Best Non Fiction Writing Contests in 2026

Genres: Children's, Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Betty Award is a writing contest recognizing young authors aged 8-12. It encourages creativity and imagination with three contests held annually: Fall, Winter, and Spring.

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

This contest invites young writers (ages 13-19) to share personal stories, focusing on the theme 'Build a bridge.' Participants are encouraged to include characters, descriptions, and narrative details.

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

The Silver Falchion Award honors the best books in mystery, thriller, suspense, action, and romance genres published in the previous year. Entries for the 2026 competition are open now, with winners announced on August 22, 2026.

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

A writing contest encouraging submissions about a woman, real or imagined, who claimed her own identity. The work must be original and unpublished, focusing on a specifically named woman. Eligible genres include fiction, creative non-fiction, personal essay, and poetry.

Genres: Essay, Fiction, and Non-fiction

This bi-annual contest recognizes emerging writers with submissions of previously unpublished fiction or nonfiction up to 6,000 words. Judged by Colin Barrett, it awards $3,000 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third, along with agency reviews for finalists.

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

This contest invites submissions that explore the theme 'Disability as a Strength', showcasing narratives around managing mental health, disabilities, and chronic illnesses. It is a chance for writers to express how these experiences have fortified their identities.

Genres: Non-fiction

The Reader Views Non-Fiction Awards celebrate excellent independently published works across various categories, offering professional reviews and promotional visibility.

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

The Wild Muse Nature Writing Prize invites personal stories, poems, and essays that explore our relationship with the natural world. The 2026 theme is 'Nature’s Power to Heal, Guide, and Transform'.

Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction

The Tom Grass Prize celebrates the spirit of adventure through short pieces of prose, inviting writers from all backgrounds to reflect on the theme of adventure. The prize honors Tom Grass, a multifaceted writer and traveler.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, and Young Adult

The 2025 Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest aims to discover unpublished manuscripts across ten categories. Winners receive $25,000, industry circulation, and executive development opportunities. It is open to writers aged 18 and older, with specific submission guidelines based on categories.

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

The Folly Short Story Prize 2025 invites submissions for stories that challenge conventional norms. It aims to recognize innovative writing that resonates with contemporary themes.

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

There is no topic relating to technology that brings more discussion than artificial intelligence. Some people think it does wonders. Others see it as trouble. Let us know your opinion about AI in this competition. Include experiences you have had with AI. 300-word limit. Winners will be selected January 1, 2024. Open to anyone, anywhere.

Genres: Travel and Non-fiction

This contest invites entries in the genre of creative nonfiction based on travel experiences. Participants are encouraged to share memorable incidents from their travels. The contest promotes engagement with travel writing and aims to evoke emotions and connections.

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 Fiction Awards recognize outstanding independently published fiction, honoring work by independent authors and small presses. The program offers professional evaluations and promotional visibility.

Genres: Non-fiction

AWP sponsors the Award Series, an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike.

Genres: Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

The Fish Short Memoir Prize invites entries of personal memoirs, with the aim of being published in the Fish Anthology 2025. It's open to writers of any nationality and no prior publication is needed.

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction recognizes outstanding works of nonfiction, specifically creative nonfiction like personal essays and narratives. Submissions should be stand-alone essays limited to 5,000 words, and the contest includes a reading fee.

Genres: Non-fiction

Two J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards, in the amount of $25,000, are given annually to aid in the completion of significant works of nonfiction on topics of American political or social concern. Recognizing that a nonfiction book based on extensive research often overtaxes the resources available to its author, the project envisions the Awards as a way of closing the gap between the time and money an author has and the time and money that finishing a book requires.

Genres: Non-fiction and Memoir

The Jeanne Córdova Prize honors lesbian/queer-identified women and trans/gender non-conforming nonfiction authors. It seeks to recognize writers who capture the depth and complexity of lesbian/queer life, culture, and history.

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Short Story

The Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest invites unpublished and published works. This year, it offers $12,000 in prizes, including $3,500 for the best fiction and best essay. Submissions should not exceed 6,000 words and must be original, without identifying information. The contest is open worldwide, but excludes some locations due to US restrictions. The deadline for entries is May 1, 2026.

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The contest invites young writers aged 13-19 to explore themes of justice and (in)justice through personal narratives, opinion writing, or creative writing. Participants can reflect on moments when laws impacted their lives or communities.

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

The contest awarded prizes for both prose and poetry categories, with multiple winners for each.

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Creative Future Writers’ Award, founded in 2013, is a free-to-enter annual writing competition for underrepresented writers. It aims to showcase diverse voices and includes cash prizes and development opportunities for poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Winners receive ongoing support and are celebrated at an awards ceremony.

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, and Novel

The Letter Review Prize for Books is an annual contest seeking excerpts from unpublished manuscripts across various genres. It aims to support writers at all stages and offers significant publication opportunities.

Genres: Memoir, Non-fiction, and Essay

This contest honors exceptional memoir writing, created in memory of Amy MacRae and supports ovarian cancer research. The award was established to celebrate her life and legacy.

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

The competition aims to give marginalized voices the opportunity to establish literary legacies. It accepts unpublished creative nonfiction manuscripts and assesses entries based on originality, creativity, and writing quality.

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

The contest seeks linguistically, intellectually, and emotionally engaging work, aiming for complexity and beauty. It accepts various forms of writing including fiction, poetry, essays, and experimental pieces. The contest emphasizes artistic intent and thematic depth.

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, LGBTQ, Non-fiction, and Poetry

So to Speak is a feminist literary journal seeking diverse voices, focusing on intersectional feminism. They publish twice a year, accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art, with a particular emphasis on marginalized perspectives.

Genres: Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA) organizes an annual writing contest to celebrate and recognize talented writers across various genres. Participants can submit original works in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. The contest promotes writers' creativity and provides valuable feedback from experienced judges.