Never underestimate the power of a literary contest as the launching pad for a career. Editors and agents alike see a prestigious literary award as being more impressive than half a dozen published short stories and three or four commercial non-fiction books. Believe me, I know. I've got half a dozen published short stories and seven non-fiction books and my agent keeps asking me when I'm going to win a contest.

These are abbreviated listings. Before entering any contest, make sure you visit the sponsor's website for specific details on eligibility or entry requirements. If no website is listed, send that organization a #10 SASE with a brief note asking them to mail you a copy of their submissions guidelines.

Note that some competitions are listed in multiple directories. Many organizations sponsor competitions for short stories, novels, essays, poetry and nonfiction. As such, I listed the contest in any directory that seemed appropriate. Another thing to keep in mind is that the contest directors will all try to line up the most prestigious judges they can find. Find out in advance who these judges are and research the types of stories they seem to like.

It's just as easy to track contests in The Writer's Source as it is publishers. When you find a contest that strikes your fancy, set your computer's scheduler to remind you a week before the contest deadline so you don't remember the day after manuscripts were due.