Writing Contests

The Florida Writers Association offers two writing contests annually: Collection and Royal Palm Literary Awards. Both contests open to submissions on February 1 and close on April 30.

Both cross broad areas of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and both are open to adults and youth who are judged separately.

Florida Writers Association Collection

The Florida Writers Association Collection showcases member writing and helps members grow their skills. Entrants write to a theme and the winning submissions are published in an anthology. Fiction, nonfiction, essay, and poetry entries are welcome. Check out past volumes of the Florida Writers Association Collection here.

florida writers collection 15

The Secret’s Out …

The 2023 Florida Writers Association Collection, Volume 15 theme is secrets: those untold, unseen, and seldom shared places, events, and mysteries we all carry in the hidden recess of our hearts and minds.

This theme is open to a range of possibilities, so it’s with high expectations that we invite our members to submit their best fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.

  • Submissions open February 1 - April 30
  • Fiction and nonfiction entries must be 1,200 words or less
  • Poems must be 50 lines or less
  • The contest is free and exclusive to FWA members (Not a member? Join here!)
  • 60 submissions will be selected for publication in the Collection, Volume 15 book which will be included in the welcome packet at our 2023 conference and available on Amazon for purchase
  • Feedback is not offered as part of the contest
  • Submission requirements & entry forms

A group of experienced writers, editors, and publishers will select 60 of the best submissions for publication. Afterwards, Ben Sharpton, author of The Awakening of Jim Bishop, and This Changes Things, the 2022 Royal Palm Literary Award Published Book of the Year, will select his 10 favorite submissions. The Top 10 earn special recognition and placement in the Collection 15 book.

I encourage all our adult and youth members, whether emerging or established writers, to hone their quill nibs, sharpen their pencils, and fire up their laptops to crack open those secrets that have been waiting to be told.—Paul Iasevoli, 2023 Collection Coordinator

Learn about past volumes of the Collection here and on Amazon.

Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLA)

Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLA) is a prestigious writing competition that recognizes extraordinary writing in 20+ genre categories for adults and 5 for youth and provides objective and constructive written assessments to all entrants. 

"I’ve signed with Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary!!! Home of Gone Girl, y’all! This contest was a life changer.” —Melissa Abrehamsen

“The knowledge and the thoughtfulness of all the judges blew me away.” —Margarita McCarthy

  • Submissions open February 1 - April 30 or until entry limit is reached, whichever comes first.
  • Limited to 5 entries per person; 550 total
  • Published and unpublished works; fiction and nonfiction, short works and book-length, and poetry are welcome
  • Fee varies based on genre category and date of entry
  • The contest is exclusive to FWA members (Not a member? Join here!)
  • All entrants receive judges' feedback
  • Submission requirements & entry forms

Winners are celebrated at Royal Palm Literary Awards Banquet at our annual conference in October. 
Check out past RPLA winners here and in our showcase.