A Definitive List of Writing Contests and Book Awards for 2026

Updated March 6, 2025

Your guide to some of the most prestigious and indie-friendly opportunities this year and next.

For self-published authors, book awards and contests offer recognition, credibility, and new readers. Winning or being a finalist can boost sales, attract media, and open new opportunities. While self-published books were once excluded from such competitions, the industry now offers many more opportunities. 

We've gathered a list of some of the book awards and contests for 2026 that are open to indie authors. They're noted below in order of their deadlines for entry.

Please be sure to read the eligibility, rules, and guidelines for each award before submitting your work. Many of the awards have specifications for submissions related to date published, formats, genre, etc. Additionally, a majority of them require an entry fee upon submission. (However, a number of them offer a discounted "Early Bird" entry fee.)

We'll start with a couple of awards that have deadlines throughout the year…

Chanticleer International Book Awards

The CIBAs celebrate outstanding storytelling in a variety of genres, including mystery and fantasy. This esteemed award offers authors marketing assistance, promotional opportunities, and industry recognition, enhancing their presence in competitive literary markets.

• Deadline: Varies by category (throughout 2026)
• Categories: Open to fiction and nonfiction authors globally in 20+ categories
• Prizes: $1,000 for one lucky Overall Grand Prize Winner; winners receive ribbons, badges, and cash awards along with a powerful promotional boost
• For More Info: Chanticleer Reviews

The International Impact Book Awards

These awards welcome independent authors and publishers from around the globe to participate. Both fiction and nonfiction entries are welcome.

• Deadline: Entry deadline for the 2026 International Impact Book Awards is year-round; you can submit your entry at any time throughout the year. 
• Categories: Awards offered in 30 diverse categories in fiction and nonfiction; submit your book to as many categories as you see fit.
• Prizes: A digital award seal, a commemorative digital certificate, and year-long recognition and promotion through their network
• For More Info: The International Impact Book Award

Next Generation Short Story Awards

A not-for-profit international awards program for authors of short stories, brought to you by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group.

• Deadline: February 26
• Categories: 30+ categories; enter as many categories as you wish that apply to you
• Prizes: Cash prizes plus gold medals for all winners
• For More Info: Next Generation Short Story Awards

The Shirley Jackson Awards

For outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. The awards are voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics. 

• Deadline: February 26
• Categories: Novel, novella, novelette, short fiction, single-author collection, and edited anthology
• Prizes: A certificate and a special prize donated by a member of the horror community
• For More Info: Shirley Jackson Awards

Emerging Author Dagger

Formerly the Debut Dagger, this is an international competition for crime novelists writing in English. All crime subgenres are welcome. Entrants may not have self-published their entry or any other piece of fiction of over 20,000 words unless it was removed from public sale five years or more previous to the deadline date.

• Deadline: February 27
• Categories: All crime subgenres, including thriller, noir, cozy mystery, suspense, police procedural, spy fiction, and crossovers—aimed at adult or young adult readers.
• Prizes: A cash prize of £500, along with representation or a publishing contract
• For More Info:  Emerging Author Dagger

The AWP Award Series

The Series is an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works (only book-length manuscripts are eligible). It's open to all authors writing in English, regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike. 

• Deadline: February 28
• Categories: Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Short Fiction, and the Novel
• Prizes: A cash prize (typically $2,500 to $5,500) and book publication with a partner press
• For More Info: AWP Award Series

The Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) Self-Publishing Literary Award

BCALA, in partnership with Biblioboard, honors the best self-published ebooks by African-American authors in the United States in the genres of fiction and poetry. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora.

• Deadline: February 28
• Categories: Poetry and Fiction
• Prizes: Each genre prize winner shall receive: $2,500.00, formal recognition at the American Library Association conference, and a BCALA Literary Award Seal to use in their marketing.
• For More Info: The BCALA Self-Publishing Literary Award

The Edinburgh Short Story Awards: The First Write Award

An opportunity for unpublished writers to shine, get noticed, and get published. They're eager to find those undiscovered talents, the writers living anywhere in the world who are producing artful, insightful, engaging, entertaining, thrilling, or emotionally driven stories. Stories can be up to 2,000 words.

• Deadline: February 28
• Categories: Stories in all genres: literary, historic, crime, romance, gritty realism, contemporary, humor, and more
• Prizes: £300 plus publication
• For More Info: Edinburgh Short Story Awards

Bridge House Annual Anthology (Call for Submissions)

Bridge House are seeking stories on the subject of "Room at the Inn?" for their annual anthology, to be released in November of 2026. New writers, established writers and writers included in other anthologies are all equally welcome. 

• Deadline: February 28
• Categories: Stories between 1,000 and 5,000 words that address the theme in some way
• Prizes: Publication in anthology, a free ebook, and profit share of book sales
• For More Info: Bridge House Annual Anthology Submissions

Voices of Mixed Heritage

Organizer is looking for original, unpublished work in English, including short stories, nonfiction essays, or poetry from individuals 18+. Authors and poets of mixed heritage or relationships are preferred, but not required. 

• Deadline: February 28
• Categories: Nonfiction, poetry, or short stories exploring themes of multicultural or third-culture identity, love, belonging, home life, and pain.
• Prizes: Prizes up to $500 for top winners along with publication in Kinsman Quarterly’s literary journal and the upcoming anthology, Living Between Worlds: Bicultural Life, Love, & Pain. 
• For More Info: Voices of Mixed Heritage

Fish Flash Fiction Prize

An annual event run by west Ireland-based Fish Publishing that's an opportunity to attempt one of the most interesting and rewarding tasks: to create, in a tiny fragment, a completely resolved and compelling story in 300 words or less. The winning stories must be available for the Fish Anthology, and therefore must not have been published previously.

• Deadline: February 28
• Categories: No restriction on theme or style
• Prizes: Top prize of €1,000. Top 10 stories will be published in the Fish Anthology 2026.
• For More Info: Fish Flash Fiction Prize

Deadline: March

Porter Fleming Literary Competition

An annual writing contest administered by the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, Georgia, with support from the Porter Fleming Foundation. All entries must be original, previously unpublished in print or online media, and not accepted by any publisher at the time they are entered. Open to writers aged 18+ who reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington D.C.

• Deadline: March 1
• Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and One-Act Play
• Prizes: $7,000 cash awards across categories
• For More Info: Porter Fleming Literary Competition

First 5 Pages Prize

Encourages writers to submit the first five pages of their unpublished work. The contest aims to inspire writers to polish their starting pages, crucial for capturing the attention of agents and editors. Entries from writers aged 16 and above are welcomed, focusing on various genres. The prize promotes beautiful writing and offers support to aspiring authors.

• Deadline: March 1

• Categories:   Fiction, Novel, Novella, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

• Prizes: First Prize $2,000, Second Prize $1,000, and Third Prize $500

• For More Info: First 5 Pages Prize

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

A writing competition sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts. The prize will be judged by Simon Rich. The winning work will be performed by an actor in spring 2026 and published on Electric Literature. Entries should be 750 words or less.  Entry must be original and unpublished.

• Deadline: March 6
• Categories: Stories can be on any theme
• Prizes: The winning writer will receive $1,000 and a free 10-week course with Gotham Writers
• For More Info: The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

The Edinburgh Young Adult Novel Award

A competition for writers and illustrators of young adult fiction, for novels and graphic novels. Open to writers and illustrators worldwide. Entrants can be any age over 16 years – creating work suitable for audiences aged 12 and older. Unfinished work is accepted. At no stage do you need to submit a completed novel.

• Deadline: March 10
• Categories: Any topic, in any style: comedy, romance, drama, horror, queer, contemporary, realist, speculative fiction, and more
• Prizes: First prize £1,500, Second prize £500, Third Prize £250, and 2 Commendations worth £100
• For More Info: Edinburgh Young Adult Fiction Novel Award

The Robinson Jeffers Tor House Prize for Poetry

An annual contest honoring the poet Robinson Jeffers. Established as a living memorial, it aims to recognize outstanding poetry submissions. The prize includes an honorarium and honorable mentions.

• Deadline: March 14

• Categories: Open to poetry in all styles

• Prizes: Top Prize $1,000; $200 for honorable mention

• For More Info: The Robin Jeffers Tor House Prize for Poetry

The Lascaux Prize in Poetry

Poems may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Judges are the journal’s editors. Poets retain all rights to their work at all times. 

• Deadline: March 31
• Categories: All genres and styles are welcome
• Prizes: Winner receives $1,000, a bronze medallion, and publication in The Lascaux Review
• For More Info: The Lascaux Prize in Poetry

The Ilsa Schwepcke Prize 

An annual award for women’s travel writing in English. An independent jury will select a shortlist and the winning book will be announced in autumn at the International Frankfurt Book Fair.

• Deadline: March 31

• Categories: Nonfiction, prose works of travel writing (not open to fiction or poetry)

• Prizes: Winning author will receive £5,000

• For More Info: The Ilsa Schwepcke Prize

The Ann Petry Award

The Ann Petry Award seeks to publish prose literature by Black authors. It's awarded for a work of previously unpublished prose, either a novel or a collection of short stories or novellas, with a minimum of 150 pages, selected through an annual submission process.

• Deadline: March 31

• Categories: Fiction (Novels, Collections of Short Stories or Novellas)

• Prizes: $3,000; book publication by Red Hen Press

• For More Info: The Ann Petry Award

The Caterpillar Poetry Prize

An annual contest for unpublished poems written by adults for children aged 7–11. It highlights children's poetry and is judged anonymously. Previous winners include notable poets, and the prize aims to encourage new voices in this literary field.

• Deadline: March 31

• Categories: Poetry & Children's

• Prizes: First Prize is €1,000 and a week at The Moth Retreat in Ireland; Second Prize is €500; Third Prize is €250

• For More Info: The Caterpillar Poetry Prize

The Rubery Book Awards

An international book award that recognizes the best books by indie writers, self-published authors, and books published by independent presses. Open to all genres. Prizes include cash, a glass plaque, and a review on the website for all winners and shortlisted authors. 

• Deadline: March 31
• Categories: Categories will be represented once all entries have been received. Each book will be judged on its own merit and the correct category. They may not be able to represent ALL categories to give prizes to, as it depends greatly on the quality and quantity of entries received. If your book is in a category that isn't represented in the final line-up, please be assured that it was not at a disadvantage at all and was judged in the category it was entered under. 
• Prizes: Book of the Year = £2,000; Category Winners = £200. Every winner receives a glass plaque and all winners & shortlisted authors receive a write up.​
• For More Info: Rubery Book Awards

The Selfies Book Awards

The Selfies have gone global for 2026, opening entries to English-language independent authors worldwide, not just those based in the UK. Previously restricted to UK residents or books published in the UK, this expansion allows international participation across fiction, children’s/YA, and memoir categories.

• Deadline: March 31

• Categories: Adult fiction, children's, or memoir (published in 2025) - there is no longer a nonfiction category
• Prizes: Winners in each of the three categories receive a cash prize of £750, a profile in BookBrunch, advertising, a winner’s certificate, and other benefits
• For More Info: The Selfies Book Awards

National Indie Excellence^® Awards

The National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA) recognize books that demonstrate excellence in form and content, celebrating self-published books. 

• Deadline: March 31
• Categories: 150+ categories to choose from
• Prizes: Cash prizes, sponsorship awards with professional development and marketing assistance, and Juror's Choice awards with unrestricted funds for marketing and distribution
• For More Info: National Indie Excellence Awards

The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize

Established in 2001, The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize highlights one book a year that excels in the novella format. Excerpts may have been published individually in magazines or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished. AI-generated manuscripts are not eligible. This year's judge is K-Ming Chang. 

• Deadline: March 31

• Categories: Open to all/most categories

• Prizes: A $1,000 advance, a standard royalty contract, and 10 copies of the published book

• For More Info: The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize

F. Sean Hodge Prize for Poetry

Neutral free contest for poetry by doctors and medical students that gives two awards (one for medical students, residents, and fellows, the other for physicians who have completed post-graduate training).  Enter 1-5 poems through the sponsor's online portal.

• Deadline: March 31

• Categories:
• Prize: Two $250 awards; winning poems will be published in The Healing Muse, SUNY Upstate Medical University's literary journal.
• For More Info: F. Sean Hodge Prize for Poetry
  

Deadline: April

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Thi 2026 contest is organized by Winning Writers located in Western Massachusetts, in the United States. The organizer is accepting humor poems written in English, up to 250 lines in length. Both published and/or unpublished work can be submitted. One poem only, please. 

• Deadline: April 1
• Categories: Humor poems
• Prizes: First prize = $2,000 plus two-year gift certificate from Duotrope; Second prize = $500; Third prize = $250; Honorable mentions = 10 awards of $100 each; top 13 entries published online
• For More Info: Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Creative Capital for Artists

A free contest that offers 50 grants up to $50,000 for writers of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and socially engaged and/or sustainable text-based practices. (Note that literature entries compete against the visual arts, performing arts, and film categories for 2026.) Entrants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, aged 25+, with 5+ years' professional writing experience, and not be students.

• Deadline: April 2 

• Categories: Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and socially engaged and/or sustainable text-based practices

• Prizes: 50 grants up to $50,000

• For More Info: Creative Capital for Artists

Rattle: Tribute to the Future 

Literary journal Rattle: Poetry for the 21st Century seeks unpublished poems for their Fall 2026 issue on the theme "Tribute to the Future". Send 1-4 poems with a contributor's note about how your work relates to the theme. This is a paying market. From the editors: "Whether speculative, surreal, hopeful, or dire, we're looking for poems that imagine what lies ahead, for the world or the self. The future can be political, ecological, technological, spiritual, or deeply personal." 

• Deadline: April 15

• Categories: Editors say, "However you interpret the idea, we want to see how poetry can be a vehicle for foresight, fantasy, or reflection on what comes next."
• Prize: See link below for details
• For More Info: Rattle Tribute to the Future

The Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry

An annual prize administered by the Beloit Poetry Journal, supported by the Adrienne Rich Literary Trust. It celebrates poetry that embodies the boldness, creativity, and social engagement championed by Adrienne Rich herself. Submit 1-3 unpublished poems on any subject in any style, up to a maximum of 10 pages per entry.

• Deadline: April 30
• Categories: 
• Prizes: Top prize is $1,500 and publication in Beloit Poetry Journal
• For More Info: The Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry