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An Exclusive List of Writing Contests in 2022 | Exciting Prizes!
Aug 22, 2022
7
min read
- Tags: Fiction Writing, Novel, Short Story
Writing competitions are vital for any poets and writers who want to be successful. But it’s important to know which poetry competitions, short story contests, and nonfiction contests are worth the effort. So we took a deep dive into the web, looking for the writing contests in 2022 that are both exciting and dependable.
Suffice to say, you won’t find any sham contests in this list!
Writing Contests in 2022
We love bringing you useful information that can help you along in your writing career. In fact, as your editors and proofreaders, we consider it our duty! So, we have brought you only the best poetry competitions and the most exciting nonfiction contests.
Whether you’re a poet or a writer, the themes and challenges you’ll find here are sure to make your writing juices flow!
Along with the usual poetry competitions, short story contests, and nonfiction contests, we have a mixed contest category. These contests are open to both poets and writers, accepting entries in multiple genres.
If you can’t find entries for December, don’t worry! We’ll add those as new competitions are declared and more writing contests in 2022 go live. So, make sure to keep an eye out on this page!
Without further ado, let’s begin our list of the writing contests in 2022.
September 2022
The month of September has a good mix of short story competitions, poetry contests, book writing competitions, and nonfiction contests. While we couldn’t find an essay contest for you this month, there are several mixed competitions that feature the nonfiction category.
Short story contests 2022
1. The Face Project
Each day, the organizer uploads an oil portrait. You have to write a story on this image and send it as your submission. This unique contest allows you to submit up to 28 stories!
Word limit: 1,000
Prize: Feature in a unique art publication
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 04 September 2022
2. Women’s Fiction Competition 2022 – Short Story
The short story contest is organized by Mslexia. All shortlisted stories will appear in an ebook anthology while the four finalists will be published in the December 2022 edition of Mslexia.
Word limit: 3,000
Prizes: £3,000, three prizes of £100
Entry fee: £12
Closing date: 19 September 2022
3. The Booksie 2022 Short Story Competition
This short story contest is organized by Booksie, an online writing platform. The organizers are looking for stories to make them “laugh, cry and see the world in a slightly different way.”
Word limit: 5,000
Prizes: $500, two prizes of $100
Entry fee: $5.99
Closing date: 24 September 2022
4. Henshaw Short Story Competitions
The short story contest is organized by the Henshaw Press. For a fee of £14, you can get critiques from the competition judges after the results have been announced.
Word limit: 2,000
Prizes: £200, £100, £50
Entry fee: £6
Closing date: 30 September 2022
5. Writer Contest – Writers of the Future
This is the most influential story contest in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. It has three quarterly winners and one yearly winner, who receives a grand prize of an additional $5,000.
Word limit: 17,000
Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 30 September 2022
Poetry contests 2022
6. 20 Syllable Poem Contest
This poetry contest invites you to create powerful poems in 20 syllables. Do you think you’re up for the challenge?
Word limit: 20 syllables
Prize: $100
Entry fee: $9
Closing date: 10 September 2022
7. One Page Poetry Contest – 2022
This poetry contest invites poets to submit a single page of poetry. Aside from this, there are no regulations of genre, style, or theme on the entries.
Word limit: None
Prize: $2,000, $1,000, $500
Entry fee: $95
Closing date: 20 September 2022
8. Troubadour International Poetry Prize 2022
The poetry competition will be judged by Joshua Bennet and Victoria Kennefick. Winners will read their entries alongside judges at the prize-night celebrations!
Word limit: 45 lines
Prizes: £2,000, £1,000, £500
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 26 September 2022
9. Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest
The poetry contest awards one top prize for a poem in any style or genre and another for a poem with rhyme. Soma Mei Sheng Frazier and Michal Jones will judge the contest.
Word limit: 250 lines
Prizes: Two prizes of $3,000 and ten prizes of $200
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 30 September 2022
10. Patricia Eschen Prize for Poetry
This poetry contest is sponsored by the Dennis Myner Trust. Entry is free, but limited to one entry per person. Katrina Naomi and Penelope Shuttle are the judges.
Word limit: 41 lines
Prizes: £1,000, £500, £300
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 30 September 2022
Book writing competitions 2022
11. Tales By Moonlight Novella Competition
The novella writing contest invites entries written in the genre of fantasy with magic as theme. The winner will be determined by audience voting!
Theme: Magic
Word limit: 15,000–20,000
Prize: $1000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 15 September 2022
12. New Memoir Award
This memoir writing competition asks you to send a 300 word overview of your memoir along with the entry. As you’re longlisted and shortlisted, you’ll be asked to submit more words.
Word limit: 5,000–8,000
Prizes: £1,500, £750, three prizes of £150
Entry fee: £24
Closing date: 30 September 2022
13. Miller Williams Poetry Series and Prize
Organized by the University of Arkansas Press, this prize is awarded to the best book of poetry. The organizers are looking for poems that “vivify and disturb.”
Word limit: 60–90 pages
Prize: $5,000
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 30 September 2022
14. The XJ Kennedy Poetry Prize
Texas Review Press has organized this poetry competition every year since 1998. It awards one poet with a publishing contract, a $10,000 advance against royalties, and 20 copies of the book.
Word limit: 50–100 pages
Prize: $10,000
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 30 September 2022
Mixed: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction contests
15. Wild Atlantic Writing Awards
This flash fiction and nonfiction contest will be held in two separate categories. The top ten stories in each category will be published on the Ireland Writing Retreat website with the writers’ permission.
Genres: Flash fiction and creative nonfiction
Theme: Beauty
Word limit: 500
Prizes: €500 and a coupon of €1,000 per category
Entry fee: €10
Closing date: 09 September 2022
16. The Moth Nature Writing Prize
This competition invites poets and writers to submit entries in the genre of nature writing. The winning entry will be published in the winter issue of The Moth.
Genres: Not specified
Word limit: 4,000
Prize: €1,000
Entry fee: €15
Closing date: 15 September 2022
17. Olga Sinclair Prize 2022
This writing competition invites poets and writers to submit their entries with no limitations of genre or style. They usually set a theme for their contest, but have decided against it this year.
Genres: Not specified
Word limit: 2,000
Prizes: £500, £250, £100
Entry fee: £9
Closing date: 30 September 2022
18. Dreamers Flash Fiction and Nonfiction Contest
This flash fiction and nonfiction competition is organized by Dreamers. The winning story will be published in the December 2022 issue of the magazine.
Genres: Flash fiction and nonfiction
Word limit: 300–1,000
Prizes: $150 CAD
Entry fee: $15 CAD
Closing date: 30 September 2022
October 2022
While the month of October is dominated by flash fiction and short story contests, it also features a decent number of poetry competitions. After a thorough search, we have also found a nonfiction contest for this month!
Short fiction competitions 2022
1. SAS Fiction Contest 2022-2023
Organized under the Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival, the short story contest welcomes queer stories. Top ten finalists will be published in an anthology, for which there will be a book release party.
Theme: Saints and sinners
Word limit: 3,000–7,000
Prizes: $500, two prizes of $100
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 01 October 2022
2. TWFest Fiction Contest 2022-2023
The Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival has organized this short story competition. It is open to only unpublished authors, so writers who have self-published are not eligible.
Word limit: 7,000
Prize: $1,500
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 02 October 2022
3. Bath Flash Fiction Award
This flash fiction competition is currently open for its July to October round. 50 longlisted entries will be offered publication and the published writers will receive a free print copy of the anthology.
Word limit: 300
Prizes: £1000, £300, £100, two prizes of £30
Entry fee: £25
Closing date: 15 October 2022
4. Creative Writing Contests – Calvino Prize
The fiction writing contest is organized by the Creative Writing Program at the University of Louisville. You may submit up to 25 pages of any piece of fiction.
Word limit: 25 pages
Prizes: $2000, $300
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 October 2022
5. The Raven Short Story Contest
The short story contest is organized by Pulp Literature and the winning entry will be published in the Spring 2022 issue of the magazine. The contest has an early bird entry fee of $15, so hurry up!
Word limit: 2,500
Prize: $300
Entry fee: $20
Early bird deadline: 15 September 2022
Closing date: 15 October 2022
6. TWFest Very Short Fiction Contest 2022-2023
The flash fiction writing contest is open to writers who haven’t published a book of short fiction yet. The winning entry will be published in New Orleans Review Archive Features.
Word limit: 1,000
Prizes: $500
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 16 October 2022
7. The GBP Short Story Prize 2022/23
The Galley Beggar Press has organized this short story competition for both published and unpublished writers. Shortlisted entries receive £200 while the longlisted one receive gift vouchers.
Word limit: 6,000
Prizes: £2500, some prizes of £200, and others
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 16 October 2022
8. Letter Review Prize for Short Stories
Letter Review has organized this short story competition to provide an opportunity for fiction writers. All longlisted and shortlisted writers have a chance to get published with Letter Review.
Word limit: 400–3,000
Prizes: $600, $250, $150
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 31 October 2022
9. Fiction Factory Short Story Competition
The short story contest welcomes entries on any theme. The winning entry will be published on the website and published in an anthology at a later date.
Word limit: 3,000
Prize: £500
Entry fee: £7
Closing date: 31 October 2022
10. The Larry Brown Short Story Award
Pithead Chapel has organized this short story contest. Five finalists will be published in the January 2023 issue of the magazine. Don’t forget to attach a cover letter with your entry!
Word limit: 4,000
Prizes: $500, $50, $50
Entry free: $10
Closing date: 31 October 2022
Poetry competitions 2022
11. Martha Richardson Poetry Prize 2022
Ballarat Writers has organized this poetry contest to celebrate the poet Martha Richardson. I will publish the winning entry on their website in December 2022.
Theme: Inflate
Word limit: 40 lines
Prizes: AUS $1,000, AUS $400, AUS $100
Entry fee: AUS $20 per poem
Closing date: 01 October 2022
12. 2023 Peter Porter Poetry Prize
This is one of Australia’s most respected poetry contests. It awards single-authored poems in memory of the late Australian poet Peter Porter.
Word limit: 70 lines
Prizes: $6,000 AUD, four prizes of $1,000 AUD
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 03 October 2022
13. SAS POETRY Contest 2022-2023
The poetry contest invites LGBTQ+ poets around the world to submit their entries. One entry may consist of up to 2–4 poems. Top finalists will be published in a poetry chapbook.
Theme: Family
Word limit: 400 lines
Prizes: $500, two prizes of $100
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 15 October 2022
14. TWFest Poetry Contest 2022-2023
The poetry competition invites entries with up to 2–4 poems. It is open to poets who haven’t published a book of poetry. Writers who have published in other genres are eligible to enter.
Word limit: 400 lines
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 16 October 2022
15. Anthology Poetry Award 2022
Organized by Anthology, the poetry competition awards a top poem with the cash prize and publication. The organizers advise you to go through earlier issues to learn about the type of material they publish.
Theme: Dreams
Word limit: 40 lines
Prize: €500
Entry fee: €15
Closing date: 31 October 2022
16. National Poetry Competition
One of the world’s most prestigious contests, it runs alongside the Peggy Poole Award, which will award one poet from North West of England, mentorship from a judge of this competition.
Word limit: 40 lines
Prizes: £5,000, £2,000, £1,000, £200
Entry fee: £7
Closing date: 31 October 2022
17. Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award
Red Hen Press has organized this competition, awarding an unpublished book of poetry with a cash prize and publication. The winner also receives a four-week residency at PLAYA residency.
Word limit: 48–96 pages
Prize: $3,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 October 2022
Nonfiction contests
18. 2022 Nonfiction Contest
The contest is organized by EVENT magazine. The organizers urge writers to explore the form of creative nonfiction. Entry to the contest comes with a one-year subscription of the magazine.
Word limit: 5,000
Prizes: $1,500, $1,000, $500
Entry fee: $34.95
Closing date: 15 October 2022
19. Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Contest
WOW! Women on Writing has organized this essay writing contest. You may opt for a critique from the judges by paying a fee of $25. The entries are limited to 300, so don’t waste any time!
Word limit: 200–1,000
Prizes: $500, $300, $200
Entry free: $12
Closing date: 31 October 2022
Book writing contests
20. Grindstone 2022 Novel Prize
Send the first 5,000 words of a manuscript longer than 50,000 words in length, targeted to adults or young adults. All longlisted works will be forwarded to top agencies in the UK.
Word limit: 5,000
Prizes: £1,000, £500, four prizes of £125
Entry fee: £16
Closing date: 01 October 2022
21. The Megaphone Prize
This writing competition invites debut writers of color to send their short story collections. It also allows 25 fee waivers for writers with low income. Award-winning writer Deesha Philyaw is the judge.
Word limit: 35,000–80,000
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 15 October 2022
22. Novel Opening & Synopsis Award
The novel writing contest invites you to submit one chapter of your novel with a synopsis. Your novel need not be completed or published to qualify for the award.
Word limit: 3,000 words; an additional 750 words for synopsis
Prizes: £500, £200
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 31 October 2022
Mixed: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction contests
23. Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize
This writing competition is organized by The Missouri Review. The organizers invite poets and writers to submit entries in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Genres: Fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Word limit: 8,500
Prizes: Three prizes of $5,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 01 October 2022
24. 2022 Short Story and Poetry Competition
The competition invites poets and writers to send their entries in two categories. Both categories feature three contests, which increases your chances of winning! The contest also has a lower fee for full-time students.
Genres: Short story and poetry
Word limit: 3,000 and 40 lines
Prizes: £1000, £200, £100 per category
Entry fee: £7.5 per story/poem
Closing date: 01 October 2022
25. She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing
She Writes Press has organized this writing contest to recognize two BIPOC women writers with publication packages and a 500 book print run. The contest also welcomes trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer people.
Genres: Fiction and nonfiction
Word limit: 50 pages
Prizes: Publication packages
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 15 October 2022
26. SaveAs Writers’ International Writing Competition 2022
The writing contest invites poets and writers to submit entries that display a link to any mythology. The contest celebrates the centenary of the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Genres: Fiction and poetry
Theme: Myth
Word limit: 3,500 for short story; 60 lines for poetry
Prizes: £200, £100, and £50 for both categories
Entry free: £3 for poetry; £4 for story
Closing date: 31 October 2022
27. The Bedford Competition
The writing competition is open to all international poets and writers over 17 years of age. The organizers donate the proceeds from the contest to charities that support literary and literacy skills.
Genres: Fiction and poetry
Word limit: 3,000 for short story; 40 lines for poetry
Prizes: £1,000, £300, and £200 for both categories
Entry free: £7.5 for poetry or story
Closing date: 31 October 2022
November 2022
We’ve found some interesting contests for you in November, including a travel writing contest and a six-word contest! We managed to jot down two nonfiction contests this time around, and they’re both in the genres of creative nonfiction.
Flash fiction contests 2022
1. The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction
The grand prize winner of this flash fiction writing competition will be automatically nominated for several other influential prizes. You may submit entries in other languages as long as it’s accompanied by an English translation!
Word limit: 1,000
Prizes: $2,500, $1,000, $500, multiple prizes of $100
Entry free: $12 / $14
Closing date: 02 October / 15 November 2022
2. Fiction Factory Flash Fiction Competition
The writing competition is organized by Fiction Factory and welcomes entries in all genres except children’s and young adult literature.
Word limit: 1,000
Prizes: £300
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 30 November 2022
3. New Writers Flash Fiction Competition 2022
The organizers of this flash fiction competition invite you to submit works of fiction of any genre, style, or theme. All entrants can submit up to three entries.
Word limit: 300
Prizes: £700, £200, £100
Entry fee: £6
Closing date: 30 November 2022
4. Flash Fiction Competition
This quarterly flash fiction contest will start accepting entries on the 1st of September. All longlisted entries stand a chance to be published in the contest anthology!
Word limit: 180–360
Prizes: £1,200, £600, £300, £150
Entry fee: £7
Starting date: 01 September 2022
Closing date: 30 November 2022
Short story contests
5. Western Writing Contest
FanStory has organized this short story competition for stories with Old West themes. The contest has a limit of one entry per writer, and all writers receive feedback on their submission.
Word limit: 2,000–5,000
Prize: $100
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 29 November 2022
6. ServiceScape Short Story Award 2022
ServiceScape has organized this short story competition to help new writers reach bigger audiences. All genres and themes are welcome, and the winning story will be published on their blog.
Word limit: 5,000
Prize: $1,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 29 November 2022
7. Fish Short Story Prize
This year, Sarah Hall will judge the esteemed short story competition. Ten winners will be published in the Fish Anthology 2023. The top two winners also get additional prizes!
Word limit: 5,000
Prizes: €3,000, €300, €300, seven prizes of €200, and more
Entry free: €20
Closing date: 30 November 2022
Poetry contests 2022
8. Brick Road Poetry Book Contest
This poetry contest is open to book length poetry manuscripts. The winning entry receives a publishing contract, and other finalists will also be considered for publication.
Word limit: 50–100 pages
Prizes: $1,000 and 25 copies of the book
Entry free: $30
Closing date: 01 November 2022
6. Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry 2022
The poetry competition by Reed Magazine “celebrates the wonderful diversity of forms, styles, and levels of diction available to the contemporary poet.” You may submit up to five poems in one entry.
Word limit: None
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 02 November 2022
8. Sonnet Poetry Contest
This poetry contest invites poets to submit sonnets in iambic pentameter, the way Shakespeare wrote it! The organizers have provided detailed instructions on the kind of sonnet they accept, so make sure to go through those!
Word limit: 14 lines
Prize: $100
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 06 November 2022
9. Cafe Writers Poetry Competition
Cafe Writers has organized this poetry contest and it will be judged by Jennifer Wong this year. The contest offers a fee concession for UK poets with a household income of less than £16,000.
Word limit: 40 lines
Prizes: £1,000, £300, £200, £100, five prizes of £50
Entry free: £4 per poem
Closing date: 14 November 2022
10. Lune Poetry Contest
This poetry competition has been organized by FanStory. Lune is known as the American Haiku and is written in three lines. All poets receive feedback on their submission.
Word limit: 13 syllables
Prize: $100
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 16 November 2022
11. Minute Poetry Contest
A minute poem has three four-line stanzas that follow a “8,4,4,4” syllable structure. So the poem is twelve lines in total, written in strict iambic meter. Are you ready to take on the challenge?
Word limit: 60 syllables
Prize: $100
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 22 November 2022
12. Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition
Munster Literature Centre has organized this poetry contest, to be judged by Suji Kwock Kim. The top prize comes with a featured reading at Cork International Poetry Festival and all finalists will be published in Southword.
Word limit: 40 lines
Prizes: €2,000, €500, €250, ten prizes of €50
Entry free: €7 per poem
Closing date: 30 November 2022
Nonfiction contests
13. Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction 2022
The nonfiction contest invites writers to submit stand-alone essays of creative nonfiction. It is organized by Reed Magazine and accepts only unpublished work.
Word limit: 5,000
Prize: $1,333
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 12 November 2022
14. True Story Contest
The nonfiction contest is organized by FanStory. The organizers ask you to submit a true story that will “allow readers insight into your feelings, observations and/or thoughts.”
Word limit: 5,000
Prize: $100
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 12 November 2022
Book writing competitions
15. The Caledonia Novel Award
The novel writing contest invites you to send the first 20 pages of your manuscript along with a synopsis of 200 words. They have some sponsored entries for writers with low income.
Word limit: 20 pages
Prize: £1,500
Entry fee: £25
Closing date: 01 November 2022
16. Bath Children’s Novel Award
Leading literary agents in the genre of children’s fiction judge this contest in search of “potential rather than perfection”. Junior Judges, aged up to seventeen years old, will select the shortlisted entries!
Word limit: 5,000
Prize: £3,000
Entry fee: £29
Closing date: 30 November 2022
17. Quill Prose Award
This competition awards queer people’s writing in the genre of fiction or nonfiction. The organizers seek to “work against the negative politics of labeling while honoring and empowering authors who identify as queer.”
Word limit: 25,000
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 30 November 2022
18. Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Competition
This mystery novel competition invites writers to send published manuscripts that revolve around murder or other serious crimes. This is a great opportunity for self-published writers!
Word limit: 65,000
Prize: $10,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 30 November 2022
Mixed: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction contests
19. Six Word Wonder Contest 2022
This eccentric contest invites poets and writers to compose anything in under six words: a poem, a story, a memoir, or even a joke! It allows you to send up to six entries at once, so why not take the chance?
Word limit: 06
Prize: £100
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 30 November 2022
20. Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest
The writing competition is organized by Tadpole Press. Write a hundred words without the constraints of genre or theme, and see where you end up!
Word limit: 100
Prize: $1,000 and others
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 30 November 2022
December 2022
We’ll keep adding to this list as the year passes and more contests go live with a December deadline. For now, these are our entries for this month, and poetry contests outnumber all others!
Short fiction contests
1. 7 Day Story Writing Challenges
The short story contest runs every seven days, and those registered are assigned a genre and a secret theme. Writers who register don’t need to re-register for a new cycle of the contest.
Word limit: 2,000
Prize: £500
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 31 December 2022
2. Flash Fiction Competition
Flash 500 organizes this flash competition as a quarterly open-themed contest. The competition “truly reflects the skill required to encapsulate an entire story in just 500 words.”
Word limit: 500
Prizes: £300, £200, £100
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 31 December 2022
3. Short Story Contest
Story Unlikely has organized this short story competition. There’s no restriction on genres for your entry (sci-fi, fantasy, horror), and the three winning entries will be published in a monthly issue of the magazine.
Genres: Fiction and nonfiction
Word limit: 4,500
Prizes: $500, $300, $200
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 31 December 2022
Poetry competitions
4. Four Line Poem Contest
The organizers of this poetry competition want you to write a four-line poem with this syllable structure: 1, 5, 5, 9. All poets receive feedback on their submissions. Think you’re up for the challenge?
Word limit: 20 syllables
Prize: $100
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 22 December 2022
4. The Moth Poetry Prize
This is one of the biggest poetry contests awarding a single unpublished poem. Nobel Prize-winning poet Louise Glück is the judge this year. The winner will be announced at a special award ceremony at Poetry Ireland in Dublin.
Word limit: None
Prize: €6,000
Entry fee: €15
Closing date: 31 December 2022
6. Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Contest
This is the 41st bi-annual poetry contest Blue Mountain Arts has organized. Poets are invited to send both rhyming or non-rhyming poems, but the organizers have a preference for non-rhyming poetry.
Word limit: None
Prizes: $350, $200, $100
Entry fee: €15
Closing date: 31 December 2022
7. The Poetry.com Contest
The platform organizes monthly poetry competitions where all participants vote for the winning entry. Every month, the organizers offer five free entries for poets who can’t pay the entry fee.
Word limit: 75 lines
Prizes: $500, $300, $200
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 December 2022
8. 2023 Poetry Competition
The Society of Classical Poets has organized this poetry contest, inviting poets to submit their entries with a meter. The organizers encourage rhyme and other traditional techniques, but they’re not required.
Word limit: 108 lines
Prizes: $2,000
Entry free: $20
Closing date: 31 December 2022
Nonfiction contest
9. Free Writing Competition – My Writing Journey
This essay writing contest invites you to submit entries on the given theme. The winning entry will be published on The Writers College blog and newsletter. Send the essay in the body of your email, and not as an attachment!
Theme: The best writing tip I’ve ever received
Word limit: 600
Prizes: $200
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 31 December 2022
Book writing contests
10. Orna Ross Green Stories Novel Prize
The writing competition invites novels that engage with green solutions and raise awareness about “the necessary transformations towards a sustainable economy”. Send three chapters from your novel with a synopsis.
Word limit: 4,000–10,000
Prizes: £1000, £500
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 01 December 2022
11. Chimera Fantasy Awards
This fantasy book writing competition is in its inaugural year, inviting unpublished and self-published writers to submit the first 10,000 words of their manuscripts along with a synopsis. The 12 shortlisted entries will be published on their website!
Word limit: 10,000
Prizes: £2500, £1200, £600
Entry fee: £6
Closing date: 01 December 2022
12. First Crime Novel Competition
The novel writing contest is open to writers who haven’t yet published a book, but self-published authors are eligible to enter! Just make sure the manuscript you’re submitting hasn’t been self-published.
Word limit: 40,000–66,000
Prize: $10,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 16 December 2022
Mixed contest
13. 2023 Work Anthology
Unleash Press has organized this writing contest, inviting poets and writers to submit entries about “the job you loved… The job you loathed… The job that told you about yourself.”
Genres: Essay, fiction, drama, poetry
Theme: Work
Word limit: 5,000
Prize: $150
Entry free: $10
Closing date: 31 December 2022
We hope this list of writing contests in 2022 got you excited to write some poems, stories, or essays, and win some prizes.
If you happen to win any of these contests, be sure to inform your editors! In case you don’t win any, remember that it’s not the prizes that are important, but the writing practice you’ll get out of this experience.
For now, dear poets and writers, good luck!
Hello!
Is it possible to have a flash fiction competition added to this list? If so, can you please add Pigeon Review’s contest here?
Hi Nathaniel!
The flash fiction contest has been added. Thanks for reaching out to us!
Love the article. A great set of contests!
Great job on the list, I can see you’ve curated the best contests for us. Especially love the poetry contest entries…
Nice job ! What about travel writing and opinion pieces, plays and screenplays ?
Hi Shipra!
We’ll be sure to look for these contests and add them in the next round. Thanks for your suggestion!
Great blog
Please add more December competitions..
The Chimera Fantasy Awards are in their inaugural year, offering prizes of £2500, £1200 and £600 to self-published and unpublished fantasy novelists. Entrance fee is just £6.
Hi Lukas!
We’ve added the fantasy contest to the list. Good luck on your inaugural year! We hope it’s a huge success.
This is a great oppotunity thank you
Would you be willing to add Story Unlikely’s Short Story Contest?
Hi Danny,
We’ve added the contest to our list. Thanks for reaching out!