Short Story Contests that Pay Well
Writing is arguably one of the high-paying jobs as compared to most editing jobs. Moreover, you might be earning a lesser figure or a higher one depending on your writing skills and the type of writing you are into. Most writers generate earnings from SEO writing, Kindle publishing, copywriting, and others. Well, it might be surprising to be informed that short story writing contests are now paying higher figures to their winners as opposed to before.
However, if you are a short storyteller or writer, I will be helping you with short story contests that pay well. So, you should take chances.
Short Story Contests That Pay Well
The Reedsy Prompts Contest
- Winning Prize – $250
- Additionally Prizes – $25 credit toward Reedsy editorial services
- Entry Requirements – $5
- Genres – Fiction, Short Story
- Deadline – December 31, 2023
The Reedsy sends out five writing prompts every Friday for short storytellers.
All the writer needs to do is to enter their response within a week to win $250, hopefully. In addition, you may be included in a future issue of Reedsy’s literary magazine if you eventually win the contest.
Hastings Book Festival
- Winning Prize – £250
- Additionally Prizes – £100 2nd | £50 3rd
- Entry Requirements – $9
- Genres – Short Story
- Deadline – July 14, 2023
Hastings’s book has one of the most organized short story contests. It is a contest organized by VG Lee. All you have to do is to enter a short story using any theme within a 2,500-word count.
Raymond Carver Short Story Contest
- Winning Prize – $2,000
- Additionally Prizes – 2nd: $500 | 3rd: $250 | 2x $125 (Editor’s Choice)
- Entry Requirements – $18
- Genres – Fiction, Short Story
- Deadline – May 17, 2023
A couple of researchers have it that The Raymond Carver Short Story Contest is one of the most renowned fiction contests across the globe. The contest features prominent guest judges and offers $3,000 across five prizes. Moreover, the contest is more of an entertainment because it publishes new fiction from writers across the globe.
Drue Heinz Literature Prize
- Winning Prize – $15,000
- Additional Prizes – Publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press
- Entry Requirements – Free
- Genres – Fiction, Short Story
- Deadline – June 30, 2023
Drue Heinz Literature Prize works hand in hand with The University of Pittsburgh Press to organize and support writers of short stories, then publish and make their work available for their audience to go through. The contest is mainly meant for authors who have published a lengthy collection of fiction – at least three short stories or novellas in literary journals or commercial magazines.
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Seán O’Faoláin International Short Story Competition
- Winning Prize – €2,000
- Additional Prizes – Residency at Anam Cara Retreat, Featured reading at the Cork International Short Story Festival, Publication in Southword
- Entry Requirements – $21
- Genres – Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story
- Deadline – July 31, 2023
For such a top-notch fiction contest by Munster Literature Centre, it is usually original, unbroadcast, and unpublished short stories using the English language of the 3,000-word count. The contest does not in any way, support racism. However, your story can be on any subject, any style by a writer irrespective of nationality, tribe, and religion, and from any part of the world.
George Dila Memorial Flash Fiction Contest
- Winning Prize – 100 x3 Winning Stories
- Additional Prizes – Publication in Third Wednesday magazine
- Entry Requirements – $6
- Genres – Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story
- Deadline – August 15, 2023
George Dila Memorial Flash Fiction contest is one of the most entertaining fiction and short story contests organized by Third Wednesday.
Unlike other fiction contests that demand a significant amount of dollars before joining, the George Dila Memorial Flash Fiction contest only requires you to pay $3 to compete.
TWFest Very Short Fiction Contest
- Winning Prize – $500
- Additional Prizes – VIP all-access pass to the next festival, where you will give a public reading.
- Entry Requirements – $10
- Genres – Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story
- Deadline – October 15, 2023
Organized by Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival are another fiction, short story, and entertaining contest that every short story writer would wish for.
A submission is one original short story written in English, up to 1,000 words. This contest is open only to emerging writers who have not yet published a book of short fiction with an ISBN.
TWFest Poetry Contest
- Winning Prize – $1,000
- Additional Prizes – VIP Festival pass ($600 value)
- Entry Requirements – $15
- Genres – Poetry
- Deadline – October 15, 2023
For the TWFest Poetry contest, you only need to submit a collection of 2-4 original, unpublished poems of any style or theme, written in English, with a combined word count of 400+.
This contest is open only to emerging writers who have not yet published a book of poetry with an ISBN. Those who have published books in other genres besides poetry remain eligible too.
TWFest One-Act Play Contest
- Winning Prize – $1,500
- Additional Prizes – Professional Staged Reading at the next Festival
- Entry Requirements – $25
- Genres – Script Writing
- Deadline – October 01, 2023
Still organized by Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival is a very hectic short story contest. This contest runs no more than one hour in length (one act or approx. 60 pages), and it is for emerging or previously unpublished playwrights.
Memo’s Write to Win
- Winning Prize – $750 For the Most Engaging Memo
- Additionally, Prizes of – 750 For the Most Read Memo | and $500 for the Editor’s Pick
- Entry Requirements – FREE
- Genres – Non-fiction
- Deadline – May 31, 2023
The Memo’s “Write To Win” contest is for new writers who have something to say and who like saying it succinctly.
A Memo is a shareable and bulleted essay of 300-800 words – think Twitter threads without the noise of Twitter. A Memo can be a –
- Profile of a famous person
- Summary of a classic or new book
- Point of view or opinion pieces
- Revelation (e.g. career insights.)
Well, if you love writing short stories and scripts, Memo is one of the best options for you.