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DIRECTORY

Best Memoir Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 41 contests that match your search.

A Very Short Story Contest

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Participants write a short story using ten words or fewer, inspired by the famous six-word story attributed to Hemingway. The submission must be original and unpublished, with entries judged based on originality and quality.

Top Prize:

Winning entry receives a free Gotham class of their choosing (excluding premium classes).

πŸ“… Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

The 2022 First Chapter Book Contest

TheNextBigWriter, LLC

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Have a book or a novel idea you've been noodling? Enter your first chapter into the Booksie First Chapter Contest and see how it does. You don't need to have finished the book. You don't even need more than the first chapter. We're looking for a start that will grab our attention, that is original, that is well written, and that makes us want to beg you to see what comes next. And for those we find, we'll provide some awards to inspire you to finish writing the book or, if finished, to help get it published.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Gold contest badge.

πŸ’° Entry fee: $5

πŸ“… Deadline: May 14, 2022 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Storytrade Book Awards celebrate literary excellence in small and independent publishing, featuring over 70 categories for fiction and nonfiction. The awards spotlight outstanding books and provide industry recognition for authors.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

$1,000 for each Book of the Year (Fiction & Nonfiction). Medals, book stickers, and digital seals for Winners and Finalists

πŸ’° Entry fee: $75

πŸ“… Deadline: June 30, 2025

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Goldilocks Zone

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

The contest invites short stories, novel excerpts, graphic novels, and poems that showcase excellence in craft with reader appeal. It accepts literary or genre works without restrictions on theme.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.

πŸ’° Entry fee: $5

πŸ“… Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, and Short Story

The Rigel 2024 writing contest invites submissions in various formats, including prose, poetry, art, and graphic novels, with a focus on creative expression across genres. The contest aims to support diverse voices and original works.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Runners-up and finalists are offered publication

πŸ’° Entry fee: $12

πŸ“… Deadline: October 01, 2024 (Expired)

North Street Book Prize

Winning Writers

Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Children's, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Submit a self-published or hybrid-published book, up to 200,000 words in length. One grand prize winner will receive $10,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 credit at BookBaby, three months of Plus service (a $207 value) and a $500 account credit from Book Award Pro, and 3 free ads in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $525 value)

Top Prize:

$10,000

Additional prizes:

$1,000 for top winner in each category | $300 for honorable mentions

πŸ’° Entry fee: $75

πŸ“… Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The contest invites submissions under the theme 'Β‘Hacia adelante!' focusing on resilience and cultural celebration. Categories include photography, poetry, and narrative/essay/academic investigation. Winning works will be published and recognized.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Certificate of recognition and Publication in magazine

πŸ“… Deadline: February 21, 2024 (Expired)

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems).

Top Prize:

$200 CAD

Additional prizes:

Publication

πŸ’° Entry fee: $11

πŸ“… Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Indignor House Publishing is proud to announce that our annual writing competition (INDIGNOR PLAYHOUSE Short Story Annual Competition) is officially open with expected publication in the fall of 2024. Up to 25 submissions will be accepted for inclusion in the annual anthology.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

πŸ’° Entry fee: $20

πŸ“… Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

The competition is designed to give marginalized voices the opportunity to establish literary legacies. The next competition opens in February 2025.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication of the winning manuscript in 2026. Runners up will also be considered for publication.

πŸ’° Entry fee: $25

πŸ“… Deadline: July 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.

Top Prize:

$1,000 β€” $5,000

πŸ’° Entry fee: $15

πŸ“… Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)

The Book of the Year Awards

The Independent Author Network

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Crime, and Short Story

The 11th Annual IAN Book of the Year Awards is an international contest open to all authors, featuring 75 categories across fiction and non-fiction. Winners receive cash prizes and recognition.

Top Prize:

$2,500

Additional prizes:

Prizes for runners-up include cash awards of $1,000 for first place in each category, $500 for second, and $250 for third. Winners receive various awards, including digital seals and membership upgrades.

πŸ’° Entry fee: $49

πŸ“… Deadline: August 16, 2026

Solar Flare

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

A solar flare is short-lived but has a huge amount of energy. Sunspot Lit is looking for a noteworthy flare of creative energy through short stories, poems, or graphic novels.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Publication for the winner; publication offered to runners-up and finalists.

πŸ’° Entry fee: $10

πŸ“… Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Reader Views Literary Awards program aims to honor independent authors and their self-published works. The awards are recognized industry-wide as a significant platform for independent authors.

Top Prize:

$1,250

Additional prizes:

Gold: $750 Silver: $350 Bronze: $150 sponsored awards including include marketing packages, interviews, and ads.

πŸ’° Entry fee: $89

πŸ“… Deadline: December 15, 2024

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the Selected Shorts series at Symphony Space, NYC. It celebrates short stories by having them read aloud by actors. The contest is judged by Carmen Maria Machado, and the winner's work will be performed live and published on Electric Literature.

Top Prize:

$1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers

πŸ’° Entry fee: $25

πŸ“… Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Crime, Humor, and Science Writing

The Letter Review Prize for Nonfiction is an award for nonfiction submissions up to 5000 words. It seeks to recognize and publish quality writing and offers a total prize pool of $1000 USD.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

2-4 winners are announced who share in the prize money. Publication by The Letter Review

πŸ“… Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

The Personal Essay Competition invites young writers aged 13-19 to submit personal essays. Participants can showcase their writing skills while receiving feedback from peers and experts.

Top Prize:

Best entry: $100

Additional prizes:

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50 Winners receive cash prizes and a feature on Write the World's blog and social media.

πŸ“… Deadline: December 31, 2024

Writing MAGIC

Sadie Tells Stories

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult

The Writing MAGIC contest invites authors to write a short story under 500 words about anything magical. Open to all age groups, stories can be fiction or non-fiction. The contest aims to celebrate creativity and share magical experiences.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Second place: $150

πŸ’° Entry fee: $10

πŸ“… Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

We seek un-agented full-length creative nonfiction manuscripts including memoir, essay collections, etc. 50,000 - 80,000 words.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication

πŸ’° Entry fee: $25

πŸ“… Deadline: May 15, 2024 (Expired)

Fish Short Memoir Prize

Fish Publishing

Genres: Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Everyone has a memoir in them. Go for it! Write a piece of your life, send it to Fish. Qian Julie Wang, author of her memoir Beautiful Country, will select 10 short memoirs to be published in the Fish Anthology 2022, which will be launched during the West Cork Literary Festival.

Top Prize:

€1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: Writing Course (online) + €300 | 3rd: €300

πŸ’° Entry fee: $18

πŸ“… Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, and Short Story

The Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing will be administered to the winner of a literary contest designed to champion innovative hybrid and cross-genre work.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Publication

πŸ’° Entry fee: $22

πŸ“… Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel

Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.

Top Prize:

$2,000

Additional prizes:

Publishing and marketing package

πŸ’° Entry fee: $15

πŸ“… Deadline: November 30, 2024

Write By The Sea Literary Festival 2024

Write By The Sea Festival Committee

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, and Poetry

The contest invites entries across four categories: Fiction Short Story, Flash Fiction, Poetry, and Memoir/Personal Essay. Each winning piece will be read at the festival and published in The Waxed Lemon Literary Journal.

Top Prize:

€500

Additional prizes:

2nd place: €300 3rd place: €200 Free weekend pass to the festival, publication in The Waxed Lemon Literary Journal.

πŸ’° Entry fee: $10

πŸ“… Deadline: June 21, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Humor, Memoir, and Non-fiction

Narratively is currently accepting submissions for their 2023 Memoir Prize. They are looking for revealing and emotional first-person nonfiction narratives from unique and overlooked points of view. The guest judge is New York Times bestselling memoirist Stephanie Land.

Top Prize:

$3,000

Additional prizes:

$1,000 and publication

πŸ’° Entry fee: $20

πŸ“… Deadline: November 30, 2023 (Expired)

Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

Cleveland Foundation

Genres: Novel, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards recognize outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism and cultural diversity. Established in 1935 by Edith Anisfield Wolf, it remains the only American book prize focused on these themes.

Top Prize:

$10,000

Additional prizes:

Winners receive $10,000 and are honored at a ceremony in Cleveland.

πŸ“… Deadline: December 31, 2024

The Rubery Prize

Rubery Book Awards

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, and Romance

The Rubery Prize is a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self published authors and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges. Through our reputation of finding quality and outstanding books we aim to bring recognition to the works that win and heighten an author's profile.

Top Prize:

Β£2000

Additional prizes:

Β£200, a write-up

πŸ’° Entry fee: $60

πŸ“… Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

The WIP Contest supports writers by allowing submissions of work that is in progress. It emphasizes on creative development and offers a platform for emerging voices.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

πŸ’° Entry fee: $35

πŸ“… Deadline: December 01, 2024

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.

Top Prize:

$500 Editors' Choice award

Additional prizes:

$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)

πŸ“… Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Romance, and Short Story

The Booksie 2024 Short Story Contest invites writers to submit original short stories, with a maximum length of 5,000 words. The contest offers a grand prize of $500, along with badges for winners encoded on the blockchain. The contest aims to promote creativity and originality across all genres.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Gold winner badge, optional publication contract worth $100. Runners-up receive $100 cash and a silver winner badge

πŸ’° Entry fee: $7

πŸ“… Deadline: August 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller

The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter.

Top Prize:

$250

πŸ’° Entry fee: $79

πŸ“… Deadline: June 15, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Novel

IML Publications is dedicated to amplifying contemporary writers' voices. The contest requires 50 double-spaced pages and a 1-page synopsis submitted via email. The winner receives $1000 and possible book publication in ebook and paperback formats.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Possible book publication/distribution in ebook and paperback formats

πŸ’° Entry fee: $35

πŸ“… Deadline: October 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Memoir

The competition invites participants to submit original, unpublished personal memoirs in English, max 1,500 words. There's no theme constraint, and multiple entries are allowed. The winner receives €500 and publication in Anthology magazine.

Top Prize:

€500

Additional prizes:

Publication in Anthology magazine

πŸ’° Entry fee: $15

πŸ“… Deadline: August 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The contest is aimed at unpublished works including novels, novellas, poetry collections, and nonfiction books. It is judged blind and winners can choose to publish an extract. The prize is awarded every three months with a total prize pool of $4,000 USD.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Optional publication of excerpt + letter of recommendation

πŸ’° Entry fee: $0

πŸ“… Deadline: September 30, 2024 (Expired)

Share Your Story

FanStory.com Inc.

Genres: Essay and Memoir

Write about an event in your life. Everyone has a memoir. Not an autobiography. Too much concern about fact and convention. A memoir gives us the ability to write about our life with the option to create and fabricate and to make sense of a life, or part of that life.

Top Prize:

$100

πŸ’° Entry fee: $10

πŸ“… Deadline: August 13, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

This month, dear writers, ahead of COP27, help us raise the voices of young people in this urgent fight. In a piece of personal narrative, tell the world’s leaders gathering in how climate change impacts you. How has this crisis changed your environment, your community, your sense of the future? Storytelling, after all, plays a critical role in helping us grasp the emergency through which we are all living, igniting empathy in readers and listenersβ€”itself a precursor to action.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Runner-up: $50

πŸ“… Deadline: October 18, 2022 (Expired)

Prompts | Prompts Sans Serif | 2024-03

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