WRITING COMPETITIONS

At The Writers Herd, we believe there’s no better way to gain recognition and showcase your work than through writing competitions. In the future, we’re excited to introduce submission options and even host our own competitions. For now, as we continue to grow our community, writing competitions provide excellent opportunities to get noticed.

As writers ourselves, we know how frustrating it can be to browse through endless lists of competitions online. With so many options, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why we’re committed to simplifying the process.

Each month, we’ll hand-pick key competitions—both free and paid—highlighting those with cash prizes and publication opportunities. We’ll feature a mix of niche and popular contests, so whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, you’ll find something tailored to your needs.

These will feature monthly, so stay tuned!

Tips for success

  • Check Competition Rules: Always review guidelines carefully to ensure your submissions meet all requirements.
  • Study Past Winners: Reviewing previous winning entries can give you insights into what judges want.
  • Try a Mix of Competitions: Niche competitions might offer better odds, but don’t shy away from popular ones for greater exposure and prizes.
  • Keep a Submission Record: Track your entries, rejections, and wins. Check guidelines before submitting the same story to multiple outlets.
  • Embrace Rejection: Use rejection as motivation. If you don’t try, you’ll never know!
  • Prepare Early: Avoid last-minute submissions by giving yourself ample time to revise and polish your work.

Competitions for March-APRIL 2025

Poetry Competitions

Red Shed Poetry Competition 2025

An annual poetry competition organised by Currock.

  • Rules: Poems must be original, unpublished, and no longer than 40 lines.
  • Prizes:
    • 1st Prize: £100
    • 2nd Prize: £50
    • Shortlisted Poems: £20
    • Wakefield Postcode Prize: £25
  • Entry Fee: £3 for the first poem, £2 for subsequent poems
  • Deadline: 28 March 2025
  • Submission:
    • By Post: Send entries with cover sheet and entry fee to:
      The Competition Organiser, The Red Shed Open Poetry Competition, 3 Sandal Cliff, Wakefield, WF2 6AU
    • By Email: Send to redshedpoetrycomp@btinternet.com with PayPal payment number included. Poems must be attached in a single file with no identifying details.
  • More Info

The Plough Poetry Prize 2025

A prestigious international poetry competition open to poets writing in English, organised by the Plough Arts Centre in Devon.

  • Rules: Poems must be original, unpublished, and no longer than 40 lines.
  • Judge: Pascale Petit
  • Prizes:
    • 1st Prize: £1,000
    • 2nd Prize: £500
    • 3rd Prize: £250
  • Entry Fee: £5 per poem (online), £6 per poem (postal submission)
  • Deadline: 31 March 2025
  • More Info

The E.H.P. Barnard Poetry Prize

A poetry competition seeking poems on the theme of “Vision”, judged by Tom Neill.

  • Rules: Poems must be original, unpublished, and up to 400 words.
  • Prizes:
    • 1st Prize: £150 + a professionally produced poetry video
    • 2nd Prize: £100
    • 3rd Prize: £50
  • Entry Fee: £2 per poem
  • Deadline: 31 March 2025 (midnight)
  • More Info

The International Dark Poets Prize: Edition III

A global poetry competition celebrating the beauty within darkness. Open to poets worldwide, including previously published works.

  • Rules: Poems must be original and no more than 250 words. Poets can submit up to 15 entries.
  • Prizes:
    • 1st Prize: £500 + Dark Poets Prize certification + Dark Poets Club T-shirt
    • Honourable mentions and publication consideration
  • Entry Fee:
    • £5 per poem
    • £8 for 3 poems
    • £10 for 5 poems
  • Deadline: 31 March 2025
  • More Info

The Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2025

A prestigious competition run by The Rialto Poetry Magazine in association with RSPB, BirdLife International, Cambridge Conservation Initiative, and The University of Leeds Poetry Centre. Open to poets worldwide, focusing on themes of nature and place.

  • Rules:
    • Poems must be original, unpublished, no more than 40 lines.
    • Entries judged anonymously.
    • Limited free entries available for low-income writers (submit via email to matt.howard@therialto.co.uk).
  • Prizes:
    • 1st Prize: £1,000
    • 2nd Prize: £500
    • 3rd Prize: £250
  • Entry Fee:
    • £7 for the first poem (includes admin fee)
    • £4 per additional poem
  • Deadline: 1 April 2025
  • More Info

Artemesia Arts International Poetry Competition

An international poetry competition open to poets worldwide. The winning poems will be published in the Artemesia Arts 2025 Poetry Anthology, and winners will be invited to read at the 2025 poetry@treignac retreat in France.

  • Rules:
    • Poems must be original, unpublished, and no longer than 40 lines (excluding title & line breaks).
    • Simultaneous submissions allowed, but poets must notify if accepted elsewhere.
    • Poems must be in English and submitted in a Word document (no PDFs).
  • Prizes:
    • 1st Prize: £200 + publication in the Artemesia Arts 2025 Anthology.
    • 2 Runners-Up: £80 each + publication.
    • Highly Commended & Additional Selections: Up to 25 additional poems may be published.
  • Entry Fee:
    • £5 per poem
    • Payment via Bank Transfer, PayPal, or Euro cheque.
  • Deadline: 5 April 2025 (midnight CET)
  • More Info

Write Out Loud Poetry Competition – ‘Echoes’

A poetry competition celebrating Write Out Loud’s 20th anniversary, open internationally on the theme ‘Echoes’. Winners and selected runners-up will be featured in a competition anthology.

  • Rules:
    • Poems must be original, unpublished, and no longer than 40 lines (excluding title).
    • Left-justified format only (no special layouts).
    • Entries are online only via the Write Out Loud website.
  • Prizes:
    • 1st Prize: £500
    • 2nd Prize: £250
    • 3rd Prize: £50
    • Selected runners-up will be published in a competition anthology.
  • Entry Fee:
    • £5 for 1 poem
    • £10 for 2 poems
    • £12 for 3 poems
    • £4 per additional poem
  • Deadline: 11 April 2025 
  • More Info

Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition 2025

The 27th annual Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition welcomes entries from the UK and internationally. All prize-winning and commended poets will be invited to a prize-giving event in Ware, Hertfordshire.

  • Rules:
    • Open to poets worldwide.
    • Poems must be original, unpublished, and no longer than 50 lines.
    • Any number of poems can be submitted.
    • The winning poem will be automatically entered for the Forward Prize.
  • Prizes:
    • 1st Prize: £800
    • 2nd Prize: £400
    • 3rd Prize: £200
    • Sonnet Prize: £200 for the best sonnet
    • All winning and commended poems will be published in the 2025 Anthology (with a complimentary copy for each published poet).
  • Entry Fee:
    • £5 per poem
  • Deadline: 30 April 2025
  • Submission Details:
    • Online: Pay the entry fee via PayPal, debit, or credit card, then email poems as PDF or Word attachments to warepoetscomp@gmail.com.
    • Postal: Download and complete the postal entry form on the competition website.
  • More Info

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Now in its 24th year, this international contest seeks the best humour poems, published or unpublished.

  • Rules: Submit 1 humour poem in English, up to 250 lines. Authors from most countries eligible (some exclusions apply). No serious poems or AI-generated entries allowed unless pre-approved.

  • Prizes:

    • 1st Prize: $2,000 + Duotrope gift certificate

    • 2nd Prize: $500

    • 3rd Prize: $250

    • 10 Honorable Mentions: $100 each

    • Top 13 entries published online

  • Entry Fee: Free

  • Deadline: 1 April 2025

  • More Info

The Alpine Fellowship Poetry Prize 2025

An international competition awarding the best poetic response on the theme of “Fear.”

  • Rules: Open to poets aged 18+, from any country. Entries must be in English, and must not exceed 500 words. Submit one poem or a themed collection. Poems are judged anonymously.

  • Prizes:

    • 1st Prize: £3,000

    • 2nd Prize: £1,000

    • 3rd Prize: £1,000

    • Winners are invited to the annual Alpine Fellowship symposium.

  • Entry Fee: Free

  • Deadline: 1 April 2025 at 23:59 (UK time)

  • More Info

Carers UK 2025 Poetry Competition

Open to poets of all levels, this competition celebrates poems on the theme of ‘caring, family and community.’

  • Rules: Submit poems in English. Open to all levels.

  • Prizes:

    • 1st Prize: £100 voucher

    • 2nd Prize: £50 voucher

    • 3rd Prize: £30 voucher

    • Carers UK Member Prize: £50 voucher

  • Entry Fee: Free

  • Deadline: 20 April 2025

  • More Info

erbacce-prize for poetry 2025

Now in its 21st year, this global competition is run for poets, by poets. It champions work that is radical in form or content.

  • Rules: Submit five pages of poetry (not five poems). Open worldwide. Previously published poems accepted if accompanied by new work. Must be submitted in Rich Text Format (RTF).

  • Prizes:

    • Winner: Full publishing contract + perfect-bound poetry collection

    • Runners-Up: Considered for book or chapbook publication

    • 4 Featured Poets: Included in the in-house journal

  • Entry Fee: Free

  • Deadline: 30 April 2025

  • More Info

Short Story Competitions

Sinister Sanctuaries – Elegant Literature Award

A genre-flexible competition open exclusively to new writers. Submit a story exploring the theme of “Sinister Sanctuaries” — eerie, unsettling spaces twisted from their purpose.

  • Rules: For new writers only. Open to all genres. Story must include the theme and an “echo.”

  • Word Count: Up to 2,000 words

  • Prizes:

    • 1st: $3,000 + publication + free enrolment in New Novelist Accelerator

    • 2nd–10th: 10c/word + publication

    • 11th–35th: $20 + Honourable Mention

  • Entry Fee: $10 USD per entry

  • Deadline: 31 March 2025

  • More Info

Bath Short Story Award 2025

An international award for original stories of literary merit. Open to all writers aged 16+, with a special Acorn Award for unpublished authors.

  • Rules: Original, unpublished stories in English for adult or YA readers

  • Word Count: Up to 2,200 words

  • Prizes:

    • 1st: £1,200

    • 2nd: £300

    • 3rd: £100

    • Acorn Award (unpublished writer): £100

    • Local Prize: £50 in book tokens

  • Entry Fee: £9 per story

  • Deadline: 31 March 2025 (midnight BST)

  • More Info

The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize 2025

A long-standing award celebrating a single outstanding novella manuscript in English, with publication and prize money.

Rules: Open internationally to writers aged 18+. Submit an unpublished novella between 15,000–40,000 words. No identifying information on the manuscript. Excerpts may be previously published. Not open to current/former TRP authors, staff, or Sam Houston State affiliates. One winner selected annually.

Prize: $1,000 advance + standard royalty contract + 10 author copies + publication by Texas Review Press

Entry Fee: $20
Deadline: 31 March 2025
More Info

New2theScene Novel Competition 2025

A competition for unpublished writers offering editorial support, industry exposure, and publication opportunities.

Rules: Open to unpublished novelists in any genre. Submit the first 3,000 words and a one-page synopsis in a single Word document. Entries must follow formatting guidelines. Multiple entries allowed with fee per entry.

Prizes:
Winner: Professional line edit (£100) + developmental workshop (£50) + podcast interview + publication in anthology + agent submission + blog feature + £50 voucher
Shortlisted: Workshop (£50) + feedback + blog feature + £15 voucher
Longlisted: Feedback + discounted workshops

Entry Fee: £18
Deadline: 6 April 2025 (23:59 UK time)
More Info

Fractured Lit Ghost, Fable, and Fairy Tales Prize 2025

An international contest for flash fiction that reimagines ghosts, fables, and fairy tales in lyrical and inventive ways.

Rules: Open worldwide. Submit up to two unpublished flash/micro fiction stories (max 1,000 words each) per entry. English only. Simultaneous submissions accepted. No AI-generated or self-published work allowed. Stories must be double-spaced and submitted in one document.

Prizes:
1st Prize: $3,000 + publication
2nd Prize: $300 + publication
3rd Prize: $200 + publication
All entries considered for publication

Entry Fee: $20 (up to 2 stories)
Deadline: 13 April 2025
More Info

New Writers 100-Word Writing Competition 2025

An international competition inviting poems or stories of up to 100 words on any theme, with cash prizes for the top 10 entries.

Rules: Open worldwide to writers aged 18+. Submit a poem or story in English up to 100 words (title excluded). Entries must be unpublished. Both poetry and prose accepted. Free entry options available for low-income writers (apply by 22 April 2025).

Prizes:
1st Prize: £500
2nd Prize: £200
3rd Prize: £100
4th–10th Place: £50 each
Top 10 published on site and in anthology

Entry Fee: £8 (1 entry), £15 (2 entries), £21 (3 entries)
Deadline: 30 April 2025 (23:59 UK time)
More Info

The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award 2025

A biannual competition for finely crafted supernatural or magic realist short fiction, celebrating its 10th year.

Rules: Open internationally. Submit one unpublished story per entry (1,500–10,000 words) with a supernatural or magic realist element. Multiple and simultaneous submissions allowed. Stories do not need to be anonymised.

Prizes:
1st Prize: $1,500 + publication
2 Honorable Mentions: $300 each + publication

Entry Fee: $20 per story
Deadline: 30 April 2025
More Info

Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award 2025

A prestigious biennial award offering financial support to an unpublished writer based in the Commonwealth or Eire.

Rules: Open to writers aged 18+ residing in the British Commonwealth or Eire. Submit 15,000–20,000 words of a work in progress (fiction, non-fiction, children’s, or short stories). Writers must not be under contract or have previously published a full-length prose book (self-published and online included, except poetry collections). Submissions must be anonymised and include a synopsis and biographical note.

Prizes:
Winner: £10,000
2 Runners-up: £1,000 each

Entry Fee: Free
Deadline: 30 April 2025
More Info

Oxford/42 New Writing Prize 2025

A multidisciplinary storytelling competition for emerging novelists, playwrights, and screenwriters based in the UK.

Rules: Open to UK-based writers aged 18+. Submit a synopsis (up to 300 words), an elevator pitch (2 sentences), and one of the following:
– Novel: 10,000–15,000 words
– Stage/Radio Play: 30–90 pages
– Screenplay: 30–60 pages (TV) or 90 pages (feature)
Entries must be in Word or PDF format and submitted by email.

Prize:
1st Prize: £1,500 + professional representation by 42

Entry Fee: Free
Deadline: 30 April 2025
More Info