Some December Contests—for those of you pragmatic enough to keep writing through the holidays.
With thanks to Erika Dreyfus, a writer, teacher, and literary consultant whose books include Birthright: Poems and Quiet Americans: Stories. A fellow in the Sami Rohr Jewish Literary Institute and an adjunct associate professor at Baruch College/CUNY, she lives in New York. Please visit ErikaDreifus.com to learn more about her work and follow her right here on Substack and/or on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.
Check back soon to see more December opportunities and maybe a few for January.
THE WELKIN MINI WRITING PRIZE
Submissions: December 1-January 2. For micros up to 100 words. Open to writers internationally. Cash prizes: £75/£40/£25/£10.
KIM WALL MEMORIAL FUND GRANTS
Deadline: December 7. From the International Women’s Media Foundation. Provides $5,000 grants “to journalists whose work embodies the spirit of Kim’s reporting. The grant will fund women or non-binary reporters covering subculture, broadly defined, and what Kim liked to call ‘the undercurrents of rebellion.
MARTIN’S/MINOTAUR-MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA FIRST CRIME NOVEL COMPETITION
Deadline:December 14. “Open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any Published Novel (in any genre),” as defined within the guidelines. Note that “murder or another serious crime or crimes [must be] at the heart of the story.”
FOUR QUARTETS PRIZE
Deadline: December 15. From the Poetry Society of America. For “a unified and complete sequence of poems published in the United States in a print or online journal, chapbook, or book in 2025.
RIVER HERON WRITERS’ WORKSHOP SCHOLARSHIP
Deadline: December 15. “River Heron Writers’ Workshops is offering two scholarships to the Creative Writing Experience workshop to two writers or poets who identify as underserved, that is, those who, without assistance, would otherwise not be able to access a writing workshop…
SINE QUA NON PRIZES IN POETRY AND CREATIVE PROSE
Deadline: December 15. “Issue 2 of SQN will highlight New Romanticism. For an overview of these kinds of works, follow this link. WE ARE ALSO ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS OF NON-New Romantic WORKS.”
UNLEASH WIP PRIZE
Deadline: December 15. “We aim to assist writers in completing an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to support the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
BLACK CAUCUS OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (BCALA) LITERARY AWARDS
Deadline: December 31. These awards “acknowledge outstanding works of fiction and nonfiction for adult audiences by African American authors.
W.Y. BOYD LITERARY NOVEL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MILITARY FICTION
Deadline: December 31. “Honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war” and “recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction.”
LILITH MAGAZINE ANNUAL SHORT FICTION CONTEST
Deadline: December 31. “Lilith Magazine—independent, Jewish & frankly feminist—seeks quality short stories with heart, soul and chutzpah, 3,000 words or under, for our Annual Fiction Contest.
MAUREEN SEATON POETRY PRIZE
Deadline: December 31. From South Florida Poetry Journal. “The Prize for this contest is five hundred dollars $500.00….The prize will be paid to one winner, or, in the case of collaborative work, split among the collaborators.
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Looking for the right place to submit your writing? If you’re not sure whether your work is ready to submit, I hope you’ll have us take a look. We’ll say what we love, make suggestions about places that trip us up, and ask questions to help you go deeper. Reasonable prices.
Take a look at what we do on Manuscript Consultations and Editing. Then write to us through the contact box on the bottom of the home page. Please include a brief summary.
Ever thought of writing for the educational market? Please read Writing for the Educational Market. There are lots of ideas and resources there.
Or read this article from Highlights Magazine and write for little ones.
Want to become known for your OpEds?
Want to earn money at Substack? Or just write there? I’d love to have you follow me on Substack. All my posts are free right now.
You can also share opinions on Medium, and the link will tell you how to do so.
Considering submitting to college journals? The link will take you to a “megalist.”
Thinking about the future? Here’s a current list of magazines seeking sci fi. You’ll also find places to submit fantasy at that site.
Are you a short story writer? Here’s a current list that includes some prestigious journals and magazines.
Have you written a memoir? I had no idea that there were this many companies seeking submissions.
I haven’t checked every link inside each page above. I’ll bet you’re not surprised to hear that. If you find something that’s not working, please let me know.
Suggestions? We’re always eager to hear from readers.
If you know of a contest or opportunity that you’d like to share, please use the contact box at the bottom of our home page. Click on the logo at the top of the page to get to the home page. No charge for this service. Many thanks for contributing!