{"id":4917,"date":"2018-02-08T06:32:53","date_gmt":"2018-02-08T14:32:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=4917"},"modified":"2018-02-14T10:56:07","modified_gmt":"2018-02-14T18:56:07","slug":"4917","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/4917\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Free Writing Contests With Cash Prizes"},"content":{"rendered":"
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These are for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation, plays and hybrid writing, with prizes ranging from $75 to \u00a315,000. Many are for unpublished writing, and offer publishing or contracts in addition to the prize money, which is not detailed here. A few are for published and self-published works. Also see this list<\/a> for grants, residencies and fellowships for writers with upcoming deadlines. None of these charge a submission fee. \u2013\u2013 S. Kalekar<\/strong><\/div>\n
The Journey Prize<\/strong>This prize is for an emerging Canadian writer, for a short story or excerpt from a fiction work-in-progress first published by a Canadian magazine or annual anthology\u00a0during the previous calendar year. Submissions must come from eligible Canadian print and online-only literary magazines and annual anthologies.
\nValue: CAD10,000 for the author, CAD2,000 for the publication
\nDeadline: 12 February 2018
\nOpen for: Canadian writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Shambhala Publications: Bala Kids & The Khyentse Foundation Children’s Book Prize<\/strong>This is for the best Buddhist children\u2019s book manuscript. Stories should be for children ages 0\u20138, both fiction and nonfiction, from all Buddhist traditions. New authors are especially encouraged to apply.<\/p>\n

Value: $5,000
\nDeadline: 15 February 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Words & Brushes: CollaborationFive<\/em><\/strong>They want writers to select an image from their website and write a short story (2,000-4,000 words) inspired by it.<\/p>\n

Value: $350
\nDeadline: 15 February 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Academy of American Poets: Ambroggio Prize<\/strong>This prize is for US poets for a book-length poetry manuscript (48-100 pages) originally written in Spanish, accompanied by an English translation. Poets can send their own translations, or collaborate with a translator who may or may not be a poet.
\nValue: $1,000
\nDeadline: 15 February 2018
\nOpen for: US poets (see guidelines)
\nDetails here<\/a>.
\nhttps:\/\/www.poets.org\/academy-american-poets\/ambroggio-prize-guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Milkweed Editions: The Lindquist & Vennum Prize for Poetry<\/strong>This is a manuscript contest for poets in the Upper Midwest \u2013 Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, or Winsconsin. Send a complete poetry manuscript, of 48 or more pages.<\/p>\n

Value: $10,000
\nDeadline: 15 February 2018
\nOpen for: Upper Midwest poets in the US
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Poetry Matters Literary Prize<\/strong>These are poetry prizes in four categories: for middle school students, high school students, adults (20-60 years), and senior poets (aged 61 and above). Send up to thee poems.<\/p>\n

Value: $75, $50, $35, $25 in each category
\nDeadline: 28 February 2018
\nOpen for: All poets
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Restless Book Prize for New Immigrant Writing<\/strong>This is for fiction manuscripts (at least 45,000 words) by first-generation residents of their country. They want submissions from emerging writers of sharp, culture-straddling writing that addresses identity in a global age. Candidates must not have previously published a book of fiction with a US publishing house.\u00a0The award alternates each year between fiction and nonfiction.<\/p>\n

Value: $10,000 advance
\nDeadline: 28 February 2018
\nOpen for: Immigrant writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

9th<\/sup> Annual Spirit First Poetry Contest<\/strong>Poetry submissions may be of any length and any style but must have a theme of\u00a0Meditation<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0Mindfulness<\/strong>. Poems may reflect any discipline, any faith, or none.\u00a0Poems not on the themes of meditation, mindfulness, stillness, or sacred silence will\u00a0not<\/strong>\u00a0be included. Send up to three poems.<\/p>\n

Value: $200, $150, $100
\nDeadline: 28 February 2018
\nOpen for: All poets
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Everything Change Climate Fiction Contest 2018<\/strong>For this short story contest, submissions should illustrate or explore the impact of climate change on humanity and\/or the Earth, in the present or the near- or moderate-term future. It should reflect current scientific knowledge about climate change. It may also illuminate and invite reflections on a climate-related challenge that individuals, communities, organizations, or societies face today, or might face in the near to moderate-term future.\u00a0Submissions (5,000 words) can be in all genres, including speculative, realistic, literary, experimental, hybrid forms, and more.
\nValue: $1,000; nine prizes of $50
\nDeadline: 28 February 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Booksie Young Writer Short Story Contest<\/strong>This is a contest for writers aged 13-18. Stories can be on any theme or genre (up to 5,000 words). Entrants must register on the Booksie website first; registration is free.<\/p>\n

Value: $300; two prizes of $75
\nDeadline: 28 February 2018
\nOpen for: Writers aged 13-18
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Papatango New Writing Prize<\/strong>This is for UK and Ireland playwrights. Send an original play script (minimum running time 60 minutes, or a script of at least 40 pages, or at least 9,000 words). Translations, children\u2019s plays, adaptations of classic plays or existing works in other media, music theatre, television, film or radio scripts are ineligible.<\/p>\n

Value: Play development, publication, royalties from box office income, \u00a36000 commission for a new play
\nDeadline: 28 February 2018
\nOpen for: UK and Ireland writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Lunch Ticket: Diana Woods Award in Creative Non-fiction<\/strong>This award is for creative non-fiction (up to 5,000 words) on any subject.
\nValue: $250
\nDeadline: 28 February 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Lunch Ticket: The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts<\/strong>This award is for a translated work (up to 5,000 words). Authors should include the original work with the translation, and write on the translation process.
\nValue: $200
\nDeadline: 28 February 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Black Caucus of American Library Association Awards<\/strong>This is for the best self-published ebook by an African American author in the US in these genres: fiction and poetry.
\nValue: $500 in each category
\nDeadline: 28 February 2018
\nOpen for: African American authors in the US
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Cha: Auditory Cortex \u2013 A Poetry Contest<\/strong>This prize, run by the Hong Kong-based literary journal Cha, is for poets who write in a \u2018variety\u2019 of Englishes and celebrates the varied voices across Englishes. Each poet can submit up to two poems on any theme (up to 40 lines each, accompanied by a recording of the author\u2019s reading in WAV format). Poems must be written and read in the author\u2019s local variety of English (e.g. Brunei English, Burmese English, Chinese English, Fijian English, Filipino English, Guamanian English, Hawaiian English, etc.) in a way that is also accessible to other speakers of English in Asia.
\nValue: HKD500, HKD300, HKD200, 8 prizes of HKD100
\nDeadline: 28 February 2018
\nOpen for: All poets
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Honeysuckle Chapbook Contest: Poetry and Prose<\/strong><\/p>\n

The contest is in two chapbook categories, poetry and prose (20-40 pages for each category). They want boundary-breaking chapbooks that evoke remarkable and human truths, work that disrupts traditional narratives, and which holds new and daring worlds. They value intention and risk.
\nValue: $500, jam
\nDeadline: 1 March 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award<\/strong>This is for African-American poets. Submit a book-length poetry manuscript of approximately 60-90 pages.<\/p>\n

Value: $500
\nDeadline: 1 March 2018
\nOpen for: African-American poets
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Christopher Tower Poetry Competition<\/strong>This is for young UK poets. Send one poem, on the theme of Secrets.<\/p>\n

Value: \u00a0\u00a33,000, \u00a31,500, \u00a3500, three prizes of \u00a3250
\nDeadline: 2 March 2018
\nOpen for: UK students aged 16-18
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers<\/strong>This is for Canadian writers aged under 35 who have published work in literary magazines, but not in book form. Candidates are to submit short fiction (up to 2,500 words), stand-alone or extracted from a longer work. The award alternates each year between short fiction and poetry.<\/p>\n

Value: CAD10,000; two prizes of CAD2,500
\nDeadline: 5 March 2018
\nOpen for: Canadian writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize<\/strong>There are two categories, for published and unpublished (including self published) manuscripts of adventure writing. All manuscripts must exceed 50,000 words. The writing should take\u00a0the reader on an epic journey, exploring new horizons \u2013 be they historical or geographical, explore\u00a0the themes of courage, endurance and resourcefulness, and allow\u00a0readers to connect with a different reality or culture.
\nValue: \u00a315,000 for the published category; \u00a37,500 grant allocated for the unpublished category, to travel to undertake research for their next story, literary agency mentorship
\nDeadline: 12 March 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n