Turn your writing hobby into a fruitful career by participating in the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. This is the oldest and most famous writing contest of Writer’s Digest, inspiring emerging and supporting writers for 90 years. Through this program, Writer’s Digest has been shedding the spotlight on up-coming talented writers in many genres. This contest is your golden chance to chance to win and have your work seen by editors and agents. This year, the prize is available in different categories: Inspirational/Spiritual, Memoirs/Personal Essay, Print or Online Article, Genre Short Story, Mainstream/Literary Short Story, Rhyming Poetry, Non-rhyming Poetry, Script and Children’s/Young Adult Fiction.
For this contest, almost 500 winners will be selected, and the prize will be different depending on the place you will secure. Candidates will be chosen for first through tenth place. Apart from the cash prize, candidates will receive a chance to interview with the author in Writer’s Digest, a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference and more. The mission of this annual program is to support the young writers and give them a platform to show their skills and make some money as well. By becoming a participant in this competition, you can not only take advantage of various amazing perks but give your writing career a boost and gain some financial support for your academic pursuits. The application process is very simple. You can send your submission through the online portal of Writer’s Digest.
Founded in 1920, Writer’s Digest has been helping ignite writers’ creative vision and connect them with the community, education and resources they need to bring it to life. It also helps writers improve their craft, achieve their goals and recognize their dreams. Writer’s Digest makes available inspiring prompts, practical techniques and insightful interviews to instructional workshops, writing competitions and professional services to assist writers in all genres to refine their skills.
Table of Contents
Brief Description
Get quick information through this table:
| Organization | Writer’s Digest |
| Educational Level | All |
| Subjects | All |
| Amount | Various |
| Access Mode | Online |
| Number of Awards | 500 |
| City | Cincinnati |
| Nationality | Domestic |
| Country | United States |
| Application Deadline | May 7, 2021 |
| Application Fee | Yes |
| Requirements | Essay |
Who May Be Eligible
This contest is open to all. There is no specific requirement.
How to Apply
To enter this contest, you will have to create a free submittable account through the online portal of Writer’s Digest. If you already have a submittable account, then log in with the help of that. You can now compete in multiple WD competitions with a single login. Once you are done with the account, please provide the following information
- Your contact information
- Your annual writing competition submission file
Supporting Documents
Candidates can write in one of the following genres and send their submission to Writer’s Digest by the application deadline:
- Inspirational/Spiritual
- Memoirs/Personal Essay
- Print or Online Article
- Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
- Mainstream/Literary Short Story
- Rhyming Poetry
- Non-rhyming Poetry
- Script (Stage Play/Television/Movie Script/Short Film)
- Children’s/Young Adult Fiction
Benefits
The contest consists of the following perks:
- $5,000 in cash
- An interview with the author in Writer’s Digest
- A paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including a coveted Pitch Slam slot
- and more
- The First place winner in each category will receive $1,000 in cash.
- The second-place winner in each category will receive $500 cash.
- The third-place winner in each category will receive $250 in cash.
- The Fourth place winner in each category will receive $100 in cash.
- The Fifth place winner in each category will receive $50 in cash.
- The Sixth through Tenth place winners in each category will receive a $25 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com.
Apart from this, all top winners will get the following:
- A one-year subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest magazine, discounts on Writer’s Digest University workshops and more.
- The Grand Prize-winning piece and the 1st place winning piece in each category will be published on WritersDigest.com.
- All top winners will have their names listed in Writer’s Digest and on WritersDigest.com.
All Honorable Mentions will gain:
- 20% discount off of purchases made at Writer’s Digest University
- Their names listed on WritersDigest.com.
Application Deadline
Applications are available until May 7, 2021. Send your application as early as possible to get the best consideration for this program.
