Sponsored by Winning Writers. 11th year. Submit self-published or hybrid-published books in one of 8 categories. $22,000 in total cash prizes, plus benefits offered by the co-sponsors.

Authors can submit a collection of short stories or essays as a single entry. No restriction on age of author. No restriction on year of publication. All self-publishing and hybrid publishing platforms are eligible. All countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus (due to US government restrictions).

Submit self-published or hybrid-published books in one of these categories:

• Mainstream/Literary Fiction
• Genre Fiction (e.g. romance, mystery, thriller, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, etc.)
• Creative Nonfiction & Memoir (This category includes books that tell a true story with the kind of narrative arc and literary techniques one would find in a novel or a short story collection. This can include memoirs, personal essay collections, or narrative nonfiction. Biographies and journalistic works might be eligible if they read like a novel and are written for a general audience. Not sure if you’re eligible? Please email us.)
• Poetry
• Children’s Picture Book
• Middle Grade
• Graphic Novel & Memoir
• Art Book

We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives.