Writing Competitions in May 2023 | No Entry Fees

Are you a writer or an aspiring writer seeking to showcase your skills and win cash and publication prizes? Look no further than these writing competitions in May 2023.

Kindly bookmark this page and check back within the month for updates.

 

 

One Story

This magazine is open for literary fiction submissions from 1st May and will be open until they hit a submission cap. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $500

Deadline: Until filled

 

Queer Sci Fi

Queer science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, or horror stories of up to 300 words are being accepted for this contest. The theme is “Rise”. To submit your entry, please read the guidelines found here.

Prizes: 1st – $100 | 2nd – $75 | 3rd – $50

Deadline: May 1, 2023

 

PRISM International

Flash fiction and non-fiction, hybrid forms, and experimental work of up to 300 words are being accepted for this contest. Submissions are open worldwide and free for Black and Indigenous writers. For guidelines and submission details, please click here.

Prizes: 1st – $500 | 2nd – $150 | 3rd – $50

Deadline: May 1, 2023

 

Parsec Ink

New writers are encouraged to submit fiction entries for this contest with the theme of “Preserve or Purge”. Please click here for guidelines and submission details.

Prizes: 1st – $200 | 2nd – $100 | 3rd – $50

Deadline: May 1, 2023

 

On the Premises Mini-Contest

This contest is looking for complete stories between 25 and 50 words, in which the word “unicorn” (singular) is used exactly once. For submission details, please read here.

Prizes: 1st – $35 | 2nd – $25 | 3rd – $15

Deadline: May 5, 2023

 

Preservation Foundation Writing Competitions

Unpublished writers can submit non-fiction animal stories for this international contest. For guidelines and submission details, please read here.

Prizes: 1st – $200 | 2nd – $100

Deadline: May 7, 2023

 

Limp Wrist Glitter Bomb Award

Queer poets can submit one poem for this contest. For guidelines and submission details, please click here.

Prizes: 1st – $600 | Honorable mentions – $50

Deadline: May 11, 2023

 

Showcase

This new Substack-based project is accepting flash (fiction and nonfiction), poetry, and reprints. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $50

Deadline: 12 May 2023

 

Fusion Fragment

They’ll open for science fiction and SF-tinged literary fiction submissions for one day only, on 13th May. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: Up to CAD300

Reading period/Deadline: 13th May 2023

 

Solarpunk

This magazine is open for general, unthemed solar punk stories and poetry during the first two weeks of May. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $0.08/word for fiction | $40 per poem | $75 for essays

Deadline: 14 May 2023 for fiction and poetry; non-fiction is open on an ongoing basis.

 

The Georgia Review

This magazine is accepting literary fiction (including translations), nonfiction, poetry, and reviews. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prizes: $50/printed page for prose | $4/line for poetry | Up to $800 for book reviews published on GR2.

Deadline: 14 May 2023

 

Singapore Unbound Writing Competitions

International poets can submit entries with imaginative ways to use the word “snail”. For guidelines and submission details, please read here.

Prizes: 1st – $300 | 2nd – $200 | 3rd – $100

Deadline: May 15, 2023

 

GreenPrints

They’re seeking true personal gardening stories, of 600-1,500 words. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $150

Deadline: 18 May 2023

 

Livingston Press Changing Light Prize

This new annual prize is for a novel-in-verse of 90-160 pages. For guidelines and submission details, please click here.

Prize: $500 | a standard contract | 20 copies

Deadline: May 25, 2023

 

Time Travel Story Writing Competitions

This is a public voting contest where readers can vote for their favourite stories. The winner will be chosen from the authors of the top 5 most-voted books by the jury. For submission details, please click here.

Prizes: 1st – €2,000 | 1st runner-up – €750 | 2nd runner-up – €250

Deadline: May 25, 2022

 

The Irene Adler Prize

This prize is for women worldwide who are pursuing a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Journalism, Creative Writing, or Literature in the 2023-24 academic year. For guidelines and submission details, please click here.

Prizes: 1st – $1,000 | Runners-up – $250 each

Deadline: May 30, 2023

 

The Hexham Poetry Prize

This poetry prize is open for poets from around the world. Entry is free for participants under age 18, but those over 18 would have to pay entry fees. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<​

Prizes: Over 18’s – First £200, Second £100, Third £50

14-18 years – First £100, Second £50 Third £25

5-14 years – First £50, Second £25, Third £10

Deadline: 31st May 2023.​

 

Older Writers Grant

This grant is for a speculative writer who is 50 years of age or older at the time of grant application and is intended to assist such writers who are just starting to work at a professional level. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: $1,000

Deadline: 31 May 2023

 

The Other Side of Hope

They publish unthemed fiction, poetry, and art from refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prizes: £100 for print | £50 for online contributions | £300 for art | etc…

Deadline: 31 May 2023

 

Gene Murtha Memorial Senryu Writing Competitions

This is a Senryu contest, and writers can also send previously published work, with some exceptions. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prizes: 1^st: $50 |Runners-up: $25 each

Deadline: 31 May 2023 (submission opens on 21 May 2023)

 

The Black Orchid Novella Award

They want novellas that conform to the tradition of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prizes: $1,000 and publication in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine

Deadline: 31 May 2023

 

The Fountain Essay Contest

They want an essay on the topic, “How to focus in an era of distractions”. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prizes: 1^st: $1,000 | 2^nd: $500 | 3^rd: $300 | Runners-up: $150 each

Deadline: 31 May 2023

 

The Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Writing Competitions

This is a globally recognized competition that accepts all themes, although their readers are particularly interested in music, social history, literature, politics, art, and film, particularly that of the counter-culture. For submission guidelines, please click >>here<<

Prizes: 1st: $100 | 2nd: $50 | 3rd: $25

Deadline: 31 May 2023

 

CNO Naval History Essay Contest Writing Competitions

This is an international contest for essays that apply lessons from throughout naval history to solving today’s Navy challenges. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prizes: 1^st: $5,000 | 2^nd: $2,500

Deadline: 31 May 2023

 

The Forum Essay Prize

This is an essay prize from Oxford Academic / Oxford University Press open to all researchers, on the Courageous Arts theme. Read the details and guidelines for submission >>here<<

Prize: £500

Deadline: 1 June 2023

 

 

Don’t miss your chance to showcase your writing skills and win exciting prizes. If you loved this list of writing competitions, kindly share it with others that would love to see it! Thanks for reading…