Are you tired of low pay and high submission fees?
Writing contests can be a great way to make money from your writing. The only problem is, not all contests pay. Many contests require authors to pay an entry fee to even be considered.
That means that entering a contest can mean you lose money, not make money. For many, that makes the effort and investment hardly worth it.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of contests with upcoming deadlines, big prizes, and no submission fees.
Here’s a pro-tip on how to ensure your work gets selected: talk to a professional who understands what literary journals and publishers look for in submissions. I can work with you on your first 5 pages. You will receive tailored feedback and feel 100% ready to publish. Drop yourself into my calendar here. Spaces are limited.
If these aren’t your thing, no worries. We put out a curated list of the latest publishing opportunities each week. Be sure to check back here in 7 days for 3 more opportunities! Or, you can get on our mailing list to have this list delivered straight to your inbox. Never miss a publishing opportunity again. Click below to sign up.
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Writers of the Future Contest
Who They Are: From their website: “L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is an opportunity for new writers of science fiction and fantasy to have their work judged by some of the masters in the field and discovered by a wide audience.”
What They’re Looking For: Speculative fiction prose up to 17,000 words.
What You Can Win: $1000 for quarterly 1st place winners and additional $5000 for the overall grand prize winner.
Deadline: December 31.
Get more information and submit here.
Center Field of Gravity’s Gravity Award
Who They Are: From their website: “The Center Field of Gravity: Where Baseball and Science Fiction collide. The newest source for news and original content in the world of sports and entertainment.” Center Field of Gravity is hosting its second annual contest for the Gravity Award for original fiction.
What They’re Looking For: From their website: “We will be accepting previously unpublished science-fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories or long-form poems up to but not exceeding 17,000 words…We are very accepting of different views about what science-fiction, fantasy, and horror are.”
What You Can Win: $200 for the winning story and $25 for each of five finalists.
Deadline: December 31.
Get more information and submit here.
Rattle’s Neil Postman Award for Metaphor
Who They Are: From their website: “Rattle publishes unsolicited poetry and translations of poetry….In honor and remembrance of Neil Postman, we have established the Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. The purpose for the award is simple and two-fold: To reward a given writer for their use of metaphor and to celebrate (and, hopefully, propagate) Postman’s work, and the typographical mind. Each year the editors of Rattle choose one poem from the content published online or in print during the previous year, and all poems that were submitted to the magazine are eligible.”
What They’re Looking For: Poems of any length, both free verse and traditional. In order to create a diverse selection, they’re looking in particular for poems that stand out.
What You Can Win: The winner of the award will receive $2000. Additionally, contributors receive $200/poem for print submissions and $100/poem for online submissions.
Deadline: December 31.
Get more information and submit here.
Is your work good enough to win?
Many writing contests receive thousands of submissions. Are you confident that your work is strong enough to stand out from the rest?
We help writers hone their craft so they can feel confident about submitting their best work to publications or competitions. If you’re serious about winning, you can speak with us to see how we can help you put your best foot forward when you submit your work. Book a call with us today.