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.

Competition highlights for april 2026 

Poetry Competitions

The Brotherton Poetry Prize 2026

A prestigious international poetry prize supporting emerging poets, offering strong cash prizes alongside publication in a Carcanet Press anthology.

  • Rules
    • Open to writers worldwide aged 18+
    • Must not have published a full poetry collection (chapbooks/pamphlets allowed)
    • Submit up to five poems in one document (Word or PDF)
    • Maximum 200 lines in total (excluding titles)
    • Poems must be original, unpublished, and written in English
    • Entries are judged anonymously
    • No name should appear on the document
    • Each poem must have a title
    • No limit on the number of entries
  • Prizes
    • First Prize: £1,000
    • Four runners-up: £200 each
    • The five shortlisted poets are published in an anthology by Carcanet Press
    • All shortlisted poets may be invited to readings and events
    • Travel expenses may be reimbursed up to £150
  • Entry Fee
    • £15 per entry
  • Deadline
    • 8 April 2026 (11:59pm UK time)

Federation of Writers (Scotland) Vernal Equinox Competition 2026

A well-established multi-category competition welcoming poetry, short stories, and flash fiction across English, Scots, and Scottish Gaelic, with affordable entry fees and multiple prize opportunities.

  • Rules
    • Open to writers worldwide
    • Categories include poetry, short stories, and flash fiction
    • Poetry: up to 40 lines (excluding title)
    • Flash fiction: up to 500 words
    • Short stories: 501–2,000 words
    • Entries must be original, unpublished, and submitted anonymously
    • No limit on the number of entries
  • Prizes
    • Winner: £100 (per category)
    • Runner-up: £25
    • Commended: £10
    • Additional £50 Brian Whittingham Memorial Prize (best overall poetry entry)
  • Entry Fee
    • £4 per entry
    • £10 for three entries (same category)
    • £4 for each additional entry thereafter
  • Deadline
    • 12 April 2026 (midnight)

The Florida Review Editor's Prizes 2026

A respected international literary prize offering publication and cash awards across fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, run by The Florida Review at the University of Central Florida.

  • Rules
    • Open to writers worldwide
    • Entries must be original, unpublished, and written in English
    • Categories:
      • Poetry: up to 5 poems
      • Fiction & Creative Nonfiction: up to 30 pages (~9,000 words)
    • Submissions must be anonymous (no identifying details in manuscript)
    • Simultaneous submissions are allowed (must be withdrawn if accepted elsewhere)
    • Work must be submitted via Submittable
  • Prizes
    • $1,000 per category (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction)
    • Publication in The Florida Review
    • Finalists may also be recognised and/or published
  • Entry Fee
    • $25 (includes one-year subscription to the journal)
  • Deadline
    • 15 April 2026

Charm Poetry Competition 2026

A light-hearted poetry competition focused on wit, warmth, and playful writing, encouraging poets to move away from overly serious themes and embrace creativity and humour.

  • Rules
    • Open to writers aged 16+ worldwide
    • Poems must be original, unpublished, and written in English
    • Maximum 32 lines per poem (excluding title)
    • Up to four poems per entrant
    • No identifying details in the document (anonymous judging)
    • Poems should aim for wit, warmth, and whimsy
  • Prizes
    • First Prize: £100
    • Second Prize: £50
    • Third Prize: £25
    • Highly commended entries at judge's discretion
  • Entry Fee
    • £5 per poem
  • Deadline
    • 26 April 2026 (11:59pm BST)

 Indigo Spring Poetry Prize 2026

An accessible international poetry competition welcoming unpublished work on any theme, with cash prizes and publication opportunities in Indigo Dreams magazines.

  • Rules
    • Open to writers aged 16+ worldwide
    • Poems must be original, unpublished, and written in English
    • Maximum 40 lines per poem (including stanza breaks)
    • Entries must be anonymous (no identifying details on poems)
    • No limit on number of entries
  • Prizes
    • First Prize: £250
    • Second Prize: £100
    • Third Prize: £50
    • Publication in Reach Poetry or The Dawntreader
  • Entry Fee
    • £5 per poem
    • £9 for two poems
    • £12 for three poems
  • Deadline
    • 30 April 2026 (midnight)

Ver Poets Open Competition 2026

A well-established poetry competition offering strong cash prizes and anthology publication, open internationally with a respected judge and no initial sifting process.

  • Rules
    • Open to writers aged 16+ worldwide
    • Poems can be on any theme and in any form
    • Maximum 30 lines per poem
    • Poems must be original, unpublished, and written in English
    • Entries must be anonymous (no identifying details on poems)
    • No limit on the number of entries
  • Prizes
    • First Prize: £600
    • Second Prize: £300
    • Third Prize: £100
    • Winning and shortlisted poems published in the anthology
  • Entry Fee
    • £5 per poem
    • £12 for three poems
    • £4 per poem thereafter
  • Deadline
    • 30 April 2026

Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition 2026

A long-running and highly regarded international poetry competition offering excellent prize money, multiple award categories, and anthology publication, judged by acclaimed poet Keith Jarrett.

  • Rules
    • Open to writers worldwide
    • Poems can be on any theme
    • Maximum 50 lines per poem
    • Must be original, unpublished work written in English
    • No limit on number of entries
    • Additional eligibility for:
      • Sonnet Prize (any sonnet)
      • Local Prize (Hertfordshire or Essex residents)
  • Prizes
    • First Prize: £1,000
    • Second Prize: £500
    • Third Prize: £200
    • Sonnet Prize: £200
    • Local Prize: £200
    • All winning and commended poems published in the anthology
    • First prize poem entered into the Forward Prize
  • Entry Fee
    • £5 per poem
  • Deadline
    • 30 April 2026

The Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry 2026

A prestigious international poetry award celebrating bold, socially engaged writing, with publication in the Beloit Poetry Journal and support from the Adrienne Rich Literary Trust.

  • Rules
    • Open internationally
    • Submit 1–3 unpublished poems
    • Maximum 10 pages per entry
    • Any theme or style
    • Simultaneous submissions allowed (must notify if accepted elsewhere)
    • No identifying details on manuscripts
  • Prizes
    • First Prize: $1,500
    • Publication in Beloit Poetry Journal
    • All entries considered for publication
  • Entry Fee
    • $15 per entry
    • Fee waivers available for financial hardship
  • Deadline
    • 30 April 2026

erbacce-prize for poetry 2026

A unique and completely free international poetry prize offering publication opportunities and a full poetry collection contract, with a focus on bold and experimental writing.

  • Rules
    • Open worldwide
    • Submit 5 pages of poetry (not 5 poems)
    • Must include some unpublished work
    • Poems can be previously published (with acknowledgement)
    • One submission per poet
    • Work must be formatted and submitted anonymously
  • Prizes
    • Winner receives a full poetry collection publication (approx. 90+ pages)
    • ISBN registration, distribution, and promotion included
    • 20% royalties on book sales
    • Runners-up may receive publication contracts or chapbooks
    • Additional poets featured in the erbacce journal
  • Entry Fee
    • Free
  • Deadline
    • 30 April 2026

The Colour Challenge – Young Poets Network 2026

A free international poetry challenge for young writers, run by The Poetry Society, encouraging creative responses to colour through poetry.

  • Rules
    • Open worldwide to poets aged 5–25
    • Submit poems on the theme of colour
    • Any style or form
    • No limit on number of submissions
    • Entries can be written, audio, or video (with text version)
  • Prizes
    • Selected winners published on Young Poets Network
    • Prizes include poetry ebooks and posters
  • Entry Fee
    • Free
  • Deadline
    • 12 April 2026

Short Story & Novel Competitions

The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize 2026

A major international short fiction prize offering strong cash awards, publication, and career-boosting opportunities through literary journals, agent consultations, and residency support.

  • Rules
    • Open to writers worldwide aged 18+
    • Submit an original, unpublished short story
    • Maximum 2,000 words
    • Any genre or subject
    • Translations are accepted with the relevant rights permission
    • Submissions must be anonymous
    • Up to 10 entries per person permitted
  • Prizes
    • First Prize: €2,000
    • One week's residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation
    • Consultation with literary agent Charlotte Seymour
    • Manuscript assessment with The Literary Consultancy
    • Two runners-up prizes of €1,000 each
    • All shortlisted writers published in the anthology
    • Additional publication, residency, and event opportunities for shortlisted writers
  • Entry Fee
    • €20 for the first entry
    • €10 for each additional entry
  • Deadline
    • 30 April 2026 (23:59 CEST)

FFF Competition Thirty-Three

An international flash fiction competition run by Free Flash Fiction, offering cash prizes and publication for short-form stories.

  • Rules
    • Open worldwide to writers aged 16+
    • Submit original, unpublished flash fiction
    • 100–300 words (excluding title)
    • Any theme or style
    • Entries must be in English
    • Multiple entries allowed (submitted separately)
  • Prizes
    • 1st Prize: £200 + publication
    • 2 Highly Commended: £100 + publication
    • 3 Shortlisted: £80 + publication
  • Entry Fee
    • £4.95 per entry (PayPal/Stripe)
    • £3.50 via bank transfer
  • Deadline
    • 23 April 2026 (10:00pm UK time)

100-Word Writing Contest

An international micro-fiction competition organised by Tadpole Press, challenging writers to craft a complete story in 100 words or fewer, with a wide prize range and multiple winning placements (top 30).

  • Rules
    • Open worldwide (all ages)
    • Submit an original piece (100 words max, including title)
    • Any genre or theme
    • Multiple entries allowed
  • Prizes
    • 1st: $1,000 + Duotrope subscription
    • 2nd: Publishing & marketing package ($6,000 value)
    • 3rd: Manuscript assessment ($1,500–$3,000 value)
    • 4th: Editing package ($1,500 value)
    • 5th–6th: Writing coaching ($500 value)
    • 7th–10th: $200
    • 11th–15th: $150
    • 16th–20th: $100
    • 21st–30th: $50
  • Entry Fee
    • $15 per entry
  • Deadline
    • 30 April 2026

Ironclad Short Story Competition Summer 2026

A short story competition by Ironclad Creative inviting writers to respond to the prompt "Footprint" in any creative or unexpected way, with publication opportunities in their July 2026 anthology.

  • Rules
    • Open worldwide (published & unpublished writers)
    • Original, unpublished short story
    • Any genre
    • Up to 6,000 words
    • Must be inspired by the prompt "Footprint"
    • Anonymous submissions required
  • Prizes
    • 1st: £100 + publication
    • 2nd: £50 + publication
    • 3rd: £25 + publication
    • Shortlisted: Publication
  • Entry Fee
    • £9.75 per story
  • Deadline
    • 30 April 2026

PURORRELATO Micro-Story Contest 2026

A free international micro-story competition organised by Casa África, inviting writers to explore Africa in thoughtful, original ways while avoiding stereotypes.

  • Rules
    • Open worldwide to writers aged 18+
    • Submit up to three original, unpublished micro-stories
    • Stories must relate to Africa in some way
    • Entries may be written in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese
    • Maximum 1,500 characters including spaces, excluding the title
    • Entries must not have won another prize or be under consideration elsewhere
  • Prizes
    • First Prize: €750
    • Second Prize: €375
    • Third Prize: €225
    • Possible runners-up prizes or special mentions
  • Entry Fee
    • Free
  • Deadline
    • 16 April 2026 at 14:00 (GMT+0)