Winning a writing contest can bring you recognition and help get your work noticed by publishers. Poets & Writers provides information about contests and prizes available to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine, which publishes the most comprehensive listing of literary contests available in print.
The Grants & Awards section [3] is updated with each issue and includes upcoming deadlines for competitions and their recent winners. All of the listings are vetted for accuracy and legitimacy by Poets & Writers staff. In addition, The Practical Writer (Penguin [4], 2004), which was edited by the staff of Poets & Writers Magazine, includes a useful, in-depth essay on how to get a grant. Remember: Before submitting to a contest, be sure to check with the sponsoring organization about guidelines.
PEN American Center [5]’s database, Grants and Awards Available to American Writers, can be found on its Web site. The Foundation Center [6] offers an online directory of grants [7]. Winning Writers [8] maintains a database of poetry contests. You may also want to check on grants offered by your state or local arts council.
Links:
[1] http://www.pw.org/content/writing_contests_2#q-a_01
[2] http://www.pw.org/content/writing_contests_2#q-a_02
[3] http://www.pw.org/content/grants_amp_awards
[4] http://www.penguinputnam.com/
[5] http://www.pen.org/
[6] http://www.fdncenter.org/
[7] http://gtionline.fdncenter.org/
[8] http://www.winningwriters.com/