A resume typically attracts recruiters and hiring managers only when it is drafted in an effective and aesthetically pleasing resume format that meets industry standards. So, learning how to format a resume or selecting a free resume format from those available online is crucial if you want to get that job you have been eyeing for a while.
This article takes you through the various aspects that make a resume format effective to help you craft a document that delivers results.
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What is a resume format?
A resume format refers to how information is presented in your resume. The structure and layout of this document define whether your experience, skills, and qualifications have been effectively portrayed.
Many industries prefer standard resume formats that comprise a professional summary, skills, work experience, education, etc. Projects, special mentions, and achievements are also included in resumes to highlight a candidate’s competence in specific areas.
Some common resume formats used in job markets around the world are:
Chronological resume format: This format follows a reverse chronological style, where the latest job is covered first, followed by other jobs undertaken in the past. It beautifully shows your strengths and talks about your work experience in detail, creating an impact on the reader.
Functional resume format: A functional resume primarily focuses on a candidate’s skills. This format is highly suitable for freshers and students. It is also useful for freelancers looking to join or rejoin the workforce. If you are someone with a gap in employment, this simple resume format can highlight your skills while reducing the adverse impact of career gaps in the document.
Combination resume format: This professional resume format is a combination of chronological and functional resume formats. When you want to highlight both your skills and your professional experience, this is a great choice.
Even though these resume formats are popular, customizing your resume format to align with the job you are applying for is highly recommended.
A well-formatted resume is powerful as it can impress a potential employer. As a visual representation of your professional skills and experience, it plays a key role in determining whether you land an interview.
A good resume format offers the following benefits:
It makes reading easy.
It ensures relevant information is available to recruiters.
Effective use of white space and proper headings makes important details visible.
Proper formatting helps Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) identify relevant keywords.
Your accomplishments sound compelling.
A professional format can make your resume stand out.
Nowadays hiring managers at many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen applicants. An ATS is a software application that reads the resumes submitted by candidates to weed out applicants who do not meet a company’s eligibility and other specific criteria.
Due to these systems, developing an ATS-friendly resume format is necessary. If you Google “resume format examples”, you will find many ATS-friendly resume formats. Such resumes are easily parsed and understood by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
You can even use artificial intelligence to create an ATS-friendly resume using the right prompts.
So, let us study some key features of an ATS-friendly resume in this section.
A simple resume format is easily readable by an ATS.
Standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, and Times New Roman are recognized by the system more easily than fancy fonts.
Distinguishable headings make it easier for an application tracking system to read your document while screening.
Images, graphics, and tables do not work well with ATS software.
A text-based layout will get better results when dealing with these systems.
Bullet points facilitate ATS scanning.
Left-aligned text can be scanned well by ATS software.
ATSes prefer to have information like your name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile listed in your resume.
Details about your qualifications, career goals, work history, and skills increase your chances of being shortlisted.
Using keywords from the job description of the job you are applying for prompts the ATS software to consider your CV. Note that keyword stuffing will hamper your chances of selection.
How to format your resume?
Learning to format your resume is a skill that comes in handy, particularly when you plan to customize your resume for different jobs. Here are some quick tips and pointers on how to format your resume.
Select a suitable font and font size that looks neat and professional.
Determine the margins of your document for a clean look (0.5”-1” is a standard for resumes in the US).
Use adequate spacing for high readability.
Write information under separate section headings.
Use bulleted points to highlight numbers and figures and make reading easy.
The standard resume formats for the United States do not encourage adding the following information. This is not an exhaustive list.
A candidate’s photo
Personal information (gender, date of birth, ethnicity, marital status, etc.)
Details about passport, driving license, etc.
Professional references
Hobbies
Resume formats – Templates
Many resume format templates are available online today. You can even download free resume formats from various websites. Some of the best resume formats can be found on the official Microsoft website; you can download as many resume formats as you like in MS Word.
Upon downloading these resume formats 2024, you can replace the content seen in the MS Word document with your information. And voila, your resume will be ready in no time!
You can also follow this link to see some simple ATS-friendly resume templates that you can directly use to build your resume.
What makes a resume format the best resume format?
It might be difficult to categorize a single resume format as the best resume format. Your career goals, work experience, and the job you want to determine which resume will work for you the best.
Typically, the best resume formats are the ones that meet the following requirements:
Job role: The resume format you select should highlight your most relevant skills and work experiences in line with the job role you seek.
Easy to read: Evaluate if your job application will stand out amidst a sea of applicants. A well-organized and formatted resume will attract and retain a hiring manager’s attention. A clear structure with headings, bullet points, and consistent formatting makes it easier for them to find key information quickly.
ATS compatibility: These days Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) have taken over the initial screening process. An ATS-friendly format can get you the job of your dreams! This means you must avoid complex layouts, graphics, or unusual fonts in your resume.
Show strengths: The format should emphasize your strengths. For instance, a combination format works well if you have both strong skills and a solid work history.
Customizing the document: A good resume format allows you to tailor your resume to a specific job or industry.
Professional appearance: A resume should look polished and professional to create a positive impression on employers.
A well-structured resume can get you the job you want! The formatting of your resume is as important as its content. So, the next time you plan to send your resume to a prospective employer, ensure it has been formatted well.
If you need resume or cover letter editing services, get in touch with our team. Our editors at PaperTrue will refine your resume—both content and resume format will be taken care of!
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Plagiarism is a dreaded word in the world of writing and editing. Writers worry about inadvertently plagiarizing others’ content, and addressing plagiarism issues during editing can be quite a nightmare for editors. This is because identifying and correcting plagiarized content takes significant time and effort. Among the many ugly forms of plagiarism is patchwork plagiarism.
This article explores the definition of patchwork plagiarism, discusses why it is harmful, and examines the various ways in which it can be avoided.
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What is patchwork plagiarism?
Patchwork plagiarism refers to a dishonest form of writing where a writer borrows information from multiple sources and creates a new content piece without citing the original authors. It compromises the integrity of the content as writers take credit for work they have not done.
In this form of plagiarism, writers generally gather information from multiple sources, such as websites, books, articles, blogs, etc. Once they have all the input, they rephrase or paraphrase the required content based on their subject knowledge and writing competence. It is also called mosaic plagiarism.
It may also involve rearranging the content, tweaking the ideas or opinions of the original author, and other deceptive techniques. Writers then present this modified content piece as their original work.
This distorted process leads to the dilution of original ideas and may even be seen as misleading in some cases, particularly when the writer’s paraphrased or modified version changes the original (and correct) meaning.
While patchwork plagiarism is prevalent in academic settings, it can also be seen in journalism, creative writing, business writing, etc.
This form of plagiarism can be classified into the following broad categories:
Direct patchwork plagiarism: It occurs when a writer copies and pastes phrases or sentences from different sources and compiles them to form new content without citing the sources. Even if certain changes are made to the overall language, it is still considered plagiarism.
Conceptual patchwork plagiarism: Writers may pick complex ideas or theories from multiple sources and compile them without proper attribution or references. This qualifies as plagiarism, even if the content has been paraphrased or rephrased.
Structural patchwork plagiarism: When a writer takes the structure from different sources, replicates the arrangement of ideas, and uses them to create a new content piece, it is considered plagiarism. Even if the content is reworded or rephrased in such cases, the premise, content flow, and arrangement remain unchanged, marking such work as plagiarized.
Paraphrased patchwork plagiarism: This involves borrowing ideas from varied sources and rephrasing them slightly before presenting them as original work. As the original sources are not credited, it results in plagiarism.
Examples of patchwork plagiarism
To avoid the consequences of deliberate or accidental patchwork plagiarism, here are some patchwork plagiarism examples to help you check if your work falls under this category.
Example 1: Direct patchwork plagiarism
Original sources:
Source A: “The rapid pace of technological advancement has transformed the way we live, work, and communicate.”
Source B: “Social media platforms have become integral to our daily lives, connecting people across the globe.”
Source C: “Privacy concerns have arisen as a consequence of the increasing collection and use of personal data.”
Plagiarized output:
“The rapid pace of technological advancement has transformed the way we live, work, and communicate. Social media platforms have become integral to our daily lives, connecting people across the globe. However, privacy concerns have arisen as a consequence of the increasing collection and use of personal data.”
Example 2: Conceptual patchwork plagiarism
Original sources:
Source A: “Climate change is causing sea levels to rise due to the melting of glaciers and ice caps.”
Source C: “Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and droughts, are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change.”
Plagiarized output:
“Rising sea levels, caused by melting ice, are a significant threat. The oceans are becoming more acidic, harming marine life. Additionally, extreme weather patterns are increasing in both frequency and severity, all due to climate change.”
Example 3: Structural patchwork plagiarism
Original source:
A research paper on the impact of social media on mental health with the following structure:
Introduction to social media and mental health
The correlation between social media use and depression
The impact of social media on anxiety and self-esteem
Conclusion
Plagiarized output:
A student writes a paper on the same topic, following the exact same structure without acknowledging the original source.
Example 4: Paraphrased patchwork plagiarism
Original sources:
Source A: “Social media platforms have contributed to the decline of face-to-face interaction.”
Source B: “Excessive use of social media has been linked to increased levels of loneliness and depression.”
Source C: “The constant comparison of oneself to others on social media can negatively impact self-esteem.”
Plagiarized output:
“People are spending more time online, which has led to a decrease in real-life connections. This overreliance on social media has been associated with feelings of isolation and sadness. Additionally, constant exposure to carefully curated online images can damage a person’s self-worth.”
What leads to patchwork plagiarism, and how to identify it
It is true that some writers intentionally plagiarize someone else’s work, but patchwork plagiarism can also be accidental. Hence, identifying what leads to such plagiarism can help answer the question of “how to avoid patchwork plagiarism”, both deliberate and unintentional.
Several problems at the writing stage can lead to patchwork plagiarism. Some of them are:
A lack of resources, whether time, money, or technology
Inadequate technical knowledge
Ineffective research
Difficult or complex topics with very little information available about them
Anxiety about performing well in school or university or at the workplace
Here are some ways to identify plagiarism in this form:
Inadequate research: When a content piece seems poorly or barely researched, reviewing it more closely might reveal patchwork paraphrasing or plagiarism.
Writing inconsistencies: Unexplained or unsupported shifts in language, tone, vocabulary, or sentence structure typically suggest the use of multiple sources.
Doubts about originality: When writing does not seem original, it might be written using information borrowed from multiple sources.
Unreasonable or excessive paraphrasing: Though paraphrasing is not considered a problem, excessive paraphrasing without citations indicates patchwork plagiarism.
A high number of direct quotes: When a writer uses multiple direct quotes without including original commentary, it can lead to patchwork plagiarism.
Missing or incorrect sources and citations: If citations are ignored, it is wise to suspect plagiarism. Also, if the citations mentioned in the document are incorrect, the writer may have included plagiarized content.
How to avoid patchwork plagiarism?
Patchwork plagiarism is a result of combining content taken from various sources without proper and/or adequate referencing and/or paraphrasing. To maintain the academic integrity of your essays and research papers, it is important to avoid it.
If you are a professional dealing with content in the form of blogs, web pages, emails, marketing literature, ad copies, or other content forms, patchwork plagiarism can harm your reputation.
So, here’s how you can avoid patchwork plagiarism to ensure your content does not attract unwanted attention:
Decode the topic: Understand the topic you plan to write about to express your thoughts clearly.
Understand the issue: It is challenging to avoid patchwork plagiarism unless you understand that changing some words or rearranging sentences is not enough.
Compare your ideas with other people’s: Compare and differentiate between your original thoughts and the information you have gathered from various sources during research. This will help you avoid including points that do not reflect your original ideas.
Develop independent arguments: Build your content primarily on analysis conducted independently and ensure effective interpretation by studying the subject yourself.
Paraphrase adequately and effectively: Writing involves taking inspiration and information from available sources, both online and offline. However, it is important to write in your own words. Avoid replicating the language, sentence structure, or words from your sources.
Reduce the number of direct quotes: Use direct quotes only when it is unavoidable. Also, write quotes in quotation marks and mention the names of those who said them clearly.
Cite extensively: Include the right citations for all information that does not form part of your original work, including paraphrased material. Follow a citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) suitable for your writing assignment.
Use plagiarism checkers: A plagiarism check can go a long way in helping you avoid patchwork plagiarism. Most platforms are trained to identify mosaic plagiarism. Run your content through them to prevent your work from being flagged upon submission. This is particularly useful when your content is meant for publishing.
Proofread well: While you have the option to proofread your content, having your work proofread by a professional proofreading service provider to prevent instances of accidental plagiarism might prove more beneficial.
Seeking guidance from mentors and experts in your specific field can also help you prevent patchwork plagiarism.
Your independent interpretations and insights strengthen your writing and make your content unique. Use the pointers mentioned in this article to define patchwork plagiarism in your field, avoid plagiarism, and write better.
If you require professional assistance to improve your content piece, check out PaperTrue’s editing and proofreading services. We offer comprehensive editing, proofreading, and publishing support at affordable prices.
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Many of us take great pride in our spoken and written communication skills, don’t we? However, no matter how competent or experienced we may be at writing, errors might creep in from time to time. It is on such occasions that we realize the value of proofreading. The success of writing endeavors relies heavily on proofreading.
This article discusses the importance of proofreading, particularly in academic writing and business communication. We will also compare editing vs. proofreading to highlight how they differ.
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What is proofreading?
Proofreading is the deliberate review of written material to identify grammar, spelling punctuation, and formatting errors. It involves examining written material like essays, blogs, articles, emails, letters, etc., to ensure that no errors and inconsistencies escape your attention.
Irrespective of whether you are a student, professional, author, or anyone who works with written materials, proofreading is your gateway to effective written communication. You may be working on a business proposal, writing a research paper, or simply sending a work email. Doesn’t matter! A single grammatical mistake or misspelled word can undermine your idea or message and leave a negative impression on the reader. Hence, it is no wonder that proofread content shows professionalism and builds credibility.
But does a proofreader’s job end there? No. Proofreading goes beyond just checking for spelling and grammar errors; it ensures that your ideas are clearly communicated and coherently presented. However, identifying errors within the text that are familiar to you as a writer is challenging. That is why a second pair of eyes can bring a fresh perspective and new insights to your writing.
Hiring a proofreading service provider for critical projects, essays, and academic research work is recommended.
Why is proofreading important in academic writing?
Academic writing requires precision and clarity. Papers and essays that are free from errors reflect your attention to detail and enhance the quality of your work.
To achieve this, proofreading your content is important. Your academic documents are likely to be well received if they are edited and proofread.
Here are some top benefits of proofreading specific to academic writing:
High accuracy and integrity: Proofreading helps ensure that the information in your paper, assignment, or essay is accurate and free from errors. It helps maintain the integrity of academic work.
Writing clarity and readability: Complex ideas and arguments become easier to interpret with proofreading than without it. Readers can follow the argument or analysis presented without feeling exasperated or confused..
Formatting and citation compliance: Academic writing often requires adherence to specific formatting and citation styles. Proofreading takes care of such compliance standards.
Reduced revisions: Proper proofreading can reduce the number of subsequent revisions, helping save time and effort.
Improved grades: Submitting a properly and adequately proofread paper can improve grades.
How is proofreading different from editing?
Both editing and proofreading make content better, but the purpose of undertaking each of these activities is different. Editing is usually followed by proofreading; let us understand why.
Editing makes the text better by improving the content structure, flow, and clarity, depending on whether the written material is undergoing copyediting, structural editing, or developmental editing, among other forms of editing.
While editing ensures the content flows logically and makes sense to the intended audience, proofreading gives the finishing touches to a well-edited content piece. So, in many ways, proofreading is the last step in the editing process.
Benefits of proofreading
Producing error-free content is crucial today as information expands. Do you know why that is? This is because misinformation and miscommunication can be dangerous.
They can set you back in academics as well as your career. Hence, the importance and consequent benefits of proofreading cannot be overstated.
Here are some key benefits of proofreading:
Low error rates: Proofreading helps identify and correct grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and typographical errors, making the document error-free.
High clarity and readability: It enhances the clarity and readability of content pieces. Audiences usually engage with a content piece if they find it clear, concise, informative, and useful.
Improved communication: Good communication is the result of effective writing. Proofreading makes it easier for the audience to understand your message in the manner you intended.
High impact: Polished documents are more likely to prove thought-provoking, both in academic and business communication.
Compliance with requirements: Proofreading ensures that the content adheres to required guidelines, formats, or styles, which is highly important in academic writing and professional communication.
Low chances of miscommunication: As ambiguous or incorrect information is eliminated through editing and proofreading, there is little to no room for misunderstandings or miscommunication.
Improved abilities to compete: Well-written documents can set you apart from others vying for the same opportunities in academic and professional fields, and proofreading makes all the difference here.
While it is advisable to apply these guidelines to all forms of writing, they are particularly beneficial in business communication.
Proofreading is an indispensable part of the writing process. If you are focused on achieving academic excellence, do not skip this step. If you are keen on improving your business communication skills, proofreading will prove to be a boon. Proofread content usually does not fail to impress!
If you are struggling to make a strong impact on your audience with your writing, seek help from professionals like us. PaperTrue’s editing and proofreading services cater to various content types. Furthermore, our AI-assisted editing and proofreading gives your content the boost it needs.
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Do you know that editors follow different editing methods and techniques while working on different content types? So, an editor working on a manuscript will follow a process that varies significantly from that followed for editing an essay or a research paper. Why is that? As each content type is unique, the objective of editing different content pieces is also distinct. When specialized editing is needed, it makes sense to opt for mechanical editing.
Join us as we look into the intricacies of mechanical editing in this article, study the definition of mechanical editing, and see how it plays an essential role in producing high-quality written material.
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What is mechanical editing?
Mechanical editing involves fixing the technical aspects of writing, such as grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It helps editors produce precise and polished content through meticulous review and correction rounds.
This type of editing involves a thorough review of technical elements, including grammar, spelling, and punctuation for the creation of a flawless document. It ensures the content is correct and consistent.
Often referred to as copyediting and proofreading, mechanical editing handles the nuts and bolts of the text, including clarity, consistency, and formatting. Along with enhancing the clarity of written work, it also boosts readability through formatting, citations, and style guide corrections.
If you wish to appear professional and establish credibility in your field of work, never submit a document without ensuring it undergoes at least one round of mechanical editing. Precision and attention to detail are the cornerstones upon which the mechanical editing process is built.
The purpose of mechanical editing is to ensure that your content meets the required language standards, conventions, and style guidelines.
It primarily focuses on fixing grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling, along with resolving consistency issues in your document. This type of editing also addresses issues and inconsistencies related to formatting and citation styles.
Mechanical editing helps improve the authority of a document by addressing surface-level errors and ensuring uniformity. By eliminating errors and inconsistencies, it helps you achieve the following:
Clarity and comprehension: Ensures that the text is coherent and easy to understand
Credibility: Demonstrates attention to detail and professionalism
Author’s intent retention: Retains the author’s original meaning
The scope of mechanical editing typically includes:
Grammar: It ensures adherence to other grammar rules like subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, pronoun use, etc.
Punctuation: It corrects issues related to commas, periods, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and other punctuation marks.
Spelling: Misspelled words and homophone errors are corrected.
Capitalization: This editing type corrects the use of uppercase and lowercase letters and makes content comprehensible.
Consistency: You can ensure consistent style, formatting, and terminology throughout the text with this editing method.
Numbers and dates: It brings consistency to the use of numbers, symbols, and dates.
Fact-checking: During mechanical editing, the accuracy of information is verified, especially in non-fiction works.
The focus and depth of mechanical editing can vary depending on the content type, target audience, and publication requirements.
When do I need mechanical editing?
With many types of editing being used for different purposes and content types, determining when mechanical editing is needed can seem challenging.
The kind of editing a document requires depends on the writing purpose, intent, and target audience, among other things. These factors also determine whether heavy or light edits are needed. For example, technical content from specific fields may require extensive and intensive editing.
So, here’s a quick guide to help you understand what kind of documents or content types require mechanical editing. This is not an exhaustive list; we have included some prominent types.
Academic papers and research:
Since precision is crucial in academic writing, proper and adequate editing is crucial. Your paper must adhere to specific style guides (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago). It should also be free of errors that could otherwise have an adverse impact on your credibility as an academician, teacher, or student. Hence, mechanical editing is crucial for all academic papers and research jobs.
You may even need to opt for heavy editing if the document is lengthy or is written in language that sounds complex with specific jargon being used in it.
Professional documents like reports, proposals, etc.:
Mechanical editing helps maintain a professional tone in documents that reflect your school, university, or company’s reputation. If the content is simple and has undergone revision rounds, light editing might suffice. However, if you are not sure whether the document has been thoroughly reviewed and revised, you might need to go in for heavy editing.
Manuscripts and books:
Manuscripts intended for publication usually require extensive mechanical editing. Typically, early drafts require review and correction of both structural and mechanical issues. Consistency in style and error-free content are important factors that help increase engagement. Hence, taking the time to have your manuscript edited is critical to your book’s success.
Marketing materials like brochures, advertisements, etc.:
Along with impact, clarity is critical in marketing. Mechanical editing helps marketers deliver their message in the manner intended. Such editing efforts help polish the final draft and make brochures and advertisements precise, relevant, and relatable.
Web content and blog posts:
Online content must be clear and error-free to maintain credibility and increase reader engagement. Search engine optimization (SEO) may also benefit from mechanical consistency. Depending on the complexity and length of your content, you might need heavy or light edits to ensure consistency, coherence, and relevance.
Resumes and cover letters:
These documents are key to creating the first impression while submitting job applications. Potential employers shortlist candidates based on resumes and cover letters. Mechanical editing can help you ensure your documents are free from errors and follow professional standards.
Legal documents:
Precision and adherence to specific legal language are crucial. Errors can lead to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, or other legal issues. Hence, hiring professional editors who specialize in legal editing is unavoidable in such cases.
Mechanical editing is the meticulous examination and correction of content that transforms a well-written document into a masterpiece. By addressing grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style inconsistencies, mechanical editors ensure clarity, professionalism, and readability.
If you require editing and proofreading services for your document, irrespective of whether it is a dissertation, a resume, or a manuscript, talk to our team at PaperTrue. Our experienced editors can improve the quality of your content, boosting its accuracy and enhancing the language.
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If you have great ideas but struggle to pen them, don’t worry. Almost all poets and writers fail at writing consistently, and we have a solution. We’ve listed the best creative writing contests in 2024!
You can go through the list to find any writing competitions in 2024 that inspire you to write. If you aren’t confident in your draft, try looking for some free writing contests! Whether you’re looking for poetry contests, short story writing competitions, or essay contests, we’ve listed them all. So, which one will you enter?
Elevate your book, essay, short story, or poem with perfect editing!
Here is a month-wise list of the best writing contests in 2024:
The new year opens with plenty of poetry competitions but few essay contests and almost no free writing contests. With several mixed contests listed this month, however, we’re sure our poets and writers will be satisfied!
Poetry contests 2024
1. Gemini Poetry Open Contest 2024
Gemini Magazine has organized this poetry contest 2024 to offer six finalists with publication in its March/April 2024 issue. The poems may have been uploaded on personal blogs, but previously published poems are ineligible.
Word count: 3 poems of any length
Prizes: $1,000, $100, four prizes of $25
Entry fee: $9
Closing date: 02 January 2024
2. 2024 Poetry Competition
The organizers of this poetry contest seek to honor James Allen, the first person to breed Snowdrops from the wild. This is one of the free poetry contests for children and teens, who can participate through separate categories.
Theme: Nature unbound
Word count: 30 lines
Prize: £300
Entry fee: £4
Closing date: 07 January 2024
3. 2024 William Matthews Poetry Prize
Asheville Poetry Review has organized this contest to offer three deserving poets with publication. Previously published poems and works of translations are not eligible. All entries will be considered for publication!
This poetry contest is held in two categories: The judge’s prize and the editor’s prize. Three winners from both categories will be published in Magma. The winners and ten commended poets will be invited to read their poems at a contest event.
Category 1: 11–50 lines
Category 2: Up to 10 lines
Prizes: £1000, £300, £150 per category
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 31 January 2024
5. Kent and Sussex Poetry Society Open Poetry Competition 2024
This is one of the poetry competitions that does not allow simultaneous submissions, at least for contests that announce results before 16 April 2024. Winning entries will be published online and included in an annual Folio publication.
Running between 19–21 January 2024, this unique flash fiction contest challenges authors to break a specific rule of writing. It’s called an anti-prompt, and you’ll have to pair this with two prompts to write your entry in 60 hours. Exciting, isn’t it?
7. Story Unlikely Short Story Contest [Free writing Contest!]
This is one of the best short story competitions that welcome all genres: fantasy, sci-fi, memoir, and even nonfiction! All winning entries are published in the monthly issue of Story Unlikely and the winning entry may be published in the annual print issue.
Word count: 4,500
Prizes: $750, $500, $250
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 31 January 2024
Essay contest 2024
8. The 2024 Calibre Essay Prize
One of the best essay contests of 2024, this competition promotes nonfiction of all kinds: “personal or political, literary or speculative, traditional or experimental.” You may include illustrations in your essay, but the total file size should be below 3 MB.
This novel writing contest invites non-agented writers to submit a previously unpublished manuscript. Send the first 10,000 words of your novel and include a 500-word synopsis. Self-published writers are welcome to enter!
Word count: 10,000
Prizes: £1000, five prizes of £100
Entry fee: £20
Closing date: 01 January 2024
10. Cai Emmons Fiction Award
Red Hen Press has organized this novel writing contest 2024 to honor the late novelist Cai Emmons. All authors who haven’t published a full-length work with Red Hen Press are eligible to enter.
The organizers of this award support one deserving writer of creative nonfiction while they work on their book. Make sure to highlight your interest in desert literature in your biographical statement and project description!
The Poetry Society of Virginia has organized this poetry competition to award one full-length book of poetry. Self-published and audiovisual works are ineligible, but books that have won other pre-publishing awards are allowed.
Word count: At least 64 pages
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $36
Closing date: 15 January 2024
13. Bardsy Winter Anthology Contest
This unique fiction writing contest invites authors to send the first chapters of their in-progress novel or memoir. The best thing is, that you receive feedback on your entry and you can revise it accordingly before judging begins!
Word count: 2,500–3,000
Prizes: $1000, some prizes of $50
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 15 January 2024
Mixed writing contests 2024
14. Mississippi Review Writing Contest 2024
Mississippi Review has organized this poetry, short story, and essay contest 2024 to award publication to three winners. You can submit online or via post, and the postal entry fee is $15. All the best!
Categories: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction
Word count: 3–5 poems (10 pages) for poetry; 1,000–8,000 words for prose
Prizes: 3 prizes of $1,000
Entry fee: $16
Closing date: 01 January 2024
15. The DISQUIET Prize
The organizers of this writing competition offer one winner a fully paid trip to attend the DISQUIET International Literary Program in Lisbon. Three additional winners receive fee waivers for the program and they can opt for a cash prize of $1,000 in its stead.
Categories: Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction
Word count: 10 pages for poetry; 25 pages for prose
Prizes: A paid trip to Lisbon and other prizes
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 05 January 2024
16. The Winter Anthology Contest
This unique writing competition 2024 welcomes poets and writers to submit any published or unpublished piece of any length! The winner will be published in Volume 14 of The Winter Anthology and finalists will be considered for publication.
Categories: Poetry and prose
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $11
Closing date: 10 January 2024
February 2024
February features a good balance of poetry and short story competitions, but essay contests are, as always, quite rare. What’s more, we’ve managed to find six free writing contests, perhaps the highest this number has been in a single month!
Poetry competitions 2024
1. Yeats Poetry Prize
WB Yeats Society of NY has organized this poetry competition to honor the “valuable contributions poets and poetry make to human consciousness”. The judge may recognize some honorable mentions aside from the top two prizes.
Word count: 60 lines
Prizes: $1,000, $500
Entry fee: $15 per poem
Closing date: 01 February 2024
2. Claire Keyes Poetry Award
Soundings East, the literary journal of Salem State University has organized this poetry competition 2024. The final judge, Maria Mazziotti Gillan, will select a group of poems that will be awarded with publication in the journal.
Word count: 1 page per poem
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $10 (8–10 poems)
Closing date: 01 February 2024
3. Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards
This poetry contest awards three poets with publication in Paterson Literary Review. Entries to this contest must be submitted via mail. Although the competition honors Ginsberg, the organizers urge you not to emulate his style in your entry.
Word count: 2 pages per poem
Prizes: $2,000, $1,000, $500
Entry fee: $18 (3–5 poems)
Closing date: 01 February 2024
4. West Chester University Poetry Awards
These free poetry competitions are open to undergraduate poets enrolled in a US college or university. You can submit up to three poems for each award with the contact information of a referring professor.
Word count: Various
Prizes: 2 prizes of $1,500, 3 prizes of $1,000, 2 prizes of $500
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 16 February 2024
5. Heroica Poetry Prize for Women and Non-Binary Authors and Poets
Heroica has organized this poetry competition in 2024 for women and non-binary poets. The prize-winning and longlisted entries will be published in print in the first Heroica Poetry Anthology.
Word count: —
Prizes: £125, £50, £25
Entry fee: £2 for 1 poem, £5 for 3 poems; £10 for unlimited series
American Short Fiction has organized this flash fiction contest to award one writer with a cash prize and publication. Dantiel W. Moniz—writer of the story collection Milk, Blood, Heat—will judge the competition. All entries will be considered for publication!
Word count: 1,000
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $18
Closing date: 01 February 2024
7. Short Short Story Contest
The organizers of this short story contest help immigrants achieve their dreams by teaching them various courses. Alongside one overall winner and four winners for each topic, one prize will be awarded to a teen writer.
Themes: bicycle(s), eclipse, fire, suitcase(s)
Word count: 100
Prizes: $300, 5 prizes of $100
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 01 February 2024
8. WOW! Winter 2024 Flash Fiction Contest
This women-centric flash fiction contest 2024 offers 17 prizes aside from the top three entries. You can opt for a critique of your work with an entry fee of $20. The entries are limited, so make sure to submit your entry soon!
Word count: 250–750
Prizes: $400, $300, $200
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 28 February 2024
9. Edinburgh Short Story Award
In its tenth year, this short story competition offers five top prizes and publication to the top 20 (or more) entries. The contest offers free entries to Scottish writers who receive some form of income support.
Word count: 2,000
Prizes: £3,000, £500, £250, special prizes of £750 and £300
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 28 February 2024
10. Imagine Little Tokyo 2024 Short Story Contest [Free Writing Contest!]
The Little Tokyo Historical Society has organized this free short story contest in two categories: English and Japanese. These short stories should be set in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles and reflect the neighborhood’s culture. Now here’s a worldbuilding challenge like no other!
One of the rarer essay writing competitions, the winner gets a collection of essays with a publishing contract. You may edit your entry within a week of submission, but not after that. The selected work will undergo the complete book editing process before publication with Sarabande Books.
Word count: 100–250 pages
Prize: $3,000
Entry fee: $29
Closing date: 15 February 2024
Book writing contests 2024
12. Paterson Poetry Prize
This writing contest awards publication to one poet with the strongest collection of poems. The winner can claim the prize only if they’re available for an in-person or virtual reading at the Poetry Center in Paterson.
Word count: At least 48 pages
Prize: $2,000
Entry fee: $18 per story
Closing date: 01 February 2024
13. Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry
This poetry competition awards one poet with a cash prize and publication with a standard royalty contract. Translations and previously published manuscripts are not eligible. Sarabande Books will consider all finalists for publication!
Word count: At least 48 pages
Prize: $3,000
Entry fee: $29
Closing date: 15 February 2024
14. Ambroggio Prize [Free Writing Contest!]
This one-of-a-kind free poetry contest awards a manuscript “originally written in Spanish and with an English translation”. Make sure to exclude the “Acknowledgements” page from your entry while submitting! The contest is open to US citizens only.
Word count: 48–100 pages
Prize: $1,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 15 February 2024
15. Center for African American Poetry and Poetics Book Prize [Free Writing Contest!]
Autumn House Press has organized this free writing competition to honor one poet-writer of African descent. The book may be of any genre that “intersects with … poetry, hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation.”
Word count: 48–168 pages
Prize: $3,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 15 February 2024
16. Harold Morton Landon Translation Award [Free Writing Contest!]
This free poetry contest 2024 honors a manuscript translated into English from any other language. Collaborations of up to two translators are eligible but self-published works will not be considered. The contest is open to US citizens only.
Word count: At least 48 pages
Prize: $1,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 15 February 2024
17. Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction
The organizers of this short fiction contest welcome you to submit a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a short novel. The manuscript must be unpublished, but individual works may have appeared in magazines or anthologies.
Word count: 150–250 pages
Prize: $3,000
Entry fee: $29
Closing date: 15 February 2024
Mixed writing competitions 2024
18. Slippery Elm Prize for Poetry and Prose
Slippery Elm has organized this writing contest to offer publication to poets and writers in their online and print issues. All entrants will receive a copy of the winning issue and be considered for publication!
Categories: Poetry and prose
Word count: None for poetry; 5,000 words for prose
Prizes: $500 per category
Entry fee: $15 (3 poems; 1 prose entry)
Closing date: 01 February 2024
19. Elmbridge Literary Competition 2023–24
This contest features four categories for children and teens and only the adult category has an entry fee. Sampson Low will publish the winning entries from all categories together in a chapbook.
Categories: Poetry and short story
Theme: Fame
Word count: 30 lines for poetry; 1,500 words for a short story
Prizes: £250, £150, £100 per category
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 23 February 2024
20. 2024 Writing Competition
This writing contest is part of the Bournemouth Writing Festival and offers anthology publication to 40 poets and writers. All winners will be invited to the launch party, receive a free copy of the anthology, and get two tickets to a BWF event.
Categories: Poetry and flash fiction
Theme: Lines in the sand
Word count: 30 lines for poetry; 400 words for prose
Prize: Anthology publication
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 29 February 2024
21. The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition 2023/24 [Free Writing Contest!]
This free writing competition offers young poets and writers prize not only for themselves but also for their school library! There are three age groups and the top three prizes in each group for both, students and their libraries. Exciting, right?!
Categories: Poetry and short story
Theme: Being part of a group
Word count: 500
Prizes: £300, £150, £100 (to the student); 1000, £500, £250 (to the school library)
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 29 February 2024
March 2024
March is overloaded with poetry competitions, perhaps in anticipation of April, the poetry writing month. Short story contests were hard to come by, but we did manage to find some free poetry contests!
Baltimore Science Fiction Society has organized this poetry competition. You may submit up to three poems exploring themes of science fiction/fantasy/horror/science. The winners also receive convention membership.
Word count: 60 lines
Prizes: $100, $75, $50
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 01 March 2024
2. The Alpine Fellowship Poetry Prize 2024 [Free Writing Contest!]
This free poetry contest welcomes you to submit a single poem or a collection, as long as all the poems relate to the theme. Prize winners will be invited to attend The Alpine Fellowship’s annual symposium, offering up to £500 as travel expenses.
Theme: Language
Word count: 500
Prizes: £3,000, £1,000, £1,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 01 March 2024
3. The Desmond O’Grady International Poetry Competition 2024
The Limerick Writers’ Centre has organized this international poetry contest and invites entries in Irish or English. Poet Arthur Broomfield will judge the English poems while Tomás Ó Coileáin will judge the Irish ones.
Word count: 40 lines
Prizes: €200, €50
Entry fee: €3.5
Closing date: 16 March 2024
4. The London Magazine Poetry Prize 2024
The London Magazine offers cash prizes and publication to three poets through this poetry competition. Students and poets with a low income can submit entries at an entry fee of £5!
Word count: 40 lines
Prizes: £500, £300, £200
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 31 March 2024
5. The E.H.P. Barnard Poetry Prize
This poetry contest, organized by the artist Tom Niell, is open only to UK-based poets. Along with the cash prize, the winner also gets a poem video, performed, produced, and promoted. Exciting, right?
Location: UK
Theme: Travel
Word count: 400
Prizes: £100, £75, £50
Entry fee: £2
Closing date: 31 March 2024
6. The Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2024
The Caterpillar has organized this poetry competition with Joseph Coelho as the judge. The winning entries will be published in the Irish Times online and the first prize winner also gets a week at Circle of Misse in France.
Word count: —
Prizes: €1,000, €500, €250
Entry fee: €15
Closing date: 31 March 2024
7. The Plough Prize 2024
In its twenty-first year, this renowned poetry contest will be judged by Roger McGough. There is no restriction on the subject. You may send your entry via post, but make sure it reaches the organizers before the deadline.
Word count: 40 lines
Prizes: £1,000, £500, £250
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 31 March 2024
8. The Plaza Prose Poetry Prize
The Plaza Writers has organized this poetry competition to highlight prose poetry. The top ten entries will be selected for anthology publication. Contest judge Carrie Etter is looking for “thrilling experiments with the prose poem form”.
Word count: 450
Prizes: £750, £200, £50
Entry fee: £11
Closing date: 31 March 2024
Short story writing contests 2024
9. Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize
This short story competition has been organized by Symphony Space and sponsored by Selected Shorts. The winning entry will be performed by an actor and published in Electric Literature.
Word count: 750
Prize: $1,000 and a 10-week course with Gotham Writers
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 01 March 2024
10. Peter Carey Short Story Awards 2024
This short story contest awards two Australian authors with cash prizes, digital publication in Meanjin, as well as the magazine’s standard contributor fee. An additional prize of 500 AUD will be awarded to a writer who lives, works, or studies in Moorabool Shire.
Location: Australia
Word count: 2,000–3,000
Prizes: 2,000 AUD, 1,000 AUD
Entry fee: 15 AUD
Closing date: 14 March 2024
11. Indignor House Writing Competition 2024
Indignor House Publishing has organized this short story writing contest to support emerging voices in fiction. 25 entries will be selected for publication in an anthology, of which winners will receive a hardcover copy.
Theme: Fear
Word count: 5,000
Prizes: $500, $250, $150
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 31 March 2024
Essay contest 2024
12. Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest
This essay contest welcomes you to submit outstanding personal essays. All entries will be considered for publication in The New Quarterly and the organizers will pay an honorarium of $250 upon publication.
Location: Canada
Word count: 2,000–5,000
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $40
Closing date: 28 March 2024
Book writing contests 2024
13. PFD Queer Fiction Prize back for 2024
Peters Fraser + Dunlop, a London-based literary agency, has organized this book writing contest to support emerging queer writers. The submissions do not have to be on LGBTQIA+ experiences as long as the author identifies as such.
Categories: Adult and YA/children’s fiction
Word count: Three chapters and a synopsis
Prize: Agency representation
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 01 March 2024
14. 2024 Airlie Prize
Airlie Press has organized this poetry contest to award one book of poetry with publication. The editors at Airlie Press, previous winners, and guest readers will form the panel of judges. Translated works are not eligible.
Word count: 48–90 pages
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 01 March 2024
15. The 2024 Chapter One Prize for Novelists
Gutsy Great Novelist has organized this novel writing competition to award three novelists writing in any genre. They have some strict submission guidelines, so make sure you go through them before submitting your entry!
Word count: The first chapter
Prizes: $1,000, $500, $250
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 01 March 2024
16. The Hazel Rowley Prize
This contest awards the best book proposal by a first-time biographer. Along with the cash prize, the winner receives agent exposure and publicity for the project through the Biographers International Organization website and newsletter.
Word count: 20 pages
Prize: $5,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 01 March 2024
17. Raz-Shumaker Book Prize
This book writing contest awards one poetry and one short story collection with publication by the University of Nebraska Press. Poets and writers are free to enter both contests. Self-published books are not eligible for this contest.
Categories: Poetry and short story
Word count: At least 50 pages for poetry; at least 150 pages for fiction
Prizes: $3,000 per category
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 March 2024
18. Rubery Book Awards
This book writing competition is for indie writers, self-published authors, and writers who have published with independent presses. The categories for the contest are decided after all submissions have been collected.
Word count: —
Prizes: £2,000, some prizes of £200
Entry fee: £45
Closing date: 31 March 2024
Mixed writing contests
19. Wild Women Contest
Open to poets and writers of all gender identities, this writing competition only requires entries to celebrate the “wild woman spirit”. All submissions will be considered for publication in TulipTree Review and all collaborators will be paid $50.
Word count: 5 pages for poetry; 10,000 words for prose
Prizes: $1,000
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 08 March 2024
20. The Screenwriting Challenge
One of the more interesting writing competitions in 2024, this contest randomly assigns you a genre for round one. The top five from each genre group move on to round two, from which the top three move on to round three. Go check it out!
The Missouri Review has organized this poetry, short story, and essay contest to recognize emerging poets and writers. You may submit your entry online or via post. The entry fee includes a one-year subscription to the magazine.
Categories: Poetry, short story, and essay
Word count: 10 pages for poetry; 8,500 words for a short story and an essay
Prizes: $1,000 per category
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 15 March 2024
22. The Hope Prize
This short story and essay contest offers anthology publication to the winners and some shortlisted writers. The royalties from the anthology will be donated to Beyond Blue, an Australian mental health charity.
Categories: Short story and essay
Theme: Hope
Word count: 2,000–5,000
Prize: 10,000 AUD, 2,000 AUD, 1,000 AUD
Entry fee: 22 AUD
Closing date: 22 March 2024
23. Seasons Writing Competition 2024
This writing contest awards the best pieces of poetry and fiction from the submitted entries and no category prizes are awarded. All shortlisted poets and writers will be published in a contest anthology!
Categories: Poetry, short story, flash fiction, script
Theme: Light and Shadow
Word count: 2,500 words for a short story; 1,000 words for flash fiction
Prizes: 500 AUD, 400 AUD, 300 AUD, 200 AUD, some prizes of 100 AUD
Entry fee: 5 AUD
Closing date: 31 March 2024
April 2024
As if to make up for March, April features a ton of short story writing contests but only two poetry competitions. As always, essay writing contests are few and far between. Don’t worry though, we’ll keep adding to this list every month!
Unique among free poetry contests, this competition invites you to submit one humorous poem. The winner will receive a Duotrope gift certificate and the top 13 entries will be published online. Both unpublished and previously published works are eligible!
Word count: 250 lines
Prizes: $2,000, $500, $250, 10 prizes of $100
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 01 April 2024
2. Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2024
The Rialto has organized this poetry contest, inviting poets to dwell on any aspect of nature and place. While judging, Zaffar Kunial will interpret these terms widely. All longlisted entries will be published on The Rialto website.
The grand prize winner of this short story competition gets a week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, literary feedback, and agent consultation. The contest offers 40 free entries and 60 half-priced entries!
Casa África has organized this micro story writing contest to encourage writers to write about Africa in newer ways. The micro story must relate to Africa in some way and may be written in Spanish, English, French, or Portuguese.
Word count: 1,500 characters
Prizes: €750, €375, €225
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 16 April 2024
5. 2024 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize
One of the world’s leading short story contests, the Jolley Prize is in its fifteenth year. The three winning stories will be published in the August or September 2024 issue of the Australian Book Review.
Word count: 2,000–5,000
Prizes: 6,000 AUD, 4,000 AUD, 2,500 AUD
Entry fee: 30 AUD
Closing date: 22 April 2024
6. SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction
This flash fiction contest has been running twice yearly since 2018. The grand prize winner is automatically nominated for The Best Small Fiction, The Pushcart, Best of the Net, and other contests.
Word count: 1,000
Prizes: 2,500, $1,000, $500, some prizes of $100.
Entry fee: $16
Closing date: 30 April 2024
7. Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest
This short story competition challenges you to pack a punch in 100 words. The second runner-up wins a writing coaching package valued at $450 and the third, a developmental and diversity editing package valued at $250.
Word count: 100
Prizes: $2,000 and others
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 30 April 2024
8. The Creative Writing NZ Short Story Prize 2024
This short story contest accepts only online entries. Lucie Brownlee is the guest judge this year. The winner and runners-up receive a free online course and publication on the Creative Writing NZ website.
Location: New Zealand
Word count: 3,000
Prizes: $1,000, 2 prizes of $200
Entry fee: $9
Closing date: 30 April 2024
9. Short Story Competition
Organized by Cranked Anvil Press, this quarterly short story competition welcomes all genres and themes. The winning entries will be published online, and all longlisted entries will be considered for eventual anthology publication.
Word count: 1,500
Prizes: £100, £50
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 30 April 2024
10. Los Angeles NaNo Anthology
This free short story contest is a golden opportunity for writers worldwide. Writers must submit a story revolving around the theme “Utopia- or is it?” and the prompt “You must include something/someone that gets stuck”. The winning entries will be published in the Los Angeles NaNo Anthology’s 10th edition “Trouble in Paradise”.
Wordcount: 4,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 30 April 2024
Essay contest 2024
11. Terry Tempest Williams Creative Nonfiction Prize
North American Review has organized this essay contest to offer publication to the winners and honorable mentions. The organizers welcome “the lyric essay, the hermit crab essay, the braided essay, the memoir, the personal essay, literary journalism, and everything in between.”
Word count: 500–10,000
Prizes: $1,000
Entry fee: $23
Closing date: 02 April 2024
Book writing competitions 2024
12. Self-Published Book Awards
This book writing contest only accepts self-published books that are printed and bound. If you’ve published an eBook, there’s still time enough to print your book through self-publishing services! The contest accepts entries in seven categories.
Word count: —
Prizes: $10,000, 7 prizes of $1,000
Entry fee: $100
Closing date: 01 April 2024
13. First Pages Prize
This book writing contest seeks to support un-agented writers. The top three winners in both categories receive a developmental mentorship and agent consultation via Zoom. Edwidge Danticat will judge both categories.
This poetry competition is open to poets who haven’t yet published a full-length work of poetry. Self-published books are not eligible. All participants receive an eBook copy of the winning chapbook.
Word count: 25 to 40 pages
Prize: $250 and 10 copies of the printed chapbook
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 10 April 2024
Mixed writing contests 2024
15. Nimrod Literary Awards
All shortlisted poets and writers for this writing competition will be published and offered a standard publishing rate of $10/page. Poets may submit one long poem or a few short poems within the page limit.
Categories: Poetry and fiction (short story or self-contained novel excerpt)
Word count: 3–10 pages of poetry; 7,500 words for fiction
Prizes: $2,000 and $1,000 per category
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 01 April 2024
16. Mairtin Crawford Award
This writing contest is for poets and writers “working towards their first full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel.” Both published and unpublished writers are welcome to enter, but they must not have published full-length works.
Location: UK
Categories: Poetry and short story
Word count: 3–5 poems for poetry; 2,500 for short story
Prizes: £500, 2 prizes of £250 per category
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 10 April 2024
17. F(r)iction Contests
This is essentially four writing competitions rolled into one. Wole Talabi, Sherrie Flick, C. S. E. Cooney, and Marin Sardy form the panel of judges. All submissions are considered for publication!
Categories: Poetry, short story, flash fiction, and essay
Word count: 3 pages for poetry, 1,001–7,500 for short story; 1,000 for flash fiction; 6,500 for essay
Prizes: $300 for poetry, $1,000 for short story, $300 for flash fiction, $500 for essay
Entry fee: $10 for poetry and flash fiction, $15 for a short story and essay
As is the trend now, May has made up for the dearth of poetry competitions in April. While there are few short story contests this month, we did find two essay contests. Surprisingly, May features a wealth of book writing competitions!
Poetry contests 2024
1. International Poetry Contest
Atlanta Review invites you to submit five poems of any length in your entry. Aside from the grand prize winner, 20 poets will be published in the contest issue and 30 more will receive honorable mentions. All 50 poets will receive awards and a free copy of the contest issue.
Word count: —
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $15 (for five poems)
Closing date: 01 May 2024
2. The Letter Review Prize for Poetry [Free Contest!]
The organizers of this poetry competition welcome poems of all kinds, with no restrictions on subject or style. Two to four winners are announced, among whom the cash prize is equally distributed.
Word count: 70 lines
Prize: $1,000 (total prize pool)
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 03 May 2024
3. Montreal International Poetry Prize
One of the most well-known poetry contests, the Montreal Prize awards one poet each year. The judges will shortlist 60 poems, all of which will be published in The Montreal Poetry Prize Anthology. Translations aren’t allowed unless a poet translates their own work.
Word count: 40 lines
Prize: $20,000 CAD
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 May 2024
4. Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize
This poetry competition awards one poem with publication in The American Poetry Review. All entrants receive a copy of the magazine. You may submit up to three poems, as long as the entire entry is no larger than 3 pages.
Word count: 3 pages
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 15 May 2024
5. James Laughlin Award [Free Writing Contest!]
This poetry competition is for a second book of poetry, to be published in the coming year. Publishers that have previously published at least four books of poetry are welcome to enter. Translated books are not eligible.
Location: US
Word count: 48–100 pages
Prize: $5,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 15 May 2024
6. Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
This contest awards a book of poetry published in a standard edition in the previous year (2023). Self-published and translated books are not eligible. Publishers may submit more than one title.
Location: US
Word count: At least 48 pages
Prize: $25,000
Entry fee: $75
Closing date: 15 May 2024
7. Guy Owen Prize
Southern Poetry Review has organized this poetry contest, inviting you to submit three to five poems. You may submit online or via post, and the entry fee includes a one-year subscription to the magazine.
8. The Letter Review Prize for Short Fiction [Free Contest!]
This short story writing contest will shortlist 20 entries, of which 2–4 will be announced as the winners. All entries will be considered for publication, future anthologies, and submission to the Pushcart Prize!
Word count: 5,000
Prize: $1,000 (total prize pool)
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 03 May 2024
9. Twist in the Tale Writing Competition
This interesting short story contest will assign you a genre, a “twisted” subgenre, and an event/character/object/subject. The contest also features weekly challenges and monthly mini-contests. It’s a community experience like no other!
Word count: 1,000
Prizes: $1,200, $400, $250, $150, $100, and others
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 13–19 May 2024 (6-day contest)
10. WOW! Flash Fiction Contest
One of the WOW! 2024 writing contests, this is an open-prompt competition, open to women worldwide. You can opt for a critique of your writing at a $20 entry fee. The contest features only 300 entries, so hurry up and submit yours!
11. The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction [Free essay writing contest!]
One of the few essay contests in May 2024, this competition is open to essayists worldwide. Entries are judged blind and all entrants receive judges’ feedback on their essays. If you’d like to enter more than one essay, the fee is $5 per additional entry.
Word count: 5,000
Prize: $1,000 (total prize pool)
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 03 May 2024
12. James A. Winn Prize in Nonfiction
Michigan Quarterly Review has organized this essay contest in memory of English Professor James A. Winn. Ten shortlisted entries will be presented to Judge Elizabeth Goodenough. All entries will be considered for publication.
Word count: 1,500–7,000
Prize: $1,500
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 31 May 2024
Book writing contests 2024
13. Cheshire Novel Prize
This international book writing competition invites un-agented authors to submit an excerpt and a 500-word synopsis of their novel. Shortlisted authors will be asked to submit their entire manuscript. Self-published writers are welcome to enter!
Word count: The first 5,000 words
Prize: £1500
Entry fee: £29
Closing date: 01 May 2024
14. The Backwaters Prize in Poetry
This poetry book contest invites you to submit a collection of poems or a single long poem. The Backwaters Press will offer publication to both winning manuscripts. Only collections with 95% unpublished material are eligible to enter.
Word count: 60–85 pages
Prizes: $2,000, $1,000
Entry fee: $32
Closing date: 01 May 2024
15. The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books [Free Contest!]
The Letter Review invites poets and writers to submit excerpts of their unpublished books. The organizers may request entire manuscripts only from the winners. Make sure to include a one-page synopsis/abstract and a 200-word bibliography!
Word count: The first 15 pages for poetry; the first 5,000 words for prose
Prize: $1,000 (total prize pool)
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 03 May 2024
16. Leapfrog Global Fiction Prize
This international book writing contest is open to literary and mainstream fiction, including science fiction. Short story collections are allowed. Self-published books are allowed, as long as they haven’t sold more than 200 copies!
Word count: Minimum 22,000
Prize: Publication with Leapfrog Press and $150 for all finalists
Entry fee: $35
Closing date: 05 May 2024
17.The Fugere Book Prize for Finely Crafted Novellas
Regent House Publishing has organized this novella competition with its panel of editors as the judges. English translations of novellas written in other languages are allowed. Make sure not to send artwork or photographs, however!
Word count: 17,000–40,000
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 May 2024
18. Goldfinch Novel Award 2024
This novel contest invites manuscripts written for adults or young adults. Submit an excerpt of your novel with a one-page synopsis. Along with the cash prize, the winner gets a free Goldfinch membership and a Creative Writing Course worth £150.
Location: UK and Ireland
Word count: The first 5,000 words
Prize: £300
Entry fee: £10
Closing date: 15 May 2024
19. Changing Light Prize for a Novel-in-Verse [Free Contest!]
This interesting book writing contest combines the forms of poetry and novel. Along with the cash prize, the winner receives 20 copies of their book and a standard royalty contract. The winning manuscript will be published in three formats: trade paper, eBook, and Kindle.
20. The Untold Tales Youth Writing Competition [Free Contest!]
The organizers of this writing contest invite poets and writers under 25 years of age to submit entries in English or Spanish. The writing should be “focused on a true, fact-based untold tale celebrating and/or illuminating the importance of human rights.”
Categories: Poetry, short story, short narrative
Word count: 500 words for poetry; 1,000 words for prose
Prizes: $100 per category
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 01 May 2024
21. Leeway Transformation Award [Free Contest!]
Open to women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming artists, poets, and writers, this award isn’t project-based. Rather, it seeks to honor a creative based in Greater Philadelphia who has been working for social change.
Location: US
Categories: Various
Word count: —
Prizes: $15,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 01 May 2024
22. Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest
This short story and essay contest offers online publication to 12 outstanding writers of fiction and nonfiction. Both published and unpublished entries are welcome. The top two winners receive two-year gift certificates from Duotrope.
This writing contest features nine categories, awarding almost 500 poets and writers with various prizes. As if that wasn’t enough, the names and titles of honorable mentions will be listed on the Writer’s Digest website. Quite the exposure for new writers!
Categories: Various
Word count: 40 lines for poetry; 4,000 words for a short story, and 2,000 for an essay
Prizes: $5,000, 9 prizes of $1,000, $500, $250, $100, and $50 (per category)
Entry fee: $20 for poetry; $30 for manuscript
Closing date: 06 May 2024
24. The Bridport Prize 2024
This esteemed writing competition offers anthology publication, agent consultation, and editorial advice to the winning poets and writers. It also offers other prizes such as the Young Writer Award and the Dorset Award.
Categories: Poetry, short story, flash fiction, novel, memoir
June is bursting with creative opportunities! From free to paid, there are exciting poetry, short story, and book-writing contests waiting for you. For essay writing enthusiasts, we also managed to find four amazing essay writing contests.
Poetry contests 2024
1. Boulevard magazine poetry contest
This poetry contest invites writers to submit a group of 3 poems. The winning group of poems will be published in the Boulevard magazine.
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $18
Closing date: 1 June 2024
2. Dan Veach Prize[Free Writing Contest!]
Organized by the Atlanta Review magazine, this is a free poetry contest. Currently accepting submissions from college students aged 18-23, the winning entries will be published in the Atlanta Review’s Fall/Winter issue.
This free contest welcomes writers to submit a maximum of 2 unpublished haiku poems. Open to haiku poets globally, winners will receive a cash prize and a copy of Red Leaves: Selected Haiku of Peggy Lyles.
Prize: $200, $100, $50
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 1 June 2024
4. McLellan Poetry Prize
This contest invites writers to submit any number of poems on their choice of subject or theme. The poems must be unpublished and not accepted for publication.
Word count: 90 lines
Prize: £1000, £250
Entry fee: £7 for the 1st poem, £5 per poem for 2nd and subsequent poems
Closing date: 2 June 2024
5. Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year
Allowing poets to submit poems on any subject, 35 poems will be chosen from all the submitted entries. The shortlisted poems will feature in the Poet of the Year Anthology.
Word count: 60 lines
Prize: £200, £100, £50
Entry fee: £5 per poem
Closing date: 7 June 2024
6. Poetry London prize
Judged by Hannah Sullivan, this contest is open to poets anywhere in the world. The submitted poems must be in English. Winning entries will be published in the Poetry London magazine.
Prize: £5000, £2000, £1000
Entry fee: £5 for Poetry London magazine subscribers, £10 for non-subscribers
Closing date: 30 June 2024
Short story competitions 2024
7. Defenestrationism contest
This competition is looking for stories that “include an incident of Defenestrationism– the art, or -ism, of throwing people out of windows”. This need not be literal and the incident can be sudden, a violent shift or change. Zombie fiction is discouraged.
Prize: $75, $30, $30
Closing date: 2 June 2024
8. Imagine 2200
Organized by the American magazine Grist, this contest is looking for “stories rooted in creative climate solutions”. Anyone who is 18 years or older can participate.
Word count: 2,500-5,000 words
Prize: $3000, $2000, $1000, 9 prizes of $300
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 24 June 2024
9. Moth Short Story Prize
Open to any writer over 16 years of age, the winning entries will be published in the Irish Times. Prizes also include a trip to Circle de Misse in France plus open travel stipend! This contest will be judged by Louise Kennedy.
Prize: £3000, Circle de Misse trip, £1000
Entry fee: £15 per entry
Closing date: 30 June 2024
10. Salamander 2024 Fiction Contest
Accepting unpublished stories from writers worldwide, the winning entries will be published in the Salamander magazine. The story submitted must not exceed 30 double-spaced pages in 12-point font.
Prize: $1000, $500
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 1 June 2024
11. FFF Competition
This flash fiction contest invites writers to submit stories on any theme. The winning entries will be published on the Free Flash Fiction website.
Wordcount: 100-300 words
Prize: £150, 2 prizes of £50, 3 prizes of £40
Entry fee: £3.95, £2.55
Closing date: 23 June 2024
Essay contests 2024
12. Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Contest
Open to anyone who is 25 years old or under, this essay writing contest only accepts one entry per person. Participants can submit their essays written in English, Japanese, or French.
Theme: Experience of overcoming conflict
Word count: 700 words
Prize: 100,000 yen, 50,000 yen
Closing date: 15 June 2024
13. Solid essay contest
An amazing opportunity for new writers, the winning essay entries will receive a scholarship. To participate, writers will have to write an essay on technology’s role in shaping the future or select the topic of climate change.
Word count: 600-800
Prize: $1000, $700, $500
Closing date: 19 June 2024
14. Hubert Butler Essay prize
To participate in this essay writing contest, the author must be above 18 and should be a European or UK citizen. The subject for the essay is: “With narratives of conflict currently distorted by misinformation and the substitution of memory for history, what are the chances of reconciliation?”
Wordcount: 3,000
Prize: 1 prize of €1,500, 2 prizes of €500
Closing date: 28 June 2024
15. Fountain Essay Contest 2024
Open to writers worldwide, interested participants can submit 1 entry per person. While the Chicago Manual of Style is preferred for essay writing, other styles can also be used.
Theme: Where is home?
Wordcount: 1500-2000
Prizes: $1000, $500, $300, 2 prizes of $150
Closing date: 30 June 2024
Book writing contests 2024
16. The Novel Prize
This contest rewards unpublished fictional works that “explore and expand the possibilities of the form, and are innovative and imaginative”. The winning entries will be published in North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Prize: $10,000
Closing date: 1 June 2024
17. Chicken House Prize
This contest invites writers to submit a “complete fiction manuscript of any genre for children aged 7 up to YA”. The winner will receive a publishing contract plus an offer of representation.
Prize: £7,500
Closing date: 1 June 2024
18. Creative Arts Book Award
This contest allows writers to submit original works of fiction or non-fiction. Poetry books cannot be submitted to this contest.
Founded in 1979, this contest accepts manuscript submissions of poetry, fiction, drama, and imaginative non-fiction. Open to Maryland (USA) writers only, the manuscript must be published 3 years before the time of nomination or scheduled for publication within the year it’s nominated.
Prize: $1,000
Closing date: 15 June 2024
20. Scotiabank Giller Prize
To be eligible to participate in this contest, the writer must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. The book should be a first-edition novel, graphic novel, or collection of short stories published between 1st May and 30th June 2024. Unfortunately, self-published books aren’t eligible.
Organized to encourage Canadian writers, this contest awards the best Canadian novel or short story collection. Funded by the Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, the authors receive a generous cash prize.
Prize: $60,000, $5000
Closing date: 25 June 2024
22. Drue Heinz Literature Prize
Open to writers all over the world, participants can submit a manuscript of short stories, 2 or more novellas, or a combination of novellas and short stories. Winning entries will be published by the University of Pittsburgh Press and receive support in book promotion.
Prize: $15000
Closing date: 30 June 2024
Mixed writing contests 2024
23. Arizona Authors Association Literary Contest
Arizona Literary Magazine has organized this poetry, short story, and essay writing competition in three categories and several subcategories. The 24 winning poets and writers will be published in the magazine.
Location: US and Canada
Categories: Unpublished poetry, short story, essay, novel; Published books of fiction and nonfiction, others
Word count: 50 lines for poetry; 5,000 for short stories and essays; 25 pages for a novel
Prizes: $500, 3 prizes of $200, $100, $75, $50 each, 11 prizes of $25
Entry fee: $35 for unpublished and $45 for published poets and writers
Closing date: 01 June 2024
24. Questions Writing Prize
This contest welcomes writers to submit fiction/non-fiction works on any topic. Only young Australian writers, aged 18-30 years are open to participate in this contest.
Prize: $3000
Word count: 1,500-2000
Closing date: 1 June 2024
25. Manitoba poetry and short story contest
Interested participants can either submit 3 poems or 1 story to participate in this exciting contest. The winning entries will be published on the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba website and winners will be given cash prizes.
This contest has 3 categories: fiction, non-fiction, and art. All the entries must be about the land of Oz created by Frank Baum in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Prize: $100, $50
Word count: 10,000 words
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 15 June 2024
27. Wells Festival of Literature
Organized as a part of the Wells Festival of Literature, this contest awards amazing fictional works of poetry and prose. The winners will receive amazing cash prizes and will be invited to the celebratory event of the festival on 25th October 2024.
Categories: Open Poetry, Short Story, Book for Children, Young Poets
Closing date: 30 June 2024
a. Wells Festival Open Poetry Contest 2024
The poems can be on any subject. Each poem submitted must not exceed more than 35 lines of text in length. Multiple submissions are allowed.
Prize: £1000, £500, £250
Entry fee: £6
b. Wells Festival Short Story Contest 2024
You can submit 1 or more short stories on any topic of your choice to participate in this content. Make sure to mention the story’s word count on the first page!
Prize: £750, £300, £200, £100
Entry fee: £6 per story
c. Wells Festival Book for Children Contest
This competition requires you to submit either the first two chapters or the first 20 pages of the children’s book you’ve written. You also need to attach your book’s synopsis.
Prize: £750. £300, £200
Entry fee: £6 per book
d. Young Poets Contest
Open to writers aged 16-22 years old, this contest allows participants to submit poems on any subject. The poems must not exceed 35 lines of length.
Prize: £200, £150, £100
Entry fee: £3 per poem
28. Writers’ Trust Prize for Non-Fiction
This contest rewards the best Canadian non-fiction of the year. Participants can submit a biography, memoir, or non-fiction book of essays, commentary, and criticism.
Prize: $75,000, $5,000
Closing date: 25 June 2024
29. Writers of the future contest
Writers who have not professionally published “a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium” are eligible to participate. Manuscripts belonging to the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and dark fantasy are also accepted.
Prize: $5000, $1000, $750, $500
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 30 June 2024
July 2024
July is the perfect month to let your creativity soar! We’ve found exciting poetry, book, and short story competitions for you! As always, essay writing competitions are scarce. Don’t worry though, we’ll keep adding to this list every month!
Poetry contests 2024
1. Local Word Poetry Prize
In its second year, this contest is open to Australian residents who are 16 years or older. The winning entry will be published on the Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC) website.
Wordcount: 75 lines
Prize: $2,000, $250
Entry fee: Free!
Closing date: 1 July 2024
2. Ledbury Poetry Competition 2024
A part of the Poetry Ledbury Festival, this contest is open to writers who are 18 years or older. Judged by Maya C. Popa this year, participants can submit unpublished poems up to 40 lines.
Location: UK
Prize: £1000, £500, £259
Entry fee: £6
Closing date: 8 July 2024
3. Vice Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize
Interested participants can submit 1-6 poems. 60 longlisted poems will be published in an online prize anthology.
Prize: AUD$15,000, AUD$5,000, AUD$5,000
Entry fee: $AUD25
Closing date: 14 July 2024
4. Rattle poetry prize
Welcoming writers worldwide to participate, this contest accepts poems primarily written in English. Participants can send 4 poems per entry on any topic of their choice.
Prize: 1 prize of $15000, 1 prize of $5000, 10 prizes of $500
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 15 July 2024
5. The Tenth Gate Prize
To participate, writers must have two previously published full-length poetry collections. The winning entry will be published.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 July 2024
6. Muriel Craft Bailey Poetry Contest
Judged by Charles Rafferty, this contest accepts original, unpublished submissions. The winning entry will be published in the Comstock Review.
Prize: $1.000, $250, $100
Entry fee: $27.50 (per submission)
Closing date: 15 July 2024
7. Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Prize
Judged by Kim Addonizio, this contest is open to writers worldwide. The top 5 finalists’ entries will be published in the Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine.
Prize: $1,000, $500, $250
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 31 July 2024
8. Winchester Poetry Prize 2024
Judged by Clare Shaw, this contest encourages poets worldwide to submit poems on any subject. The results will be announced on 5th October 2024 and winning entries will be published in a competition anthology.
Location: UK
Wordcount: Not more than 40 lines
Prize: £1000, £500, £250
Entry fee: £6 for the 1st poem, £5 for each subsequent poem
Closing date: 31 July 2024
9. Experimental Poetry Contest
This exciting contest allows participants to submit poems of any form and style. The winning entry will be published in the Connecticut River Review.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 31 July 2024
Short story competitions 2024
10. HWA Short Story Award
To participate in this contest, writers must submit a story that is set atleast 35 years in the past. The stories of 6 shortlisted writers will be published together in an eBook.
Wordcount: 3,500 words
Prize: £500
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 1 July 2024.
11. HG Wells short story competition
Free for writers 21 years or under, this contest accepts original, unpublished short stories. The winning entries will be published in the HG Wells Short Story Competition Anthology.
Theme: The Fool
Prize: £1,000
Entry fee: £10 for writers over 21, £5 for writers with a student ID
Closing date: 8 July 2024
12. The Paul Cave Prize for Teenage Fiction
Organized to encourage teenage fiction, writers can submit stories about a murder mystery, science, technology, sports, etc. Winning entries will be published on the contest website and in the Paul Cave Prize for Teenage Fiction 2024 book.
Prize: £100, £50, £25
Entry fee: £30 (1 entry), £40 (2 entries)
Closing date: 30 July 2024
13. Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition 2024
Funded by the Munster Literature Centre, this contest invites writers of all nationalities to submit their stories. The selected stories will be published in the literary journal Southward.
This contest is seeking submissions for “thrilling and thought-provoking short stories”. To participate, writers will have to explore the theme of freedom through genres like crime, fantasy, and speculative fiction.
Wordcount: 1000-2500
Prize: £100
Entry fee: £5
Closing date: 31 July 2024
15. Fiction Factory Competition
This competition welcomes all stories except those related to children and young adult fiction. Stories must be submitted in a MS Word document.
Open to writers worldwide, this short story competition welcomes submissions on any theme or style. The winning entry will be published in the future issue of Anthology.
Word count: 1,500 words
Prize: €1000, €250, €150
Entry fee: €18 per entry
Closing date: 31 July 2024
Essay contests 2024
17. Forum Essay Prize 2024
This contest is seeking submissions of “bold, visionary, and persuasive essays”. The winning essay will be published in the issue of Forum for Modern Language Studies.
Theme: The Art(s) of Delight
Wordcount: 6000-8000 words
Prize: £500, £200
Closing date: 1 July 2024
Book writing contests 2024
18. Wasifiri New Writing Prize
This contest is open to all writers who have not yet published a book. The winning entries will be published in the Wasafiri magazine.
Wordcount: 3000 words
Prize: £1000
Entry fee: £12 (single entry), £16 (double entry)
Closing date: 1 July 2024
19. The St. Laurence Book Award
This contest rewards an unpublished collection of poetry or prose. The winning entry will be published and the author will receive 10 copies.
Prize: $1.000
Entry fee: $14
Closing date: 1 July 2024
20. Press 53 Award
Rewarding “outstanding, unpublished collection of poems”, this contest welcomes submissions of writers 18 years or older. The participant must reside in the United States.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 31 July 2024
21. Kingsley Tuft Poetry Award
Interested participants must submit their first book of poetry published between 1st July 2023 and 30th June 2024. Make sure to mail 8 copies of the book and the entry form before the deadline!
Prize: $100,000
Closing date: 1 July 2024
22. North Street Book Prize
To participate, writers must submit self-published/hybrid published books. Winning writers will also receive a $500 credit at the self-publishing platform BookBaby and book cover consultation from Laura Duffy Design.
Categories: mainstream/literary fiction, romance, mystery, thriller, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, poetry, children’s picture books, middle grade, art books, creative non fiction, graphic novels, and memoirs
Prize: $10,000, $1,000, $300
Entry fee: $79 per book
Closing date: 1 July 2024
23. Marystina Santiestevan First Book Prize
Every year, this contest awards a poet who hasn’t yet published a full-length poetry book. Interested poets must submit an unpublished manuscript of 48-90 pages.
Open to writers 18 years or older, participants can submit more than 1 manuscript. The winning entry will be published by Regal House Publishing.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 July 2024
Mixed writing contests 2024
25. Bellevue Literary Review Prize
This contest is currently accepting submissions in 3 categories: poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Wordcount: 5,000 words
Prize: $75 (poetry), $150 (prose)
Entry fee: $5
Closing date: 1 July 2024
26. Robert and Adele Schiff Awards
Simultaneous submissions of fiction and non-fiction works are accepted by this contest. Writers can submit 8 pages of poetry (5 poems), a 10,000-word fictional work or a 5,000-word work of literary non-fiction.
Prize: $1,000 (per category)
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 July 2024
27. Work-in-Progress Contest
This contest supports writers to complete a book of fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Winning writers will also get guidance from editors and their interview will be featured in Unleash Lit.
Prize: $500
Closing date: 15 July 2024
August 2024
Ready to unleash your creativity and showcase your talent? We’ve found amazing poetry, book, and short story competitions for you. Although there aren’t many essay writing competitions, we’ll continue updating this list every month.
Poetry contests 2024
1. Coniston Prize
Open to female poets worldwide, this contest awards a group of exceptional poems. The poems of all winners and finalists will be published in the October Coniston’s Prize issue.
Only writers staying in Ireland are eligible to participate in this contest. This concept accepts unpublished poems in PDF/Word format.
Wordcount: 40 lines max
Prize: €400, €300, €200
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 12 August 2024
3. Grayson Books Poetry Contest
Accepting electronic submissions only, this contest looks for poetry submissions of 50-90 pages. The winning entry will be published by Grayson Books.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $26
Closing date: 15 August 2024
4. Cantor Prize
Judged by Juan Morales, this contest is open to Colarodo writers and global writers submitting a poem about Colorado. Previously published poems and simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Judged by Rachel Long, this contest rewards a single poem written in English. The winning poems will also receive the opportunity for publication in Oxford Poetry.
Wordcount: 50 lines (maximum)
Prize: £1000, £200, £100
Closing date: 31 August 2024
6. Off the Grid Poetry Prize
Open to poets 60 years or older, manuscripts submitted for this contest must be of atleast 50 pages. The winner will also receive additional services of book promotion, book printing, audiobook creation.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 August 2024
7. Richard-Gabriel Rummonds Poetry Prize
Open to writers residing in the United States, entrants need to be 18 or older to participate. The winning entry will secure publication by Ex Ophidia Press.
Prize: $2,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 August 2024
8. Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize (Free poetry contest!)
Only New York residents who have published a poetry collection between 1st July 2023 and 30th June 2024 are eligible to participate in this contest. The winner will get an opportunity to read their poetry and teach at Utica University in April 2025.
Prize: $2,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 31 August 2024
Short story competitions 2024
9. George Dila Flash Fiction Contest
This contest welcomes submissions of unpublished flash fiction works. Three winning stories will be published in September 2024’s contest issue.
Wordcount: Less than 1,000 words
Prize: 3 prizes of $100
Entry fee: $6 per entry
Closing date: 15 August 2024
10. Free Flash Fiction Competition
Writers who are16 years or older are eligible to participate in this contest. Welcoming submissions of fiction works on any theme, the winning entry also secures publication.
Entry fee: £2.55 via BACS, £3.95 via PayPal or Stripe
Closing date: 23 August 2024
11. Summer Short Story Award
Inviting submissions of unpublished fiction or creative nonfiction, this contest will be judged by Colin Barrett. Simultaneous and multiple submissions are allowed. The winning entry will secure an agency review and online publication.
Word count: Less than 6000 words
Prize: $3000, 2 cash prizes for finalists ($200, $300)
Entry fee: $20 per entry
Closing date: 25 August 2024
12. Gemini Flash Fiction Prize
This flash fiction contest invites writers to submit literary works on any subject and style. The maximum word-limit is 1,000 words.
Prize: $1,000, $100, $25 each (4 honorable mentions)
Entry fee: $8
Closing date: 31 August 2024
13. Edinburgh Flash Fiction Award
Accepting stories in all genres, this contest is open to writers worldwide. The authors of the top 20 stories will secure publication in an anthology. This contest also rewards one writer living in Scotland with the Golden Hare award and a bizarre, quirky story with the Write Mango Flash Award.
Wordcount: Up to 200 words
Prize: £2,000, £300, £150, £500 for Golden Hare award, £300 for Write Mango Flash award
Entry fee: £10.00 per story
Closing date: 31 August 2024
14. Summer Flash Fiction Contest
Hosted by WOW!, this quarterly writing contest accepts submissions in any style and genre. The winning entry will be published. Top 10 entries will each receive a $25 Amazon gift certificate. With this, 10 honorable mentions will each get a $20 Amazon gift certificate.
Prize: $600, $300, 200, $25 worth Amazon gift certificates to 7 runner-ups,
Wordcount: 250-750 words
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 31 August 2024
Essay writing contests 2024
15. Creative Non Fiction Essay Contest
Judged by Safiya Sinclair, this contest seeks submissions of creative, non-fiction essays of 5,000 words. Every entry must include a cover letter, an essay manuscript, and the entry fee.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 2 August 2024
16. Platt Family Essay Contest (Free essay contest!)
Under-graduate students who are currently enrolled in an American University or college during the Spring semester are eligible to participate in this contest. Make sure to include a works cited page or bibliography with the essay!
Prize: $1,000, $500, $250
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 31 August 2024
Book writing contests 2024
17. Aspen Words Literary Prize
This prize is annually given to “an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue”. Welcoming writers worldwide, works about violence, religion, race, immigration, or any other social issues are eligible for submission.
This contest rewards a manuscript that “challenges conventions of genre and language, content and form”. The chosen manuscript will secure publication by FuturePoem, a standard royalty contract and 25 author copies.
Accepting only online submissions, this contest is open to writers worldwide. The winning entry is published and the winner gets 20 printed copies.
Prize: $3000
Entry fee: $30 per entry
Closing date: 16 August 2024
20. Book of the Year Awards Contest
In its tenth year, this contest welcomes authors to submit fictional/non-fictional books. The entries must be already published and available for sale/presale on Amazon or other online publishing platforms.
Prize: $2,500, $1,000 each (2 prizes), $500 each (2 prizes) $250 each (2 prizes) (totaling to $6000)
To participate, writers can submit a manuscript of any length in Word or PDF format. The winning entry will be published by the Journal of Experimental Fiction.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 31 August 2024
Mixed writing contests 2024
22. Granum Foundation Prize (Free writing contest!)
This contest invites submissions of poetry books, essay collections, short story collections, novels, and memoirs. Additionally, the Granum Foundation Translation Prize will be awarded to a work translated in English. Open to US-based writers, only one entry per person is allowed.
Prize: $5.000 (Granum Foundation prize), $1500 or more (Granum Foundation Translation Prize), $500 or more (3 finalists)
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 1 August 2024
23. Stories That Need to Be Told
This contest welcomes submissions of poetry and prose works. Five additional prizes will be given to stories related to humor, passion, depth, or any form of love.
Wordcount: Poetry (5 pages per poem), prose (10,000 words)
Prize: $1,000, $200 each (5 prizes), $200 (wild card)
Entry fee: $20 per entry
Closing date: 9 August 2024
24. Gulf Coast Prize
This prize rewards a novel or short story collection that “illuminates a vital contemporary issue”. Writers can submit a literary work that explores violence, religion, race, or any other social issue. Only 4 submissions are allowed per publishing house.
Prize: $35,000
Entry fee: $26 per entry
Closing date: 7 August 2024
25. Lab Prize
To participate, writers can submit their unpublished novel or short story collection on any topic. The winning entry will be published by The University of New Orleans Press.
Prize: $10,000
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 31 August 2024
26. SaveAs Writers International Writing Competition
Organized to pay a tribute to climbers U.K.’s 1924 Everest expedition climbers, this contest accepts poetry and short story submissions. Judged by Frances Knight, the entry needs to be centered around the theme “Risking All”.
Wordcount: 60 lines max (poems), 3,500 (short stories)
Prize: £200, £100, £50
Entry fee: £4 per poem, £10 for 3 poems, £5 for a short story, £12 for 3 short stories
Closing date: 31 August 2024
27. Northwind Writing Award (Free writing contest!)
This contest includes the following categories: prose poetry, poetry, short fiction, nonfiction/essay/memoir. Only writers residing in the US, Canada, U.K., and Canada are eligible to participate.
Prize: $100 per category
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 31 August 2024
September 2024
This September, gear up for some exciting writing contests and showcase your creativity! We’ve discovered amazing poetry, essay, book, and short story contests, both free and paid. Dive in, participate, and stay tuned: We’ll continue updating this list as we find new contests!
Poetry contests 2024
1. Frontier Poetry Award
Judged by Nancy Miller Gomez, this contest rewards an unpublished poetry chapbook or manuscript. The winning entry will be published and the author will receive 50 book copies.
Prize: $2000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 September 2024
2. Banyan Review Poetry Prize
Seeking poetry submissions on any topic, this contest awards a single, well-crafted poem. Interested poets can submit 5 unpublished poems in a single file (docx).
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 2 September 2024
3. New Women’s Voices Chapbook competition
Women who have not yet published a full-length collection are eligible to participate in this contest. To enter, they must submit a poetry chapbook along with a bio, title page, and acknowledgements.
Prize: $1,500
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 15 September 2024
4. Brittingham and Felix Pollak Prizes
To participate, interested poets can submit their original poetry manuscript in PDF format. The winning entry and 4 additional entries will be chosen for publication by the University of Wisconsin Press.
Word count: 50-90 pages
Prize: $1,500
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 15th September 2024
5. Troubadour International Poetry Prize 2024
Open to writers worldwide, this contest welcomes poetry submissions on any theme. Accepting multiple submissions, this contest will be judged by Jane Yeh and Glyn Maxwell.
Word count: 45 lines max
Prize: £2,000, £1,000, £500
Entry fee: £6 / €7 / $8 per poem
Closing date: 23 September 2024
6. Miller Williams Poetry Prize
Currently accepting poetry manuscript submissions, this contest only allows one entry per author. The winning entry will also secure publication.
Wordcount: 60-90 pages
Prize: $5,000
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 30 September 2024
7. X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize
Every year, this contest rewards a full-length poetry collection. The winner gets a fellowship at Vermont Studio Center, a royalty contract and 10 published book copies.
Wordcount: 50-100 pages
Prize: $10,000
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 30 September 2024
8. One Page Poetry Contest
This contest welcomes entries of single-page poems in any genre and form. The first 100 entries will be published in an anthology by One Page Poetry.
Prize: $2,000, $1,000, $500.
Entry fee: $25 per poem
Closing date: 30 September 2024
Short story competitions 2024
9. Stories Out of School Contest (Free short story contest!)
Open to adults who are 18 years or older, this contest is seeking submissions of original, unpublished works. The story’s protagonist or narrator must be a K-12 teacher.
Wordcount: 6-499 words
Prize: $1,000
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 1 September 2024
10. Lorian Hemingway Short Story Contest
Open to writers worldwide, this contest awards the best, original, unpublished fiction stories. Interested participants can submit stories in any theme or style. Multiple submissions are allowed.
Word count: 3500 words or less
Prize: $1500, $500 each (2 prizes)
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 1 September 2024
11. The Fiddlehead Fiction Contest
Judged by Zilla Jones, this contest is seeking submissions of original, unpublished short stories. The winning entries will be published in The Fiddlehead magazine.
Organized as a part of the Surrey International Writing Conference, this contest invites writers from all over the world to submit their stories. Allowing authors to submit stories in any genre, every entry must also include an attached cover letter.
Wordcount: 2,500-5000 words
Prize: $1,000, $150 (honorable mention)
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 15 September 2024
13. Ink of Ages Fiction Prize (Free writing contest!)
Open to all writers who are 13 years old and above, this contest seeks historical and mythological story submissions. The story must “be set 50 years ago”.
Wordcount: 1500-2000 (18+ entrants), 800-1000 (13-17 years old)
Prize: $200, $100, $50
Entry fee: Free!
Closing date: 15 September 2024
14. Solas Awards
Accepting submissions of the best travel stories, this contest is open to US and Columbia’s writers above 18 years of age. The stories submitted must be true accounts of any events you’ve experienced.
Word count: 750 words max
Prize: $1000, $750, $500
Entry fee: $35
Closing date: 21 September 2024
15. Mslexia Women’s Short Story Competition
Judged by Leone Ross, this contest is open to all female writers worldwide. The entries of the winner and top 3 finalists will be published in December 2024’s Mslexia edition. They’ll also be included in the eBook anthology Best Women’s Short Fiction 2024.
Prize: £3,000, £100 (3 prizes)
Entry fee: £12.00
Closing date: 23 September 2024
16. Bardsy Short Story Contest
This contest recognizes the most well-written, unpublished short story. All entrants receive in-depth feedback for their submission, allowing them to make revisions before the judges final review.
Wordcount: 1500-2000 words
Prize: $500
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 23 September 2024
17. Anthology Flash Fiction Award
This contest welcomes writers of all nationalities to submit unpublished flash fiction works on any theme or genre. Seeking “clever and unique writing”, the winning entry will be published in the future issue of Anthology.
Prize: €300
Entry fee: €12
Closing date: 30 September 2024
18. Writers College Short Story Contest
Writers whose works are unpublished or whose writings are published less than 4 times are eligible to participate. Open to writers worldwide, only one entry per author is allowed.
Students who are 13-18 years old are eligible to participate in this essay contest. 10 winners and runner-ups will get scholarships to pursue their education with Immerse.
Entry: Free!
Closing date: 12th September 2024
20. Ayn Rand Essay Contests
International contests related to two Ayn Rand books (The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged) are open. To participate, interested students must select an Ayn Rand book to receive an essay topic about the chosen book.
Closing date: 13 September 2024 (The Fountainhead essay contest), 20 September 2024 (Atlas Shrugged essay contest)
21. Boulevard Nonfiction Contest
Currently seeking entries of unpublished essays, this contest accepts simultaneous submissions. The winning entry will be published in the Boulevard magazine.
Wordcount: 8,000 words max
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $18
Closing date: 30 September 2024
Book writing contests 2024
22. First Book Award
To be eligible to participate, the entrant must reside in the US or must have been a US resident 10 years before the submission deadline. The winner will also receive a 6-week paid trip to Civitella Ranieri Center Italy where they’ll join a group of artists, writers, and publishers.
Prize: $5,000
Entry fee: $35
Closing date: 1 September 2024
23. Lightscatter Press Prize
Judged by John Murillo, this contest rewards the best full-length poetry manuscript. Writers can submit entries on any genre and theme.
Wordcount: 48-64 pages
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 17 September 2024
24. George Garrett Prize
Open to all writers above 18 years of age, this contest accepts manuscripts of novels and short story collections. The winner will receive a standard royalty contract and 10 published book copies.
Wordcount: 40,000-100,000
Prize: $2,000, $1,000 (runner-up)
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 30 September 2024
25. Iowa and John Simmons Short Fiction Awards (Free writing contest!)
These awards are annually given to the two best short story collections. The winning entry is published by the University of Iowa Press.
Wordcount: 150 pages or more
Entry fee: Free!
Closing date: 30 September 2024
Mixed writing contests 2024
26. Hunger Mountain Literary Prizes
This contest features 3 categories: short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. The winning entries will be published in the Hunger Mountain.
Wordcount: up to 3 poems (poetry), less than 6000 words (short story or creative nonfiction)
Prize: $500 (per category)
Entry fee: $20 (per category)
Closing date: 1 September 2024
27. Dogwood Literary Awards
Every year, this contest rewards an outstanding story, essay, or poem. Make sure to include a brief bio and contact information in the attached cover letter!
Inviting submissions of poetry and short fiction on any theme, this contest is “looking for the best new writing talent”. Multiple submissions are allowed. The winning entry will be published by Aesthetica.
Wordcount: Poetry (40 lines max.), short fiction (up to 2,000 words)
Prize: £5000
Entry fee: £12 (poetry), £18 (short fiction)
Closing date: 8 September 2024
29. Fractured Lit 2024 Elsewhere Prize
Judged by Tara Campbell, this contest invites micro, flash, and sudden fiction submissions. Seeking submissions revolving around “the forgotten, the hidden, the otherworldly”, the winning entries will be published.
Word count: 100-1500 words
Prize: $3000, $300, $200
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 15 September 2024
30. Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest
This contest accepts entries of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays, philosophical works, stageplays, fragments, etc. The winning entry will be published online in Azure: A Journal of Literary Thought.
This contest welcomes submissions of poetry, flash fiction, short stories, and novellas from writers all over the world. The winning entry will be published in the Paul Cave Prize for Literature 2024 book.
Wordcount: 30 lines max (poetry), 300 words max (flash fiction), 1,000 words max (short stories), 10,000 words max (novellas)
Entry fee: £13 (1 short story), £20 (2 short stories), £26 (1 novella), £42 (2 novellas), £10 (up to 3 poems/ flash fiction), £20 ( up to 8 poems/flash fiction)
Closing date: 30 September 2024
33. Break Out! Writers Prize
Seeking poetry and prose submissions, this contest is open to students who have enrolled in an accredited university. The winning entries will be published in the Summer Issue of Epiphany.
Prize: $1000
Closing date: 30 September 2024
34. Hackney Literary Awards
This writing contest rewards original works of poetry, short stories, and unpublished novels. Open to Alabama’s writers, interested participants can upload their entry in PDF, doc, or docx formats.
Prize: $2500 (poetry and short fiction), $5000 (unpublished novel)
Accepting writing contests from writers worldwide, this contest awards the best unpublished full-length poetry manuscript. The winning entry is published by Black Lawrence Press.
Wordcount: 48-80 pages
Prize: $2,000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 30 September 2024
36. The Moth Nature Writing Prize
Open to writers above 16 years of age, this contest annually awards poetry and prose submissions. Judged by Can Flyn, the winner also gets a week’s staycation at the Circle of Misse in France.
Prize: €1,000, €500, €250
Entry fee: €15
Closing date: 30 September 2024
37. Anthology Nature Writing Competition
Accepting submissions of unpublished, original short stories and essays, this contest allows multiple entries. The winning entry will be published in the Anthology magazine.
Theme: Nature
Prize: €500
Entry fee: €15
Closing date: 30 September 2024
38. Montana Prize for Humor
Judged by Molly McNearney, this contest accepts fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submissions. The winning entries will secure publication in the Whitefish Review.
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 30 September 2024
39. Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction
Interested participants can submit memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism, or short stories of any genre. The winner will receive a bronze medal and the winning entry will be published in The Lascaux Review.
Wordcount: 10,000 words or less
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 30 September 2024
40. Juniper Prizes
This contest annually awards a short story collection and novel. The winning entry is published by the University of Massachusetts Press.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 30 September 2024
41. PEN/Faulkner Award
This contest accepts submissions of short story collections, novellas, and novels published between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2024. Open to U.S. citizens, submitted entries must be traditionally published by “commercial, university, or independent presses in the U.S”.
Prize: $15000, $5000 each (finalists)
Entry fee: $95
Closing date: 30 September 2024
42. Willie Morris awards
This contest invites submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry works exploring the perspectives of the American South. The winner gets a paid trip to Oxford, Mississippi, where they can read their work at an Oxford conference for the book.
Prize: $12,000 (fiction and nonfiction), $3,000 (poetry)
Closing date: 30 September 2024
October 2024
October brings a flood of amazing writing opportunities! We’ve handpicked diverse writing contests for essays, poetry, books, short stories, and more. Check back often: we’ll be adding new contests regularly!
Poetry contests 2024
1. Litmag’s Emily Dickinson Award
To participate, writers can submit 1-3 poems. The winning entry will secure publication in LitMag and receive an agency review by Amy Bishop-Wycisk.
Prize: $1,500, $100 each (for 3 finalists)
Entry fee: $18
Closing date: 1 October 2024
2. Vivian Shipley Poetry Award
Open to poets of all nationalities, writers can submit unpublished poems in a single document. There should only be one poem per page.
Prize: $1,000, $100, $50
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 1 October 2024
3. Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest
While the Tom Howard Prize is given to unpublished poems of any genre/form, the Margaret Reid Prize is given to poems that rhyme or have a traditional style. The 12 best entries will be published online.
Wordcount: 250 lines
Prize: $3500, $3500
Entry fee: $22
Closing date: 2 October 2024
4. Peter Porter Prize
This contest invites writers of all nationalities to submit unpublished poems. Each entry must be a poem written by a single author of not more than 60 lines.
Prize: AU$6000, $1000 each (4 shortlisted poets)
Entry fee: $20 (current Australian Book Review subscriber), $30 (standard/non subscriber)
Closing date: 7 October 2024.
5. Steve Kowit Poetry Prize
To participate, poets need to submit a single, unpublished poem which is not submitted to other publications. The winning entry will be published in the San Diego Poetry Annual.
Prize: $1000, $250, $100
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 15 October 2024
6. Gerald Cable Book Award
Sponsored by Silverfield Book Press, this contest rewards an original book-length poetry manuscript. Judged by Rodger Moody, the winning entry secures publication and 25 book copies.
Wordcount: 48 pages or more
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 October 2024
7. Jake Adam York Prize
Accepting submissions of full-length poetry collections, this contest is open to writers residing in the US or are US citizens. The winning entries will be published by Milkweed Editions.
Prize: $2000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 19 October 2024
Short story competitions 2024
8. Supernatural Fiction Award
This contest invites submissions of stories on magical realism, paranormal, and supernatural themes. The winning entries will be published in the anthology 21st Century Ghost Stories – Volume III.
Word count: 1500-10,000
Prize: $1,500
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 1 October 2024
9. All-Story Short Fiction Competition
To participate, writers can submit their unpublished short stories in Word or PDF format. Open to writers from all over the world, the entries will be judged by C Pam Zhang.
Prize: $1000, $500, $250
Entry fee: $30 per story
Closing date: 1 October 2024
10. A Story Initiative
Inviting story submissions related to money and personal finance, this contest is open to U.S. residents who are 18 years and older. The winning and finalists’ entries will be distributed in 300+ outlets worldwide.
Prize: $1000, $150 each (finalists)
Closing date: 2 October 2024
11. Galley Beggar Short Story Prize
Judged by Claire Armistead, Mathilde Merouani, and Clare Pollard, this contest is open to writers of all nationalities. The stories must be unpublished and written in English.
Word count: 6000 words or less
Prize: £2500
Entry fee: £11 per story
Closing date: 13 October 2024
Essay writing contests 2024
12. Personal Essay Awards
Writer’s Digest welcomes all essayists to submit their best work. The top ten entries will be published in the magazine’s May/June 2024 issue. The grand prize winner also receives a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference!
Word count: 2,000
Prizes: $2,500, $1,000, $500, 7 prizes of $100
Entry fee: $25 (early bird deadline)/ $30
Closing date: 03 September 2024 (early bird deadline) /01 October (final deadline)
Book writing contests 2024
13. Spokane Prize 2024
This contest encourages submissions of unpublished fiction manuscripts containing short stories. The winning manuscript is published by Willow Spring Books.
Word count: 98 pages or more, minimum 3 stories
Prize: $2000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 October 2024
14. Permafrost Book Prize
Organized by Permafrost magazine, this contest will award the best manuscript in fiction this year. The winning entry will be published by the University of Alaska Press.
Word count: 45,000-90,000 words
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 October 2024
15. Honickman First Book Prize
Judged by Nicole Sealey, this contest is open to poets who have not yet published a book-length collection of poems. The winning book will be distributed by Copper Canyon Press.
Word count: 48 pages or more
Prize: $3000
Closing date: 2 October 2024
16. Alice James Award
Open to US residents, this contest invites submissions of unpublished, full-length poetry manuscripts. Make sure to include a numbered table of contents with your manuscript!
Prize: $2000
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 11 October 2024
17. Barbara Stevens Poetry Book Manuscript Competition
Open to poets worldwide, this contest awards the best poetry book manuscript. Judged by Diane Seuss, each entry must include a title and table of contents.
Word count: 48-80 pages
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $20 (for National Federation of State Poetry Societies’ members), $25 (for non members).
Closing date: 15 October 2024
18. Novel Excerpt Contest
This contest allows writers to submit any excerpt from their novel “with a clear grasp of craft: character, setting, and most importantly story”. The winning entry will be published online.
This contest annually awards a book-length manuscript of nonfiction. The winning entry will be published by The University of New Mexico Press.
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $27
Closing date: 31 October 2024
20. Comstock Review Chapbook Contest
This contest rewards a poetry collection that has not been previously published. The winning entry will be published and the winner will receive 50 copies.
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 31 October 2024
21. Helena Whitehill Book Award
Judged by Ilya Kaminsky, this contest is open to all writers worldwide. Interested participants can submit an unpublished “full or chapbook-length manuscript or a creative nonfiction manuscript with a table of contents”.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $30 per entry
Closing date: 31st October 2024
Mixed writing contests 2024
22. The Letter Review Prize
This contest features four categories: short fiction, non fiction, poetry, and unpublished books. Open to writers all over the world, the first entry of every category is free.
Prize: $1000 per category
Entry fee: $5 for every additional entry after the 1st entry
Closing date: 1 October 2024
23. Eyelands Book Awards
One of the rare contests based in Greece, this international book writing contest accepts submissions of novels, poetry, novellas, short story collections, YA books, historical fiction, memoirs, and graphic novels.
Prize: 5-day trip to Athens, video promotion, publication of unpublished books
Word count: 250.000 words (all categories of published books), 150.000 words (unpublished text), 250 pages (text/poetry collection by a single author)
Entry fee: 40 euros ($ 45), Early bird submission 30 euros ($ 35) till 1 September 2024
Closing date: 20 October 2024
24. American Literary Review Awards
This contest will reward the best short story, poem, and essay. The winning entry will be published in the Spring online issue of the American Literary Review.
Word count: 8000 words max (short fiction), 6000 words max (creative nonfiction
Prize: $1,000 each (3 prizes)
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 1 October 2024
25. Dzancs Book Prize for Fiction
This contest has 3 categories: fiction novels, poetry, and short story collection. The winning entries will secure publication
Prize: $5000 (fiction novels), $2500 (short story collection), poetry ($1000)
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 October 2024
26. Jeffrey E. Smith Editors Prize
This contest accepts poetry, fiction, and nonfiction submissions. The winning entries will be published in the Spring issue of the Missouri Review.
Word count: Up to 8000 words (fiction or nonfiction), 6-12 pages (poetry)
Prize: $5000 per category (poetry, fiction, and nonfiction)
Entry fee: $25 (Standard) / $30 (All Access)
Closing date: 1 October 2024
27. Tennesssee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival
This festival features 2 categories: SAS Fest contests (short fiction and poetry), TWFest writing contests (one act plays, short fiction, poetry, very short fiction). While TWFest writing contests are organized to encourage the works of emerging writers, SAS fest writing contests are for promoting works of LGBTQ+ writers.
Closing date: 2 October 2024 (SAS Short Fiction Contest, TWFest Fiction Contest, TWFest One Act Play Contest), 16 October 2024- (SAS Poetry Contest, TWFest Poetry Contest, TWFest One Act Play Contest.TWFest Very Short Fiction Contest)
This contest annually supports one writer who hasn’t yet published a book or enrolled for an advanced degree program. The winner will receive a 1-year mentorship at the One Story magazine, plus an opportunity to participate in One Story’s 1-week summer writers’ conference.
Word count: 3000-5000 words
Prize: $2,000
Entry fee: Free!
Closing date: 9 October 2025
29. Sixfold Poetry and Short Story Awards
To participate in these contests, writers must submit their fiction or poetry manuscript in PDF format. Consisting of 3 rounds, participants must vote on 6 randomly assigned manuscripts of their genre. The best 15 short stories and top 30 poems will be published.
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $5
Closing date: 24 October 2024
30. John Lewis Writing Grants (Free writing contest!)
Featuring fiction, nonfiction, and poetry categories, this contest is organized to “inspire the voices of Black writers in Georgia”. Open to Afro-American and emerging Black writers in Georgia who are 18 years or older, participants can only apply in one genre.
Prize: A grant of $500
Entry fee: Free!
Closing date: 29 October 2024
31. Bedford Competition
Open to all writers above 17 years old, this contest invites submissions of short stories and poems. Interested participants can submit 1-3 short stories/poems.
Prize: £1500, £300, £200
Entry fee: £17
Closing date: 31 October 2024
32. Tuscon Festival of Books Literary Awards
To participate, writers who are 18 years or older can submit poetry, fiction, and nonfiction works. This contest does not accept children’s stories, academic, and “how-to” nonfiction.
Prize: $1,000, $500, $250
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 31 October 2024
November 2024
Get ready to showcase your writing skills this November! We’ve listed exciting essay, poetry, book and short story contests for you. We’ll be refreshing the list regularly, so stay tuned!
Poetry writing contests 2024
1. Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award
Founded in 1998, this contest accepts submissions of unpublished poetry collections. Judged by Jason Schneiderman, the winning manuscript shall be published by Red Hen Press.
Wordcount: 48-96 pages
Prize: $3000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 November 2024
2. Edwin Markham Poetry Prize
This contest accepts unpublished works in any form and style. Writers can submit up to 5 poems per submission. Make sure to include a 50-word bio with your submission!
To participate, writers can submit up to 5 poems per submission. All winning entries, runner-ups, honorable mentions, and finalists will be offered publication in North American Review’s spring issue.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $23
Closing date: 2 November 2024
4. Evaristo Prize for African Poetry (Free writing contest!)
This contest rewards ten English poems written by only African writers. Open to African writers who haven’t published a poetry book, translated poems can also be submitted.
Prize: $1,500
Entry fee: Free!
Closing date: 1 November 2024
5. Poetry Awards 2024
Organized by the Writer’s Digest, this contest accepts poems written in any style. The winning poem will be published in Writer’s Digest July/August 2025 issue.
Founded in 2019, this contest recognizes three poets for their exceptional poems about the environment. The winning 3 poems will be published in the Poem-a-Day series that is read by 500,000+ readers.
Prize: $1,000, $750, $500
Closing date: 1 November 2024
7. Quarterly West Poetry Contests 2024
Quarterly West has organized two poetry writing competitions: one for writers of color and one for other writers. Interested participants can submit 1-3 poems and can’t submit more than 1 entry per genre.
Word count: 8 pages or less
Prize: $500 each (both contests), $200 each (runner-ups in both contests)
Entry fee: $5 per entry for both contests, (free for BIPOC writers)
Closing date: 1 November 2024
8. Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize
This poetry competition will award a poem that “explores the intersection of love, faith, and sex. Make sure to attach a cover letter to your entry!
Prize: $1000, $250 each (4 finalists)
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 7 November 2024
9. Yale Series of Poets Prize
This contest is open to writers of all ages living in the United States who haven’t yet published a poetry book. This contest will be judged by Rae Armantrout, an established American poet.
Prize: $1000, a writing fellowship, and a publication contract from Yale University Press.
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 15 November 2024
10. Perugia Press Prize
Open to women poets, this contest awards an original, unplagiarized poetry collection that isn’t AI-generated. The winning entry will secure publication and the winner will receive 20 author copies and marketing support (book launch events, promotion through Perugia Press’s, website, newsletter, and social media platforms).
Rewarding an unpublished poetry book in English, this poetry contest is open to writers globally. The winner receives a standard royalty contract and 25 free copies of the published book.
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $28
Closing date: 15 November 2024
12. Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Contest
Accepting poems on any subject and style, this contest rewards an unpublished poetry collection. Open to poets worldwide, the top 3 winning entries and poems of 10 runner-ups will be published in Southward.
Wordcount: 40 lines
Prize: €2,000, €500, €250, €50 for 10 runner-ups
Entry fee: €7 per poem or €30 for five poems
Closing date: 30 November 2024
13. Chad Walsh Chapbook Series
Organized by the Beloit Poetry Journal, this contest is open to all poets who write in English. The winning chapbook is distributed to all Beloit Poetry Journal subscribers and distributed separately as well.
Wordcount: 20-35 pages
Prize: $2500
Entry fee: $20
Closing date: 30 November 2024
14. Fish Short Story Prize
Judged by Sean Lusk, this contest awards ten short stories. The winning entries will be published in the Fish Anthology 2025
Prize: €3,000, €300, €300, €200 each (7 honorable mentions)
Organized to recognize a poet’s first book, this contest will be judged by Maya C. Popa. The winning entry will be published by BOA Editions, Ltd in spring 2026.
This contest is seeking submissions of “an innovative book-length manuscript that challenges expectations of what a book of poems can be”. The winning entry will be published by Green Linden Press.
Prize: $1000
Closing date: 30 November 2024
Short story competitions 2024
17. F(r)iction short story contest
This contest is currently inviting submissions in 3 categories – short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. Allowing submissions in any style and genre, this contest is open to writers in any part of the world.
Word count: 1001-7500 (short stories), upto 1000 words (flash fiction), up to 3 pages per poem (poetry).
This exciting contest invites writers to submit stories involving two or more Canadian time zones. The winning entries will be published in the Geist magazine.
To participate, interested participants can submit stories on any theme and genre written in English. Judged by Helen Moorhouse, the winning entry will be published on Creative Writing Ink’s website.
Prize: £1000, £200 each (2 runner-ups)
Entry fee: £9
Closing date: 15 November 2024
20. The Story Prize
This story awards the best short fiction works written in English. To participate, writers must submit atleast 2 stories/novellas. Literary works previously published in and after July 2024 in the United States can be submitted for this contest.
Prize: $20,000
Entry fee: $75
Closing date: 15 November 2024
21. WOW! Flash Fiction Contest
Allowing writers to submit fiction works in any genre or style, this contest is open to all writers worldwide. Entries upto only 300 stories will be accepted, so hurry if you wish to participate!
Word count: 250-750 words
Prize: $400
Entry fee: $10, $20 (with critique)
Closing date: 30 November 2024
22. Servicescape Short Story Award
This contest awards original works of short fiction and non-fiction. Writers can submit a story on any theme and genre.
Word count: 5,000 or lower
Prize: $1,000
Closing date: 30 November 2024
23. Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest
Writers of all ages and nationalities can participate in this contest. Judged by Johanna Craven, Mari Mendoza, and Grace Slobodzian, the winning entry will be published by Compassiviste Publishing.
Word count: 100 words or less
Prize: $2000 (1st prize), total value of all prizes $13.550
This prize will be given to the “best Brooklyn-focused non-fiction essay”. The entries of the winner and finalists will be published in an online anthology.
Word count: 4-10 pages (up to 2500 words)
Prize: $500
Entry fee: Free!
Closing date: 15 November 2024
25. Leadership Essay Contest 2024
Founded in 1974, this contest “focuses on the roles of leadership and character in the U.S. Sea Services”. Junior officers (LCDR/Major and below) from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard can participate in this contest.
Word count: 2000 words or less
Prize: $5000, $2500, $1500
Closing date: 30 November 2024
Book writing contests 2024
26. Brick Road Poetry Book Contest
This contest invites submissions of original poetry book collections of 50-100 pages of poetry. The winner will receive an offer for publication with Brick Road Poetry Press, publication as print and eBooks and 25 author copies.
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 1 November 2024
27. Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize
This contest welcomes all types of stories, including fairy tales, magical realism, horror, and science fiction. Allowing one story per submission, the contest will be judged by Kevin Brockmeier.
Organized by Conduit Books and Ephemera, this contest is open to all poets who write in English. The winner will receive 20 author copies of the published book.
Prize: $1500
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 3 November 2024
29. Rising Writer Prize
Judged by K-Min Chang, this contest awards a full-length work of fiction. Interested participants can submit works in various genres, including novellas, novels, or a collection of short stories.
Submission length: 100-200 pages
Prize: $1000 + $1000 to promote the book
Entry fee: $30
Closing date: 15 November 2024
30. Bath Children’s Novel Award
This contest is currently looking for “novels for children or teens, chapter books and picture book texts”. Unpublished, self-published and independently published books from writers all over the world are welcome.
Prize: £5,000
Entry fee: £29.99
Closing date: 30 November 2024
Mixed writing contests 2024
31. Bennington Young Writers Award (Free writing contest!)
This international writing contest encourages students from the 9th-12th grades to participate. Students can submit their creative works in 3 categories: poetry, fiction (short story), and nonfiction (essays).
Wordcount: Poetry (a group of 3 poems), short story and essay (1,500 words or less)
Prize: $1,000, $500, $250
Entry fee: Free!
Closing date: 1 November 2024
32. Cloudbank’s Literary Contests
Cloudbank Books has organized 3 contests: a poetry contest, a flash fiction contest, and the Vern Rutsala Book Prize contest. Accepting submissions from writers worldwide, the winning entries will secure publication.
Word count: 5 poems (poetry), 500 words max (flash fiction), and 60-90 pages (Vern Rutsala Book Prize)
Prize: $1000 (Vern Rutsala Book Prize), $200 (winning poem or flash fiction work),
Entry fee: $3 per entry (poetry and flash fiction), $25 per entry (Vern Rutsala Book Prize)
Closing date: 1 November 2024 (Vern Rutsala Book Prize)
33. Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest
Open to writers of, from, and in United States, this contest accepts entries of unpublished fiction works of any length. Translations, previously published, and self-published works are not accepted. The winning entry will be published by FC2.
Prize: $1500
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 November 2024
34. Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize
This contest is open to all writers living in or from the United States. Writers can submit a collection of short stories, a novel, or novella. The winning entry will be published by FC2.
Prize: $15000
Entry fee: $25
Closing date: 1 November 2024
35. Open Season Awards
Inviting submissions from writers worldwide, this contest accepts entries in 3 categories – poetry, short fiction and creative nonfiction. The winning entry will be published in the spring 2025 issue of The Malahat Review.
Word count: 100 lines or less (poetry), 2500 words or less (creative short fiction, 2500 words or less (creative nonfiction)
Prize: $2000 (per category)
Entry fee: $35 (Residing in Canada), $45 (Other countries)
Closing date: 1 November 2024
36. Writing contests organized by Hopkins Review
Hopkins Review accepts submissions in various categories such as short stories, flash fiction, poems, personal essays, memoir excerpt, or a creative nonfiction piece. The winning entries will be published online or in print.
Prize: $50 (poetry), 100 (prose)
Entry fee: $3, free for Hopkins Review subscribers!
Closing date: 1 November 2024
37. Rome Prize
This contest annually awards 30 artists and scholars. Open to US citizens, this contest accepts poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction submissions.
Prize: $16,000 and $30,000
Entry fee: $80 (1 application), $90 (2 or more applications)
Closing date: 15 November 2024
38. Firecracker Awards
This contest awards prizes in the following categories: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Magazines/General Excellence, and Magazines/Best Debut. The winning entry is promoted across America and distributed to more than 500 independent booksellers.
Prize: $2000, $1000
Entry fee: $55 (for Community of Literary Magazines and Presses members), $65 (for non-members
Closing date: 15 November 2024
39. NORward Prizes in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
The award rewards the best poem, short story, and creative nonfiction works. The winning entry will be published in the New Ohio Review.
Prize: $750
Entry fee: $21
Closing date: 15 November 2024
40. Fall Story Contest
Both fiction and nonfiction writers can participate in this contest. This contest accepts submissions of essays, short stories, memoirs, photo essays, all other types of literary nonfiction and short pieces from longer works of fiction and nonfiction works.
Word count: 15000 words or less
Prize: $2500, $1000, $500, $100 each (10 finalists)
Entry fee: $27
Closing date: 26 November 2024
41. Quill Prose Award
Organized by the Red Hen Press, this contest aims to to honor writers who identify as queer. Allowing fiction and nonfiction ubmissions by queer writers from all parts of the world, the winning entry will be published by Red Hen Press.
Word count: 25,000 words minimum
Prize: $1000
Entry fee: $10
Closing date: 30 November 2024
42. The Smokelong Grand Micro Contest 2024
Open to all writers 18 years or older, This contest awards the best online fiction and nonfiction works. The winning entries will be published in December’s 2024 issue of Smokelong.
Word count: 250 words or less
Prize: $1000, $500, $300, $100 each (finalists)
Entry fee: $14 (2 micros), $22 (4 micros)
Closing date: 15 November 2024
Other writing contests
1. Robert J. DeMott Short Prize Contest
To participate in this contest, writers must submit 3 unpublished literary works. Interested authors can submit short stories, micro essays, and prose poems.
Wordcount: 500 words or less
Prize: $1,008.15
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 1 December 2024
2. Moment Magazine Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest
This contest accepts submissions of unpublished short fiction stories about Judaism or Jewish culture. Open to writers worldwide, this contest accepts multiple submissions.
Open to all writers, this contest invites submissions of short stories on the theme ‘An Unexpected Encounter’. The winning entry will be published on Fabuly’s website and professionally illustrated and produced in an audio format.
Wordcount: 2000 words
Prize: $500
Entry fee: Free!
Closing date: 15 December 2024
4. Lascaux Prize for Short Fiction
This contest accepts both, published and published short fiction stories. The winning entry will be published in The Lascaux Review.
Prize: $1,000
Entry fee: $15
Closing date: 31 December 2024
We’ll keep updating this list every month, adding more paid and free writing contests in 2024. If you’d like us to look for some specific types of contests, feel free to let us know in the comments! As providers of expert self-publishing services, it’s our duty to help you out and we take it very seriously!
Want to stick around and read more about writing? Here are some articles to begin with:
Create the perfect thesis title page with our practical guide! From important elements to include in a title page to formatting guidelines, we’ve covered everything.
For those who wish to quickly create a title page, we’ve also mentioned popular title page generators. So let’s start by understanding the components of a thesis title page!
Get a well-edited thesis with zero errors!
What to include in a thesis title page?
A thesis title page contains important details such as the thesis title, author’s name, institution’s name, submission date, department name, and degree program’s name. It’s important to refer to your university’s guidelines about the thesis title page.
In many cases, the title page for a thesis can also include the following components:
Student number: Often placed below the author’s name or in the bottom corner.
Instructor’s name: Usually positioned in the middle or lower third of the page.
Institution’s logo: Typically at the top of the page, either centered or in a corner.
Location: If included, usually placed at the bottom of the page.
Committee members: Names of other faculty serving on the thesis committee.
Copyright statement: A declaration of the author’s rights to the work.
Submission statement: A formal statement indicating the thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of degree requirements.
Disclaimer: If necessary, a statement about the confidentiality or restricted use of the thesis.
Funding acknowledgment: Mention any grants or scholarships that supported the research.
Now let us see the formatting guidelines for a thesis title page.
How to format a thesis title page?
It’s essential to crosscheck the institution’s guidelines for the thesis title page format. There should be consistency and uniformity regarding the formatting of the margins, text alignment, and font size.
Now let’s understand the basic formatting guidelines for creating a title page according to APA, MLA, and Chicago style guides.
Guidelines for formatting an APA title page
The format of an APA title page differs, depending on whether it’s required for a student paper or a professional paper. While a professional paper requires a running head (title mentioned on top of every document page), student papers don’t require it unless it’s specified by the university.
Here are some general guidelines for formatting an APA title page:
Maintain a 1-inch margin on all sides.
Apply double spacing consistently.
Include the running headon the left. (for professional papers)
Add the page number on the right side.
Centrally align your thesis paper’s title.
Use fontslike Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, Lucida Sans Unicode, Georgia, and Computer Modern.
Guidelines for creating a Chicago-style title page
Centrally align the title of your thesis paper.
After the title, write details such as the teacher’s name, course name, and date in 3 separate lines. Ensure that they are centrally aligned towards the bottom of the page.
Utilize the Times New Roman font (size- 12).
If there is a subtitle, end the title with a colon (:) and write the subtitle on the next line.
Omit the page number from the thesis paper’s title page.
Use a template for reference- Many universities provide a sample template. It’s better to refer to the template to ensure the correct thesis title page format.
Get feedback- If you’re unsure about any element of a thesis title page, you can consult your instructor or advisor about this.
You can also use title page generatorslike Ivy Panda, Writing-Services.org, and Custom-Writing.org to create a title page. However, it’s essential to ensure that you follow your institution’s guidelines.
This concludes our guide about the title page of a thesis! Once your title page is ready, the next step is to edit your paper. As experts in editing and proofreading services, we’d love to perfect your paper.
Do you know that you can distinguish yourself from your competitors with a well-crafted personal statement? Educational institutes, admission committees, and employers typically require applicants to submit a personal statement.
But does the thought of writing an inspirational personal statement bother you? If yes, all you need to do is avail yourself of personal statement editing services to get that perfectly written statement.
Read on as we explore what the best personal statement editing services can do for you. This article will also throw light on the importance of using professional editing services for personal statements.
Worried about editing your personal statement? Explore our services.
What is a personal statement?
A personal statement is a summary of your skills, qualifications, and experiences compiled in the form of a persuasive essay for a specific purpose and audience. It enables you to introduce yourself to decision-makers at various institutions before you meet them in person.
When opportunities are limited and the competition is tough, this is a critical document that allows you to showcase your unique talents.
A well-written personal statement has the power to communicate your aspirations, values, and beliefs to admissions committees at colleges. This is among the most important documents that determine whether you can secure a seat at an educational institution of your choice.
The stress of writing and editing your essay or personal statement can get to you. And who wants that? With PaperTrue, you can keep your eye on the ball.
We offer a range of editing services, including personal statement editing. Known for our superior editing and quick turnaround times, we have professional editors specializing in various academic and professional fields.
Key features:
Secure and confidential service with 24/7 customer support
Scribbr specializes in academic editing and proofreading services, including personal statements. They have a rigorous selection process for their editors, ensuring high-quality edits.
Their rates depend on the turnaround time you need, in addition to the specific requirements you specify while placing the order. For instance, the word count, number of revisions, etc., matter.
Key features:
Detailed feedback on structure, clarity, and style
ServiceScape connects its customers with freelance editors and proofreaders. They offer a wide range of editing services, including personal statement editing. You can choose an editor based on their profile, reviews, and expertise.
Each editor working with ServiceScape has a profile page that you can visit to get in-depth information about their experience, editing style, qualifications, and rates.
Wordvice provides editing and proofreading services for various documents, including personal statements. They focus on enhancing the writing quality while maintaining the original voice and intent.
The price depends on the word count, the service you select, and the specified delivery time.
Key features:
Quick turnaround times
Professional editors with subject matter expertise
EssayEdge is a well-known service specializing in college admission essay editing, including personal statements. They offer various levels of service from proofreading to full editing and critique.
They offer 4 different types of service packages, and the price depends on the type of work, academic program level, and delivery requirements.
Key features:
Editors with experience in admissions processes
Detailed feedback on content, structure, and style
TheMatchGuy offers comprehensive personal statement editing services specifically for applicants vying for medical residency positions. Experienced physician advisors on their team provide in-depth editing that goes beyond grammar and style.
Their basic service starts at $299.
Key features:
Experienced physicians edit medical residency applications
Content, structure, and language corrections
Revisions for consistency and high-quality feedback.
Proofed is a professional proofreading and editing service offering a range of services to help you improve the clarity, accuracy, and overall quality of your written content.
With more than 750 editors on their team, you have access to subject matter expertise when you place an order with Proofed. Their pay-as-you-go service package starts at $30 for 1000 words.
Key features:
Language, grammar, and syntax corrections
Clean copy and track changes versions are made available
WordsRU takes care of typographical, grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors, in addition to dealing with word choice and sentence construction issues.
Their team of editors is familiar with various citation styles, including APA, Chicago, MLA, Turabian, IEEE, BlueBook, and Harvard, among others.
Basic and Plus services are available; the price depends on the word count and deadline.
Key features:
A detailed feedback mechanism in certain service packages
An extensive suite of editing services for nearly all content forms
Scribendi has a team of highly experienced editors who specialize in editing personal statements. Going beyond grammar and punctuation, they offer structural editing and constructive feedback to help candidates improve their content.
Their pricing structure is based on the word count and the turnaround time. For a personal statement of 1,000 words made available to you within 8 hours, Scribendi will charge around $69.
Key features:
Admissions-focused editing and feedback
Personalized guidance to help students communicate better
Tracked revisions and personal commentary on essays
Why should I get my personal statement edited by professionals?
When a document as important as a personal statement needs to be submitted for decision-making during a college application process, its quality matters.
Personal statement editing services are professional editing services that gather the relevant information to optimize your profile for presentation to decision-makers. Experienced editors with extensive expertise in various academic and professional fields usually offer these services. They work closely with applicants to refine the candidates’ personal statements.
Personal statement editing service providers focus on ensuring content clarity. They align the content not only with an applicant’s goals but also with their inherent strengths. Keeping the eligibility requirements of educational institutions or colleges in view, these professionals craft compelling personal statements that highlight an applicant’s accomplishments and noteworthy attributes.
Here are some quick benefits of seeking professional personal statement editing services:
What does a personal statement editing service offer?
A personal statement editing service typically offers a range of services. Let us briefly study them.
Expertise: Trained editors are well-versed in the dos and don’ts of personal statement writing and can provide valuable insights to help you write a statement that stands out.
Custom editing support: Personal statement editing services tailor the statement to your needs, taking your background and goals into account before finalizing their editing approach.
Objective feedback: Personal statement editors take an unbiased approach and share constructive feedback to improve the overall quality of your statement.
Content clarity and cohesion: Editors can improve the content and enhance the flow of ideas to ensure that the statement is well-structured and engaging.
Grammar and style: Editors can help correct grammar, punctuation, and style issues, ensuring the best parts of your profile are outlined well.
Plagiarism checks: Like other industries, plagiarism is considered highly unprofessional and unethical in the world of education and academics as well. Hence, plagiarism checks are a crucial service a professional can offer.
Formatting: Personal statement editing services can give your document a well-thought-out format, making it look professional.
How to select a personal statement editing service provider?
When selecting a personal statement editing service, consider the following factors:
Reputation: Professional editing services with a proven track record of success indicate experience, knowledge, and effectiveness. Read reviews and testimonials and ask for work samples before you commit to availing a service.
Specialization: Personal statement editing services may have competence in specific fields. That’s why you should select a service based on your precise needs. For example, if your objective is to get into a specific med school, look for medical school personal statement editing services.
Pricing and services: The price is an important consideration. Also, find out what is included in the package. Will you have everything you need for essay editing and proofreading after buying the service? How many rounds of revision do you need? Determine these details and select a service provider accordingly.
Personal statement editing services can prove invaluable in helping applicants create powerful personal statements and essays. If you are a high school student applying to college or a professional seeking a career change, investing in a personal statement editing service is a good idea.
If you have already written your essay and need essay editing and proofreading services, contact PaperTrue, a top personal statement editing service online. Talk to us to learn more about what our editing and proofreading package for essays and personal statements offers.
Here are a few other articles that might help you on your academic journey:
Want to learn how to talk about the subject better? This is where the predicate helps! In this article, we’ll define predicates and explain all the rules about the predicate.
We’ve also included the types of predicates and how to use a predicate in a sentence. To simplify it further, we’ve also given useful predicate examples.
Eliminate all grammar errors with specialized editing!
Let’s first understand what a predicate means!
What is a predicate in a sentence?
The predicate of a sentence tells us what the subject is doing or talks more about the subject. It has at least a single verb that gives more information about the subject of a sentence.
Here are some examples to understand what does predicate mean:
He cleaned his room. (cleaned- verb, cleaned his room- predicate)
They drank tea. (drank- verb, drank tea- predicate)
We gave a gift. (gave- verb, gave a gift- predicate)
In the above examples, the words room, tea, and bird directly receive the actions. Hence, they are the direct objects in these sentences.
A predicate can also have an indirect object (another noun or phrase that is involved in the action.) Let’s see an example of this.
She gave her brother a new book. (brother- indirect object, book- direct object, gave her brother a new book- predicate)
After understanding what is a predicate, let’s see its types!
Types of predicates
1. Simple predicate
A simple predicate is the main verb in a sentence. It doesn’t have modifiers to provide additional information. It expresses the action, emotions, or the condition of the subject.
The following examples explain what is a simple predicate:
John laughed.
Lisa smiled
He’s happy.
After seeing these simple predicate examples, let’s understand compound predicate in detail!
2. Compound predicate
A predicate that consists of two or more verbs or verb phrases that are linked using a conjunction (e.g. and, but, or) is known as a compound predicate. Both the linked verbs or verb phrases talk about the same subject.
Browse through the following examples to understand what is a compound predicate!
The bird chirped and flew away. (chirped and flew away- Predicate)
He wondered whether he should choose apples or oranges. (wondered whether he should choose apples or oranges- (Predicate)
John was smart but arrogant. (was smart but arrogant- Predicate)
After seeing compound predicate examples, let’s understand what are complete predicates!
3. Complete predicate
A complete predicate includes the verb and all the words that provide additional information about the subject.
Here are some complete predicate adjectives to explain this:
The young girl sang beautifully on the stage.
She decided to quit smoking.
They told him the truth.
After understanding what is a complete predicate, let’s explore predicate adjectives!
4. Predicate Adjective
An adjective that follows the linking verb and describes the noun is known as the predicate adjective in the sentence.
The following examples accurately explain what is a predicative adjective:
The dog remained a loyal friend. (loyal- Predicative adjective)
He was a famous actor. (famous- Predicative adjective)
She was an expert dancer. (expert- Predicative adjective)
Now that we’ve seen predicative adjective examples, let’s understand predicate nominatives!
A predicate nominative is a nounor pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames or identifies the subject of the sentence. They are also known as predicate nouns.
Here are some predicate nominative examples:
My brother is a doctor. (linking verb- is, predicate- is a doctor)
Aliza’s son is the CEO of a startup. (linking verb- is, predicate- is the CEO of a startup)
James’s best friend was a talented musician.
The above examples demonstrate what is a predicate nominative. Now let’s see how to use predicates correctly!
How do you use a predicate in a sentence?
Follow the 3 simple steps given below to use the predicate in the sentence:
Identify the subject: Decide which person, place, animal, thing, or idea is the focus of the sentence.
Select the verb: Choose the verb that conveys the required action or state of the person.
Ensure subject-verb agreement: This means if there is one subject, the verb should also have a singular form. However, if there are many subjects, use the verb’s plural form. For example:
There is a box. (is- Singular verb, box- Singular noun)
There are two boxes (are- Plural Verb, boxes- Plural noun)
To identify the predicate of a sentence, perform the following steps:
Locate the verb: Find the word or words that express an action, event, or state, or condition of the person (e.g. shocked
Identify auxiliary verbs: Check for any auxiliary or helping verbs that accompany the main verb, such as “is,” “was,” “has,” “have,” “had,” “will,” “would,” “shall,” “should,” “can,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “must.”
Determine the predicate type: To do this, you need to analyze the following:
1. If the predicate consists of just the main verb, it is a simple predicate.
2. If the predicate has two or more main verbs connected by a conjunction (and, or, but), it is a compound predicate.
3. If the predicate includes the main verb along with its modifiers or complements, it is a complete predicate.
Identify modifiers and complements: Look for any words, phrases, or clauses that modify or complete the meaning of the verb. These can include adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, direct objects, indirect objects, or subject complements.
This concludes our guide about the predicate of a sentence! After understanding the predicate meaning, you can also create a list of predicates for each type.
Other than predicate, writers could also find other grammar concepts like tenses, phrases, clauses, etc., confusing. If grammar is not your strength, you can consider selecting PaperTrue’s professional editing and proofreading services! At PaperTrue, we eliminate all errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, capitalization, and formatting.
Writing a book with AI is like having a genie in a lamp – it can grant all your wishes. In this article, we’ve explained how to use AI for every step: from generating ideas to developing characters, plot, editing, book cover design, and marketing.
This article includes amazing paid and free AI tools along with useful pointers. We’ve also added a bonus section of 20 amazing prompts you can use. So let’s explore how to write a book using AI!
Transform your book with AI + professional human editing!
1. Use AI tools for brainstorming
The following tools can help you beat writer’s block and get fresh perspectives to write your story:
Use writing prompt generatorslike Servicescape, Seventh Sanctum, Squibler, Story Shack, and Random Words Generator.
Take advantage of setting generatorsRanGen, Donjon, Springhole, Seventh Sanctum
Explore and brainstorm using character name generators like Fantasy Name Generators, RandomGenerators.com, Name-Generator.org, Bookbird, Behind the Name
Recommendations
Experiment by combining prompts, settings, and character names.
Select prompts, settings, or characters that challenge you to write from unfamiliar viewpoints.
Bonus tip: You can add saved prompts in book writing apps and software like Scrivener, Novelist, Plottr, Novlr, Novel Factory, etc.
Now let’s see how to write a book with AI and conduct research using advanced tools.
2. Use AI tools for book research
Following are the tools that you can use for book research:
1. ChatGPT: You can give ChatGPT prompts to list books and common tropes related to the same genre and analyze how people communicate in different dialects.
a. Sample prompt: List down famous books belonging to the genre romance published in 2023.
b. Sample prompt: Mention 20 common tropes belonging to the genre fantasy that are widely used.
c. Sample prompt: Tell me how a person would answer the question: “Where are you from?” if he used the Australian English dialect.
2. Claude: It can offer insights into the cultural, social, and political aspects of different time periods or societies, helping you create a more authentic and nuanced fictional world.
a. Sample prompt: My mystery novel is set in 1920s New York City. Describe the political, cultural, and social landscape of the time.
3. Gemini: This AI tool can suggest multiple perspectives on existing books like Claude and ChatGPT.
a. Sample prompt: Give me multiple perspectives to write a new book based on John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.
Recommendations
To use AI to write a book, provide context For example, instead of “What was daily life like in ancient Rome?”, a good prompt can be: “Describe the sights, sounds, and smells a Roman citizen might encounter walking through the Forum on a busy market day.”
Ask open-ended questions to get different perspectives and find good plot twists. For example, “What if fairytales were coded messages passed down through generations to warn of real dangers?” Ask multiple “What if” questions to generate multiple viewpoints.
Now let’s see how to write a book with AI by developing characters!
3. Use AI tools to develop characters
1. Character.AI: This tool helps to enhance dialogues and create characters with specific backgrounds. Writers can train the AI characters they develop by having conversations with them. This can help them experiment with dialogue and see how characters might respond in various situations.
Here are some other features of this tool:
a. Select the “Pin message” option to save important messages, and use the feature of group chats (Rooms) for chats between multiple characters.
b. To determine the character’s personality, users can also choose between famous fictional characters like Loki, Dr Strange, Batman, Wonder Woman, Daenerys Targaryen, etc. Alternatively, they can create their own characters and analyze their speech patterns for their story.
2. Sudowrite: Use it to brainstorm character descriptions, backstories, relationships, or even internal monologues to uncover hidden depths.
a. If you’re dissatisfied with your writing, you can select the text you’re unhappy with and rewrite it. The tool gives various options like “Show Not Tell”, “More Descriptive”, “Shorter”, “More Inner Conflict”, and “More Intense” to rewrite the text.
b. You can also select text and choose the option “Expand” to describe a scene in greater detail.
Recommendations
Use these tools to focus on describing what the character sees, hears, smells, tastes, and touches.
Create multiple scenarios to see how different characters react under pressure by giving specific prompts. For example, you can use a prompt like, “How would a character who has undergone trauma during a war react when someone threatens to destroy his house? By putting pressure on characters, you can decide the direction for your story.
Using AI to write a book’s plot helps to enhance it further. Let’s explore this in the next section.
4. Use AI tools to enhance the plot
Following are some of the tools that you can use for developing the plot
1. Novel AI: Using this tool, you can copy the writing style of well-known writers (e.g., Arthur Conan Doyle), choose your desired themes, rewrite the text, and get relevant prompts to add to your text.
2. Inklewriter: Inklewriter is a free, interactive storytelling tool that allows you to create branching narratives. Branching narratives are stories that offer readers or players choices to shape the plot. Inklewriters gives you 1 or 2 alternatives at various plot points for how your story should progress.
3. Story generators: You can use the best story generator tools given by Editpad, Hix.AI, Simplified, and Perchance for brainstorming.
Recommendations
Select story generators that allow you to fill in your plot details like characters and plot.
Use Novel AI’s creative writing prompts to expand your story scenes and experiment with Inklewriter to develop plot twists.
After learning about how to use AI to write a book, let’s see AI tools that you can use for book editing!
5. Use AI tools for checking, revising, and editing
1. ProWritingAid: You can use this tool for checking spelling, and grammar. This tool also gives detailed feedback to improve the plot, setting, character development, and pacing of the story (25+ writing reports).
2. Hemingway Editor: You can use this tool to identify long and complex sentences, rectify spelling and grammar mistakes, and improve word choice.
3. Autocrit: This tool includes a spelling checker, a grammar checker, and highlights repetitive words and sentence structure. It also gives detailed statistics of the story’s dialogues, pacing, and characters to enhance them.
Recommendations
Instead of using these tools after you complete your book, consider running individual chapters or sections through them as you write and revise.
Take the time to explore the tool settings and adjust them based on your writing style, genre, and target audience.
1. ToolBaz: This tool gives you the option to fill in the details of your story to generate a compelling book title.
2. WriterBuddy: This tool allows you to fill in your book’s topic details and gives you 3 title suggestions for your book.
3. Reedsy: Reedsy’s book title generator gives users options to select from genres such as romance, mystery, crime, fantasy, and sci-fi to generate the book title.
Recommendations
Combine generated titles to get an attractive book title.
Select titles that are easy to remember, spell, and pronounce. Ensure that they accurately reflect your book’s themes and content.
If you’re still confused, you can read the article “How to Write a Book Title” to craft an engaging book title.
7. Use AI tools for brainstorming about the book cover design
1. Midjourney: To use this free AI image generator, you need to give a prompt and choose the height and width to generate the image.
2. Adobe Express: This is a free tool that provides thousands of free templates, various filters, and art styles to create an attractive book cover. It also has the option to add or remove unwanted elements to create a book cover.
3. Canva: You can use Canva’s free photos, and pre-designed templates to create professional book covers. Use the “Magic Write” feature to get suggestions about the content on your book’s cover.
Recommendations
Jot down specific keywords related to your book’s genre and describe what you wish to see on the book cover. This will give you a clear direction while using these tools.
Choose the best book fonts that complement your book’s genre and tone instead of solely relying on AI.
8. Use AI tools for marketing your book
1. BuzzSumo: BuzzSumo can help you research and brainstorm marketing ideas, find influencers, and generate engaging content. You can use it to write an attractive book blurb and book description.
2. Adcreative.ai: This tool allows you to add details about your book cover, target audience, and key selling points, and the AI will generate different ad variations for various social media platforms. You can also automate ad campaigns and generate compelling ad copies for marketing on Amazon.
3. Headlime: This tool generates compelling book promotion content for various platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Whether you want captions, ad copies, content for email newsletters, or book descriptions, this tool can do it for you!
Recommendations
Use these AI tools for tasks like A/B testing marketing copy variations, creating taglines, and experimenting by giving AI out-of-the-box prompts.
Decide the goals before using these tools and monitor the results and budget used on these AI tools.
Now let’s see 20 practical prompts to use AI to write a book.
20 useful prompts to write a book with AI
1. Analyze the following scene and suggest how to make it more engaging: [Insert scene]
2. Make the following dialogues shorter, and crisper, and use better wording for the dialogues without changing the meaning: [Insert dialogues].
3. Read the following character description and tell me the character’s reactions in challenging situations: [Insert character description].
4. Analyze if there are any loopholes or inconsistencies in the following plot: [Insert plot details].
5. Suggest multiple perspectives and alternatives on how to make the following climax more intense: [Insert information about the plot and climax].
6. Tell me how to make the following setting description more creative without changing the meaning: [Insert the setting description].
7. Suggest new holidays and days that can be celebrated in the following fantasy world: [Insert fantasy world description]
8. Tell me how to keep the main antagonist a secret till the climax by analyzing the following plot and sequence of events: [Insert plot and sequence of events]
9. How to write a children’s book with AI? Suggest the best AI tools for developing the plot, characters, setting, conflict, climax, editing, book marketing, and editing.
10. Explain what can be the consequences of the following action on the characters: [Insert information about an action that disrupts the life of characters].
11. Tell me how would the relationship between character [Insert name] and character [name] be impacted due to the following situation and actions; [Insert information about the situation and action where characters are involved].
12. Suggest 10 plot twists by analyzing the following information about the plot: [Insert information about the plot].
13. Tell me how to describe the following message more creatively using a letter, story, email, or literary devices: [Insert information].
14. Recommend how should I convey the following information without using dialogues: [Insert information about the characters’ moods, feelings, emotions, story’s atmosphere, and mood]
15. Tell me various perspectives on how can I explore the theme of magic by analyzing the following plot: [Insert plot]
16. Help me enhance the following interaction between two characters where the character named [Insert name] is Australian and the character [Insert name] is German: [Insert character interaction]
17. Tell me how the attitudes and habits will differ between two characters, one of which is Indian and the other is American. Tell me how can I use their different habits and attitudes by analyzing the following plot: [Insert information about the plot]
18. Explain how I can write a book that breaks free from traditional romance genre conventions.
19. List 10 unexplored themes related to the genre fantasy that I can use for writing a fantasy novel.
20. Suggest creative chapter titles for the following story by analyzing the following titles and ensuring the titles aren’t too long: [Insert all chapter titles].
Our guide on using AI to write a book ends here! Now it’s your turn to explore the possibilities with these AI tools! Remember, even with AI assistance, completing your manuscript is just the first step; professional editing is crucial for polished writing.
At PaperTrue, we provide high-quality AI + professional human editing services. Our trained team of editors can perfectly edit your book, removing all grammar and word choice errors. With this, they also give in-depth feedback to enhance the plot, characters, and setting. Feel free to reach out if you ever require professional editing and proofreading services!
Do you have any other suggestions about how to use AI to write a book? Let us know in the comments section!
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