49 Writing Contests in December 2024 - No entry fees

This December there are more than four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range from $25,000 to publication. 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. Many of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline has passed, you can prepare for next year.

Good luck! 

(Image: Pickpik)

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Charlotte and Wilbur Award For Compassion for Animals. Genre: Picture book, chapter book, middle-grade book (or graphic novel), or young adult book traditionally or self- published in 2024. Books in translation are welcome. The Charlotte and Wilbur Award for Compassion for Animals will award one winning book and one honor book for their dedication to promoting compassion and respect for animals in their readers. Prize: The winning book will receive a prize of $2,500 and the honor book will receive $1,000. If the winning or honor book is a picture book, the prize will be split between the author and illustrator. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Weird Christmas Flash Contest. Genre: Weird flash fiction. 350 words max. Prize: $35 - $50. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction is offered annually to the best book in American historical fiction that is both excellent fiction and excellent history. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

The Pushcart Prize honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in small presses and literary magazines. Magazine and small press editors may nominate up to six works. Pushcart Press publishes yearly anthologies of the winning submissions. Prize: Publication and enormous prestige. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Poetry Center at Smith College Prize. Restrictions: Open to sophomore or junior high school girls in New England. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poetry. Restrictions: Open to African poets who have not yet published a collection of poetry. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $1,000 and book publication through the University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

The Schneider Family Book Award is sponsored by the American Library Association. The award honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Prize: Three annual awards each consisting of $5000 and a framed plaque, will be given annually in each of the following categories: birth through grade school (age 0-10), middle school (age 11-13) and teens (age 13-18). (Age groupings are approximations).  Genre: May be fiction, biography, or other form of nonfiction. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Ezra Jack Keats Children's Book Award. Genre: Published or self-published picture books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Thomas and Lillie D. Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing. Restrictions: Open to published writers who are writing from the region. Genres: All. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 1, 2024. 

The Association of Jewish Libraries Jewish Fiction Award. Genre: All works of fiction with significant Jewish thematic content written in English–novels, short story and flash fiction collections–by a single author published and available for purchase in the United States during 2022 are eligible for the award. Jewish thematic content means an extended grappling with Jewish themes throughout the book, including Judaism, Jewish history and culture, Jewish identity, etc. Prize: The award will include a $1,000 cash prize as well as support to attend the AJL conference to receive the award. Deadline: December 1, 2024.

Subnivean New Writers Award: CNY High School Writing Scholarship Competition. Restrictions: Open to high-school-aged writers in Oswego County, Onondaga County, Oneida County, Herkimer County, Madison County, Cayuga County and Cortland County. Genre: Short stories and poetry. Prize: $100 bookstore gift certificate, $1,000 scholarship to attend SUNY Oswego as a creative writing or English major. Deadline: Opens December 1, 2024.

One Teen Story. Restrictions: Open to writers age 13 -19. Genre: Short story between 2,000 to 4,500 words. Prize: $500 upon publication and 25 copies of the magazine. Deadline: December 2, 2024.

J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. Genre: Nonfiction book. Applicants for the award must already have a contract with a U.S.-based publisher to write a nonfiction book. Award: $25,000. Deadline: December 5, 2024.

RSL Christopher Bland Prize. Restrictions: Writers must be a citizen of, or resident in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. Books must have been published for the first time in the UK or RoI within the 2023 calendar year. Books must be entered by trade publishers or agents based in the UK or RoI; each publisher, imprint of a publisher, or agent may enter two books only. Genre: Debut novel or non-fiction book first published by a writer aged 50 or over. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: December 6, 2024. 

Kim Wall Memorial Fund. Restrictions: Open to "journalists whose work embodies the spirit of Kim’s reporting. The grant will fund women or non-binary reporters covering subculture, broadly defined, and what Kim liked to call “the undercurrents of rebellion.” Kim wanted more women to be out in the world, brushing up against life, and the Kim Wall Memorial Fund honors this legacy.” Genre: Journalism. Prize: $5,000 grants. Deadline: December 8, 2024.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 8, 2024. Opens December 6.

Jane Martin Poetry Prize (UK). Restrictions: Open to UK residents between 18 and 30 years of age. Genre: Poetry. Prize: First prize £1000, second prize, £500. Deadline: December 9, 2024. 

Smokelong Fellowship for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: All writers previously unpublished in SmokeLong Quarterly and who do not have a published chapbook or book-length work in any genre (or are not under contract for such) are eligible to apply. Genre: Flash fiction (1000 words max). Prize: $500. Deadline: December 12, 2024. For writers who cannot afford an application fee, there is a free submission option in Submittable.)

International Booker Prize. The International Booker Prize for fiction translated into English is awarded annually by the Booker Prize Foundation to the author of the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible novel or collection of short stories. The work must be published by a UK or Ireland publishing house. Authors are not permitted to enter their own works. Prize: £50,000 divided equally between the author and the translator. There will be a prize of £2,000 each of the shortlisted titles divided equally between the author and the translator. Deadline: December 13, 2024 for works published between December 31, 2024 and April 30, 2025.

Friends of American Writers. Restrictions: The author must be a resident (or previously have been a resident for approximately five years) of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin; or the locale of the book must be in a region identified above. The author must not have published more than three books under his/her own pen name. Genres: Books can be fiction or creative non-fiction and published in 2024. Self-published and e-Books are not eligible. Prize: $500 - $2000. Deadline: December 14, 2024.

Apparition Lit. Genre: Flash fiction up to 1000 words on theme. Prize: $30. Deadline: December 14, 2024. See themes.

Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Crime Novel Competition. Restrictions: The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any published novel (except that authors of self-published works only may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. Genre: Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 15, 2024.

Massachusetts Book Awards. Restrictions: Open to Massachusetts residents. Genre: (1) fiction, (2) nonfiction, (3) poetry, (4) children’s picture books/early readers, (5) middle-grade/young adult literature, (6) translated literature, and (7) graphic novel/memoir published in 2024. Additionally, the Notable Contribution to Publishing award recognizes the exceptional output of the Massachusetts publishing community. Prize: Prestige. Deadline: December 15, 2024.

Fabuly Writer's Challenge. Genre: 2,000-word (max) story on the theme of "An Unexpected Encounter."  Prize: $500. Deadline: December 15, 2024. Note: submissions are capped at 200.

Lit Fox Award. Genre: Full-length poetry collection. Prize: $1500 and publication. Deadline: December 15, 2024.

RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: Candidates must be: A Canadian citizen or permanent resident; Under the age of 35; Unpublished in book form and without a book contract. Genre: Poetry and fiction. Prizes: Up to C$10,000. Deadline: December 16, 2024.

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period. Prize: $8,000 cash awards are made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for unrestricted use. These fellowships are not project grants but are intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her artistic development. Deadline: December 17, 2024.

Love Letters to London Writing Competition. Genre: Poetry and "open." The theme this year is “Dreams for London”What are your passions, hopes and dreams for this incredible city? Just let your imagination run wild. It can be reportage, an historical essay, a ‘think piece’, a spot of futurology, a work of fiction, a poem." Prize: £150 - £500. Deadline: December 20, 2024. Open to all ages. Some reprints accepted.

VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Genre: First novel published in 2024. No self-published books. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 30, 2024.

Griffin Poetry Prize. Genre: Poetry. To be eligible for the prize, a book of poetry must be a published first-edition collection (i.e. not previously published in any country), written in English, or translated into English, by a poet/translator from any part of the world, including Canada. Entries must come from publishers only. Inquiries about entries must also come from publishers only. Prize: The winner will receive C$130,000 and the other shortlisted poets will each receive C$10,000. Deadline: December 20, 2024, for books published between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is held four times a year. Restrictions: The Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment of at least six cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits. Genre: Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500, Annual Grand Prize: $5,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award.  Restrictions: Only Poetry Society of America members may enter free of charge. Others must pay a $15 entry fee. Genre: Poetry, unpublished and published. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Chapter House Indigenous Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to Indigenous writers. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $250. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

PEN Prison Writing Contest. Restrictions: Anyone incarcerated in a federal, state, or county prison is eligible to enter. Genres: Poetry, fiction, drama, creative nonfiction. Prize: $25 - $250. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Lilith Magazine Fiction Competition. Genre: Fiction. Short story of interest to Jewish women. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Restrictions: Emerging African American writers. Genres: Short story collection or novel published in the current year. Prize: $10,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award. Genre: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction. Prize: $500 and publication in Meridians Journal: feminism, race, transnationalism. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to students enrolled in M.D. and D.O. programs in the US, Puerto Rico, or Canada, and a physician category, open to any rank of physician (M.D. or D.O.) at any career stage, from residency to retirement, in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or Canada. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $300. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Hooks Institute National Book Award. Genre: Nonfiction book that best furthers understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement and its legacy. Prize: $1000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

The Four Quartets Prize. Genre: Unified and complete sequence of poems published in America in a print or online journal, chapbook. Poems in the sequence may have been published in different journals provided that they were brought together and they form a complete sequence. Prize: Three finalists will receive $1,000 each. The winner will receive an additional $20,000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

The W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. It recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction. Genre: Military fiction. Prize: $5000. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

The Caribbean Writer Prizes. Genre: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays or one act plays which explore the ideas resonating within the region and its diaspora, written by a US or UK Virgin Islands resident accepted for publication by The Caribbean Writer during the deadline year. See theme. Prize: $300 - $600. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

The Lyric College Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to undergraduates enrolled full time in an American or Canadian college or university. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

The Drabble Harvest Contest. Genre: Drabble on theme of "Hunting With the Wolves." A "drabble" is defined as a short story containing exactly precisely no more and no fewer than 100 words. It has a title, which can be from 1 to 15 words-- but no more than 15. Prize: $5. Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Maureen Seaton Poetry Prize. Restrictions: Open to persons who reside, either full or part-time, in South Florida. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $500. Deadline: December 31, 2024. Closes after cap is reached.

Lex:lead Essay Competition. Restrictions: Candidates must show citizenship in an eligible country and be enrolled in studies with at least one law class in an eligible country at the time of the award. Genre: Essay: How can laws regulating climate change and the environment support economic development?Prize: $500 scholarship. Deadline: December 31, 2024. (Registration deadline October 31)

#GWstorieseverywhere. Genre: Micro fiction or essay on theme. 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: December 31, 2024. This is a monthly contest.

Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge. Genre: Poem inspired by artwork. (See site for image.) Prize: $100. Deadline: December 31, 2024. This is a monthly contest.

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: December 31, 2024. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.