Essay Papers Writing Online
Engaging in competitive essay writing – how to excel in essay writing competitions.
Essay writing competitions can be a great opportunity to showcase your writing skills and win accolades for your creativity and thoughtfulness. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting out, competition can be fierce, so it’s vital to have a winning strategy in place.
In this article, we will discuss top tips and strategies that can help you stand out from the competition and increase your chances of winning essay writing competitions.
From identifying the right competition to crafting a compelling thesis statement and polishing your final draft, there are several key steps you can take to improve your chances of emerging victorious. Let’s dive into these tips and strategies to help you succeed in essay writing competitions!
Prepare Your Essay
1. Understand the topic: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you completely understand the topic. Research and gather relevant information to build a strong foundation for your argument.
2. Develop a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should clearly convey the main point of your essay. It will serve as the guiding principle for the rest of your writing.
3. Create an outline: Organize your thoughts and arguments by creating an outline. This will help you structure your essay in a logical and coherent manner.
4. Write a compelling introduction: Start your essay with a compelling introduction that captures the reader’s attention and clearly presents your thesis statement.
5. Support your arguments with evidence: Back up your arguments with reliable evidence, examples, and research. This will strengthen your essay and make your points more convincing.
6. Craft a strong conclusion: End your essay with a strong conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces your thesis statement. Leave a lasting impression on the reader.
7. Edit and revise: Once you have completed your essay, take the time to edit and revise it. Check for spelling and grammatical errors, ensure your arguments flow smoothly, and make any necessary revisions to improve clarity and coherence.
Research Your Topic
One of the most important steps in preparing for an essay writing competition is to thoroughly research your topic. Ensure that you understand the key concepts, arguments, and perspectives related to the subject matter. Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites to gather information and support your arguments.
Tip 1: | Utilize library resources to access scholarly articles and books that delve into your topic. |
Tip 2: | Take notes and organize your research findings to structure your essay effectively. |
Tip 3: | Consider different perspectives and sources to develop a well-rounded argument. |
Understand the Competition Guidelines
One essential aspect of winning essay writing competitions is understanding the competition guidelines. Before you start writing your essay, carefully read and follow the rules and requirements provided by the competition organizers. Pay attention to the word count, topic restrictions, formatting guidelines, submission deadlines, and any other specific instructions.
By familiarizing yourself with the competition guidelines, you can ensure that your essay meets all the necessary criteria for consideration. Failure to adhere to the rules could result in disqualification, so it is crucial to read and understand the guidelines thoroughly before you begin your writing process.
Develop Your Writing Skills
Improving your writing skills is essential if you want to succeed in essay writing competitions. Here are some tips to help you develop your writing skills:
- Read extensively: Reading a variety of books, articles, and essays can help you improve your writing style and vocabulary.
- Practice writing regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to write and experiment with different writing techniques.
- Seek feedback: Ask teachers, peers, or writing professionals to provide feedback on your writing. Constructive criticism can help you identify areas for improvement.
- Study grammar and punctuation: Understanding the rules of grammar and punctuation is crucial for producing high-quality writing. Take the time to study these rules and apply them to your writing.
- Learn from successful writers: Study the works of successful writers and analyze their writing techniques. Try to incorporate some of these techniques into your own writing.
Practice Regularly
One of the key ways to improve your essay writing skills and increase your chances of winning competitions is to practice regularly. Writing is a skill that improves with practice, so make time each day to write essays, articles, or even short stories. Set aside dedicated time to work on your writing, and challenge yourself to explore different topics and styles.
By practicing regularly, you’ll not only improve your writing technique but also build confidence in your abilities. This confidence will show in your competition entries and set you apart from other participants. Remember, practice makes perfect, so the more you write, the better you’ll become.
Seek Feedback and Editing
Getting feedback on your essay is crucial to improving it and making it stand out in competitions. Don’t be afraid to ask teachers, peers, or writing tutors to review your work and provide constructive criticism.
Consider joining a writing group or workshop where you can share your essay and receive feedback from other writers. This can help you identify weak points in your argument or areas where you can improve your writing style.
After receiving feedback, be open to making edits and revisions. Polish your essay by fixing grammar and punctuation errors, tightening up your arguments, and ensuring your ideas flow logically and cohesively.
Remember, the more eyes you have on your essay, the better it will become. Don’t hesitate to seek feedback and editing to make your essay the best it can be.
Hook Your Readers
One of the most important aspects of winning an essay writing competition is grabbing the reader’s attention right from the start. Your introduction should be compelling and draw the reader in, making them want to continue reading. Here are some effective ways to hook your readers:
- Start with a powerful quote: Using a thought-provoking quote at the beginning can set the tone for your essay and intrigue your readers.
- Pose a question: Asking a question can engage your readers and make them curious to find out the answer, encouraging them to keep reading.
- Provide a shocking statistic: Sharing a surprising statistic can capture your readers’ interest and make them want to learn more about the topic.
- Share a personal anecdote: Connecting with your readers on a personal level by sharing a relevant anecdote can make your essay more relatable and engaging.
- Use descriptive imagery: Painting a vivid picture with descriptive language can transport your readers into the world you’re describing, making them more invested in your essay.
By hooking your readers from the beginning, you set the stage for a captivating essay that will leave a lasting impression on the judges of the competition.
State Your Thesis Clearly
One of the most important aspects of winning an essay writing competition is to state your thesis clearly in the introductory paragraph. Your thesis is the main argument or point you will be making in your essay, and it serves as the foundation for your entire piece. Make sure your thesis is specific, debatable, and concise. Avoid vague statements and ensure that your thesis directly addresses the prompt provided for the competition.
Tip: Your thesis should be strong and compelling, drawing the reader in and establishing the purpose of your essay from the start. It should be clear enough that your reader can easily understand what you will be arguing throughout the rest of your essay.
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How to Win Essay Contests: A Step-by-Step Guide
10 Steps to Writing Contest-Winning Essays
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Did you know that you can win prizes with your writing skills? Essay contests are a fun way to turn your creativity and your command of the written word into great prizes. But how do you give your essay the edge that gets it picked from among all of the other entries?
Here's a step-by-step guide to writing essays that impress judges. Follow these steps for your best chances of winning writing contests.
Read the Essay Contest Rules
The first thing that you should do to win essay contests is to read the rules thoroughly. Overlooking one small detail could be the difference between winning the contest and wasting your time.
Pay special attention to:
- The contest's start and end dates.
- How often you're allowed to enter.
- The word or character count .
- The contest's theme.
- The criteria that the judges will use to pick the winners.
- Who the sponsoring company is, and what their branding is like.
- And any other details the sponsor requires.
It might help you to print out the sweepstakes rules and highlight the most important elements, or to take notes and keep them close at hand as you write.
If you summarize the relevant rules in a checklist, you can easily check the requirements off when you've finished your essay to ensure you haven't overlooked anything.
Brainstorm Your Essay Ideas
Many people want to jump right into writing their essay, but it's a better idea to take some time to brainstorm different ideas before you start. Oftentimes, your first impulse isn't your best.
The Calgary Tutoring Centre lists several reasons why brainstorming improves your writing . According to their article, brainstorming lets you:
"Eliminate weaker ideas or make weaker ideas stronger. Select only the best and most relevant topics of discussion for your essay while eliminating off-topic ideas. Or, generate a new topic that you might have left out that fits with others."
For a great brainstorming session, find a distraction-free area and settle in with a pen and paper, or your favorite method to take notes. A warm beverage and a healthy snack might aid your process. Then, think about your topic and jot down quick words and phrases that are relevant to your theme.
This is not the time to polish your ideas or try to write them coherently. Just capture enough of the idea that you know what you meant when you review your notes.
Consider different ways that you can make the contest theme personal, come at it from a different angle, or stand out from the other contest entries. Can you make a serious theme funny? Can you make your ideas surprising and unexpected?
Write down all your ideas, but don't judge them yet. The more ideas you can come up with, the better.
Select the Essay Concept that Best Fits the Contest's Theme and Sponsor
Once you've finished brainstorming, look over all of your ideas to pick the one you want to develop for your essay contest entry.
While you're deciding, think about what might appeal to the essay contest's sponsor. Do you have a way of working the sponsor's products into your essay? Does your concept fit the sponsor's company image?
An essay that might be perfect for a Budweiser contest might fall completely flat when Disney is the sponsor.
This is also a good time to consider whether any of your rejected ideas would make good secondary themes for your essay.
Use a Good Hook to Grab the Reader's Attention
When it's time to start writing your essay, remember that the first sentence is the most important. You want to ensure that your first paragraph is memorable and grabs the reader's attention.
When you start with a powerful, intriguing, moving, or hilarious first sentence, you hook your readers' interest and stick out in their memory when it is time to pick winners.
Writer's Digest has some excellent tips on how to hook readers at the start of an essay in their article, 10 Ways to Hook Your Reader (and Reel Them in for Good) .
For ideas on how to make your essay unforgettable, see Red Mittens, Strong Hooks, and Other Ways to Make Your Essay Spectacular .
Write the First Draft of Your Essay
Now, it's time to get all of your thoughts down on paper (or on your computer). Remember that this is a first draft, so don't worry about perfect grammar or if you are running over your word count.
Instead, focus on whether your essay is hitting the right emotional notes, how your story comes across, whether you are using the right voice, and if you are communicating everything you intend to.
First drafts are important because they help you overcome your reluctance to write. You are not trying to be good yet, you are trying to simply tell your story. Polishing that story will come later.
They also organize your writing. You can see where your ideas fit and where you need to restructure to give them more emotional impact.
Finally, a first draft helps you keep your ideas flowing without letting details slow you down. You can even skip over parts that you find challenging, leaving notes for your next revision. For example, you could jot down "add statistics" or "get a funny quote from Mom" and come back to those time-consuming points later.
Revise Your Essay for Flow and Organization
Once you've written the first draft of your essay, look over it to ensure that it flows. Is your point well-made and clear? Do your thoughts flow smoothly from one point to another? Do the transitions make sense? Does it sound good when you read it aloud?
This is also the time to cut out extraneous words and ensure you've come in under the word count limit.
Generally, cutting words will improve your writing. In his book, On Writing , Stephen King writes that he once received a rejection that read: "Formula for success: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft – 10%." In other words, the first draft can always use some trimming to make the best parts shine.
If you'd like some tips on how to improve your first draft, check out these tips on how to self-edit .
Keep an Eye Out for "Red Mittens"
In her fantastic book, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio , Terry Ryan talked about how her mother Evelyn used "red mittens" to help her be more successful with contest entries.
As she put it:
"The purpose of the Red Mitten was almost self-explanatory -- it made an entry stand out from the rest. In a basket of mittens, a red one will be noticed."
Rhyme, alliteration, inner rhyme, puns, and coined words were some of the red mittens that Evelyn Ryan used to make her entries pop. Your essay's red mitten might be a clever play on words, a dash of humor, or a heart-tuggingly poignant story that sticks in the judges' minds.
If your first draft is feeling a little bland, consider whether you can add a red mitten to spice up your story.
Put Your Contest Entry Aside
Now that you have a fairly polished draft of your essay contest entry, put it aside and don't look at it for a little while. If you have time before the contest ends, put your essay away for at least a week and let your mind mull over the idea subconsciously for a little while.
Many times, people think of exactly what their essay needs to make it perfect... right after they have hit the submit button.
Letting your entry simmer in your mind for a while gives you the time to come up with these great ideas before it's too late.
Revise Your Essay Contest Entry Again
Now, it's time to put the final polish on your essay. Have you said everything you wanted to? Have you made your point? Does the essay sound good when you read it out loud? Can you tighten up the prose by making additional cuts in the word count?
In this phase, it helps to enlist the help of friends or family members. Read your essay to them and check their reactions. Did they smile at the right parts? Were they confused by anything? Did they connect with the idea behind the story?
This is also a good time to ensure you haven't made any grammar or spelling mistakes. A grammar checker like Grammarly is very helpful for catching those little mistakes your eyes gloss over. But since even computer programs make mistakes sometimes, so it's helpful to have another person — a good friend or family member — read it through before you submit it.
Read the Essay Contest Rules One Last Time
If you've been following these directions, you've already read through the contest rules carefully. But now that you've written your draft and had some time to think things over, read them through one more time to make sure you haven't overlooked anything.
Go through your checklist of the essay requirements point-by-point with your finished essay in front of you to make sure you've hit them all.
And now, you're done! Submit the essay to your contest, and keep your fingers crossed for the results !
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How to Win an Essay Contest
Last Updated: July 18, 2024 Fact Checked
This article was co-authored by Daniel Santos . Daniel Santos is a College Admissions & Career Coach and Prepory's co-founder and CEO. Prepory is a leading college admissions consulting firm that has guided over 9,000 students from 35 countries through the US college admissions process. Prepory is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling and a trusted admissions counseling partner to several competitive high schools across Florida. Prior to founding Prepory, Daniel worked at various leading law firms and the United States House of Representatives. Daniel has been featured as a college admissions and career coaching expert across several major publications, including the Wall Street Journal, FORTUNE, and The Harvard Crimson. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 173,346 times.
If you're hoping to write an essay that will win a contest, there are several ways to make your writing stand out. Before you start writing, make sure you read the essay guidelines so that you're following all of the rules. Come up with a topic that fits the contest's theme and craft a detailed, descriptive, and interesting essay. By making your essay original and error-free, you'll be much more likely to win the contest.
Crafting and Editing the Essay
- If you don’t follow one or more of the rules when writing and submitting your essay, your essay may be disqualified, so make sure to read over the rules several times if necessary.
- It’s a good idea to print out the guidelines so that you can refer to them as you’re writing.
- It’s super important to stick with the theme when you’re writing and not get off-topic.
- For example, if the contest asks you to write about a person who has influenced you, make a list of the people that have had a big impact on your life and choose the person who you can write lots of descriptive examples about.
- It’s okay if you have several different drafts of one essay.
- Make an outline of your essay before you start to help you organize your thoughts.
- Ask a friend or family member to read over your essay to see if it’s interesting and makes sense.
- It may help you to put the essay aside for a day or two after you’ve written it so that you can revise it again with a fresh perspective.
- It may help to ask another person to read over the essay to see if they spot any mistakes.
- Check to see when the submission deadline is in the contest’s guidelines and rules.
- It may help you to put the essay deadline on your calendar so that you don’t forget when it is.
- If you're sending the essay by mail, make sure you send it far enough in advance that it will reach the judges in time.
Making Your Essay Stand Out
- An example of an attention-grabbing introduction might be, “I held my breath for 82 seconds before I was yanked out of the water,” or “Sarah walked slowly up to the door, her body drenched in nervous sweat, before firmly knocking.”
- The title should give the reader a glimpse of what your essay is about while leaving them intrigued.
- For example, if you’re writing an essay about a lemon picker, you might title the essay, "Living with Sour Fingers."
- Instead of saying, “The wheelbarrow fell down the hill,” you could say, “The rusty wheels of the wheelbarrow skidded over smooth rocks and sharp blades of grass until it skidded to a stop at the edge of the water.”
- Read over your essay and look for sentences or ideas that would likely not be found in another person's essay.
- If you're having trouble figuring out if you have an original element, have someone else read over your essay and tell you which parts stand out.
- Review the essay guidelines to see if there’s a special way they’d like the essay formatted.
Expert Q&A
- If you don't win, take a look at the winning entries if possible and see what they did that you didn't. Try to learn from this and incorporate it into your next essay. Thanks Helpful 19 Not Helpful 2
- If you have difficulty understanding the topic or the guidelines, try to get in touch with the judges. Thanks Helpful 15 Not Helpful 2
- Don't be afraid to ask for help if you have a hard time! As long as your work is original, getting feedback from others is a great way to make your writing stronger. Thanks Helpful 13 Not Helpful 2
- Failure to follow the format requirements may disqualify your essay. Thanks Helpful 44 Not Helpful 8
- Be aware of the deadline to ensure you get your essay submitted in time. Thanks Helpful 18 Not Helpful 3
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about essay contests, check out our in-depth interview with Daniel Santos .
- ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/brainstorming/
- ↑ https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/writingsuccess/chapter/8-3-drafting/
- ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/revising-drafts/
- ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/proofreading
- ↑ https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/planning/intros-and-conclusions/
- ↑ https://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/titles.pdf
- ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/descriptive_essays.html
- ↑ https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/write-original-essay/
- ↑ https://facultyweb.ivcc.edu/ramboeng2/handout_essayformat.htm
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Juggling writing and life
How to Host a Writing Contest
Last Updated on March 4, 2024 by Nathaniel Tower
Running a writing contest may seem like a risky undertaking for an individual, a literary magazine, or any other type of publication. In order to get any interest at all, you have to put up some prize money. What happens if there aren’t enough entrants to cover your prize purse? How is a publication supposed to come up with that cash? Well, if money’s the only thing you’re worried about, then you aren’t prepared to host a writing contest.
As managing editor at Bartleby Snopes Literary Magazine , I created and ran the Dialogue-Only writing contest for nine years. During that time, we received thousands of entries and awarded over $10,000 in prize money. The Dialogue-Only contest was one of the best-paying writing contests on the web. How does a contest sponsored by a small literary magazine get to be so big?
Here’s everything you need to know to host a successful writing contest.
Minimizing the Risk
Before getting into the details about how to make your writing contest huge, let’s talk briefly about how to reduce the risk. There are several risks involved when hosting a contest. The two biggest are:
- Losing money
- Dealing with complaints (about judging, submission fees, etc.)
In order to minimize the money lost, I recommend using a formula similar to what we did at Bartleby Snopes . Start with a guaranteed amount that won’t break the bank (we originally started with $250 and eventually guaranteed at least $1,000). Charge a modest submission fee (we always charged $10). Add a little bit of money to the prize pot for each entry over a certain threshold. For example, once you get to 25 entries, add an extra $5-$6 for each new submission. Two warnings here:
- You will need more entries than you think to cover the prize money (if you have a $10 entry fee, you should only count on $9 per entry after processing fees).
- You’ll get the majority of entries near the deadline, so don’t panic if it seems like you’re behind.
Don’t promise an amount that you don’t feel comfortable losing. Always imagine the worst-case scenario. Can you afford to pay the entire prize money out of your pocket? If not, then lower your starting amount (or don’t have the contest at all).
The other major risk you run into when hosting a contest is backlash from the non-winning writers. If you aren’t careful, there may be cries of bias or unfair judging procedures. Writers may ask for their fees to be returned. You may hear complaints that the winning entries weren’t any good. You need to be sure your contest rules are clearly stated, including a bit of legalese. Don’t forget to include these statements:
- All decisions made by the judges regarding the winners are final
- No contest entry fees will be returned
- By submitting, you are agreeing to all contest rules
- Contest rules are subject to change
Additionally, it’s always a good idea to be specific regarding all the various components of the contest. Tell your submitters who the judges are, where the contest fees go, when the winning stories will be published, etc. By taking this proactive and transparent approach, we were able to to stay clear of complaints. None of the writers asked for their fee to be returned (unless there was a glitch), and only one writer ever complained about the results (it was a cry of sexism because one year all 5 winners in our BLIND contest had male-sounding names).
Getting Enough Entries
Our Dialogue-Only contest wasn’t always a big deal. During our first year, we gave out just $450 in prize money. While many writers would be thrilled to win a piece of that, we’re not exactly talking about big bucks. Five years later, our prize pot was over five times that. How were we able to grow so much during that time?
If you want to maximize the number of entries your writing contest gets, you need to do a few things:
- Make the prize worth it
- Establish credibility
- Be transparent
- Advertise and promote
- Do something unique
Let’s discuss each of these elements in detail.
Make the Prize Worth It
A contest doesn’t have to award thousands of dollars to be worth it. Of course, that all depends on what you are asking the writers to do. The higher the fee you are charging, the bigger the prize should be. I recommend a prize-to-fee ratio of at least 20 to 1 (that’s a $100 prize for a $5 entry fee). If the prize is only $25, you aren’t going to get people who are willing to pay $5 or $10 to enter. If your prize-to-fee ratio is on the lower end, be sure to throw in some extra incentive (such as a free issue or subscription). Never offer guaranteed publication to all entrants.
There are a couple other things to consider when making a prize that’s worth the entry fee:
- What are the odds of winning?
- How much work does the writer need to do to participate?
If you are getting thousands of entries, you need a huge prize. The lower the odds an individual writer has, the more you better hand out.
If you are asking for a very specific story, or if your contest requests a large volume of work, then you need to respect the effort a writer will have to put in to participate. Writers aren’t going to create a story just for your contest if they have only a small chance of winning a small prize.
Establish Credibility
This might sound like it’s impossible to achieve during the first year of your contest, but it definitely can be done. Here are a few suggestions:
- Get an endorsement from a respected figure in the writing community (this could be in the form of a guest judge)
- Get your contest listed by credible publications
- Establish yourself as a respected and professional publisher/editor prior to hosting a contest
- Make sure your contest details are thorough
I wouldn’t recommend launching a contest during the first few months your publication exists. Establish yourself first, then establish your contest. And make sure you have a real website before launching your contest. No one is going to submit if there isn’t clear evidence your contest is real.
Be Transparent
In a world where privacy is becoming more and more of a commodity, people want to know more and more about what they are getting into. Don’t hide anything about your contest. Be forthcoming about everything, including:
- Who the judges are (provide names and links for guest judges)
- Where the money will go (especially if your contest will bring in more money than it awards)
- When and how the winners will be paid
- When and how entrants will be notified
- When the winning stories will be published
Additionally, if you’ve run the contest in the past, you need to make examples of past winners easily available. If the only way to see past winners is by paying money, then you aren’t being transparent. It’s also a good idea to write a blog post or article about the contest. For example, you could discuss the types of stories that generally don’t do well in your contest. Or you could give tips about preparing a contest entry. Naturally, this will also help to establish your credibility.
Advertise and Promote
Advertising your contest can add up quickly. An ad in Poets & Writers can run you $500 or more. Add in a few other ads and maybe some promoted posts on Facebook and Twitter, and you are easily looking at $800-$1000 just to advertise your contest (which is about what we spent to promote our contest during our biggest years).
If paying big bucks to promote your contest isn’t in the cards for you, then find as many free outlets as possible. Make sure you have a contest listing everywhere you can. There are dozens of lists that compile writing contests for free. Make sure you are on all of them (or at least all the ones you qualify for). Have a separate listing on Duotrope that’s just for your contest. Post about your contest in legitimate writing forums. Reach out to MFA programs and ask if they will spread the word. Be sure to put together a professional announcement regarding the contest. In many cases, your free promotion will bring in more entries than your sponsored ads .
Of course, you should also use social media, but promoting your contest doesn’t just mean you Tweet about it every day. If you really want to promote a contest, you need to find a variety of outlets. The most valuable promotion is anywhere people are already looking for opportunities to make money as writers (online contest listings, Poets & Writers Contest Issue, social media groups dedicated to paying publications, etc.).
Do Something Unique
There are thousands of writing contests held every year. If you want people to enter yours, you need to do something different from everyone else. If your guidelines are “Write any story you want and we’ll pick the best one and give you a handful of money,” then no one is going to submit. When I created the Dialogue-Only Contest, I was trying to do something I hadn’t seen done anywhere else before. My “great” ideas included:
- A rolling rejection process
- Unlimited entries for one price
- A growing prize purse
- A very specific format (stories had to be composed entirely of dialogue)
I can’t tell you how many writers contacted me to say they really enjoyed participating in this contest. Every year, I was surprised by how many entrants responded to rejection letters by thanking me for hosting the contest.
Final Notes
Hosting a writing contest is no easy task. There are plenty of obstacles you will deal with along the way, none more difficult than the colossal challenge of sorting through all the entries to pick a winner. If you run your contest the right way, you will find it a rewarding experience. Being able to award almost $2400 to writers is definitely worth the hard work.
How to Host a Writing Contest FAQs
Can anyone host a writing contest.
Yes, in theory, any website or publication can host a writing contest. Before hosting a contest, you should clearly define your contest rules and develop a plan for collecting submissions.
Where can I advertise my writing contest?
You can and should advertise your writing contest in as many places as possible. Some of the best places are Poets & Writers, Duotrope, MFA programs, other online contest listings, and social media. Make sure you have an advertising budget. Promoting your writing contest can get expensive if you aren't careful.
Do I have to award prizes for my writing contest?
If you want people to enter your writing contest, you need to offer prizes. The most appealing prizes are monetary. Publication is also a highly desired outcome. The bigger the prizes, the more entries you'll get.
Can I charge an entry fee for my writing contest?
While some writing contests are free to enter, most require an entry fee. There is nothing wrong with charging a contest entry fee as long as you make the prize worthwhile and you are transparent about where the entry fees go. If you are keeping any of the money as profit, you should disclose this.
What if no one enters my writing contest?
If no one enters your writing contest, or you just don't get many entries, you can try extending the deadline and increasing your promotion efforts. It's always a good idea to include a disclaimer in your contest rules that requires a minimum number of entries for the contest to be held. This way, if you only get a handful of entries, you don't have to award a big prize that will cause you to lose a lot of money.
For writers interested in entering a writing contest
Are you a writer interested in entering a writing contest? Check out these helpful posts:
- How to win a writing contest
- Should I enter a writing contest?
- Everything you need to know before entering a writing contest
Do you have any additional tips for hosting a writing contest? Share your thoughts or questions in the comments. If you are interested in hosting a writing contest, feel free to reach out directly to me for advice. And, as always, please share this post on all your favorite channels.
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2 thoughts on “ How to Host a Writing Contest ”
Recently, I have started using old comics for writing practice. They are public domain and from the WW II era. It is a lot of fun and a challenge since the pictures are already done. Do you have any thoughts on me organizing a writing contest in which writers fill in the blanked dialog balloons. Every entry would have the same eight pages to fill in.
This a great article thank you for being so truthful about the process of build a contest.
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Essay Writing Contests for Students
Are you a great writer? You may be able to win cash, scholarships, trips, and other awards with your essay-writing abilities. There are many contests out there that cover a wide variety of topics. Why not enter a competition today? Contest rules vary significantly, and some may contain important information about possible restrictions, so be sure to read all rules carefully. Please note that most of these competitions require that participants be citizens of the United States. Alliance for Young Artists and Writers: Scholastic Art & Writing AwardsThis competition offers young scholars the opportunity to earn national recognition, publication opportunities, and scholarship awards. Students in grades 7-12 who reside in the U.S. or Canada are eligible to participate in this highly regarded competition. AWM Biographies ContestIn order to “increase awareness of women's ongoing contributions to the mathematical sciences,” the Association for Women in Mathematics holds a contest requesting biographical essays of “contemporary women mathematicians and statisticians in academic, industrial, and government careers.” Submissions are accepted from December 1 to February 1, with judging beginning in February. Engineer Girl!EngineerGirl, an entity of The National Academy for Engineering, holds an essay contest every year for aspiring young engineers. Entrants are required to evaluate one of their own engineering designs in a short essay. Instructions for applying and details about the essay requirements are posted in September and applications are due February 1st the next year. EPIC New VoicesThe goal of this competition is to improve student literacy through traditional modes of learning as well as through new technology. Applicants between the ages of 11 and 14 make up the junior division and applicants between the ages of 15 and 18 make up the senior division. You can receive cash or an ebook reader if your original essay or short story wins. Students from around the world are eligible. NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund: The Second Amendment to the ConstitutionThe NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund (NRACRDF) holds an essay competition to encourage students to recognize the Second Amendment as an integral part of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The theme for the essay is “What Does The Second Amendment Mean to You?” Students can win up to $1,000 in savings bonds. Holocaust Remembrance ProjectThe Holocaust Remembrance Project invites high school students to do the following in their essays: “analyze why it is vital that the remembrance, history, and lessons of the Holocaust be passed to new generations; and suggest what you, as students, can do to combat and prevent prejudice, discrimination and violence in our world today.” Students can win scholarship money up to $10,000. JASNA Essay ContestFans of Jane Austen may be delighted to learn about the contest offered by The Jane Austen Society of North America. The topic of the annual essay contest changes each year based on themes covered in the Annual General Meeting for that year. AEL Collegiate Essay ContestIf you are a U.S. citizen enrolled at a four-year college or university, Pepperdine Libraries has a scholarship contest for you. The contest requires a five- to eight-page essay, approximately 1,500–2,000 words, with a first-place prize award of $2,500, a second-place prize of $1,500, and a third-place prize of $1,000. The essay asks students to discuss the ways in which liberal arts degrees are advantageous.
Get our FREE 'Meet the Teacher' bundle! The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024Help your students take their writing to the next level. When students write for teachers, it can feel like an assignment. When they write for a real purpose, they are empowered! Student writing contests are a challenging and inspiring way to try writing for an authentic audience— a real panel of judges —and the possibility of prize money or other incentives. We’ve gathered a list of the best student writing contests, and there’s something for everyone. Prepare highly motivated kids in need of an authentic writing mentor, and watch the words flow. 1. The Scholastic Art & Writing AwardsWith a wide range of categories—from critical essays to science fiction and fantasy—The Scholastic Awards are a mainstay of student contests. Each category has its own rules and word counts, so be sure to check out the options before you decide which one is best for your students. How To EnterStudents in grades 7-12, ages 13 and up, may begin submitting work in September by uploading to an online account at Scholastic and connecting to their local region. There are entry fees, but those can be waived for students in need. 2. YoungArts National Arts CompetitionThis ends soon, but if you have students who are ready to submit, it’s worth it. YoungArts offers a national competition in the categories of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word. Student winners may receive awards of up to $10,000 as well as the chance to participate in artistic development with leaders in their fields. YoungArts accepts submissions in each category through October 13. Students submit their work online and pay a $35 fee (there is a fee waiver option). 3. National Youth Foundation ProgramsEach year, awards are given for Student Book Scholars, Amazing Women, and the “I Matter” Poetry & Art competition. This is a great chance for kids to express themselves with joy and strength. The rules, prizes, and deadlines vary, so check out the website for more info. 4. American Foreign Service National High School Essay ContestIf you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington, DC. Students fill out a registration form online, and a teacher or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is the first week of April. 5. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay ContestThis annual contest invites students to write about a political official’s act of political courage that occurred after Kennedy’s birth in 1917. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up also receive a variety of cash prizes. Students may submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay through January 12. The essay must feature more than five sources and a full bibliography. 6. Bennington Young Writers AwardsBennington College offers competitions in three categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), and nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). First-place winners receive $500. Grab a poster for your classroom here . The contest runs from September 1 to November 1. The website links to a student registration form. 7. The Princeton Ten-Minute Play ContestLooking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? This exclusive competition, which is open only to high school juniors, is judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University. Students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. ( Note: Only open to 11th graders. ) Students submit one 10-page play script online or by mail. The deadline is the end of March. Contest details will be published in early 2024. 8. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School StudentsThe Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in 11th grade. Prizes range from $100 to $500. Students in 11th grade can submit their poetry. Contest details will be published this fall. 9. The New York Times Tiny Memoir ContestThis contest is also a wonderful writing challenge, and the New York Times includes lots of resources and models for students to be able to do their best work. They’ve even made a classroom poster ! Submissions need to be made electronically by November 1. 10. Nancy Thorp Poetry ContestThe deadline for this contest is the end of October. Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Prizes include cash and scholarships. Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins. Students may submit either one or two poems using the online form. 11. The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young WritersThe Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open to high school sophomores and juniors, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop . Submissions for the prize are accepted electronically from November 1 through November 30. 12. Jane Austen Society Essay ContestHigh school students can win up to $1,000 and publication by entering an essay on a topic specified by the Jane Austen Society related to a Jane Austen novel. Details for the 2024 contest will be announced in November. Essay length is from six to eight pages, not including works cited. 13. Rattle Young Poets AnthologyOpen to students from 15 to 18 years old who are interested in publication and exposure over monetary awards. Teachers may choose five students for whom to submit up to four poems each on their behalf. The deadline is November 15. 14. The Black River Chapbook CompetitionThis is a chance for new and emerging writers to gain publication in their own professionally published chapbook, as well as $500 and free copies of the book. There is an $18 entry fee, and submissions are made online. 15. YouthPlays New VoicesFor students under 18, the YouthPlays one-act competition is designed for young writers to create new works for the stage. Winners receive cash awards and publication. Scroll all the way down their web page for information on the contest, which accepts non-musical plays between 10 and 40 minutes long, submitted electronically. Entries open each year in January. 16. The Ocean Awareness ContestThe 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest, Tell Your Climate Story , encourages students to write their own unique climate story. They are asking for creative expressions of students’ personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about climate change. Students are eligible for a wide range of monetary prizes up to $1,000. Students from 11 to 18 years old may submit work in the categories of art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, accompanied by a reflection. The deadline is June 13. 17. EngineerGirl Annual Essay ContestEach year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world, and students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. The new contest asks for pieces describing the life cycle of an everyday object. Check out these tips for integrating the content into your classroom . Students submit their work electronically by February 1. Check out the full list of rules and requirements here . 18. NCTE Student Writing AwardsThe National Council of Teachers of English offers several student writing awards, including Achievement Awards in Writing (for 10th- and 11th-grade students), Promising Young Writers (for 8th-grade students), and an award to recognize Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines. Deadlines range from October 28 to February 15. Check out NCTE.org for more details. 19. See Us, Support Us Art ContestChildren of incarcerated parents can submit artwork, poetry, photos, videos, and more. Submissions are free and the website has a great collection of past winners. Students can submit their entries via social media or email by October 25. 20. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry & ProseThe Adroit Journal, an education-minded nonprofit publication, awards annual prizes for poetry and prose to exceptional high school and college students. Adroit charges an entry fee but also provides a form for financial assistance. Sign up at the website for updates for the next round of submissions. 21. National PTA Reflections AwardsThe National PTA offers a variety of awards, including one for literature, in their annual Reflections Contest. Students of all ages can submit entries on the specified topic to their local PTA Reflections program. From there, winners move to the local area, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention. This program requires submitting to PTAs who participate in the program. Check your school’s PTA for their deadlines. 22. World Historian Student Essay CompetitionThe World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international contest open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, as well as those in home-study programs. The $500 prize is based on an essay that addresses one of this year’s two prompts. Students can submit entries via email or regular mail before May 1. 23. NSHSS Creative Writing ScholarshipThe National Society of High School Scholars awards three $2,000 scholarships for both poetry and fiction. They accept poetry, short stories, and graphic novel writing. Apply online by October 31. Whether you let your students blog, start a podcast or video channel, or enter student writing contests, giving them an authentic audience for their work is always a powerful classroom choice. If you like this list of student writing contests and want more articles like it, subscribe to our newsletters to find out when they’re posted!Plus, check out our favorite anchor charts for teaching writing.. You Might Also LikeBest 2024 Competitions for Students in Grades K-12Competitions in STEM, ELA and the arts, and more! Continue Reading Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256 Contest GuidelinesPlease read these Guidelines carefully before clicking below to submit. Failure to read and follow these guidelines could result in your essay being ineligible. Live Deliberately Essay Contest Guidelines:
I’ve read the Guidelines and I’m ready to submit my essay! R eturn to Essay Contest Home Page Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy. Find the perfect editor for your next book 1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them. Best Essay Writing Contests in 2024Showing 54 contests that match your search. 100 Word Writing ContestTadpole Press Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD. Additional prizes: 2nd: writing coach package 💰 Entry fee: $15 📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024 Solas AwardsBest Travel Writing Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, and Travel Extraordinary stories about travel and the human spirit have been the cornerstones of our books since 1993. With the Solas Awards we honor writers whose work inspires others to explore. We’re looking for the best stories about travel and the world. Funny, illuminating, adventurous, uplifting, scary, inspiring, poignant stories that reflect the unique alchemy that occurs when you enter unfamiliar territory and begin to see the world differently as a result. We hope these awards will be a catalyst for those who love to leave home and tell others about it. Publication 💰 Entry fee: $25 📅 Deadline: September 21, 2024 Annual Student Essay ContestOklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Genres: Essay and Non-fiction For this year’s Essay Contest, we are asking students to think about why the story of the Oklahoma City bombing is important today. 📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired) Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy StudioPlan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors. Learn more about Reedsy Studio . Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold StoryArmed Services Arts Partnership Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it. $500 Editors' Choice award $250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art) 📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired) High School Academic Research CompetitionColumbia Undergraduate Science Journal The High School Academic Research Competition is where talented students from around the world compete to publish high-quality research on any topic. SARC challenges students to sharpen their critical thinking skills, immerse themselves in the research process, and hone their writing skills for success. Indigo Research Intensive Summer Program 📅 Deadline: April 17, 2024 (Expired) A Very Short Story ContestGotham Writers Workshop Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction Write a great short story in ten words or fewer. Submit it to our contest. Entry is free. Winner of the bet gets a free Gotham class. Free writing class from Gotham Writers Workshop. 📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired) Irene Adler PrizeLucas Ackroyd I’ve traveled the world from Sweden to South Africa, from the Golden Globes to the Olympic women’s hockey finals. I’ve photographed a mother polar bear and her cubs and profiled stars like ABBA, Jennifer Garner and Katarina Witt. And I couldn’t have done it without women. I’ve been very fortunate, and it’s time for me to give back. With the Irene Adler Prize, I’m awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution. 2x honorable mentions: $250 📅 Deadline: May 30, 2024 (Expired) Environmental Writing 2024Write the World The writer and activist Bill McKibben describes Environmental Writing as "the collision between people and the rest of the world." This month, peer closely at that intersection: How do humans interact with their environment? Given your inheritance of this earth, the world needs your voices now more than ever. Best entry: $100 Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024 (Expired) Lazuli Literary Group Writing ContestLazuli Literary Group Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent. Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought" 📅 Deadline: March 24, 2024 (Expired) Rigel 2024: $500 for Prose, Poetry, Art, or Graphic NovelSunspot Literary Journal Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story Literary or genre works accepted. Winner receives $500 plus publication, while runners-up and finalists are offered publication. No restrictions on theme or category. Closes: February 29. Entry fee: $12.50. Enter as many times as you like through Submittable or Duotrope $500 + publication Runners-up and finalists are offered publication 💰 Entry fee: $12 📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired) Literary and Photographic Contest 2023-2024Hispanic Culture Review Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Poetry As we move forward we carry our culture wherever we go. It keeps us alive. This is why we propose the theme to be “¡Hacia delante!”. A phrase that means to move forward. This year we ask that you think about the following questions: What keeps you moving forward? What do you carry with you going into the future? How do you celebrate your successes, your dreams, and your culture? Publication in magazine 📅 Deadline: February 07, 2024 (Expired) Askew's Word on the Lake Writing ContestShuswap Association of Writers Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems). 💰 Entry fee: $11 📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired) National Essay ContestU.S. Institute of Peace Genres: Essay This year, AFSA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. Over the last century, our diplomats and development professionals have been involved in groundbreaking events in history – decisions on war and peace, supporting human rights and freedom, creating joint prosperity, reacting to natural disasters and pandemics and much more. As AFSA looks back on this century-long history, we invite you to join us in also looking ahead to the future. This year students are asked to explore how diplomats can continue to evolve their craft to meet the needs of an ever-changing world that brings fresh challenges and opportunities to the global community and America’s place in it. Runner-up: $1,250 📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired) African Diaspora Awards 2024Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story Up to $1000 in cash prizes for the African Diaspora Award 2024. African-themed prose and poetry wanted. Top finalists are published in Kinsman Quarterly’s magazine and the anthology, “Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora.” Publication in anthology, "Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora" and print and digital magazine 📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024 (Expired) Great American Think-OffNew York Mills Regional Cultural Center The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level. The Cultural Center, located in the rural farm and manufacturing town of New York Mills, sponsors this annual philosophy contest. Vocal ChallengesGenres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months. $1,000 — $5,000 📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired) Young Sports Journalist 2024The Young Sports Journalist Competition, 2024, seeks well-argued articles from aspiring journalists aged 14-21. Winning entries will be published online and printed in the Summer Issue of Pitch. Critiqued by our panel of accomplished judges, winners will also receive a £50 cash prize and offered work experience here at PITCH HQ. The competition runs from 7 February 2024 to 5 April 2024. And winners will be announced in May. Publication in magazine and online 📅 Deadline: April 05, 2024 (Expired) Indignor Play House Annual Short Story CompetitionIndignor House Publishing Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult Indignor House Publishing is proud to announce that our annual writing competition (INDIGNOR PLAYHOUSE Short Story Annual Competition) is officially open with expected publication in the fall of 2024. Up to 25 submissions will be accepted for inclusion in the annual anthology. 2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150 💰 Entry fee: $20 Anthology Travel Writing Competition 2024Anthology Magazine The Anthology Travel Writing Competition is open to original and previously unpublished travel articles in the English language by writers of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. We are looking for an engaging article that will capture the reader’s attention, conveying a strong sense of the destination and the local culture. Max 1000 words. 💰 Entry fee: $16 World Historian Student Essay CompetitionWorld History Association Genres: Children's and Essay The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international competition open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs. Membership in the World History Association is not a requirement for submission. Past winners may not compete in the same category again. 📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired) Journalism Competition 2024What are the most important issues taking place close to home? Perhaps a rare bird sighting near your town? Or a band of young people in your province fighting for access to higher education? This month, immerse yourself in a newsworthy event inside the borders of your own country, and invite us there through your written reporting. 📅 Deadline: July 22, 2024 (Expired) International Essay Competition 2023/24Avernus Education Welcome to our prestigious International Essay Competition. At Avernus Education, we are thrilled to provide a platform for young minds to showcase their prowess in Medicine, Engineering, Law, Economics, Psychology, History and Politics. These varied subject categories underscore the importance of interdisciplinary study, a crucial foundation for future leaders in our increasingly interconnected world. Winners receive an exclusive Avernus Education Scholarship worth over £5000 - granting them free entrance to our exclusive summer camp at Oxford University! Outstanding Runners Up receive 5 hours worth of Credits for Avernus Education courses, conferences and tutoring services. 100% Scholarship Award to our Oxford University Summer Programme (worth £5995) Partial scholarship 📅 Deadline: February 19, 2024 (Expired) Climate Change Writing CompetitionGenres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction This month, dear writers, ahead of COP27, help us raise the voices of young people in this urgent fight. In a piece of personal narrative, tell the world’s leaders gathering in how climate change impacts you. How has this crisis changed your environment, your community, your sense of the future? Storytelling, after all, plays a critical role in helping us grasp the emergency through which we are all living, igniting empathy in readers and listeners—itself a precursor to action. Runner-up: $50 📅 Deadline: October 18, 2022 (Expired) Hispanic Culture Review Contest 2022-2023Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Flash Fiction As the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano once said, "the best that the world has is in the many worlds that the world contains." Therefore, this year we invite you to reflect on the following questions: How do you or your community celebrate these connections? How do you value those experiences with those people who leave a mark on your life? 1 work will be awarded in each category: 1) photography & visual arts, 2) poetry, and 3) narrative/essay/academic investigation. $100 for photography, poetry, and essay winners 💰 Entry fee: $0 📅 Deadline: February 01, 2023 (Expired) The Letter Review Prize for NonfictionThe Letter Review Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Crime, Humor, and Science Writing 2-4 Winners are published. We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Seeking Nonfiction 0-5000 words. Judges’ feedback available. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind. All entries considered for publication + submission to Pushcart. Publication by The Letter Review 💰 Entry fee: $2 Creative Nonfiction PrizeIndiana Review Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction Send us one creative nonfiction piece, up to 5000 words, for a chance at $1000 + publication. This year's contest will be judged by Lars Horn. 📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired) Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story PrizeGenres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally on both the radio and its weekly podcast. This years entries will be judged by Carmen Maria Machado (In the Dream House, Her Body and Other Parties). $1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers Jane Austen Society of North America Essay ContestJane Austen Society of North America JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to foster the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works in new generations of readers. Students world-wide are invited to compete for scholarship awards in three divisions: high school, college, and graduate school. $1,000 scholarship Two nights’ lodging for JASNA’s Annual General Meeting 📅 Deadline: June 02, 2022 (Expired) The Letter Review Prize for BooksGenres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult The Letter Review Prize for Books is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Seeking most unpublished (we accept some self/indie published) novels, novellas, story collections, nonfiction, poetry etc. 20 entries are longlisted. $1000 USD shared by 3 winners 📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired) NOWW 26th International Writing ContestNorthwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW) Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story Open to all writers in four categories: poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and critical writing. 2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50 💰 Entry fee: $7 International Voices in Creative Nonfiction CompetitionVine Leaves Press Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel Small presses have potential for significant impact, and at Vine Leaves Press, we take this responsibility quite seriously. It is our responsibility to give marginalized groups the opportunity to establish literary legacies that feel rich and vast. Why? To sustain hope for the world to become a more loving, tolerable, and open space. It always begins with art. That is why we have launched this writing competition. Book publication 📅 Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired) Narratively 2023 Memoir PrizeNarratively Genres: Essay, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction Narratively is currently accepting submissions for their 2023 Memoir Prize. They are looking for revealing and emotional first-person nonfiction narratives from unique and overlooked points of view. The guest judge is New York Times bestselling memoirist Stephanie Land. $1,000 and publication 📅 Deadline: November 30, 2023 (Expired) The Fountain Essay ContestFountain Magazine “Home” holds a special place in our lives. Our earliest memories form inside its walls; we utter our first words and take our first steps there. Does everyone feel the same about home? Is it where you were born or where you earn your bread? Is home a physical place? In a world that moves faster than ever and is confined to small screens, how do perceptions about "home" change? Where is home for people who are forced to leave their homes? Where is your home? WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay ContestWOW! Women On Writing Genres: Non-fiction and Essay Seeking creative nonfiction essays on any topic (1000 words or less) and in any style--from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hybrid, and more! The mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Electronic submissions via e-mail only; reprints/previously published okay; simultaneous submissions okay; multiple submissions are okay as long as they are submitted in their own individual e-mail. Open internationally. 2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards Killer Nashville Silver Falchion AwardKiller Nashville Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter. 💰 Entry fee: $79 📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024 (Expired) Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse. Why you should submit to writing contestsSubmitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes! That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them. When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine. Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story! For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course : How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine. In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership. The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing. In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule. Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement? The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing. Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure. Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions. Free online coursesOn Writing:
On Editing:
Bonus resources
After you submit to a writing competition in 2024It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit: Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over. If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere. After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests. Join a community of over 1 million authors Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book. Save your shortlistEnter your email address to save your shortlist so that you don't lose it! By continuing, you will also receive Reedsy's weekly publishing tips and access to our free webinars. We sent over your shortlist. Thank you for using Reedsy's Writing Contest Directory, happy publishing! 🙌 Join our weekly contestGet 5 new writing prompts every Friday. Write and submit a story for a chance to win $250. 1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.Enter your email or get started with a social account: THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITIONSince 1883, we have delivered The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, the world's oldest international schools' writing competition. Today, we work to expand its reach, providing life-changing opportunities for young people around the world. The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 is now closed for entries Find out more about this year’s theme 'Our Common Wealth'. 140 years of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay CompetitionThe Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) is the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools and has been proudly delivered by the Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883. ABOUT THE COMPETITIONAn opportunity for young Commonwealth citizens to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences on key global issues and have their hard work and achievement celebrated internationally. Frequently Asked Questions for the Competition. Before contacting us please read these. MEET THE WINNERSIn 2023 we were delighted to receive a record-breaking 34,924 entries, with winners from India and Malaysia. Read their winning pieces as well as those from previous years. TERMS AND CONDITIONSTerms and Conditions for entrants to The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition. Please ensure you have thoroughly read them before submitting your entry.
American Foreign Service Association
Rules and GuidelinesYou are here, in this section, essay contest rules 2024. Length: Your essay should be at least 1,000 words but should not exceed 1,500 words (word count does not apply to the list of sources). Content and Judging: Submissions will be judged on the quality of analysis, quality of research, and form, style and mechanics. Successful entries will answer all aspects of the prompt and demonstrate an understanding of the Foreign Service . All qualifying essays will be judged blind through several rounds of judging. All decisions of the judges are final. Sources: Standards of content and style from current edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers will be expected for (1) documentation of sources in the text of your memo; (2) the format of the list of works cited; and (3) margins and indentation. A bibliography following the MLA Handbook must be included. Essays should use a variety of sources—academic journals, news magazines, newspapers, books, government documents, publications from research organizations. At least three of the cited materials should be primary sources (a document, speech, or other sort of evidence written, created or otherwise produced during the time under study). General encyclopedias, including Wikipedia, are not acceptable as sources. Essays citing general encyclopedias in notes or bibliography will be disqualified. Websites should not be the only source of information for your essay; when you do use online sources they must be properly cited. Submission:
Eligibility: Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents attending high school overseas. Students may be attending a public, private, or parochial school. Entries from home-schooled students are also accepted. Previous first-place winners and immediate relatives of directors or staff of the AFSA, Semester at Sea and National Student Leadership Conference are not eligible to participate. Previous honorable mention designees are eligible to enter. Prizes: $2,500 to the writer of the winning essay, in addition to an all-expense paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and his or her parents, and an all-expense paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. Runner-up receives $1,250 and a full tuition to attend a summer session of National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program. Your essay will become the property of the American Foreign Service Association once it is submitted and will not be returned. Thank you for your essay submission and good luck! PRIVACY POLICY : AFSA collects your information for this contest and for AFSA partners. You may be signed up to receive updates or information from AFSA and our partners. You may receive a message from our sponsor regarding their program offerings, with the option to opt-out. You will be notified if you are the winner, runner-up or an honorable mention in June 2024. The names of the winner, runner-up and honorable mentions will be posted on the AFSA website in June 2024. Contest GuidelinesRules and criteria:. Every January past Writing 150 students have the opportunity to submit to the Writing 150 Contest. Winners and finalists will be asked to participate in the annual English Symposium by reading their entries and discussing them in a roundtable or panel with an audience of other students and instructors. Winning entries are published online in The Draft. The categories are as follows: Category One: Personal Narrative/Creative Nonfiction EssayPersonal narrative, definition and purpose:. “A personal narrative is an autobiographical story about a specific incident or series of related incidents in a writer’s life which show conflict and eventual growth in the writer’s character. Narratives serve many vital functions in society. For example, narratives maintain community and culture, helping people understand beliefs. Narratives can also create new communities or enlarge the scope of a current community” (Hatch and Van Valhenburgh 16). Techniques:Because personal narrative is defined as an “autobiographical story,” the writer of this genre should employ story-telling techniques. These techniques include the effective blending of summary and scene, dialogue, imagery (appealing to the five senses), characterization, the evocation of setting in order to advance character and plot, and the use of active verbs and nouns in favor of the typically less effective stacking of adjectives. Structure and focus are important in the personal narrative just as they are in any piece of writing. A story need not be told in chronological order. The structure of story, however, typically includes conflict, rising action, crisis, and resolution. Creative Nonfiction EssayIn contrast to a narrative, a creative nonfiction essay is defined as an anecdote or anecdotes taken from one’s life and connected to a larger idea or concept. For example, in Thomas Plummer’s “Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome,” his idea is that students should take responsibility for their own education and thought processes and not wait for someone else to tell them what to think. To evidence the validity of this idea, Plummer draws on experiences from his own life as well as examples from literature and popular culture. Plummer’s essay is very much idea-driven; however, the idea in a personal essay does not need to be as overt as Plummer’s. It can be more subtle and open to interpretation. As Philip Lopate says in “What Happened to the Personal Essay?”: “While it is true that historically the essay is related to rhetoric, it in fact seeks to persuade more by the delights of literary style than anything else” (301). As with the personal narrative, the essay should be written using effective story-telling techniques. However, because a personal essay may be more idea-driven than image- or story- driven, these devices may be less prevalent than in the personal narrative. Structure is paramount in the personal essay. The writer of the personal essay has the challenge to, without heavy-handed moralizing, impose meaning on the seemingly random and sometimes chaotic events of his or her life. Hence, the reader of the personal essay needs to be pointed in the correct direction by the writer-he or she needs some sort of “road map” so that it is clear where the essay is going and why it is important to read it. Typical structures for the personal essay might include comparison/contrast, cause and effect, definition and process. Category Two: Research and InquiryDefinition and Purpose: Research-driven writing with a persuasive thesis. Research writing is a way of creating new knowledge, of entering the academic conversation. The research paper helps students understand how to synthesize information and the points of view of different authors and experts, use differing ideas and topics to create new avenues of research, mindfully explore, and ethically communicate what you have learned and what you have discovered through research to an audience in a persuasive way that interests them in the topic and inspires action. Research based writing also aids students in understanding and using the conventions of academic writing and expectations. A research paper should have an effective title, an introduction, a focused, arguable thesis based in good rhetorical practice, a body that supports the thesis with support from research material, and parenthetical citations in MLA or APA format within the text. An “arguable thesis” is one which creates an argument-that is, one which does not necessarily contain a proposed solution to a problem or a call to action (although these are also acceptable) but is a statement reflecting a topic that invites attention, discussion, and creates new knowledge. The support from research material should be integrated in such a way that it is clear where the sources start and end. Category Three: Advocacy ReportMembers of a community, such as a nation, city, or school district, must communicate with each other in order to do their business, whether it’s campaigning for political office or discussing a zoning issue, advocating for change in procedure, policy, or action. This is rooted in the idea that while we prize knowledge, ultimately we need to take that knowledge and “Go Forth to Serve.” An advocacy report is a persuasive essay aimed at a specific community that advocates for change in a practical and generative way. The topic will most often come from your inquiry report and be backed by research. This genre challenges you to make a brief but compelling argument with a particular audience in mind that asks your reader to engage in practical ways. Advocacy papers usually include a catchy title, an introduction that identifies the issue and author’s position, and several body paragraphs that provide reasons, evidence, and explanations for the position the author has taken and what needs to change. The style of writing can range from the conversational, even chatty, to the more formal feel of an academic argument, and can be deeply rooted in what the author cares about. The important thing is that an opinion about specific, actionable issues is asserted and ultimately supported, perhaps even anticipating and responding to counter arguments. Contest rules:Deadlines: january 15th. To submit a paper click here . Fill out the form, including your instructor’s email address. Completely remove all references to your name and your teacher’s name from the paper. Attach the paper as a PDF; the site will only accept PDFs. All entries must be submitted by the relevant date and must be submitted into the correct semester and year or they will not be judged. Submissions will not be returned. Submitting to the BYU Writing 150 contest constitutes permission to use writing samples for educational and research purposes. Comments are closed.
Essay COMPETITION2024 global essay prize, registrations for the 2024 global essay prize are now closed. we are pleased to report that this year we have accepted registrations from 34,823 contestants. if you registered on or before the registration deadline (31 may) we look forward to receiving your essay (submit here) by the submission deadline of sunday, 30 june .. The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum. Entering an essay in our competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation. It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts. All of our essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton, under the leadership of the Chairman of Examiners, former Cambridge philosopher, Dr Jamie Whyte. The judges will choose their favourite essay from each of seven subject categories - Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology and Law - and then select the winner of the Grand Prize for the best entry in any subject. There is also a separate prize awarded for the best essay in the junior category, for under 15s. Q1. Do we have any good reasons to trust our moral intuition? Q2. Do girls have a (moral) right to compete in sporting contests that exclude boys? Q3. Should I be held responsible for what I believe? Q1. Is there such a thing as too much democracy? Q2. Is peace in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip possible? Q3. When is compliance complicity? Q1. What is the optimal global population? Q2. Accurate news reporting is a public good. Does it follow that news agencies should be funded from taxation? Q3. Do successful business people benefit others when making their money, when spending it, both, or neither? Q1. Why was sustained economic growth so rare before the later 18th century and why did this change? Q2. Has music ever significantly changed the course of history? Q3. Why do civilisations collapse? Is our civilisation in danger? Q1. When, if ever, should a company be permitted to refuse to do business with a person because of that person’s public statements? Q2. In the last five years British police have arrested several thousand people for things they posted on social media. Is the UK becoming a police state? Q3. Your parents say that 11pm is your bedtime. But they don’t punish you if you don’t go to bed by 11pm. Is 11pm really your bedtime? Q1. According to a study by researchers at four British universities, for each 15-point increase in IQ, the likelihood of getting married increases by around 35% for a man but decreases by around 58% for a woman. Why? In the original version of this question we misstated a statistic. This was caused by reproducing an error that appeared in several media summaries of the study. We are grateful to one of our contestants, Xinyi Zhang, who helped us to see (with humility and courtesy) why we should take more care to check our sources. We corrected the text on 4 April. Happily, the correction does not in any way alter the thrust of the question. Q2. There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How? Q3. What is the difference between a psychiatric illness and a character flaw? Q1. “I am not religious, but I am spiritual.” What could the speaker mean by “spiritual”? Q2. Is it reasonable to thank God for protection from some natural harm if He is responsible for causing the harm? Q3. Does God reward those who believe in him? If so, why? JUNIOR prizeQ1. Does winning a free and fair election automatically confer a mandate for governing? Q2. Has the anti-racism movement reduced racism? Q3. Is there life after death? Q4. How did it happen that governments came to own and run most high schools, while leaving food production to private enterprise? Q5. When will advancing technology make most of us unemployable? What should we do about this? Q6. Should we trust fourteen-year-olds to make decisions about their own bodies? ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & FURTHER DETAILSPlease read the following carefully. Entry to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition 2024 is open to students from any country. Registration Only candidates who registered before the registration deadline of Friday, 31 May 2024 may enter this year's competition. All entries must be submitted by 11.59 pm BST on the submission deadline: Sunday, 30 June 2024 . Candidates must be eighteen years old, or younger, on that date. (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be fourteen years old, or younger, on that date.) Entry is free. Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, endnotes, bibliography or authorship declaration). The filename of your pdf must be in this format: FirstName-LastName-Category-QuestionNumber.pdf; so, for instance, Alexander Popham would submit his answer to question 2 in the Psychology category with the following file name: Alexander-Popham-Psychology-2.pdf Essays with filenames which are not in this format will be rejected. The candidate's name should NOT appear within the document itself. Candidates should NOT add footnotes. They may, however, add endnotes and/or a Bibliography that is clearly titled as such. Each candidate will be required to provide the email address of an academic referee who is familiar with the candidate's written academic work. This should be a school teacher, if possible, or another responsible adult who is not a relation of the candidate. The John Locke Institute will email referees to verify that the essays submitted are indeed the original work of the candidates. Submissions may be made as soon as registration opens in April. We recommend that you submit your essay well in advance of the deadline to avoid any last-minute complications. To submit your essay, click here . Acceptance of your essay depends on your granting us permission to use your data for the purposes of receiving and processing your entry as well as communicating with you about the Awards Ceremony Dinner, the academic conference, and other events and programmes of the John Locke Institute and its associated entities. Late entries If for any reason you miss the 30 June deadline you will have an opportunity to make a late entry, under two conditions: a) A late entry fee of 20.00 USD must be paid by credit card within twenty-four hours of the original deadline; and b) Your essay must be submitted before 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 10 July 2024. To pay for late entry, a registrant need only log into his or her account, select the relevant option and provide the requested payment information. Our grading system is proprietary. Essayists may be asked to discuss their entry with a member of the John Locke Institute’s faculty. We use various means to identify plagiarism, contract cheating, the use of AI and other forms of fraud . Our determinations in all such matters are final. Essays will be judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style and persuasive force. The very best essays are likely to be those which would be capable of changing somebody's mind. Essays which ignore or fail to address the strongest objections and counter-arguments are unlikely to be successful . Candidates are advised to answer the question as precisely and directly as possible. The writers of the best essays will receive a commendation and be shortlisted for a prize. Writers of shortlisted essays will be notified by 11.59 pm BST on Wednesday, 31 July. They will also be invited to London for an invitation-only academic conference and awards dinner in September, where the prize-winners will be announced. Unlike the competition itself, the academic conference and awards dinner are not free. Please be aware that n obody is required to attend either the academic conference or the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London. All short-listed candidates, including prize-winners, will be able to download eCertificates that acknowledge their achievement. If you win First, Second or Third Prize, and you travel to London for the ceremony, you will receive a signed certificate. There is a prize for the best essay in each category. The prize for each winner of a subject category, and the winner of the Junior category, is a scholarship worth US$2000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute programme, and the essays will be published on the Institute's website. Prize-giving ceremonies will take place in London, at which winners and runners-up will be able to meet some of the judges and other faculty members of the John Locke Institute. Family, friends, and teachers are also welcome. The candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship, which comes with a US$10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of our summer schools and/or visiting scholars programmes. The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into. R egistration opens: 1 April, 2024. Registration deadline: 31 May, 2024. (Registration is required by this date for subsequent submission.) Submission deadline: 30 June, 2024. Late entry deadline: 10 July, 2024. (Late entries are subject to a 20.00 USD charge, payable by 1 July.) Notification of short-listed essayists: 31 July, 2024. Academic conference: 20 - 22 September, 2024. Awards dinner: 21 September, 2024. Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to [email protected] . Please be aware that, due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, we cannot guarantee to answer every query. In particular, regrettably, we are unable to respond to questions whose answers can be found on our website.If you would like to receive helpful tips from our examiners about what makes for a winning essay or reminders of upcoming key dates for the 2024 essay competition, please provide your email here to be added to our contact list. . Thanks for subscribing! The John Locke Institute's Global Essay Prize is acknowledged as the world's most prestigious essay competition. We welcome tens of thousands of submissions from ambitious students in more than 150 countries, and our examiners - including distinguished philosophers, political scientists, economists, historians, psychologists, theologians, and legal scholars - read and carefully assess every entry. I encourage you to register for this competition, not only for the hope of winning a prize or commendation, and not only for the chance to join the very best contestants at our academic conference and gala ceremony in London, but equally for the opportunity to engage in the serious scholarly enterprise of researching, reflecting on, writing about, and editing an answer to one of the important and provocative questions in this year's Global Essay Prize. We believe that the skills you will acquire in the process will make you a better thinker and a more effective advocate for the ideas that matter most to you. I hope to see you in September! Best wishes, Jamie Whyte, Ph.D. (C ANTAB ) Chairman of Examiners Q. I missed the registration deadline. May I still register or submit an essay? A. No. Only candidates who registered before 31 May will be able to submit an essay. Q. Are footnote s, endnotes, a bibliography or references counted towards the word limit? A. No. Only the body of the essay is counted. Q. Are in-text citations counted towards the word limit? A. If you are using an in-text based referencing format, such as APA, your in-text citations are included in the word limit. Q. Is it necessary to include foo tnotes or endnotes in an essay? A. You may not include footnotes, but you may include in-text citations or endnotes. You should give your sources of any factual claims you make, and you should ackn owledge any other authors on whom you rely. Q. I am interested in a question that seems ambiguous. How should I interpret it? A. You may interpret a question as you deem appropriate, clarifying your interpretation if necessary. Having done so, you must answer the question as directly as possible. Q. How strict are the age eligibility criteria? A. Only students whose nineteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. In the case of the Junior category, only students whose fifteenth birthday falls after 30 June 2024 will be eligible for a prize or a commendation. Q. May I submit more than one essay? A. Yes, you may submit as many essays as you please in any or all categories. Q. If I am eligible to compete in the Junior category, may I also (or instead) compete in another category? A. Yes, you may. Q. May I team up with someone else to write an essay? A. No. Each submitted essay must be entirely the work of a single individual. Q. May I use AI, such as ChatGPT or the like, in writing my essay? A. All essays will be checked for the use of AI. If we find that any content is generated by AI, your essay will be disqualified. We will also ask you, upon submission of your essay, whether you used AI for any purpose related to the writing of your essay, and if so, you will be required to provide details. In that case, if, in our judgement, you have not provided full and accurate details of your use of AI, your essay will be disqualified. Since any use of AI (that does not result in disqualification) can only negatively affect our assessment of your work relative to that of work that is done without using AI, your safest course of action is simply not to use it at all. If, however, you choose to use it for any purpose, we reserve the right to make relevant judgements on a case-by-case basis and we will not enter into any correspondence. Q. May I have someone else edit, or otherwise help me with, my essay? A. You may of course discuss your essay with others, and it is perfectly acceptable for them to offer general advice and point out errors or weaknesses in your writing or content, leaving you to address them. However, no part of your essay may be written by anyone else. This means that you must edit your own work and that while a proofreader may point out errors, you as the essayist must be the one to correct them. Q. Do I have to attend the awards ceremony to win a prize? A. Nobody is required to attend the prize ceremony. You can win a prize without travelling to London. But if we invite you to London it is because your essay was good enough - in the opinion of the First Round judges - to be at least a contender for First, Second or Third Prize. Normally the Second Round judges will agree that the short-listed essays are worth at least a commendation. Q. Is there an entry fee? A. No. There is no charge to enter our global essay competition unless you submit your essay after the normal deadline, in which case there is a fee of 20.00 USD . Q. Can I receive a certificate for my participation in your essay competition if I wasn't shortlisted? A. No. Certificates are awarded only for shortlisted essays. Short-listed contestants who attend the award ceremony in London will receive a paper certificate. If you cannot travel to London, you will be able to download your eCertificate. Q. Can I receive feedba ck on my essay? A. We would love to be able to give individual feedback on essays but, unfortunately, we receive too many entries to be able to comment on particular essays. Q. The deadline for publishing the names of short-listed essayists has passed but I did not receive an email to tell me whether I was short-listed. A. Log into your account and check "Shortlist Status" for (each of) your essay(s). Q. Why isn't the awards ceremony in Oxford this year? A. Last year, many shortlisted finalists who applied to join our invitation-only academic conference missed the opportunity because of capacity constraints at Oxford's largest venues. This year, the conference will be held in central London and the gala awards dinner will take place in an iconic London ballroom. TECHNICAL FAQ sQ. The system will not accept my essay. I have checked the filename and it has the correct format. What should I do? A. You have almost certainly added a space before or after one of your names in your profile. Edit it accordingly and try to submit again. Q. The profile page shows my birth date to be wrong by a day, even after I edit it. What should I do? A. Ignore it. The date that you typed has been correctly input to our database. Q. How can I be sure that my registration for the essay competition was successful? Will I receive a confirmation email? A. You will not receive a confirmation email. Rather, you can at any time log in to the account that you created and see that your registration details are present and correct. TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR SUBMISSIONIf you are unable to submit your essay to the John Locke Institute’s global essay competition, your problem is almost certainly one of the following. If so, please proceed as indicated. 1) PROBLEM: I receive the ‘registrations are now closed’ message when I enter my email and verification code. SOLUTION. You did not register for the essay competition and create your account. If you think you did, you probably only provided us with your email to receive updates from us about the competition or otherwise. You may not enter the competition this year. 2) PROBLEM I do not receive a login code after I enter my email to enter my account. SOLUTION. Enter your email address again, checking that you do so correctly. If this fails, restart your browser using an incognito window; clear your cache, and try again. Wait for a few minutes for the code. If this still fails, restart your machine and try one more time. If this still fails, send an email to [email protected] with “No verification code – [your name]” in the subject line. SUBMITTING AN ESSAY 3) PROBLEM: The filename of my essay is in the correct format but it is rejected. SOLUTION: Use “Edit Profile” to check that you did not add a space before or after either of your names. If you did, delete it. Whether you did or did not, try again to submit your essay. If submission fails again, email [email protected] with “Filename format – [your name]” in the subject line. 4) PROBLEM: When trying to view my submitted essay, a .txt file is downloaded – not the .pdf file that I submitted. SOLUTION: Delete the essay. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “File extension problem – [your name]” in the subject line. 5) PROBLEM: When I try to submit, the submission form just reloads without giving me an error message. SOLUTION. Log out of your account. Open a new browser; clear the cache; log back in, and resubmit. If resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Submission form problem – [your name]” in the subject line. 6) PROBLEM: I receive an “Unexpected Error” when trying to submit. SOLUTION. Logout of your account; log back in, and resubmit. If this resubmission fails, email [email protected] with “Unexpected error – [your name]” in thesubject line. Your email must tell us e xactly where in the submission process you received this error. 7) PROBLEM: I have a problem with submitting and it is not addressed above on this list. SOLUTION: Restart your machine. Clear your browser’s cache. Try to submit again. If this fails, email [email protected] with “Unlisted problem – [your name]” in the subject line. Your email must tell us exactly the nature of your problem with relevant screen caps. READ THIS BEFORE YOU EMAIL US. Do not email us before you have tried the specified solutions to your problem. Do not email us more than once about a single problem. We will respond to your email within 72 hours. Only if you have not heard from us in that time may you contact us again to ask for an update. If you email us regarding a problem, you must include relevant screen-shots and information on both your operating system and your browser. You must also declare that you have tried the solutions presented above and had a good connection to the internet when you did so. If you have tried the relevant solution to your problem outlined above, have emailed us, and are still unable to submit before the 30 June deadline on account of any fault of the John Locke Institute or our systems, please do not worry: we will have a way to accept your essay in that case. However, if there is no fault on our side, we will not accept your essay if it is not submitted on time – whatever your reason: we will not make exceptions for IT issues for which we are not responsible. We reserve the right to disqualify the entries of essayists who do not follow all provided instructions, including those concerning technical matters. JRMSU – ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION Mechanics and Rules
CRITERIA FOR JUDGING
DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM DOWNLOAD CONFIRMATION SLIP *Adapted from PASUC Guidelines and modified by the host university.
A powerhouse of voices. A champion of different perspectives. A pipeline of talent. A POWERHOUSE OF VOICES. A CHAMPION OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. A PIPELINE OF TALENT. This is Girls Write Now.Connect with us, writing contests & publication opportunities for youth. Girls Write Now is a dynamic, multi-generational community of writers on a mission. For more than 20 years, our nationally award-winning programs have provided creative, critical and digital writing training, college and career readiness, personalized mentoring and massive opportunities for the next generation of leaders. Know about a great writing contest for teens or young adults? Feel free to reach out to Kenna McCafferty at [email protected] . Girls Write Now ContestsFIRST CHAPTERS CONTEST A Writing Contest in Partnership with Penguin Random House and Electric Lit Girls Write Now is proud to team up with Penguin Random House and Electric Lit for an exciting opportunity to be published on the Electric Lit website and win a cash prize of $500! The First Chapters contest is part of Penguin Random House’s and Electric Lit’s commitment to support Girls Write Now in amplifying diverse voices. To qualify your first Chapter MUST:
SELECT YOUTH CONTESTS The Alexandrian Review is an entirely student run international youth literary magazine and they are looking for submissions. To submit, applicants must be 10-20 years of age. The Alexandrian Review receives any submissions within their guidelines. While they do emphasize the theme of amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, they are happy to accept and provide feedback on any works. The submission window will be open from April 7 – July 31. Learn more about the submission requirements here . Select Annual Contest SchedulesBennington’s Young Writers Awards exists to promote excellence in writing at the high school level. Included genres are poetry, fiction and nonfiction. A first, second, and third place winner is selected in each category. The details below can be found on their Submittable page at https://www.bennington.edu/events/young-writers-awards . Awards & Rules First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; third-place winners receive $250. There is no entry fee. All entries must be original work reviewed, approved and sponsored by a high school teacher. We will use your sponsoring teacher as a contact for the competition should we have any questions. For homeschooled students, please contact a mentor to sponsor your writing. Young Writers Award finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington. YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $40,000. YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $15,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $60,000. Black Lawrence Press has annual awards and competitions for a variety of genres. The schedule below, as well as individual descriptions for each award, can be found on their Submittable page at https://blacklawrencepress.submittable.com/submit . The Big Moose Prize: Open December 1 – January 31 (Open competition, novels) The Hudson Prize: Open February 1 – March 31 (Open competition, poetry and short story collections) The Spring Black River Chapbook Competition : Open April 1 – May 31 (Open competition, poetry and prose chaps) Open Reading Period 1: Between June 1 – June 30 The St. Lawrence Book Award: Open July 1- August 31 (First book competition, poetry and short story collections) The Fall Black River Chapbook Competition: Open September 1 – October 31 (Open competition, poetry and prose chaps) Open Reading Period 2: Between November 1 – November 30 (Please note that Black Lawrence Press occasionally offers early bird specials on their contests. These specials allow authors to submit their manuscripts ahead of time at a discounted rate.) The American Writers Museum, John Estey Student Writing Competition, has opened its 4th annual student writing competition. To learn more, visit American Writers Museum PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMERGING WRITERS THE ADROIT JOURNAL is run by high school students, college students, and emerging writers. Adroit publishes within “over 21” and “under 21” categories, so your writing will appear alongside great work by writers of any age. Adroit publishes fiction and poetry, and includes art and photography. They will reopen our submission reading period in January 2021. Find them online at: http://www.theadroitjournal.org/ AFFINITY MAGAZINE works to spotlight teen voices about current events. We find that the media sometimes forgets the voices of teens on many topics! So we are here to give them a voice. Affinity Magazine allows you to get your writing published and read by thousands of people! You can get your work published and sharpen up on your writing so you can write for The New York Times one day (hopefully!!). For ages 13-20. Visit http://affinitymagazine.us/write-for-us/ for more information on all the different AGNI is Boston University’s well-respected journal. It appears in both print and online. AGNI submissions are not limited to high school writers, but the journal is known to accept and publish lots of work by new writers. Get published in high school at AGNI and you’ve taken an important step to becoming a writer in the real world! Find them online at: http://www.bu.edu/agni/submit.htm THE ALCOTT YOUTH MAGAZINE is a magazine devoted to sharing the written perspectives of young people. The magazine publishes work on a variety of topics, including current events, young adult life, and women’s rights issues. Published works are primarily focused on young women from ages thirteen to twenty-two. However, anyone who is interested in sharing their voice is encouraged to submit to the magazine, regardless of age or gender. The Alcott Youth Magazine is open to publishing articles, essays, short stories, illustrations, cartoons, photographs, or any other works. Visit https://www.alcottmagazine.com/submit THE AUDACITY is Roxanne Gay’s bi-monthly newsletter where she features emerging writers with fewer than three article/essay/short story publications and no published books or book contracts. The Audacity features only non-fiction and is particularly interested in literary essays and memoir. All essays are paid a flat fee of $2,000. For more information, visit https://gay.submittable.com/submit BLUE MARBLE publishes four times a year and accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, opinion pieces, travel writing, photography and art on a rolling basis. Blue Marble looks for new work from writers ages 13-21 that hasn’t been published anywhere else either online or in print. For more details on how to submit your work, visit https://bluemarblereview.com/submit/ . DIALOGUE HUMANITIES is an online, biannual journal that publishes high quality, humanities-focused essays written by middle and high school students. Essays will be reviewed by a panel of experts in various humanities-based fields and will be chosen based on the strength of the writing, the author’s familiarity with his or her chosen topic, and the appropriateness of the essay’s content. Dialogue Humanities Review aims to include academic essays from a wide variety of fields, including but not limited to: African-American Studies; American Studies; Anthropology; Archaeology; Art Criticism, History, and Theory; Classics; Ethics; Ethnic Studies; Folklore; Geography; History; History and Ethics of Science; International Studies; Jurisprudence; Languages and Linguistics; Literature; Music History and Criticism; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Religion and Comparative Religion; Sociology; Social Sciences; Theatre History and Criticism; and Women’s Studies. If selected, authors will be asked to revise their essays to ready it for publication. Please visit http://dialoguehumanitiesreview.org/about/ or contact Jessica Rafferty at [email protected] for more information. ÉLAN LITERARY MAGAZINE accepts original fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, plays, and all kinds of art from students ages 14-18 in locations internationally. Élan produces two online editions a year, one in the Fall/Winter and another in the Spring/Summer. The two editions are combined into a single Print Edition each Summer. For more information on how to submit, visit: https://www.elanlitmag.com/submit . EMBER only publishes twice a year, but this beautiful and dreamy journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction appeals to all age groups. Although it doesn’t exclusively publish young writers, submissions from writers and artists ages 10 to 18 are strongly encouraged. Submissions open March 1, 2023 . For more details, visit them online at: http://emberjournal.org/ . ENOUGH PLAYS is taking submissions from teen writers (ages 13-19) of 10-MIN PLAYS confronting the issue of gun violence. Six plays will be selected by a panel of astonishing writers to be published and performed nationwide and the writers will receive $500. Deadline for submissions is April 20, 2023 . Visit them online: https://www.enoughplays.com/amplify GIRLS RIGHT THE WORLD is a literary journal inviting young, female-identified writers and artists, ages 14–21, to submit work for consideration for the fourth annual issue. They believe girls’ voices transform the world for the better. We accept poetry, prose, and visual art of any style or theme. Girls Right The World ask to be the first to publish your work in North America; after publication, the rights return to you. Please include a note mentioning your age, where you’re from, and a bit about your submission. Send your best work, in English or English translation, to [email protected] between September 1 and December 31. HANGING LOOSE PRESS has had a section of high school writing in their issues since 1968. Hanging Loose has long been known for its special interest in new writers. This press reads manuscripts throughout the year, accepting poetry and prose. For more details on the submission process, visit https://www.hangingloosepress.com/submissions/ . HELLOGIGGLES a positive online community for female-identifying readers (although others are always welcome!) covering the latest in beauty and style, relationships, career and money, culture, identity, and more. Featuring a mix of news, personal essays, reported features, and service, we’re committed to providing our readers with smart, thoughtful, and relatable content representing a range of voices. We were founded by Zooey Deschanel, Molly McAleer, and Sophia Rossi in 2011 as a place on the Internet to inspire a smile, and years later, we’re still doing just that. Tor ages 14 and up. HOT DISH MAGAZINE , an online journal serving up a bubbling mixture of poetry and fiction by teens (grades 9–12), wants your voice to be heard! We award cash prizes for fiction, poetry, and the Hot Dish Challenge. Our submission period is October-January. Visit us at www.hotdishmagazine.com . The GOAT ( the-goat.org ) publishes student writing on everything sports related and is looking for new submissions. Students can email their writing pieces to me. No work is rejected, and editors provide any mentoring and editing necessary. Students will see their work online within weeks and can include the link on their college or summer school applications. ICE LOLLY REVIEW: Ice Lolly Review accepts a variety of pieces including, creative nonfiction, fiction, haikus, poems, plays, spoken word, and etc. They are looking for pieces that have a strong, solid voice and aren’t afraid of delving into deep topics. For more details, go to https://www.icelollyreview.com/submissions . jGIRLS MAGAZINE: jGirls Magazine accepts submissions on an ongoing basis from self-identifying Jewish teenage girls and gender-expansive youth ages 13-19. You can submit articles, essays, fiction, poetry, cultural reviews, humor, photographs, music, videos, artwork and other creative materials. You can submit as often as you’d like. For more details, visit https://jgirlsmagazine.org/submission-guidelines/ . KIDSPIRIT is a nonprofit online magazine and community by and for youth to engage each other about life’s big questions in an open and inclusive spirit. Its mission is to promote mutual understanding among 11- to 17-year-olds of diverse backgrounds and support their development into world citizens with strong inner grounding. KidSpirit is in syndication on the Huffington Post and Spirituality & Practice and has won numerous awards from major educational, parenting, and spiritual organizations. Visit the Get Involved section to learn more about publishing your work, becoming an editor, or facilitating a conversation about one of the 50 themes KidSpirit contributors have explored: https://kidspiritonline.com/get-involved/ THE LUMIERE REVIEW is a literary magazine dedicated to shining the light on all voices through poetry, prose, and art. General submissions are now open. Submissions to the forthcoming Issue 08 of The Lumiere Review in poetry, prose (creative fiction and non-fiction), and all forms of art can be sent to [email protected] . Details on how to submit and format your work can be found at: https://lumierereview.com/submit . NARRATIVE MAGAZINE A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, a memoir, or an excerpt from a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction. A second-place prize of $1,000 is also awarded. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to 15,000 words of prose with a $27 entry fee by March 28. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Deadline, March 28, 2024 at midnight PST. POLYPHONY LIT: invites submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from high school students worldwide. Student editors provide feedback to all submissions, including the ones not accepted for publication. Submissions are open from February 1-28, 2022 and June 1-30, 2022. More details can be found at https://www.polyphonylit.org/. TEEN INK is one of the most popular and diverse writing spaces to get published in high school. The broad categories for publication reflect the diversity of writing that this lively online magazine celebrates. Some publication categories include: community service, travel and culture, the environment, health, reviews of TV shows and video games, and college essays, among the more traditional poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Visit online at: http://www.teenink.com THE TRAILBLAZER LITERARY MAGAZINE is an international high school publication dedicated to push for cultural diversity through creative writing. For general submissions, the magazine accepts fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction all year, from middle and high school students between 14 and 18 years old. In addition, they host the Cultural Heritage Writing Contest, which welcomes submissions about the young creatives’ cultural background, ancestry, values, customs, etc. Visit online at: https://www.thetrailblazerreview.com/ TRAVELNITCH was founded in 2018 to encourage a love of travel and make it more accessible to all families. Travelnitch believes travel has the power to changes lives, open minds, and build stronger communities. They love to feature new & aspiring travel writers who can delight and entertain readers. They currently need support developing family-centric travel content to engage kids (and sometimes parents) in fun and innovative ways. If you are a writer who loves to travel, this could be the perfect fit for you—turn your own passion into an inspiring story for our readers! https://travelnitch.org/writers/storyteller-spotlight/ TYRIAN INK is an independent LGBTQIA+ press that is dedicated to uplifting youth voices. TYRIAN INK is currently open to chapbook manuscripts of any genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrid, etc) with a minimum of 30 pages and a maximum of 50 pages in length. Please only submit if you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community and are 22 or below. Writers will be paid $250 for their manuscripts and receive a percent of royalties for every chapbook sold. https://tyrianinkpress.com/home/submission-guidelines/ WRITING RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIPS Hedgebrook’s mission is to support visionary women-identified writers,18 and older, whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come. Writers must be women, which is inclusive of transgender women and female-identified individuals. Hedgebrook’s Writer-in-Residence Program supports writers from all over the world for fully-funded residencies of two to four weeks (travel is not included and is the responsibility of the writer to arrange and pay for). Up to 6 writers can be in residence at a time, each housed in their own handcrafted cottage. They spend their days in solitude – writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property or on nearby Double Bluff beach. In the evenings, “The Gathering” is a social time for residents to connect and share over their freshly prepared meals. Writers can apply here for a residency in Fiction, Non-fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Screenwriting/TV Writing, or Songwriting. Read more and apply at https://www.hedgebrook.org/writers-in-residence. MacDowell’s mission is to nurture the arts by offering creative individuals an inspiring environment in which they can produce enduring works of the imagination. We encourage applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and who are investigating an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns. MacDowell is currently accepting applications for the Spring Summer 2023 residency season (March – August 2023). Learn more at https://macdowell.slideroom.com/#/Login. The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is a $8,000 unrestricted cash grant available to artists living in New York State and/or one of the Indian Nations located therein. This grant is awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period (five categories a year) and the application is free to complete. The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is not a project grant, but is intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, at all levels of their artistic development. Learn more at https://www.nyfa.org/awards-grants/artist-fellowships/ . Explore More College & Career ResourcesInternshipS FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALSScholarshipS FOR HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGE STUDENTSWriting CONTESTS & PUBLICATIONS OPEN TO youthGirls Write NowFor 25 years, Girls Write Now has been breaking down barriers of gender, race, age and poverty to mentor the next generation of writers and leaders who are impacting businesses, shaping culture and creating change. Thank you for joining our movement. Join the CommunityFrom mailing list to mentoring and more…, give write now, invest in the next generation of leaders. 247 West 37th Street, Suite 1000 New York, NY 10018 Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase Presidential Power in 2025The former president and his backers aim to strengthen the power of the White House and limit the independence of federal agencies. Donald J. Trump intends to bring independent regulatory agencies under direct presidential control. Credit... 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By Jonathan Swan Charlie Savage and Maggie Haberman
Donald J. Trump and his allies are planning a sweeping expansion of presidential power over the machinery of government if voters return him to the White House in 2025, reshaping the structure of the executive branch to concentrate far greater authority directly in his hands. Their plans to centralize more power in the Oval Office stretch far beyond the former president’s recent remarks that he would order a criminal investigation into his political rival, President Biden, signaling his intent to end the post-Watergate norm of Justice Department independence from White House political control. Mr. Trump and his associates have a broader goal: to alter the balance of power by increasing the president’s authority over every part of the federal government that now operates, by either law or tradition, with any measure of independence from political interference by the White House, according to a review of his campaign policy proposals and interviews with people close to him. Mr. Trump intends to bring independent agencies — like the Federal Communications Commission, which makes and enforces rules for television and internet companies, and the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces various antitrust and other consumer protection rules against businesses — under direct presidential control. He wants to revive the practice of “impounding” funds, refusing to spend money Congress has appropriated for programs a president doesn’t like — a tactic that lawmakers banned under President Richard Nixon. He intends to strip employment protections from tens of thousands of career civil servants, making it easier to replace them if they are deemed obstacles to his agenda. And he plans to scour the intelligence agencies, the State Department and the defense bureaucracies to remove officials he has vilified as “the sick political class that hates our country.” We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in . Want all of The Times? Subscribe . Advertisement |
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Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites to gather information and support your arguments. Tip 1: Utilize library resources to access scholarly articles and books that delve into your topic. Tip 2: Take notes and organize your research findings to structure your essay effectively. Tip 3:
WRITING CONTEST. AND JUDGING RUBRICRULESNo entry fee is required, and all rights in the story remain th. property of the author. All type. of fiction are welcome.By submitting to the Contest, the entrant agrees to ab. e by all Contest rules.All entries must be original works by. the entrant, in English. Plagiarism, which includes the use of ...
The first thing that you should do to win essay contests is to read the rules thoroughly. Overlooking one small detail could be the difference between winning the contest and wasting your time. Pay special attention to: The contest's start and end dates. How often you're allowed to enter. The word or character count. The contest's theme.
It's a good idea to print out the guidelines so that you can refer to them as you're writing. 2. Brainstorm essay ideas to pick a topic that works with the theme. Most essay contests will have a theme that your essay should be about, narrowing down your options for essay ideas.
Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we've published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests ...
Eligibility: Students must be between the ages of 13-18 and currently enrolled in a secondary or high school at the time of the global competition in February 2024 -OR- have not started university studies yet and be under the age of 18. Registration: The registration fee is US$15 per student and must be paid upon registration. All guidelines ...
The New York Times Modern Love College Essay Contest OFFICIAL RULES. February 18, 2022, and ends at 11:59 p.m. E.T. on March 27, 2022 (the "Submission Period"). To be eligible, submissions ...
Winning Essays 2022 Creative Join our Community! Prompts. Prompts 2024 Prompts History Past HCGEC. Global Winners 2023 Global Winners 2022 GET INVOLVED FAQ Home About. What is HCGEC? Competition Structure and Dates Prizes Bootcamps ...
Get an endorsement from a respected figure in the writing community (this could be in the form of a guest judge) Get your contest listed by credible publications. Establish yourself as a respected and professional publisher/editor prior to hosting a contest. Make sure your contest details are thorough.
February 1, 2022. (Stage Two) Essay Semifinalists' 2,500-word essays due. February 8, 2022. Launch of Community Service Fellowship Competition for Essay Semifinalists. Early-March, 2022. Essay Finalists announced. March 12, 2022. Community Service Fellowship proposals due. Mid-April, 2022.
The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition provides a platform for young, ambitious high school students to exercise their writing skills and compete with students from all over the world! This competition encourages students to challenge themselves and explore different writing styles to ultimately strengthen their writing skills.
Essay Contest Judging Rubric. For each criterion listed, score the essay on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best score. Use a separate form for each essay. Do not score in decimals or fractions - whole numbers only. 5=Excellent 4=Above Average 3=Average 2=Below Average 1=Poor/Incomplete. Criteria 5 4 3 21 Score.
The contest requires a five- to eight-page essay, approximately 1,500-2,000 words, with a first-place prize award of $2,500, a second-place prize of $1,500, and a third-place prize of $1,000. The essay asks students to discuss the ways in which liberal arts degrees are advantageous. Cite this Article. You may be able to win cash, scholarships ...
5. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest. This annual contest invites students to write about a political official's act of political courage that occurred after Kennedy's birth in 1917. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up also receive a variety of cash prizes.
Length: Essays should be no longer than 750 words. This is a maximum word count; if your response to the prompt can be clearly and powerfully communicated in fewer than 750 words, that is great. Eligibility: The contest is open to youth around the world. Youth must be between 14-18 years of age when the Contest closes on February 15, with the ...
Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story. Up to $1000 in cash prizes for the African Diaspora Award 2024. African-themed prose and poetry wanted. Top finalists are published in Kinsman Quarterly's magazine and the anthology, "Black Butterfly: Voices of the African Diaspora.".
Since 1883, we have delivered The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, the world's oldest international schools' writing competition. Today, we work to expand its reach, providing life-changing opportunities for young people around the world.
Essay Contest Rules 2024. Length: Your essay should be at least 1,000 words but should not exceed 1,500 words (word count does not apply to the list of sources). Content and Judging: Submissions will be judged on the quality of analysis, quality of research, and form, style and mechanics.Successful entries will answer all aspects of the prompt and demonstrate an understanding of the Foreign ...
This will be my first one.". So, Patty, (and anyone else who happens to be reading), here are my five top tips for judging a writing competition: 1. You're a reader, first. The title of Judge sounds grand, but forget that for now. Essentially, you're a reader. Many writers (especially those entering a competition) create something to ...
Rules and Criteria: Every January past Writing 150 students have the opportunity to submit to the Writing 150 Contest. Winners and finalists will be asked to participate in the annual English Symposium by reading their entries and discussing them in a roundtable or panel with an audience of other students and instructors.
Academic conference: 20 - 22 September, 2024. Awards dinner: 21 September, 2024. Contact. Any queries regarding the essay competition should be sent to [email protected]. Please be aware that, due to the large volume of correspondence we receive, we cannot guarantee to answer every query.
ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION Mechanics and Rules. The Board of judges shall provide topic of the essay at the venue of the competition. The contestants shall be given two (2) hours to develop the composition. The contestants shall be provided with a pen and a long bondpaper marked with the assigned number duly signed by the contest master.
In the meantime, check out the rules and guidelines for our previous Coming of Age contests — and the student work that has resulted. Nov. 6-Dec. 4, 2024 My Tiny Memoir: Our 100-Word Personal ...
The 3 winners and runner ups will require to submit a photo copy of student identification card or copy of the parent/guardian's ID card. For queries please contact about the contest please contact Zaira Ahmed at [email protected]. Essays will be evaluated by a panel of judges. Winning essays will become the property of Nestlé ...
Here are the best places to submit your work—from writing contests and competitions with cash prizes to publications seeking poetry, essays and more forms of multimedia storytelling from young writers. ... Awards & Rules First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; third-place winners ...
The contest encourages South Carolina high school juniors and seniors to write a 500-word essay about a different topic annually. ... Writing contest winners were: Madison Wright, Williston-Elko ...
Mr. Trump intends to bring independent agencies — like the Federal Communications Commission, which makes and enforces rules for television and internet companies, and the Federal Trade ...