Writing Competitions 2025

On the lookout for 2025 writing competitions? Wondering where to submit your manuscript? Below is a list of writing competitions open for submission. Opportunities for children’s, YA, short fiction and novel-length manuscripts.

If you’re like me, you probably have numerous half-finished manuscripts languishing under your bed. Starting a project always feels like so much fun. But finishing it, well that’s just a lot of hard work.

This is where deadlines can be your best friend. And if self-imposed deadlines don’t carry the necessary weight, then, you might find writing competitions extremely helpful.

There are a huge range of writing competitions to be found on the internet. You can usually find an open submission for any kind of writing - from pictures books through to YA, and flash fiction to full length novels.

To save you time - and to keep me honest - I compile a monthly (or sometimes bimonthly) list of open competitions.

Obviously this isn’t an exhaustive list. I largely focus on opportunities for children’s manuscripts and literary fiction.

And if you’ve got something you’d like included, feel free to message me on socials or flick me an email (emma at emmaverejones dot com)

Now for the disclaimer: You need to do your own legwork. That means checking deadlines, T&Cs, costs, etc

I’ll update this page at the start of every month. Follow me on Insta or Facebook so you don’t miss out. Or bookmark this page and check back regularly.

Children’s and Young Adult writing competitions 2025

CYA Conference Competition (13 April 2025, picture books, middle grade and YA)

ICL Bedtime Stories Picture Book Contest (31 April 2025)

I Am Writing Competitions (22 May 2025, picture books, chapter books, middle grade, graphic novels and YA)

The Yeovil Literary Prize (31 May 2025, options for childrens and young adult novels)

The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition (1 June 2025)

The Bath Children’s Novel Award 2025 (30 November 2025)

Adult manuscript writing competitions 2025

National Flash Fiction Award NZ (30 April 2025)

Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest (30 April 2025)

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest 2024/2025 (1 May 2025)

ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize (5 May 2025)

I Am Writing Competitions (22 May 2025, Action/adventure, crime, historical, horror, literary, romance, sci-fi

Bath Novel Award (31 May 2025)

The Bridport Prize 2025 (31 May 2025)

The Yeovil Literary Prize (31 May 2025

Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize  (30 June 2025)

HG Wells Short Story Competition (8 July 2025)

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award (31 August 2025)

Other useful lists:

The below sites are also useful for competition opportunities (there will be some crossover):

Intercompetition.com

Almond Press writing competitions

NZSA Manuscript Assessment programme (open until 28 May, NZSA members only)

Page updated 12 April 2025