Writing Contests Closing in August 2026
Writing Contests with application deadlines in August 2026, sorted by what closes soonest. Deadlines, awards, and entry fees shown on every listing — closed listings drop off automatically.
50 open right now
Cash prizes stated on the listing — no pay-to-enter-win-nothing contestsDeadlines tracked daily; closed contests drop off automaticallyPoetry, fiction, flash, CNF, and essay prizes
Closing soonest
- Contest · WritingWrite a Story About Life on Earth when the Moon Was FormingDeadline August 27, 2026
- Contest · WritingCoppercoat Brian Black Memorial AwardDeadline August 29, 2026£3,000
- Contest · WritingImagine organization hidden — members only Short Story ContestDeadline August 30, 2026$500
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Prize for Books: Extended Deadline (Manuscript Contest) $3000 USD Prize Pool. Up to 20 Shortlisted.Deadline August 30, 2026$1,000Fee: $30
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Flash Fiction ContestDeadline August 30, 2026$25
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only CompetitionDeadline August 30, 2026$20,000
- Contest · WritingPADIBA Awards 2027Deadline August 30, 2026$1,500
- Contest · WritingThe 2026 Ekphrastic Poetry Prize—$3,500 AwardedDeadline August 30, 2026$300Fee: $20.00
- Contest · WritingStanza Competition 2026: WonderDeadline August 30, 2026
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Prize for Short Fiction: Extended Deadline (Short Story Contest & Flash Fiction Contest) $3000 USD Prize Pool. Winners Published. Up to 20 Shortlisted.Deadline August 30, 2026$1,000Fee: $25
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Prize for Poetry: Extended Deadline (Poetry Contest) $3000 USD Prize Pool. Winners Published. Up to 20 Shortlisted.Deadline August 30, 2026$1,000
- Contest · WritingAfter the Storm — A Short Story ContestDeadline August 30, 2026$200
- Contest · WritingSummer Short Story Award for New WritersDeadline August 30, 2026$3,000Fee: $20.00
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Monthly organization hidden — members only CompetitionDeadline August 30, 2026$100
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Essay Prize 2026Deadline August 30, 2026£200
- Contest · WritingKindle Storyteller AwardDeadline August 31, 2026£20,000
- Contest · WritingChapbook Contest 2026Deadline August 31, 2026$500Fee: $10.00
- Contest · WritingPoetry and Fiction Contest — GROWTH Theme (£500 Prize)Deadline August 31, 2026£50Fee: £20
- Contest · WritingSubmit a short story/poem to the August monthly feature competition (£100 prize)Deadline August 31, 2026£100
- Contest · WritingFlash Fiction ContestDeadline August 31, 2026$1,000Fee: $8
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Cantor Prize Colorado State Poetry ContestDeadline August 31, 2026$250
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Fool For Poetry International Chapbook CompetitionDeadline August 31, 2026€1,000Fee: €25
- Contest · WritingDiana Woods Award in Creative NonfictionDeadline August 31, 2026$250
- Contest · WritingCantor PrizeDeadline August 31, 2026$1,000Fee: $14
- Contest · WritingSubmit a poem to the 2026 poetry competition (1st prize £500)Deadline August 31, 2026£500Fee: $20.00
- Contest · WritingSummer 2026 Tiny Chapbook CompetitionDeadline August 31, 2026Fee: $20
- Contest · WritingPoetry of the Sacred 2026Deadline August 31, 2026$100Fee: $15.00
- Contest · WritingSummer organization hidden — members only Tales Prize: LongingDeadline August 31, 2026$325Fee: $12.00
- Contest · WritingThe 2026 organization hidden — members only PrizeDeadline August 31, 2026£500Fee: £10
- Contest · Writing2027 Edinburgh Flash Fiction AwardDeadline August 31, 2026£2,000
- Contest · WritingSubmit a short story to the 2026 short story competition (1st prize £500)Deadline August 31, 2026£500
- Contest · Writing2026 Prize in PoetryDeadline August 31, 2026$500Fee: $26.00
- Contest · Writing2026 Prize in Prose (Fiction, Short Story, Nonfiction, hybrid)Deadline August 31, 2026$500Fee: $26.00
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Chapbook Prize (System Impacted Deadline)Deadline August 31, 2026$1,500
- Contest · WritingThe James Dickey Prize Early Bird Renewal DiscountDeadline August 31, 2026$1,000Fee: $20.00
- Contest · WritingSubmit Flash Fiction — Summer 2026 Flash Fiction ContestDeadline August 31, 2026$1,350Fee: $20.00
- Contest · WritingBundyi Writing PrizeDeadline August 31, 2026$10,000
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Kenneth Patchen AwardDeadline August 31, 2026$1,000Fee: $25
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Annual PrizeDeadline August 31, 2026$2,500Fee: $25.00
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Off the organization hidden — members only PrizeDeadline August 31, 2026$1,000Fee: $25
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry PrizeDeadline August 31, 2026$2,000/year
- Contest · WritingThe 2027 organization hidden — members only the organization hidden — members only Poetry PrizeDeadline August 31, 2026$1,000Fee: $25.00
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Book ContestDeadline August 31, 2026$1,000Fee: $21
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Creative Writing AwardDeadline August 31, 2026£2,500
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Annual ContestDeadline August 31, 2026$150Fee: $3
- Contest · Writing2027-28 Woodward/Newman AwardDeadline August 31, 2026$3,000
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only International organization hidden — members only ContestDeadline August 31, 2026
- Contest · Writing1Picture1000words: a free-to-enter creative writing contestDeadline August 31, 2026$1,000