By Caroline Madden
Looking for the very best writing competitions? Want to win cash prizes, agent introductions and even publishing contracts? Then check out the list of 29 incredible contests below!
Whether you write short stories or novels, you’re self-published or have yet to be published at all, you’ll find lots of incredible writing contests just right for you in this post.
I’ve tracked down the very best fiction competitions from around the world and compiled them into this list of 29 contests.
The best news is that you don’t necessarily need to win these competitions to get agent introductions. Agents are always on the lookout for talent and will sometimes ask for more material from short/longlisted entrants too.
When I was longlisted for the Blue Pencil First Novel Competition in 2022 (unfortunately it’s not running in 2024), the organisers passed my novel on to at least SIX excellent literary agents.
And author James Schannep recently wrote about how being shortlisted in the Bath Novel Awards in 2023 led directly to him getting his agent, the wonderful Kesia Lupo (also my agent).
By the end of this post, you’ll be fully up to speed on which writing competitions could win YOU cash, agent introductions… or even land you a publishing contract!
READ MORE>>> 31 Literary Agents Accepting Submissions in 2024
READ MORE>>> How to Write a Query Letter that Hooks Literary Agents
Why not enter at least one or two contests this year? After all, you never know where it may lead… 2024 might just be your year!
This post is all about the best writing competitions in 2024
Best Short Story Competitions
February
1. Writers’ and Artists’ Short Story Competition
The Writers’ and Artists’ Short Story contest is FREE to enter and the winner will be awarded a place on a gorgeous Arvon Residential Writing Week. All you have to do is submit a short story of no more than 2,000 words on the theme of ‘Risk’.
Prizes: Arvon Residential Writing Week (worth £850) + story published on W&A site
Entry fees: Free
Deadline: February 12th 2024, midnight
2. Maria Edgeworth Literary Festival Competition
The organisers of this wonderful festival in Edgeworthstown, in my home county of Longford (Ireland), are running a short story competition this year with cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, and the judges will also select three highly-commended entries. (They also run a poetry contest.)
Prizes:
1st Prize €500
2nd Prize €200
3rd Prize €100
Entry fee: €5 per story
Deadline: February 23, 2024 5.00pm
3. Dingle Lit Short Story
If you live in Ireland, you won’t want to miss this short story competition run by the Dingle Literary Festival. The top prize of a week at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre is so tempting that I might enter this myself, though I’ve never written a short story before! A top writer who stayed at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre told me it’s the best writing retreat of its kind in the world… so why not throw your hat in the ring?
Prizes:
- A week’s accommodation at Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig for the winner of the short story in English
- A week’s retreat in West Kerry Gaeltacht for the winner of the Irish language award.
Entry fee: €20
Deadline: February 29th, 2024, midnight
4. Exeter Writers Short Story Competition
The annual Exeter Writers Short Story Competition has produced some fantastic winners over the years. Maybe this year it could be you!
The contest includes the Devon prize to encourage local talent. (Exeter Writers is an organisation based in Exeter, Devon in the UK.)
Prize:
1st place: £700
2nd place: £350
3rd place: £250
Entry fee: £7
Deadline: February 29, 2024
5. Edinburgh Short Story Award
With a prize fund of £3,000, this is one of the UK’s leading short story contests. But although it’s UK-based, the great thing is that it’s open to writers worldwide.
The award is run by the Scottish Arts Trust, which offers publication to the authors of the top twenty stories (or more) in its next anthology.
Prizes:
- 1st prize: £3,000
- 2nd prize: £500
- 3rd prize £250
Entry fee: £10
Deadline: February 29, 2024 – closing 11:59pm UK time
April
6. Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize
This international competition has proved a fantastic launchpad for many writers of short fiction in the past. And this year it’s even bigger and better, with increased cash prizes and a new residency on offer. What’s more, all longlisters will receive a year’s access to The Literary Consultancy’s ‘Being a Writer’ platform.
(P.S. As if all of that wasn’t enough, this year’s judges include Ottessa Mossfegh!)
Prize:
- €2000
- A week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation.
- A consultation with literary agent Charlotte Seymour from Johnson & Alcock.
- A manuscript assessment and follow-up meeting with a literary editor from The Literary Consultancy.
- Runner-up Prizes: €1000 (two prizes available).
Entry fees:
- €20 for the first entry
- €10 for every further entry
Deadline: April 14th, 2024, 23:59 CEST
7. ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize
This prize is run by the Australian Book Review and carries a VERY sizeable total prize pot of UD$12,500. You have to create a free subscription account in order to enter this writing competition, but it’s worth that little bit of hassle, considering the cash prizes up for grabs!
Prize: AUD$6,000 first prize
Entry fee: AUD$30
Deadline: April 22, 2024
8. Chip Lit Fest Short Story Prize
The judge for this prize is none other than super-agent Jo Unwin. So if you’re sitting on a sizzling short story, it’s time to polish it up and get submitting!
Prize:
- 1st prize: £500 + the chance to meet with the Jo Unwin Lit Agency to discuss your writing career
- 2nd prize: £100
- 3rd prize: £50
Entry fees: £5 for entries up to 2,500 words, £8 for entries up to 5,000 words
Deadline: April 28, 2024, 12 midnight GMT
July
9. Sean O’Faolain International Short Story Competition
This prestigious writing competition open for entries from May 1st – July 31st. The contest is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast short stories in the English language of 3,000 words or fewer. You can be of any nationality and live anywhere in the world.
Prize:
- 1st prize: €2,000
- 2nd prize: €500
- 4 runners-up: €250
Entry fee: €19
Deadline: July 31, 2024 (midnight)
November
10. Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Competition
The Kurt Vonnegut Prize is an annual fiction competition intended to recognize the finest speculative fiction. Submissions can include (but are not limited to!) work influenced by the postmodern science fiction of Kurt Vonnegut. The organisers love Vonnegut’s dark humour, but they ask that entrants avoid “mere imitation”.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $23
Deadline: November 2, 2024 at 2:00am CST
Best Novel Writing Competitions
February
11. Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize
No self-respecting writing competition list would be complete without mentioning the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize! This contest is perfect if:
- You’re a woman
- You live in the UK or Ireland
- You don’t have an agent
- Your novel marries literary merit with unputdownability
- You’d like to launch your literary career
The Irish writer Aoife Fitzpatrick (The Red Bird Sings) won this competition in 2020 and was signed by that year’s judge, the legendary agent Nelle Andrews.
This is what Aoife had to say about the contest when I interviewed her for My First Book Deal in 2023:
“After reading about previous winners and short-listees of the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, I didn’t think I had the slightest chance. But Nelle Andrew – my dream literary agent – was listed as a judge, and I figured I had nothing to lose. Winning gave me faith in the book, and determination to make the finished novel worthy of the award.”
Aoife Fitzpatrick (The red Bird Sings)
Prize: £1,500
Entry fee: £12
Deadline: February 9th, 2024, 12 noon
12. Historical Novel Society First Chapters Competition
The Historical Novel Society is looking for the first three chapters of full-length novels (80,000 words minimum) that have not been previously published in any form. The competition is open to anyone, anywhere. Entries are being accepted for nine different categories of historical fiction.
Prize:
- Overall Winner: £1,000
- Category Winners: £500
Entry fees: £30 (HNS members); £40 (non-members)
Deadline: February 15th, 2024
March
13. The Rubery Book Award
The Rubery Prize is a prestigious international writing competition looking for the best books by indie writers, SELF-PUBLISHED authors and books published by independent presses.
Prize:
- Book of the Year: £2,000
- Category winners: £200
Entry fee: £45
Deadline: March 31, 2024
May
14. Cheshire Novel Prize
The Cheshire Novel Prize is open to unagented authors of adult fiction, memoir and fictional memoir. Though the competition is UK-based, it’s open to writers living anywhere in the world.
What makes this novel contest stand out is not just that it’s commercially-focussed, but that EVERY writer who enters receives at least a page of feedback.
(If you’re a children’s writer, check out the separate Cheshire Novel Prize Kids which runs from September to December each year.)
Prize:
- 1st prize: £1,500
- Highly commended: £500
Entry fee: £29
Deadline: May 1, 2024, midnight GMT
15. Bath Novel Award 2024
If you’re an UNAGENTED emerging novelist, the Bath Novel Award is perfect for you. The top prize is, wait for it… £5,000! And it can catapult your writing career to amazing heights.
For example, author James Schannep got his agent Kesia Lupo as a direct result of getting shortlisted for the Bath Novel Competition in 2023.
P.S. The 2024 judge of this international novel contest is the brilliant literary agent Catherine Cho (Paper Literary) who has negotiated SIX and SEVEN FIGURE deals for her authors!
Prize: 1st place receives £5,000.
Entry fee: £29.99 per novel
Deadline: May 31, 2024
16. First Novel Prize
Here’s one for the self-published (and unpublished) writers out there! This writing prize is judged by a leading literary agent and a senior fiction editor, so it’s an excellent way of getting your work noticed.
Prize:
- £1,000 for the First Prize
- £500 for the Shortlist Prize
Entry fee: £25
Deadline: Checking with contest organisers (usually May 31st each year)
June
17. Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition
The Times/Chicken House prize is incredible! The winner gets a publishing contract with Chicken House with a £10,000 advance for a complete fiction manuscript of any genre for children aged 7 up to YA. The winner will also be offered representation by this year’s agent judge, Lydia Silver of Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency.
Prize: £10,000 advance + offer of representation
Entry: £20
Deadline: June 1st 2024, 11.59pm GMT
September
Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair
18. Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair
This writing contest is a favourite fixture in the Irish writing calendar. But luckily it’s open to writers from around the world. Described as a ‘Dragon’s Den’ for writers, the Novel Fair has proved a springboard for many authors, several whom have been interviewed on this site:
Ian Flitcroft (The Reluctant Cannibal)
Lauren MacKenzie (The Couples)
The only drawback is the hefty entry fee, but personally I think it’s worth it – I’ve paid it in the past.
Note: The submission period runs from 1st – 30th September 2024.
Prize: Twelve shortlisted entrants will be selected to take part in the IWC Novel Fair event where they meet with leading publishers and agents and get a chance to pitch their novels
Entry fee: €55
Deadline: September 30, 2024
19. Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction
Offering a brilliant prize pot, the Dzanc Books Prize for Fictionrecognises daring, original, and innovative novels. This writing contest is open to new, upcoming and established writers alike. Agented submissions are also eligible.
Prize: A $5,000 advance and publication by Dzanc Books
Entry fee: $25
Deadline: September 30, 2024
October
20. Flash 500 Novel Opening Competition
The Flash 500 Novel Opening Competition is perfect for writers who have a great start made on a novel but don’t have a full, polished manuscript yet.
What I like about this competition is that it’s judged by Headline Publishing – it could be a great way to get your work-in-progress noticed by a potential future publisher.
Prize:
- First: £500
- Second: £200
Entry fee: £10 for one novel, £18 for two novels, £26 for three novels
Deadline: October 31, 2024
Best Mixed Writing Competitions
February
21. Next Generation Indie Book Awards
The largest international awards program for indie authors worldwide is now accepting entries written in English and released in 2022, 2023 or 2024 (or with a 2022, 2023 or 2024 copyright date).
Enter by February 14, 2024 to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to have your book considered for cash prizes, awards, exposure, possible representation by a leading literary agent, and recognition as one of the top independently published books of the year!
Prizes: $1,500 cash prize
Entry fee:
- $75 per title for the first category entered
- $60 for each additional category entered
Deadline: February 14, 2024
March
22. Alpine Fellowship Prize
The Alpine Fellowship Prize 2024 will be awarded for the best piece of writing on the theme of ‘Language’. All genres of writing are accepted including fiction, non-fiction and non-academic essays. It’s open to all nationalities.
Prizes:
- 1st place: £3,000
- 2nd place: £1,000
- 3rd place: £1,000
Entry fees: This contest appears to be free to enter (confirming this with the organisers)
Deadline: March 1, 2024, 23:59 (UK time)
Click here for full details
April
23. Mairtín Crawford Awards
The Mairtín Crawford Awards are run by the Belfast Book Festival and are aimed at writers working towards their first full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel. Both published and unpublished writers are invited to submit between 3-5 poems for the poetry award, and a short story of up to 2,500 words for the short story award (as long as they haven’t yet published a full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel).
Prize: £500 for each award winner
Entry fee: £10
Deadline: April 10, 2024, midnight (UK time)
May
24. The Bridport Prize
The Bridport Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the literary world and has launched the careers of many successful authors. Whether you’re writing poetry, a short story, flash fiction, a novel or a memoir, you’ll find a category to suit you.
Prize: The full run-down of prizes is too long to include here, but the winner of the novel category will receive £1,500 plus lots of other lovely literary goodies.
Note: All winning poetry, short story, flash fiction and novel pieces are featured in the Bridport Prize’s anthology, opening doors with literary agents and publishers and giving access to other competitions not available to the public.
Entry fee: Depends on the category
Deadline: Depends on the category
25. Yeovil Literary Prize
The Yeovil Literary Prize is open to writers from around the word. There are five different categories, each with different prize structures.
Prize in the novel category:
- 1st: £1250
- 2st: £500
- 3rd: £125
Entry fees:
- Novel: £14.50
- Short Story: £8
- Poetry: £5 per poem
- Children’s/Young Adult Novel: £12.50
- Writing Without Restrictions: £6
Deadline: May 31, 2024
26. Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing
This prize was created in 2015 to honour outstanding debut literary works by first-generation immigrant. It is awarded for fiction and nonfiction in alternating years. In 2024, they’re looking for fiction submission in the form of a novel or a book-length collection of short stories.
Prize: $10,000 and publication by Restless Books.
Entry fee: $20
Deadline: May 31, 2024
June
27. Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition
Writer’s Digest’s most popular contest, the Annual Writing Competition, is currently accepting entries. This contest is a great chance to have agents and editors see your work!
(Note: Writer’s Digest also runs the Self-Published Book Awards)
Prizes: One grand prize winner will receive $5,000
Entry fee: Varies depending on category and submission date
Deadline: Early bird deadline – May 6, 2024; final deadline – June 3, 2024
August
28. Aesthetica Creative Writing Awards
Aesthetica Magazine is looking for the best new writing talent. The £5,000 international literary prize is open to poetry and short fiction entries on any theme.
Prizes: £5,000 prize money – £2,500 for the Poetry Winner, £2,500 for the Short Fiction Winner
Entry fees:
- Poetry £6
- Short Fiction £9
Deadline: August 31, 2024
29. University of New Orleans Publication Laboratory Competition
This writing contest has an amazing prize – €10,000 and the winner’s novel or short story collection is published! And anyone can enter: it’s open to authors from all around the world, no matter what your publishing history is.
Prize: $10,000 advance on royalties and a contract to publish with the University of New Orleans Press.
Entry fee: $28
Deadline: August 31, 2024
This post was all about writing competitions in 2024
