Seven Writers' Contests to Enter in Summer and Fall 2025
/As a complement to my post on 24 Independent and University Press Contests for Fiction Writers That Offer Book Publication as the Prize, here are seven more writing contests to consider entering this summer and fall. Since not all of the sponsoring publications/organizations are based here in the U.S., I’ve included some from across the pond. The majority of these contests—for writers of adult, YA, and/or children’s books—are aimed at emerging writers.
Just note that a few contests offer what appears to be a lucrative cash prize, so please do your due diligence by reading the fine print. (I’m not affiliated with any of these contests—I simply came across them while reading book industry news.) Also be sure to consult Writers Beware, which explains how to assess contests and awards. And follow the guidelines carefully: Some of the contests stipulate that submissions must be the author’s original work and therefore cannot involve the use of generative AI.
Don’t forget that the submissions window for Regal House’s Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction is closing on July 15. Submissions deadlines for several university press contests (including at the University of New Orleans and the University of Iowa) are in August and September, as also indicated in my post noted above.
If you decide to enter any of these or other writing contests, best of luck!
FSG (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) Writer’s Fellowship
Description: “First launched in 2021, the FSG Writer’s Fellowship is an annual program designed to give an emerging writer from an underrepresented community additional resources to build a life around writing—including $15,000 in funding, editorial guidance, and support from the FSG community.”
Eligibility & guidelines: “The applicant must not have published a book-length work in any genre, have a book under contract, or be negotiating a contract either in the United States or abroad by the time the fellowship begins. Having published short poetry chapbooks will not exclude an applicant from eligibility. Applicants must submit in only one category (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry [aimed at an adult audience]). The applicant must be a U.S. Permanent Resident (green card) or U.S. Citizen.”
Submissions window: Closes July 18, 2025
The Black List’s Unpublished Novel Award
Description: “The Unpublished Novel Award celebrates stellar unpublished manuscripts in seven genres: Children's & Young Adult, Crime & Mystery, Horror, Literary Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Thriller & Suspense. A panel of esteemed judges with backgrounds in book publishing, film, and television will select one exceptional manuscript in each genre to receive a $10,000 grant to support its journey to publication.”
Eligibility & guidelines: “You must post an original, unpublished manuscript on www.blcklst.com, with at least one (1) evaluation, and opt-in to the Program during the Submission Period… Your manuscript may not be under contract… Self-published novels with an ISBN number, regardless of evaluation status, will not be considered.”
Submissions window: Closes July 21, 2025
The Novelry’s The Next Big Story
Description: “Have you got an idea for a big story? Bring your wildest dreams to life: enter our prize competition to find the next big story. What do you need? Just 3 pages of pure imagination…. Eight shortlisted entries, chosen by our judges [including actresses Emma Roberts and Zosia Mamet] will win The Finished Novel Course from The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school. Together, we’ll help you turn your winning idea into a publishing-ready book. One winner will take home $100,000.”
Eligibility & guidelines: “You may not be represented by a literary agent. Entry cannot have been self-published or previously published anywhere.” All genres (children’s and adult books) accepted.
Submissions window: May 1-July 31, 2025
She Writers Press Toward Equality in Publishing (STEP) Contest
Description: “Each year, we run our…(STEP) contest to offer two women authors publishing packages (plus a 500-book print run)…. The purpose of this contest is to support inclusivity across our own lists, and to fortify our own mission to give voice to women writers. Both packages include the full services of the She Writes Press Publishing Package (each valued at $15,000).”
Eligibility & guidelines: “Women only (a writer identifying as female/woman, trans, non-binary, or genderqueer). Women of color (by which we mean people whose heritage is African; Indigenous to the Americas and Australia; Latinx; Asian/Pacific Islander; Arab; or people of mixed racial heritage…). Agented or unagented work qualifies.” Both fiction and nonfiction projects are accepted.
Submissions window: June 15-August 31, 2025
Mslexia’s Women’s Fiction Competition - Adult Novel
Description: “The winner will receive £5,000 plus manuscript feedback from The Literary Consultancy, and pitch training and personal introductions to editors and agents in partnership with New Writing North. Three finalists will also receive manuscript feedback….” The judges are novelist Bernardine Evaristo, literary agent Olivia Maidment, and writer/editor/arts critic Lucy Popescu.
Eligibility & guidelines: “For novels of at least 50,000 words in any genre for adult, or young adult, readers.” “We accept entries from all women of any age of any nationality from any country.”
“Authors who have had a novel/memoir published in any country by a traditional means… are ineligible to enter. Authors who have self-published their novels are eligible, provided it has not sold more than 500 copies.”
Submissions window: Closes September 22, 2025
Description: “We are an Edinburgh-based, international writing competition for unpublished and self-published novelists, in all genres for adults and YA. Our mission is to discover, encourage and celebrate new writers from all backgrounds and walks of life.” The top prize is £1,500 and an exclusive framed award designed by Edinburgh artist Lucy Roscoe. The highly commended prize is £500. The main judge is literary agent Alice Lutyen, and the associate judge is Rosie Pierce, both at Curtis Brown UK.
Eligibility & guidelines: “Novels can be in any genre for adults or young adults… at least 50,000 words in length.” “The competition is open to writers over the age of eighteen of any nationality and resident in any country…to unpublished or self-published novelists only.”
Submissions window: May 15- October 15, 2025
The Bath Children’s Novel Award
Description: “The Bath Children’s Novel Award is a £5,000 international prize for [emerging authors of] children’s novels, YA, chapter books and picture book texts.”
Eligibility & guidelines: “For the purposes of the competition, emerging authors are defined as: ‘unagented writers who are yet to accept an offer of publication, for a novel or children’s fiction book, which includes an advance (pre-publication) payment from the publisher.’ Entrants may be of any age, nationality or residency. We accept: YA novels; novels for teens; children’s novels; early readers; chapter books and the text of story picture books. Full manuscripts may be of any length. Submissions may be unpublished, self published or published without an advance.”
Submissions window: March 1-November 30, 2025
