Contest is open to anyone writing in English, age 18 or older.

Only original submissions which have not been published in print, digital, or online (including blogs or social media), have not used any kind of artificial intelligence in content development or creation, have not previously placed in the Jade Ring contest, will be considered. Send your best work, proofread, short, complete, standalone pieces in the category.

Simultaneous submissions to other contests or for publication are allowed; however, applicants MUST email  contest@wiwrite.org to withdraw your submission if it is accepted or wins/places in a contest elsewhere before August 1, 2025. No refunds.

Jade Ring Contest Administrators reserve the right to close any category that does not meet the minimum level of 40 submissions, in which case entry fees will be refunded.

Questions about eligibility, please contact contest@wiwrite.org.

The Jade Ring Contest opens for submissions on March 1, 2025, 12:01 a.m. Central Time.

The Jade Ring Contest accepts online submissions and payments only. WWA uses Duosuma for a submission platform and entrants will be required to create an account to submit.

• Member fee: $20

• Non-member fee: $30

• Optional additional fee for paid critique by the judge: $20

Submission deadline: June 1, 2025, 11:59pm Central Time.

All entries must be formatted as double spaced (with the exception of poetry, which may be single spaced and specially formatted if needed), 1 inch margins, paginated, and in 12 PT Times New Roman font.

Entries must be submitted as a Word document. PDF files and other file types such as Pages and Google Docs will not be accepted.

• Word count limit for Fiction and Nonfiction: No more than 2,000 words total for each entry.

• Poetry: up to three poems per entry, each poem must fit on a single separate page.

Entries must be text only. No art or graphics allowed.

Excessive cursing, sexually or violence-explicit, or hate speech, is not allowed.

The Jade Ring Contest is judged blind. Author name should NOT appear on the submission, either on the manuscript OR on the file name.

Title and Word Count for fiction/nonfiction (not poetry) must be placed at the top of the first page. Title(s) of Poetry must appear at the top of each page for each poem.

Please name your files as follows: 

Please take care to ensure your file names are properly formatted. Questions to contest@wiwrite.org.

When you enter the contest, you grant WWA one-time rights to publish your work (should it win or place) in Creative Wisconsin magazine. All winners and placers are expected to submit a brief biography for use in promotion of the Jade Ring Writing Contest. If you do not wish your piece to be published, do not enter the contest.

WWA reserves the right for Jade Ring Writing Contest administrators to copy edit winning entries prior to publication in Creative Wisconsin magazine, and other partner publications.

A Jade Ring gala to celebrate winning and placing entries will be held at the annual Fall Conference. You may wish to participate and may read from your entry.

First Place (in each category) - Jade Ring + $250 cash, and publication in Creative Wisconsin magazine. Winners also receive a one-week residency at Write On, Door County in 2025, to be scheduled. Write On offers a comfortable 3-bedroom residence, writing center with library, a 59-acre campus featuring 1.5 miles of groomed hiking trails, plus all that surrounding Door County has to offer: nature, state parks, beaches, and a thriving artist community. www.writeondoorcounty.org The residency does not include travel or meal expenses.