Doris Betts Fiction Prize Grant

Doris Betts Fiction Prize Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: North Carolina Writers’ Network
Amount: US $50 - US $250
Last Updated: October 14, 2025

Summary

The Doris Betts Fiction Prize, administered by the North Carolina Writers’ Network, fosters literary talent by awarding a $250 prize and publication in the North Carolina Literary Review. Open to legal residents of North Carolina and members of the Network, it encourages previously unpublished short stories up to 6,000 words. Finalists also receive consideration for publication and monetary awards ranging from $50 to $150. This initiative highlights the importance of writing in nurturing community and civic discourse.

Overview

The Network’s Mission The North Carolina Writers’ Network creates and nurtures community for those who care about writing, because good writing is vital to our wider community. We believe that writing can connect people across time, distance, and difference; that writing with integrity is necessary for civic discourse and a healthy society; and that the deeply satisfying experiences of writing and reading should be available to everyone. The North Carolina Writers’ Network connects, promotes, and serves the writers of this state. We provide education in the craft and business of writing, opportunities for recognition and critique of literary work, resources for writers at all stages of development, support for and advocacy of the literary heritage of North Carolina, and a community for those who write. Doris Betts Fiction Prize The Doris Betts Fiction Prize, sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network, awards the first-prize winner $250 and publication in the North Carolina Literary Review. Finalists will also be considered for publication in the NCLR, and authors will receive $50 to $150, depending on how many stories selected. The winning story and select finalists will be published in the next year’s issue of the North Carolina Literary Review.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The competition is open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. North Carolina Literary Review subscribers with North Carolina connections (lives or has lived in NC) are also eligible.The competition is for previously unpublished* short stories up to 6,000 words. Multiple entries ok, but each requires a separate entry fee. No novel excerpts. Stories do NOT have to relate to NCLR’s annual special feature topic.