If you’ve completed a work of historical fiction or are nearing that revision finish line, you might be thinking about ways to get your story out into the world. One of the best ways to get some attention (and some cool cash) is by placing in writing contests.
Short story prizes are often a stepping stone for writers who are putting together collections or full-length works. They get your name out into the industry and show the world you’re someone worth watching. There are also novel prizes for completed manuscripts, excerpts, or opening sections that can give you a push forward on the road to publication.
Here are some of the opportunities you might consider to showcase your story. Each of these contests, as of 2024, runs on a recurring basis and is open to submissions worldwide.
Historical fiction writing contests
These contests are specifically geared towards writers of historical fiction.
The Historical Novel Society First Chapters Competition
This fantastic opportunity offers a grand prize of £1,000 for the best opening chapters of an unpublished historical fiction novel. They have multiple categories for voracious subgenres and time periods up to the 20th century.
The Historical Writers’ Association Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Award
This one’s for historical short story writers. They’re looking for stories of up to 3,500 words which are set up to 35 years ago (that’s the late 80s and earlier). The grand prize is £500 along with guided mentoring sessions for the winner.
History Through Fiction Short Story Contest
This contest is looking for short stories of up to 5,000 words that are set before the year 2000. The winner receives $250 and a guest interview on a historical fiction podcast!
Ink of Ages Fiction Prize
This short story contest is looking for fiction inspired by history or myth, and which is between 1,500 and 2,000 words and set before the year 1939. There’s no cash prize, but the winner receives a whole lot of free books and some historical swag.
ScreenCraft True Story & Public Domain Competition
Have you stumbled on a moment in history that would make a great feature film? This contest is for aspiring screenwriters, and they’re looking for stories based on real historical figures and/or characters which have entered the public domain. The winner receives $1,000 and a targeted writer development program.
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General writing contests that welcome historical fiction
The Oxford Flash Fiction Prize
This prestigious short-short story competition is open to entries of stories of up to 1,000 words. It runs twice a year and offers a top prize of £1,000.
The Caledonia Novel Award
This contest is for emerging, unagented and unpublished writers with a completed novel of at least 50,000 words. They accept all genres of adult and YA novels, including historical fiction (Elizabeth Macneal’s The Doll Factory was a previous winner). The first place writer is awarded £1,500.
The Fish Short Story Prize
One of the most prestigious short story prizes around, this contest offers a top prize of €3,000 for the best short story of up to 5,000 words. (They also run annual contests in poetry, flash fiction, and memoir!)
The Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award
For emerging novelists, this contest is looking for the first 5,000 words of a writer’s first novel in any genre for a chance at the £1,000 top prize. Shortlisted writers will be asked for the first 20,000 words.
The Uncharted Magazine Novel Excerpt Contest
This novel prize welcomes writers of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, mystery, thriller, and historical fiction. They’re looking for 5,000 words of a work in progress. This can be excerpted from anywhere in the novel (not just the beginning), so send them your best work! Three prize winners will each receive $1,000.
The New Voices Award
The successor to the Best Unpublished Manuscript award from the Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation, The New Voices Award is for all genres of emerging fiction, with a particular bent towards adventure writing, including historical adventure. Unlike many other awards, it’s focused on writers who are just beginning a new project. Entrants submit the first three chapters along with a provisional plot summary. Winners are awarded personalised mentoring with the aim of developing their work in progress.
The Bath Novel Award
This internationally renowned novel prize is for the first 5,000 words of an unpublished novel of at least 50,000 words. There are streams for both adult fiction and children’s fiction, and they can be in any genre. The first prize in each category is £5,000. Writers should be without representation to be eligible.
The Stockholm Writers Festival First Five Pages Prize
This contest is looking for the first five pages of an unpublished novel in any genre (Their 2022 winner was a historical fiction book!). It’s limited to writers without current agency representation, though writers can have had agency representation in the past. The first place winner receives $1,000 AND a stay in Stockholm for their writers festival.
The HG Wells Short Story Competition
This contest welcomes short stories of any genre, on a revolving annual theme, between 1,500 and 5,000 words. They offer a prize of £500 for the first place winner aged 22 and up, and a junior prize of £1,000 for the first place winner aged 21 and under.
The Exeter Novel Prize
This prize is looking for the first 10,000 words of an unpublished novel. It’s restricted to writers without agency representation, although writers can be previously self published. The top prize is £1,000. This contest accepts submissions for any age group, including MG and YA novels.
The Cheshire Novel Prize
This prize is open to unagented writers in any genre. To enter, submit the first 5,000 words of a novel at initial submission. Longlisted writers will then be asked for the first 20,000 words, and shortlisted entrants will be asked for a completed manuscript. The first place winner receives £1,500, and all longlisted writers are invited to an agency showcase. Unlike other contents, this one also provides individual feedback to every entrant.
Fija Callaghan is an author, poet, and a content editor with The History Quill. She is also The History Quill’s community manager. Her work has been shortlisted and longlisted for a number of short story prizes, and you can find her writing in publications like Gingerbread House, Crow & Cross Keys, Corvid Queen, and Mythic Magazine. When not writing or helping other writers get the best out of their work, she can be found haunting her local bookshops or watching the tide come in.
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