Here’s to another year of writing!
Submitting to a contest is a great way to stay consistent with your writing. After all, nobody is nagging you to finish that short story — it’s a personal project and you need to motivate yourself. Writing contests give you deadlines, pushing you to write and polish the draft so that it is reader ready.
Additionally, entering writing contests is a fantastic way to support the literary community, and who knows, you might even win some money for your stories.
So let’s get right to it! Make a goal to submit to one of these literary contests in 2020.
Now for the writing contest (contest details are subject to change):
The Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction – PRISM
Prize: $1,500 grand prize
Deadline: January 15, 2020
Entry Fee:
- Canadian: $35 CDN
- USA: $40 USD
- International: $45
Max Length: 4000 words
More details at PRISM international
2020 Calibre Essay Prize
Grand Prize: $5,000
Deadline: January 15, 2020
Entry Fee:
- Online entry (current ABR subscriber) – $15
- Online entry (full-time student) – $15
- Online entry (standard/non subscriber) – $25*
Max Length: 5,000 words
Judges: J.M. Coetzee, Lisa Gorton, and Peter Rose
More details at the Australian Book Review
Room Creative Fiction Contest
Prizes:
- First: $1,000 + publication in Room
- Second: $250 + publication in Room
- Honourable mention: $50 publication on Room’s website
Open: January 8, 2020
Entry Fee:
- Canadian: $35 CAD
- USA: $42 USD
Length: TBD
Note: Open to women, trans, two-spirited, and genderqueer people.
More details at Room Magazine
Novella Prize Contest – Malahat Review
Prize: $CAN 1,500
Deadline: February 1, 2020
Entry Fee:
- Canadian: $35 CDN
- USA: $40 USD
- International: $45
Max Length: 20,000 words
More details at Malahat Review
The Breakwater Fiction Contest
Prize: $1000 and publication in our Winter issue
Deadline: February 1, 2020
Entry Fee: $10.00 USD
Length: 5,000 words
More details at Breakwater
The Journey Prize
Prize: $10,000
Deadline: February 12, 2020
Entry Fee: No Fees
Submission: Stories previously published in print, electronic, and online in 2019. PRINT refers to stories published in a hard copy form. ELECTRONIC refers to stories published ONLINE ONLY, regardless of whether a publication is primarily a print or online publication.
More details at The Journey Prize
CBC Literary Prizes – Nonfiction
Prize: $6,000
Deadline: February 29, 2020
Entry Fee: $25.00 (taxes included)
Length: 2,000 words
More details at CBC
The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest – The New Quarterly
Prize: $1000
Deadline: March 28, 2020
Entry Fee: $40
Length: No word limit
More details at The New Quarterly
Short Grain Contest
Prize: $1,000 and publication in Grain
Deadline: April 1, 2020
Entry Fee: $40
Length: 2,500 words
More details at Grain Magazine
The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest
Deadline: May 28, 2020
Prize: $1000 and a one-year Duotrope Gift Certificate ($50 USD value)
Entry Fee: $40
Length: no word limit
More details at The New Quarterly
Room Creative Non-fiction Contest
Prize:
- FIRST PRIZE: $500 + publication in Room
- SECOND PRIZE: $250 + publication in Room
- HONOURABLE MENTION: $50 publication on Room’s website
Deadline: June 1, 2020
Entry Fee:
- Canadian: $35 CAD
- USA: $42 USD
Length: TBD
Note: Open to women, trans, two-spirited, and genderqueer people.
More details at Room Magazine
PRISM CREATIVE NON-FICTION CONTEST
Prize:
- Grand prize: $1,500
- Runner-up: $600
- Second Runner-up: $400
Deadline: July 15, 2020
Entry Fee:
- Canadian: $35 CAD
- USA: $40 USD
- International: $45 USD
Length: 6,000 words
More details at PRISM international
Constance Rooke Creative Nonfiction Prize
Prize: $1,000
Deadline: Aug 1, 2020
Entry Fee:
- Canadian: $35 CAD
- USA: $40 USD
- International: $45 USD
Length: 2,000 and 3,000 words
More details at Malahat Review
The QueryLetter.com Back Cover Book Blurb Contest
Prize: $500
Deadline: September 15, 2020
Length: 100 words
More details at TheQueryLetter.com
CBC Short Story Prize
Prize: $6000
Deadline: Oct 31, 2020
Entry Fee: $25
Length: 2500 words
More details at CBC
Prairie Fire Short Story Contest (Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction)
Prize: $1,250
Deadline: November 30, 2020
Entry Fee: $32
Length: Fiction (10,000 words max); Creative Non-Fiction (5,000 words max)
More details at Prairie Fire
Know of any other Canadian writing contest? Please share it in the comments.
For more writing and editing resources, please consider signing up for my mailing list. You won’t receive emails from me often, but when you do, it’ll include only work that I’m most proud of.
Elliot Chan 
This may be of interest to your readers, a twice yearly competition for writers in English run from France but open internationally. The prize includes publication on the website and facebook page of Bridget Holding, author, and one hour one to one tuition with Bridget. All details are on the competition page of her website at http://www.wildwords.org