Writing Contests

The Bethesda Urban Partnership & Bethesda Magazine have partnered to honor Essay and Short Story Writers. All Essay and Short Story Contest winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Magazine websites and honored at a special event during Local Writer's Showcase in March 2025.

Essay Contest

Topic: Open
Deadline for application: Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Awards (Adult)
First Place: $500 and published in Bethesda Magazine
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Honorable Mentions: $100
Online Application for Adult Essay Contest

Awards (High School)
First Place: $250 and published in Bethesda Magazine
Second Place: $150
Third Place: $75
Honorable Mentions: $50
Online Application for High School Essay Contest

All winning essays will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership and MoCo360 websites and will be honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase in March 2025.

Requirements
Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer's choosing. Only one entry per person. Your essay must be your original work. Any essays containing material that is obscene or objectionable will be disqualified.  Previously published essays are not eligible for Adult Submissions. Use of AI tools like ChatGPT for the contest will result in disqualification.

Eligibility
Residents of Washington, D.C. and the select counties of Maryland (Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard and Frederick) and Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria) are eligible.  High School entries must be residents or attend a school in Montgomery County, MD or Washington, D.C.

Judges: 

TBA

Notification: Winners will be contacted in February 2025.

Copyright
All entrants retain the copyright rights that they have in the essays they submit, but by participating in this contest and submitting essays, all entrants grant Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) the right, license, and ability to use and publish all submitted essays (in complete form or in excerpted form) on the BUP Web site, on other Web sites, and in other media.

Short Story Contest

Topic: Open
Deadline for application: Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Online Application for Short Story Contest

Awards (Adult)
First Place: $500 and published in Bethesda Magazine
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Honorable Mention: $100

Awards (High School)
First Place: $250 and published in Bethesda Magazine
Second Place: $150
Third Place: $75
Honorable Mention: $50

All winning short stories will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership and MoCo360 websites and will be honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase in March 2025.

Requirements
Stories must be limited between 1,500 and 2,500 words. Only one entry per person permitted.

Eligibility
Residents of Montgomery County, MD and Upper NW Washington, D.C. (20015 and 20016 ZIP codes) are eligible.
The contest will take entries in two categories: High School (grades 9-12) and Adult (ages 18+).