Contests

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is an opportunity for new and amateur writers of new short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. No entry fee is required. Entrants retain all publication rights. All awards are adjudicated by professional writers only. Prizes every three months: $1,000, $750, $500, plus a trophy. Annual Grand Prize: $5,000 additional!

Submissions must be short stories or novelettes (up to 17,000 words) in the genre of science fiction or fantasy, and new and amateur writers are welcome to apply. If you have not read the contest rules, please click here before submitting.

Deadlines: Quarterly: March 31, July 30, September 30, and December 31.

Prose.COM – $100 Challenge of the Week

Flex your creative muscles and try out different forms with this weekly challenge based on a wide variety of prompts. You must register with PROSE.COM in order to enter. No fee to register or enter.

Deadline: Weekly.

John Steinbeck Award for Fiction

Offered by Reed Magazine for a work of fiction up to 5,000 words. The winner of the John Steinbeck Short Story Award receives a cash prize of $1000. There is a reading fee of $15. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline: November 1. Click on link for more guidelines.

Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction

Reed Magazine is looking for creative nonfiction up to 5,000 words and requires a reading fee of $15. Cash prize of $1,333. Deadline: November 1. Click on link for more guidelines.

Edwin Markham Prize for Poetry

Submit up to five poems per entry for the Edwin Markham Prize of $1,000. Reading fee of $15. Deadline: November 1. Click on link for more guidelines. Offered by Reed Magazine.

HG Well Short Story Competition

The 2016 competition theme is space. The shortlisted stories will be published in an anthology. Copyright remains with the author; story must be unpublished. Reading fee of $14.48. Entries close July 19. More guidelines here. Submit short stories (1,500-5,000 words) electronically to hgwstory@gmail.com or sent to HG Wells Short Story Competition, 20 Brockman Road, Folkestone, Kent CT20 1DL

MORE Writing Contests, Grants, Awards
Courtesy Poets & Writers Magazine

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Red Flags of Writing Contests

Fees in themselves are not a negative–but the ratio of entry fee to prize money is the tell-tale sign. Have past winners been published?  Where? Read their blogs. Study their careers. You can tell a lot about the quality of the contest by the quality of the winner.

Rights
If a contest wants all rights for entering, run away. If a contest wants one-time or first rights to publish and publicize your award, then fine.  Read more