Awards for Unpublished Manuscripts

Literary contests and prizes for unpublished manuscripts of fiction, non-fiction, essay collections or poetry

3-Day Novel Contest

Can you produce a masterwork of fiction in three short days? The 3-Day Novel Contest is your chance to find out. For 37 years, hundreds of writers have stepped up to the challenge each Labour Day weekend, fuelled by nothing but adrenaline and the desire for spontaneous literary nirvana. The ac...

    Vancouver, BC   CA

Adventure Writer's Competition

The AWC accepts novels exhibiting (in whole) the general action-adventure-themed genre and style. The Adventure Writer's Competition is sponsored by the Clive Cussler Collector's Society, Braveship Books and AJM Books. It is a annual writing competition for published and non published auth...

    Fountain Hills, AZ   US

Bath Novel Award

£2,000 international prize for unpublished or independently published writers of novels for adults or young adults. Judge: Susan Armstrong of Conville & Walsh Literary Agency. £22 entry fee per novel. First 5,000 words plus one page synopsis. ...

    Avon, England   UK

Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry

The Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry is open to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. Translations are not eligible for this prize, nor are previously self-published books. ...

    North Adams, MA   US

Black Voices in Childrens Literature

The Black Voices in Children’s Literature Writing Contest is celebrating its fifth year! The contest is open to Black authors who at the time of entry are at least 18 years of age and residing anywhere in the United States. As always, the contest’s mission is to elevate authentic, culturall...

    Minneapolis, MN   US

CANSCAIP Writing For Children Competition

A goal of the Writing for Children Competition is to discover, encourage, and promote new writers of children's literature across Canada. The Writers Union of Canada initiated the Competition in 1996, and in 2014 CANSCAIP took on this initiative. This contest is open to unpublished write...

    Toronto, ON   CA

City of Fremantle Hungerford Award

The Hungerford Award is open to unpublished full-length works of fiction or narrative non-fiction by Western Australian authors. Those from outside the state are able to submit too, provided their work has a heavy WA focus. ...

    NorthFreemantle, WA   AU

Cloudbank 20 Contest

Send no more than five poems or flash fiction pieces (1000 words or less) in one file. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Let us know if your submission has been accepted elsewhere. The submitted work may not have been published elsewhere, including online journals. All writers who en...

    Corvallis, OR   US

Daisy Utemorrah Award

The Daisy Utemorrah Award is for an unpublished manuscript of junior or YA fiction by a First Nations author. The 2023 Daisy Utemorrah Award is open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people currently living in Australia. The Daisy Utemorrah Award is proudly presented as part of the W...

    Broome, WA   AU

Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense

he Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense is named for Daphne du Maurier, the author of Rebecca, a suspense novel with romantic and gothic overtones and a precursor to today’s romantic suspense. The writing contest is for published and unpublished authors of mystery, suspense, ...

    Houston, TX   Us

Don D. and Catherine S. Fowler Prize

The Don D. and Catherine S. Fowler Prize will be awarded to the best book-length, single-author manuscript in anthropology submitted to the Press. All submitted manuscripts must demonstrate the best substantive research and quality writing. Successful entries will focus on the human experience in th...

    Salt Lake City, UT   US

Dorothy Hewett Award

The Dorothy Hewett Award is open to all writers who have completed a manuscript and are seeking publication. The work must be fiction, narrative nonfiction or poetry, inclusive of hybrid genres such as verse novels or memoir. The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000, courtesy of Copyright Age...

    Perth, WA   AU

Drue Heinz Literature Prize

Drue Heinz Literature Prize for a collection of short fiction. The prize carries a cash award of $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. <p>Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novell...

    Pittsburgh, PA   US

Fresh Ink

Fresh Ink is a novice contest designed for new hobby writers who have not yet been published. The awards are the ideal opportunity to have your word critiqued by a professional. Receive valuable insights, recommendations and connections that will assist you in developing your craft. Winners will hav...

    Brantford, ON   CA

Genesis Contest

The ACFW Genesis Contest is for unpublished Christian fiction writers. With ten categories to enter, Genesis provides the opportunity for unbiased feedback on writers’ work by published authors and experienced judges, and the chance for finalists to have their work read by Christian publishing hou...

    Palm Bay, FL   US

Latino Voices in Children's Literature Writing Contest

The annual Latino Voices in Children’s Literature Writing Contest! The contest is open to Latino authors who are at least 18 years of age or older and residing anywhere in the United States. Sponsored by Free Spirit Publishing and Con Todo Press, the contest’s mission is to elevate authenti...

    Minneapolis, MN   US

Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Boks

Three Winners are announced who have a brief extract published, receive a letter of recommendation from our Judges for publishers, and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are Longlisted. Please submit the first 5000 words of your manuscript, whether it be prose or poetry. O...

    New York, NY   US

Malahat Review Novella Contest

The Malahat Review, Canada's premier literary magazine, invites entries from Canada, the United States, and elsewhere for the Novella Prize. One prize of $1,500 CAD is awarded. Previous winning entries have also won or been nominated for National Magazine Awards for Fiction and the O. Henry Pri...

    Victoria, BC   CA

McKitterick Prize

Tom McKitterick, the former editor of Political Quarterly and author of an unpublished novel, endowed the McKitterick Prize which was first awarded in 1990. It is also generously supported by Hawthornden Literary Retreat. It is given annually to an author over the age of 40 for a first novel, publis...

    London, England   UK

Miller Williams Poetry Prize

A prize of $5,000 and publication by University of Arkansas Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 60 to 90 pages with a $28 entry fee by September 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines. ...

    Fayetteville, AR   US

New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing

The New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing is one of Australia's premier short fiction awards for crime writing, with six categories of prizes. Writers must be residents of Australia. Includes major prizes and a youth category for writers under 18yrs....

    Armidale, NSW   AU

North Shore Writers Association Annual Writing Contest

$100, $75, and $50 prizes awarded to Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry entries. One $100 prize for Writing for Children and YA category. Two $75 youth prizes awarded: 11 and under and 12-18 years. ...

    North Vancouver, BC   CA

Nova Writes Competition for Unpublished Manuscripts

The annual Nova Writes Competition for Unpublished Manuscripts honours short-form works by Nova Scotia writers. Entry is open to all Nova Scotia residents who have not published books in their categories of entry, which include poetry, fiction, non-fiction, YA & children’s literature, and writ...

    Halifax, NS   CA

Page Turner Awards

Awards are offered in five categories: Writing Award : for unpublished, completed manuscripts Young Writer Award : for writers aged between 18 and 25 Writing Mentorship Award : for uncompleted manuscripts Screenplay Award : for scriptwriters with a completed screenplay Book Award : for aut...

    Speen, England   UK

Portico Sadie Massey Awards for Young Readers and Writers

Competition 1: Write a short story set in the North of England Write a story set in the North of England: based in your home, community, or somewhere further afield. Where is meaningful to you? Competition 2: Book Review Choose any type of book you want, one you are reading for pleasure or ...

    Manchester, England   UK

Searchlight Awards - Best Children's Picture Book Text

Entries are invited for our children’s picture book competition (text only), up to 500 words. Entrants must be 16 years and over. Stories must be previously unpublished. However, self-published picture books are eligible....

    Bath, England   UK

Tartts First Fiction Award

The Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama is offering a chance for a beginning fiction writer to get their work published. Eligible authors must not have a book of short fiction published yet, though novels are accepted. They will receive $1000, plus a royalty contract, and 60 copies of...

    Livingston, AL   US

The Black Orchid Novella Award

The Black Orchid Novella Award offers a $1,000 prize to the best original, unpublished novella that conforms to the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series. Entries must be 15,000 to 20,000 words in length, and submitted by the deadline. ...

    New York, NY   US

The Killer Nashville Claymore Award

Every year, the Killer Nashville Claymore Award assists new and rebranding English-language fiction authors get published, including possible agent representation, book advances, editor deals, and movie and television sales. ...

    Franklin, TN   US

The Wallace Stegner Prize in Environmental Humanities

The Wallace Stegner Prize will be awarded to the best monograph submitted to the Press in the broad field of environmental humanities. To compete for this award, manuscripts must emphasize interdisciplinary investigations of the natural and human environments and their fundamental interconnectedness...

    Salt Lake City, UT   US

Vallum Chapbook Award

Vallum is accepting original and previously unpublished chapbooks for this contest. Poems may be on any theme or subject, but must be original and not previously published. ...

    Montreal, PQ   CA