2022 Post-Publication Awards for Poetry, Fiction, & Genre Books

Contests, Prizes, & Awards for Already Published Books

Introduction

My first book, a short story collection, came out in April of 2020, at a juncture of unknowns. Around my book’s launch, I spoke to my publisher about submitting my book to post-publication awards, but they made it clear that due to pandemic-related staffing issues, if I wanted this done I would have to do it myself.

So that’s what I did. I dove into my own research (nearly all of this came out of just googling around and trying different keywords—although I sent out a few asks on social media as well—thanks to those who responded), creating spreadsheets where I tracked upcoming deadlines, submission fees, and so on. Although many submissions shifted to digital during the pandemic, it wasn’t uncommon to see me walking down the street with a tote bag full of manila envelopes, headed to my local post office.

Fortunately, when my debut poetry collection came out a year later in the spring of 2021, not only was I more familiar with the process, but my editor was also able to send my book out on my behalf. Still, I made sure to do the research myself to see which poetry post-publication awards were available and had a conversation with my editor about where I would like my book submitted. If debuting as an author during the pandemic taught me anything, it’s that if you hold any personal investment in your book’s success (beyond the satisfaction of your words printed on sheets of paper) you must learn to wear new hats beyond just “writer” and “editor.”

Some of you who are receiving this via email may not find this very interesting (sorry), but since I went through the lengths of researching, I thought this information it might be useful for other writers. I wanted to compile my findings in a public post format. This ended up being a substantial undertaking, so please pass on to interested parties to other writers can benefit.

For many authors (especially those with a Big Five), you will probably never have to think about this, as your publisher will already have infrastructure in place to account for post-publication awards as part of your book’s journey. That being said, it’s almost certainly worth having a conversation about these awards with the appropriate point-person at your publisher. Advocating for your book while it’s a “frontlist” title is important—especially for us debut authors.

Defining “Post-Publication” Awards & Why They Matter

The following list of awards and prizes are for books that are already published. These are not meant for unpublished manuscripts. I know, I know: this isn’t exactly rocket science, but it can get a little tricky if you write poetry. Poets often find publication through pre-publication awards, so it can be nebulous trying to sort which contests are for unpublished manuscripts and which ones are for already published books (fortunately, I’ve parsed through most of that below).

Post-publication awards matter because they are honoring your book in a specific category. For those whose careers are interwoven with prize culture (i.e.: those in the academy, poets who rely on prestige to secure future gigs…), these laurels can provide important CV lines that help out with future opportunities. These honors also potentially increase sales, which means new readers will find your work. Most of the awards come with prize money which will go directly to you (some also award money to the publisher). Your book winning prizes also brings prestige and attention to your publisher: thus, they should be invested in this process too.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting your book to find as many new readers as possible, especially for those of us who are debut authors. Winning awards of any kind can help your book receive a boost in its lifespan and also help you secure contracts for future books. Talk to your publisher about which post-publication awards you would like to send your book to and ask if they have a budget (since most of these prizes have submission fees). Depending on how many authors your publisher is working with during a certain calendar year, this budget may be limited. You may have to do some soul-searching (as well as strategic thinking) to figure out which prizes matter to you the most (or pony up for the submission fees yourself if reimbursement is not on the table).

Nota Bene (A Few Caveats)

I’m creating this list at the beginning of 2022. Prizes go on temporary hiatuses, get re-named due to different funders, shut down entirely, and so on. Especially during a pandemic. Deadlines and submission fees change from year to year too. Feel free to double-check my research, as this list is not intended to be evergreen. Many of the listings below are based on my own research from 2020 and 2021; I tried to vet as I went along, but not all may be current.

I’m coming from this from the perspective of a writer who has exclusively published on small + university presses, many of whom do not have extensive resources. Which is to say: if you’re in a situation like me, you may be left to do this yourself. If you are on a “bigger” indie press or an imprint of a Big Five publisher, your circumstances may be different. You may have an agent, editor, publicist, or some type of marketing team who will do this work on your behalf (in that case, feel free to forward this article to them). Often, prizes require your publisher to submit your book—meaning you, the author, are barred from this. Be sure to read the full submission guidelines to make sure you’re not violating any rules that would disqualify your book from consideration.

Most of the prizes listed below are for books, not individual poems, stories, and essays publishes in literary journals (e.g.: like what the Pushcart Prize or Best of the Net covers).

Pay attention to the “special notes” section for each listing below. While most of the prizes are for everyone, some come with caveats. Some of the stories in my debut collection were speculative, so I submitted them to prizes exclusively meant for genre fiction (science fiction, fantasy, and/or horror). Some prizes are for specific identity groups (e.g.: LGBTQ+ writers). Make sure you’re only sending your book to prizes that you qualify for.

Pay special attention to the guidelines (linked via each Award Name). Some require PDFs of books. Some require multiple physical copies mailed to different addresses. Some have special forms or statements you will need to fill out. I don’t list that information here, so you’ll need to visit individual websites to do in-depth research. It’s always recommended you begin applications well in advance to the deadline in case they require physical book copies/application forms to be received via snail mail by the deadline I’ve listed.

Pay attention to deadlines. Some prizes have deadlines are for books publishes during the same year, while some 2022 deadlines are for books published the previous year (2021)—meaning that if you’re publishing this year you may not submit your book to the prize until 2023.

Also note that I’m doing this based on past research and many organizations haven’t updated their websites for 2022 yet. I’ve used estimations (“Est.”) based on previous data in certain cases. These dates may prove to be erroneous as the year goes on and orgs update their guidelines.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, as it’s coming out of my personal research (although I did try to go back and supplement). Most of these are for awards I found that could apply to either my story collection or my poetry collection. Some contests I left out because they either seemed dubious or like ‘the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze,’ if you feel me. There may be certain awards I might have missed because they did not specifically apply to me (for example: identity-based awards for women writers or Black writers). I should also note that I write fiction and poetry, so there may be a noticable lack of nonfiction post-publication awards here. I may also have a lack of knowledge about other specific prizes that do not apply to my situations. This includes first novels, second books in the same genre, works in translation, drama, hybrid, prizes for non-US-based authors, self-published books, and so on. If you know if any that I neglected to mention, please leave a comment, and I will try to go back and add it in!

Many states (or regions, e.g.: the South, the Midwest…) have cultural prizes specific to writers who are from or currently live in said state. I’m not listing those here, since, y’know, there’s fifty states, but it’s recommended you Google something like “[state you live in] book awards” as there may be other awards you qualify for.

PEN has a bunch of awards. I’ve only listed a few of them. There are also many awards given out by both the Poetry Society of America and the Academy of American Poets that are not listed in full here.

Lastly, I’ve broken up the prizes into four self-explanatory categories: Multi-Genre, Fiction Only, Poetry Only, and Miscellaneous. These are (generally) organized by deadline. Enjoy, and feel free to comment! —JD

General/Multi-Genre Post-Publication Awards

Award Name: William Saroyan International Prize for Writing
Submission Fee: $50 submission fee.
Deadline: January 31, 2022.
For Books Published In: 2020 and 2021. This prize covers two years of publication dates at a time. Books published in 2022 and 2023 will probably have a deadline of January 2024.
Expected Announcement: Summer 2022
Genres/Categories: Works of fiction (novels, short story anthologies by a single author, or drama) or nonfiction (biography, history, or memoirs) by authors from around the world. Literary fiction and literary nonfiction seems preferred (see “Special Notes”).
Prize: Two prizes of $5,000 will be awarded, one each in fiction and nonfiction. Poetry and other literary forms will not be considered.
Special Notes: “While all works fitting the above description are eligible, and all entries are welcome, note that the judges will be looking for works with strong literary merit that honor the Saroyan legacy. In past prize cycles, works that fell into a specific publishing sub-genre—juvenile, science fiction, Western, mystery, romance, erotic, self-help, religion, etc.—were frequently found to be outside of that legacy.”

Award Name: Balcones Prize for Fiction + Balcones Prize for Poetry
Submission Fee: $30 for fiction, $25 for poetry
Deadline: January 31, 2022
For Books Published In: 2021
Expected Announcement: Unclear, but presumably in spring or summer 2022.
Genres/Categories: Fiction + Poetry
Prize: $1,500 (one for fiction, one for poetry)
Special Notes: Sponsored by Austin Community College.

Award Name: Paterson Poetry Prize + The Paterson Prize for Books for Young People
Submission Fee: $0; no submission fee.
Deadline: February 1, 2022
For Books Published In: 2021
Expected Announcement: Spring 2022
Genres/Categories: Poetry and Children’s Literature. Children’s literature is broken down into three subcategories based on age group: Pre-K-Grade 3; Grades 4-6 (MG); Grades 7-12 (YA). There used to be a[n adult] fiction prize too, but it was discontinued in 2018.
Prize: $1,000. Each three children’s lit age group receives $1,000 separately.
Special Notes: They also have the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards, which are for individual poems. Sponsored by the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College.

Award Name: Lambda Literary Awards (AKA “The Lammys”)
Submission Fee: $65 each (Est.)
Deadline: For the Special Awards (see “Special Notes” below) categories submissions will open January 14th, 2022–February 15th, 2022. Normal Lammy submissions have a deadline of November 15, 2022 (Est.).
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: March 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: They have many different specialized categories where gender/sexuality (e.g.: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender…) and genre (e.g.: Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction) intersect. It’s recommended you view the submission guidelines on Lambda’s websince since a book may be submitted to only one category.
Prize: Unclear. I couldn’t find this information on their website. If anyone knows, write to me and I’ll update.
Special Notes: These prizes are for LGBTQ+ writers only. There are additional special award categories, including Randall Kenan Prize for Black LGBTQ Fiction; Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction; Judith A. Markowitz Award for Exceptional New LGBTQ Writers; Jim Duggins, PhD Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist Prize; The J. Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50.

Award Name: Independent Publisher Book Awards (AKA The “IPPY” Awards)
Submission Fee: $95 per category. There may be early bird prices if you submit in the fall for 2023. (JD note: I’m trying not to editorialize these, but this is a shockingly high submission fee compared to what you actually get out of it if you look at the “Prize” section below)
Deadline: All entries must be posted online or postmarked by the final deadline of February 19, 2022. If you’re submitting next year (2023), they should have early bird deadlines in September and November.
For Books Published In: Books published in 2020, 2021, and 2022 are all eligible.
Expected Announcement: Three to six medalists per category will be named on about April 8, 2022.
Genres/Categories: There are 90 subject categories, which includes Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Children’s Literature. It’s recommended you view the submission form to view all categories.
Prize: No cash prize, AFAIK. “Each announced medal-winning book will receive a packet containing gold, silver or bronze medal, a personalized certificate, and 20 foil seals. Related publicity includes the awards event, a print and online advertising campaign at sites such as Shelf Awareness and Publishers Weekly, and year-long exposure at IndependentPublisher.com.” Additionally, winners are “given two free passes, valued at $300, to the IPPY gala held during BookExpo America in Chicago or New York City.” (JD note: BookExpo/BookCon were “retired” during the pandemic, so it’s unclear if/how this reward is still being offered.)
Special Notes: This is for independently published books only, which is defined as 1) independently owned and operated (no title per year limit); 2) operated by a foundation or university (no title per year limit); 3) long-time independents that became conglomerated but operate autonomously and publish fewer than 100 titles a year.

Award Name: Dayton Literary Peace Prize
Submission Fee: $100 nomination fee
Deadline: March 8, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2021
Expected Announcement: September 2022 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Fiction and Nonfiction, but be sure to see “Special Notes” below.
Prize: $10,000 for winners; $5,000 for runners-up.
Special Notes: Nominations might include issues of human rights–universal rights that should apply to everyone–but must focus on peace. The prize is designed for works that characterize peace as ending or seeking to end conflict–personal, national or international–establishing concord between and among people showing the consequences of persons, nations or institutions that recklessly disrupt personal harmony or universal accord. The book should focus on a central message of peace, broadly defined as increasing understanding between and among people. Peace may be addressed on any of several levels including family, communities, nations, ethnic groups, cultures, and religions.

Award Name: National Book Awards (NBA)
Submission Fee: $135
Deadline: May 12, 2022 (Est.) for entry form application. See official guidelines for when submitted titles themselves are due, since that’s a separate date.
For Books Published Between: December 1, 2021 and November 30, 2022.
Expected Announcement: Longlist announced in mid-September (2022).
Genres/Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature
Prize: Each Winner will receive a prize of $10,000. Each Finalist will receive a prize of $1,000. In the case of the Translated Literature Award, prizes are split equally between author and translator.

Award Name: Housatonic Book Awards
Submission Fee: $25
Deadline: June 13, 2022
For Books Published In: 2021
Expected Announcement: October 2022
Genres/Categories: Four prizes/categories: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Middle Grade
Prize: The award carries a $1,000 honorarium in exchange for appearing at the January or August residency (the first week of the month) of the MFA in Creative and Professional Writing at Western Connecticut State University to give a public reading and a one-day, three-hour workshop with MFA students. The award also includes a $500 travel stipend and hotel stay during the residency. The $500 travel stipend will be paid before the end of 2022. The $1,000 honorarium will be paid upon completion of the winner’s appearance at the designated residency of the WCSU MFA program.
Special Notes: Fiction includes both literary and genre (mystery, fantasy, science fiction, thriller, etc.).

Award Name: GLCA New Writers Award
Submission Fee: $0 (Est.)
Deadline: June 25, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: Winners announced in January 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction.
Prize: Writers receive invitations to visit several GLCA member colleges (i.e.: for discussions, lectures, colloquia, workshops, interviews…). Winning authors will receive an honorarium of $500 from each of the colleges they visit. In addition, writers are reimbursed for all travel, lodging, and food costs they might incur in visits to GLCA member colleges.
Special Notes: For writers who have published a first volume in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction.

Award Name: The Pulitzer Prizes
Submission Fee: $75 per entry.
Deadline: Recommended deadline is July 15, 2022 (for books published between January 1, 2022 and July 15, 2022). The amended final deadline is October 15, 2022 (Est.).
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: Spring 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: In the Fiction, Biography, Poetry and General Nonfiction categories, authors must be United States citizens. In the History category, the author may be of any nationality but the subject of the book must pertain to United States history.
Prize: $15,000 each.
Special Notes: JD note: Is anyone else surprised to learn that anyone can nominate their book for a Pulitzer?

Award Name: Phillip H. McMath Post Publication Book Award
Submission Fee: $25
Deadline: October 15, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: Previous year, i.e.: 2021
Expected Announcement: March 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Any genre, as long as they’re not self-published. Chapbooks are considered too. One award is for “poetry” and one is for “prose” (which presumably covers both fiction and nonfiction).
Prize: A public reading at the UCA Arkatext Literary Festival in Spring 2023 (Est.)
Special Notes: “While we will award prizes for both poetry and prose every year from now on, beginning in 2021 with poetry, poetry and prose winners will be invited to the festival in alternating years.”

Award Name: Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize
Submission Fee: $0, although they have a detailed submission form to read (also see “Special Notes” below.)
Deadline: November 8, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: mid-May 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: An “eligible published literary work in the English language,” which includes novels, short story collections, poetry, and “other.”
Prize: £20,000.00, split in half between the author and their publisher. Each of the authors shortlisted for the prize (other than the winner of the prize) will be awarded a Runners-up Award of £500.00 each.
Special Notes: Author must be age 39 or under. Application and physical copies of the book need to be sent to the UK before the end of 2022, so it’s recommended US writers initiate process early.

Award Name: CLMP’s Firecracker Awards
Submission Fee: The entry fee is $65 ($55 for CLMP Members) for the first book and $30 ($25 for CLMP Members) for each additional entry.
Deadline: November 15, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: Finalists in Spring 2023 and winners in June 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Magazine/General Excellence, and Magazine/Best Debut. Each year, CLMP also awards the Lord Nose Award, given to a publisher or editor in recognition of a lifetime of work in literary publishing.
Prize: $2,000–$1,000 for the press and $1,000 for the author or translator–and each winner in the magazine categories will receive $1,000.
Special Notes: CLMP is the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (formerly the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses), which means these awards are for independently published books (i.e.: not Big Five).

Award Name: The National Book Critics Circle Award (aka NBCC Awards)
Submission Fee: There’s no submission fee, but the NBCC board divides itself into committees for each category, which are responsible for nominating books to be considered in each category. If you’d like your book nominated, copies need to be mailed to the entire committee for discussion. It’s recommended you view their “How We Select” page to learn more.
Deadline: It’s recommended you send the books to the committee ASAP, although the ‘official’ deadline is December 1, 2022.
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: January 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Poetry, and Criticism.
Prize: Prestigious award. Unclear if there is a cash prize. I couldn’t find this information on their website. If anyone knows, write to me and I’ll update.

Award Name: Stonewall Book Awards — Barbara Gittings Literature Award Adult
Submission Fee: $0, but a suggestion form must be filled out (see above link).
Deadline: December 1, 2022.
For Books Published In: 2022.
Expected Announcement: June or July 2023.
Genres/Categories: Awards are made in three categories: adult literature, adult nonfiction and children's and young adult literature. The “Award Name” above links to the adult literature cateogry. They have separate forms on the website to suggest titles for the adult nonfiction + children's and young adult categories. The literature category encompasses novels, short stories, poetry, and drama. Anthologies comprised of both nonfiction and literary pieces should be categorized by whichever form predominates.
Prize: A commemorative plaque and a cash award of $1000.
Special Notes: For LGBTQ+ books only.

Award Name: The Publishing Triangle Awards
Submission Fee: $40 per title per category. There may be additional discounts if you/your publisher becomes a member of the Publishing Triangle. Check their website.
Deadline: December 7, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: March 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: The Randy Shilts Award for Gay Nonfiction; the Judy Grahn Award for Lesbian Nonfiction; the Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry; the Thom Gunn Award for Gay Poetry; the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction; the Publishing Triangle Award for Trans and Gender-Variant Literature; The Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBTQ Fiction.
Prize: Each of the winners receives $1000.
Special Notes: These prizes are for LGBTQ+ writers only. The Publishing Triangle also has awards for life-time achievement and emerging writers. Check the website for more details.

Award Name: Hurston/Wright Foundation’s Legacy Awards
Submission Fee: $40
Deadline: December 16, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: “Books with a publication date within the calendar year in which the application is being submitted.” So, from roughly mid-December 2021 until mid-December 2022.
Expected Announcement: Nominations are announced in June (2023). Winners & finalists are announced at the annual Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Ceremony the third Friday in October (2023).
Genres/Categories: Full-length books of debut fiction, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, as well as collections of short stories, and collections of essays by one author. All works must be newly published. The four major categories (Debut Fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction) are meant to include Debut Novel, Debut Short Story Collection, Novel, Novella, Short Story Colleciton, Autobiography, Memoir, Biography, History, Social Issues, Literary Criticism, Verse Poetry, Prose Poetry, Formal Verse, & Experimental Verse.
Prize: Unclear is there is a cash prize. Prestigious award to celebrate Black literature.
Special Notes: For Black writers in America and across the globe.

Award Name: Before Columbus Foundation — American Book Awards
Submission Fee: $0. “There are no application forms, fees, or any other restrictions for submissions, nominations, or recommendations to the panel. The book is what matters, not the procedure. The only requirement is that two copies of the book must be mailed to the Before Columbus Foundation…”
Deadline: Books must be mailed to the Before Columbus Foundation by December 31, 2022.
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: September 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: “Any genre” AKA Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry based on recent winners.
Prize: Unclear. I couldn’t find this information on their website. If anyone knows, write to me and I’ll update.
Special Notes: There is no limit on the number of titles that may be submitted. All genres are accepted (including anthologies, children’s books, and multimedia). You may include reviews, publicity, or other informational material with your submission if you wish.

Award Name: Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards
Submission Fee: First Category: $79; Additional Categories: $99. There may be cheaper ‘early bird’ fees, so check the website.
Deadline: January 15, 2023 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: Finalists in March 2023. Winners in June 2023.
Genres/Categories: There are over 50 total subcategories beneath umbrellas of Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Children's, and General (which includes Poetry). It’s recommended you view the categories page of their website for the full list.
Prize: Despite all the aforementioned categories, prize money ($1,500) only goes to two specific books: Editor’s Choice Prize in Fiction and Editor’s Choice Prize in Nonfiction.
Special Notes: Small, academic, and independent presses only (i.e.: no submission from Big Five publishers).

Award Name: Eric Hoffer Book Awards
Submission Fee: $60 early registration postmarked by 12/14; $70 after; $45 chapbooks.
Deadline: Registration is open all year long, and the annual postmark deadline is January 21 (2023) for each award year. All materials must arrive by January 31 (2023). Discount registration fee available for submissions postmarked December 14 (2022) or sooner.
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: Rolling announcements in 2023. It’s recommended you view the website for the full calendar.
Genres/Categories: There are over two dozen categories that extend beyond Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and also include Art, Young Adult, Chapbook, and many others. It’s recommended you view the full guidelines.
Prize: A grand prize of $2,500 is awarded annually—but there are many specialized prizes too. It’s recommended you view the full guidelines.
Special Notes: Small, academic, and independent presses only (i.e.: no submission from Big Five publishers). They have many specialized awards, including one for “superior cover artwork.”

Fiction Book Awards

Award Name: Hugo Awards
Submission Fee: No fee, only members of Worldcon are allowed to nominate up to five authors/works. See below.
Deadline: “During January-March (2022) each year members of the Worldcon are each allowed to nominate up to five people or works from the previous year (2021) in fifteen categories.”
For Books Published In: 2021
Expected Announcement: In early April (2022) a shortlist is announced of five finalists in each category and a final ballot is sent to members of the Worldcon that year. The members of the current Worldcon cast a final ballot, with balloting ending around sometime in July (2022). Winners announced at annual convention (Est. December 2022).
Genres/Categories: Best Novel, Best Novella, Best Series, Best Graphic Story or Comic, Professional Artist, Special Category…
Prize: No cash prize, but this is a highly venerated award in the genre fiction community.
Special Notes: The Hugo Awards are for genre fiction (i.e.: science fiction and fantasy) only.

Award Name: The Shirley Jackson Awards
Submission Fee: $0
Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: Previous calendar year, i.e.: 2021.
Expected Announcement: June/July 2022 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Fiction, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology. See “Special Notes” below too.
Prize: Most likely $0 (JD note: and having your name associated with one of the greatest writers of the 20th century). I couldn’t find this information on their website. If anyone knows, write to me and I’ll update.
Special Notes: “Works must have elements of psychological suspense, horror, or dark fantasy to be considered.”

Award Name: The Nebula Awards (sponsored by SFWA)
Submission Fee: None, but see “Deadline” and “Special Notes” below.
Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Est.). Note: works may not be nominated by their authors, editors, publishers, or agents.
For Books Published In: 2021
Expected Announcement: Finalists announced in March 2022 (Est.); Winners announced in June 2022 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Short Story, Novelette, Novella, Novel, Middle Grade and Young Adult, Game Writing, Dramatic Presentation
Prize: No cash prize, but this is a highly venerated award in the genre fiction community.
Special Notes: For speculative (science fiction and fantasy) fiction only. An author does not have to be a member of SFWA in order for their work to be considered. The best way to offer a work for consideration for the Nebula Awards is to make sure that it is available for review by SFWA members. SFWA members can post an electronic version of an eligible work in the Fiction area on the SFWA discussion forum.

Award Name: World Fantasy Awards
Submission Fee: $0, but see “Special Notes” below.
Deadline: Late May 2022 (Est.), but it’s recommended to get them in as early as possible.
For Books Published In: 2021
Expected Announcement: Finalists announced in July 2022 (Est.); Winners announced at the annual World Fantasy Convention, which should be in November 2022 (Est.).
Genres/Categories: Fantasy fiction. Categories are as follows: Life Achievement; Best Novel; Best Novella (10,001 to 40,000 words); Best Short Story; Best Anthology; Best Collection; Best Artist; Special Award Professional; Special Award Non Professional.
Prize: No cash prize, but this is a highly venerated award in the genre fiction community.
Special Notes: This is for fantasy (“All forms of fantasy are eligible, e.g. high, epic, dark, contemporary, literary”) fiction only. There are multiple judges who have special preferences on how they would like to receive a copy of the book (ebook, physical copy…). It’s recommended you contact the World Fantasy Awards in advance for specific guidelines, as they seem to be slightly elusive. The 2021 website is currently down, so it’s commended to check out the Wikipedia entry for more info.

Award Name: The Story Prize
Submission Fee: $75—although there is a clause to contact them if you have financial hardship. They did temporarily pause the submission fee for at least one year during the pandemic, but it seems the full fee is reinstated.
Deadline: Books published from January through June must be submitted by July 15 (2022). Books published from July through December must be submitted by Nov. 15 (2022).
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: Est. early 2023 (January or February)
Genres/Categories: Short fiction collections defined as containing “at least two stories and/or novellas.” Thus, no novels.
Prize: Winner receives $20,000 cash award. Two runners-up will receive $5,000. There is also a Spotlight Award (an additional $1,000 prize) for the author of an outstanding story collection that merits further attention.
Special Notes: Books without print editions are not eligible for The Story Prize.

Award Name: Aspen Words Literary Prize
Submission Fee: $75 entry fee—however, this fee is waived for publishers whose annual net sales are less than $4 million. See official guidelines for more details.
Deadline: August 6, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: Longlist in mid-November
Genres/Categories: Novels and Short Story Collections, but see “Special Notes” below.
Prize: $35,000. Unclear if this amount solely goes to winner or if longlisted authors receive some amount of money as well.
Special Notes: This prize focuses on books that “depict a unique truth about our contemporary world, exploring questions of freedom and identity, liberation and belonging, all set against the ravages of colonialism, consumerism and classism.”

Award Name: PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection
Submission Fee: $85—but—fees may be waived for publishers whose annual net sales are less than $2 million.
Deadline: August 15, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: Longlist in January 2023
Genres/Categories: Fiction (Short Story Collections)
Prize: $25,000
Special Notes: As the name implies, this is for a writer’s first (and only the first) collection of short fiction.

Award Name: Young Lions Fiction Award (sponsored by the New York Public Library/NYPL)
Submission Fee: No submission fee, but there is a form to fill out/email.
Deadline: September 10, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: April 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Fiction, which includes both novels and short story collections. Books must be for adults (i.e.: no children’s literature/MG/YA). See “Special Notes.”
Prize: $10,000 prize for the winner. Unclear if the four other finalists also win a cash prize.
Special Notes: Writers must be age 35 or younger. Writers must be US citizens.

Award Name: PEN/Faulkner Award
Submission Fee: There are no submission fees or application forms.
Deadline: October 31, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: Longlist should be out by late January/early February 2023 (Est.).
Genres/Categories: Both short story collections and novels are eligible, although if you look at previous finalists, novels make the list more frequently.
Prize: Judges select an initial longlist of ten books, followed by five finalists, and finally one winner as the “first among equals.” The author of the winning book receives a $15,000 prize. The authors of each of the other finalists receive $5,000.
Special Notes: The PEN/Faulkner Award exists on its own website (penfaulkner.org) separate from the many other PEN awards found on pen.org.

Award Name: St. Francis College’s SFC Literary Prize
Submission Fee: Unknown.
Deadline: This prize is taking a pandemic-related hiatus for 2021. It should return in 2023. The last winners were in 2019.
For Books Published In: Probably 2023, but since they’re taking a year off for the pandemic, they might open up the range. Check back in 2023.
Expected Announcement: Unknown.
Genres/Categories: Fiction (both novels and story collections are eligible), but see “Special Notes” below.
Prize: $50,000
Special Notes: This prize is biennial and seems to occur on years ending in an odd number. This prize is unique in that it’s specifically for THIRD and FIFTH published books. If this is your first, second, fourth, sixth, etc. book of fiction: sorry!

Award Name: Binghamton Book Awards — The John Gardner Fiction Award
Special Notes: As of this article’s publication date, the website says the awards are postponed due to COVID-19. It’s unclear if this is a leftover note from 2021 or if the prize is on hiatus in 2022 as well.

Poetry Book Awards

Award Name: Levis Reading Prize
Submission Fee: $0; no submission fee.
Deadline: January 15, 2022
For Books Published In: 2021
Expected Announcement: August 2022
Genres/Categories: Poetry, but vanity presses or self-published works are not eligible.
Prize: Traditionally, the winner receives an honorarium (Est. $5000) and are invited, expenses paid, to Richmond to present a public reading in the following fall.
Special Notes: Because judges for the contest will come from the faculty of the VCU MFA Creative Writing Program, entries from VCU program graduates and affiliates are not eligible.

Award Name: Julie Suk Award (Jacar Press)
Submission Fee: $10
Deadline: January 30, 2022
For Books Published In: 2021
Expected Announcement: March 2022
Genres/Categories: Any poetry book published by a small, literary, or university press that holds a 2021 copyright is eligible.
Prize: $500
Special Notes: This contest is not open to commercial presses.

Award Name: SFSU’s Poetry Center Book Award
Submission Fee: $15
Deadline: January 31, 2022
For Books Published In: 2021
Expected Announcement: Unclear, but presumably in spring/summer 2022.
Genres/Categories: Published original books of poetry by a single author (no collaborative works, anthologies, or manuscripts) must be copyrighted 2021. Translated works when translated by the author do qualify (e.g., original work written in Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, et al., and translated to English by the author).
Prize: The award carries a cash prize and an invitation to read, along with the award judge, at The Poetry Center in San Francisco.
Special Notes: They also have multiple other awards, mainly catering to San Francisco State University students and alum.

Award Name: Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize (Academy of American Poets)
Submission Fee: $75
Deadline: May 15, 2022
For Books Published In: 2021. Books must be submitted in the year after their publication, which means that books published in 2022 may not be submitted for consideration until 2023.
Expected Announcement: September 2022
Genres/Categories: Poetry. You can be anywhere in your career. Not specifically for first, second, etc. books.
Prize: $25,000. The prize includes a ten-day residency at Glen Hollow in Naples, New York, and distribution of the winning book to hundreds of Academy of American Poets members.
Special Notes: Self-published books are not eligible. Translations and new editions of previously published books are not eligible.

Award Name: Griffin Poetry Prize
Submission Fee: $0; no submission fee.
Deadline: For the 2023 Griffin Poetry Prize, books must be published between January 1st and December 31st, 2022. The deadline for submissions for the 2023 Griffin Poetry Prize are: June 30, 2022 for books published between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022; December 31, 2022 for books published between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.
For Books Published In: 2022, but see deadlines above.
Expected Announcement: Shortlist in April 2023.
Genres/Categories: The Griffin Poetry Prize is awarded annually in two categories: International and Canadian.
Prize: Each prize is worth C$65,000. C$10,000 goes to each shortlisted poet who reads at the annual Griffin Poetry Prize Shortlist Readings in Toronto, Canada.
Special Notes: One prize goes to a living Canadian poet or translator, the other to a living poet or translator from any country, which may include Canada.

Award Name: Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award + Kate Tufts Discovery Award
Submission Fee: $0, but eight copies of a book need to be mailed. See full guidelines via link above.
Deadline: July 1, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: Between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022 (Est.); Manuscripts, CDs, and chapbooks are not accepted.
Expected Announcement: April 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Poetry, but the Kate Tufts Discovery Award is for first full-length books only. If this is your second-through-infinity book, you should submit to the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award.
Prize: $100,000 for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and $10,000 for the Kate Tufts Discovery Award.
Special Notes: A work may be submitted for either award only once, although the winner of the Kate Tufts Discovery Award may submit another work in a later year for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award.

Award Name: The PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection
Submission Fee: $85, although submission fees may be waived for publishers whose annual net sales are less than $2 million.
Deadline: August 1, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: January/February 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Poetry; The book must be a series of individual poems published by a single living author. Anthologies with multiple authors are ineligible. Self-published books are ineligible.
Prize: $5,000
Special Notes: If you submit a book for this award, you may not submit it for any additional PEN America Literary Award, with the exception of the PEN Open Book Award. Please note that the PEN/Faulkner Award is not considered a PEN America Literary Award.

Award Name: UNT Rilke Prize
Submission Fee: $0 (no submission fee).
Deadline: November 30, 2022 (Est.)
For Books Published Between: November 2021 and October 2022
Expected Announcement: July 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Poetry, but this award is specifically for “mid-career poets” which is defined as having published at least two collections of poetry in the English language. Chapbooks and self-published books are not considered toward the “two collections” figure.
Prize: $10,000; Conditions permitting, the winner will travel to UNT for a reading in spring 2023 (Est.).
Special Notes: Not for debut authors (i.e.: those with only one poetry collection).

Award Name: Norma Farber First Book Award + William Carlos Williams Award
Submission Fee: $20
Deadline: December 31, 2022
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: May 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Poetry, although the Farber is specifically for debut authors (first book of poetry) while the Williams is for any non-debut book. Books may not be entered to both contests. Translations and chapbooks are ineligible.
Prize: $500 for each award.
Special Notes: Both are Poetry Society of America Book Awards. Check out the PSA’s website, as they have any other awards not listed here, including some for individual poems.

Award Name: Binghamton Book Awards — The Milt Kessler Poetry Award
Special Notes: As of this article’s publication date, the website says the awards are postponed due to COVID-19. It’s unclear if this is a leftover note from 2021 or if the prize is on hiatus in 2022 as well.

Miscellaneous Awards & Honors

Name: Annual ‘Over the Rainbow Book’ List
Submission Fee: $0. They have a Gmail listed on their site’s contact page where book titles can be recommended.
Deadline: Rolling; it seems they announce monthly considerations in blog post form on their official website. See “Special Notes” below for more insight.
For Books Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: January 2023 (Est.)
Genres/Categories: Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction
Prize: Acknowledgment in an annual book list recommended by the ALA. See “Special Notes” below.
Special Notes: This is more of a nod from a special LGBTQ+ books committee (The Over the Rainbow committee of ALA's Rainbow Roundtable) at the ALA (American Library Association) than anything. The purpose is to “promote the improved quality and accessibility of LGBTQIA+ literature through the provision for adult readers of an annual annotated bibliography of books for general readership published within the assigned calendar year or between July 1st and December 31st of the previous calendar year.”

Award Name: Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Program
Submission Fee: $0, but see all the sections below.
Deadline: Rolling, but “submissions must be made at least three to six months prior to book publication date.”
For Books Published In: See above (“Deadline”).
Expected Announcement: Turn-around time for acceptance/rejection is unclear.
Genres/Categories: Literary fiction only, although it seems that in addition to novels, short story collections and single-author graphic novels are considered. Debuting authors and writers with three or fewer previously published books are eligible for consideration. Exceptions are sometimes made for authors who have published more titles, but have yet to break out to a larger audience.
Prize: See “Special Notes” below.
Special Notes: As of January 2020, this annual prize changed to be part of B&N’s Books of the Month program. There used to be an annual prize (two winners: one in fiction, one in nonfiction; each winner was awarded $30,000); it’s unclear if this annual prize was dissolved to instead feature 12 authors per year (one per month) to focus on book publicity instead of cash prizes.

Award Name: The Otherwise Award (FKA The Tiptree Award)
Submission Fee: None. “Most of the books and stories that Otherwise Award jurors read to pick a winner are nominated by authors and readers. We need your suggestions. If you’ve read a work of science fiction or fantasy that explores or expands our notions of gender, please tell us about it by filling out the recommendation form….”
Deadline: Recommendations close on December 1, 2022.
For Works Published In: 2022
Expected Announcement: Some time in 2023. Generally the award is announced at WisCon.
Genres/Categories: Award is for “a work of science fiction or fantasy that explores or expands our notions of gender”—otherwise genre (short story, short story collection, novel, novella, memoir, poetry, etc.) is left ambiguous. The prize tends to go to novels though.
Prize: “The Award celebration is known for its exuberance and irony: the winner is crowned with a tiara, serenaded by hundreds of attendees, showered with chocolate, and awarded a check for $1000 and a piece of original art.”
Special Notes: This is for genre fiction (science fiction or fantasy—although the site defines this broadly) and must engage with gender in some way. “We also seek out works that have a broad, intersectional, trans-inclusive understanding of gender in the context of race, class, nationality, disability, and more.”

Award Name: Devil's Kitchen Fall Literary Festival / Reading Awards
Genres/Categories: Multiple genres. See above link to a record on archive.org.
Special Notes: This prize has been on hiatus for a couple of years, although the festival is supposed to return in late 2022. It’s unclear at the time of this post if/when the coinciding Reading Awards will be returning too.