Contests

Writing contests are where a finished manuscript meets a deadline and a panel of judges. The listings here run from the Bridport Prize to the CBC Short Story Prize, covering novels, short stories, poetry and children's writing, with entries open to writers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. People arrive at this category holding a draft they believe is ready, looking for the right competition to send it to.

The tags split the field along two axes. One is form: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry, Children's. The other is money and geography: Free against Paid, and United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada as separate branches. A novelist weighing the Miles Franklin Award is not the same entrant as a poet entering the Clevedon Poetry Award, and neither is served by a list that mixes them. Choose the form first, because a short story competition and a novel prize ask for different manuscripts and different lengths. Then choose the branch that matches where you live or where you can submit. The Free tag matters most to writers sending work out for the first time, since it removes the cost of trying. The Paid tag gathers contests that charge an entry fee, which is common for prizes with a cash award attached. Country tags keep you inside the rules: the CBC Short Story Prize and the Canada branch belong together, as do the Bridport Prize and the United Kingdom, the Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize and Australia. Crime writers have their own path through the CWA Debut Dagger and the First Crime Novel Award.