Here’s to another year of writing!

Submitting to a contest is a great way to stay consistent with your writing. After all, nobody is nagging you to finish that short story — it’s a personal project and you need to motivate yourself. Writing contests give you deadlines, pushing you to write and polish the draft so that it is reader ready.

Additionally, entering writing contests is a fantastic way to support the literary community, and who knows, you might even win some money for your stories.

So let’s get right to it! Make a goal to submit to one of these literary contests in 2020.

Now for the writing contest (contest details are subject to change):

The Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction – PRISM

Prize: $1,500 grand prize

Deadline: January 15, 2020

Entry Fee:

Canadian: $35 CDN

USA: $40 USD

International: $45

Max Length: 4000 words

More details at PRISM international

2020 Calibre Essay Prize

Grand Prize: $5,000

Deadline: January 15, 2020

Entry Fee:

Online entry (current ABR subscriber) – $15

Online entry (full-time student) – $15

Online entry (standard/non subscriber) – $25*

Max Length: 5,000 words

Judges: J.M. Coetzee, Lisa Gorton, and Peter Rose

More details at the Australian Book Review

Room Creative Fiction Contest

Prizes:

First: $1,000 + publication in Room

Second: $250 + publication in Room

Honourable mention: $50 publication on Room’s website

Open: January 8, 2020

Entry Fee:

Canadian: $35 CAD

USA: $42 USD

Length: TBD

Note: Open to women, trans, two-spirited, and genderqueer people.

More details at Room Magazine

Novella Prize Contest – Malahat Review

Prize: $CAN 1,500

Deadline: February 1, 2020

Entry Fee:

Canadian: $35 CDN

USA: $40 USD

International: $45

Max Length: 20,000 words

More details at Malahat Review

The Breakwater Fiction Contest

Prize: $1000 and publication in our Winter issue

Deadline: February 1, 2020

Entry Fee: $10.00 USD

Length: 5,000 words

More details at Breakwater

The Journey Prize

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: February 12, 2020

Entry Fee: No Fees

Submission: Stories previously published in print, electronic, and online in 2019. PRINT refers to stories published in a hard copy form. ELECTRONIC refers to stories published ONLINE ONLY, regardless of whether a publication is primarily a print or online publication.

More details at The Journey Prize

CBC Literary Prizes – Nonfiction

Prize: $6,000

Deadline: February 29, 2020

Entry Fee: $25.00 (taxes included)

Length: 2,000 words

More details at CBC

The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest – The New Quarterly

Prize: $1000

Deadline: March 28, 2020

Entry Fee: $40

Length: No word limit

More details at The New Quarterly

Short Grain Contest

Prize: $1,000 and publication in Grain

Deadline: April 1, 2020

Entry Fee: $40

Length: 2,500 words

More details at Grain Magazine

The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest

Deadline: May 28, 2020

Prize: $1000 and a one-year Duotrope Gift Certificate ($50 USD value)

Entry Fee: $40

Length: no word limit

More details at The New Quarterly

Room Creative Non-fiction Contest

Prize:

FIRST PRIZE: $500 + publication in Room

SECOND PRIZE: $250 + publication in Room

HONOURABLE MENTION: $50 publication on Room’s website

Deadline: June 1, 2020

Entry Fee:

Canadian: $35 CAD

USA: $42 USD

Length: TBD

Note: Open to women, trans, two-spirited, and genderqueer people.

More details at Room Magazine

PRISM CREATIVE NON-FICTION CONTEST

Prize:

Grand prize: $1,500

Runner-up: $600

Second Runner-up: $400

Deadline: July 15, 2020

Entry Fee:

Canadian: $35 CAD

USA: $40 USD

International: $45 USD

Length: 6,000 words

More details at PRISM international

Constance Rooke Creative Nonfiction Prize

Prize: $1,000

Deadline: Aug 1, 2020

Entry Fee:

Canadian: $35 CAD

USA: $40 USD

International: $45 USD

Length: 2,000 and 3,000 words

More details at Malahat Review

The QueryLetter.com Back Cover Book Blurb Contest

Prize: $500

Deadline: September 15, 2020

Length: 100 words

More details at TheQueryLetter.com

CBC Short Story Prize

Prize: $6000

Deadline: Oct 31, 2020

Entry Fee: $25

Length: 2500 words

More details at CBC

Prairie Fire Short Story Contest (Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction)

Prize: $1,250

Deadline: November 30, 2020

Entry Fee: $32

Length: Fiction (10,000 words max); Creative Non-Fiction (5,000 words max)

More details at Prairie Fire

Know of any other Canadian writing contest? Please share it in the comments.

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