Writing Contests with Cash Prizes, and a Paper Trail
Quick answer: Writory runs two monthly writing contests with cash prizes. The poetry contest is open now: entry ₹150 in India / $5 internationally, top prize ₹1,000 / $25. The Short Story Contest opens 1 September 2026: entry ₹199 / $8, top prize ₹2,000 / $50. Both judge blind against published rubrics, and every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100.
Two monthly contests, one standard: the poetry contest is live now, and the Short Story Contest opens 1 September 2026. Cash prizes in both, blind judging against published rubrics, dated winners pages going back over a year, and a scored certificate for every entrant.
The published rubric, 100 points
- Storytelling & Structure (25 points): Does every scene cause the next, and does the ending pay off the opening?
- Character & Emotional Impact (25 points): Do we want something with your character, and does the story make us feel it?
- Language & Craft (20 points): Clean, deliberate prose: rhythm, precision, and nothing wasted.
- Originality & Voice (20 points): The angle only you could write, told in a voice that sounds like nobody else.
- Theme & Resonance (10 points): What the story leaves behind after the last line.
How it works
Submit an original story of 100 to 2,000 words by the 25th of the month, 11:59 PM IST. Every story is judged blind against the rubric above, and results arrive by the 30th: every entrant receives a certificate with their name and a score out of 100. Writers keep all rights. Monthly winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
What exactly are the cash prizes?
Poetry, open now: top prize ₹1,000 in India, $25 for international winners, every month. Short story, from September 2026: top prize ₹2,000 in India, $50 for international winners. Both contests name their winners, with scores, on dated public pages.
How is the prize paid in my country?
Indian winners are paid in rupees; international winners are paid in dollars. Writory has already paid winners in India, the United States, Ireland, Kenya and Slovenia, so the mechanics are proven across five countries.
What gets an entry disqualified?
Work that is not the entrant's own, stories outside the 100 to 2,000 word range, and entries arriving after the 25th at 11:59 PM IST. Nothing exotic: the rules are short, and the rubric does the judging.
How do I check that past winners are real?
Open the winners pages. Each month is dated and names its winners with their scores, going back more than a year. A contest that pays out monthly leaves a paper trail; read it before trusting anyone's prize claim, including ours.
Is the fee worth it if I don't win?
That depends on what you want back. Entry is ₹199 in India, $8 internationally, and it returns blind judging, a certificate and a five-part score out of 100 even when you lose, which is more than most contests return to their winners. If a month teaches you nothing, the scorecard was not read closely enough.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 31 countries have entered, readers come from over 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and theme. Every entrant receives a certificate; winners receive cash prizes and are published by name. Entries close on the 25th of each month and results are announced on the 30th. Writory is listed by Duotrope, Poetry Kit, Christopher Fielden's competition list and Creative Writing NZ, among other organisations. Past results are public at past winners and the leaderboard.