Writing Contests
Contests are a great way to sharpen your submission skills, stretch your imagination, and get your work out in the world. That’s why the Institute runs adult and kidlit writing contests throughout the year.
Each children’s book writing contest culminates in a Winners Workshop where we announce the winners and critique the winning entries to help all entrants improve their skills. Plus, each contest has cash prizes for the top five entries.
Check out our adult and children’s book writing contests below.
ICL YA Fantasy First Pages
Fantasy novels are always popular with the young adult crowd. Introduce us to a teen and their not-so-ordinary world in our YA Fantasy First Pages Contest.
Details:
- Must be the first 1,000 words (or less) of a YA Fantasy Novel.
- Must contain worldbuilding and some rules of the world’s magic system.
- Aimed at a teen audience.
- Click here for details
ICL Rhyming Animal Poetry
Kids love rhyme and kids love animals, so let’s combine the two into a winning poem for kids ages 6-9! This contest is your chance to show us your rhyming poetry skills! The subject of your poem should be an animal (or animals) and should be suitable for publication in children’s magazines, such as Spider or Highlights.
Details:
- Winners will be announced at our Winners Workshop in late Spring 2024.
- Entrants will get into the workshop for free. An email invitation will be sent one week prior to the workshop.
- Non-entrants can attend for $7. Click here to be notified of future workshops and contests.
IFW Photo Prompt Short Story
Get your inspiration from the photo on the registration page and write a 1,000-word short story.
Details:
- Winners will be announced at our Winners Workshop in early Fall 2024.
- Entrants will get into the workshop for free. An email invitation will be sent one week prior to the workshop.
- Non-entrants can attend for $7. Click here to be notified of future workshops and contests.
Winners Workshop
Following each writing contest, we hold a live workshop to announce the winners. The contest judge will reveal tips for writing in the contest genre and critique the winning entries sharing why they worked—and how they could be even better.
Sign up now to be notified of our next workshop!
Looking to improve your contest entry?
