Writing Competitions in April 2023 – No Entry Fees

As the world moves into a new month, there’s never been a better time to embrace your inner wordsmith and take part in some exciting writing competitions. Whether you’re a fan of poetry, prose, or something in between, there are plenty of opportunities to flex your creative muscles and showcase your talents. From cash prizes to publication opportunities, here are some of the most promising writing competitions that are currently accepting submissions this April.

Kindly bookmark this page and visit it often to check for updates.

 

 

Gwenn A. Nusbaum / WWBA “Poets To Come” Award

This is an award open to poets at the beginning of their careers, ages 25-35 years. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $1500 scholarship

Deadline: April 3, 2023.

 

 

Spectator Contest No. 3294

This contest seeks entries of the first 16 lines of an ode to a turnip or another similarly unglamorous vegetable. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: £30

Deadline: April 5, 2023.

 

 

Invisible City Blurred Genres Contest

This contest seeks fiction/nonfiction, prose poetry entries, or a unique combination of the three, on the ‘Levity’ theme, of up to 750 words. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $1^st: 750 | 2^nd: $350 | 3^rd: $150

Deadline: 7 April 2023.

 

 

Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media

This is a nonfiction prize that recognizes a select group of media professionals, including journalists, writers, and others who create exemplary work that contributes to a deeper understanding of and greater public awareness about mental health issues.

Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $3000

Deadline: April 15, 2023.

 

 

Dancing Poetry Festival

The aim of this poetry prize “is to honor the ambassadorship of excellent artists and their work that furthers intercultural understanding and peace through the universal language of the arts.”

Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $100

Deadline: April 15, 2023.

 

 

The F. Sean Hodge Prize for Poetry in Medicine

This is a poetry prize for current medical students, residents, or fellows or physicians who have completed post-graduate training. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $250

Deadline: April 15, 2023.

 

 

Green Stories Project Superhero Writing Competitions

They want “an uplifting short story of superheroes that respond to climate change.” Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: £500

Deadline: 15 April 2023.

 

 

If There’s Anyone Left Micro Fiction Contest

They want stories, of up to 500 words – science fiction or speculative fiction from marginalized writers. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: 1^st: $250 | 2^nd: $100 | 3^rd: $50

Deadline: 15 April 2023.

 

 

53-Word Story Writing Competitions

They’re seeking flash fiction of exactly 53 words about a date. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: Publication and a free book.

Deadline: April 15, 2023.

 

 

Margaret Gibson Poet Laureate Poetry Award

This award is for a poem on nature in a time of global climate crisis. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: 1^st: $300 | 2^nd: $200 | 3^rd: $100

Deadline: April 15, 2023.

 

 

Brilliant Flash Fiction Writing Competitions

They want a piece of flash fiction on any theme of up to 400 words. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: 1^st: $200 | 2^nd: $100 | 3^rd: $50 | Published shortlisted entries: $20

Deadline: 15 April 2023.

 

 

Bacopa Literary Review

This magazine is open for entries on fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. They also have formal poetry, free verse poetry, and visual poetry prizes. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prizes: 1^st: $200 | Runner-Up: $100 in each genre.

Deadline: April 16, 2023.

 

 

Write the World Writing Competitions

They’re accepting poetry entries from young writers ages 13-19.5, on the theme, “Particles of Life.” Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: 1^st: $100 | Runner up: $50.

Deadline: April 18, 2023.

 

 

Casa Africa Micro-Story Contest

They want micro-stories that are related to Africa in some way. Stories can be in Spanish, English, French or Portuguese, with a maximum length of 1500 characters. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: 1^st: €750 | 2^nd: €375 | 3^rd: €225

Deadline: 21 April 2023.

 

 

The Sophie Coe Prize

This prize is for an informative article or essay on any aspect of food history relating to any period, place, people or culture. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: £1,500

Deadline: April 28, 2023.

 

 

Under the Madness Teen Poetry Contest

This poetry contest is open to “any teen between the ages of 13-19 years old living on Planet Earth.” Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $250

Deadline: April 30, 2023.

 

 

Author of Tomorrow Award

This international short fiction contest is designed to find the adventure writers of the future. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: £1,000 (ages 16-21) | £100 (ages 12-15) | £100 (under-11)

Deadline: 30 April 2023.

 

 

The Baen Fantasy Adventure Award

They’re seeking stories in all fantasy genres. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $0.08/word

Deadline: 30 April 2023.

 

 

Terrain Editor’s Prize

This magazine focuses on place, climate, and justice. They publish nonfiction, fiction, and poetry by all writers. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $500 each.

Deadline: 30 April 2023.

 

 

Preservation Foundation Contest: Non-fictional Animal Stories

This is an international contest for unpublished writers. “Stories should be factual and true accounts of an encounter or encounters by the author with a wild animal or animals…” Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: 1^st: $200 | 2^nd: $100

Deadline: 30 April 2023

 

 

Waterston Desert Writing Prize

This prize is for a proposed book of literary non-fiction that illustrates artistic excellence, sensitivity to place, and desert literacy – with the desert both as subject and setting. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $3,000, and residency.

Deadline: 1 May 2023.

 

 

Queer Sci Fi

They’re seeking science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, or horror LGBTQIA stories of up to 300 words on the theme of Rise. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: 1^st: $100 | 2^nd: $75 | 3^rd: $50

Deadline: 1 May 2023.

 

 

Parsec Ink Short Story Writing Competitions

They want short speculative fiction of up to 3,500 words on the theme Preserve or Purge. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: 1^st: $200 | 2^nd: $100 | 3^rd: $50

Deadline: 1 May 2023.

 

 

The Sunlight Press Flash Fiction Writing Competitions

They’re seeking a piece of flash fiction, of 1,000 words or fewer. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $750

Deadline: 1 May 2023, or until filled.

 

 

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