Writing Contests Closing in October 2026
Writing Contests with application deadlines in October 2026, sorted by what closes soonest. Deadlines, awards, and entry fees shown on every listing — closed listings drop off automatically.
53 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 · Writing✍️ $1000 Creative Writing Contest: 100 wordsOpen · closes Oct 24$1,000Fee: $20
- Contest · WritingEye Contact Genre Flash Fiction PrizeOpen · closes Oct 24$250
- Contest · WritingFlash Monster the 13thOpen · closes Oct 25Fee: $15
- Contest · WritingChristmas Countdown 2026Open · closes Oct 25Fee: £8
- Contest · Writing2026 Roe River Review Flash Fiction OpenOpen · closes Oct 26$10–$100Fee: $10
- Contest · WritingScript Talks: Three Page Challenge - Horror EditionOpen · closes Oct 27
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Prize for Books: Early Bird (Manuscript Contest) $3000 USD Prize Pool. Up to 20 Shortlisted.Open · closes Oct 29$3,000Fee: $27
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Prize for Poetry: Early Bird (Poetry Contest) $3000 USD Prize Pool. Winners Published. Up to 20 Shortlisted.Open · closes Oct 29$3,000
- Contest · WritingThe 2026 Charles Simic Poetry PrizeOpen · closes Oct 29$20–$1,000Fee: $20
- Contest · WritingFlash Fiction ContestOpen · closes Oct 29$150 CAD prize + copiesFee: $12.50
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Prize for Short Fiction: Early Bird (Short Story Contest & Flash Fiction Contest) $3000 USD Prize Pool. Winners Published. Up to 20 Shortlisted.Open · closes Oct 29$3,000Fee: $22
- Contest · WritingCODA POET PRIZE WINTER 2026 cad $500Open · closes Oct 30$500Fee: $14
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Everett Southwest Literary AwardOpen · closes Oct 30$5,000 top prize
- Contest · Writing2026 Poetry Chapbook PrizeOpen · closes Oct 30$300Fee: $10
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Poetry Prize 2027Open · closes Oct 30£100 top prize + publication
- Contest · WritingTFC DARK FICTION PRIZE WINTER 2026 cad $1500Open · closes Oct 30$1,500Fee: $29
- Contest · WritingThe 2026 organization hidden — members onlyOpen · closes Oct 30$10,000 AUD top prize + publicationFee: $33
- Contest · Writing2026 Ruth Moose Flash FictionOpen · closes Oct 30$50–$125Fee: from $15
- Contest · WritingTravel Nonfiction Essay ContestOpen · closes Oct 30$100–$200
- Contest · WritingOctober 2026 Contest: An Evening at Lake GenevaOpen · closes Oct 30$25–$50Fee: $5
- Contest · WritingThe organization hidden — members only Prize 2026-27 — Short Story and Literary Essay/Creative NonfictionOpen · closes Oct 30$3,000 top prize + publicationFee: $10
- Contest · WritingSLAM 2027Open · closes Oct 30$25–$500Fee: $10
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Short Story Competition 2026Open · closes Oct 30$200–$1,200 AUDFee: $25
- Contest · WritingThe organization hidden — members only Short Story Contest 2026Open · closes Oct 31$300 AUD
- Contest · WritingThe Larry Brown Short Story AwardOpen · closes Oct 31$500 top prize + publicationFee: $10
- Contest · WritingLexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize in PoetryOpen · closes Oct 31$1,000Fee: $30
- Contest · WritingSubmit Creative Nonfiction Essays — Q3 2026 Creative Nonfiction Essay ContestOpen · closes Oct 31$500 top prizeFee: from $12
- Contest · WritingSusan Atefat Editor's Prize for PoetryOpen · closes Oct 31$4,000Fee: $20
- Contest · WritingAnnual Novel Opening CompetitionOpen · closes Oct 31$500Fee: $13
- Contest · WritingBenjamin Saltman Poetry AwardOpen · closes Oct 31$3,000Fee: $25
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only $1,000 Writing ContestOpen · closes Oct 31$1,000
- Contest · WritingHelena Whitehill Book AwardOpen · closes Oct 31$1,000 advance + publication
- Contest · WritingPatricia Dobler Poetry AwardOpen · closes Oct 31$1,000Fee: $20
- Contest · WritingNational Poetry CompetitionOpen · closes Oct 31£500–£5,000Fee: £9
- Contest · WritingThe McKitterick PrizeOpen · closes Oct 31£1,000–£4,000
- Contest · WritingSolstice Nature Prize for Young WritersOpen · closes Oct 31£100
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only — Short Story 2026Open · closes Oct 31£2,000 top prize + publicationFee: from £6
- Contest · WritingADCI Literary PrizeOpen · closes Oct 31£2,000
- Contest · Writing2026 Nonfiction Story Contests for Unpublished WritersOpen · closes Oct 31$200 top prize
- Contest · WritingDrinking Gourd Chapbook PrizeOpen · closes Oct 31$500
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only 2027Open · closes Oct 31$1,000 top prizeFee: $20
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Ernest JOpen · closes Oct 31$15,000
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only $1,250 Award for Prose (Fiction or NonFiction) 2026 - Extended Deadline 10.31Open · closes Oct 31$1,250Fee: $32
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only – Poetry CompetitionOpen · closes Oct 31€1,000 top prize
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only Literary organization hidden — members only Book Prize SubmissionOpen · closes Oct 31$1,000 prize + publicationFee: $27
- Contest · WritingDoris Betts Fiction Prize - pay fee by checkOpen · closes Oct 31$250Fee: from $10
- Contest · Writing✨🪐🦑 2026 organization hidden — members only Fabulist Fiction Chapbook/Novella Contest judged by Selah SaterstromOpen · closes Oct 31$1,000 prize + publication & copiesFee: $25
- Contest · Writingorganization hidden — members only $1,250 Poetry Book Award 2026 - Extended Deadline 10.31Open · closes Oct 31$1,250Fee: $32