student Poetry: 1st Prize: $100; 2nd Prize: $75; 3rd Prize: $50.
308 EPB, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA 52242. E-mail: iowa-review@uiowa.edu. Website: www.iowareview.org. The Iowa Review Award in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction presents $1,500 to each winner in each genre and $750 to runners-up. Winners and runners-up published in The Iowa Review. Submissions must be unpublished. Considers simultaneous submissions (with notification of acceptance elsewhere). Submit up to 25 pages of prose, (double-spaced) or 10 pages of poetry (1 poem or several, but no more than 1 poem per page). Submit online. Include cover page with writer's name, address, e-mail and/or phone number, and title of each work submitted. Personal identification must not appear on ms pages. Guidelines available on website. Deadline: January 31. Submission period begins January 1. Judged by Brenda Shaughnessy, Kelly Link, and Eula Biss in 2016.
Japanese Literary Translation Prize, Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture, Columbia University, 507 Kent Hall 1140 Amsterdam Ave., New York NY 10027. Website: http://www.keenecenter.org/. Contact: Yoshiko Niiya, Program Coordinator. The Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University annually awards Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prizes for the Translation of Japanese Literature. A prize is given for the best translation of a modern work or a classical work, or the prize is divided between equally distinguished translations. Translators must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Deadline: June 1. Prize: $6,000.
The League of Utah Writers, The League of Utah Writers, P.O. Box 64, Lewiston UT 84320. (435)755-7609. E-mail: luwcontest@gmail.com; luwriters@gmail.com. Website: www.luwriters.org. Open to any writer, the LUW Contest provides authors an opportunity to get their work read and critiqued. Multiple categories are offered; see website for details. Entries must be the original and unpublished work of the author. Winners are announced at the Annual Writers Round-Up in September. Those not present will be notified by e-mail. Deadline: June 15. Submissions period begins March 15. Prize: Cash prizes are awarded. Judged by professional authors and editors from outside the League.
P.O. Box 7736, Los Angeles CA 90007. (323)734-4732. E-mail: info@lesfigues.com. Website: www.lesfigues.com. Contact: Teresa Carmody, director. Les Figues Press creates aesthetic conversations between writers/artists and readers, especially those interested in innovative/experimental/avant-garde work. The Press intends in the most premeditated fashion to champion the trinity of Beauty, Belief, and Bawdry. Submit a 64-250 page unpublished manuscript through electronic submissions manager. Eligible submissions include: poetry, novellas, innovative novels, anti-novels, short story collections, lyric essays, hybrids, and all forms not otherwise specified. Guidelines available online. Deadline: September 15. Prize: $1,000, plus publication by Les Figues Press. Each entry receives LFP book.
Prairie Schooner, 123 Andrews Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE 68588-0334. (402)472-0911. Fax: (402)472-1817. E-mail: prairieschooner@unl.edu. Website: www.prairieschooner.unl.edu. Contact: Kwame Dawes. Offered annually for work published in Prairie Schooner in the previous year. Results announced in the Spring issue. Winners notified by mail in February or March. Prize: $250. Judged by editorial staff of Prairie Schooner.
MANITOBA BOOK AWARDSc/o Manitoba Writers' Guild, 218-100 Arthur St., Winnipeg MB R3B 1H3 Canada. (204)944-8013. E-mail: events@mbwriter.mb.ca. Website: www.manitobabookawards.com. Contact: Anita Daher. Offered annually: The McNally Robinson Book of Year Award (adult); The McNally Robinson Book for Young People Awards (8 and under and 9 and older); The John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer; The Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher; The Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award; The Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book; The Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction; The Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Nonfiction; The Manuela Dias Book Design of the Year Award; The Best Illustrated Book of the Year Award; the biennial Le Prix Littéraire Rue-Deschambault; The Beatrice Mosionier Aboriginal Writer of the Year Award; and The Chris Johnson Award for Best Play by a Manitoba Playwright. Guidelines and submission forms available online. Open to Manitoba writers only. Deadline: October 31 and December 31. See website for specific details on book eligibility at deadlines. Prize: Several prizes up to $5,000 (Canadian).
THE MCGINNIS-RITCHIE MEMORIAL AWARDSouthwest Review, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 750374, Dallas TX 75275-0374. (214)768-1037. Fax: (214)768-1408. E-mail: swr@mail.smu.edu. Website: www.smu.edu/southwestreview. Contact: Jennifer Cranfill, senior editor. The McGinnis-Ritchie Memorial Award is given annually to the best works of fiction and nonfiction that appeared in the magazine in the previous year. Mss are submitted for publication, not for the prizes themselves. Guidelines for SASE or online. Prize: $500. Judged by Jennifer Cranfill and Willard Spiegelman.
TIPS "Not an open contest. Annual prize in which winners are chosen from published pieces during the preceding year."
325 Cedar Street, Suite 555, St. Paul MN 55101. (651)222-3242. Fax: (651)222-1988. E-mail: mnbookawards@thefriends.org; friends@thefriends.org; info@thefriends.org. Website: www.mnbookawards.org. A year-round program celebrating and honoring Minnesota’s best books, culminating in an annual awards ceremony. Recognizes and honors achievement by members of Minnesota’s book and book arts community. All books must be the work of a Minnesota author or primary artistic creator (current Minnesota resident who maintains a year-round residence in Minnesota). All books must be published within the calendar year prior to the Awards presentation. Deadline: Nomination should be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the first Friday in December.
Mississippi Review, 118 College Dr., #5144, Hattiesburg MS 39406-0001. (601)266-4321. Fax: (601)266-5757. E-mail: msreview@usm.edu. Website: www.mississippireview.com. Annual contest starting August 1 and running until January 1. Winners and finalists will make up next spring's print issue of the national literary magazine Mississippi Review. Each entrant will receive a copy of the prize issue. Contest is open to all writers in English except current or former students or employees of The University of Southern Mississippi. Fiction entries should be 1,000-8,000 words, poetry entries should be 3-5 poems totaling 10 pages or less. There is no limit on the number of entries you may submit. Online submissions must be submitted through Submittable site: mississippireview.submittable.com/submit. No mss will be returned. Previously published work is ineligible. Winners will be announced in March and publication is scheduled for June of following year. Entries should have "MR Prize," author name, address, phone, e-mail and title of work on page 1. Deadline: January 1. Prize: $1,000 in fiction and poetry. Judged by Andrew Malan Milward in fiction, and Angela Ball in poetry.
Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association, 3278 Big Spruce Way, Park City UT 84098 USA. E-mail: Submission is via an online form, posted on the website (www.mountainsplains.org) in the spring of each year. Website: http://www.mountainsplains.org/reading-the-west-book-awards/. Contact: Laura P Burnett. Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association is a professional trade organization with the primary mission of supporting independent bookseller members in a 12-state region in the West. Also welcomes as members colleagues in the book industry including authors, publishers, sales representatives, and others. The purpose of these annual awards is to honor outstanding books published in the previous calendar year which are set in the region (Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming) or that evoke the spirit of the region. The author's place of residence is immaterial for these awards. Deadline: Nomination period October 1-December 31 for books published in the previous calendar year. Prize: All nominated titles are listed on the website (www.mountainsplains.org). Shortlist and winning titles are recognized via a press release, e-announcement, and on the website. Winners are recognized at a Reading the West luncheon at the Fall Discovery Show and in promotional materials. Judged by 2 panels of judges, 1 for adult titles and 1 for children's titles. Other categories/panels may be convened at the Association's discretion.
The National Book Foundation, 90 Broad St., Suite 604, New York NY 10004. (212)685-0261. E-mail: nationalbook@nationalbook.org; agall@nationalbook.org. Website: www.nationalbook.org. Contact: Amy Gall. The National Book Foundation and the National Book Awards celebrate the best of American literature, expand its audience, and enhance the cultural value of great writing in America. The contest offers prizes in 4 categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people's literature. Books should be published between December 1 and November 30 of the past year. Submissions must be previously published and must be entered by the publisher. General guidelines available on website. Interested publishes should phone or e-mail the Foundation. Deadline: Submit entry form, payment, and a copy of the book by July 1. Prize: $10,000 in each category. Finalists will each receive a prize of $1,000. Judged by a category specific panel of 5 judges for each category.
921 S. 8th Ave., Stop 8128, Pocatello ID 83209. (208)282-3912. E-mail: wattron@isu.edu. Website: www.noba-web.org. Contact: Ron Watters. Nine categories: History/biography, outdoor literature, instructional texts, outdoor adventure guides, nature guides, children's books, design/artistic merit, natural history literature, and nature and the environment. Additionally, a special award, the Outdoor Classic Award, is given annually to books which, over a period of time, have proven to be exceptionally valuable works in the outdoor field. Application forms and eligibility requirements are available online. Applications for the Awards program become available in early June. Deadline: August 25. Prize: Winning books are promoted nationally and are entitled to display the National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA) medallion.
Passages North, Dept. of English, Northern Michigan University, 1401 Presque Isle Ave., Marquette MI 49855. (906)227-1203. Fax: (906)227-1096. E-mail: passages@nmu.edu. Website: www.passagesnorth.com. Contact: Jennifer Howard. Offered every 2 years to publish new voices in literary fiction, nonfiction, hybrid-essays and prose poems (maximum 1,000 words). Guidelines available for SASE or online. Deadline: April 15. Submission period begins February 15. Prize: $1,000, and publication for the winner; 2 honorable mentions also published; all entrants receive a copy of Passages North. Judged by Lindsay Hunter in 2016.
1955 Massachusetts Ave., #2, Cambridge MA 02140. (617)547-3642. Fax: (617)547-3759. E-mail: nan@neba.org. Website: http://www.newenglandbooks.org/BookAwards. Contact: Nan Sorenson, administrative coordinator. Annual award. Previously published submissions only. Submissions made by New England booksellers; publishers. Submit written nominations only; actual books should not be sent. Member bookstores receive materials to display winners' books. Award is given to a specific title, fiction, nonfiction, children's. The titles must be either about New England, set in New England or by an author residing in the New England. The titles must be hardcover, paperback original or reissue that was published between September 1 and August 31. Entries must be still in print and available. Deadline: June 10. Prize: Winners will receive $250 for literacy to a charity of their choice. Judged by NEIBA membership.
New Letters, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 5101 Rockhill Rd., Kansas City MO 64110-2499 USA. (816)235-1168. Fax: (816)235-2611. Website: http://www.newletters.org/writers-wanted/writing-contests. Award has 3 categories (fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction) with 1 winner in each. Offered annually for previously unpublished work. For guidelines, send an SASE to New Letters, or visit http://www.newletters.org/writers-wanted/writing-contests. Deadline: May 18. Prize: 1st place: $1,500, plus publication. Judged by regional writers of prominence and experience. Final judging by someone of national repute. Previous judges include Maxine Kumin, Albert Goldbarth, Charles Simic, and Janet Burroway.
New Millennium Writings, 4021 Garden Dr., Knoxville TN 37918. (865)254-4880. Website: www.newmillenniumwritings.org. Contact: Alexis Williams, Editor and Publisher. No restrictions as to style, content or number of submissions. Previously published pieces acceptable if online or under 5,000 print circulation. Simultaneous and multiple submissions welcome. Each fiction or nonfiction piece is a separate entry and should total no more than 6,000 words, except for the Short-Short Fiction Award, which should total no more than 1,000 words. (Nonfiction includes essays, profiles, memoirs, interviews, creative nonfiction, travel, humor, etc.) Each poetry entry may include up to 3 poems, not to exceed 5 pages total. All 20 poetry finalists will be published. Include name, phone, address, e-mail, and category on cover page only. Apply online via submissions manager. Send SASE or IRC for list of winners or await your book. Deadline: Postmarked on or before January 31 for the Winter Awards and July 31 for the Summer Awards. Prize: $1,000 for Best Poem; $1,000 for Best Fiction; $1,000 for Best Nonfiction; $1,000 for Best Short-Short Fiction.
English Department, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3970, Atlanta GA 30302-3970. E-mail: newsouth@gsu.edu. Website: newsouthjournal.com/contest. Contact: Stephanie Devine, editor-in-chief. Offered annually to publish the most promising work of up-and-coming writers of poetry (up to 3 poems) and fiction (9,000 word limit). Rights revert to writer upon publication. Guidelines online. Deadline: April 15. Prize: 1st Place: $1,000 in each category; 2nd Place: $250; and publication to winners. Judged by Anya Silver in poetry and Matthew Salesses in prose.
Northern California Book Reviewers Association, c/o Poetry Flash, 1450 Fourth St. #4, Berkeley CA 94710. (510)525-5476. E-mail: ncbr@poetryflash.org; editor@poetryflash.org. Website: www.poetryflash.org. Contact: Joyce Jenkins, executive director. Annual Northern California Book Award for outstanding book in literature, open to books published in the current calendar year by Northern California authors. NCBR presents annual awards to Bay Area (northern California) authors annually in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and children's literature. Previously published books only. Must be published the calendar year prior to spring awards ceremony. Submissions nominated by publishers; author or agent could also nominate published work. Send 3 copies of the book to attention: NCBR. Encourages writers and stimulates interest in books and reading. Deadline: December 28. Prize: $100 honorarium and award certificate. Judging by voting members of the Northern California Book Reviewers.
Ohioana Library Association, 274 E. First Ave., Suite 300, Columbus OH 43201-3673. (614)466-3831. Fax: (614)728-6974. E-mail: ohioana@ohioana.org. Website: www.ohioana.org. Contact: David Weaver, executive director. Writers must have been born in Ohio or lived in Ohio for at least 5 years, but books about Ohio or an Ohioan need not be written by an Ohioan. Finalists announced in May and winners in July. Winners notified by mail in early summer. Offered annually to bring national attention to Ohio authors and their books, published in the last year. (Books can only be considered once.) Categories: Fiction, nonfiction, juvenile, poetry, and books about Ohio or an Ohioan. Deadline: December 31. Prize: $1,000 cash prize, certificate, and glass sculpture. Judged by a jury selected by librarians, book reviewers, writers and other knowledgeable people.
200 NE 18th St., Oklahoma City OK 73105. (405)521-2502. Fax: (405)525-7804. E-mail: connie.armstrong@libraries.ok.gov. Website: www.odl.state.ok.us/ocb. Contact: Connie Armstrong, executive director. This award honors Oklahoma writers and books about Oklahoma. Awards are presented to best books in fiction, nonfiction, children's, design and illustration, and poetry books about Oklahoma or books written by an author who was born, is living or has lived in Oklahoma. SASE for award rules and entry forms. Winner will be announced at banquet in Oklahoma City. The Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award is also presented each year for a body of work. Previously published submissions only. Submissions made by the author, author's agent, or entered by a person or group of people, including the publisher. Must be published during the calendar year preceding the award. Deadline: January 10. Prize: Awards a medal. Judging by a panel of 5 people for each category, generally a librarian, a working writer in the genre, booksellers, editors, etc.
OPEN SEASON AWARDSThe Malahat Review, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, Stn CSC, Victoria BC V8V 2Y2 Canada. (250)721-8524. Fax: (250)472-5051. E-mail: malahat@uvic.ca. Website: www.malahatreview.ca. Contact: John Barton, editor. The Open Season Awards accepts entries of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Winners published in spring issue of Malahat Review announced in winter on website, facebook page, and in quarterly e-newsletter, Malahat lite. Submissions must be unpublished. No simultaneous submissions. Submit up to 3 poems of 100 lines or less; 1 piece of fiction 2,500 words maximum; or 1 piece of creative nonfiction, 2,500 words maximum. No restrictions on subject matter or aesthetic approach. Include separate page with writer's name, address, e-mail, and title(s); no identifying information on mss pages. E-mail submissions now accepted: season@uvic.ca. Do not include SASE for results; mss will not be returned. Guidelines available on website. Winners and finalists will be contacted by e-mail. Deadline: November 1. Prize: $1,000 CAD and publication in The Malahat Review in each category.
925 SW Washington St., Portland OR 97205. (503)227-2583. Fax: (503)241-4256. E-mail: la@literary-arts.org. Website: www.literary-arts.org. Contact: Susan Denning, director of programs and events. The annual Oregon Book Awards celebrate Oregon authors in the areas of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama and young readers' literature published between August 1 and July 31 of the previous calendar year. Awards are available for every category. See website for details. Entry fee determined by initial print run; see website for details. Entries must be previously published. Oregon residents only. Accepts inquiries by phone and e-mail. Finalists announced in January. Winners announced at an awards ceremony in November. List of winners available in April. Deadline: August 29. Prize: Grant of $2,500. (Grant money could vary.) Judged by writers who are selected from outside Oregon for their expertise in a genre. Past judges include Mark Doty, Colson Whitehead and Kim Barnes.
Judith Siegel Pearson Award, c/o Department of English, Wayne State University, Attn: Royanne Smith, 5057 Woodward Ave, Ste. 9408, Detroit MI 48202. E-mail: fm8146@wayne.edu. Website: https://wsuwritingawards.submittable.com/submit. Contact: Donovan Hohn. Offers an annual award for the best creative or scholarly work on a subject concerning women. The type of work accepted rotates each year: drama in 2016, poetry in 2017; nonfiction in 2018; fiction in 2019. Open to all interested writers and scholars. Only submit the appropriate genre in each year. Submit electronically on the web site listed here. Deadline: February 22. Prize: $500. Judged by members of the writing faculty of the Wayne State University English Department.
PEN Center USA, P.O. Box 6037, Beverly Hills CA 90212. (323)424-4939. E-mail: awards@penusa.org. E-mail: awards@penusa.org. Website: www.penusa.org. Offered for work published or produced in the previous calendar year. Open to writers living west of the Mississippi River. Award categories: fiction, poetry, research nonfiction, creative nonfiction, translation, children's/young adult, graphic literature, drama, screenplay, teleplay, journalism. Guidelines and submission form available on website. No anthologies, publish-on-demand, or self-published work. Deadline for book categories: 4 copies must be postmarked by December 31. Deadline for non-book categories: 4 copies must be postmarked by February 28. Prize: $1,000.
One Scholarship Way, P.O. Box 297, St. Peter MN 56082. (212)782-9348. Fax: (212) 782-5157. E-mail: creativewriting@penguinrandomhouse.com. Website: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/creativewriting. Contact: Melanie Fallon Hauska, director. Offered annually for unpublished work to NYC public high school seniors. 72 awards given in literary and nonliterary categories. Four categories: poetry, fiction/drama, personal essay, and graphic novel. Applicants must be seniors (under age 21) at a New York high school. No college essays or class assignments will be accepted. Word length: 2,500 words or less. Applicants must be seniors (under age 21) at a New York high school. Results announced mid-May. Winners notified by mail and phone. For contest results, send SASE, fax, e-mail or visit website. Deadline: February 5 for all categories. Graphic Novel extended deadline: March 1st. Prize: Awards range from $500-10,000. The program usually awards just under $100,000 in scholarships.
Literary Awards, The Pinch, Department of English, The University of Memphis, Memphis TN 38152-6176. (901)678-4591. E-mail: editor@thepinchjournal.com. Website: www.thepinchjournal.com. Offered annually for unpublished short stories of 5,000 words maximum or up to three poems. Guidelines on website. Cost: $20, which is put toward one issue of The Pinch. Deadline: March 15. Prize: 1st place Fiction: $1,500 and publication; 1st place Poetry: $1,000 and publication. Offered annually for unpublished short stories and prose of up to 5,000 words and 1-3 poems. Deadline: March 15. Open to submissions on December 15. Prizes: $1,000 for 1st place in each category.
Pacifc Northwest Writers Association, PMB 2717, 1420 NW Gilman Blvd., Suite 2, Issaquah WA 98027. (452)673-2665. Fax: (452)961-0768. E-mail: pnwa@pnwa.org. Website: www.pnwa.org. Annual literary contest with 12 different categories. See website for details and specific guidelines. Each entry receives 2 critiques. Winners announced at the PNWA Summer Conference, held annually in mid-July. Deadline: February 20. Prize: 1st Place: $600; 2nd Place: $300; 3rd Place: $100. Judged by an agent or editor attending the conference.
Prairie Schooner and the University of Nebraska Press, Prairie Schooner Prize Series, 123 Andrews Hall, Lincoln NE 68588-0334. (402)472-0911. E-mail: PSBookPrize@unl.edu. Website: prairieschooner.unl.edu. Contact: Kwame Dawes, editor. Annual competition/award for story collections. The Prairie Schooner Book Prize Series welcomes manuscripts from all living writers, including non-US citizens, writing in English. Both unpublished and published writers are welcome to submit manuscripts. Writers may enter both contests. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but we ask that you notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted for publication somewhere else. No past or present paid employee of Prairie Schooner or the University of Nebraska Press or current faculty or student at the University of Nebraska will be eligible for the prizes. Deadline: March 15. Prize: $3,000 and publication through the University of Nebraska Press.
Sons of the Republic of Texas, 1717 Eighth St., Bay City TX 77414-5033. (979)245-6644. Fax: (979)244-3819. E-mail: srttexas@srttexas.org. Website: www.srttexas.org. Contact: Scott Dunbar, chairman. "Material may be submitted concerning the influence on Texas culture of our Spanish Colonial heritage in laws, customs, language, religion, architecture, art, and other related fields." Offered annually to promote suitable preservation of relics, appropriate dissemination of data, and research into Texas heritage, with particular attention to the Spanish Colonial period. Deadline: September 30. Prizes: $2,000 available annually for winning participants; 1st Place: Minimum of $1,200; 2nd and 3rd prizes at the discretion of the judges. Judged by members of the Sons of the Republic of Texas on the Presidio La Bahia Award Committee.
Press 53, 560 N. Trade St., Suite 103, Winston-Salem NC 27101. (336)770-5353. Fax: N/A. E-mail: kevin@press53.com. Website: www.press53.com. Contact: Kevin Morgan Watson, Publisher. Awards $1,000 in poetry and short fiction. Details and guidelines available online. Deadline: April 15. Submission period begins January 1. Finalists announced June 1. Winner announced on August 1. Prize: $1,000 cash. All winners receive publication in Prime Number Magazine online. Judged by industry professionals to be named when the contest begins.
PRISM INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL SHORT FICTION, POETRY, AND CREATIVE NONFICTION CONTESTSPRISM International, Creative Writing Program, UBC, Buch. E462, 1866 Main Mall, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z1 Canada. E-mail: promotions@prismmagazine.ca. Website: www.prismmagazine.ca. Contact: Claire Matthews. Offered annually for unpublished work to award the best in contemporary fiction, poetry, drama, translation, and nonfiction. Works of translation are eligible. Guidelines are available on website. Acquires first North American serial rights upon publication, and limited web rights for pieces selected for website. Open to any writer except students and faculty in the Creative Writing Department at UBC, or people who have taken a creative writing course at UBC within 2 years of the contest deadline. Entry includes subscription. Deadlines: Creative Nonfiction: November 20; Fiction and Poetry: January 15. Prize: All grand prizes are $1,500, $600 for first runner up, and $400 for second runner up. Winners are published.
Sons of the Republic of Texas, 1717 Eighth St., Bay City TX 77414-5033. (979)245-6644. Fax: (979)244-3819. E-mail: aa-srt@son-rep-texas.net. Website: www.srttexas.org. Contact: David Hanover, chairman. The manuscripts must be written or published during the calendar year for which the award is given. No entry may be submitted more than one time. There is no word limit on the material submitted for the award. The manuscripts may be fiction, nonfiction, poems, essays, plays, short stories, novels, or biographies. The competition is open to all writers everywhere; they need not reside in Texas nor must the publishers be in Texas. Judges each year are winners of the award in the last three years. The purpose of this award is to encourage literary effort and research about historical events and personalities during the days of the Republic of Texas,1836-1846, and to stimulate interest in this period. Deadline: January 15. Prize: $2,500.
Five Star Publications, Inc., 4696 W. Tyson St., Chandler AZ 85226. (480)940-8182. Fax: (480)940-8787. E-mail: cristy@fivestarpublications.com; fivestarpublications@gmail.com. E-mail: cristy@fivestarpublications.com. Website: www.fivestarpublications.com; www.fivestarbookawards.com; www.royaldragonflybookawards.com. Contact: Cristy Bertini. Offered annually for any previously published work to honor authors for writing excellence of all types of literature—fiction and nonfiction—in 62 categories, appealing to a wide range of ages and comprehensive list of genres. Open to any title published in English. Entry forms are downloadable at www.royaldragonflybookawards.com. Guidelines available online. Send submissions to Cristy Bertini, Attn.: Five Star Book Awards, 1271 Turkey St., Ware, MA 01082. Deadline: October 1. Prize: Grand Prize winner receives $300, while another entrant will be the lucky winner of a $100 drawing. All first-place winners receive foil award seals and are included in a publicity campaign announcing winners. All first- and second-place winners and honorable mentions receive certificates.
University of Notre Dame, Dept. of English, 356 O'Shaughnessy Hall, Notre Dame IN 46556-5639. (574)631-7526. Fax: (574)631-4795. E-mail: creativewriting@nd.edu. Website: http://english.nd.edu/creative-writing/publications/sandeen-sullivan-prizes. Contact: Director of Creative Writing. The Sandeen & Sullivan Prizes in Poetry and Short Fiction is awarded to the author who has published at least one volume of short fiction or one volume of poetry. Awarded biannually, but judged quadrennially. Though the Sandeen Prize is open to any author, with the exception of graduates of the University of Notre Dame, who has published at least one volume of short stories (Sullivan) or one collection of poetry (Sandeen), judges pay special attention to second volumes. Please include a vita and/or a biographical statement which includes your publishing history. Will also see a selection of reviews of the earlier collection. Please submit two copies of mss and inform if the mss is available on computer disk. Include an SASE for acknowledgment of receipt of your submission. If you would like your manuscript returned, please send an SASE. Manuscripts will not otherwise be returned. Submissions Period: May 1 - September 1. Prize: $1,000, a $500 award and a $500 advance against royalties from the Notre Dame Press.
Santa Fe Writers Project, 369 Montezuma Ave., #350, Santa Fe NM 87501. E-mail: info@sfwp.com. Website: www.sfwp.com. Contact: Andrew Gifford. Annual contest seeking fiction and nonfiction of any genre. The Literary Awards Program was founded by a group of authors to offer recognition for excellence in writing in a time of declining support for writers and the craft of literature. Past judges have included Richard Currey, Jayne Anne Phillips, Chris Offutt, Lee Gutkind, and David Morrell. Deadline: December 15. Prize: $3,500 and publication.
3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd., #566, Studio City CA 91604. E-mail: brad.schreiber@att.net. Website: www.bradschreiber.com. Contact: Brad Schreiber. No SASEs. Non-US entries should enclose US currency or checks written in US dollars. Include e-mail address. No previously published work. The purpose of the contest is to award the most creative humor writing, in any form less than 750 words, in either fiction or nonfiction, including but not limited to stories, articles, essays, speeches, shopping lists, diary entries, and anything else writers dream up. Complete rules and previous winning entries on website. Deadline: December 1. Prize: 1st Place: $500; 2nd Place: $250; 3rd Place: $100. Judged by Brad Schreiber, author, journalist, consultant, and instructor.
Skipping Stones, P.O. Box 3939, Eugene OR 97403-0939 USA. E-mail: editor@SkippingStones.org. Website: www.skippingstones.org. Contact: Arun N. Toke’, Exec. Editor. Open to published books, publications/magazines, educational videos, and DVDs. Annual awards. Submissions made by the author or publishers and/or producers. Send request for contest rules and entry forms or visit website. Many educational publications announce the winners of our book awards. The winning books and educational videos/DVDs are announced in the July-September issue of Skipping Stones and also on the website. In addition to announcements on social media pages, the reviews of winning titles are posted on website. Skipping Stones multicultural magazine has been published for over 25 years. Recognizes exceptional, literary and artistic contributions to juvenile/children’s literature, as well as teaching resources and educational audio/video resources in the areas of multicultural awareness, nature and ecology, social issues, peace, and nonviolence. Deadline: February 28. Prize: Winners receive gold honor award seals, attractive honor certificates, and publicity via multiple outlets. Judged by a multicultural selection committee of editors, students, parents, teachers, and librarians.
Prairie Schooner, 123 Andrews Hall, PO Box 880334, Lincoln NE 68588-0334. (402)472-0911. Fax: (402)472-1817. E-mail: PrairieSchooner@unl.edu. Website: www.prairieschooner.unl.edu. Contact: Kwame Dawes. Categories: short stories, essays and poetry. For guidelines, send SASE or visit website. Only work published in the journal during the previous year will be considered. Work is nominated by the editorial staff. Offered annually for the best work by a beginning writer published in Prairie Schooner in the previous year. Celebrates the best and finest writing that they have published for the year. Prize: $500. Judged by editorial staff of Prairie Schooner.
The Missouri Review, 357 McReynolds Hall, UMC, Columbia MO 65211. (573)882-4474. Fax: (573)884-4671. E-mail: contest_question@moreview.com. Website: www.missourireview.com. Contact: Editor. Offered annually for unpublished work in 3 categories: fiction, essay, and poetry. Guidelines online or for SASE. Deadline: October 15. Prize: $5,000 and publication for each category winner.
Willamette Writers, Willamette Writers, 2108 Buck St., West Linn OR 97068. (503)305-6729. Fax: (503)344-6174. E-mail: reg@willamettewriters.com. Website: www.willamettewriters.com. Willamette Writers is the largest writers' organization in Oregon and one of the largest writers' organizations in the United States. It is a non-profit, tax-exempt Oregon corporation led by volunteers. Elected officials and directors administer an active program of monthly meetings, special seminars, workshops, and an annual writing conference. Continuing with established programs and starting new ones is only made possible by strong volunteer support. See website for specific details and rules. There are six different categories writers can enter: Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Poetry, Juvenile Short Story, Screenwriting, and Student Writer. The purpose of this annual writing contest, named in honor of Willamette Writer's founder, Kay Snow, is to help writers reach professional goals in writing in a broad array of categories and to encourage student writers. Deadline: April 23. Submission deadline begins January 15. Prize: One first prize of $300, one second place prize of $150, and a third place prize of $50 per winning entry in each of the six categories. Student first prize is $50, $20 for second place, $10 for third.
Society of Midland Authors, Society of Midland Authors, P.O. Box 10419, Chicago IL 60610-0419. E-mail: marlenetbrill@comcast.net. Website: www.midlandauthors.com. Contact: Marlene Targ Brill, awards chair. Since 1957, the Society has presented annual awards for the best books written by Midwestern authors. The contest is open to any title published within the year prior to the contest year. Open to adult and children's authors/poets who reside in, were born in, or have strong ties to a Midland state, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Society of Midland Authors (SMA) Award is presented to one title in each of six categories: adult nonfiction, adult fiction, adult biography and memoir, children's nonfiction, children's fiction, and poetry. Books and entry forms must be mailed to the 3 judges in each category; for a list of judges and the entry form, visit the website. Do not mail books to the society's P.O. box. The fee can be sent to the SMA P.P. box or paid via Paypal. Deadline: January 7. Prize: $500 and a plaque that is awarded at the SMA banquet in May in Chicago. Honorary winners receive a plaque.
The Webhallow House, 1544 Sweetwood Dr., Broadmoor Village CA 94015-2029. E-mail: SoulKeats@mail.com. Website: www.soulmakingcontest.us. Contact: Eileen Malone, award director. Annual open contest offers cash prizes in each of 13 literary categories. Competition receives 600 entries/year. Names of winners and judges are posted on website. Winners announced in January by SASE and on website. Winners are invited to read at the Koret Auditorium, San Francisco. Event is televised. Submissions in some categories may be previously published. No names or other identifying information on mss; include 3x5 card with poet's name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, title(s) of work, and category entered. Include SASE for results only; mss will not be returned. Guidelines available on website. Deadline: November 30. Prizes: 1st Prize: $100; 2nd Prize: $50; 3rd Prize: $25.
SUBTERRAIN MAGAZINE'S ANNUAL LITERARY AWARDS COMPETITION: THE LUSH SUBTERRAIN MAGAZINE'S ANNUAL LUSH TRIUMPHANT LITERARY AWARDS COMPETITIONP.O. Box 3008 MPO, Vancouver BC V6B 3X5 Canada. (604)876-8710. Fax: (604)879-2667. E-mail: subter@portal.ca. Website: www.subterrain.ca. Entrants may submit as many entries in as many categories as they like. Fiction: Max of 3,000 words. Poetry: A suite of 5 related poems (max of 15 pages). Creative Nonfiction (based on fact, adorned with fiction): Max of 4,000 words. All entries must be previously unpublished material and not currently under consideration in any other contest or competition. Deadline: May 15. Prize: Winners in each category will receive $1,000 cash (plus payment for publication) and publication in the Winter issue. First runner-up in each category will be published in the Spring issue of subTerrain.
E-mail: Betwx@aol.com. Website: www.texasinstituteofletters.org. The Texas Institute of Letters gives annual awards for books by Texas authors and writers who have produced books about Texas, including Best Books of Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction. Awards are also given for best Short Story, Magazine or Newspaper Article, Essay, and best Books for Children and Young Adults. Work submitted must have been published in the year stipulated, and entries may be made by authors or by their publishers. Complete guidelines and award information is available on the Texas Institute of Letters website.
TORONTO BOOK AWARDSCity of Toronto c/o Toronto Arts & Culture, Cultural Partnerships, City Hall, 9E, 100 Queen St. W., Toronto ON M5H 2N2 Canada. E-mail: shan@toronto.ca. Website: www.toronto.ca/book_awards. The Toronto Book Awards honor authors of books of literary or artistic merit that are evocative of Toronto. There are no separate categories; all books are judged together. Any fiction or nonfiction book published in English for adults and/or children that are evocative of Toronto are eligible. To be eligible, books must be published between January 1 and December 31 of previous year. Deadline: April 30. Prize: Each finalist receives $1,000 and the winning author receives the remaining prize money ($14,000 total in prize money available).
The Robert Watson Literary Prizes, The Greensboro Review, MFA Writing Program, 3302 MHRA Building, Greensboro NC 27402-6170. (336)334-5459. E-mail: jlclark@uncg.edu. Website: www.greensbororeview.org. Contact: Jim Clark, editor. Offered annually for fiction (up to 25 double-spaced pages) and poetry (up to 10 pages). Entries must be unpublished. Open to any writer. Guidelines available online. Submit online: https://greensbororeview.submittable.com/submit. Deadline: September 15. Prize: $1,000 each for best short story and poem. Judged by editors of The Greensboro Review.
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., Oklahoma City OK 73111-7997. (405)478-2250. Fax: (405)478-4714. Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org. Contact: Jessica Limestall. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Western Heritage Awards were established to honor and encourage the legacy of those whose works in literature, music, film, and television reflect the significant stories of the American West. Accepted categories for literary entries: western novel, nonfiction book, art book, photography book, juvenile book, magazine article, or poetry book. Previously published submissions only; must be published the calendar year before the awards are presented. Requirements for entrants: The material must pertain to the development or preservation of the West, either from a historical or contemporary viewpoint. Literary entries must have been published between December 1 and November 30 of calendar year. Five copies of each published work must be furnished for judging with each entry, along with the completed entry form. Works recognized during special awards ceremonies held annually at the museum. There is an autograph party preceding the awards. Awards ceremonies are sometimes broadcast. The WHA are presented annually to encourage the accurate and artistic telling of great stories of the West through 16 categories of western literature, television, film and music; including fiction, nonfiction, children's books and poetry. See website for details and category definitions. Deadline: November 30. Prize: Awards a Wrangler bronze sculpture designed by famed western artist, John Free. Judged by a panel of judges selected each year with distinction in various fields of western art and heritage.
Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival, 252 Twin Lakes Road, Latrobe PA 15650-9415. (724)834-7474. Fax: (724)850-7474. E-mail: info@artsandheritage.com. Website: www.artsandheritage.com. Contact: Diane Shrader. Offered annually for unpublished work. Two categories: Poem and Short Story. Short story entries no longer than 4,000 words. Family-oriented festival and contest. Deadline: February 16. Prizes: Award: $200; 1st Place: $125; 2nd Place: $100; 3rd Place: $75.
Women Writing the West, 8547 East Arapaho Rd., #J-541, Greenwood Village CO 80112-1436. E-mail: Anneschroederauthor@gmail.com. Website: www.womenwritingthewest.org. Contact: Anne Schroeder. The WILLA Literary Award honors the year's best in published literature featuring women's or girls' stories set in the West. Women Writing the West (WWW), a nonprofit association of writers and other professionals writing and promoting the Women's West, underwrites and presents the nationally recognized award annually (for work published between January 1 and December 31). The award is named in honor of Pulitzer Prize winner Willa Cather, one of the country's foremost novelists. The award is given in 7 categories: historical fiction, contemporary fiction, original softcover fiction, creative nonfiction, scholarly nonfiction, poetry, and children's/young adult fiction/nonfiction. Entry forms available on the website. Deadline: November 1–February 1. Prize: $100 and a trophy. Finalist receives a plaque. Both receive digital and sticker award emblems for book covers. Notice of Winning and Finalist titles mailed to more than 4,000 booksellers, libraries, and others. Award announcement is in early August, and awards are presented to the winners and finalists at the annual WWW Fall Conference. Judged by professional librarians not affiliated with WWW.
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, 938 Lafayette St., Suite 514, New Orleans LA 70113. (504)581-1144. E-mail: info@tennesseewilliams.net. Website: www.tennesseewilliams.net/contests. Contact: Paul J. Willis. Annual contests for: Unpublished One Act, Unpublished Short Fiction, and Unpublished Poem. Plays should run no more than one hour in length. Unlimited entries per person. Production criteria include scripts requiring minimal technical support for a 100-seat theater. Cast of characters must be small. See website for additional guidelines and entry form. Fiction must not exceed 7,000 words. Poetry submissions should be 2-4 poems not exceeding 400 lines total. “Our competitions provide playwrights an opportunity to see their work fully produced before a large audience during one of the largest literary festivals in the nation, and for the festival to showcase the undiscovered talents of poetry and fiction writers.” Deadline: November 1 (One Act); November 15 (Poetry); December 1 (Fiction). Prize: One Act: $1,500, staged read at the next festival, full production at the festival the following year, VIP All-Access Festival pass for two years ($1,000 value), and publication in Bayou. Poetry: $1,500, public reading at next festival, publication in Louisiana Cultural Vistas Magazine. Fiction: $1,500, public reading at next festival, publication in Louisiana Literature. Judged by an anonymous expert panel for One Act contest. Judged by special guest judges, who change every year, for fiction and poetry.
THE WORD AWARDSThe Word Guild, The Word Guild, Suite # 226, 245 King George Rd, Brantford ON N3R 7N7 Canada. 800-969-9010 x 1. E-mail: info@thewordguild.com. E-mail: info@thewordguild.com. Website: www.thewordguild.com. Contact: Karen deBlieck. The Word Guild is an organization of Canadian writers and editors who are Christian, and who are committed to encouraging one another and to fostering standards of excellence in the art, craft, practice and ministry of writing. Memberships available for various experience levels. Yearly conference Write Canada (please see website for information) and features keynote speakers, continuing classes and workshops. Editors and agents on site. The Word Awards is for work published in the past year, in almost 30 categories including books, articles, essays, fiction, nonfiction, novels, short stories, songs, and poetry. Please see website for more information. Deadline: January 15. Prize $50 CAD for article and short pieces; $100 CAD for book entries. Finalists book entries are eligible for the $5,000 Grace Irwin prize. Judged by industry leaders and professionals.
The Southeast Review, Florida State University, English Department, Tallahassee FL 32306. E-mail: southeastreview@gmail.com. Website: www.southeastreview.org. Contact: Erin Hoover, editor. Annual award for unpublished short-short stories (500 words or less), poetry, and narrative nonfiction (6,000 words or less). Visit website for details. Deadline: March 15. Prize: $500 per category. Winners and finalists will be published in The Southeast Review.
Writer's Digest, 10151 Carver Road, Suite #200, Blue Ash OH 45242. (715)445-4612, ext. 13430. E-mail: WritersDigestSelfPublishingCompetition@fwmedia.com. Website: www.writersdigest.com. Contact: Nicole Howard. Contest open to all English-language, self-published books for which the authors have paid the full cost of publication, or the cost of printing has been paid for by a grant or as part of a prize. Categories include: Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, Nonfiction, Inspirational (spiritual/new age), Life Stories (biographies/autobiographies/family histories/memoirs), Children's Books, Reference Books (directories/encyclopedias/guide books), Poetry, and Middle-Grade/Young Adult Books. Judges reserve the right to re-categorize entries. Judges reserve the right to withhold prizes in any category. All winners will be notified in October. Entrants must send a printed and bound book. Entries will be evaluated on content, writing quality, and overall quality of production and appearance. No handwritten books are accepted. Books must have been published within the past 5 years from the competition deadline. Books which have previously won awards from Writer's Digest are not eligible. Early bird deadline: April 1; Deadline: May 2. Prizes: Grand Prize: $8,000, a trip to the Writer's Digest Conference, promotion in Writer's Digest, 10 copies of the book will be sent to major review houses, and a guaranteed review in Midwest Book Review; 1st Place (9 winners): $1,000 and promotion in Writer's Digest; Honorable Mentions: $50 worth of Writer's Digest Books and promotion on writersdigest.com. All entrants will receive a brief commentary from one of the judges.
Writer's Digest, 10151 Carver Road, Suite #200, Blue Ash OH 45242. (715)445-4612, ext. 13430. E-mail: WritersDigestSelfPublishingCompetition@fwmedia.com. Website: www.writersdigest.com. Contact: Nicole Howard. Contest open to all English-language, self-published e-books for which the authors have paid the full cost of publication, or the cost of publication has been paid for by a grant or as part of a prize. Categories include: Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, Nonfiction (includes reference books), Inspirational (spiritual/new age), Life Stories (biographies/autobiographies/family histories/memoirs), Children's Books, Poetry, and Middle-Grade/Young Adult Books. Judges reserve the right to re-categorize entries. Judges reserve the right to withhold prizes in any category. All winners will be notified by December 31. Entrants must enter online. Entrants may provide a file of the book or submit entry by the Amazon gifting process. Acceptable file types include: .epub, .mobi, .ipa. Word processing documents will not be accepted. Entries will be evaluated on content, writing quality, and overall quality of production and appearance. Books must have been published within the past 5 years from the competition deadline. Books which have previously won awards from Writer's Digest are not eligible. Early bird deadline: August 1; Deadline: September 19. Prizes: Grand Prize: $3,000, promotion in Writer's Digest, a full 250-word (minimum) editorial review, $200 worth of Writer's Digest Books, and more; 1st Place (9 winners): $1,000 and promotion in Writer's Digest; Honorable Mentions: $50 worth of Writer's Digest Books and promotion on writersdigest.com. All entrants will receive a brief commentary from one of the judges.
CNW Publishing, P.O. Box A, North Stratford NH 03590-0167. E-mail: contestentry@writers-editors.com. E-mail: info@writers-editors.com. Website: www.writers-editors.com. Contact: Dana K. Cassell, executive director. Annual award to recognize publishable talent. New categories and awards for 2016: Nonfiction (unpublished or self-published; may be an article, blog post, essay/opinion piece, column, nonfiction book chapter, children's article or book chapter); fiction (unpublished or self-published; may be a short story, novel chapter, Young Adult [YA] or children's story or book chapter); poetry (unpublished or self-published; may be traditional or free verse poetry or children's verse). Guidelines available online. Open to any writer. Maximum length: 4,000 words. Accepts inquiries by e-mail, phone and mail. Entry form online. Results announced May 31. Winners notified by mail and posted on website. Results available for SASE or visit website. Deadline: March 15. Prize: 1st Place: $150 plus one year Writers-Editors membership; 2nd Place: $100; 3rd Place: $75. All winners and Honorable Mentions will receive certificates as warranted. Most Promising entry in each category will receive a free critique by a contest judge. Judged by editors, librarians, and writers.
WRITERS' GUILD OF ALBERTA AWARDSWriters' Guild of Alberta, Percy Page Centre, 11759 Groat Rd., Edmonton AB T5M 3K6 Canada. (780)422-8174. Fax: (780)422-2663. E-mail: mail@writersguild.ca. Website: writersguild.ca. Contact: Executive Director. Offers the following awards: Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction; Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction; Howard O'Hagan Award for Short Story; Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry; R. Ross Annett Award for Children's Literature; Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award for Drama; Jon Whyte Memorial Essay Award; James H. Gray Award for Short Nonfiction. Eligible entries will have been published anywhere in the world between January 1 and December 31 of the current year. The authors must have been residents of Alberta for at least 12 of the 18 months prior to December 31. Unpublished mss, except in the drama and essay categories, are not eligible. Anthologies are not eligible. Works may be submitted by authors, publishers, or any interested parties. Deadline: December 31. Prize: Winning authors receive $1,500; short piece prize winners receive $700.
Writers' League of Texas, 611 S. Congress Ave., Suite 200A-3, Austin TX 78704. (512)499-8914. Fax: (512)499-0441. E-mail: sara@writersleague.org. E-mail: sara@writersleague.org. Website: www.writersleague.org. Open to Texas authors of books published the previous year. Authors are required to show proof of Texas residency (current or past), but are not required to be members of the Writers' League of Texas. Deadline: Open to submissions from October 1 to January 15. Prize: $1,000 and a commemorative award.
Skipping Stones Youth Honor Awards, Skipping Stones Magazine, Skipping Stones Magazine, P.O. Box 3939, Eugene OR 97403 USA. (541)342-4956. E-mail: info@skippingstones.org. E-mail: editor@skippingstones.org. Website: www.skippingstones.org. Contact: Arun N. Toke, Editor and Publisher. Skipping Stones is an international, literary, and multicultural, children’s magazine that encourages cooperation, creativity, and celebration of cultural and linguistic diversity. It explores stewardship of the ecological and social webs that nurture us. It offers a forum for communication among children from different lands and backgrounds. Skipping Stones expands horizons in a playful, creative way. This is a non-commercial, non-profit magazine with no advertisements. In its 28th year. Original writing and art from youth, ages 7 to 17, should be typed or neatly handwritten. The entries should be appropriate for ages 7 to 17. Prose under 1,000 words; poems under 30 lines. Word limit: 1,000. Poetry: 30 lines. Non-English and bilingual writings are welcome. To promote multicultural, international and nature awareness. Deadline: June 25. Prize: An Honor Award Certificate, a subscription to Skipping Stones and five nature and/or multicultural books. They are also invited to join the Student Review Board. Everyone who enters the contest receives the autumn issue featuring the ten winners and other noteworthy entries. Editors and interns at the Skipping Stones magazine
SASKATCHEWAN BOOK AWARDSSaskatchewan Book Awards, Inc., 315-1102 8th Ave., Regina SK S4R 1C9 Canada. 306-569-1585. E-mail: director@bookawards.sk.ca. Website: www.bookawards.sk.ca. Contact: Courtney Bates-Hardy, Administrative Director. Saskatchewan Book Awards celebrates, promotes and rewards Saskatchewan authors and publishers worthy of recognition through 14 awards, granted on an annual or semi-annual basis. Awards: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Scholarly, First Book, Prix du livre français, Regina, Saskatoon, Aboriginal Peoples' Writing, Aboriginal Peoples' Publishing, Publishing in Education, Publishing, Children's Literature/Young Adult Literature, Book of the Year.
Saskatchewan Book Awards is the only provincially-focused book award program in Saskatchewan and a principal ambassador for Saskatchewan's literary community. Its solid reputation for celebrating artistic excellence in style is recognized nationally. Deadline: Early November. Prize: $2,000 (CAD) for all awards except Book of the Year, which is $3,000 (CAD). Juries are made up of writing and publishing professionals from outside of Saskatchewan.