There is nothing like a writing contest to either give you confidence to move on with your writing or give you doubts!
A writing contest, done right, will not only give you valuable feedback on what you are working on but will also give you the kind of exposure necessary to get your foot in the door with agents and publishers.
Let’s not forget the benefit of winning cash prizes as well 😉
Here is a list of just some of the writing contests offered this year.
Take a moment and browse through the list to see if there is anything that calls out to you.
Click on each name to learn about their contests fees, guidelines and prizes.
Warning:
- Some of these contests are Romance only while others are open to all genres of fiction.
- There are also contests that are only open to those who become members of that organization.
- Some have fees and some don’t
2015 Fiction & Romance Writing Contests
February Deadlines
2015 California Hooker Contest
2015 SLS-Disquiet Literary Contest
Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest
Creative Writer’s Notebook 2015 Short Story Contest
Tethered by Letters’ Winter Literary Contests
The Carolyn Readers Choice Awards
March Deadlines
Narrative Magazine Winter 2015 Story Contest
The 2015 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense for Unpublished Writers
Willow Springs Fiction Contest
April Deadlines
Maggie Awards for Unpublished Romance Novelists
August Deadlines
Romantic Poetry Writing Contest
September Deadlines
If you didn’t see anything that tickled your fancy check out these great websites for more in-depth lists:
- Christopher Fielden Short Story Competitions
- Freelance Writing Fiction Contests
- Poets and Writers Contests,Grants and Awards
- Stephie Smith Current Contests
- Writers-Editors Writing Contests
- Writer’s Relief List of Writing Contests
Are you new to the world of online writing contests?
Please take a moment to read SFWA’s Writer’s Beware webpage of helpful advice and links about writing contest scams.
SFWA Writer’s Beware Contests and Award Scams
Wednesday @ 9 am “51 Romance Books I Can’t Wait to Read in 2015”
Friday @ 9 am “A List of Upcoming Books, Movies and Project for Plus Size Women”
- Have you ventured into the ever exciting and somewhat stressful world of Writing Contests?
- If so did you have a positive or negative experience?
- Are there any contests that you feel I should include here on this list?
Darla G. Denton 
Reblogged this on My Passion's Pen.
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Darla, could you please add our chapter’s contest to your list? Central Ohio Fiction Writer’s, a chapter of RWA.
***Permission to Forward is Granted and Encouraged***
Contest Name: Ignite the Flame Contest
Sponsor: Central Ohio Fiction Writers chapter of RWA
Fee: $20 for COFW members. $25 for non-members. ELECTRONIC PAYMENT ONLY.
Deadline: COFW will begin accepting entries on June 1, 2016. All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on June 30, 2016.
Eligibility: Entry must be an unpublished completed manuscript in book-length fiction (minimum of 40,000 words).
Contest Description: Our contest is named Ignite the Flame for a reason. We want to lose ourselves in the one scene of your unpublished manuscript when your hero and heroine first meet (or reunite after a period of time) and experience that first spark of attraction, that irresistible heat drawing them together. So kindle that fire—show us your first meeting, the surprise reunion, an awkward introduction or the unforgettable moment of initial awareness. Thrill us with the promise of what is to come. We want to be there when they experience the first stirrings of attraction for one another. Tease us with a little flicker that is destined to become an inferno.
The Ignite, the Flame Contest, is designed to help you polish that critical first meet scene so that it crackles with romantic energy! ***Note: This is not a first kiss or first sex scene contest***
Entry: On-line entries only. Submit up to15 pages (15 page maximum), double-spaced, with manuscript’s title, genre and page number in the upper left-hand header. If your Igniting the Flame scene is not in the first chapter of your manuscript, please include a set-up for the judge. Set-up and entry are to be submitted as one file. The set-up will not be critiqued or affect your submission score.
Categories: Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal/Fantasy/Futuristic/Time Travel, Young Adult/New Adult, Erotic and Romantic Suspense.
Judges: First round judges will be published authors.
Finalist Judges: TBD (Editors/Agents)
Grand Prize: Full manuscript critique and evaluation from award-winning romance author and instructor Leigh Michaels, a prize valued at $295. The Grand Prize will be awarded to the entry with the highest numerical score (combined from all three judges) in the first round. In the event of a tie, the Grand Prize will be awarded to the entry with the highest score in the “Ignite the Flame” section of the scoresheet. If there is still a tie, the Grand Prize will be awarded to the entry with the highest score in the “First Impressions” section of the scoresheet.
First, Second and Third Place Category Finalists: First, Second and Third place winners in each category will be decided by the scores given by the judges in the first round and each winner will receive a certificate. Their entries will be sent to the agent/editor assigned to that category for review. Hopefully, these finalists will receive a request for a submission.
For more information, please visit: http://www.cofwevents.org Click on Navigation and select Ignite the Flame Contest. Questions: Send entries to ignitetheflamecontest@gmail.com. Send questions to Ignite the Flame Contest Coordinator, Nancy White, nancywhite0529@gmail.com.
Special Announcement: As a result of last year’s Ignite the Flame Contest, Nicole D’Arienzo, Managing Editor, The Wild Rose Press, offered Cindy James, our 2015 Ignite the Flame Contest first place winner in the Historical Category, a contract. Her book, Their Highland Trust, is scheduled for publication in June 2016. Congratulations Cindy!
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I’ll do you one better and post it on my social media accounts as soon as I get home 🙂 Thanks for making us aware of it!
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