Contests & Awards
© Julie Rowan-Zoch
Submitting your work to contests and awards is a great way to get yo ur work noticed. Here's a list of submission opportunities for children's writing and illustrating. We normally only list contests that do not require an entry fee.
Also, check out these other compilations of contests:
Sub It Club's monthly lists of contests (see their contest roundup calendar )
Funds for Writers
Lee & Low's roundup of Awards & Grants for Authors of Color
Institute for Children's Literature runs contests (for fee)
Poet & Writer's Database of Writing Contests (includes fee contests)
Before entering a contest, pay attention to warning signs: Writing Contests are Important: How to Choose the Right Ones from the Scams ; Awards Profiteers: How Writers Can Recognize Them and Why They Should Avoid Them
Ongoing Contests & Awards
Twitter Pitch contests & 1st Five Pages Workshop by Adventures in YA Publishing
Most Popular Twitter Pitch Parties
James Cross Giblin Scholarship for Highlights Foundations courses
Four on 400 (every month, deadline 5th day of each month)
What: Comment on the contest announcement on the 4th of each month for a chance to submit your first 400 words of an MG or YA ms
Prize : Winner's entry will be posted on blog & critiqued by four members of The Winged Pen
Writing Contests in 2019, The Definitive Guide
What I Gained from Contests (Besides my Agent)
Draw This!
What: monthly illustration challenge with a prompt, due 20th of each month
Who: SCBWI members
Prize: winning pieces featured in SCBWI's monthly newsletter
ONGONG
We Need Diverse Books - Emergency Funds for Diverse Creatives in Publishing
What : apply for emergency funds during the pandemic
Who: people of color in the children's publishing industry (agents, editors, authors, illustrators) who've been furloughed or lost their jobs
Award: emergency funds
January Jan. 26 #KidlitPit What : a Twitter pitch event for kid lit creators Prize : agent or editor interest February Feb. 16m 8 a.m.-8 p.m. EST #PBPitch What : a Twitter pitch event for picture book creators Prize : agent or editor interest March Mar 31 Karen and Phillip Cushman Late Bloomer Award What : submit a work-in-progress Who : unpublished SCBWI member over the age of 50, work not under contract Prize : $500 plus tuition to a SCBWI conference Mar. 31 SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant What : Submit a PB, CB, MG, YA, nonfiction, or underrepresented fiction/nonfiction Who : current SCBWI member, work not under contract Prize : work will be in a showcase to editors Mar. Don Freeman Grant What : submit a portfolio or rough picture book dummy Who : current SCBWI member Prize : two $1000 prizes (one to a published, on unpublished illustrator) April April 1-3, 2023 Kidlit Spring Fling Contest What : Write a story for kids under 12 years old inspired by a GIF Prizes : signed books, critiques, more
