All the top writing contests.


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Magma 2024/25 Poetry Competition
Deadline: 31 January 2025
There are two contests, one for short poems of up to 10 lines, and one for poems of 11 to 50 lines. The entry fees are £5 for the first poem, £4 for the second and £3.50 for the third. • Editors' Prize (poems of up to 10 lines) 1st prize: £1,000 • Judge's Prize (poems of 11 to 50 lines) 1st prize: £1,000
The 2025 Colorado Prize for Poetry
Deadline: 14 January 2025
The Colorado Prize for Poetry is an international poetry book manuscript contest. Manuscripts must be at least 48 pages but no more than 100 pages. There is a $28 online entry fee, which includes a one-year subscription to Colorado Review. The winner receives a $2,500 honorarium.
The Moth Poetry Prize 2024
Deadline: 31 December 2024
The Moth Poetry Prize is one of the biggest prizes in the world for a single unpublished poem. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 16. The entry fee is 15 € per poem. • 1st prize: 6,000 € • 3 runner-up prizes of 1,000 € • 8 prizes of 250 € for commended poems
F(r)iction Fall 2024 Writing Contests
Deadline: 1 November 2024
The competition is open to anyone over the age of thirteen. There are three catregories: • Short Story / submission fee: $15 / 1st prize: $1,000 • Poetry / submission fee: $10 / 1st prize: $300 • Flash Fiction / submission fee: $10 / 1st prize: $300
Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition 2024
Deadline: 30 November 2024
The competition is open to original, unpublished poems in the English language of 40 lines or less. Entry fee: 7 € per poem. • 1st Prize: 2,000 € • 2nd Prize: 500 € • 3rd Prize: 250 €
2025 Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
Deadline: 1 April 2025
You may submit one humor poem, in English. Your poem should not exceed 250 lines in length. The competition is free to enter. • 1st prize: $2,000 • 2nd prize: $500 • 3rd Prize: $250 • 10 honorable mentions, $100 each
The Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize 2024/2025
Deadline: 13 October 2024
To enter the Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize, submit an unpublished short story in English, up to 6000 words. The cost of entry per submission is £11. The winning author will receive a cash prize of £2,500. Shortlisted authors will each receive £200.
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2024
Deadline: 15 November 2024 
The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18. Fiction, non-fiction, and hybrid narratives are considered. Word count: 250 words or fewer for each micro. Entry fees: • up to 2 micros: $11, • up to 4 micros: $16. The grand prize winner will receive $1,000.