I was just researching this because a friend asked, and honestly, the ones with the biggest numbers aren't always the most visible. The Reedsy platform runs a weekly contest with a $500 prize, which adds up if you're consistent, but the submission window is tight. For sheer scale, the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition used to have a $10,000 grand prize funded by sponsors, though I think the structure changed recently. A lot of the 'big money' contests seem to be tied to specific genres or very niche themes from private foundations, which can feel a bit like winning the lottery.
What surprised me was discovering some university-affiliated short story contests for 'emerging writers' that offer upwards of $2,500. They aren't advertised on mainstream writing sites, you have to dig through university English department pages. The catch is they often require the work to be unpublished anywhere, even on a personal blog, which is a huge commitment for a single piece. It makes you weigh whether locking a story away for a year for a chance at a prize is better than just publishing it serially online and building an audience. Still, for a clean, unpublished manuscript, those can be a decent shot.
Big prizes usually mean insane competition. The Bath Novel Award and the Sunday Times Short Story Award come to mind—prizes can hit five figures. But you're up against thousands. I've had more luck focusing on smaller, themed contests from indie presses. The cash might be $200-$500, but your odds feel slightly more human. It's less about the money and more about getting a 'winner' credit for your bio.
Don't overlook contests run by genre magazines. 'Locus' for speculative fiction and 'The Writers of the Future' contest are famous for their payouts and career launch potential. The latter is quarterly with a $1,000 first prize per quarter, and then annual grand prizes can be $5,000 or more. I knew someone who placed as a finalist; it didn't make them rich, but the anthology publication got them an agent.
The money is tempting, but the entry fees can really drain you if you're not strategic. I calculate a rough 'fee-to-prize' ratio before entering anything. A $20 fee for a $1,000 prize is one thing; a $25 fee for a $200 prize feels less worth the effort. Sometimes the smaller, no-fee contests run by literary journals offer better exposure per unit of writerly stress.
2026-07-12 15:33:27
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"You're the eldest son—like a father to them. Don't fight with them over this, okay?"
I glanced down at the faded down jacket I had worn for years, the fabric so worn that it had lost its color.
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The next second, my voice turned cold.
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