UPDATE: Fall & Winter Writing Competitions

Here's an updated list of writing contests with fast approaching deadlines in 2011 or early  next year 2012:

2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards - Entry period January 23 - February 5, 2012.  Best benefits of ABNA? Free entry AND making lots of new friends! Prizes include $15,000 to the top winners in two categories.

Benjamin Franklin Awards - Second call deadline is December 31, 2011, for books published September 1 - December 31, 2011. Prizes include trophies, and gold and silver award certificates. Entry fees; $90 per title for Independent Book Publishers Association members or $190 if you're not in the IBPA, which will give you a one-year membership. 

Erma Bombeck Writing Competition sponsored by Washington-Centerville Public Library and established in 1997 to pay tribute to hometown writer Erma Bombeck, one of the greatest humorists of the 20^th Century. The contest, now held every two years, opens for online entries ($15 entry fee) at 8 am (EST) Tuesday, January 3, 2012, and closes at 7:30 am (EST) Tuesday, February 14, 2012. Entries should be 450 words or fewer and cannot be published more than once in the calendar year 2011 (blog posts are allowed).

A $500 cash prize and Registration Fee (value $350) to the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop at University of Dayton from April 18 through the 20^th will be awarded to four writers: Humor category (local entry and a global entry) and the Human Interest category (local entry and a global entry). Panel of judges include authors, syndicated columnists, and experienced writers and some entries will receive feedback. Winners will be announced in mid-March. No more than one entry per writer. For complete contest details, visit http://www.wclibrary.info/erma/index.asp.

Foreword Reviews - Deadline January 15, 2012. Varied categories with a grand prize of $1,500 for the best Fiction and Non-fiction books. Entries are $99. 


International Book Awards - Deadline December 31, 2012 for $20 off entry fee (regularly $69); final entry date of April 30, 2012. Over 150 categories. Affiliated with USA "Best Books 2012" Awards; includes full listing on USABookNews.com's webpage for six months.

IPPY AWARDS - Deadline March 15, 2012. Prizes include medals. Tiered entries; $85 per title October 16, 2011 - January 7, 2012; $95 per title January 8 2012 - March 15, 2012. So, the earlier, the better. Includes ebook awards. See entry form for eligibility details.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards - Deadline February 24, 2012. Grand prize of $1,500 for the best Fiction and Non-fiction books. Initial entry fee is $75, additional fee of $50 for other categories. Seriously debating this one, as I know some previous winners who've spoken well of the contest.

2012 San Francisco Writers Indie Publishing Contest - Deadline January 4, 2012. Grand prizes include an hour-long consultation with a literary agent OR free publishing package from Author Solutions. Stated aim to compete with the ABNA, which offers free entry, doesn't quite match the $35 entry fee for this contest. Click here for the form. 


USA "Best Books 2012" Awards - Deadline December 31, 2012 for USABookNews.com coverage leading up to final entry date of September 30, 2012. A $69 entry fee and multiple categories including several specific to e-books.

For more on why you might want to consider entering a writing contest,  author Jody Hedlund wrote a great article earlier this year on the benefits of such activities for published and unpublished writers.  If you decide to enter any of these contests, good luck!