May's Writing Contests & Opportunity
Vetted Shortlists for The Busy Writer
These lists are to help you submit your work without information overload. Let’s keep progressing your story.
Below is a carefully curated selection a few great vetted opportunities to keep you writing and submitting without analysis paralysis. Every month, I post 1-2 top-tier opportunities in the following categories that are worth your time and $ to submit:
Poetry
Fiction
Short/Flash/Micro fiction
Essay/Nonfiction
and usually Grants or Fellowships
Poetry:
1. Bridport Prize – 2025 Poetry Competition
The Bridport Prize Poetry Award is an internationally recognized contest celebrating excellence in poetry. Open to writers worldwide, this prize offers significant cash awards, anthology publication, and agent exposure.
Prizes:
1st Prize: £5,000 + anthology publication
2nd Prize: £1,000
3rd Prize: £500
10 Highly Commended: £100 each
Winning poems are eligible for submission to the Forward Prizes for Poetry
All shortlisted poems are considered by A.M. Heath Literary Agency
Eligibility:
🥚pen to writers aged 16 and over
Any nationality, writing in English
Poems must be unpublished, unbroadcast, and unawarded
Simultaneous submissions allowed (must notify if accepted elsewhere)
Submission Guidelines:
Poem Length: Up to 42 lines (title excluded)
Deadline: May 31, 2025 (11:59 PM BST)
Entry Fee: £12 per poem
Submit in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf, or .txt format
Anonymous judging—no identifying information in the file or filename
2. 2025 South Dakota State Poetry Society Chapbook Contest (Non-Member Entry)
The South Dakota State Poetry Society (SDSPS) is accepting submissions for its 2025 Chapbook Contest. Open to South Dakota residents only, this contest invites poets to submit original chapbook-length manuscripts for blind review and publication.
Prize:
Publication of the winning chapbook
10 author copies
Rights revert to author after publication
Eligibility:
Open to South Dakota residents only
Non-members may enter for a higher fee
Individual poems may have been published, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished
Poems only — no prose accepted
Manuscripts must be submitted anonymously (no identifying information in file)
Submission Guidelines:
Submit up to 30 pages of poetry (1 poem per page, though individual poems may be multi-page)
Include the following in your manuscript:
Title page (title only, no name)
Table of contents
Poems (with titles/page numbers only)
Acknowledgments page for previously published poems
Include a separate cover letter with your name, bio, and chapbook title
Key Dates & Fees:
DEADLINE: May 1, 2025
Entry fee: $20 (non-members) | $15 (SDSPS members)
Fiction:
The Pinch – Fiction Submissions (Spring 2026 Issue)
The Pinch, the literary journal of the University of Memphis, is open for fiction submissions for its upcoming Spring 2026 issue, as well as consideration in its online sister publication, PJO. This is a great opportunity for both short story and flash fiction writers.
Submission Guidelines:
Deadline MAY 31st.
Submit ONE:
1 full-length short story (preferably under 4,000 words)
OR
up to 3 flash fiction pieces (each under 1,000 words)
All pieces must be submitted in a single file
No translations, excerpts, scripts, or plays
Anonymous submissions only — do not include your name, cover letter, or bio in the document
Title your submission using the title(s) of the story/stories
Format:
Double-spaced
12-point Times New Roman
1-inch margins
Numbered pages
Other Notes:
Simultaneous submissions accepted, but notify immediately if accepted elsewhere
Please wait for a response before sending another submission
Short/Flash/Micro Fiction:
1. Bridport Prize Short Story Award
The Bridport Prize Short Story Award is one of the UK’s most respected and well-established prizes for fiction writers. With a top award of £5,000 and opportunities for agent exposure and further recognition, it’s a major international contest for new and emerging talent.
Prizes:
1st Prize: £5,000 + publication in the Bridport Prize anthology
2nd Prize: £1,000 + anthology publication
3rd Prize: £500 + anthology publication
10 Highly Commended: £100 each + anthology publication
Shortlisted UK-based authors are submitted to the BBC National Short Story Award
All shortlisted work is read by A.M. Heath Literary Agency for potential representation
Eligibility:
Writers aged 16+
Open to any nationality, writing in English
Stories must be unpublished, unbroadcast, and unawarded
Simultaneous submissions allowed (must withdraw if accepted elsewhere)
Submission Guidelines:
Word count: Up to 5,000 words
Entry Fee: £14 per story
No identifying information on manuscript or filename (anonymous judging)
Submit in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf, or .txt format
Manuscript must be double-spaced, 12pt font, with pages numbered
Deadline: May 31, 2025 (11:59 PM BST)
2. Bridport Prize – 2025 Flash Fiction Competition
The Bridport Prize Flash Fiction Award offers international recognition and publication for short-short fiction writers. It's part of one of the UK's most prestigious literary prizes and is judged anonymously to ensure fairness.
Prizes:
1st Prize: £1,000 + publication in the Bridport Prize anthology
2nd Prize: £500
3rd Prize: £250
Highly Commended: £100 each (10 total)
All shortlisted entries are read by A.M. Heath Literary Agents
Eligibility:
Open to writers aged 16 and over, of any nationality
Stories must be unpublished, unbroadcast, and not under consideration elsewhere
Simultaneous submissions allowed (withdraw if accepted)
Submission Guidelines:
Word Limit: Maximum 250 words
Deadline: May 31, 2025 (11:59 PM BST)
Entry Fee: £11 per story
Submit in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf, or .txt format
Anonymous judging: no author name or identifying info in document or filename
Standard formatting: 12pt font, double-spaced, numbered pages
NonFiction:
Trio House Press – 2025 Aurora Polaris Award (Creative Nonfiction)
Trio House Press sponsors three annual manuscript awards—two for poetry and one for creative nonfiction—plus an open reading period. Each award includes $1,000, book publication, and marketing support.
Open to all writers
Submission deadline: May 15, 2025
Length: 45,000–80,000 words
General Guidelines:
Entry Fee: $25 per manuscript (contest periods only)
Simultaneous submissions allowed (must withdraw if accepted elsewhere)
U.S. residents only
Manuscripts must be unpublished (ISBN = published)
Submissions generated in any part by AI are not allowed
All submissions must be in English
What to Include:
One PDF or Word file with your manuscript
Acknowledgments page for previously published sections
Title page (no name), table of contents, and all front matter
Cover letter with bio and contact info submitted separately
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
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POEtic Threads!
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.
