53 Writing Contests in March 2019 — No entry fees
March is a great month for writing contests. This month there are 53 contests, and none charge entry fees. Prizes range from tens of thousands of dollars to publication. As always, read the restrictions to make sure you qualify.
If you want to get a jump on next month’s contests go to Free Contests. Most of these contests are offered annually, so even if the deadline is past, you can prepare for next year.
Fountain Magazine Essay Contest. Genre: Essay. 1,500–2,500 words. “Should We Be Grateful?” The question is: Why do we feel grateful? What should be we grateful for? And even, should we still be grateful when we’re depressed or when our lives are a mess? Prize: 1st Place — $1,500, 2nd Place — $750, 3rd Place — $300, Two Honorable Mentions — $200 each. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
The Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award is sponsored by Broadside Lotus Press. Restrictions: This competition is open to African American poets only. If you have already had a book published by Lotus Press, you are ineligible. However, inclusion in a Lotus Press anthology does not disqualify you. Genres: Poetry collections of approximately 60–90 pages. Prize: $500 in cash and publication by Broadside Lotus Press as well as free copies and discounts. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Women on the Water. Restrictions: Female writers only. Genre: Short story. “Tell us how you felt about leaving (either home or the voyaging life). How did you cope? Was it worth it? Perhaps you spent time somewhere you became particularly attached to while travelling? Stories may be any length up to 3,000 words.” Prize: First $250, Second $100, Third $50. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Wiley-Silver Prize in Civil War History. Genre: First book or monograph in Civil War history published in the previous year. Books or monographs published by scholarly or popular presses are eligible. Prize: $2,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
United States/Japan Creative Artists Residencies. This is a 3–5 month residency in Japan. Grant: $24,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Balticon Poetry Contest. Sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. Genre: Speculative poetry. Prize: 1st prize: $100; 2nd prize: $75; 3rd prize: $50. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
The Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize. Restrictions: Open to writers resident in the UK and Ireland who have yet to secure a publishing deal. Genre: Proposal for a book-length essay (minimum 25,000 words). Prize: £3,000 advance against publication with Fitzcarraldo Editions. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Beverly Hopkins Memorial Poetry Contest for High School Students. Restrictions: High school students living within 100 miles of St. Louis. Genre: Poetry. Prize: First prize $200, Second prize $125, Third prize $75. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Christopher Tower Poetry Competition. Restrictions: Open to UK students between 16–18 years of age. Genre: Poetry, one poem, maximum 48 lines. Theme is “underwater.” Prize: £5,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Jittery Monks Essay Scholarship. Restrictions: Open to college students. Genre: Essay. (See site for topic.) Prize: $1,500. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
The Lakefly Writers Conference. Restrictions: Open to residents of Wisconsin. Genres: Short story fiction: 1500 words or less. Any genre. Flash fiction: 500 words or less. Any genre. No theme. Poetry: All poems, free verse to formal and everything in between — 75 lines max. Theme: Wisconsin Choices. The Jean Nelson Essay for Young Adults: For young adult writers (ages 12 through 17). 2500 words or less. Theme: Notable Wisconsin figure (living or dead) who most inspires me. Prize: First place winners will receive a cash prize of $100; second place winners will receive $75; and third place winners will receive $50. Winners must be able to attend an awards ceremony. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. Genre: Adventure writing novel. Separate categories for published and unpublished books. Self-published books accepted. Prize: £15,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Myong Cha Son Haiku Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Haiku. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Rhina P. Espaillat Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Original poems written in Spanish and translations of English poems to Spanish. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award. Restrictions: Open to undergraduate poets who are enrolled in a United States college or university. Genre: Poetry composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme and received forms. Prize: First prize $1,500, and a runner-up prize $500. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Alabama Arts Council Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to any author who has lived in Alabama for at least 2 years. Genre: Fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction of 10–20 pages. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Mississippi Artists Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to permanent residents of Mississippi. Genre: Nonfiction of 15–20 pages. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: March 1, 2019.
Author Mentor Match. Genre: Completed YA or MG manuscript. Prize: Mentorship by published author. Deadline: March 1–5, 2019.
“It’s All Write!” Teen Short Story Contest. Restrictions: Open to Grades 6–12. Genre: Short story, and flash fiction, unpublished. Prize: 1st Place $250, 2nd Place $150, 3rd Place $100. Deadline: March 3, 2019.
Arts Club of Washington Scholarship Competition. Restrictions: Open to college students (including first two years of graduate school) aged 18–26 in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $2000 scholarship. Deadline: March 4, 2019.
NEA Literature Fellowships are sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Prize: $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Deadline: March 6, 2019.
The Ungar German Translation Award is bestowed biennially in odd-numbered years. Genre: Book-length literary translation translated from German into English and published in the United States between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018. Prize: $1,000, a certificate of recognition, and up to $500 toward expenses for attending the ATA Annual Conference in San Francisco, California. Deadline: March 7, 2019.
Forward Prizes. Genre: Collections and single poems published in the UK and Ireland between September 2018 and September 2019 are eligible for the Prizes. Must be submitted by publisher. Prize: £1,000 to £10,000 Deadline: March 8, 2019.
BBC National Short Story Award. Restrictions: Open to UK residents or nationals, aged 18 or over, who have a history of publication in creative writing. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: £15,000 to the winner, £3,000 for the runner-up and £500 for three further shortlisted writers. Deadline: March 11, 2019.
Neltje Blanchan/Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Awards. Restrictions: Wyoming writers. Genres: The Frank Nelson Doubleday Award is given for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script written by a woman writer. The Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award is given annually for the best poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or script which is informed by a relationship with the natural world. Prize: $1,000.00. Deadline: March 11, 2019.
Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-Fiction. Genre: Literary non-fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. Prize: $60,000 will be awarded to a literary nonfiction book published between October 1, 2018 and March 12, 2019. Deadline: March 13, 2019.
Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Genre: Fiction. Restrictions: Titles must be published in Canada and written by Canadians. No self-published works. Prize: $25,000 will be awarded to a novel or short-story collection published between October 1, 2018 and March 12, 2019. Prizes of $2,500 will be awarded to each of the finalists. Deadline: March 13, 2019.
Gordon Burn Prize. Restrictions: Open to permanent US or UK residents. Genre: Fiction or nonfiction book first published in the US or UK between July 1 of the preceding year and July 1 of the deadline year. Prize: 5,000 pounds and 3-month writing retreat at Gordon Burn’s cottage in Berwickshire. Deadline: March 14, 2019.
Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowships. Restrictions: Open to Kentucky poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Genre: Literary arts. Prize: $7,500. Deadline: March 15, 2019.
Hodson Trust–John Carter Brown Library Fellowship. Genre: Nonfiction (includes creative nonfiction). A book-in-process relating to the literature, history, culture, or art of the Americas before 1830. Award: $20,000. Deadline: March 15, 2019.
Governor General’s Literary Awards. Restrictions: Books must have been written or translated by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They do not need to be residing in Canada. Genre: The Governor General’s Literary Awards are given annually to the best English-language and the best French-language book in each of the seven categories of Fiction, Literary Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature (Text), Young People’s Literature (Illustrated Books) and Translation (from French to English). Prize: $25,000. Deadline: March 15, 2019.
Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest. Restrictions: Open to Connecticut Student Poets in Grades 9–12. Genre: Poetry. Prize: 1st $75, 2nd $50, 3rd $25. Deadline: March 15, 2019.
Greater Yellowstone Creative Writing and Journalism Fellowship. Restrictions: Established and recognized authors are being sought, but emerging and mid-career writers are also encouraged to apply. Genre: Seeking creative writers (poetry, fiction, nonfiction), or those in the field of journalism (writer, photojournalist, videographer, documentary filmmaker, online or print media) who demonstrate serious inquiry and dedication to the Greater Yellowstone region through their work. Fellowship: $3,500. Deadline: March 15, 2019.
Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition for High School Students. Restrictions: Open to students in Grades 7–12. Genre: Haiku. Prizes: $50. Deadline: March 21, 2019.
Sunken Garden Poetry Festival’s Fresh Voices Competition. Restrictions: New England high school students. Prize: Reading at the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival on August 5, 2018 and publication. Deadline: March 29, 2019.
The Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction. Genre: Novel published in 2018 (50,000 words minimum). Book has to be set in one of the original eleven states in the Confederacy. (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.) Prize: $2,500.00, and an expense paid trip to New York City. (The winner must come to NY to receive the award, attend a luncheon with the contest judges and a reception in his/her honor.) Deadline: March 29, 2019.
Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative Grant. Restrictions: Open to journalists aged 22–38. Genre: Investigative journalism piece about modern prejudice. Prize: $5,000 grant. Deadline: March 30, 2019.
Limnisa Short Story Competition. Genre: Short story under 3,000 words on theme of Plastic. Prize: One-week, all-inclusive writers’ retreat or workshop in 2017 or 2018 in Limnisa, Greece and online publication, or five online personal tutoring sessions instead. Deadline: March 30, 2019.
Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing. Restrictions: Open to first-generation residents of the United States. “First-generation” can refer either to people born in another country who relocated to the U.S., or to American-born residents whose parents were born elsewhere. Genre: Unpublished nonfiction books. Prize: $10,000 and publication. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Foley Poetry Contest. Genre: One unpublished poem on any topic. The poem should be 30 lines or fewer and not under consideration elsewhere. Prize: $1000. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest. Restrictions: open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Genres: Science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words. Prizes: Three cash prizes in each quarter: a First Prize of $1,000, a Second Prize of $750, and a Third Prize of $500, in US dollars. In addition, at the end of the year the winners will have their entries rejudged, and a Grand Prize winner shall be determined and receive an additional $5,000. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Sarah Mook Poetry Prize for Students. Restrictions: Students in grades K-12. Genre: Poetry. Prize: $100. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation. Genre: Poetry or literary prose. Translation of modern Arabic literature into English. Books must have been published and be available for purchase in the UK via a distributor or online. The source text must have been published in the original Arabic in or after 1967. Must be submitted by publisher. Prize: £3,000. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Archibald Lampman Award. Restrictions: Open to residents of Canada’s National Capital region (Ottawa). Genre: Book of any genre published by a recognized publisher. Prize: $1500. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition. Restrictions: Open to high school students in the Washington, DC region. Genre: Poetry. Prize: A reading with honorarium in the Miller Poetry Series, a summer program occurring in June and July. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Lake Superior State University High School Short Story Prize. Restrictions: Open to high school students students residing in the Midwestern United States (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) or Ontario, Canada. Genre: Short fiction. Prize: $500 and publication. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant. Restrictions: Open to writers who are fifty years of age or older at the time of grant application. Genre: Speculative fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Value of Being Fit Scholarship Program. Restrictions: Open to students who are currently enrolled in colleges, universities or high schools. Genre: Essay, info graphics, or article (750–1000 words) on “Obesity: A New Epidemic.” Prize: $750. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Writers’ HQ Flash Quarterly Contest. Genre: Unpublished flash fiction, 500 words max. Prize: 450 pounds. Top three winners win membership to Writers’ HQ, a British writing resource site, and admission to three WHQ writing retreats. Winners outside the UK can substitute a manuscript critique for the retreats. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Jack L. Chalker Young Writers’ Contests. Restrictions: Open to writers between 14 and 18 years of age as of May 29 in the contest year who reside in, or attend school in Maryland. Genre: Science fiction or fantasy, 2,500 words max. Prizes: $150, $100 and $75. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
Descant. Each year, descant offers four awards:
- the $500 Frank O’Connor Award for fiction (for the best short story in a issue)
- the $250 Gary Wilson Award (for an outstanding story in an issue)
- the $500 Betsy Colquitt Award for poetry (for the best poem or series of poems by a single author in an issue)
- the $250 Baskerville Publishers Award (for an outstanding poem or poems by a single author in an issue
There is no application process or reading fee. All published submissions are eligible for prize consideration. Simply submit your work. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
The Lindisfarne Crime Prize. Restrictions: Residents of the North of England, or whose work celebrates the North of England. Genre: Crime short story of up to 10,000 words. Prize: £2500. Deadline: March 31, 2019.
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