{"id":7500,"date":"2019-11-29T05:49:51","date_gmt":"2019-11-29T13:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=7500"},"modified":"2019-12-02T10:59:07","modified_gmt":"2019-12-02T18:59:07","slug":"22-free-writing-contests-with-cash-prizes-up-to-38000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/22-free-writing-contests-with-cash-prizes-up-to-38000\/","title":{"rendered":"22 Free Writing Contests With Cash Prizes (Up to $38,000)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

These 22 contests and fellowships are for writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and plays. Prizes range from $100 to \u00a330,000 ($38,000 USD). None of these charge an entry fee, and some of the deadlines are approaching rapidly. \u2013 S. Kalekar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shambhala Publications: Bala Kids & The Khyentse Foundation Children’s Book Prize<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is for the\nbest Buddhist children\u2019s picture book manuscript. Stories should be for\nchildren ages 0\u20138, both fiction and non-fiction, from all Buddhist traditions. This year, the prize will be offered to\nthe best Buddhist book about one or more of the following foundational Buddhist\ntopics: The Four Noble Truths; Dependent Arising; Karma; Rebirth; Impermanence.\nGenerally the story should range between 20 and\n40 pages, not exceeding 2,000 words. New authors are\nespecially encouraged to apply. The prize is intended only for book manuscripts;\nand not for illustrations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Value: A $5,000 publication offer from\nBala Kids
\nDeadline: 1 December 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Better than Starbucks\nSonnet Contest
\n<\/strong>This contest accepts metrical sonnets. Their guidelines say,\n\u201cYour sonnet can be shakespearean, petrarchan, spenserian, rhymed, or\nslant-rhymed. Blank verse is fine, as long as the sonnet form is clearly\nidentifiable. We’ll consider tetrameter, hexameter, etc. as well as pentameter.\nSome metrical variation is fine, but don’t forget the volta!\u201d Poets can submit\nup to two sonnets.
\nValue: $100, $50, $25
\nDeadline: 1 December 2019
\nOpen for: All poets
\nDetails here<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sillerman First Book\nPrize for African Poets
\n<\/strong>This\nis a poetry contest for African writers. \nManuscripts must be at least 50 pages long. 
\nValue: $1,000
\nDeadline: 1 December 2019
\nOpen for: African writers (see guidelines)
\nDetails here<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

fresh.ink\nwriting contest
\n<\/strong>This contest is for\nshort stories, novelettes, novellas, and novels. Writers can enter as many\ntimes as they like, and entries can be from anywhere in the world. Writers are\nfree to publish already-published stories. Read the guidelines carefully –\nfresh.ink is a platform that will connect your writing to beta readers for\nratings, engagement analytics, and feedback. According to guidelines, \u201cOur\njudging process works the same way. Rather than using a small team of editors\nto decide, we\u2019ll match your work with a subset of readers on our fresh.ink\nmobile reading app.\u201d Writers are rated by the average \u2018completion rate\u2019\n(the number of readers who finished reading your story) and star rating. All\nsubmissions have to be in US English. They do not offer publishing deals.
\nValue: $3,000 for novels, $2,000 for novellas, $1,500 for novelettes, and\n$1,000 for short stories
\nDeadline: 1 December 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brooklyn Non-Fiction\nPrize
\n<\/strong>They\nwant an essay which is set in Brooklyn, is about Brooklyn, and\/or Brooklyn\npeople\/characters. They want work from writers all backgrounds and ages, \u201cwho\ncan render Brooklyn\u2019s rich soul and intangible qualities through the writer\u2019s\nactual experiences in Brooklyn.\u201d 
\nValue: $500
\nDeadline: 1 December 2019
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New York Encounter 2020 Poetry Contest
\n<\/strong>New York Encounter, an annual three-day public\ncultural event in the heart of New York City, is sponsoring its fourth annual\npoetry contest to celebrate its 2020 theme: \u2018Crossing the Divide\u2019 (see\nguidelines for details). They invite all poets writing in English to submit up\nto 3 poems (maximum 40 lines each), related in some way to the theme. The\nwinners will be invited to read their poems on the New York Encounter stage at\nMetropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street during the 3-day festival which\nwill take place February 14\u201316 (Presidents’ Day Weekend). They can accept only\nup to 250 submissions per month during the contest period.
\nValue: $300, $200, $100
\nDeadline: 2\nDecember 2019
\nOpen for: All\npoets
\nDetails here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

J. Anthony Lukas\nWork-in-Progress Awards
\n<\/strong>Two\nawards are given for non-fiction works in progress which deal with a topic of\nAmerican political or social concern, to aid their completion. Writers must\nalready have a contract with a US-based publisher. There is no fee for the\nwork-in-progress award. The prizes are run by Columbia Journalism School \u2013 they\nalso have the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize and the Mark Lynton History Prize,\nand these awards have an entry fee.
\nValue: $25,000
\nDeadline: 9 December 2019
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a> and here<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobrow Short Story Competition
\n<\/strong>For this contest, they\nwant a piece of fiction or nonfiction on the theme of \u2018The Censor\u2019. They will\nselect up to 12 entries for their anthology.
\nValue: \u00a32,000 for one winner; \u00a3150\nfor all other potential contributors
\nDeadline: 9 December 2019
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a>
\n
\nThe Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award 2020
\n<\/strong>The award is for a short story of\nup to 6,000 words, and is open to any novelist or short story writer from\naround the world who has been published in the UK or Ireland.
\nValue: \u00a330,000
\nDeadline: 13 December 2019
\nOpen for: Those who\u2019ve been published in the UK or Ireland
\nDetails here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Young\nTheatre Playwriting Contest
\n<\/strong>This\nprize is for bold and powerful plays for young audiences, written in any\nofficial European language. Performance time for Category A is 60-120 minutes\nand for Category B, 30-60 minutes. They accept plays co-authored by more than one\nwriter. Writers can send up to three entries. The play must be a new and\noriginal piece of work.  
\nValue: \u20ac2,400 for Category A,\n\u20ac1,000 for Category B + other prizes
\nDeadline: 15 December 2019
\nOpen for: All playwrights
\nDetails here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wick Poetry Center: Call for Poems for Peace and Conflict Transformation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their guidelines say,\n\u201cThe Wick Poetry Center is now accepting poetry submissions as part of the\ncommemoration of the 50th anniversary of the May 4 shootings. The poems should\nresonate with the themes of peace, conflict transformation, and student\nadvocacy. We are accepting submissions in three categories: youth (K-12),\nadult student, or adult non-student.\u201d There\u2019s also a possibility for winners to\nread their poems at Kent State during the May 4 Music and Poetry Event on April\n21. All winners will have their poems set to a musical composition by students\nin the Kent State University School of Music.
\nValue: $500 in each category; $250 for two poets
\nDeadline: 15 December 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homebound\nPublications: The Prism Prize for Climate Literature
\n<\/strong>This is for a work of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry\nmanuscript in the genre of climate literature. The final manuscript of up to\n75,000 words (for fiction and non-fiction) and a market assessment and\/or\nstatement of marketing intentions are part of the submission requirement. The\ncontest is for authors living in the US or UK.
\nValue: $1,000, publication contract
\nDeadline: 15 December 2019
\nOpen for: US and UK authors
\nDetails here<\/a>\nand here<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poetry Society of America: The Four Quartets Prize
<\/strong>This is for a unified and complete sequence of poems published in America in a print or online journal, chapbook, or book in 2019. Poems in the sequence may have been published in different journals provided that they were published in 2019 and that brought together, they form a complete sequence. The minimum requirement is 14 pages of published poems unified by subject, form, and style. Entire books composed of a unified sequence, however long, are also welcome. Submissions will have to be mailed. Self-published work is not eligible.  They have other upcoming awards also, though these have an entry fee.
Value: $1,000 for three finalists, an additional $20,000 for the winner
Deadline: 23 December 2019
Open for: Unspecified
Details here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Society of Classical Poets: 2020\nPoetry Translation Competition and High School Poetry Competition
\n<\/strong>–This is for poetry translations<\/a>, which should\nnot exceed 108 lines. Translated poetry should be from the Romantic period or\nearlier. Translations should be metered. Include the poem in its original\nlanguage.<\/em> Rhyme\nand other traditional techniques are encouraged as well, but not required.
\n–There is also a High\nSchool Prize<\/a>; send one to three poems on any topic. Poems must contain meter.\nCounting the number of syllables and ensuring there are a similar number in\neach line is sufficient. All together, the poems should total 108 lines or\nless. Students should also include their grade level and high school name.
\nThey have another classical poetry contest that has a bigger prize, and an\nentry fee.
\nValue: $100 Translation Prize; $100 High School Prize
\nDeadline: 31 December 2019
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. Naval Institute\nGeneral Prize Essay Contest
\n<\/strong>This\nprize is for an essay of up to 3,000 words to \u201cadvance the professional,\nliterary and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to\nnational defence.\u201d The contest is open to all persons eligible for membership\n(including those already members) in the Naval Institute.  
\nValue: $6,000, $3,000,\n$2,000
\nDeadline: 31 December 2019
\nOpen for: Those eligible for membership in the Naval Institute
\nDetails here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue Mountain Arts:\nPoetry Card Contest
\n<\/strong>This\nbiannual contest is for poetry for the greeting card company. Poems can be\nrhyming or non-rhyming, though they find non-rhyming poetry reads better. Poets\ncan enter the contest as often as they like.  
\nValue: $350, $200, $100
\nDeadline: 31 December 2019
\nOpen for: All poets
\nDetails here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lilith\nMagazine Fiction Contest
\n<\/strong>This magazine publishes work of\ninterest to Jewish women. They like work with both feminist and Jewish content.\nSubmit up to 3,000 words. 
\nValue: $250
\nDeadline: 31 December 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9th<\/sup> Annual Drinking Gourd\nChapbook Poetry Prize
\n<\/strong>This poetry chapbook\ncontest is for poets of color who have\nnot previously published a book-length volume of poetry. Simultaneous\nsubmissions to other contests should be noted. Apart from publication and a\ncash prize, the winner also gets a featured reading at The Poetry Foundation.\nThe winner must be available for a reading in Chicago in January of 2021.
\nValue: $350
\nDeadline: 31 December 2019
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ouen Press Short Story Competition
\n<\/strong>For this short fiction\ncontest, they want a story of 4,000-10,000 words on the theme of \u2018The Gift\u2019.\nTheir guidelines say, \u201cThe short story must be a work of fiction involving a\n‘Gift’ of any type (a present, a capability) at any time (past, present day,\nfuture) or in any place (this world or another) within its theme.  For the purposes of this competition, the term\n‘Gift’ will be viewed by the judges in the widest possible sense related to\nboth setting and context. They will focus on well-written compelling storylines,\nthoughtful plots and engaging characters.\u201d Read the guidelines carefully \u2013\nthey reserve the right to change the rules without notice.
\nValue: \u00a3300; two prizes of \u00a3100 each
\nDeadline: 31 December 2019
\nOpen for: All writers
\nDetails here<\/a>
\n
\nMartha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies: Steinbeck Fellowships
\n<\/strong>These\nare fellowships to help\nwriters complete a book project. Up to six Steinbeck Fellows are selected each\nyear from disciplines including fiction, creative non-fiction, biography,\ndrama, and Steinbeck studies.
\nValue: $15,000,\nresidency at San Jos\u00e9 State\nUniversity
\nDeadline: 2 January 2020
\nOpen for: Unspecified
\nDetails here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minotaur Books: The\nTony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Set in the Southwest
\n<\/strong>This\nis for US and Canadian writers, for a first novel (manuscript) of mystery \u2013 in\nwhich a serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story, and the emphasis\nis on the solution rather than the details of the crime \u2013 of approximately\n60,000 words. The story\u2019s primary setting must be one or more\nof the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico,\nOklahoma, Texas and\/or Utah. Each manuscript will be assessed based on the\nfollowing criteria, weighted as indicated: publishable quality\nof manuscript (60%); creativity (20%); and originality (20%). In the event of a\ntie, the tie will be broken based on the higher score in the \u201cpublishable\nquality of manuscript\u201d category. Minotaur is an imprint of St Martin\u2019s Press, which\nis part of Macmillan.
\nValue: $10,000 advance\nagainst royalties
\nDeadline: 2 January 2020
\nOpen for: US and Canadian writers
\nDetails here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

St.\nMartin\u2019s Minotaur\/ Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition<\/strong> 
\n<\/strong>This\nis an international contest for crime novel manuscripts, for writers who have never been the author of any published novel\nin any genre. The writing should be no less than 220 pages, or approximately\n60,000 words. Minotaur is an imprint of St Martin\u2019s Press, which\nis part of Macmillan.  
\nValue: $10,000 advance\nagainst royalties
\nDeadline: 3 January 2020
\nOpen for: Unpublished writers (see guidelines)
\nDetails here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> S. Kalekar is the\npseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She is the author of 182 Short Fiction Publishers.<\/a> She can be reached here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These 22 contests and fellowships are for writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and plays. Prizes range from $100 to \u00a330,000 ($38,000 USD). None of these charge an entry fee, and some of the deadlines are approaching rapidly. \u2013 S. Kalekar Shambhala Publications: Bala Kids & The Khyentse Foundation Children’s Book Prize This is for the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7500"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7511,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7500\/revisions\/7511"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}