Contests & Awards
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| © Sheila Keegan |
Submitting your work to contests and awards is a great way to get your work noticed. Here's a list of submission opportunities for children's writing and illustrating. We normally only list contests that do not require an entry fee.
Also, check out these other compilations of contests:
- Sub It Club's monthly lists of contests (see their contest roundup calendar)
- Funds for Writers
- Lee & Low's roundup of Awards & Grants for Authors of Color
- Institute for Children's Literature runs contests (for fee)
- Poet & Writer's Database of Writing Contests (includes fee contests)
Before entering a contest, pay attention to warning signs:Writing Contests are Important: How to Choose the Right Ones from the Scams; Awards Profiteers: How Writers Can Recognize Them and Why They Should Avoid Them
James Cross Giblin Scholarship for Highlights Foundations courses
What I Gained from Contests (Besides my Agent)
Draw This!
- What: monthly illustration challenge with a prompt, due 20th of each month
- Who: SCBWI members
- Prize: winning pieces featured in SCBWI's monthly newsletter
ONGONG
- What: apply for emergency funds during the pandemic
- Who: people of color in the children's publishing industry (agents, editors, authors, illustrators) who've been furloughed or lost their jobs
- Award: emergency funds
November
- What: submit a brief cover letter with the name of your proposed book, a 1-2 paragraph synopsis, your publication timeline, a short bio, a 1 page business plan of how the grant money will used, and 2-3 sentences about why you have chosen to self-publish this book.
- Who: SCBWI members
- Award: $2500 to offset the costs of self-publishing
- What: submit a poem no longer than 16 lines that rhymes suitable for children or teens with the theme "Winter Wanderings: Nature Poems"
- Award: Cash prizes (1st place: $300; 2nd place: $200; 3rd place: $100; $10 entry fee). Longlist Dec 13; shortlist Dec 15; winner Dec 17.
Nov. 30 #QuestPit
- What: a writer hype event where you pitch your work/manuscript (any stage) to get attention and support
- Who: anyone
- Prize: support from fellow creators, possible agent/editor interest
December
- What: submit your traditionally or self-published book published in 2024 that promotes compassion and respect for animals
- Who: SCBWI member
- Award: $2500 and $1000 prizes
- What: write a maximum 250-word children's holiday story about a holiday mystery
- Prizes: signed books, critiques, and more
March 2025
Mar 1-31 SCBWI Work In Progress Award
- What: submit your WIP in one of 4 categories: picture book text; chapter books/early readers/middle grade; young adult fiction; nonfiction; plus ability to submit to underrepresented fiction/nonfiction and Karen Cushman Late Bloomer award
- Who: SCBWI member
- Award: selected works will be presented to select editors in a secure webpage
Mar 1-31 Karen Cushman Late Bloomer Award
- What: same submission as the SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant
- Who: SCBWI members, unpublished authors over the age of 50
- Award: $500 plus tuition to any SCBWI conference in the world
Mar. 1- 31 Don Freeman Work-In-Progress Grant
- What: submit a rough picture book dummy (if published illustrator), or a rough dummy or ten finished illustrations (if unpublished)
- Who: SCBWI members
- Award: Two $1,000 grants