We found over four dozen excellent free poetry and prose contests with deadlines between February 15-March 31. In this issue, we bring you sample pages from Julian Peters' Nature Poems to See By, coming out in March. Annie Mydla critiques three books that almost won a North Street Book Prize this year.
This month's tip discusses soft censorship from Google, where the mere presence of "he, him" in an email signature caused Gmail to warn us that it "might contain sensitive content that shouldn't be shared based on your organization's policies". If you have a tip, recommendation, or warning, please email it to info@winningwriters.com.
We are thrilled to announce the results from our 11th annual North Street Book Prize for self-published and hybrid-published books. We read 1,734 entries in eight categories!
Teresa Tennyson of North Sandwich, New Hampshire, won this year's Grand Prize across all genres for Five Years, a speculative novel that focuses on a small New England town's response to humanity's imminent extinction as bees and other key flora and fauna succumb to climate change and ecological degradation. Ending on a tentatively hopeful note, this absorbing tale is a testament to the value of democratic norms, especially at times when we are most tempted to abandon them.
Teresa received $10,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $500 credit at BookBaby, two blurbs from published authors as part of the Atmosphere Press Blurb Matchmaking program, a public author interview at atmospherepress.com, free lodging at the Atmosphere Press oceanside condo in Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica, free developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading from Gatekeeper Press, three months of Pro service (a $207 value) and a $250 account credit from Book Award Pro, a book cover consultation from Laura Duffy Design (a $1,100 value), and 3 free ads in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $525 value).
We further congratulate our category winners: Geir and Kate Jordahl (art book), Katherine Lockwood (children's picture book), Jessica Mann (genre fiction), Jacoby A. Matott (graphic novel & memoir), Rashid Darden (mainstream/literary fiction), Ben Stubenberg (creative nonfiction & memoir), Michael Wardner (middle grade), and Kathleen Spivack (poetry).
Cassie Brooks, Bryce Craps, Elizabeth Hatton, Marc Hess and Ira Bobrovska, Dr. Joanne
Intrator, Michael Paul Johnson, Atukunda Rachael Mutabingwa, Dr. Ramiro F. Prudencio, Helen Stine, and Christie Max Williams earned Honorable Mentions. We awarded extra Honorable Mentions in the categories of children's picture book and creative nonfiction & memoir.
We also recognize these finalists: Jan Baross, Rhoda Berlin, Paula Friedman, Eric James Fullilove, Nicole Kohr, Hopey LJ and Kathryn Llewellyn, Maria Lucas, Francis Gary Powers, Jr. and Walter Pfenninger, Rachael Sokolowski and Suz Karchmer, Mary G. Verrill, and Megan Williams.
Final judge Jendi Reiter was assisted by Annie Mydla, Sarah Halper, Paweł Zagawa, Ewa Stachyra, and Mateusz Naporowski. Book feedback was also contributed by Jakub Karolczyk and Greta Rosenberger. Grace LeClair helped us return the books for those who requested that service. Read excerpts from all the winning entries and the judges' remarks.
$23,000 was awarded in all, making this one of the world's most generous contests for self-published and hybrid-published books. Our new competition opens today, with a deadline of July 1. We're introducing a new category: Inspirational/Self-Help.
Submit to the 2026 North Street Book Prize here.
As a final gift to all our readers, our North Street co-sponsor Gatekeeper Press is offering a 10% discount on their publishing packages. Use code NSBP.
Open at Winning Writers, co-sponsored by Duotrope and Chill Subs
WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY CONTEST - NO FEE
Free to enter, $3,750 in prizes. Top award includes $2,000 plus a two-year gift certificate from Duotrope (a $100 value) and five years of Chill Subs' Best plan (a $1,000 value). 13 prizes in all. Deadline: April 1.
Open at Winning Writers, co-sponsored by Duotrope
TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID FICTION & ESSAY CONTEST
$12,000 in prizes. Two top awards include $3,500 each plus two-year gift certificates from Duotrope (a $100 value). 12 prizes in all. $25 entry fee. Deadline: May 1.
View past newsletters in our archives. Need assistance? Let us help. Join our 65,000 followers on Facebook and Bluesky. Advertise with us, starting at
$20.
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June 21 - 27, 2026 at Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin
Ready to invest in yourself and your writing? Novel Bookcamp can help you bank on yourself!
Bookcamp Workshops
Choose from two programs—All-genre or Speculative fiction—with daily professional instruction, one-on-one evaluations of your first thirty pages, industry presentations, meeting agents and editors, and time to practice your craft.
Bookcamp Retreat
Get six full days of writing time plus problem-solve one-on-one with a writing mentor, network with industry professionals, connect with other writers, and, if you want, drop in on a presentation or two.
Book Coaching
Work for up to 8 hours in one-on-one consultations with a book coach who has read and critiqued your entire work-in-progress, then spend time editing your manuscript, attending presentations on the industry, and connecting with other writers.
Join us at the Siena Retreat Center on the stunning shores of Lake Michigan for what may be the most productive six days of your writing career.
Questions? Visit our website or email our director, Dave Rank, at director@novelbookcamp.org.
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Congratulations to Garret Keizer, Jeff Walt, Alice McVeigh, James K. Zimmerman (featured poem: "The History of Everything In Thirteen Easy Lessons"), Suanne Laqueur, Richard Eric Johnson, Gail Thomas, Eva Tortora, Duane L. Herrmann, and Louisa Prince.
Winning Writers editor Jendi Reiter's fourth full-length poetry collection, Introvert Pervert, will be published by The Word Works in March and is now available for pre-order. Watch for the exclusive cover reveal at Electric Literature on February 19. Jendi will be reading from the book at two events at the AWP Conference in Baltimore next month. On Thursday, March 5, at 6pm, Jendi will be part of an offsite reading with
fellow trans and nonbinary writers J Brooke (I Can Tell You The Version That Will Make You Take My Side, 2026), Kelsey L. Smoot (SOULMATE AS A VERB, 2026), and Jackie Domenus (No Offense: A Memoir in Essays, 2025) at The Black Genius Art Show, 106 North Eutaw Street #1. This event is a fundraiser for the Trans Youth Emergency Project. Then on Friday, March 6, at 5:30pm, Jendi will read with other Word Works authors launching new books at AWP (see bottom of newsletter for details).
Learn about our subscribers' achievements and see links to samples of their work.
Have news? Please email it to jendi@winningwriters.com.
Do you use TikTok or Instagram? Send your news to the @winningwriters account so we can share it!
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Deadline extended to February 20
Entries are now being accepted for the 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the most exciting and rewarding book awards program open to independent publishers and authors worldwide who have a book written in English and released in 2024, 2025, or 2026 or with a 2024, 2025, or 2026 copyright date.
There are 80+ categories to choose from, so take advantage of this exciting opportunity to have your book considered for cash prizes, awards, exposure, possible representation by a leading literary agent, and recognition as one of the top independently published books of the year!
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Deadline: February 28
You think the shortest of short stories is easy to write?
In this contest, Flash Fiction is just 300 words—one page of a book—but the best of these bite-sized pieces hit like a full meal. It's challenging, yes. But totally doable. Have a go.
Judge: Tania Hershman
Prizes
FIRST – $1,182
SECOND – Online Writing Course + $354
THIRD – $354
The winners will be announced on April 18. The 10 best stories will be published in the Fish Anthology 2026 in July.
Submit unpublished work. Entry fee: $19 / $13 subsequent entries. Optional critique $54. This contest is open to writers of any nationality writing in English.
See the complete guidelines and enter here.
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"What an incredible experience my first residency was! Being on campus, surrounded by other passionate writers, for an entire week made me realize I haven't been able to dedicate this much time to my writing since...ever. This is why I wanted to get my MFA.
"I had no idea how enriching residency would be. This one week created a huge shift: in my motivation, my perspective of what's possible, my mental health, and the number of people I call Friend.
"Now I'm back home for my semester of independent study—writing, reading, analyzing texts, but not as 'on my own' as I thought it would be. We all have so much support from the faculty and staff, a huge network of alums, and each other.
"I can't wait to see what we write this semester! I'm beyond grateful that it's finally time to give my all to my writing."
 – Emily Persichetti Schuster, low-residency MFA student at Spalding University's Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing
LEARN MORE
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 The North Street Book Prize is not just about honoring great self-published and hybrid-published books. The contest is a laboratory where we explore and share what makes a great book. We have a special interest in books that almost won a prize. The authors of these three books from our 2025 contest have generously allowed us to present what we loved about their books and what, in the end, held them back. Please welcome View to a Kill, See Me, and After Spruce.
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Deadline: March 3, 5pm EST
Brought to you by Joan Dempsey, award-winning novelist, the 6th Annual Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. First prize is $1,000; 2nd is $500; and 3rd is $250. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers (fiction only). $20 entry fee. Winners will be announced on April 14. Learn more.
Read the winning entries from 2025, selected from 769 submissions.
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Deadline: March 6
The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Contest is sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts. This long-running series at Symphony Space in New York City celebrates the art of the short story by having stars of stage and screen read aloud the works of established and emerging writers. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally on both the radio and its weekly podcast.
This year's contest will be judged by Simon Rich (All In, Glory Days). The winning work will be performed at Selected Shorts by an actor in spring 2026, and published on Electric Literature. The winning writer will receive $1,000 and a free 10-week course with Gotham Writers.
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Entries should be unpublished
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Length: 750 words or fewer
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Stories can be on any theme
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There is a fee of $25 to enter
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Writers of all ages and nationalities are eligible
LEARN MORE & SUBMIT
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Deadline: March 15
The Perkoff Prize awards $1,000 each and publication and promotion to writers of the best story, set of poems, and essay that engage in evocative ways with health, wellness, and medicine as judged by the editors. All entries are considered for publication.
Guidelines:
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All submissions must engage with health and medicine in some way.
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All submissions must be previously unpublished.
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Submit one piece of fiction or nonfiction up to 8,500 words, or any number of poems in 6-10 pages.
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Winners will be published in a print issue of TMR.
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Check out the prizewinners and finalists from last year's contest here. Winners will be announced in late 2026.
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All entries will be considered for publication (whether in print or online, or as part of our Poem of the Week or BLAST features).
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Multiple submissions and simultaneous submissions are welcome, but you must pay a separate fee for each entry and withdraw the piece immediately if accepted elsewhere.
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Early-Bird entry fee: $15. Each entrant receives a one-year subscription to the Missouri Review in digital format (normal price $24) and a digital copy of the latest anthology from TMR Books.
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All-Access entry fee: $30. In addition to a one-year digital subscription and digital anthology, entrant receives access to a full decade of digital issues.
Submit Online
Submit By Mail (see instructions)
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Winner, 2025 North Street Book Prize, First Prize for Creative Nonfiction
It's the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The Jamaican bobsled team has become a media darling. And the butt of jokes. Who are these Black guys from a tropical island thinking they can compete in a dangerous winter sport like bobsledding?
The naysayers could smile smugly when captain Dudley "Tal" Stokes lost control of the four-man sled he was driving and crashed violently. While millions watched around the world as their skulls slammed the ice for twenty-one perilous seconds before coming to a stop, a clarifying calm came over Tal.
Instead of walking away from the sport glad to be alive, Tal internalized the experience and committed himself to becoming a world-class bobsledder—whatever it took. That's the untold story!
Disney later released the hit comedy film, Cool Runnings, loosely based on the original team's inspiring effort even if they didn't stand a chance.
But the real bobsledders didn't give up. They clawed their way back from a near-death experience in Calgary. They kept at it in the face of failure, chronic lack of money, and constant doubt. Then redemption.
Against all odds, Tal and the Jamaicans took on the highly experienced European and North American bobsledders at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and claimed their place among the elite.
This is the tale of that journey—from rock bottom "crash dummies" to fearsome contenders—that stands as an enduring testament to the human spirit.
"The story moved swiftly from one dramatic turning point to another. Whether you're a sports fan, a movie fan, or just someone who wants to read a story of perseverance, this book will engage you."
—Jendi Reiter, judge of the North Street Book Prize (read their full critique)
Read an excerpt from The Jamaican Bobsled Captain (PDF)
Buy this book on Amazon.
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This Month's Tip
Google Imposes Effort Tax on Pronouns
Adam Cohen reports from Winning Writers HQ:
Google has hosted the email system for winningwriters.com for over ten years. It has been reasonably reliable, but a few days ago Jendi and I started to receive warning messages like this one every time we tried to send an email, no matter how short or innocuous:
We struggled to figure out what was triggering this warning. As you can see, the warning message provides no details. Finally, after much searching the internet for insight, we discovered Google's "Gender Identity" rule deep within its Admin settings (see below). Apparently Google activated this rule several days ago without our prompting. The part of our emails that offended it was in the signature line. When we removed "he, him" or "they/he" from this area, no warning appeared.
We have now disabled this rule and no longer need to take an extra step to send our emails.
This issue is a bit different from the literary matters we usually explore in this space, but we wanted to call attention to a sneaky and disturbing example of soft censorship coming from a major corporation. Google chose to make an important "policy" for our organization without our knowledge or permission.
Have a tip, recommendation, or warning? Please email it to us at info@winningwriters.com.
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Imagine 2200 is a climate fiction initiative exploring visions of future progress and hope through creative storytelling.
If you're a writer (or you just love climate fiction), our free newsletter delivers:
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Beautifully written climate fiction short stories
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Interviews with authors on craft, background, and inspiration
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Writer opportunities (calls for submissions, live events, and partner opportunities)
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Deep dives into how fiction connects to climate reality, solutions, and justice
Whether you're drafting your next story or sharpening your worldbuilding, this is a place to learn, get inspired, and enjoy a great story.
Subscribe, and explore: Imagine 2200.
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Winning Writers has engaged Cheryl J. Fish, MFA, PhD, to critique your poems, stories, essays, and book excerpts of up to 6,000 words. Cheryl is a poet, fiction writer, and environmental justice scholar. She has been a Fulbright professor in Finland and visiting professor at Mt. Holyoke College; she has taught at BMCC/City University of New York, and is a docent lecturer in the Department of Cultures at the University of Helsinki. Each critique is $109. We guarantee your satisfaction. Learn more and view sample critiques of prose and poetry.
A testimonial from poet Jennifer Hyde Dracos-Tice:
"When Rick Lupert informed me that I'd won a free critique from Winning Writers simply because I had entered the Poetry Super Highway contest in 2025, I was stunned. I felt like I'd won the contest, which I had not.
"Rick put me in touch with WW's Adam Cohen, who in turn forwarded my work to Dr. Cheryl J. Fish for critique. Within a very short time, she sent me incredible feedback.
"Most importantly, Cheryl was specific and positive in her comments. She referenced lines in my poems and explained why they worked for her.
"I'm about to put out my second book of poetry, so I deeply appreciated that Cheryl acknowledged my commitment to writing but also had no problem giving me direct suggestions. She addressed issues of style and grammar (oh my, and I'm an English teacher!), as well as line breaks and basic consistency of form. She gave me nearly a page of detailed comments for each of the three poems I'd sent, comments that attended to my work at the level of the line.
"In some cases, Cheryl helped me with questions of balance between the personal and political, especially in one of my more documentary poems. She made recommendations for further reading to help me expand my knowledge and references.
"Finally, Cheryl left me with a slew of authors, titles, and prompts. This list felt tailored to me, my voice, and my subject matter.
"I'm in the midst of revising and polishing based upon Cheryl's feedback and am excited to submit these poems in the near future.
"Thank you to Cheryl for her incredibly generous, insightful, and useful critique!"
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Some contests are best suited to writers at the early stages of their careers. Others are better for writers with numerous prizes and publications to their credit. Here is this month's selection of Spotlight Contests for your consideration:
Emerging Writers
Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award. West Chester University will award prizes up to $1,500 for unpublished poetry "composed in the traditional modes of meter, rhyme, and received forms" by US undergraduate students. Must be received by February 20 (new deadline).
Intermediate Writers
Orwell Prize for Journalism. The University College London, Institute of Advanced Studies, will award 3,000 pounds for the best political writing first published between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. Entries may be published journalistic articles, broadcasts, or blogs. All entries must have a clear relationship with the UK or Ireland as described in the contest rules. Must be received by March 31.
Advanced Writers
Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism. The Poetry Foundation will award $10,000 for a book-length work of poetry criticism, including critical editions, biographies of poets, and essay collections published in English in the US during the previous calendar year. First-time nominators must register with the online submission portal by February 27 (new deadline). Applications with a 20-page sample of the book should be submitted by March 2.
See more Spotlight Contests for emerging, intermediate, and advanced writers within The Best Free Literary Contests database.
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Winning Writers finds open submission calls and free contests in a variety of sources, including Erika Dreifus' Practicing Writer newsletter, FundsforWriters, Erica Verrillo's blog, Authors Publish, Lit Mag News Roundup, Poets & Writers, The Writer, Duotrope, and literary journals' own newsletters and announcements.
• The Rebis: "The Moon" Issue
(creative writing inspired by Tarot card - February 17)
• Action, Spectacle
(poetry, short prose, comics, reviews - March 1)
• Liars' League: "Illusion and Confusion" Feature
(UK literary theater seeks stories and novel excerpts on this theme - March 1)
• Mslexia: "Maps" Issue
(journal of women's creative writing seeks poetry and fiction on this theme - March 9)
• About Place Journal: "The Ground Beneath Us" Issue
(poetry, prose, artwork about land justice and the environment - March 10)
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Coming in March: A fresh twist on 24 famous nature poems, these visual interpretations by comic artist Julian Peters will delight poetry lovers of all ages. Available in ebook and hardcover formats. Order Nature Poems to See By from the publisher.
This stunning anthology of favorite poems about our relationship with the natural world breathes new life into some of the greatest poems of all time.
These are poems that can change the way we see the environment, and encountering them in graphic form promises to change the way we read the poems. In an age of increasingly visual communication, art helps unlock the world of poetry and literature for a new generation of reluctant readers and visual learners.
Please enjoy these samples from the book:
Poems shown: Haiku by Matsuo Basho, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas, "Sandpiper" by Elizabeth Bishop, "Jerusalem" by William Blake, and "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth.
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Two Poems from Introvert Pervert
In three weeks I'll launch my new poetry collection from The Word Works, Introvert Pervert. If you're at the AWP Conference (or just happen to be near Baltimore) on March 6, please join me for the launch at 5:30pm. We'll be at The Word Works Poetry Reading in the Baltimore Meeting Room at the Hampton Inn Baltimore-Downtown-Convention Center. Refreshments will be served!
For a taste of what's in the collection, please enjoy "Satisfaction" and "Reading 'Sexuality Beyond Consent' with My Cat", published in Action, Spectacle.
Satisfaction
my therapist wakes up every morning wanting to die
and I say, that's the only desire
we can count on
coming true, but what we both wish for is
not to die but to wake up someone
who doesn't remember
pleasure feels like death. death feels like washing dishes
in the wreckage
of unwanted pieces that could still be eaten.
we're too separate from the gnawed
scalloped-edge of cheese, the spit-limp lettuce
in the smear of oil
my therapist would never lick
from my plate. what's stopping me
is nothing.
that's the porridge of happiness.
the salt-less okay.
[read on]
Jendi Reiter is the editor of Winning Writers. Visit their website.
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