Contests, Grants, and Residencies Calls for Submissions October 2026 September 23, 2026 Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab) on Facebook (opens in a new tab) on Linkedin (opens in a new tab) via email Fiction Contests Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction CompetitionEligibility: All writersPrize: $1,000 + publicationEntry fee: $30Deadline: October 6, 2026 John Steinbeck AwardEligibility: All writersPrize: $1,000Entry fee: $20Deadline: October 1, 2026 Ernest Gaines Award for Literary ExcellenceEligibility: Rising African-American authors w/novels or short story collections published in from January 1, 2026 – December 31 2026Prize: $15,000Deadline: October 31, 2026 Nonfiction Contests Gabriele Rico Creative Nonfiction ChallengeEligibility: All writersPrize: $1,333Entry fee: $20Deadline: October 1, 2026 River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book ContestEligibility: All writersPrize: $1,000 + publicationEntry fee: $27Deadline: October 31, 2026 Poetry Contests APR/Honickman First Book PrizeEligibility: U.S. writers who have not published a book-length collection of poemsPrize: $3,000 + publicationEntry fee: $25Deadline: October 1, 2026 Edwin Markham PrizeEligibility: All poetsPrize: $1,000Entry fee: $20Deadline: October 1, 2026 Alice James AwardEligibility: Emerging & established poetsPrize: $2,000 + publicationEntry fee: $30Deadline: October 16, 2026 Benjamin Saltman Poetry AwardEligibility: All writersPrize: $3,000 + publicationEntry fee: $25Deadline: October 31, 2026 Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize in PoetryEligibility: Female poets who have yet to publish a full-length book of poemsPrize: $1,000 + publication + residencyDeadline: October 31, 2026 Dzanc Books Poetry PrizeEligibility: All writersPrize: $1,500 + publicationEntry fee: $25Deadline: October 31, 2026 Wisconsin Prize for Poetry in TranslationEligibility: All poetsPrize: $1,500 + publicationEntry fee: $28Deadline: October 31, 2026 Multi-Genre Contests Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ PrizeEligibility: All writersPrize: $5,000Entry fee: $30Deadline: October 1, 2026 Writing Fellowships & Residencies Adina Talve-Goodman FellowshipEligibility: Early-career writer of fiction who has not yet published a book and is not currently nor has ever been enrolled in an MFA programPrize: $2,000, manuscript review, free admission One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conferenceDeadline: October 13, 2026 Amy Lowell Traveling Poetry ScholarshipEligibility: All US-born poets (or with parent born in the US)Prize: $78,000Deadline: October 15, 2026 Dora Maar FellowshipEligibility: Mid-career professionals in the arts and humanitiesPrize: residency at Dora Maar HouseEntry Fee: $25Deadline: October 15, 2026
