{"id":7009,"date":"2019-07-26T06:16:25","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T13:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=7009"},"modified":"2019-07-26T06:16:51","modified_gmt":"2019-07-26T13:16:51","slug":"24-free-writing-contests-with-cash-prizes-up-to-25000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/24-free-writing-contests-with-cash-prizes-up-to-25000\/","title":{"rendered":"24 Free Writing Contests With Cash Prizes (Up to $25,000)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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These are contests and fellowships for writers of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Prizes range from $50 to \u00a320,000 ($25000). \u2013 S. Kalekar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Costa Short Story Award
\n<\/strong>This short story prize is for writers based in the UK or Ireland. There is no set theme and stories can be up to 4,000 words.
\nValue: \u00a33,500, \u00a31,000, \u00a3500
\nDeadline: 1 August 2019
\nOpen for: Writers in UK or Ireland
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Inaugural Curtis Brown First Novel Prize <\/strong><\/p>\n

To celebrate their 120th <\/sup>year, Curtis Brown has launched a first novel prize. Writers should send in the first 10,000 words of their novel (including any prologue) and a synopsis. Novels can be in any genre but should be aimed at adults, rather than young adults or children. Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring<\/em>, will chair the judging panel. This contest for unpublished novels, for writers in the UK and Ireland who do not have literary representation. Their guidelines also say, \u201cIf you have self-published your work, you are very welcome to enter!\u201d
\nValue: \u00a33,000 and representation; mentoring and writing courses for runners-up
\nDeadline: 1 August 2019
\nOpen for: UK-based writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Coalition of Texans with Disabilities: Pen 2 Paper
\n<\/strong>This is a disabilities-focused creative writing competition. Submissions are accepted from anywhere in the world and from writers of any age, ability or disability, and writing level. Writers can send submissions of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and comics on the theme of \u2018Disability\u2019. There is a special personal essays award<\/a> this year with a prize of $50.
\nValue: One prize of $500; $100 each to first-place winners in each category; special award of $50 for personal essays
\nDeadline: 1 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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The Bethune & Son Annual Texas Short Story Contest
\n<\/strong>They want a short story (up to 5,000 words) on the theme \u2018Black Gold\u2019. Stories must make reference to oil in some way, shape, or form. For any winners under 18, the monetary prize will be processed as a scholarship for academic purposes. Authors can send up to two stories.
\nValue: $1,000; second and third prizes of store credit
\nDeadline: 2 August 2019
\nOpen for: US writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Frieze Writer\u2019s Prize 2019
\n<\/strong>This prize is for discovering and promoting new art critics. Their guidelines say, \u201cWe celebrate criticism that is inquisitive, accessible and jargon-free; that engages with the physical complexities of art while situating it firmly within its broader context.\u201d Send one unpublished review (500 words) of an art exhibition. Applicants should have published no more than three pieces of writing on art. Value: \u00a32,000, writing commission
\nDeadline: 5 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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6th<\/sup> Crystal Ruth Bell Residency Program<\/strong>
\nThey are inviting people to apply for a fully-funded residency at Three Shadows & Red Gate Photography Art Centre in Beijing and Xiamen. They are calling for people of all types of creative practices to send them proposals for projects to pursue in China around the ideas of “light and sight”. Their guidelines say, \u201cAll creative people who make {work with, about, or from} images are welcome: photographers, filmmakers, cinematographers, animators, documentarians, photojournalists, researchers, critics, observers, lighting designers, astronomers, zine makers, opticians, and selfie enthusiasts are all invited to submit proposals around the themes of Light and Sight.\u201d
\nValue: Travel, residency, equipment expenses, $1,080 stipend
\nDeadline: 8 August 2019
\nOpen for: Both local and international creators
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Nature Magazine essay competition<\/strong>
\nThis year, Nature Magazine is turning 150 years old and they are celebrating with an essay contest for 18-25-year-olds. Their guidelines say, \u201cWe invite you to tell us, in an essay of no more than 1,000 words, what scientific advance, big or small, you would most like to see in your lifetime, and why it matters to you. We want to feature the inspiring voices and ideas of the next generation. … We are looking for essays that are well reasoned, well researched, forward-looking, supported by existing science, and leave room for personal perspective and anecdotes that show us who you are. We encourage you to entertain as well as to inform; we are not looking for academic papers, an academic writing style or science fiction.\u201d
\nValue: \u00a3500 or equivalent
\nDeadline: 9 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers ages 18-25
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2020 PEN\/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship<\/h2>\n

This fellowship is for helping writers of children\u2019s\/young adult fiction whose work is of high literary calibre. It is designed to assist a writer at a crucial moment in his or her career to complete a book-length fiction work-in-progress. Applicants must have already published one work for children or young adults that was warmly received by literary critics, but whose work has not yet attracted a broad readership. The earlier work\/s must have been published by a US trade publisher. Graphic novels and picture books are not eligible.
\nValue: $5,000
\nDeadline: 15 August 2019
\nOpen for: Published YA\/children\u2019s writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Headway Quarterly: Summer 2019 Writing Contest
\n<\/strong>Submissions are now open for their second writing contest. They want a piece of writing, in any genre, up to 350 words, on the theme of \u2018color\u2019.
\nValue: $100
\nDeadline: 15 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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The Bodley Head\/FT Essay Prize<\/strong>
\nThis is an essay contest for young writers, run by the Financial Times and The Bodley Head (an imprint of Random House, UK). Writers should submit an essay, of up to 3,500 words, on any topic. Apart from cash prizes, winners will also receive mentoring and publication.
\nValue: \u00a31,500, \u00a3500; mentoring, publication
\nDeadline: 16 August 2019
\nOpen for: Writers aged 18-35 years
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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World Congress of Faiths Essay Award<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>This award is for UK students, for an essay titled \u2018Is Interfaith Worship a desirable practice?\u2019 The essay should be up to 3,000 words.
\n<\/strong>Value: \u00a3300
\nDeadline: 27 August 2019
\nOpen for: Undergraduate and postgraduate students at a UK university
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Penguin Random House UK: Harvill Secker Young Translators\u2019 Prize<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>This is for translators aged 18-34 years, who have had no more than one full-length translation published. This year the focus language is French and entrants will translate an excerpt from the novel De purs hommes <\/em>by Senegalese author Mohamed Mbougar Sarr. They will accept mailed submissions only \u2013 the deadline is for receiving entries, not the postmark date.
\nValue: \u00a31,000, mentorship
\nDeadline: 30 August 2019
\nOpen for: Translators of French
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On the Premises Short Story Contest
\n<\/strong>They want a short story, of 1,000-5,000 words, in which some kind of tradition(s) play(s) an important role. They do not want children\u2019s fiction, exploitative sex, over-the-top grossout horror, or obvious parodies of existing fictional worlds\/characters created by other authors.
\nValue: $220, $160, $120, $60
\nDeadline: 30 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Tidbits Micro Fiction Contest
\n<\/b>They want micro fiction on the theme of \u2018Wishes\u2019. Stories could be about dreams, hopes, fantasies, needs, desires, wish-granting entities (genies, fairies, etc), be careful what you wish for, or wishful thinking, for example. They can range from somber to silly, real life to the fantastical, the dangerous to the banal. Stories must be limited to one page, or 500 words, whichever is longer, according to guidelines. They will compile an anthology of 50 stories from the entries, and three of the stories will receive a monetary award.
\nValue: $300, $150, $50
\nDeadline: 30 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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\nLunch Ticket: The Diana Woods Award in Creative Non-fiction
\n<\/strong>This is an award for creative non-fiction, of up to 5,000 words, on any subject. All submissions to the award will be considered for publication in Lunch Ticket.
\nValue: $250
\nReading period: 1-31 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Lunch Ticket: The Gabo Prize for Literature in Translation & Multilingual Texts
\n<\/strong>This award is for translators and authors of multilingual texts, in poetry or prose. Translators should include the original work with the translation, and a statement about the translation process. All submissions to the award will be considered for publication in other sections of Lunch Ticket.
\nValue: $200
\nReading period: 1-31 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Lee & Low Books: New Voices Award
\n<\/strong>This award is for writers of color and Native nations who are residents of the US, and have not previously had a children\u2019s picture book published. The work should address the needs of children of color and Native nations, aged 5-12, by providing stories with which they can identify and relate, and which promote a greater understanding of one another. Themes relating to non-traditional family structures, gender identity, or disabilities may also be included. Manuscripts can be fiction, non-fiction or poetry, and up to 1,500 words. Stories with anthropomorphic animals won\u2019t be accepted. Writers can send up to two manuscripts \u2013 mailed submissions only.
\nValue: $2,000 and publishing contract; $1,000
\nDeadline: 31 August 2019 (postmarked)
\nOpen for: US writers of color and Native nations
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Horror Writers Association Scholarships
\n<\/strong>These scholarships offer various amounts for assisting authors in professional development as horror writers. There are various amounts and requirements. The Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly scholarship is for female writers, and the Horror Writers Association scholarship is for all writers (no membership necessary). There is also the Dark Poetry Scholarship, and the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for Nonfiction Writing. The funds can be used for various things like course fees, resources like textbooks and guides, subscriptions for appropriate periodicals, and registration fees for relevant literary festivals.
\nValue: Various
\nDeadline: 31 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Amazon: Kindle Storyteller Award
\n<\/strong>This is for writers in any genre, for a book published exclusively through Kindle Direct Publishing in both eBook and print formats between 1 May and 31 August 2019. The paperback version must be at least 24 pages long. For this contest, readers will play a significant role in selecting the winner \u2013 the award shortlist will be based on customer feedback of the entries (\u201cincludes sales, reads through Kindle Unlimited and reviews and other matters\u201d), followed by an evaluation by a judging panel. Read the FAQ and terms carefully. This time around, there is also a potential for the work to be considered for production by Amazon Prime Video for all finalists: \u201cAll finalists of the 2019 UK Kindle Storyteller contest will be entered into an additional round of judging along with the finalists of the other KDP literary awards in other languages. One title will be selected by Amazon International Original Studios and the author will be offered an option contract for an audiovisual production and an advance payment of $10,000.\u201d
\nValue: \u00a320,000 for winner; potential for an additional advance of \u00a310,000 for all finalists
\nDeadline: 31 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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University of Southampton: Green Stories Writing Competitions \u2013 full-length novel
\n<\/strong>They have writing contests with deadlines throughout the year, in various formats \u2013 play, film, radio, book, tv, interactive fiction \u2013 that in some way touch upon ideas around building a sustainable society. They will consider all genres \u2013 rom-com, literary fiction, science fiction, mystery, crime etc. \u2013 but stories must engage with the idea of environmentally sustainable practices and\/or sustainable societies. They will consider all stories, but they encourage writers to imagine a more positive settings and practices for their stories, rather than dystopian. In August, they are reading novel submissions. According to their guidelines, length \u201cwill depend on genre, normal novels are 50,000 \u2013 100, 000 words but children\u2019s books may be as little as 15000. Submit the first 5,000 words double-spaced and numbered pages plus a one-page synopsis. We will then ask for the full novel from best entries.\u201d Apart from cash prizes, they also have agreement from a literary agent from Curtis Brown to read the top entries and consider any writers they think suitable for representation.
\nValue: For each category, \u00a3500, \u00a3100, \u00a350, plus \u00a350 for best student submission (18-25 years) and \u00a350 for best < 18 year submission. (If a student or under 18 entry is the best overall then it will win first prize regardless if the entry is from a student and the student prize will go to the next best student entry); potential literary representation
\nDeadline: 31 August 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Cultural Weekly: Jack Grapes Poetry Prize
\n<\/strong>This is a prize for unpublished poetry. Send up to two poems.
\nValue: $250 each for three winners, $75 each for finalists
\nDeadline: 31 August 201
\nOpen for: All poets
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Preservation Foundation Contest
\n<\/strong>This is a contest for unpublished writers (see guidelines). For the upcoming deadline, the prizes will be in two categories: general non-fiction, for which their guidelines say \u201cSo-called “creative nonfiction” will not be considered\u201d, and travel non-fiction. Entries should be 1,000-10,000 words. Read the terms carefully; all entries, regardless of whether or not they win, will be on their website as long as the Foundation exists.
\nValue: $200, $100
\nDeadline: 31 August 2019
\nOpen for: Unpublished writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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The Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest
\n<\/strong>For this contest, they have two categories: a traditional sonnet, which can be Shakespearean or Petrarchan, and a modern sonnet. Poets can enter work in one or both categories. They accept mailed submissions only.
\nValue: $50, $35, $15
\nDeadline: 1 September 2019 (postmarked)
\nOpen for: All poets
\nDetails here<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n

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Transitions Abroad: 2019 Expatriate and Work Abroad Writing Contest<\/strong>
\nThis is an international contest for professional and freelancer writers, to write a non-fiction inspirational and practical article or mini-guide (1,200-3,000 words) that describes their experience living, moving, and working abroad.
\nValue: $500, $150, $100, $50
\nDeadline: 1 September 2019
\nOpen for: All professional and freelance writers
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Free Book:<\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

182 Short Fiction Publishers<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Your guide to the world of short story publishing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n