October has rolled in, and it is the perfect time to polish your drafts and send them out into the world. From poetry and short story contests to fellowships, grants, and a few calls that defy easy labels, there’s plenty here to explore. The free-entry writing competitions and opportunities on this list are sorted into categories: open calls, region-specific submissions, fellowships, and more, so you can easily spot what fits.
Bookmark this page and check back as the month goes on; new opportunities will be added along the way as the calls are posted.
Put your work out there. You never know who’s waiting to read it.
Call for Submissions By Categories
OPEN TO ALL WRITERS (WORLDWIDE)
These are poetry, prose, playwriting, and other opportunities for writers without restrictions based on location, demographics, or other criteria.
Tales from the Moonlit Path is accepting horror and dark fiction stories for its Halloween Challenge 2025: Tropes Edition (up to 2,000 words) with a $50 grand prize and publication in the Halloween issue (deadline: October 13, 2025).
Solarpunk Magazine is accepting fiction (1,500–7,500 words), poetry (up to 5 pages), nonfiction (1,000–2,000 words), and solarpunk-themed art, paying $0.08/word for fiction, $40 per poem, $75 per essay, and up to $200 for art (deadline: October 14, 2025).
Tractor Beam is seeking soilpunk-themed speculative fiction (under 6,000 words) and graphic novellas (12–16 panels), paying $1,000 per accepted piece (deadline: October 15, 2025).
Consequence Forum is accepting poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translations, reviews, and visual art addressing the consequences of war or geopolitical violence, paying $20–$150 per piece (deadline: October 15, 2025; translations open year-round).
Shady Grove Literary is accepting flash fiction (≤300 words, any genre) for its annual competition (deadline: October 31, 2025).
Brick, a literary journal, is accepting polished literary non-fiction submissions, including essays, memoirs, reviews, interviews, and translations, from writers worldwide, paying $65–$720 per piece (deadline: October 31, 2025).
GRANT WRITING OPPORTUNITIES, AWARDS, PRIZES AND CREATIVE WRITING FELLOWSHIPS & WORKSHOPS
The American Antiquarian Society is offering four-week residential fellowships for creative and performing artists and writers working on imaginative projects related to pre-20th-century American history (stipend: $2,200; deadline: October 5, 2025).
The Writers’ Trust of Canada is offering the DC Reid Poets’ Grant: $5,000 grants for Canadian poets of modest means actively working on a poetry project (deadline: October 6, 2025).
The Neal Peirce Foundation is offering U.S.-based journalism travel grants of up to $1,500 for stories on city solutions (deadline: October 7, 2025).
One Story is accepting applications for the 2026 Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship for early-career fiction writers from marginalized backgrounds; the fellowship includes a $2,000 stipend, mentorship, and writing program access (deadline: October 8, 2025).
Zócalo Public Square is accepting submissions for its 2026 Book Prize, awarding $10,000 to a U.S.-published nonfiction book that explores themes of community and social cohesion (deadline: October 10, 2025).
The John Lewis Writing Grants are awarding fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and playwriting grants to Black writers in Georgia (deadline: October 10, 2025).
The Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship awards approximately $76,000 to a U.S.-born poet for a year of travel and writing outside North America (deadline: October 15, 2025).
The Charles Potts Poetry Award is open to all writers for first-book poetry submissions of 85+ pages, offering a $1,000 prize and publication by Hand to Mouth Books (deadline: October 15, 2025).
The Poetic Justice Institute is accepting submissions from BIPOC writers for the 2025–2026 PJI Prize and Editor’s Prize for full-length poetry manuscripts, awarding $1,000 and publication with Fordham University Press (deadline: October 15, 2025).
The John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize 2026 awards €10,000 for an outstanding debut poetry collection in English published between October 1, 2024, and October 20, 2025 (deadline: October 20, 2025).
The International Booker Prize 2026 awards the best translated work of long-form fiction or short stories published in the UK or Ireland between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026; submissions (by publishers only) close July 24, 2025, September 25, 2025, and October 23, 2025, depending on publication date (check website to confirm).
Women’s Prize for Fiction is accepting submissions of full-length novels in English by women, published in the UK; the winner receives £30,000 and the “Bessie” statuette (deadlines: October 31, 2025 & November 28, 2025, check for publication window).
The Society of Authors is accepting submissions for The Queen’s Knickers Award, which honors an outstanding original illustrated children’s book for ages 0–7; the winner receives £5,000 and a golden badge, while the runner-up gets £1,000 (deadline: October 31, 2025).
The Society of Authors is accepting submissions for the ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award, open to short stories of up to 5,000 words, with prizes of £2,000 for the winner, £1,000 for the runner-up, and £500 for shortlisted authors (deadline: October 31, 2025).
The Society of Authors is accepting submissions for the Betty Trask Prize, awarding £10,000 for the best first novel in a traditional or romantic style by authors under 35 (deadline: October 31, 2025).
The Society of Authors is accepting submissions for the McKitterick Prize, awarded to authors over 40 for a first novel (published or unpublished), offering £4,000 to the winner, £2,000 to the runner-up, and £1,000 to shortlisted authors (deadline: October 31, 2025).
The Society of Authors is accepting submissions for the Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize, awarded to a UK or Irish writer (or resident) for a novel about travel away from home, offering £2,000 to the winner and £750 to the runner-up (deadline: October 31, 2025).
WITH RESTRICTIONS
Opportunities for writers from specific regions, demographics, or calls with themes.
The NC State Fiction Contest is accepting unpublished short stories (5,000 words max for a $500 prize; 1,200 words max for a $250 prize) from North Carolina residents and students enrolled in NC universities (deadline: October 10, 2025).
Short Edition, in partnership with Principal Foundation and The Center for Fiction, is accepting U.S.-based short fiction and creative nonfiction entries about money for the 3rd edition of Money Chronicles (deadline: October 12, 2025; winner gets $1,000, finalists get $150).
The Latino Voices in Children’s Literature Writing Contest by Con Todo Press and Free Spirit Publishing invites unpublished Latino writers in the U.S. (ages 18+) to submit original children’s book manuscripts (ages 0–8) for a chance to win up to $1,000 and possible publication consideration (deadline: October 13, 2025).
MiNDFOOD magazine is accepting unpublished short stories (around 2000 words) from non-professional writers in Australia and New Zealand, with monthly publication opportunities and an annual prize of AU$1000 (Australia) or NZ$1000 (New Zealand) for the best story (deadline: October 17, 2025).
Flame Tree Fiction’s anthology No Laughing Matter seeks 3,000–4,000-word horror/thriller short stories with bleak/black humour; pays SFWA pro rates (8¢/word or 6p/word) (deadline: October 19, 2025).
Live Theatre is accepting full-length original plays or detailed treatments for the North East Playwriting Award, open to writers aged 16+ from, living, or working in North East England, with the winner receiving a full commission and potential production (deadline: October 31, 2025).
The African Human Rights Spoken Word Contest 3.0 by the International Human Rights Art Movement invites poets and spoken word artists to submit a 1-minute original video poem addressing human rights issues in Africa, with cash prizes of $100, $75, and $50 (deadline: October 31, 2025).
The Drinking Gourd Chapbook Poetry Prize, hosted by Northwestern University Press, invites submissions of first-book poetry manuscripts from poets of color with U.S. citizenship; the winner receives $500, publication, and 15 author copies (deadline: October 31, 2025).
Hollins University is accepting poetry submissions from high school sophomore and junior girls for the 62nd Annual Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest, offering a $350 cash prize, publication in Cargoes, and scholarships worth up to $20,000 (deadline: October 31, 2025).
U.S. Naval Institute – 2025 General Prize Essay Contest is accepting original essays up to 3,000 words (any topic relevant to the Sea Services) with prizes of $6,000 (first), $3,000 (second), and $2,000 (third) (deadline: October 31, 2025).
The Solstice Nature Prize 2025 by Writing East Midlands invites young writers aged 7–25 to submit nature-themed poems, short stories, or blogs (deadline: October 31, 2025).
The Society of Authors is accepting submissions for the Somerset Maugham Awards, which recognize published works of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry by British writers under 30; the award funds travel abroad to enrich their writing (deadline: October 31, 2025).
AfriCANthology Canada is accepting short fiction (2,500–4,000 words) from Black Canadian writers for AfriCANthology II: Strange Truth of Black Canadian Fiction, offering an honorarium of $200 CAD per contributor (deadline: October 31, 2025).
WRITING OPPORTUNITIES WITH NOVEMBER 2025 DEADLINES
African Poetry Book Fund’s Evaristo Prize for African Poetry is accepting a portfolio of 10 poems in English (or translations) by an African poet for USD $1,500 (deadline: November 1, 2025).
Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2026 (Commonwealth Foundation) is accepting unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words) from Commonwealth citizens aged 18+; free entry; prizes: £5,000 overall winner and £2,500 for each regional winner; deadline: 1 November 2025
Mikrokosmos Journal is seeking fiction (under 6,000 words or up to three flash pieces) and poetry (up to 4 poems or 8 pages) from Wichita State University alumni, students, teachers, and staff, with prizes of $200, $100, and $50 (deadline: November 1, 2025).
Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize (Cave Canem x O, Miami) is seeking unpublished chapbook-length poetry manuscripts (25–30 pages) by Black poets; winner gets $1,000, publication with O, Miami Books (10 copies), a residency at The Writer’s Room at The Betsy–South Beach, and a featured reading at the O, Miami Festival (deadline: November 3, 2025).
ROLLING SUBMISSIONS
Black Lawrence Press — Immigrant Writing Series is accepting full-length manuscripts of poetry (45+ pages), prose (fiction/nonfiction), or hybrid texts from immigrant writers living in the U.S.; prize includes publication with Black Lawrence Press, standard royalties, marketing support, and a $500 travel stipend; deadline: rolling via Submittable (selections in June & November).
Bonus: Check out our full list of writing opportunities with rolling submissions here.
FAQs
What are the best free writing contests for beginners?
Several contests in this list have no entry fees, and they are run by prestigious organizations.
P.S.: If you’ve ever won a writing contest/gotten published/any other opportunity via these free-entry writing competitions and opportunities shared on D’LitReview, please let me know!
P.P.S.: If you liked this list, kindly share it with others who would love to see it too. Thanks for reading!
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