JAN/FEB Contests & Opportunities
Your Monthly Submission Shortlist
These Monthly Roundups are to help you submit your work without information overload. Let’s keep progressing your story.
Below is a curated selection a few great vetted opportunities to keep you writing and submitting without analysis paralysis. Every month, I post 1-2 strategic opportunities, in the following categories, that are worth your time and $ to submit.
Poetry
Prose
Grants, Awards, Fellowships, or Residencies.
Workshops, Retreats, or Conferences.
POETRY
Terry J. Cox Poetry Award — Regal House Publishing
Full-length poetry manuscript prize (48–100 pages) offering $1,000 + book publication. Individual poems may have been previously published if rights are retained.
Deadline: January 31, 2026
Fee: $25
🔗 https://regalhousepublishing.com/the-terry-j-cox-poetry-award/
Phyllis Smart-Young Prize in Poetry — The Madison Review
Awarded for a single submission of unpublished poems (up to 15 pages). Includes $1,000 + Spring issue publication.
Deadline: February 1, 2026
🔗 https://madisonreview.submittable.com/submit
Yeats Poetry Prize — WB Yeats Society of NY
International poetry prize for unpublished poems in English (≤ 60 lines).
1st Prize: $1,000, 2nd Prize: $500
Includes publication in the judge’s report, a commemorative plaque, and a two-year Society membership.
Judge (2026): Joseph O. Legaspi
Deadline: February 1, 2026
Fee: $15 first poem / $12 additional
🔗 https://yeats.submittable.com/submit
Rejected Poetry Prize — Palette Poetry
Celebrates strong poems previously rejected elsewhere.
1st Prize: $3,000 + publication
Additional prizes and finalist publications
Deadline: January 31, 2026
Fee: $20 (up to 3 poems)
🔗 https://www.palettepoetry.com/the-2025-26-rejected-poetry-prize/
PROSE
Kenyon Review Short Fiction Contest
Prize for unpublished short fiction (≤ 4,000 words). Includes publication in The Kenyon Review and a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Writers Workshops.
Deadline: January 31 (annual)
Fee: $24
🔗 https://kenyonreview.org/submit/short-fiction/
Edinburgh Short Story Award — Scottish Arts Trust
International short fiction prize offering £3,000 and publication in an annual anthology.
Fee: £10
Deadline: See Submittable listing
🔗 https://scottishartstrust.submittable.com/submit/339517/2026-edinburgh-short-story-award
AWP Award Series (Poetry, Fiction, CNF, Novel, Translation)
National awards across multiple genres. Prizes typically include cash awards and publication with partner presses or journals.
Deadlines: Vary by category (generally February–March)
Fee: ~$30–35
🔗 https://www.awpwriter.org/AWP/AWP/Contests/AWP-Award-Series/Overview.aspx
RESIDENCIES
Soaring Gardens Artists Retreat — Summer Residencies
Three-week, multi-disciplinary residencies (writing, visual art, music) in rural Pennsylvania. Housing, studio space, transportation support, and weekly communal meals included.
Deadline: January 9, 2026
https://oralermantrust.com
Write On, Door County — Dick Scuglik Memorial Residency & Scholarship
A collaborative residency focused on ekphrastic writing, pairing one writer with one visual artist (2026 artist: Laurel Grey). Includes travel assistance, stipend, and grocery allowance.
Deadline: January 15, 2026
🔗 https://writeondoorcounty.org/get-inspired-2/
CONFERENCE
AWP Conference & Bookfair — #AWP26
Hosted by: Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP)
Location: Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD (in-person) OR AWP Anywhere Pass (virtual)
The premier annual gathering for writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers. Hundreds of panels, readings, and the largest literary bookfair in North America. Event dates: March 4–7, 2026.
Event Details
Dates: March 4–7, 2026 (Baltimore & virtual).
Venue: Baltimore Convention Center.
Registration periods & sample rates:
Early Bird (Aug 11–Nov 24, 2025): Member $210 / Nonmember $330; Anywhere Pass member $110, nonmember $190.
Preregistration (Nov 25, 2025–Mar 3, 2026): Member $260 / Nonmember $380; Anywhere Pass member $120, nonmember $200.
On-site (Mar 4–7, 2026): Member $435 / Nonmember $540; Anywhere Pass member $130, nonmember $210.
Student & Senior rates available; Saturday-only pass $25 (on-site).
Participation Guidelines
Who should attend: Writers at any stage, educators, students, editors, publishers, and literary organizations.
Presenters: Discounted presenter rates; presenters must be linked to an accepted event.
Accessibility: On-site and virtual accessibility services; ADA-compliant.
Policies: Terms & Conditions and Anti-Harassment Policy apply to all attendees.
I know we can get lost in long lists, so hopefully these quality monthly sub-samplers will be helpful. If you apply, let me know in the comments—I’d love to cheer you on and post your success in the newsletter.
Happy Submitting!
♥ NJ
POEtic Threads: Apparel for Writers.
For those of us who live in words, edit with caffeine, and revise until our eyelids stick to our scleras. POEtic Threads focuses on comfortable, wearable pieces, that nod to the writing life: for when you’re deep in the draft trenches, heading to a reading/book club, or just want to be cozy.
