This July there over four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $100,000 to a free writing class. None charge entry fees.
Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully.
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 is past, you can prepare for next year.
Good luck!
(Image: Pxhere)
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Woolgathering. Restrictions: All poets under 22 years old are eligible for this competition. Genre: Poetry. "As students who have lived in the Philippines, the political climate in our country is volatile. From the unending “War on Drugs” to political killings and media censorship, the liberty of Filipinos is continually diminishing. However, this issue is not exclusive to the Philippines, and instances of political injustice are evident everywhere. As young writers we can use words to challenge political injustice and propagate change. This scholarship is dedicated to uphold the voices of the unheard, and to seek the truth in times of repression." Prize: 1st Place: $200.00; 2nd Place: $40.00; 3rd Place: $10.00. All ten finalists will be featured in the Woolgathering Young Voices Anthology. Deadline: July 1, 2022.
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 1, 2022 (?)
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. Prize: $1000. Deadline: July 1, 2022.
#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: Revealed on June 21. Deadline: July 4 - 8, 2022.
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 between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. Self-published books are accepted. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: July 1, 2022.
Booth Summer Writing Contest: Beyond the Margins. Genre: "Send us your work that lives outside of the box, whether in content, in form, or both. Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, comics, lists, hybrid work, recipes, maps to hidden treasure or the secrets of the universe. The work that lives, has been made to live, on the margins and beyond. We want to champion work that does not receive the seat at the table where it rightfully belongs." Prize: $500 + publication. Deadline: July 1, 2022. Note: Free submission for all BIPOC writers.
BCLF Short Fiction Story Contest (BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writer’s Prize and BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean). Genre: Unpublished short fiction (3000 words max). Prize: US$1750 for each contest. Deadline: July 1, 2022.
Saudi Historical Novel Award. Co-sponsored by the Historical Novel Society and The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (DARAH). Genre: Historical novel, 60,000-150,000 words, that is set in the Arabian Peninsula in the Saudi period, 1700-1975. Prize: £10,000 prize. 2 runners up will be awarded £3,000 prizes and £2,000 respectively. Deadline: July 1, 2022.
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, 2022.
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 between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted. Prize: $100,000. Deadline: July 1, 2022.
The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers 2022. Restrictions: Open to unpublished Australian residents aged 18 years or older. Genre: Fiction and narrative non-fiction, the first three chapters plus synopsis (max 20,000 words). Prize: $10,000 and a year’s mentorship with one of Hachette Australia’s publishers. The Guardian Australia will publish an extract of the first chapter of the winning work on its website. Deadline: July 8, 2022.
The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition. Restrictions: Writers must be 21 or under on July 11. (Those over 21 can enter for a fee.) Genre: Short story on theme of "Switch." Length: 1,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: £1,000 and publication in the annual HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology. Deadline: July 11, 2022.
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 13, 2022. (midday)
Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize. Restrictions: Only undergraduates enrolled full time in United States and Canadian universities and colleges for the academic year 2020- 21 are eligible. "This Prize has traditionally encouraged submissions from students with an Asian background, but we urge all students to enter." Genre: Fiction of no more than 7,500 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: July 14, 2022.
Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction. See themes. Prize: $30. Deadline: July 14, 2022.
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 15, 2022 for fiction - August 8, 2022 for poetry. (It is difficult to find this information on their website.)
The 1729 Book Prize in Prose. Genre: Fiction and nonfiction. "We're open to most prose genres, though we tend to lean toward semi-experimental works with a strong literary bent. Hybrid works are welcome." Prize: $1000 and publication. Deadline: July 15, 2022.
Iron Horse Prize. Genre: First book of collected prose. Prize: The author of the winning entry will receive $1000, and their collection will be published in the summer of 2023 by Texas Tech University Press. Deadline: July 15, 2022. Free submissions on July 15 only.
The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize. Restrictions: Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online prior to their submission. Genre: Review of a contemporary art exhibition. Prize: £1,000. Deadline: July 15, 2022.
Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest. Genre: Poetry. Categories: #1 Traditional Sonnet – Shakespearean or Petrarchan; #2 Modern Sonnet. Prize: $50, 2nd Prize $30, 3rd Prize $20, three Honorable Mentions, three Special Recognitions. Deadline: July 15, 2022.
Louisiana State University Alexandria (Lsua) Department of English And Humanities Flash Fiction Contest. Genre: Flash fiction. "Tell a short-story with a title. In a minimum of 6 words and a maximum of 1,500 words, tell a story about what happened, who it happened to, and why." Prize: First, second, and third place finishers will be awarded $250, $150, and $100. Deadline: July 15, 2022.
Boardman Tasker Prize. Restrictions: The prize will be awarded for a work first published or distributed in the United Kingdom between July 17th 2021 and July 16th 2022. Genre: Books with a mountain, not necessarily mountaineering, theme whether fiction, non-fiction, drama or poetry, written in the English language. Prize: £3,000.00. Deadline: July 16, 2022.
Donn Goodwin and Joseph Gahagen Poetry Prizes: Milwaukee Irish Fest. Genre: Poetry. Entries should have a culture/literary relation to either Ireland, Irish-America, or to Irish poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: July 17, 2022.
W&A Working-Class Writers' Prize. Restrictions: Open to working class writers over 18 and living in the UK or ROI. Genre: All genres. Submit the beginning of an unpublished work-in-progress no more than 2,000 words in length and a one-page synopsis for the full manuscript. You must also include a short piece of writing (200 words) in the Covering Letter section of our online entry form about yourself and why this prize speaks to you. Prize: £200 and a mentoring session with judge and author Paul Mendez. Deadline: July 18, 2022.
Women Poetry Prize. Genre: "A critical essay engaging with the poetry of women of colour." Prize: The winning essay will be published in Women: a cultural review. The winner will also be awarded a sum of £500. Deadline: July 18, 2022.
Arablit Story Prize. Genre: Short story translated from Arabic. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 20, 2022.
Green Stories Short Story Writing Competition. Genre: Short story "focusing on the theme “clean vs. green. This is a targeted competition aimed at using an engaging fictional story to help readers understand how over-cleaning and misinformation about bacteria can mean that we can end up killing our bodies ‘good’ bacteria through over-use of harsh cleaning products. Your challenge is to write a short story (between 1000 and 3000 words) that helps to raise awareness and shift attitudes, especially for those people who assume that the more detergent the better.” Prize: £500 prize (or local currency equivalent). Deadline: July 21, 2022.
Solarpunk. Genre: Micro fiction 250 words or less based on the monthly contest theme. (See theme) Prize: $25 and publication on the Solarpunk Magazine website. Deadline: July 21, 2022. (Opens July 15)
Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. Restrictions: Books must be first edition English-language books written by a Canadian or American citizen or permanent resident of either country. Works written by women or non-binary authors are eligible for submission. The Prize welcomes and encourages submissions by transgender woman authors. Genre: Published novel, short story collection or graphic novel. Prize: $150,000 Canadian dollars. Deadline: Entries for books published between May 1, 2022 – August 31, 2022, must be received on or before July 22, 2022.
Black Voices in Children's Literature Writing Contest. Restrictions: The contest is open to Black authors who at the time of entry are at least 18 years of age and residing anywhere in the United States. Genre: Original children’s books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) or for ages 4–8 (300–800 words) featuring authentic, realistic Black characters and culture and focusing on one or more of the following topics: character development, self-esteem, identity, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, or other topics related to positive childhood development. Religious and fantasy themes will not be considered. Prize: First Place: $1000. Second Place: $500 cash prize. Third Place: $250 cash prize. Deadline: July 24, 2022.
Books Like Us. Genre: First novel. "The Simon & Schuster adult trade imprint is pleased to announce the second annual BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest to facilitate accessibility to underrepresented writers and celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States. As the nation continues to strive for progress, Simon & Schuster aims to help catalyze that change by amplifying voices that represent us, by publishing books like us. A two-week entry period will begin on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. At that time, writers are invited and encouraged to submit 25 pages of an original adult novel via the form on this page. The publisher welcomes inclusive, entertaining, and groundbreaking reads with expert pacing, depth, heart, and irresistible characters who leap from the page. At the end of the submission period, the editorial, marketing, and publicity teams at Simon & Schuster will review all submissions for originality, relevance to today’s publishing climate, and writing quality." Prize: In January 2023, the author of the selected novel will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Simon & Schuster." Deadline: July 26, 2022.
Boroondara Literary Awards. Restrictions: Open to Australians. Genre: Short fiction and poetry. Prize: More than $5,000 in prize money across various age groups in the Young Writers’ category. More than $3,500 in prize money in the Open Short Story category. Deadline: July 29, 2022.
Gasher First Book Scholarship. Restrictions: Open to US residents. Genre: First book. Prize: $250. This scholarship is to provide financial assistance to a writer submitting their first book. Deadline: July 29, 2022.
Singapore Unbound. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates. Genre: Critical essays on topics in Singapore literature. Prize: $250. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
The Washburn Chapbook Prize. Restrictions: Open to women or non-binary writers. Genre: Chapbook exactly 10 poems long. Prize: $200 and publication of their micro chapbook online at Harbor Review. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers only.
Superlative Literary Journal. Genre: Mini-Saga. Exactly 50 words (including the title). Theme: Futures. Payment: £10. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." Genre: Short story. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Prize: $100 plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.
Ann Petry Award. Restrictions: Open to Black authors. Genre: Previously unpublished prose, either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, with a minimum of 150 pages. Prize: $3000 and publication. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
Crossing the Tees Book Festival. Genre: Short stories, 3000 words max. Prize: Cash prize. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
Rachel Wetzsteon Chapbook Award. Genre: Poetry collection, around 30 pages. Prize: $1010.10 publication, and 25 copies. Deadline: July 31, 2022. Entry is free until July 31, after that there is a fee.
Briefly Write. Genre: Poetry up to 10 lines. Prize: 1st – £30 / 2nd – £15 / 3rd (x3) – £5. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
Foley Young Poets of the Year. Restrictions: Open to 11 – 17 year olds everywhere. Genre: Poetry. Prize: "Winners receive a bunch of exciting prizes and will be published by The Poetry Society." Deadline: July 31, 2022.
Crossing the Tees. Genre: Short story, 3000 words max. Prize: "Cash award." Deadline: July 31, 2022.
#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme of Kid Stuff. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag. Prize: Free Gotham class. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
Polar Expressions Publications Short Story and Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to Canadians only. Genre: Short story, poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
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, 2022.
Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Restrictions: Open to young poets age 11 - 17. Genre: Poetry. Prize: Publication. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
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, 2022.
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 2021 semester. Genre: Essay on topic: “The year 2022 is the anniversary of the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. How has the whole question of memorializing leading figures of the Civil War, including Lincoln, changed in the hundred years since then?” Prize: 1st Prize $1500 | 2nd Prize $750 | 3rd Prize $500. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
Biopage. Genre: Personal essays about the pandemic. Prizes: Up to $1000. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
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, 2022.
Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Poets living in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., or West Virginia. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500, publication by Broadkill River Press, ten author copies, and two cases of Dogfish Head craft beer. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
Sisters in Crime: Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers. Genre: An unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
The Governor General’s Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written, translated or illustrated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Genre: Best English-language and the best French-language book will be chosen in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Children’s Literature (text), Children’s Literature (illustrated books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
Tilted House: 1BR / 3BATH Poetry Chapbook Contest. Genre: Poetry chapbook, 16 - 35 pages of "experimental, puckish, political, funny, playful, polemical, and/or uncomfortable. In a word: anti-poetry. While there is no theme, per se, we are hungry for work that twists the arm of poetry’s status quo. We like meta poetics, satire, work that is aware of itself and what’s in the air. Maybe you “don’t know what you’re doing” or feel like your work is “unpublishable.” Send it to us! Give us your freaky. Give us your fun." Prize: $200. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
Kit Sora Flash Fiction Photography Contest. Restrictions: Open to residents in the Atlantic Provinces. Genre: Flash fiction inspired by a Kit Sora photo, 250 words max. Prize: 10 cents/word. Deadline: July 31, 2022.
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