5 Competitions and Submissions! August – September

Overwhelmed by places to send your work? We’ve filtered through e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g for you to bring you our top five competitions and submissions for August and September 2024. 

Name: Aurora Prize for Writing 2024
Deadline: 7th August 2024 at midnight
Wordcount: Poems: no more than 60 lines (excluding title). Short stories: up to 2000 words (excluding title)
Genre: Poetry and short stories, any subject.
Description: The Aurora Prize is a national writing competition run by Writing East Midlands, in partnership with the Society of Authors. Winners will receive a cash prize and feedback on a piece of their choice from a matched literary agent or editor.

Entry fee: £9 for first poem/story, subsequent entries £7 per poem/story.

Website: www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/for-writers/aurora-prize-for-writing/

Name: The Edinburgh True Flash Fiction Award
Deadline: 31st August 2024 at 23.59 (UK time)
Wordcount: up to 250 words (excluding title)
Genre: memoir, auto-fiction and creative non-fiction or other true story
Description: This is a brand-new award, open to all writers worldwide. First prize is £300 and a trophy, two commendations are awarded £100 each, and at least three True Flash stories will be offered publication in the anthology.

Entry fee: £7

If fiction is more your thing, there’s the Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction, details on their website.

Website: www.storyawards.org

Name: Searchlight Awards – Best Novel Opening for Children or Young Adults 2024
Deadline: 1st September 2024 at 23.59 (UK time)
Wordcount: 1200 words not including the title. Pitch: maximum 175 words
Genre: Children’s and YA Fiction
Description: Competition for authors writing children’s or Young Adult fiction. First prize is £1,000 and the top 10 entries are included in a Publisher Pitch Book which is send to a selection of literary agents. You don’t need to have a finished manuscript to enter.

Entry fee: £16 

Website: www.searchlightawards.co.uk

Name: New2theScene Short Story Competition
Deadline: 1st September 2024 at 23.59 (UK time)
Wordcount: 4000 words
Genre: Any style and form
Description: The winner will be interviewed for the New2theScene Podcast, receive £50 of New2theScene vouchers, the writer will be featured on New2theScene ‘Origins’ blog and the winning story will feature on their website. The story may be included in future anthologies. Notable mentions will receive £15 of New2theScene vouchers and may feature in future anthologies.

Entry fee: £5

Website: www.new2thescene.co.uk/new2thecomp

Name: Memoir Magazine
Deadline: year-round
Wordcount: up to 3,000 words
Genre: Memoir, Personal Essay, Creative Non-Fiction, and Excerpts
Description: As stated on their website, Memoir Magazine welcome any true (and creatively true) stories regardless of the subject matter, educational level or achievement or sexual orientation of the author. They encourage the exchange of alternative points of view traditionally overlooked by mainstream media.

Entry fee: $6 per entry

Website: www.memoirmag.com/submit/

Posted in: Get published

By: Veronique Kootstra