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
JUNE
June 30 Kids Comics Unite Logo Contest
- What: design a logo for Kids Comics Unite, the online community of kid lit graphic novel creators
- Prize: $500, one-year subscription to Kids Comics Insider, free attendance to 2022 Kids Comics Intensive
JULY
July 31 Lee & Low New Voices Award
- What: enter your picture book manuscript addressing the needs of children of color or Native nations
- Who: writers of color and Indigenous/Native writers who are residents of the U.S. and over 18, no previously traditionally-published picture books; un-agented
- Prize: publication contract + $2,000; Honor award $1,000
July 31 Lee & Low New Visions Award
- What: enter your MG or YA manuscript addressing the needs of children of color or Native nations
- Who: writers of color and Indigenous/Native writers who are residents of the U.S. and over 18, no previously traditionally-published picture books; un-agented
- Prize: publication contract + $2,000; Honor award $1,000
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
Aug 16, Nov 22, Mar. 1, 2022 Searchlight Writing for Children Awards
- What: A UK-based rolling competition for aspiring authors writing for children or young adults with the aim to create opportunities for emerging authors of children’s fiction. Three categories: Best Bedtime Story (submissions open 10th May, close 16th August), Best Novel Opening for Children or YA (submissions open 20th August, close 22nd November) and Best Short Story for Children or YA (submissions open 1st December, close 1st March 2022).
- Who: writers 16 years or older
- Fee: £9 (Best Bedtime Story), £11 (Best Novel Opening), £10 (Best Short Story)
- Prizes: publication in anthology and £500 cash in each category
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