Sci-fi and Fantasy Writing Contests in February

ESFoster

1 year ago

At this time, I haven’t done a speculative fiction writing contest post in a while, so I thought this week would be a good day to write about some writing contests. In the coming months, these contests will be available for you to submit your sci-fi or fantasy stories or books. Check them out below!

Parsec Short Story Contest

This contest started in January, but it doesn’t close until March 31st. According to their site, the theme is “Roots.” You’re invited to write sci-fi, fantasy, or horror. They also say, “The 2025 Parsec Short Story Contest welcomes science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories that include all types of roots: family legends, genetic inheritance, plant-like aliens, root directories, symbiotic mycorrhizal systems . . .”

Find the full details here.

Iridescence Award

This contest is through Kinsman Quarterly and is for BIPOC authors. On their site, they say, “Those eligible must submit an original, unpublished work in English. Genres include, but are not limited to, fantasy, folk mythology, science fiction, and the paranormal.” To enter, go through their Submittable site, and submit by May 31st. Prizes are up to $1000, with a $15 entry fee.

Find their Submittable site here.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association Contest

This contest looks for several different types of poems in their upcoming June contest: “Dwarf (poems 1–10 lines [prose poems 0–100 words]); Short (11–49 lines [prose poems 101–499 words]); Long (50 lines and more [prose 500 words and up]).” In order to end, submit a $3 fee. Prizes are $150 for first place, $75 for second place, and $25 for third place.

See their full guidelines here.

Writing MAGIC

This contest comes from the blog Sadie Tells Stories, and the prompt is magic. Do you have a story of up to about 500 words? Write a story about anything magical. The first prize is $500, while the second prize is $175. Entry fee is $10. Also, the contest opened on February 1st, but it doesn’t close until April 1st.

Check out the full guidelines here.

Mike Resnick Memorial Award

This award honors the work of Mike Resnick, asking for science fiction and fantasy pieces that don’t exceed 7,499. Also, this contest has specific guidelines. Their site says, “An author who has not had any fiction work published (including short stories, novelettes, novellas, and novels in paper, digital or audio form) that has been paid a per-word rate of 6 cents a word or more or received a payment for any single work of fiction totaling more than $50.”

There is no entry fee, and the top prize is $250. You can find the full guidelines here.

Writers of the Future

This last contest is probably the most well-known. You can submit throughout the year, as there are four quarters. Whoever wins the quarter goes on to a $5,000 grand prize. Like the Mike Resnick Award, only people who have not professionally published are eligible for this award. They look for works up to 17,000 words in length.

Find their full guidelines and how to submit them here.

Happy submitting!

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