Writing Contests

Writing Contests

Effective September 2007, Writing-World.com will no longer be offering a "Contests Database." We have not decided just what format to offer contest listings in future, but for the present you can view the following listings of upcoming contests:

Please note that while we do our best to make sure these listings are up to date, contest URLs and other information change rapidly. If you can't locate a contest on the URL provided, try going to the root URL and check the site index or contents.

A Word (or Two) About the Contests We List

Entry Fees: Most writing competitions charge entry fees. Charging a fee does not make a contest "illegitimate" -- nor does the absence of a fee make a contest "more" legitimate. We do advise writers, however, to determine whether the fee is proportional to the prize -- e.g., are you paying $10 for a chance at a prize of $25?
What We Don't List: We prefer to list competitions that are genuinely beneficial to writers, and therefore do not list competitions that:
- Are open only to a limited geographical area (e.g., a single state)
- Are basically a means of charging a "reading fee" for a publishing company
- Offer no cash prize (with the exception of Romance Writers Association [RWA] competitions
- Require the entrant to purchase a product before entering
- Offer products or services, such as a t-shirt, a manuscript review, or a copy of the sponsor's book, as a prize
- Offer a chance of winning real estate (e.g., "submit an essay and $50 for a chance to win a cabin in Montana")
- Exist primarily to induce entrants to purchase an expensive anthology containing their "winning" entry (see When Winners are Losers, by Moira Allen).
Writer Beware! We do not have the means to check the validity of every contest listed on these pages. We urge you, therefore, to conduct a bit of research on a competition before entering, particularly if this is the first time a contest has been offered.

Submit Your Contest Listing

To submit your contest listing to Writing-World.com, please e-mail Dawn Copeman, Editor with the following details:

Title of Contest
Categories of entries (e.g. fiction, nonfiction, poetry, scripts/screenplays, books)
Fee (be specific)
Prizes
Basic details, such as type of material wanted, word limits, eligibility restrictions, etc. Keep this section to one short paragraph at most!
URL for more information
Contact e-mail
More Information About Contests

Feature Articles:
A Beginner's Guide to Writing Contests - Dawn Copeman
Choosing a Writing Contest - Tammy Mackenzie
Contesting: Why and How - Kathryn Lay
Contests: To Enter or Not to Enter? - Kathe Gogolewski
Through Judge-Coloured Spectacles: How to Win a Writing Contest - Sue Emms
21 Ways to Better Your Chances Winning Screenplay Contests - Elizabeth English
Writing Contests: When Winners Are Losers - Moira Allen

Related Links:
Contest Links

MORE RESOURCES FROM THE EDITOR:

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