Winning Writers
News about high-quality literary contests and resources for writers since 2001. Get access to in-depth profiles of 200+ great free literary contests when you subscribe to our free email newsletter: winningwriters.com/free
- Newly updated by @writersdigest.bsky.social: 100+ Book Fairs and Book Festivals by State writersdigest.com/publishing-insights…
- 35 Magazines Seeking Literary Fiction, curated by @authorspublish.com These magazines accept literary fiction. Some also accept genre fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. authorspublish.com/35-magazines-accept… #litmags
- Solo Mailings at Winning Writers - Cost-Effective & Needle-Moving Solo emails to our list of 50,000+ poets and writers are $1,350. Compare to similar lists that charge substantially more. Get as much design help as you need. Learn more: createsend.com/t/d-12063951B4685D7…
- Deadline Feb 22: Limnisa Short Story Competition for short stories of 500-1,500 words. Theme: "On This Land" by Mahmoud Darwish (reproduced on contest website). Fee is €10 (or £8.50) per story. Win a one-week Writers' Retreat in 2026 or 2027 at Limnisa. limnisa.com/competition-2026
- Deadline Apr 1: 25th annual Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest sponsored by Winning Writers. No fee. Submit one funny poem to win $2,000. $3,750 in total cash prizes. Submit published or unpublished work via Submittable: winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle…
- Winning Writers will critique your book or manuscript for $240. Order now. Price increases to $299 on February 15. createsend.com/t/d-E6BCEA8108E9D0E…
- 40 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for February 2026, curated by @authorspublish.com "These are themed calls and contests for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry." authorspublish.com/40-themed-submissio…
- Sponsored > Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp & Writing Retreat June 21 - 27, 2026 3 Immersive Programs 2 Exciting Tracks 1 Incredible Week Learn more at novelbookcamp.org or email our director, Dave Rank, at director@novelbookcamp.org.
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- Deadline Feb 26: Next Generation Short Story Awards Submit unpublished stories up to 5,000 words to win $500 and anthology publication. 30+ categories. Many smaller prizes. Fee: $25 per story for the first category entered and $20 for each additional category. shortstoryawards.com
- Open now: The 25th Annual Great Poetry Exchange at Poetry Super Highway Mail a printed copy of your poetry book and you'll receive a poetry book written or edited by another participant. poetrysuperhighway.com/psh/great_poetry_ex…
- From @chillsubs.bsky.social, the very first issue of Free Shit for Writers, a curated roundup of events, resources, and more that don’t cost a damn thing preview.mailerlite.io/preview/35818/email…
- "In Siberia", a poem by Kevin Prufer poems.com/poem/in-siberia/ via @poetrydaily.bsky.social and Michigan Quarterly Review
- 18 Fabulous Writing Conferences and Workshops in February 2026, curated by @ericaverrillo.bsky.social "...most will be held in person or use a hybrid format." ericaverrillo.com/blog/18-fabulous-wr…
- Letter from Minnesota: Charles Baxter on the rage of poets, and its power lithub.com/letter-from-minneso… via @literaryhub.bsky.social
- “On Living in the Hour of Cities Under Siege”, a poem by Carolyn Forché lithub.com/letter-from-minneso… via @literaryhub.bsky.social
- 87 Writing Contests in February 2026 with No Entry Fees, curated by @ericaverrillo.bsky.social Seeking short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. ericaverrillo.com/blog/87-writing-con…
- 9 literary contests with deadlines in February, curated by The Masters Review mastersreview.com/february-deadlines-…
- Deadline Mar 31: Reginald Gibbons Editor's Prize for Short Fiction Submit unpublished fiction up to 5,000 words to win $1,000 and publication in TriQuarterly. Fee: $12. triquarterly.org/submit with Submittable HT @pw.org
- Deadline extended to Mar 1: Mudfish Poetry Prize Submit poems to win $1,200. Winning poem and two honorable mentions will be published in Mudfish 26. Fee: $20 for 3 poems. Judge: Billy Collins. mudfish.org/submissions/
- The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition (international). Fee: £25. Includes The Times/Chicken House Prize: Pub & £10,000 advance; The Broken Binding Prize (new): For YA sci-fi, fantasy, and speculative fiction: Pub & £10,000 advance. chickenhousebooks.com/submissions/
- Two Poems by Rose McLarney poems.com/poem/two-poems-rose… via @poetrydaily.bsky.social and @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
- Sponsored > LAST CALL! William Saroyan International Prize for Writing - a biennial competition for newly-published books, intended to encourage new or emerging writers. Fiction and nonfiction published in 2024 and 2025 can win $5,000. Fee: $50. Enter by Jan 30. saroyanprize.stanford.edu
- "We", a poem by Joshua Bennett poems.com/poem/we/ via @poetrydaily.bsky.social and Harvard Review
- The BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University (NSSA, no fee, deadline Mar 16, British nationals and UK residents can win £15,000 and broadcast). See also BBC Young Writers’ Award (deadline Mar 23). cam.ac.uk/news/submissions-op…
- 9 Go-To Self-Publishing News Sources for Authors insights.bookbub.com/self-publishing-new… via @bookbubpartners.bsky.social #PubTips
- Deadline Feb 8: The Rejected Poetry Prize Submit unpublished poems that have been submitted to and rejected by literary magazines, journals, or contests that offer publication as a prize. Fee: $20 for 1-3 poems (up to 10 pages in all). palettepoetry.com/the-2025-26-rejecte…
- “Femme Noire”, a poem by Léopold Sédar Senghor eclectic-culture.com/2017/11/20/nia-groc… Read by Amanda Holmes for The American Scholar: theamericanscholar.org/femme-noire-by-leop…
- DL 3/8: Uncharted Cinematic Short Story Contest Submit unpublished stories up to 5,000 words to win $2,000 & pub. Genres: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller/Mystery (Horror), Young Adult, Historical Fiction, and Humor. Fee: $20. loom.ly/I1bQSqM
- We remember our past contest judge Ellen LaFleche, who joined the ancestors today after battling breast cancer for 7 years. Her poetry book "Walking into Lightning" is a beautiful testimony of grief. Wear something colorful and warm in her honor. saddleroadpress.com/ellen-lafleche.html
- As ICE agents continue to terrorize the Twin Cities, indie bookstores are stepping up. lithub.com/in-the-twin-cities-… via @literaryhub.bsky.social #MNShutdown
- Deadline Mar 31: Prime Number Magazine Awards for Poetry and Short Fiction Submit one unpublished poem up to 3 pages to win $1,000 and publication. Fee: $15. Judge for Poetry: Terri Kirby Erickson Judge for Short Fiction: Jodi Paloni press53.com/prime-number-magazi…
- "Voice Message from Gaza", a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye poems.com/poem/voice-message-… via Washington Square Review and @poetrydaily.bsky.social
- Sponsored > Writers are asking smarter questions as publishing shifts in 2026 📚 What am I really paying for? What control do I keep? What does success mean for me? Explore Atmosphere Press' guide through the traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing paths. loom.ly/3xHjffc #authorfirst
- Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition Submit unpublished work (with a few exceptions) in several categories. Win $5,000 and more. Many smaller prizes. Fees: $20 for first poem, $30 for first prose work. writersdigest.com/writers-digest-comp…
- 106 Traditional Poetry Manuscript Publishers Who Do Not Charge Submission Fees, a 2026 update from @authorspublish.com authorspublish.com/106-traditional-poe…
- Deadline Feb 1: Stringybark Open Short Story Award International. Submit unpublished stories with a link to Australia up to 1,500 words to win A$500 and publication. Fee for first story: A$15. stringybarkstories.net/competitions/open--… HT FundsforWriters
- Are AI's just 'learning' from your books? Four "prominent LLMs...reproduced lengthy excerpts from popular—and protected—works, with a stunning degree of accuracy.” futurism.com/artificial-intellig… via @futurism.com
- DL Jan 31: Bristol Short Story Prize International. Submit unpublished stories up to 4,000 words. Fee: £14. 1st prize £1500, 2nd prize £500, 3rd prize £250. Each of the 12 remaining shortlisted writers receives £50. Shortlisted writers published in anthology. bssp.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/rules/
- The 2026 Hurt & Healing Prize from Frontier Poetry Recall your journeys through the entanglement of pain and restoration. New and emerging writers may submit unpublished poems to win $3,000 & pub. Fee: $20 for 1-3 poems, up to 5 pages in all. frontierpoetry.com/2026-hurt-healing-p…
- Poetry and Racial Justice and Equality Witnessing the struggle for freedom, from the American Revolution to the Black Lives Matter movement. A Poetry Foundation collection: poetryfoundation.org/collections/155298/…
- 13 Book Binding Types to Know blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-self-publish… via BookBaby #PubTips
- Deadline Jan 31: The Nature Chronicles Prize is a biennial, international literary prize. It seeks engaging, unique nature writing (non-fiction). Limit: 8,000 words. Win £10,000 and publication. £15 entry fee includes copy of anthology. naturechroniclesprize.com HT FundsforWriters
- Thanks to the Trump administration, LGBTQ+ books are getting harder to sell lithub.com/thanks-to-the-trump… via @literaryhub.bsky.social #publishing
- Deadline Jan 31: WOW! Women on Writing Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest International. Submit creative nonfiction up to 1,000 words to win $500, online publication, interview, and more. Fee: $12. wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#EssayCo… HT FundsforWriters
- Our January newsletter features a Jim Avis video interpretation of "God's Grandeur" by Gerard Manley Hopkins, narrated by HM King Charles III, drawing on illustrations by Julian Peters. createsend.com/t/d-D302EC3ABC7CA1A…
- 78 Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers (January 2026), curated by @authorspublish.com authorspublish.com/78-opportunities-fo…
- "Danger Music", a poem by Aldo Amparán poems.com/poem/danger-music/ via @epochliterary.com and @poetrydaily.bsky.social
- Our January newsletter is out! We found nearly five dozen excellent free poetry and prose contests with deadlines between today and February 28. createsend.com/t/d-D302EC3ABC7CA1A…
- Flash Sale Today Only: Next Generation Short Story Awards Receive your second category FREE when you pay for your first ($25). Submit unpublished stories up to 5,000 words to win $500 and anthology publication. Many smaller awards. 30+ categories. shortstoryawards.com/guidelines.php
- 9 literary contests and magazines with January deadlines, curated by Frontier Poetry frontierpoetry.com/2025/12/15/january-…
