Short Story & Poetry Contest Deadline: Nov. 30, 2009

FolioAlley
2009 Writing Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 11/30/09

Eligible Entry: short story or poem with the theme "Alley Cats and Alley Rats"

Open to: members of folioalley.com and U.S. residents, 18 years old or older

Entry Fee: None

Prize: $500

Novel, Novella, Short Story Collection, Poetry Chapbook Contests Deadline: Oct.. 15, 2009 (Sept. 30 for Novels)

New Rivers Press
Many Voices Project

Submission Period: Deadline: 10/15/09

Eligible Entry: 50 - 80 page poetry chapbook, short story collection or novella of 100-200 pages, novel or memoirs up to 400 pages

Open to: writers who have not published more than 2 books

Entry Fee: $20

Prize: $1,000 and standard publication contract

Screenwriting and Fiction Fellowships Deadline: Nov. 02, 2009

New York Foundation for the Arts
NYFA Artists' Fellowships in Creative Writing

Submission Period: Deadline: 11/02/09

Eligible Entry: application for fiction and playwriting/screenwriting fellowships available on the website

Open to: residents of New York

Entry Fee:

Prize: $7,000

Novel Contest Deadline: Oct. 02, 2009

The National Writers United Service Organization
The Bellwether Prize for Fiction

Submission Period: Deadline: 10/02/09

Eligible Entry: unpublished novel of at least 80,000 words

Open to: United States citizens who have not published a book that sold more than 10,000 copies, must have some publication record

Entry Fee: $25

Prize: $25,000, and will enter into a publishing contract

Short Short Story Contest Deadline: Dec. 08, 2009

American Short Fiction
Short Story Contest

Submission Period: 09/15/09 - 12/08/09

Eligible Entry: unpublished short story of 6,000 words or less

Open to: Current employees or others affiliated with Badgerdog Literary Publishing are ineligible

Entry Fee: $20

Prize: 1st Prize: $1,000 and publication
2nd Prize: $500

Homeland Security Essay Contest Deadline: Jan. 31, 2010

The Coast Guard Compass
Homeland Security Essay Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 01/31/10

Eligible Entry: essay of 5 pages or less that answers the question: How can, or should, the United States make Homeland Security a more layered, networked, and resilient endeavor involving all citizens?

Open to: No restrictions indicated

Entry Fee: None

Prize: $1,500

Creative Essay Contest Deadline: Oct. 31, 2009

DIAGRAM
Hybrid Essay Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 10/31/09

Eligible Entry: a fusion of essay and another artistic form, audio and poetry are given as examples, entries must be unpublished outside of personal blogs

Open to: people who have relationships with the judges, Ander Monson and Nicole Walker, are not eligible

Entry Fee: $15

Prize: $1,000 plus publication

Short Story, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry Contest Deadline: Nov. 01, 2009

CBC Radio Canada
CBC Literary Awards

Submission Period: Deadline: 11/01/09

Eligible Entry: original, unpublished short story, poetry, or creative nonfiction in English or French

Open to: Canadian citizens and permanent residents

Entry Fee: $20

Prize: 1st Prize: $6,000
2nd Prize: $4,000
Winners are published in enRoute magazine.

Short Story Competition Deadline: Dec. 18, 2009

The Willesden Herald
International Short Story Competition

Submission Period: Deadline: 12/18/09

Eligible Entry: unpublished short story of 8,000 words or less

Open to: International entries welcome. No restrictions indicated

Entry Fee: £3

Prize: 1st Prize: £300
2nd Prize: £150 (2 runners up)

Top ten stories will be published.

Short Short Story Contest Deadline: Nov. 01, 2009

Reed Magazine
John Steinbeck Award

Submission Period: Deadline: 11/01/09

Eligible Entry: unpublished stories up to 6,000 words

Open to: employees and board members of the National Steinbeck Center, REED Magazine, or the Center for Steinbeck Studies are not eligible

Entry Fee: $15

Prize: $1,000 and publication in Reed Magazine

All entrants receive a copy of Reed Magazine.

Novel Contest - SC Residents - Deadline: Jan. 05, 2010

The South Carolina Arts Commission
FY2010 First Novel Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 01/05/10

Eligible Entry: unpublished novel of 150-400 pages

Open to: S.C. residents 18 years old or older who have never published a novel

Entry Fee: $25

Prize: book publication contract and $1,000 advance on royalties

*I would like to create a list of novel contests. If you know of one that should be added to the list, please leave a comment with the website address of the contest guidelines. Thank you!

Fiction & Poetry Contest Deadline: Oct. 15, 2009

Dogwood Journal of Poetry & Prose
Fiction Prize

Submission Period: Deadline: 10/15/09

Eligible Entry: 25 pages of unpublished fiction for the Fiction Award or up to 3 unpublished poems (10 page maximum)

Open to: No restricitons indicated

Entry Fee: $15

Prize: $1,000 & publication for the Poetry & Fiction Awards

Dickens-Themed Short Story Contest Deadline: Oct. 01, 2009

Friends of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library
Scare the Dickens Out of Us Short Story Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 10/01/09

Eligible Entry: unpublished short story set around a December holiday; story must be 4,000 words or less and include a Dickens character

Open to: judges and their families are not eligible

Entry Fee: $20

Prize: 1st prize: $500 & trophy
2nd prize: $250
3rd prize: $150
local prize for Caldwell county, TX resident: $100

Short Short Story Contest Deadline: Dec. 01, 2009

Writer's Digest
Short Short Story Competition

Submission Period: Deadline: 12/01/09

Eligible Entry: unpublished short story 1,500 words or less (including the title)

Open to: no restrictions indicated

Entry Fee: $15

Prize: First Place: $3,000
Second Place: $1,500
Third Place: $500
Fourth Through Tenth Place: $100
Eleventh Through Twenty-Fifth Place: $50 gift certificate for Writer's Digest Books

Micro-fiction Contest Deadline: Nov. 01,2009

Lyrical Passion Poetry E-zine
Micro-fiction Competition

Submission Period: Deadline: 11/01/09

Eligible Entry: original, unpublished flash fiction story of 300 words or less

Open to: writers must be 18

Entry Fee: $3.00 per story; $7.00 for 3 stories

Prize: 1st Place Prize - $ 200.00 (US) & Certificate
2nd $ 70.00
3rd $ 30.00

Young Adult Novel Contest Deadline: Dec. 31, 2009

Delacorte Press Books
The Twenty-Eighth Annual Delacorte Press Contest for a First Young Adult Novel

Submission Period: 10/01/09 - 12/31/09

Eligible Entry: 100-224 page full length manuscripts for readers ages 12-18

Open to: U.S. and Canadian writers who have not previously published a young adult novel; empolyees of Random House and their families are not eligible

Entry Fee: None indicated

Prize: $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advance against royalties.

Fast Approaching Deadline! Sept. 15, 2009

Good Housekeeping
Short Story Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 09/15/09

Eligible Entry: unpublished short story 3,500 words or less about women's lives

Open to: United States residents 21 years old or older

Entry Fee: None

Prize: $3,000 and publication in the May 2010 issue of Good Housekeeping
2 runners up receive $750

'77 Short Story Contest Deadline: Oct. 15, 2009

Reading Writers
Seventy-Seven Writing Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 10/15/09

Eligible Entry: short story 1,000 words or less inspired by a song from 1977

Open to: international writers welcome

Entry Fee: None

Prize: $100 and publication in The Verb

Student Essay Contest Deadline: Oct. 15, 2009

Creative Communication
Essay Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 10/15/09

Eligible Entry: original poem of 250 words or less

Open to: students in grades K-12 in the United States or Canada

Entry Fee: none indicated in the guidelines

Prize: $50 savings bond, publication in an anthology, a free copy of the anthology

Fiction & Poetry Chapbook Contest Deadline: Feb. 15, 2010

Gertrude Press
Poetry and Fiction Chapbook Contest

Submission Period: 8/01/09 - 2/15/10

Eligible Entry: 16-20 pages of poetry or fiction, any subject matter

Open to: no restrictions indicated

Entry Fee: $15

Prize: $50 cash award50 complimentary copies of the chapbook

Flash Fiction Contest Deadline: Oct. 01, 2009

Southeast Missouri State University Press
The Wilda Hearne Flash Fiction Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 10/01/09

Eligible Entry: unpublished short story, 500 words or less

Open to: no restrictions indicated

Entry Fee: $10

Prize: $200 and publication in Big Muddy: A Journal of the Mississippi River Valley

Short Story Contest Deadline: Oct. 01, 2009

Southeast Missouri State University Press
Misty River Short Story Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 10/01/09

Eligible Entry: unpublished short story 30 pages or less

Open to: No restrictions indicated

Entry Fee: $15

Prize: $500 and publication in Big Muddy: A Journal of the Mississippi River Valley

Novel, Short Story, and Poetry Contests Deadline: Nov. 30, 2009 (Sept. 30 for Novels)

Birmingham-Southern College
Hackney Literary Awards

Submission Period: Deadline: 11/30/09; 09/30/09 for novels

Eligible Entry: short story- less than 5,000 words; poetry- less than 50 lines

Open to: writers in the United States

Entry Fee: novels- $25; short stories- $15; poetry- $10

Prize: national and state prizes
1st place: $600
2nd place: $400
3rd place: $250

Dialogue Short Story Contest Deadline: Sept. 30, 2009

Bartleby Snopes Literary Magazine
Bartleby Snopes Writing Contest

Submission Period: Deadline: 09/30/09

Eligible Entry: a short story entirely made of dialogue, must be unpublished

Open to: No restrictions indicated.

Entry Fee: $10 for unlimited entries

Prize: at least $250 (see contest guidelines)

This sounds like a fun challenge. You can't even use dialogue taglines ("he said", "she said") in the story.