Want to get a jump on your writing contest submissions for March 2025? Here's a quick list to get you started. :)
Remember, when making a list of writing contests to enter, use your common sense and listen to your gut. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Click away and go find a different, better contest to enter.
(Quotes included in this post are from the contest sites themselves.)
New Brunswick Writing Competition
Contest Entry Period: January 1st to March 31, 2025
Entry Fee: Varies by category. The Sheree Fitch Prize for Teen Writers is free to enter (for teens 13-18).
Special Requirements: Must be a resident of New Brunswick, or a WFNB member.
Theme: None. There are eight categories to choose from: Fiction Manuscript, Short Fiction, Poetry Manuscript, Single Poem, Books for Young People, Teen Writers, Nonfiction, and Screenwriting. Submission fees vary for each category.
Age Category: None found, except for The Sheree Fitch Prize for Teen Writers (open to teens ages 13-18). I don't think there are age categories specified for any other categories.
Rights Information: None found. To the best of my knowledge, winning stories aren't actually published by WFNB, only their titles are announced.
Prizes: Prizes vary by category.
You can find the full guidelines here. Read them over carefully, as always.
Here is a link to information on how to format and submit entries.
Links to the individual categories are listed above, under Theme.
Ten Minute Play Contest
Contest Deadline: "The contest will open for online submissions on January 8, 2025. The contest will close when either 250 entries are received, or at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on April 1, 2025 (whichever of these happens first)."
Entry Fee: NONE.
Special Requirements: See Age Category.
Theme: None.
Age Category: "Eligible students are in the eleventh grade in the U.S. or international equivalent of the eleventh grade."
Rights Information: You retain ownership to your play.
Prizes: 1st Prize, $500; 2nd Prize, $250; 3rd Prize, $100
One entry per person.
Ten pages max. 1 page = 1 minute
You can find more information here.
Sarah Mook Poetry Contest for Students (Grades K-12)
Contest Deadline: This is a mail-in contest, entries must be postmarked March 31 at the latest.
Entry Fee: FREE (donation optional, but appreciated)
Special Requirements: Grades K-12, no older.
Theme: None found.*
Age Category:
Rights Information: There is no mention of rights on the website, you can decide whether that concerns you or not. I believe there is an email address listed at the bottom of each site page, which you could contact through if you feel it is necessary.
Prizes: Four categories: Grades K-2; Grades 3-5; Grades 6-8; and Grades 9-12. Prizes within each category are all the same. 1st Prize, $100; 2nd Prize, $50; 3rd Prize, $25.
This contest is in memory of Sarah Mook. You can read a bit more about her here.
"Winners will be announced in late May."
Each person may submit up to two poems.
I believe that the previous year's contest entries are put up on the site.
You can find the full guidelines here.
*Often when I run across a writing contest I want to enter that has no specified theme, I like to see if I can find previous winning entries. These can often help you get a feel for what the contest judge is looking for. This time, I've tracked down some previous winners for you. The Sarah Mook Contest Results 2024 page also includes a list of criteria that final judge Marie Kane uses when she is picking the winners!
Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition
Contest Deadline: March 15, 2025. Entries must be in by midnight.
Entry Fee: NONE.
Special Requirements: See Age Category.
Theme: None
Age Category: Highschool.
Rights Information: I did not see any discussion of rights on this contest listing. Decide for yourself how you feel about that. I find that the rules are slightly unclear, yet apparently this contest has been run since 1988 all the way to present, so perhaps it is fine.
Prizes: "Two high school students will be selected and scheduled to read their original work for Café Muse with established poet, Michelle Garcia King, Prince William Poet Laureate, emerita, on Monday, June 2, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. They will receive an honorarium."
If you want to know a bit more about Café Muse, go here.
"The Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition provides an annual opportunity for two high school students to read their original work with an established poet. The winners are selected by an independent judge. "
To find the full contest information, go here.