{"id":5571,"date":"2018-08-31T05:47:54","date_gmt":"2018-08-31T12:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=5571"},"modified":"2018-08-31T05:54:20","modified_gmt":"2018-08-31T12:54:20","slug":"18-free-writing-contests-with-cash-prizes-for-september-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/18-free-writing-contests-with-cash-prizes-for-september-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"18 Free Writing Contests With Cash Prizes for September 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
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These are prizes and grants\/fellowships for writers, poets, playwrights, and reporters. The awards range from \u20ac50 to about $31,000. None of these charge an entry fee. Also see this list<\/a> for grants and fellowships for writers \u2013 a number of deadlines are coming up. — S. Kalekar<\/strong>\n<\/div>\n
\nPen 2 Paper: A disability-focused creative writing contest
\n<\/strong>They want pieces of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and comics on the topic of disability. The writing must be about disability or have a major character with a disability. Writers need not be disabled to submit. They may submit one entry per category (prose up to 5,000 words, poetry up to 5 pages, comic\/graphic narrative up to 20 pages). Selected entrants will have a chance to present their work at the Cinema Touching Disability Film Festival at Austin in the fall.
\nValue: $500; division winners to get $100 each
\nDeadline: 4 September 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Elmet Trust: Ted Hughes Young Poets Award
\n<\/strong>They want poetry in response to the final three lines of Ted Hughes\u2019 \u2018My Own True Family\u2019 (see website), which was published in \u2018Collected Poems for Children\u2019 (Faber & Faber, 2005). The competition for young poets \u2013 in age groups 6-10, 11-14 and 15-18 \u2013 is free to enter. There is a contest for adults too, with an entry fee.
\nValue: \u00a350, \u00a325 for each age category
\nDeadline: 14 September 2018
\nOpen for: Young poets
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nGulf Coast: The Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing
\n<\/strong>They want one piece of critical art writing of up to 1,500 words. The writing should have been written, or published, in the last one year. They will accept a variety of creative approaches and formats to writing on the visual arts, including thematic essays, exhibition reviews and scholarly essays.
\nValue: $3,000; two prizes of $1,000 each
\nDeadline: 15 September 2018
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Val Wood Prize for Creative Writing: Women\u2019s Writes
\n<\/strong>They want a short story of up to 1,500 words featuring a strong female protagonist. Their website says, \u201cTo celebrate 100 years since women won the right to vote, we have decided to focus on strong and formidable women in this year\u2019s competition, hence the title, Women\u2019s Writes.\u201d The competition is open to all genders.
\nValue: \u00a3100, \u00a350, \u00a325
\nDeadline: 15 September 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nBrilliant Flash Fiction: \u201cWow Us\u201d Writing Contest
\n<\/strong>They want flash fiction submissions, of up to 300 words. There is no set theme.
\nValue: \u20ac50, \u20ac25, \u20ac15, or equivalent in the winners\u2019 currencies
\nDeadline: 15 September 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nKids World Fun Short Story Contest
\n<\/strong>This is an international short story contest for young writers, aged 7-9 (300-500 words), 10-12 (500-700 words) and 13-16 (700-1,000 words) years. The upper word count limit can exceed in all categories. There is no set theme. Read the terms and conditions carefully \u2013 one of the conditions for entry is, \u201cAll winning, highly commended and outstanding stories may not be published elsewhere without permission from KidsWorldFun.\u201d
\nValue: $75, $50, $25 in each of the three age categories
\nDeadline: 15 September 2018
\nOpen for: Young writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Academy for Teachers and Tin House: Stories Out of School flash fiction contest
\n<\/strong>They want honest, unsentimental stories, of 6-479 words, about teachers and schools. The story\u2019s protagonist or its narrator has to be a teacher.
\nValue: $1,000, $500
\nDeadline: 16 September 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Horne Prize
\n<\/strong>They want an essay on \u2018Australian Life\u2019 of 2,500-3,000 words. It could be a profile, a reported feature on a particular issue, or a series of vignettes. They do not want essays that look on the past without that reflecting on the present or the future, lyric or memoir essays that are purely expositional, any writing that purports to represent the experiences of those in any minority community of which the writer is not a member, or essays about David Horne. Going to Melbourne for the prize ceremony is a condition of entry. Domestic travel and hotel expenses will be met if necessary.
\nValue: AUD15,000
\nDeadline: 17 September 2018
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nSpruce Mountain Press: Past Loves Day Story Contest
\n<\/strong>They want a true story of an earlier love, of up to 700 words. Their website says, \u201cTell us about someone whose memory brings a smile or a tear, or both:
\nWhat feelings arise if you allow yourself to be fully open to remembering that person?
\nWhat is it about that special someone that you still cherish?\u201d
\nEspecially, \u201chow did that person’s presence in your life change you and how you experience the world?\u201d Winning stories will be published \u2013 anonymously, if requested.
\nValue: $100, $75, $50
\nDeadline: 17 September 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nRoyal Society of Literature: Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction
\n<\/strong>There are two awards, to buy the time for a writer to complete their first work of non-fiction for a mainstream audience. Writers should have a publishing contract. Entries from writers well-established in another genre are unlikely to be accepted. Writers must be residents of the UK or Ireland.
\nValue: \u00a310,000, \u00a35,000
\nDeadline: 19 September 2018
\nOpen for: UK\/Irish writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nSpeculative Literature Foundation: Gulliver Travel Grant
\n<\/strong>This grant is to help writers of speculative literature (in fiction, poetry, drama, or creative non-fiction) in their research. It is to be used to cover airfare, lodging, and\/or other travel expenses. One of the entry requirements is a writing sample. Writers need not have been published to apply.
\nValue: $1,000
\nDeadline: 30 September 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nLilith Fiction Contest
\n<\/strong>They want a short story of up to 3,000 words and there are no theme restrictions. Lilith is a Jewish feminist magazine.
\nValue: $250
\nDeadline: 30 September 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nWriters\u2019 College: My Writing Journey Competition
\n<\/strong>They want a 600-word piece on the theme: The best writing tip I\u2019ve ever received. The writing can be funny, quirky, and\/or inspirational.
\nValue: AUD200\/\u00a3100
\nDeadline: 30 September 2017
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\nJerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest
\n<\/strong>Stories can be on any theme and should ideally be up to 3,000 words, though those up to 5,000 words will be considered.
\nReaders of this magazine are interested in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America.
\nValue: $100
\nDeadline: 30 September 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n Ron Hubbard\u2019s Writers & Illustrators of the Future
\n<\/strong>This contest is for new and amateur writers of short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Send stories of up to 17,000 words in length. This is a quarterly contest, and the year ends 30 September. Writers should be aware of this tweet<\/a> about the contest by Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware<\/a>.
\nValue: $1,000, $750, $500 quarterly; one annual prize of $5,000
\nDeadline: 30 September 2018
\nOpen for: New\/amateur speculative fiction writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize
\n<\/strong>In its inaugural year, the prize will be awarded to a debut prose fiction work in progress by a Caribbean writer living and working in a Caribbean country. Writers need to send a manuscript extract of up to 3,000 words as part of the application. There will be a focus on different genres in the coming years, namely non-fiction and poetry.
\nValue: TT20,000 or equivalent in US dollars (about USD2,960), mentoring, sponsored workshop and networking in the UK and London
\nDeadline: 30 September 2018
\nOpen for: Caribbean writers (see guidelines)
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nMother Jones: Ben Bagtikian Fellowship Program
\n<\/strong>Positions are now open for the Editorial (San Francisco and DC) fellowships. This is a research-intensive foray into investigative journalism. Fellows work closely with reporters and editors on everything from fact-checking and researching to reporting. They will receive training in the editorial process, from research tools and tactics to libel law and reporting strategies. This is for six months, with the opportunity of a further six-month extension. The positions are in San Francisco and Washington, and Mother Jones is unable to furnish work visas for those applying from outside of the US. They also have Social media, Digital media, and Strategic communications fellowships at other times of the year.
\nValue: $2,437.50\/ month, and $200 monthly healthcare stipend ($31,650 for 12 months)
\nDeadline: 1 October 2018
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails\u00a0here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n
\nEverything with Words: Urban YA Competition
\n<\/strong>This contest is for writers living in the UK, for an urban young adult novel manuscript (40,000-70,000 words) set in today\u2019s multicultural Britain. The writer can be agented or unagented and this should be their first YA novel. They want writing that \u201ccan capture the feel of the city, the sound and tone of how people speak, their raw thoughts, hopes and fears.\u201d
\nValue: \u00a31,000
\nDeadline: 30 November 2018
\nOpen for: UK-based writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n