Contests and Markets for your short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and reviews

The Niagara on the Lake Writers’ Circle invites Ontario residents to submit their short stories (fiction and nonfiction) and poetry to the 2019/20 Rising Spirits Creative Writing contest . The winners will have their work published in our annual anthology and be presented with awards and prizes at the Awards Celebration which will be held on Sunday, February 23, at The Old Winery in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake.

We are excited to announce that our judge for this year’s contest is Brian Henry, celebrated book editor, writer, creative writing instructor, and publisher of Canada's most popular blog for writers – Quick Brown Fox. Brian will also provide a written comments on the pieces submitted by the winners.

Cash prizes for 4 Writing Categories (Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Youth): 1st place - $250;  2nd place - $100;  3rd place - $50

Over the past seven years, The Rising Spirits Awards Celebration has grown into an extraordinary community event with storytelling, music, wine, and special guest speakers.

Deadline October 31, 2019. Contest details and entry forms here.

Note: the NOTL Writers’ Circle is hosting a How to Get Published workshop Saturday, Nov 23, 2019, led by Brian Henry and with literary agents Stephanie Winter as a guest speaker. Details here.

Dear Brian,

EVENT Magazine is running its annual Non-Fiction Contest, and we thought Quick Brown Fox readers would be interested in submitting.

Prize: $3,000 in prizes plus publication in EVENT. EVENT reserves the right to award the prize money as it sees fit (e.g.,  two prizes valued at $750, three at $500, or one at $1000 and one at $500, etc.) in accordance with the judge’s decision. Published entries will be paid our standard publication payment in addition to any prize money.

Cost: $34.95 per entry; includes a one-year subscription to EVENT and all applicable taxes and shipping—a great deal!

Three Ways to Submit:

1.       Use our online submission form

2.       Email entries to event@douglascollege.ca (Subject: Non-Fiction Contest Entry) and pay the entry fee on our buy page via PayPal.

3.       Send your manuscript, along with a cheque or international money order, payable to EVENT, to the address below. (American entrants please pay in US dollars.)

EVENT
Non-Fiction Contest
PO Box 2503, New Westminster, BC
Canada, V3L 5B2

Deadline: October 15, 2019. Full contest details here. 

Thanks so much!

Justin Neal

Interim Managing Editor

EVENT also accepts regular submissions of fiction, poetry and book reviews.

Fiction: We look for compelling characters, plots that surprise us, narratives that move us, stories that have something new to say.

Poetry: We love poems that are lyrical without being overwrought, and profound without being pretentious. We look for honesty of emotion, and images that arrest us.

Non-Fiction: The creative non-fiction we publish mainly comes through our annual Non-Fiction Contest due to limited page space. We look for real-life experiences told as riveting narratives with distinct voices. We publish essays that feel artful and true.

Reviews: If you have opinions on books and know how to articulate them, we’d like to feature you as a reviewer! Read samples reviews on our blog for an idea of our style, and contact our Reviews Editor.

EVENT accepts general, unsolicited submissions by Submittable only. We have two open submissions periods during the months of August-September and December – January. Please note: We are accepting fiction submissions beginning Sept 1, 2019, until we have reached capacity. Due to the overwhelming response for poetry submissions from the previous submissions period, poetry submissions will be accepted at a later time. Please check back.

Full submission guidelines here.

The 2020 CBC Short Story Prize is now open for submissions.

Canadian writers can submit original, unpublished fiction up to 2,500 words in length. There is no minimum word requirement.

The winner will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and have their story published on CBC Books.

Four finalists will win $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their story published on CBC Books.

You have until Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m. ET to enter. The entry fee is $25, which covers the costs of administering the prize.

If you'd like to submit to the Prix de la nouvelle Radio-Canada, you can enter here.

Last year's winner was Krzysztof Pelc for Green Velvet. You can read all the 2019 shortlisted stories here.

The CBC Literary Prizes have been supporting and celebrating Canadian writers since 1979.

Other past winners include Michael Ondaatje, Michael Winter and Frances Itani.

The 2020 CBC Nonfiction Prize will open in January 2020. The 2020 CBC Poetry Prize will open in April 2020. 

Have questions? Check out frequently asked questions.

The Malahat Review has four annual contests:

Open Season Awards has three categories: poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The winner in each category receives a $2,000 prize. Entry fee $35 (for Canadian entries).

Deadline: November 1, 2019. Guidelines here.

Long Poem Prize / Novella Prize – these contests are offered every other year, with Long Poem entries accepted in odd-numbered years; Novella entries accepted in even years.

Deadline February 1, 2020. Guidelines for Long Poem Prize here; for Novella Prize here.

Far Horizons Award for Poetry / Short Fiction: As a complement to the Novella and Long Poem prizes, the Far Horizons Awards are short-form contests, with the Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction given during odd years and the Far Horizons Award for Poetry in even. Only open to writers who have yet to publish in book form for the genre in question. Winning entries appear in the Autumn issue.

Next deadline for Short Fiction Award May 5, 2020; guidelines here. Next deadline for Far Horizons Poetry Award early May 2021; guidelines here.

Constance Rooke Creative Nonfiction Prize: To nurture The Malahat Review’s newest genre, the Constance Rooke Creative Nonfiction Prize was established in 2007. The winning entry appears in the Winter issue.

Next deadline: August 5, 2020. Guidelines here.

The Malahat Review also accepts regular submissions year-round. They want poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction, mostly by Canadian writers, and reviews of Canadian books of the the best writing from abroad.

Submissions always open. Guidelines here.

Sonic Boom is a literary & arts journal that seeks both solicited and unsolicited experimental poetry, flash fiction, and visual art submissions tri-annually. We hope to integrate multifarious genres of literature and artwork including Japanese short-forms of poetry, avant-garde, conceptual, and postmodern works of culture and art.

Sonic Boom Reading periods: 

​October 1 - November 1

February 1 - March 1

June 1 - July 1

​What we publish: Poetry, Japanese short-forms, Flash fiction/hybrids, and Visual art

Sonic Boom hopes to mix it up a bit by seeking both solicited and unsolicited submissions. All submissions MUST be original and previously unpublished. Works that have appeared on your personal blogs, Facebook, Twitter, tumblr or flickr accounts, are not considered published. For chapbook submissions, visit our affiliated press, Yavanika.

Where to send your work: sonicboomjournal@gmail.com

Deadline: November 1, 2019. Guidelines here.

Quick Brown Fox Quick Brown Fox welcomes your short stories, poems, and essays about reading, writing, favourite books, and libraries. Read a few essays on the blog to get a taste of what other writers have done (see here and scroll down).

Quick Brown Fox also welcomes book reviews – or any kind of review of anything, of anywhere or of anybody. If you want to review your favourite coffee shops or libraries, babysitters or lovers (no real names please), go for it. See examples of book reviews here (and scroll down); other reviews here (and scroll down).

Submit to: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Include a short bio at the end of your piece and attach a photo of yourself if you have one that’s okay.

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including Saturday writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor,  Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.