40 Writing Contests in July 2019 - No entry fees

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There are over three dozen contests in July for short stories, poetry, essays, scripts, and books in every genre. None charge entry fees. Prizes range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to publication. Some accept self-published work. As always, read the restrictions to make sure you qualify.

If you want to get a jump on next month's contests go to Free Contests. Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck!


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She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing (STEP). Restrictions: Open to woman of color (people whose heritage is African, Indigenous to the Americas, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Arab, or people of mixed racial heritage with one or two parents who fit into the above groups). Trans/non-binary or genderqueer women welcome! Genre: Full-length fiction and nonfiction. Prize: The STEP winners will receive a publishing deal to publish on either She Writes Press or SparkPress, which will be determined by the publisher based on genre and writing style. Both include the full services of the She Writes Press and SparkPress Publishing Package (each valued at $7500). Deadline: July 1, 2019.

The Purorrelato Flash Fiction Competition. Genre: Short stories of 200-1400 words by any author. Theme is open but stories should have a link to Africa. Prize: 600 euros. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

The Cozy Cat Poetry Contest. Genre: Mystery-themed poems of up to 2 pages by any poet. Prize: Publication and (for top winners) $25-$100, illustration of your poem, and a print copy of the book. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. The work submitted must be a first book of poetry published between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Winter Tangerine Award. Genre: Unpublished poetry and prose from writers who have not yet published a collection of poems, a collection of short stories or a novel. Prize: $250 award to the winners and $50 to each of the finalists. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Sponsored by Claremont Graduate University. Restrictions: Poets must be citizens or legal resident aliens of the United States. Genre: Poetry. Book must be author's first full-length book of poetry, published between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. Self-published books are accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Richard J. Margolis Award. Genre: Journalism. Prize is awarded annually to a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. Prize: $5,000 and one month of residency at Blue Mountain Center. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Cheshire Prize for Literature. Restrictions: The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire, UK. Genre: Original and previously unpublished playscript. Prize: £2,000. Deadline: July 1, 2019.

Emmy Awards - Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. Restrictions: Non-US citizens under the age of 30 only. Prize: $2,500, a trip to New York City, and an invitation to the International Emmy® Awards Gala in November. Deadline: July 3, 2019.

Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards. Restrictions: Scottish writers over 18 years of age. Genres: The awards are divided into three different categories.: Fiction and Narrative Non-fiction in English and Scots, Poetry in English and Scots, Children’s and Young Adult Fiction in English and Scots. Prize: £2,000 and personal development opportunities, which can include mentoring from writers and industry professionals. Training in PR, performance and presentation training, and the opportunity to showcase work to publishers and agents. Deadline: July 3, 2019 (midday).

1455’s First Teen Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Writer aged 13-19. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 5, 2019.

John Glassco Translation Prize. Sponsored by Literary Translators' Association of Canada.  Restrictions: Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents only. Genre: The work submitted must be the translator's first published book-length translation into English or French. The book must have been published between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. Prize: $1000. Deadline: July 5, 2019.

The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition. Restrictions: Writers must be 21 or under on July 8. (Those over 21 can enter for a fee.) Genre: Short story on theme of "Time." Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000 and publication in the annual HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology.  Deadline: July 8, 2019.

#PassOrPages Query Contest. Participating agents give brief feedback on a handful of entries, explaining why they're passing ... or requesting pages! The queries and accompanying feedback are posted on our blog anonymously, which helps querying authors get a peek into agents' minds as they go through their slush piles. Genre: Deadline: July 8 - 12, 2019.

Stone Canoe. Restrictions: Open to people who live or have lived in Upstate New York (not New York City). Genres: Drama, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: July 8, 2019  (poetry), July 22, 20189 (fiction), July 28, 2019 (non-fiction).

Vincent Buckley Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Irish poets. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $12,000 for an Irish poet to travel to Australia in 2020. Deadline: July 8, 2019.

Green Stories Writing Competition. Genre: Radio Play Drama/Comedy series about building a sustainable society. Prize: £750: 1st prize £500, 2nd prize £100, third prize £50 plus £50 for best student submission (18-25 years) and £50 for best < 18 year submission. Deadline: July 12, 2019.

Undiscovered Voices. Restrictions: Current members of SCBWI who live in the UK or one of the current countries of the EU or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Genre: Opening of an already completed novel for children, aimed at any age from 5 years through to Young Adult. You may submit up to 4,000 words – choosing a suitable place to stop your extract. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 15, 2019.

Langdon Review Writer-in-Residence Program. This is a two-week residency at Texas-based Tarleton State University, providing an opportunity to present at the Langdon Review Weekend festival, and publication in the school's Langdon Review journal. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 15, 2019.

The Woodrow Hall Top Shelf Awards 2018. Genre: Poetry book published in 2018. Prize: $100.  Deadline: July 15, 2019.

Singapore Poetry Contest. Genre: Poetry containing the word "Singapore" by anyone who is NOT a Singaporean citizen or permanent resident in Singapore. Prize: $100.  Deadline: July 15, 2019.

Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction. Restrictions: Books must be English-language, first-edition trade books published by a Canadian press, written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Titles must be published between May 22, 2019 and September 30, 2019.  Genre: Literary nonfiction including, among other forms, works of personal or journalistic essays, memoirs, commentary, criticism both social and political, history, and biography.   Prize: Winner: $60,000; Finalists: $5,000. Deadline: July 17, 2019.

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $25,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between May 22, 2018 and September 30, 2019. Prizes of $2,500 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: July 17, 2019.

Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award. Genre: Poetry, short stories. Prize: Each winner will receive $1,800 in Writer’s Relief submission services free of charge. Deadline: July 23, 2019.

Lumberloft Short Fiction Contest. Restrictions: US residents aged 18+. Genre: Unpublished short story, 5,000 words maximum. theme is "Death from Above". Prize: $1000. Deadline: July 30, 2019.

Lune Spark Young Writers' Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to writers 10-13 years old, and 13-16 years old. (Two categories.) Genre: Short story. Prize: $500 for first place; $250, 2nd place; $100, 3rd place. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Broken River Prize. Sponsored by Platypus Press. Genre: Poetry chapbook.  Prize: $250/£200.    Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Baltimore Science Fiction Society Amateur Writing Contest. Restrictions: Open to Maryland residents or students at a MD 2- or 4-year college, and not a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America or published in a professional science fiction/fantasy magazine Genre: Science fiction short stories. Prize: 1st place is $250; 2nd place is $100; 3rd place is $50. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Green Stories Writing Competition. Genre: Novel about building a sustainable society. Prize: £750: 1st prize £500, 2nd prize £100, third prize £50 plus £50 for best student submission (18-25 years) and £50 for best < 18 year submission. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Betjeman Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to UK residents aged 10-13. Genre: Poem.  Prize: £500.00. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to young poets age 11 - 17. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Landfall Essay Competition. Restrictions: Open to New Zealand writers. Genre: Essay about New Zealand. Prize: The winner will receive $3000 and a year’s subscription to Landfall. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to students who are FULL TIME, undergraduate students in an AMERICAN COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY during the Spring 2015 semester. Genre: Essay: Abraham Lincoln: Our Greatest President? Prize: 1st Prize $1500 | 2nd Prize $750 | 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

SLF Diverse Writers and Diverse Worlds Grants. Restrictions: Open to writers from underrepresented and underprivileged groups, such as writers of color, women, queer writers, disabled writers, working-class writers, etc. -- those whose marginalized identities may present additional obstacles in the writing / publishing process. Genres: Book-length works (novels, collections of short stories) of speculative fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Polar Expressions Publications Short Story and Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Short story, poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Jan Garton Prairie Heritage Book Award. Genre: Book published in 2016 that illuminates the heritage of North America's mid-continental prairies, whether of the tall-grass, mid-grass, or short-grass regions. Authors' first books receive extra consideration. Books may be in any genre, and topics may include but are not limited to social or natural history; prairie culture of the past or in-the-making; and interactions between society and ecology. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

The 2019 Spooky Samhain Stories Contest. Genre: Horror. Entries must match one of the following themes: ‘True Tales of Terror,’  or ‘Fantastic Frights.' Prize: $100. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Peaceful Dumpling Environmental Writing Prize. Genre: Poetry, fiction, or essays about environmental issues such as climate change, environment, conservation, and animal rights. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Genre: Book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Book must be published in Canada. Prize: CAN $25,000.00. Deadline: July 31, 2019.

Submerging Writer Fellowship. Restrictions: Writers who have never published a book or won any major writing awards, and who are not currently studying in an MFA or PhD program and "you battle daily the barriers of luck, society, fate, a curse, the cosmos, some major setback, or all of the above." Genre: Everything? Prize: $1,000 ($500 prize and up to $500 to be used toward expenses associated with attending a conference, workshop, class, or retreat). Deadline: July 31, 2019.