Early in the year, my inbox is jammed with new contests - some with
fees, some not - which is a good way to test our writing mettle. Dust
off those manuscripts you've been meaning to share with the world,
revise and revise, send them to your critique buddies to give you more
to think about, and
ENTER A CONTEST.
What's the worst that can happen? You don't win.
What's the best that can happen? You win.
What happens whether you win or not? You are learning the craft of writing and what a high it is!
POETRY
I have not vetted any of these, so be sure and check them out thoroughly before sending your money.
The 2015 Frost
Farm Prize
The Trustees of the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, NH, and the Hyla Brook Poets
invite submissions for their 5th Annual The Frost Farm Prize for metrical
poetry. The winner receives $1,000, publication in Evansville Review and an
invitation. Deadline: 04/01/2015. Fees: $5.
Open
to all poets who have either never published a full-length collection of poetry,
or who have only published one full-length collection, and who currently reside
in and have had residency in one or more of the following states for a minimum
of 24 consecutive months: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, West Virginia. Deadline: 04/15/2015. Prizes: $1,000. Fees: $25.
Zero
Bone Poetry Prize
Named
in honor of the distinguished American poet Emily Dickinson, the Zero Bone
Poetry Prize welcomes submissions of unpublished, original poems. First prize
is $200. Deadline: 02/28/2015. Fees: $2
Poetry on the Lake invites poets to submit poetry on the theme,
"Wining & Dining or Fasting, Thirsting, Hungering, Starving."
First prize is €400.00 and Silver Wyvern. Deadline: 03/31/2015. Fees: €12
The Peseroff
Prize
Breakwater Review is proud to announce The Peseroff Prize: publication and
$1,000 for a single poem. The Peseroff Prize honors Joyce Peseroff's work as a
poet, teacher, editor, innovator, and mentor. Deadline: 05/01/2015. Fees: $10
The Cowles
Poetry Book Prize
The Cowles Poetry Book Prize is an annual competition in honor of Vern Cowles,
a man who loved literature. Send 48-100 pages of poetry--any style or theme.
First prize is $2,000 and publication. Deadline: 04/01/2015. Fees: $25.
Common Ground
Review Poetry Contest
Send
1-3 unpublished poems under 61 lines, a brief biography, SASE and a $15 check
made out to Western New England University. First prize is $500. Deadline:
03/01/2015. Fees: $15.
PROSE
I have not vetted any of these, so be sure and check them out thoroughly before sending your money.
Wag's Revue
Winter Writers Contest
Wag’s Revue is accepting submissions for its 2015 Winter Writers Contest in
fiction, poetry, and essays. First prize is $1,000 and publication; second
prize is $500. Deadline: 02/28/2015. Fees: $22.
Writer Advice's
10th Flash Prose Contest
WriterAdvice seeks flash fiction, memoir, and creative non-fiction running 750
words or less. Enlighten, dazzle, and delight us. Finalists receive responses
from all judges. First prize is $200. Deadline: 04/21/2015. Fees: $15.
2015 Prime
Number Magazine Awards
Prime Number Magazine (a Press 53 publication) announces the 2015 Prime Number
Magazine Awards with prizes and/or publication for top three entries in Poetry,
Short Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction. First prize in each category is $1,000.
Deadline: 03/31/2015. Fees: $15.
The Lascaux
Prize in Flash Fiction
The Lascaux Prize in Flash Fiction invites writers to submit previously
published or unpublished stories. Length should not exceed 1,000 words. The
winner receives $1,000 and publication in The Lascaux Review. Deadline:
03/31/2015. Fees: $10.
The 2015 CBC
Creative Nonfiction Competition
The Creative Nonfiction Prize includes memoir, biography, humour writing, essay
(including personal essay), travel writing and feature articles. Grand prize is
$6,000. Deadline: 03/01/2015. Fees: $25.
The Lakefly
Writers Conference Writing Contest
The Lakefly Writers Conference is hosting a short story writing contest which
will award the first-place winner with a cash prize of $100 for the best
fiction or flash fiction story. Second-place receives $100, and third-place
receives $50. Deadline: 03/15/2015. Fees: $0.
The
Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored
by the stage and radio series, Selected Shorts. Entries should be 750 words or
less. The winning writer will receive $1000 and a free 10-week course.
Deadline: 03/15/2015. Fees: $25.
The
Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) sponsors the annual Artist Fellowship to
recognize Mississippi writers and artists of quintessential work in their field
of specialty. MAC will award a stipend of up to $5,000 in a variety of creative
arts categories. Deadline: 03/02/2015. Fees: $0
Leapfrog 2015
Fiction Contest
The 2015 Leapfrog Fiction Contest invites writers to submit adult novels,
novellas and story collections; YA and middle-grade novels, minimum 22,000
words. First prize is publication contract with advance. Deadline: 05/01/2015.
Fees: $30.
Annual Gival
Press Novel Award
The Annual Gival Press Novel Award invites writers to submit previously
unpublished original (not a translation) novel in English, approx. 30,000 to
100,000 words. First prize is $3,000 and publication. Deadline: 05/30/2015.
Fees: $50.
May the force be with you! Mahala