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Best Essay Writing Contests in 2024
Showing 54 contests that match your search.
A Very Short Story Contest
Gotham Writers Workshop
Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story
Participants write a short story using ten words or fewer, inspired by the famous six-word story attributed to Hemingway. The submission must be original and unpublished, with entries judged based on originality and quality.
Winning entry receives a free Gotham class of their choosing (excluding premium classes).
📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)
Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest
Shuswap Association of Writers
Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story
Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems).
Additional prizes:
Publication
💰 Entry fee: $11
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)
Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award
Trio House Press
Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction
We seek un-agented full-length creative nonfiction manuscripts including memoir, essay collections, etc. 50,000 - 80,000 words.
💰 Entry fee: $25
📅 Deadline: May 15, 2024 (Expired)
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National High School Essay Contest
American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)
Genres: Essay
The contest invites high school students to write an essay exploring future challenges for diplomats, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Foreign Service. Essays must be between 1,000 and 1,500 words, addressing specific prompts and demonstrating an understanding of the Foreign Service.
Winner also receives an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., plus an educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. Runner-up: $1,250 plus full tuition for the National Student Leadership Conference's International Diplomacy program.
📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)
Human Rights Essay Contest for High School Students
Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation
The contest invites high school students to respond to a prompt regarding human rights. Prizes include $3000 for 1st place, $1500 for 2nd, and $750 for 3rd. Essays should not exceed 2500 words and must include a cover page with specific details.
💰 Entry fee: $0
📅 Deadline: December 10, 2024
NOWW 26th International Writing Contest
Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The 26th Annual Writing Contest is currently closed. The next contest will open on January 1, 2025. Categories and further details will be announced later.
2nd place: $100 3rd place: $50
💰 Entry fee: $7
📅 Deadline: January 01, 2025
Stories of Inspiration
Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc
Genres: Essay and Non-fiction
The Stories of Inspiration contest invites nonfiction essays (500-1200 words) that highlight resilience in marginalized communities. Selected entries will be published quarterly in Kinsman Quarterly's magazine, with winners receiving a cash prize and publication.
Publication in Kinsman Quarterly's online magazine
📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024
The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction
The Letter Review
Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Crime, Humor, and Science Writing
The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction is an award for nonfiction submissions up to 5000 words. It seeks to recognize and publish quality writing and offers a total prize pool of $1000 USD.
2-4 winners are announced who share in the prize money. Publication by The Letter Review
📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)
Annual Contest Submissions
So To Speak
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry
So to Speak is a feminist literary journal seeking diverse voices, focusing on intersectional feminism. They publish twice a year, accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art, with a particular emphasis on marginalized perspectives.
All accepted contributions will receive a $100 prize.
💰 Entry fee: $4
📅 Deadline: November 15, 2024
Creative Nonfiction Prize
Indiana Review
Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction
The Creative Nonfiction Prize is held annually by Indiana Review, which also publishes various genres including poetry and fiction. It features a $20 entry fee, which includes a subscription to the journal. All entries are considered for publication.
Publication in Indiana Review
💰 Entry fee: $20
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)
Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize
Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult
The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the Selected Shorts series at Symphony Space, NYC. It celebrates short stories by having them read aloud by actors. The contest is judged by Carmen Maria Machado, and the winner's work will be performed live and published on Electric Literature.
$1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers
📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)
Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest
Lazuli Literary Group
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing
We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.
Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"
💰 Entry fee: $15
📅 Deadline: September 24, 2024 (Expired)
Annual Student Essay Contest
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
The contest encourages students to reflect on strength and resilience in overcoming challenges. Since 2001, it has engaged over 15,000 students from more than 20 countries, with 900 participants this year. Winners were selected based on their unique voice and thoughtful analysis.
2nd place: $750 3rd place: $500
📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)
swamp pink Prizes
From January 1st to January 31st, submit short stories and essays of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems. Winners in each genre will receive $2,000 and publication.
Share Your Story
FanStory.com Inc.
Genres: Essay and Memoir
Write about an event in your life. Everyone has a memoir. Not an autobiography. Too much concern about fact and convention. A memoir gives us the ability to write about our life with the option to create and fabricate and to make sense of a life, or part of that life.
💰 Entry fee: $10
📅 Deadline: August 13, 2024 (Expired)
Bacopa Literary Review Annual Writing Contest
Writers Alliance of Gainesville
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
The Bacopa Literary Review is an annual international print journal seeking engaging and original submissions across multiple genres. The contest includes various categories with specific guidelines to encourage diverse forms of writing.
$100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories
📅 Deadline: May 02, 2024 (Expired)
Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story
Armed Services Arts Partnership
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story
Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.
$500 Editors' Choice award
$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)
Goldilocks Zone
Sunspot Literary Journal
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story
The contest invites short stories, novel excerpts, graphic novels, and poems that showcase excellence in craft with reader appeal. It accepts literary or genre works without restrictions on theme.
Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.
💰 Entry fee: $5
📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)
Vocal Challenges
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story
Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.
$1,000 — $5,000
📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)
Young Sports Journalist 2024
The competition seeks articles from aspiring journalists aged 14-21. Winning entries will be published in Pitch Magazine and critiqued by a panel of judges. Winners receive a £50 cash prize and work experience.
Publication in magazine and online, work experience at Pitch Magazine.
📅 Deadline: April 12, 2024 (Expired)
Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest
Jane Austen Society of North America
Genres: Children's and Essay
JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers. Students world-wide are invited to compete for scholarship awards in three divisions: high school, college, and graduate school.
$1,000 scholarship
Two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting
📅 Deadline: June 02, 2022 (Expired)
Irene Adler Prize
Lucas Ackroyd
The Irene Adler Prize is a scholarship for women writers, offering $1,000 to support their education in journalism, creative writing, or literature. The prize aims to celebrate and elevate women's voices in writing.
2x honorable mentions: $250 Winner also receives a scholarship for education
📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025
Berggruen Prize Essay Competition
Berggruen Institute
The Berggruen Prize Essay Competition aims to foster innovative ideas across cultures by posing significant philosophical questions relevant to contemporary life. It seeks submissions in English and Chinese that reflect novel thinking and compelling arguments.
Publication in Noema Magazine. Each language category will have a prize.
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired)
Literary and Photographic Contest 2023-2024
Hispanic Culture Review
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Poetry
The contest invites submissions under the theme '¡Hacia adelante!' focusing on resilience and cultural celebration. Categories include photography, poetry, and narrative/essay/academic investigation. Winning works will be published and recognized.
Certificate of recognition and Publication in magazine
📅 Deadline: February 21, 2024 (Expired)
Indignor Play House Annual Short Story Competition
Indignor House Publishing
Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult
Indignor House Publishing is proud to announce that our annual writing competition (INDIGNOR PLAYHOUSE Short Story Annual Competition) is officially open with expected publication in the fall of 2024. Up to 25 submissions will be accepted for inclusion in the annual anthology.
2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150
Great American Think-Off
New York Mills Regional Cultural Center
The Great American Think-Off is an annual philosophical essay contest that invites participants to submit essays on significant questions of life. The contest culminates in a live debate where finalists present their arguments, and the audience votes on the best perspective.
Four cash prizes of $500 each for finalists.
Solar Flare
Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story
A solar flare is short-lived but has a huge amount of energy. Sunspot Lit is looking for a noteworthy flare of creative energy through short stories, poems, or graphic novels.
African Diaspora Awards 2024
The African Diaspora Awards invite submissions of original, unpublished works in various genres. Winners will receive cash prizes and publication opportunities. The contest emphasizes themes related to African cultures.
2nd place: $300 3rd place: $200 4th place: $50 Top 6 Finalists: $25 Amazon gift card. Winner also receives publication in the 2025 anthology, 'Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora', and Kinsman Quarterly's digital magazine.
The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction
Lascuax Review
Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, or discovered. Pieces may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review.
International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition
Vine Leaves Press
Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel
The competition is designed to give marginalized voices the opportunity to establish literary legacies. The next competition opens in February 2025.
Publication of the winning manuscript in 2026. Runners up will also be considered for publication.
📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired)
Short Story Award for New Writers
Masters Review
This bi-annual contest recognizes emerging writers with submissions of previously unpublished fiction or nonfiction up to 6,000 words. Judged by Colin Barrett, it awards $3,000 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third, along with agency reviews for finalists.
Second place: $300 Third place: $200 Agency review for all finalists
📅 Deadline: August 25, 2024 (Expired)
Journalism Competition 2024
Write the World
The Journalism Competition 2024 invites teenagers aged 13-19 to showcase their writing skills. Participants can explore various topics and submit their entries for a chance to win cash prizes and recognition from esteemed judges.
Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Recognition from notable judges and publication opportunities.
Narratively 2023 Memoir Prize
Narratively
Genres: Essay, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction
Narratively is currently accepting submissions for their 2023 Memoir Prize. They are looking for revealing and emotional first-person nonfiction narratives from unique and overlooked points of view. The guest judge is New York Times bestselling memoirist Stephanie Land.
$1,000 and publication
📅 Deadline: November 30, 2023 (Expired)
World Historian Student Essay Competition
World History Association
The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again.
📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)
Environmental Writing Competition
Write the World in partnership with Patagonia
This contest invites teenagers to express their thoughts on the climate crisis and how collective action can address environmental challenges. The competition emphasizes the importance of youth voices in the fight against climate change.
Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Publication of winning pieces on Patagonia's platforms. Opportunities for mentorship and publication for runners-up.
📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024 (Expired)
Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.
Why you should submit to writing contests
Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!
That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests.
But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.
When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.
Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!
For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course : How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.
In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.
The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.
In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.
Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?
The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.
Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.
Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024
Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether.
Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.
Free online courses
On Writing:
- "How to Craft a Killer Short Story" ( Click here )
- "The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction" ( Click here )
- "How to Write a Novel" ( Click here )
- "Understanding Point of View" ( Click here )
- "Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love" ( Click here )
- "Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character" ( Click here )
- "Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine" ( Click here )
On Editing:
- "Story Editing for Authors" ( Click here )
- "How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro" ( Click here )
- "Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites" ( Click here )
- "How to Write a Novel: Steps From a Bestselling Writer" ( Click here )
- "How to Write a Short Story in 9 Simple Steps" ( Click here )
- "100 Literary Devices With Examples: The Ultimate List" ( Click here )
- "20 Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft" ( Click here )
- "How to Write Fabulous Dialogue [9 Tips + Examples]" ( Click here )
- "8 Character Development Exercises to Write 3D Characters" ( Click here )
Bonus resources
- 200+ Short Story Ideas ( Click here )
- 600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You ( Click here )
- 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors ( Click here )
- Story Title Generator ( Click here )
- Pen Name Generator ( Click here )
- Character Name Generator ( Click here )
After you submit to a writing competition in 2024
It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners.
Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:
Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.
If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.
After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.
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