Wyoming Writers 2026 Writing Contest

Eligibility, Deadline, Fees, Refunds:

Eligibility:All writers at any level.

Fee:$15 per entry

Refunds: No refunds for disqualified, late, or withdrawn entries.

Deadline:March 15th, 2026

Rules, Judging, and Prizes:

Rules and restrictions:

• Submission of work to contest confers permission to Wyoming Writers, Inc. to publish winning title and author’s name in website and newsletter.

• Contestants may submit in multiple categories.

• Entries must be original, unpublished work, and the author’s sole and exclusive property.

• Submission to our contest must not violate any copyright, trademark, privacy, or publication right.

• Simultaneous submissions accepted.

• Entrant retains all rights except for award announcements.

• Authors are prohibited from using generative AI to craft their entries.  Assistive technology such as spell check, grammar check, and speech-to-text are not generative AI and are allowed.

• Judges reserve the right to disqualify entries that do not follow submission guidelines.

Judging:

• Judges will receive materials without identifying information.

• All judges’ decisions are final.

Awards/Prizes:

• First Place (all categories) $75

• Second Place (all categories) $50

• Third Place (all categories) $25

• Wyoming Writers, Inc. retains the right not to award all prizes.

• Winners’ certificates and prize money will be awarded at the Wyoming Writers Inc. Annual Conference in Casper on May 31 - June 22024. Winners unable to attend will be mailed award payments and certificates following the Conference.

• Winners will receive a citation (Author, title, category) in WYO-Writer newsletter and on the Wyoming Writers, Inc. website. Winners may be asked to submit an optional excerpt, bio, or other material for publication.

Category Definitions, Word Count Limits, and Entry Limits:

 Prose Categories (4):

• Adult Fiction: 

  • 2500-word limit per entry.

  • Short fiction and novel segments accepted.

  • Maximum of three submissions.

  • One fee per 2500-word submission.

• Flash Fiction: 

  • Up to three 800 word stories per entry for a maximum of 2,400-words.

  • Maximum of three submissions.

  • One fee per entry of up to 2,400 words.

• Fiction for Children and Young Adults: 

  • 2500-word limit per entry.

  • Short fiction and novel segments accepted.

  • Maximum of three submissions.

  • One fee per 2500-word submission.

• Non-fiction: 

  • 2500-word limit per entry

  • Memoir, opinion/essay, creative non-fiction, historical monograph all accepted

  • Maximum three submissions.

  • One fee per 2500-word submission.

Poetry Categories (2):

• Traditional poetry:

  •  Formal, regular meter, rhymed, etc. are accepted.

  •  Specify the form of each poem: i.e. sonnet, limerick, ballad, ode, haiku, etc.

  • An entry may consist of a maximum of five distinct poems, 40 lines maximum per poem.

  • Do not print more than one poem per page.

  • One fee per submission.

  • One submission per poet.

• Free verse: 

  • An entry may consist of a maximum of five distinct poems, 40 lines maximum per poem.

  • Do not print more than one poem per page.

  • One fee per submission.

  • One submission per poet.

  
  

 Required Format:

All Submissions:

• No pictures or illustrations will be accepted, only text.

Prose:

• Submit work in 8.5 x 11-inch portrait format.

• Hard copy entries must use white paper.

• No handwritten entries.

• Use standard (e.g., Arial, Courier, Times New Roman) 12-point font, double spaced.

• For fiction and nonfiction begin title and text half-way down the first page.

• For flash fiction, please list the name of all stories in the entry on the first page.

• One-inch margin minimum.

• Place title and page number in the header on each manuscript page.

• Author’s name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript to be judged, in both hard copy and online formats.

• Hard copy entries must include a separate cover page with: 

1. Author’s name

2. Address

3. Phone number

4. Email address

5. Category of the submission

6. The work’s title

7. Word count

• Online Entries must use the following format for the file names:  Title(s), Category, ### Words. (Example:  A Christmas Carol, Adult Fiction, 2,500 Words) Note: single entries of multiple flash fiction stories must list all story titles.

• Online entries, each entry must be a separate file.

Poetry:

• Submit work in 8.5 x 11-inch portrait format.

• Hard copy entries must use white paper.

• No handwritten entries.

• One poem per page.

• Limited to 40 lines which may require a second page.

• May use various spacing.

• No fancy fonts; no colors.

• Place title and page number in the header on each page.

• Author’s name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript to be judged, in both hard copy and online formats.

• List the titles of all poems in the entry on the first page

• Hard copy entries must include a separate cover page with: 

1. Author’s name

2. Address

3. Phone number

4. Email address

5. Category of the submission

6. The work’s title

7. Line count.

• Online Entries must use the following format for the file names:  Title(s), Category, ### Words. (Example:  The Canterbury Tales, Traditional Poetry, 1,073 Words) Note: single entries of multiple poems must list all poem titles.

• Online entries, each entry must be a separate file.

How to Enter:

• All Submissions:

  • Deadline: March 15, 2026.

  • WWI is not responsible for lost and/or late entries.

  • Do not duplicate online and hard copy entries. Submit a single copy only in one format.

• Online submissions 

  • Complete the online entry/registration form.

  • Attach your document(s).

  • Make sure you pay your submission fee(s).

• Hard copy submissions

  • Include a check for the proper fees, payable to Wyoming Writers, Inc. Do not staple.

  • Hard copy entries will NOT be returned.

  • Mail hard copy entry to the address below:

Wyoming Writers Inc.

PO box 274

Wheatland, WY  82201

Please send any contest questions to wyowriters@gmail.com.