Writers’ HQ
Writers’ HQ’s remit is to stop *insert expletive here* about & start writing. As part of their mission, they challenge writers on their network to get their work out into the world as part of their #Submit2020 campaign. This means challenging writers to submit their work more this year than they did last year. And because we’re all-natural procrastinators, Writers’ HQ has a list of writing competitions to submit to for each month of this year.
Location: Global
Publishes: Writing competitions with fees below £20
Exposure: 27,000 on Facebook
Cost: Free
Almond Press
Almond Press publishes an impressive writing competition calendar which is updated on a regular basis. Here you will mostly find competitions for short stories, but don’t let that deter you, they also feature opportunities for poetry, flash fiction, essays, and full manuscripts.
Location: Global
Publishes: Mostly Short Story Competitions
Exposure: 34,000 on Twitter
Cost: Free (donations appreciated!)
How: Fill out this form
BBC Writers Room
No one needs an introduction to the BBC. However, you might not know that tucked under this behemoth, lies a secret room that celebrates script writing opportunities.
Location: Global
Publishes: Scriptwriting competitions without fees only
Exposure: It’s the BBC
Cost: Free
How: Fill out this form
Winning Writers
You won’t see a contest on Winning Writers until you give your contact details (for free). Upon providing your email, you’ll unlock access to hundreds of competitions that you can filter through at your heart’s desire. This is by far the most thorough listings site in this article, with a dedicated page full of information for each competition.
Location: Global
Publishes: Curated Writing Competitions
Exposure: One of the Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers
Cost: Free (we think!)
How: Fill out this form
Neon Books
Neon Books publishes a Big List of UK Writing Competitions including the biggest literary prizes in the UK. Being included won’t cost you a dime (although donations are always appreciated), but be sure to abide by the listing criteria – your competition must run at least every year and must have a prize that justifies the entry fee.
Location: United Kingdom
Publishes: Annual Competitions with justifiable fees
Exposure: High in Google listings
Cost: Free
How: Post a comment on this page / Contact Neon Books here
A Dreaming Skin
Running a poetry competition, or is poetry part of your competition?
The Dreaming Skin (a.k.a Angela t. Carr) publishes a comprehensive list of open calls every month.
Location: Global
Publishes: Any Writing Competition
Exposure: 250,000 page views (to date)
Cost: Free (donations towards pizza welcomed)
How: Tweet Angela
The Writer Mag
The Writer encourages their readers to put their stories in front of the eyes of as many people as possible. To help them out, they publish a list of contests in order of deadline. A good way of putting fire in the bellies of their readers and submitters.
Location: Global
Publishes: Any Writing Competition
Exposure: 34,000 on Facebook
Cost: Free
How: Fill out this form
The Asian Writer
The Asian Writer is a place dedicated to raising the profile of South Asian writers. An ideal place to put your competition if you’re looking to celebrate the diversity of writers across the UK.
Location: UK Based (Global Outreach)
Publishes: Any Writing Competition
Exposure: Targetted to Asian Writers
Cost: Free
How: Tweet them
The Write Life
Is your writing contest free? The Write Life features reputable competitions that don’t require any fees to submit. There is no guarantee you’ll be listed but with a focus on reputable free competitions, this is the place to be.
Location: Mostly UK
Publishes: Writing Competitions without fees
Exposure: 31,000 on Twitter
Cost: Free
How: Let Farrah (the author) know
Reedsy
Reedsy compiles an annual list of “The Best Writing Contests”. The page is beautifully crafted with the ability to filter by category and date. It’s also worth noting the list is manageable, making sure people see your competition.
Location: Global
Publishes: Any Writing Competition
Exposure: Unknown
Cost: Free
How: Fill this form
Zealous
If you’re looking to simplify submissions and judging AND get exposure to our network. Look no further. Zealous will save you hours of work, and give you that additional boost to your marketing.
Location: Mostly UK
Publishes: Writing Competitions
Exposure: 3,000 writers and growing fast
Cost: Freemium (exposure to the network is free)
How: Create an account | Try a demo
Inkitt
Inkitt isn’t just a publisher, they also host a comprehensive and regularly updated list of writing contests. The page is clean and uncluttered, making the information easy to digest for potential entrants.
Location: Global
Publishes: Any Writing Competition
Exposure: Main site links highly in Google
Cost: Free (we think!)
How: Fill out this form
WordFactory.tv
Each month the lovely people at WordFactory.tv publish an article for their community including upcoming deadlines for writing opportunities.
Location: Mostly UK
Publishes: Any Writing Opportunity
Exposure: 14,000 on Twitter
Cost: Free
How: Contact Dylan
Writers Reign
Writers Reign was born out of a labour of love to provide resources to help aspiring writers to get on with it. Don’t be fooled by the simple design of the site, the information is regularly updated and rated highly. Here you will find individual pages for competitions covering short stories, poetry, young writers, book writing, non-fiction, playwriting, and rolling competitions.
Location: Global
Publishes: Mostly Short Story Competitions
Exposure: 1,700 backlinks
Cost: Free
How: Email Mervyn (the editor)
Jerry Jenkins
As well as being a published author, Jerry publishes the “Ultimate List to Free Writing Contests”. As you’ve guessed from the title, only free contests are published on his page.
Location: Global
Publishes: Writing Competitions without Fees
Exposure: Page shared on Facebook 1,000 times
Cost: Free
How: Tweet Jerry
Prize Magic
The Prize Magic website feels like a step back to the 90s. Bright colours, simple layout, and no-nonsense HTML. The looks are a testament to a website that’s stood the test of time, and since the data is up-to-date. It’s the perfect spot to list.
Location: Global
Publishes: Writing Competitions
Exposure: Unknown (but been around since 2001)
Cost: Free (we think!)
How: Email Michael
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