Writing contests for teens

66 Free Writing Contests in January 2025 — No entry fees

Defenestration Lengthy Poem Contest. Genre: Lengthy poem (at least 3 pages). Prize: $300. Deadline: January 1, 2025.

Vermont Writers’ Prize. Restrictions: Open to residents of Vermont. Genres: Short story, poem, play or essay on the theme of Vermont — its people, places, history or values. Entries must be unpublished and fewer than 1,500 words long. Writers may submit only one entry per year. Prize: $1,250 and publication in Vermont Magazine. Deadline: January 1, 2025.

The Fifty & Up Writer Awards. Genre: Fiction, CNF, poetry by writers aged 50 and up. Prize: $50. Deadline: January 1, 2025.

The Welkin Mini Writing Prize. Genre: Narrative prose (fiction and nonfiction) up to 100 words. Prize: £50 top prize. Deadline: January 2, 2025.

Jack Hazard Fellowship. Restrictions: Open to writers who teach full time in an accredited high school in the United States. Genre: Fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir. Prize: $5,000. Deadline: January 3, 2025.

San José State University: Center for

Writing Contests, Grants & Awards

Omnidawn Publishing

First/Second Poetry Book Contest

Cash Prize: $3,000

Entry Fee: $30

Application Deadline: 2/16/25

Genre: Poetry

A prize of $3,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 20 author copies is given annually for a first or second poetry collection. Daniela Naomi Molnar will judge. Using...

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Arts & Letters Prizes

Arts & Letters

Cash Prize: $1,000

Entry Fee: $20

Application Deadline: 2/20/25

Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction

Three prizes of $1,000 each and online publication in Arts & Letters are given annually for a group of poems, a short story, and an essay. James Kimbrell will judge...

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Red Hen Press

Women’s Prose Prize

Cash Prize: $1,000

Entry Fee: $25

Application Deadline: 2/28/25

Genre: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for a book of fiction or nonfiction by a writer who identifies as a woman. Alyssa Graybeal will judge....

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Black Caucus of the American Library

Best Memoir Writing Contests in 2025

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books seeks submissions of unpublished books including novels, novellas, short story collections, poetry collections, and nonfiction. The prize pool totals $1,000, with 2-4 winners announced who share the prize money. The contest encourages diversity and is judged blind. Winning entries may have extracts published and are considered for further anthologies like the Pushcart Prize.

Additional prizes:

Optional publication of excerpt + letter of recommendation

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: January 01, 2025 (Expired)

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