The Anthologist: A Compendium of Uncommon Collections
An introduction to three new anthologies, including What My Father and I Don’t Talk About: Sixteen Writers Break the Silence and Sing the Truth: The Kweli Journal Short Story Collection.
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Genre: Creative Nonfiction
PEN/Jean Stein Grants for Literary Oral History
PEN America
Entry Fee:
$0
Deadline:
June 1, 2025
Two grants of $15,000 each are given annually for nonfiction works-in-progress that “use oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement.” Using only the online submission system, submit a writing sample of 20 to 40 pages of nonfiction, 6 to 10 pages of transcribed interviews, a curriculum vitae, and an outline and description of the project by June 1. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin
The first lines of a dozen noteworthy books, including Hardly Creatures by Rob Macaisa Colgate and Chronicle of Drifting by Yuki Tanaka.
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Prize for Literature
Towson University
Entry Fee:
$0
Deadline:
June 15, 2025
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction by a current resident of Maryland who has lived in the state for at least three years. Books published within the past three years or scheduled for publication in 2025 are eligible. Publishers, institutions, or individuals may submit three copies of a book or manuscript by June 15. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
Inside the Contest: Behind the Scenes at Six Great Contests to Enter This Summer
This summer’s notable opportunities celebrate new talent, amplify marginalized voices, and push boundaries. Our editors take you behind the scenes to see how these contests are run, who they serve, and why they do what they do.
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Chapbook Prize
Tusculum Review
Entry Fee:
$20
Deadline:
June 15, 2025
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Tusculum Review is given annually for a collection of poems, a short story, or an essay in alternating years. The winner’s work is also published as a limited-edition stand-alone chapbook with original art. This year’s prize will be awarded in fiction. Jaime Cortez will judge. Submit a manuscript of 2,000 to 7,000 words with a $20 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Tusculum Review, by June 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Excerpt Expertise: How to Submit Part of a Longer Work to a Contest
Writing contests that accept excerpts as short-form prose can help you keep up the momentum during the long journey to book publication. Contest winners and other experts share what it takes to create an attention-grabbing excerpt.
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International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition
Vine Leaves Press
Entry Fee:
$25
Deadline:
July 1, 2025
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Vine Leaves Press will be given for a book of nonfiction, including biography, memoir, and hybrid work. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 50,000 to 80,000 words of prose or at least 100 pages of hybrid work with a $25 entry fee by July 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
National Book Awards
National Book Foundation
Entry Fee:
$135
Deadline:
June 6, 2025
Four prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for books of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and young people’s literature written by U.S. writers and published in the United States during the previous year. A $10,000 prize is also given for an English translation of a book of fiction or nonfiction by a living writer and translator published in the United States during the previous year. Finalists in all categories receive $1,000 each. Publishers may submit titles published or scheduled for publication between December 1, 2024, and November 30, 2025, for consideration via the online submission form with a $135 entry fee per title by May 14. Additionally, a digital copy and six hard copies (or bound galleys) of the books must be submitted to the judges and the National Book Foundation by June 6. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
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Q&A With Jennifer Acker of the Common
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Jennifer Acker, founder and editor in chief of the Common, answers questions about the journal’s mission, slush piles, and her editorial process in this virtual event with Becky Tuch for the Lit Mag News Roundup. An interview with Acker about the Common’s fifteenth anniversary is featured in the May/June issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
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