Contests & Awards
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| © Susi Schaefer |
Submitting your work to contests and awards is a great way to get your work noticed. Here's a list of submission opportunities for children's writing and illustrating. We normally only list contests that do not require an entry fee.
Also, check out these other compilations of contests:
- Sub It Club's monthly lists of contests (see their contest roundup calendar)
- Funds for Writers
- Lee & Low's roundup of Awards & Grants for Authors of Color
- Institute for Children's Literature runs contests (for fee)
- Poet & Writer's Database of Writing Contests (includes fee contests)
Before entering a contest, pay attention to warning signs:Writing Contests are Important: How to Choose the Right Ones from the Scams; Awards Profiteers: How Writers Can Recognize Them and Why They Should Avoid Them
Twitter Pitch contests & 1st Five Pages Workshop by Adventures in YA Publishing
Most Popular Twitter Pitch Parties
James Cross Giblin Scholarship for Highlights Foundations courses
Four on 400 (every month, deadline 5th day of each month)
What I Gained from Contests (Besides my Agent)
Draw This!
Most Popular Twitter Pitch Parties
James Cross Giblin Scholarship for Highlights Foundations courses
Four on 400 (every month, deadline 5th day of each month)
- What: Comment on the contest announcement on the 4th of each month for a chance to submit your first 400 words of an MG or YA ms
- Prize: Winner's entry will be posted on blog & critiqued by four members of The Winged Pen
What I Gained from Contests (Besides my Agent)
Draw This!
- What: monthly illustration challenge with a prompt, due 20th of each month
- Who: SCBWI members
- Prize: winning pieces featured in SCBWI's monthly newsletter
ONGONG
- What: apply for emergency funds during the pandemic
- Who: people of color in the children's publishing industry (agents, editors, authors, illustrators) who've been furloughed or lost their jobs
- Award: emergency funds
JANUARY 2021
Jan. 31 Good Story Grant
- What: apply for one of two $1500 grants to further your writing career
- Who: one grant available to everyone, one to a BIPOC writer
FEBRUARY
Feb. 11 #PBPitch
- What: Twitter pitch party for picture book creators (illustrators and authors)
- Prize: attention from agents & editors with invitations to query
Feb 12-14 6th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest
- What: submit Valentine's story for kids no more than 214 words about someone being brave
- Prizes: signed picture books, picture book critiques from authors and agents
APRIL
April 30, 2021 Astra International Picture Book Contest
- What: enter a picture book manuscript under 1000 words, not previously published or under consideration anywhere else
- Who: anyone over 21
- Prize: cash prizes $10,000, $5,000, $1,000 contingent on agreeing to giving publisher a one-year priority option to publish the book
MARCH
Mar 1-Mar 31 Karen & Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award
- What: Apply for $500 & free tuition to any SCBWI conference, in conjunction with the SCBWI WIP grant
- Who: SCBWI members, unpublished, 50 years of age or older
- Prize: $500 & free tuition to any SCBWI conference
APRIL
Mar. 1-Apr. 1 SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grants
- What: apply for 1 of 7 categories (PB text, CB, MG, YA, NF, multicultural fiction or NF, translation)
- Who: SCBWI members, do not submit work under contract
- Prize: selected works will be showcased in a private website to acquiring editors
Mar. 1- Apr. 1 Don Freeman Work-In-Progress Grant
- What: apply for one of 2 $1,000 grants (one for a published, one for un-published illustrator)
- Who: SCBWI members working on a picture book dummy or portfolio; do not submit a project under contract
- Prize: $1,000
Feb. 1-April 10 Ann Whitford Paul-Writer's Digest Manuscript Award
- What: apply for a grant for the development of a PB manuscript under 1000 words
- Who: SCBWI member with PBs not under contract or not sold a PB manuscript in the last 5 years
- Prize: $1000 grant
AUGUST
July 15-Aug 30 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Professional Development Award
- What: apply for a grant to develop of improve your art
- Who: SCBWI illustrators who have published 1-3 picture books
- Prize: $2500 grant
2022
Mar 12, 2022 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award
- What: win an award for a book of poetry published in English
- Who: SCBWI member with a book of poetry published in 2019, 2020, or 2021 (Verse novels not eligible)
- Award: $1,000