Eager to submit your work here, there and everywhere? Check out this list of writing grants and contests with due dates this month. Don’t forget: Pif allows for simultaneous submissions and accepts submissions year-round, so consider sharing your work with our readers as well.
To add your writing contest to our list, please email editor@pifmagazine.com with details and a link to your contest rules.
DISQUIET INTERNATIONAL LITERARY COMPETITION
http://disquietinternational.org/the-program/contests-scholarships/
$15 ENTRY FEE.
Submissions are now open for the DISQUIET Prize for writing in any genre. Three winners will be published in Guernica (fiction), NinthLetter.com (non-fiction) or The Common (poetry). One grand prize winner will receive a full scholarship, accommodations, and travel stipend to attend the seventh annual DISQUIET International Literary Program in Lisbon taking place June 25 through July 7, 2017. Runners-up and other outstanding entrants will also be considered for financial aid. Deadline: January 31, 2017.
ROBERT TANNAHILL POETRY COMPETITION
http://readrawltd.co.uk/tannahillpp.html
£6 ENTRY FEE.
The Read Raw Tannahill poetry Competition has a prize fund of £2,700 with a first prize in the main competition of £1,500, second £400 and third of £100 with two commended prizes of £50. In the Scots Language competition first prize is £500 and second £100. Deadline January 7, 2017.
DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT LOVE POETRY CONTEST
http://donttalktomeaboutlove.org/contest/
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Submit one to three poems per submission, not to exceed 75 lines. First prize $1,000. Three honorable mentions of publication. What does LOVE mean to you? We want your poetry exploring love in any of its myriad expressions: romantic, platonic, parental, and much, much more. We know there is a whole world of love out there, and we want to read about it. See last year’s winner and honourable mentions to get a sense of what we are looking for. Deadline January 15, 2017.
WHO CAN YOU TRUST CONTEST
http://us.macmillan.com/static/smp/who-can-you-trust/
NO ENTRY FEE.
St. Martin’s Press is giving five lucky winners the opportunity to be published in A Divided Spy by New York Times bestselling author Charles Cumming. Each winner will also receive $250. The theme of trust looms large in A Divided Spy. Throughout the book, new and old confidants surround ex-spy Thomas Kell, providing him with sensitive information, and he (and the reader) don’t know whom he can trust until the very end of the book. How has trusting a family member, friend, or stranger affected your life? To enter the contest, write up to 1,000 words on how trust (or distrust) has changed your outlook. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, style, and integrity. Only open to the US and Canada. Deadline January 16, 2017.
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BOOK ASSOCIATION
https://wnba.submittable.com/submit
$15 – $20 ENTRY FEE.
First place winners receive $250. There will be four awards in each category: 1, 2, 3, and Honorable Mention. All four winners will be published in a special Contest Edition of the WNBA’s National Newsletter, The Bookwoman. Fiction: 3,000 word maximum length, no theme required. Creative Nonfiction/ Memoir: 2,500 word maximum. Poetry: three to five pages of poetry (double-spaced). Deadline January 15, 2017.
DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT LOVE CONTEST
http://donttalktomeaboutlove.org/contest/
$20 ENTRY FEE.
First prize $1,000. Three honorable mentions guaranteed publication. What does LOVE mean to you? We want your poetry exploring love in any of its myriad expressions: romantic, platonic, parental, and much, much more. We know there is a whole world of love out there, and we want to read about it. See last year’s winner and honourable mentions to get a sense of what we are looking for. All submitted works must be original and unpublished. All works that have been published in print or on the Internet, including self-published works, as well as works that have been broadcast or taped are considered previously published and are therefore ineligible for submission. Poems must be written in English. For each entry send one to three poems of up to 75 lines. Deadline January 15, 2017.
DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT LOVE
http://donttalktomeaboutlove.org/contest/
$20 ENTRY FEE.
First prize $1,000. Three honorable mentions: Guaranteed publication in donttalktomeaboutlove.org. What does LOVE mean to you? We want your poetry exploring love in any of its myriad expressions: romantic, platonic, parental, and much, much more. Entry is one to three poems of up to 75 lines. Deadline January 15, 2017.
PUBLISHIZER QUEERLY LIT CONTEST
https://publishizer.com/contests/queerly-lit/
NO ENTRY FEE.
Do you identify as an LGBTQ author, or are you writing stories with LGBTQ themes and characters? Submit both fiction and nonfiction book proposals here in the month of January. All entries must be book proposals written in English and 1,000 words long. Publishizer will only accept unpublished works. Contest entries must be submitted, approved and launched online on Publishizer within the specified month of each contest to qualify. Each contest has a cash prize of $2,000 and may be subject to local, state and federal taxes. Publishizer takes only a 30 percent commission of all pre-order sales at the end of the crowd-publishing campaign.
PROLE POETRY COMPETITION
http://prolebooks.co.uk/poetry%20competition.html
£3 ENTRY FEE.
Winner: £200, Publication in Prole 22 in April 2017 and publication on the Prole website. Two runner up prizes of £50, publication in Prole 22, and publication on the Prole website. Deadline January 31, 2017. We are, as ever, open regarding style, content, and length. What we are after is poetry that epitomises the editorial values of Prole: to make writing engaging, accessible, entertaining, and challenging.
AUTUMN HOUSE RISING WRITERS CONTEST
http://www.autumnhouse.org/contest-submissions/rising-writers/
$25 ENTRY FEE.
The Rising Writer Contest is for a first full-length book of poetry by an author 33 years old or younger. Deadline January 31, 2017. The winner will be awarded publication of a full-length manuscript and $1,000. Poetry submissions should be approximately 50-80 pages.
THE FICTION DESK GHOST STORY COMPETITION
http://www.thefictiondesk.com/submissions/ghost-story-competition.php
£8 ENTRY FEE.
Most of the stories we publish at The Fiction Desk are more or less realistic, but we try to stray outside that from time to time: Some genre fiction should be part of any balanced reading diet. One genre that we particularly like to feature is the ghost story. This year, there is a first prize of £500, a second prize of £250, and a third prize of £100. The deadline is Tuesday, January 31, 2017. All stories must be written in English, and be entirely the author’s own work. All entrants must be aged 16 or over at the time of entry; there is no upper age limit. Entries must be between 1,000 and 7,000 words in length.
DEVIL’S KITCHEN READING AWARDS
http://grassroots.siu.edu/dkawards.html
$20 ENTRY FEE.
One book of poetry (book-length work or single-author collection of poems), one book of fiction (novel, novella, or single-author short fiction collection) and one book of prose nonfiction (literary nonfiction, memoir, or single-author essay collection) will be selected from submissions of single-author titles published in 2016, and the winning authors will receive an honorarium of $1,000 and will present a public reading and participate in panels at the Devil’s Kitchen Fall Literary Festival at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. The dates for the 2017 festival will be October 25-27, 2017. Travel and accommodations will be provided for the three winners. Entries must be postmarked December 1, 2016 – February 2, 2017.
$15 entry fee
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Mississippi Review are given annually for a poem and a short story. Deadline January 7, 2017.
Nowhere Magazine
$20 entry fee
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Nowhere Magazine is given twice yearly for a short story or essay that “possesses a powerful sense of place.” Porter Fox will judge. Deadline January 1, 2017.
Center for Fiction
NO ENTRY FEE
A prize of $10,000 is given annually for a full-length fiction or nonfiction manuscript about serious physical illness by a writer who has personal experience with life-threatening illness. Deadline January 2, 2017.
Glimmer Train Press
$18 entry fee
A prize of $2,500, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of the prize issue is given annually for a short story about families of any configuration. Deadline January 2, 2017.
San José State University
Steinbeck Fellowships in Creative Writing
Four yearlong residencies at San José State University in San José, California, which include a stipend of $10,000 each, are given annually to fiction writers and creative nonfiction writers. Deadline January 2, 2017.
WOMR/WFMR Community Radio
Joe Gouveia Outermost Poetry Contest
$15 entry fee
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poem. Marge Piercy will judge. Submit up to five poems totaling no more than seven pages with a $15 entry fee by January 2, 2017.
Gemini Magazine
$5 entry fee
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a poem. The editors will judge. Submit up to three poems of any length with a $5 entry fee by January 3, 2017.
Frost Place
Dartmouth Poet-In-Residence Award
$28 entry fee
A prize of $2,000 and a six- to eight-week residency at the Frost Place, Robert Frost’s former home in Franconia, New Hampshire, is given annually to a poet who has published at least one poetry collection. The winner is also invited to give readings at Dartmouth College and the Frost Place. Using the online submission system, submit five poems from the most recent book, a résumé, a short biography, a personal statement, and contact information for two references with a $28 entry fee by January 5, 2017.
Frost Place
$28 entry fee
A prize of $250, publication by Bull City Press, 10 author copies, and a fellowship to attend the Frost Place Poetry Seminar (valued at $1,550) is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Deadline January 5, 2017.
Poets & Writers, Inc.
Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award
No entry fee
Two prizes of $500 each are awarded annually to a poet and a fiction writer from a select state. Each winner also receives an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to give a reading and meet with writers, editors, publishers, and agents, as well as a monthlong residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming. The 2017 contest is open to residents of Maine. Poets and fiction writers who have published no more than one full-length book in the genre in which they are applying are eligible. Cynthia Cruz will judge in poetry, and Tania James will judge in fiction. Submit five copies of 7 to 10 pages of poetry or up to 25 pages of fiction by January 9, 2017.
Notting Hill Editions
No entry fee
A prize of £20,000 (approximately $26,600) will be given biennially for an essay. Five runner-up prizes of £1,000 (approximately $1,330) will also be given. Deadline January 9, 2017.
Unterberg Poetry Center
Discovery/Boston Review Poetry Prizes
$12 entry fee
Four prizes of $500 each and publication in Boston Review are given annually for a group of poems. Winners also receive transportation to and lodging in New York City to give a reading at the 92nd Street Y in May. Poets who have not yet published a full-length poetry collection are eligible. Timothy Donnelly and francine j. harris will serve as preliminary judges; Henri Cole, Douglas Kearney, and Monica Youn will serve as final judges. Submit a 10-page manuscript, including at least two unpublished poems and two poems that are one page in length, with a $12 entry fee by January 13, 2017.
Virginia Commonwealth University
No entry fee
A prize of $5,000 is given annually for a first novel published during the previous year. The winner and the winner’s agent will also receive lodging and travel expenses to attend the First Novelist Award Night at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond in Fall 2017. A committee of novelists and critics, including 2016 winner Angela Flournoy, will judge. Submit three copies of a book published in 2016 by January 14, 2017. There is no entry fee. E-mail or visit the website for complete guidelines.
Colorado Review
$25 entry fee
A prize of $2,000 and publication by the Center for Literary Publishing is given annually for a poetry collection. Susan Howe will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages with a $25 entry fee ($28 for online submissions), which includes a subscription to Colorado Review, by January 14, 2017. Send an SASE, e-mail, or visit the website for complete guidelines.
BkMk Press
$25 entry fee
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication by BkMk Press are given annually for a poetry collection and a short story collection. Submit a manuscript of 50 to 110 pages of poetry or 125 to 300 pages of short fiction with a $25 entry fee ($30 for electronic submissions) by January 15, 2017. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the website for complete guidelines.
Ellen Meloy Fund
No entry fee
A prize of $3,000 is given annually to enable a creative nonfiction writer “whose work reflects the spirit and passions for the desert embodied in Ellen Meloy’s writing” to spend creative time in a desert environment. Using the online submission system, submit up to 10 pages of creative nonfiction, a project description, and a one-page biography between November 1 and January 15, 2017. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
Asheville Poetry Review
$20 entry fee
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Asheville Poetry Review is given annually for a poem. The winner is also invited to read at Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina. Cornelius Eady will judge. Submit up to three poems of any length with a $20 entry fee by January 15, 2017. All entries are considered for publication. Call or visit the website for complete guidelines.
University of Mississippi
Summer Poet-in-Residence Award
No entry fee
A one-month residency, which includes a $3,000 honorarium, to live and work in Oxford, Mississippi, near the University of Mississippi campus, is given annually to a poet who is working on a manuscript. The award also includes publication of a limited edition broadside, 10 author copies, and reimbursement of travel expenses. Poets who have had at least one book accepted for publication but no more than two books published are eligible. The poet in residence participates in a reading and visits one to two classes per week at the university. Submit 10 pages of poetry, a résumé, a personal statement, and contact information for three references by January 15. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
University of Texas in Austin
$20 entry fee
Two residencies, cosponsored by the Texas Institute of Letters, at a rural retreat west of Austin are given annually to writers who are native Texans, who have lived in Texas for at least three years, or who have published significant work with a Texas subject. The six-month Jesse H. Jones Writing Fellowship is given to a writer in any stage of his or her career and includes a grant of $18,000. The four-month Ralph A. Johnston Memorial Fellowship is given to a writer who has demonstrated “publishing and critical success” and includes a grant of $25,000. Submit three copies of a poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction manuscript of up to 50 pages, three copies of the entry form, and a $20 entry fee ($30 for both competitions) by January 15. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
Masters Review
Short Story Award for New Writers
$20 entry fee
A prize of $2,000 and publication in Masters Review is given twice yearly for a short story by a writer who has not published a novel (writers who have published story collections are eligible). The winning story will also be sent to a participating literary agency. The editors will judge. Submit a short story of up to 6,000 words with a $20 entry fee by January 15, 2017. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Permafrost
Book Prize
$20 entry fee
A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Alaska Press is given in alternating years for a book of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. The 2017 prize will be given for a book of poetry. Jericho Brown will judge. Using the online submission system, submit a manuscript of at least 50 pages with a $20 entry fee by January 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
North Carolina Writers’ Network
Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition
$12 entry fee
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Ecotone is given annually for an essay that “is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians.” Garrard Conley will judge. Submit two copies of an essay of up to 2,000 words with a $12 entry fee ($10 for NCWN members) by January 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Breakwater Review
$10 entry fee
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Breakwater Review is given annually for a story. ZZ Packer will judge. Submit a story of up to 5,000 words with a $10 entry fee by January 15. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
French-American Foundation
No entry fee
Two prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for translations from French into English of a book of fiction and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published during the previous year. A jury of translators and editors will judge. Authors, agents, and U.S. publishers may submit books published in 2016 by January 15, 2017. There is no entry fee. Call or visit the website for complete guidelines.
Literal Latté
K. Margaret Grossman Fiction Award
$10 entry fee
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Literal Latté is given annually for a short story. Submit a story of up to 10,000 words with a $10 entry fee ($15 for two stories) by January 15, 2017. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.