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The Best Non Fiction Writing Contests of 2022

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

Genre

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Showing 81 contests

2nd Annual WCWF Writing Contest

Wine Country Writers' Festival

Fire up those pens and get those unpublished stories and poems submitted to WCWF 2nd Annual Writing Contest. Three winners in each category, publication in Anthology, and your own copy. Entries: $15 or two for $25. See the contest rules and enter now. Blind Judging.

Top prize

$150

Additional prizes

Publication in an anthology

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: July 29, 2022

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Seán O'Faoláin International Short Story Competition

Munster Literature Centre

The competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast short stories in the English language of 3,000 words or fewer. The story can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world.

Top prize

€2,000

Additional prizes

Residency at Anam Cara Retreat, Featured reading at the Cork International Short Story Festival, Publication in Southword

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $22

Deadline: July 31, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story

Bacopa Literary Review

Writers Alliance of Gainesville

We seek unusual perspectives, passionate voices, compelling work. This includes poetry, creative non-fiction, and short stories.

Top prize

£300

Additional prizes

£100 second prize

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: May 23, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story

The Hal Prize

Peninsula Publishing & Distribution

The Hal Prize offers publication to a readership of more than 25,000 and cash awards for winners. The contest is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and to photographers throughout the United States. Prose should be no more than 4,000 words and poetry no longer than a page. The annual literary and photography contest is presented by the Peninsula Pulse and Write On, Door County.

Top prize

$250

Additional prizes

Cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd place, publication in 8142 Review, and a handmade mug

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: September 15, 2022

Genres

Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story

The Synopsis Skirmish—a contest for querying authors

Darling Axe Editing

Summarize your novel in 500 words for a chance at a $1000 CAD prize pool! Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: "Does this synopsis convince me that I'm in the hands of an adept novelist with a unique and engaging story to tell?"

Top prize

$560

Additional prizes

$200 for second place, $100 for third

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: May 31, 2022

Genres

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

Wrong Turns Travel Writing Competition

Intrepid Times

Write an original, factual, first-person travel story about a time you made a decision or took a risk while traveling that got you lost, landed you somewhere you didn’t intend, or led to a new discovery, realization, or connection. Editors will be looking for originality, voice, and a satisfying story that captures attention and makes use of imagery to pull the reader along at every step.

Top prize

$150

Additional prizes

Runners up: $50 | Publication on Intrepid Times

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: April 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Non-fiction, Travel

True Story Contest

FanStory.com Inc.

Share a true story about your life. Write about any event that happened in your life that you would like to share. Cash prize to the winner.

Top prize

$100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: November 12, 2022

Genres

Non-fiction, Short Story

March Micro Writing Competition

Globe Soup

We accept: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Each month has a theme. You have just 100 words to write something interesting, unique, and impactful based on the theme. Entry to your first contest is £3, after that you can enter all subsequent contests for free each month. You can get peer feedback on your entry too. The theme this month is: Yellow/Orange.

Top prize

$133

Additional prizes

Publication on our website

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $4

Deadline: March 14, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry

Science me a Story

Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK (SRUK)

This competition was created with the aim of promoting scientific outreach in a fun and engaging way, appropriate for primary school children. The ultimate goal of the contest is to promote scientific spirit and inspire the generations that will build our future. We hope to achieve this through the communication of scientific achievements, findings, methods, and anecdotes in the form of short stories.

Top prize

$267

Additional prizes

£150 and £100 runner ups

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: April 24, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story

Geminga: $250 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art

Sunspot Lit

Authors and artists eligible. Sunspot Lit’s Geminga contest honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. $250 cash, publication for the winner, and publication offered to runners-up and finalists. Enter as many times as you like, but only one piece per submission.

Top prize

$250

Additional prizes

Publication in digital and print

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: March 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Teen Angst: Mix Tape Vol 2

4 Horsemen Publications, Inc.

Poetry, Journals, Diaries & Love Letters, we all have them collecting dust on a shelf, in a box under your bed, or hidden away in the attic where no one can find them. That journal, diary, or even composition book full of your teen angst. We want them. In the raw, unedited, all the teen angst you can hit us with. Take a picture of the journal, the page, angsty doodles,love letters and more. We will share them to the world, all backgrounds, all ages and generations (including our own)! This project is co-hosted between 4 Horsemen Publications and Battle Goddess Productions.

Top prize

Publication in anthology

Additional prizes

Access to buy author copies at a discounted rate

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: June 30, 2022

Genres

Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry

Emerging Writer's Contest

Ploughshares

In the spirit of the journal 's founding mission, the Ploughshares Emerging Writer's Contest recognizes work by an emerging writer in each of three genres: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. One winner in each genre per year will receive $2,000 and publication in the literary journal. Authors are considered "emerging" if they haven 't published or self-published a book.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

Publication in Ploughshares

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $24

Deadline: May 15, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story

Flying South

Winston-Salem Writers

Each entry must be original work and previously unpublished. Simultaneous submissions will be accepted, but authors must notify Flying South immediately and withdraw from the contest if their work is accepted elsewhere. Prizes include publication in Flying South 2022, Best in Category, and President's Favorite.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication in Flying South 2022

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: May 31, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Lazuli Literary Group

We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: May 22, 2022

Genres

Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, Script Writing

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

100 words per entry. Submit as many entries as you’d like. All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome. This year's theme is the power of words. The words we write, the words we say, the words we keep to ourselves. They make a difference in the lives of those around us. How can you use your words to instill a sense of calm, of hope, of community? To remind one another of the beauty of diversity. To encourage us to support, love, and inspire one another.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

2nd: writing coach package 3rd: developmental or diversity editing package.

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: April 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult

The Fountain Essay Contest

Fountain Magazine

We want to hear your COVID-19 story. What has the virus taught you about life? If you were not infected, what has your experience been like as an “outsider?” We encourage our contestants to explore this issue in a way that is most meaningful to them, and to do so while making sure to avoid speculative narratives and political polarization.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

$500, $300, $150

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: April 01, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Essay, Memoir, Non-fiction

The Writerwerx University Novel Opening Contest

Writerwerx University

Submit the first 1,000 words of your published book.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

2nd Place: $1,000 cash/prizes, 3rd Place $100 cash/prizes

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $20

Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

North Street Book Prize

Winning Writers

One grand prize winner will receive $5,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 credit at BookBaby, and 3 free ads in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $525 value). Please submit between February 15 and June 30, 2021.

Top prize

$8,000

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $70

Deadline: June 30, 2022

Genres

Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry

WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest

WOW! Women On Writing

WOW! is proud to introduce our newest essay contest! The contest is open globally. Your story must be true, but the way you tell it is your chance to get creative. We are open to all styles of essay—from personal essay to lyric essay to hybrid essay, and beyond!

Top prize

$500

Additional prizes

Publication, interview, and gift card good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $12

Deadline: April 30, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Non-fiction

Red Hen Press Nonfiction Award

Red Hen Press

Established in 2015, the Red Hen Nonfiction Award seeks to recognize the art of true story-telling through literary craft. The awarded fiction manuscript is selected through an annual submission process which is open to all authors.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication by Red Hen Press

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: March 31, 2021 (Expired)

Genres

Non-fiction

Red Hen Press Women's Prose Prize

Red Hen Press

Established in 2018, the Women’s Prose Prize is for previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. The awarded manuscript is selected through a biennial competition, held in even-numbered years, that is open to all writers who identify as women.

Top prize

$1,000

Additional prizes

Publication by Red Hen Press

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $25

Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Essay, Memoir, Novel

Typewriter Awards

League of Utah Writers

The Typewriter Awards are open to members of the League of Utah Writers for shorter creative writing work published in 2021 or 2022 before the contest deadline.

Top prize

Trophy

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $15

Deadline: May 13, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story

Quills Award

League of Utah Writers

The Quills Awards are open to League of Utah Writers members who have published a book in the past year.

Top prize

Trophy

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $35

Deadline: May 13, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella

Olive Woolley Burt Awards For Creative Writing

League of Utah Writers

The Olive Woolley Burt Awards are open to the general public for previously unpublished work. Discounts for entry given to members of the League of Utah Writers.

Top prize

$150

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: May 13, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult

Dandy Writers Short Story Contest

Dandy Writers

Submit a story of no more than 200 words. Your submission must be in line with the theme of the month. A writer is only permitted to submit one application per month. No more than one application. No plagiarism, even if it’s your work already published. Your work must be yours. Your data entered must be accurate. You must pay the entry fee. Note: Failure to comply with these rules will result to your application cancelled. And your entry fee will not be refunded. Thanks as you obey these rules.

Top prize

$300

Additional prizes

Writing Job

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $5

Deadline: May 30, 2023

Genres

Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Short Story

Non Fiction Writing Contest

FanStory.com Inc.

We are looking for personal essays, memoirs, and works of literary non-fiction on any topic. It doesn't matter if it's spiritual, political, intellectual, emotional, funny, serious, or an essay about your DVD player.

Top prize

$100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: May 08, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Non-fiction

True Story Flash

FanStory.com Inc.

Share your flash fiction story. But for this contest we aren't looking for fiction. Rather share your true story with only 100 words. Cash prize!

Top prize

$100

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $10

Deadline: May 27, 2022

Genres

Flash Fiction, Non-fiction

The George Floyd Short Story Competition Vol2

Nottingham Writers' Studio

We’ll be taking stories of up to 5,000 words, on the theme of the environment and the ongoing climate crisis. Entrants can write in any genre. There is no fee to take part and we’re offering cash prizes to every successful applicant plus publication in our next anthology. 1st - £250 2nd - £125 3rd - £75 Runner up - £15

Top prize

£250

Additional prizes

Publication in anthology - Earth 2.0

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Crime, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

FemmeFluenza 2.0

WriteFluence

Become a published woman author by this International Women’s Day! Announcing our second exclusively-for-women-writers story-writing international contest FemmeFluenza 2.0 ‘Cos life is all about celebrating womanhood and surviving through various challenges it brings along! Theme: Survival stories through various challenges faced by women – be it prejudices, physical or emotional abuse, sexual harassment, corporate biases, denied education, breast cancer, female infanticide, gender discrimination, single-parenthood, divorce, social stigmas and taboos, etc.

Top prize

Publication

Additional prizes

Author features and Merit certificates (digital)

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $2

Deadline: February 15, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Short Story

Hispanic Culture Review – Literary and Photographic Contest 2021-2022

Hispanic Culture Review

If the past year has taught us anything, it is that circumstances are always changing. Just as the world inevitably changes around us, we, too, go through various cycles of transformation in our lifetimes. Our identities are not static but evolve as we experience life and confront obstacles that come our way. Who we are is not fixed but rather a reflection of ourselves at a certain point in time and the journey it took to get there. As Maya Angelou once stated, “we delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” This year, we invite you to reflect on the following questions: What does the phrase “ever-changing” mean for you or your community with respect to the journey of transformation? What has made you the person you are today? 1 work will be awarded in each category: 1) photography & visual arts, 2) poetry, and 3) narrative/essay/academic investigation. The selected works will be published in our magazine, and winners will receive a monetary prize of $100 dollars and a certificate of recognition, and will be notified through email as well as on our Facebook page (Hispanic Culture Review GMU). Prizes will be issued in the Spring of 2022.

Top prize

$100

Additional prizes

Publication in print and electronic magazine, Certificate of recognition

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: February 06, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story

Story of the Year Contest

Storyshares

The annual Story of the Year Contest is back for the fifth year, and we are searching for fresh, diverse stories that are “easy to read and hard to put down. The 2021 competition will run from November 2, 2021 to February 1, 2022 and will feature 4 distinct categories. Winners will be announced April 5, 2022 to receive $5000 in cash prizes, in addition to publication in both digital and print form. Winning stories and those selected as runners-up will be included in the Storyshares library, which is currently serving tens of thousands of students in all 50 states and over 150 countries. This is an opportunity for writers to not only expose their work to a large, established network of readers, but moreover, for their words to become part of the mission to improve literacy outcomes for teens and young adults across the globe. This is an opportunity to change lives, and make a difference.

Top prize

$2,000

Additional prizes

$1,000 and publication in digital and print

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $0

Deadline: February 01, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Short Story, Young Adult

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

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 (1,200 to 1,500 words), nonfiction (1,200 to 1,500 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems). Besides the cash prize, winners will receive a registration package for the 2022 Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival, publication in the Word on the Lake anthology, and copies of the anthology in print and ebook.

Top prize

$120

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $12

Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry

SAWG 29th Writing Contest

San Antonio Writers Guild

Preliminary judging by trained SAWG members, final judging by successful professional writers or university-level writing instructors who specialize in the entries’ genres. Every entrant can obtain his/her preliminary and final score sheets. Genre winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd place) may correspond with their final judges. This is SAWG's 29th contest.

Top prize

1st: $100; 2nd: $50; 3rd: $25 US

Additional prizes

Membership, list on website and FB, winner sticker

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $35

Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry

Clash of the Query Letters

Darling Axe Editing

A writing contest for querying authors! Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: "does this query letter convince me that I'm in the hands of an adept novelist with a unique and engaging story to tell?" Optional feedback available.

Top prize

$700

Additional prizes

Publication on the Chopping Blog, plus free entry into one of our online courses

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: $4

Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel

The Restless Books Prize For New Immigrant Writing

Restless Books

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing was created in 2016 to honor outstanding debut literary works by first-generation immigrants, awarded for fiction and nonfiction in alternating years. The winner receives $10,000 and publication by Restless Books.

Top prize

$10,000

Additional prizes

Publication by Restless Books

Entry requirements

💰 Fee: FREE

Deadline: March 31, 2022 (Expired)

Genres

Fiction, Non-fiction

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