North Street Book Prize

Genre: Self-published books in Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, Creative Nonfiction and Memoir, Poetry, Children’s Picture Book, or Graphic Novel and Memoir
Entry Fee: $70 USD per book
Deadline: July 1, 2025
Prize: Grand prize of $8,000 USD, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 USD credit at BookBaby, and three free ads in the Winning Writers newsletter ($525 USD value); top winner prize in each category of $1,000 USD, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 USD credit at BookBaby, and one free ad in the Winning Writers newsletter $150 USD value); one honorable mention prize in each category of $250 USD
Description: Length limit of 200,000 words. You may submit a collection of short stories or essays as a single entry. No restrictions on age or country. No restriction on year of publication. All contestants receive a free PDF download of How To Get Great Book Reviews Frugally & Ethically by Carolyn Howard-Johnson and free guides from BookBaby.
Details: https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/north-street-book-prize

 

Riddle Fence 2025 Fiction, Poetry, & Visual Art Contests

Genre: Fiction, Poetry, Visual Art
Entry Fee: $29 CAD (includes a one-year subscription to Riddle Fence)
Deadline: July 1, 2025
Prize: $1,000 CAD in prizes and publication in Riddle Fence #56
Description: All contests are open to Canadian residents only. Entries must be original and unpublished elsewhere. No simultaneous submissions and no previously published (or accepted for publication) submissions. One short-fiction submission is one story with no word limit. One poetry submission is up to 3 poems with no more than 100 lines per poem. One visual art submission is one piece of artwork. An entry consists of one submission in one genre.
Details: https://riddlefence.com/submit/submit-contests/

 

Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award

Genre: Television Screenwriting
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: July 1, 2025
Prize: $2,500 USD, a trip to New York City, and an invitation to the International Emmy® Awards Gala in November
Description: Each year, The International Academy of Television Arts & Science Foundation administers the Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. The competition is designed to motivate non-American novice writers under the age of 30, and offer them the recognition and encouragement that might lead to a successful career in television scriptwriting. Entrants are asked to create a completed half-hour to one-hour English-language television drama script.
Details: https://www.iemmys.tv/ustinov.aspx

 

Art for Every Star Canada Children’s Contest 2025

Genre: Children’s Drawing That tells a Story
Entry Fee: $30 CAD
Deadline: July 18, 2025
Prize: First prize (1 per age group) of $200 CAD, $800 CAD book publishing credit, a large trophy, and a Certificate of Achievement; second prize (2 per age group) of $100 CAD, $500 CAD book publishing credit, a medium trophy, and a Certificate of Achievement; third prize (3 per age group) of $50 CAD, $300 CAD book publishing credit, a small trophy, and a Certificate of Achievement; all participants receive a printed art book featuring their submitted work, a bestselling educational novel by a Chinese-Canadian author, and a Certificate of Participation
Description: “Art for Every Star” is a tribute to the unique talents of all children. Young artists are encouraged to express themselves, raise their voices through visual storytelling, and stand in solidarity with peers on the autism spectrum. A charitable initiative of the Skyky Multicultural Learning Foundation, Children Help Children nurtures future leaders while encouraging meaningful community service.
Details: https://www.skykyfoundation.ca/about-4-1

 

Anthology Short Story Competition

Genre: Short Story
Entry Fee: €18 per entry
Deadline: July 31, 2025
Prize: First prize of €1,000 and publication in a future issue of Anthology: second prize of €250; third prize of €150
Description: Established to recognize and encourage creative writing and provide a platform for publication. Open to original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. There is no restriction on theme or style. Stories submitted must not exceed the maximum of 1,500 words.
Details: https://anthology-magazine.com/awards/short-story-competition/

 

Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition 2025

Genre: Short Story
Entry Fee: £12 per entry
Deadline: July 31, 2025, at 4:00 pm GMT
Prize: First prize of £1000, a free creative writing course of the winners choice, and online publication; 2 runner-up prizes of £200 each
Description: Word count of 3,000 words maximum. Open theme/subject/genre.
Details: https://creativewritingink.co.uk/competitions/

 

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award

Genre: Poetry
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: July 31, 2025, at 12:00 am BST
Prize: Winners receive a range of prizes, including membership in The Poetry Society, a stack of poetry goodies, and attendance at a one-week intensive residential Arvon course to develop creative writing skills alongside fellow poets.
Description: Open to everyone aged between 11-17 on July 31, 2024. Poems can be of any length and on any theme but must be the original work of the author and must be in English. The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award has been an opportunity for any young poet aged 11-17 to accelerate their writing career since it was founded in 1998.
Details: https://foyleyoungpoets.org/about/

 

Ontario Poetry Society’s Ultra Short Poetry Competition 2025

Genre: Poetry
Entry Fee: $10 CAD for up to 5 poems and $2 CAD for each additional submission
Deadline: July 31, 2025
Prize: First prize of $100 CAD; second prize of $75 CAD; third prize of $50 CAD; fourth prize of $25 CAD; 40 Judge’s Choice Awards; all winning poems will be published in a chapbook anthology
Description: Open to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada only. Poems are to be no longer than 8 lines and no more than 8 words on a line. Spaces between the stanzas count as lines.
Details: https://www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca/contest_Ultra_Short_2025.html

 

Polar Expressions Publishing 2025 National Poetry Contest and National Short Story Contest

Genre: Poetry and Short Story
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: July 31, 2025
Prize: Over $3,500 CAD will be awarded in cash and other prizes
Description: Annual contests held each summer by Polar Expressions Publishing and open to Canadian residents and citizens of all ages. There is one division for 16 and over, and a separate division for 15 and under. Poems must be 48 lines or less. Short stories must be 750 words or less.
Details: http://polarexpressions.ca/SummerContests.html

 

Séan Ó’Faoláin International Short Story Competition 2025

Genre: Short Story
Entry Fee: €19 per story
Deadline: July 31, 2025
Prize: First prize of €2,000 and a one-week residency at Anam Cara Retreat; second prize of €500; four runners-up will receive €250; all winners receive publication in Southword 
Description: Open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast short stories in the English language of 3,000 words or fewer. The story can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. Translated work is not in the scope of this competition.
Details: https://munsterlit.ie/ofaolain-competition/

 

The Next Big Story Prize

Genre: Fiction
Entry Fee: $15 USD
Deadline: July 31, 2025
Prize: $100,000 USD
Description: Eight shortlisted entries will win The Finished Novel Course from The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school. They will help you turn your winning idea into a publishing-ready book. All you need to do, in three pages or less, is make us care about what happens next. No experience necessary.
Details: https://www.thenovelry.com/prize

 

Authors on Eighth Writing Contest

Genre: Poetry
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: 2025 contest details to be announced
Prize: First prize of Klondike gold nugget; select submissions will be published in the Klondike Sun and/or online
Description: Calling all writers and enthusiasts of the North. Submissions are judged by a panel including local and visiting writers. Submit a piece of poetry or short story under 1,600 words on the chosen theme of FIRST LOVE. There is a Under 16 category – aspiring young writers are encouraged to submit! Winners will be announced at the Discovery Days Weekend held August 16 to 20.
Details: https://dawsoncity.ca/?s=discovery+days+weekend

 

Quill & Quire Carol Shields Prize for Fiction

Genre: Fiction
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: 2025 contest details to be announced
Prize: First prize of $150,000 USD; four finalists will each receive $12,500 USD
Description: The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is designed to acknowledge, celebrate, and promote the best works of fiction written by women and non-binary writers annually in Canada and the United States. The Prize is open to novels, short story collections, and graphic novels written by women and non-binary writers for an adult audience. Books must be first edition English-language books written by a Canadian or American citizen or permanent resident of either country.
Details: https://carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com/submissions

 

PRISM International 2025 Creative Nonfiction Contest

Genre: Creative Nonfiction
Entry Fee: $35 CAD for Canadian entries, $40 CAD for US entries and $45 cad for international entries (includes a one-year subscription or extension to Prism Magazine), plus $5 CAD for each additional entry
Deadline: 2025 contest details to be announced
Prize: Grand prize of $1,500 CAD; runner-up prize of $600 CAD; second runner-up prize of $400 CAD
Description: 4,000 maximum word count per piece. Entries must be unpublished in print or online.
Details: https://prisminternational.submittable.com/submit

 

Sky Arts Royal Society of Literature (RSL) Writers Awards

Genre: Emerging Writers of Colour
Entry Fee: None
Deadline: This award is on hiatus as RSL seeks a new funder 
Prize: Five awards of ten free mentoring sessions over the course of 12 months and two sessions with Awards Ambassador Bernardine Evaristo
Description: Launched in 2021 in partnership with Sky Arts, the Sky Arts RSL Writers Awards celebrate and nurture British writers of colour at the beginnings of their careers. Five winners will receive ten mentoring sessions over the course of 12 months with an RSL Fellow writing in their form, as well as two sessions with Awards Ambassador Bernardine Evaristo. Mentors for the second year of the Awards are Inua Ellams, Jay Bernard, Nadifa Mohamed, Vinay Patel and Nikesh Shukla.
Details: https://rsliterature.org/sky-arts-rsl-writers-awards/