Contests and markets for Kid Lit, Poetry, Nonfiction, Memoir, Short Stories, etc.

High Five magazine for kids
Open for submissions until June 30, 2026

Highlights magazine was first published in 1946, in a little two-room office above a car dealership. Husband and wife Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers were nationally recognized leaders in education and child development. They filled their first magazines for children with stories, adventures, brainteasers and, of course, iconic Hidden Pictures puzzles. It’s been a staple of American culture ever since. (See here)

Highlights publishes three monthly magazines: Hello, for kids aged 0–2; High Five for Kids 2–6; and Highlights for kids 6–12.  They also publish books, learning resources, and more.

They are seldom open for submissions. But High Five will be open for submissions until June 3o.  

Authors may submit up to five pieces, all at the same time or separately. 

They want great stories, fresh voices, and nonfiction relevant to the lives and interests of children ages 2–6. They adore whimsical stories that will tickle readers' imaginations. They get excited by nonfiction that will teach kids (and parents!) something new. 

Stories should delight, engage, and inspire young children ages 2–6. If your story has a young child as the protagonist, that child should be the one to solve the dilemma. (Don't forget that all stories should have a dilemma or a little problem that needs a solution.) Stories should be paced so that they fit on four magazine pages, with a maximum of 160 words total. Nonfiction should reflect what's interesting and comprehensible to a preschooler and is also capped at 160 words. They’re more interested in insects than biographies.

They’re less interested in holiday content, gardening, “a day in the life of,” and stories that don't have dialogue.  

They do not publish rebus stories, finger plays, works longer than 160 words, or previously published works.    

Full submission guidelines here.

Event Magazine

2026 Non-Fiction Contest

Deadline on my birthday – October 15, 2026 😉

Genre: Creative Nonfiction. Writers are encouraged to explore the form.

Prizes: $3,000 in total, plus publication in EVENT: $1,500 First Place; $1,000 Second Place; $500 Third Place.

Entry Fee: $34.95 per entry; includes a one-year subscription (or renewal) to EVENT and all applicable taxes and shipping

New Student Entry Fee: $19.95 per entry; includes a one-year subscription (or renewal) to EVENT and all applicable taxes and shipping

Full contest details here.

EVENT will open for regular submissions in July and August (and then again in December and January.

Fiction: They look for compelling characters and voice, fresh plots, and narratives that move us. Full details and eligibility requirements on Submittable.

Poetry: They look for arresting imagery, polished language, emotional impact, and lyricism without pretension.

Reviews: Read sample reviews on their website for an idea of their format and style, and before writing or submitting, please contact their Reviews Editor at: eventmagreviews@gmail.com 

Nonfiction: The creative nonfiction EVENT publishes mainly comes through their annual Non-Fiction Contest. The 2026 contest is now open for entries. They look for real-life experiences told as riveting narratives with distinct voices.

Submission guidelines here.

Anthology Short Story Competition

Deadline July 1, 2026

Anthology Magazine is a modern, inspirational and beautifully designed magazine that features luxury goods and services such as exciting travel destinations, fine interiors, the latest in fashion and beauty and the best in arts and culture… Because beautiful things belong in print.

With a combination of high-profile interviews, fabulous fashion spreads, exotic travel stories, and the latest from today’s most innovative practitioners across arts and culture, Anthology is at the forefront of current trends.

Anthology established its short story competitions to recognize and encourage creative writing and provide a platform for publication. Open to original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. There is no restriction on theme or style. Stories submitted must not exceed the maximum of 1,500 words.

Genre: Short Story
Entry Fee: €18 per entry
Deadline: July 31, 2026
Prize: First prize of €1,000 and publication in a future issue of Anthology: second prize of €250; third prize of €150

Full contest details here.

Anthology also offers awards for poetry, photography, cover art, travel fiction, flash fiction, and personal memoir – so whatever you’re writing, you might check them out here. 

The International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir 

Deadline July 1, 2026

Memoir writing, or personal essay, is defined as a work of creative nonfiction that illustrates a personal experience using literary techniques and narrative devices such as dialogue, character, setting and scene.

Rather than simply recounting past events, successful memoir tends to offer a higher perspective on that past, use personal experience as an illustration of universal themes and/or endeavour to derive meaning, understanding or wisdom from the story it sketches. The quality of the writing is as important as the content of the story.

Note: Travel writing told from a personal perspective does qualify as memoir.

This is a prose competition, so poetic prose (or prose poetry) is eligible, but poetry that is not prose is better submitted to a poetry contest. (Still not sure if your work qualifies? If your work looks like poetry, then that is what it is.)

Submissions must be no longer than 2,000 words. There is no minimum word count requirement. An excerpt of a longer unpublished work is eligible, so long as it works as a stand-alone piece.

Entry Fee: $25 per submission, payable in the writer’s home currency (including AUD, NZD, GB£).

Proceeds from the contest are donated to Amy’s Living Legacy for ovarian cancer research.

Full contest details here.

The CBC Poetry Prize

Deadline: June 1 at 4:59 p.m. ET

ET. Make sure you read the complete rules and regulations before submitting. If you are ready to submit, you may do so here.

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

Four finalists each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and their work is also published on CBC Books.

The prize is open to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory of residence, whether living in Canada or abroad.

You can submit an original, unpublished poem or collection of poems. The submission will be judged as a whole and must be a maximum of 600 words (including titles). There is no minimum word requirement.

Work that has been published online or in print or recorded for broadcast is considered "previously published" and is not eligible.

While the competition is active, submit online by creating an account through Submittable. A fee of $25 (taxes included) for administration purposes is required for each entry.

Full contest rules here.

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CANSCAIP’s Writing for Children Competition 

Deadline May 31 2025.

Every entry receives a written evaluation from a traditionally published CANSCAIP member volunteer reader. Entries advancing to the second round receive another evaluation, and entries on the shortlist receive evaluations from each jury member.  

Four $500 cash prizes are awarded to the winning Middle Grade and Young Adult entries, and to the top two Picture Book entries. Two finalists in each category are also selected. The winners and finalists are given time to revise their entries before CANSCAIP submits them to Annick Press, Kids Can Press and Scholastic Canada for evaluations. 

Writers retain full copyright of their entries.

Entries must be in English and can be fiction or nonfiction.

Picture Book: submit complete story up to 1,000 words

Middle Grade or Young Adult: submit first 1,500 words

Text only; no illustrations for all entries

Previously submitted entries may be resubmitted

Eligibility:

Canadian citizens or permanent residents over the age of 18.

Unpublished or self-published writers with no traditionally published books for any age, and not currently under contract with a traditional publisher. 

Writers are eligible if prior publication is limited to articles or other content in collections or anthologies, textbooks, magazines or newspapers, legal or academic publications, etc.

Entry fee:

CANSCAIP Friends: $40 one entry, $70 two entries, $90 three entries. 

Non-members: $50 one entry, $85 two entries, $105 three entries. 

Want to become a Friend to get the lower entry fee? Join before you register.

Complete submission guidelines here.

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