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Free Writing Contests And Resources For Finding More
NOTE: This post was originally published in May 2018. I updated the contest deadlines and reworked parts of the post for clarity February 2020. I also updated links so they lead to the most current book editions.
Finding opportunities to get your writing published can feel very daunting, so I want to share some literary contests that can help you get your words in front of an audience. I’ve had eight poems published in literary journals, and I’m slowly working on getting more of my writing out into the world. I’ll also share tips I’ve discovered and resources I’ve found helpful in my search for writing contests.
Literary journals are a great way to get published. Some exist solely online, others are print, and many have a blend of both. They often accept poetry, short fiction, short nonfiction, artwork, and photography. If you want to get published and you’ve never explored literary journals, now is a great time to dive in.
I’ve compiled a short list of literary journal contests that are free to enter. The prize money for these contests is pretty modest, but its a great start. The contests with large cash prizes often charge a submission fee, and I wanted to create a post with only free opportunities. The resources at the end of this post will help you find more contests, whether they be free or pay-to-play.
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How to Set Writing Goals for the Year
I hope this list inspires you to set writing goals of your own for this year. I’m reviewing the writing goals I set in 2017 to help me choose my writing goals for 2018.
Last year was the first time I set concrete writing goals for myself. I divided the list into 7 yearly goals and 4 monthly goals. The monthly goals are the stepping stones that make the yearly goals achievable.
I chose goals that were clear and measurable (for instance, “edit two poems,” vs. the more vague “write more poetry”).
How did setting goals help me? Being able to keep track of what I accomplished encouraged me to keep going. Also, since I deal with daily exhaustion and brain fog, it helped to have a concise list to refer to. Instead of spending time and energy trying to decide where to start or what to work on next, I pulled out my list, picked a to-do, and did my best. I saw a lot of progress as I reviewed my goals each month, and I hope you do to.
