The Masters Review is still accepting submissions for the Short Story Award for New Writers! Offered twice yearly for a short work of fiction by an emerging writer, the winner of this summer’s contest will receive a prize of $3,000 and publication in the Masters Review. In addition, the winning story will be sent to agents Victoria Cappello (Bent Agency), Sarah Fuentes (Fletcher & Company), Andrea Morrison (Writers House), Heather Schroder (Compass Talent), and Nat Sobel (Sobel Weber Associates) for review. Writers who have not published a book or who have published a book with a circulation of less than 5,000 are eligible to apply. All stories will be considered for publication.

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Using only the online submission system, submit a short story of up to 6,000 words with a $20 entry fee by August 28. Chelsea Bieker, novelist and author of the short story collection Heartbroke, will judge. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

The mission of the Masters Review is to champion emerging writers, and they encourage all who apply to their Short Story Award to “dazzle us, take chances, and be bold.” Though the review focuses on literary fiction, there is no stylistic or topical preference for stories submitted. Writers will receive a response to their submissions by the end of November and the winner will be announced by the end of December. Past winners have received agency representation from Sarah Fuentes (Fletcher Company) and Victoria Marini (Irene Goodman Literary Agency), and one even went on to publish their short story collection with Grove Atlantic.   The mission of the Masters Review is to champion emerging writers, and they encourage all who apply to their Short Story Award to “dazzle us, take chances, and be bold.” Though the review focuses on literary fiction, there is no stylistic or topical preference for stories submitted. Writers will receive a response to their submissions by the end of November and the winner will be announced by the end of December. Past winners have received agency representation from Sarah Fuentes (Fletcher & Company) and Victoria Marini (Irene Goodman Literary Agency), and one even went on to publish their short story collection with Grove Atlantic.   

It’s hot out there, folks! Stay cool—or cooler, anyway—indoors while applying to some contests with deadlines of August 8, 9, 15, and 20. Among the awards are a $3,000 prize for a poetry collection; a $1,500 prize for a poem and a short story; a $1,000 prize for a book of innovative poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or hybrid-genre work; and $1,000 prizes for individual poems, works of flash fiction or nonfiction, and short stories. All contests offer a cash prize of $1,000 or more. Good luck!

Futurepoem Other Futures Award: A prize of $1,000, publication by Futurepoem, and 25 author copies is given annually for a book of innovative poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or hybrid-genre work “that challenges conventions of genre and language, content, and form.” The editors will judge. Entry fee: $28.

Gival Press Short Story Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Gival Press website is given annually for a short story. Entry fee: $25.

Grayson Books Poetry Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Grayson Books is given annually for a poetry collection. John Sibley Williams will judge. Entry fee: $26.

Indiana Review’s 1/2 K Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Indiana Review is given annually for a poem or a work of flash fiction or creative nonfiction. Geffrey Davis will judge. All finalists will be considered for publication. Entry fee: $20 (which includes a subscription to Indiana Review); no fee for Black and/or Indigenous writers.

Kallisto Gaia Press Poetry and Short Fiction Prizes: Two prizes of $1,500 each and publication in Ocotillo Review are given annually for a poem and a short story. Zoë Fay-Stindt will judge the Julia Darling Memorial Poetry Prize and Jen Knox will judge the Chester B. Himes Memorial Short Fiction Prize. Entry fee: $20.

Omnidawn Publishing Open Book Prize: A prize of $3,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Shane McCrae will judge. Entry fee: $27; for an additional $3, entrants will receive a book of their choice from the Omnidawn catalogue. 

TulipTree Publishing Stories That Need To Be Told Contest: A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a poem, a short story, or an essay that “tells a story that needs to be told.” The winner will also receive a two-year subscription to the literary database Duotrope and publication in the annual Stories That Need to Be Told contest anthology. All entries are considered for publication. Entry fee: $20.

There is still time to submit to the Granum Foundation Prizes! Awarded annually to a poet, fiction writer, or creative nonfiction writer to support the completion of a manuscript-in-progress, the Granum Foundation Prize offers $5,000; up to three finalists will receive $500 or more. A Translation Prize of $500 or more will also be awarded. There is no entry fee for either prize.

Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of approximately 12 poems or 25 pages of prose, along with a cover letter, project description, and a statement about how the grant will support your work, by August 2. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.

The prizes are meant to provide practical support to writers who have demonstrated a “commitment to the literary arts” and can articulate the merits of their writing project, including their ability to complete it within a set timeframe. The money may be used to pay for tools of the trade—a computer, for example—or to defray the costs of writing residencies, editorial services, and more.

Welcoming applicants from all backgrounds, the Granum Foundation seeks to foster the growth of emerging writers. As the foundation’s website puts it: “We are placing bets on undiscovered writers from all walks of life who might never get the chance to complete their first books, or who change careers later in life to chase literary dreams, or who feel they have been excluded from traditional avenues of support.”