Now Open for Submissions!
Deadline Extended to April 30, 2025
Now in its 5th year, the Annual Memoir Prize awards Memoir and Creative Nonfiction book-length works of exceptional traditionally, self-published, and previously unpublished prose.
- Categories: Traditionally published, Self-published works, and Unpublished Manuscripts
- Deadline: Extended to April 30, 2025
- Total prizes: $5,000
- Enter via: Submittable
Submit your full-length memoir for the Memoir Prize and a chance to win cash, a feature in Memoir Magazine, and a year’s worth of free advertising. The only contest of its kind dedicated exclusively to the Memoir genre. This is a real opportunity for outstanding traditional, independent, and self-published memoir authors to get the recognition they deserve. Unpublished manuscripts will have the remarkable chance to present a prize-winning manuscript for consideration by agents and publishers.
You may submit a full-length book of Memoir, Narrative, or Creative Nonfiction, an Essay Collection, or a Graphic Narrative as a single entry.
There are no restrictions on subject matter, page count, age of the author, type of publisher, year of publication, or quantity of authors.
Entries will be judged in three rounds: the first by experienced Memoir Magazine readers and staff, and the final two rounds by a select group of the previous year’s Memoir Prize Winners.
We can’t wait to read your story. Best of luck!
“Books can be dangerous.
The best ones should be labeled ‘This could change your life’.”
―
Question: are memoirs published by university presses eligible For the prize?
Absolutely!
Hello, do you accept entries from people in the UK?
Yes we do! All English language memoirs are encouraged to submit.
If an unpublished manuscript wins/is accepted 1) is it considered published 2) are the agents and editors viewing it specifically invited to view it, or it is just chance who sees it?
Hello Katie, 1. No, unpublished manuscripts are not considered published even if they win, nor do we obtain any rights to the manuscript. 2. Yes and yes, agents and editors are specifically invited to view it.
I am currently getting my book formatted for Amazon. Does it need to be double spaced with pages for the contest? I don’t think they offer this in formatting on this particular platform. So far it is single spaced and no page numbers. Will you accept this?
Yes, we will accept a book that has been professionally formatted for publication. Double-spacing is for manuscripts.
Can you resubmit?
Yes!
My manuscript is being edited right now after submitting it to a publisher who said they will publish it once this last edit is complete. If I submit to the contest before it is published does that jeopardize the publishing?
Since we are not actually publishing your book, and publishers value the prestige of contest wins when marketing their authors and their books, we haven’t ever encountered a problem. In fact, most publishers encourage contest entries and other proactive publicity efforts by authors. But if there is any doubt, we recommend you consult your publisher about this.
Question about submission
I already published my book by Amazon crossing in August 2022 and it’s translate from Arabic to English on is this book eligible for Memoir Prize for Books?
Yes, it is. All entries must be in English.
What are the years of publication that you will accept? Thanks.
There are no restrictions on the type of press, subject matter, length, nationality of origin, or the year of publication.
When it says unpublished work, this means a rough manuscript correct? I would like to enter this but also want to make sure I follow all the guidelines.
Correct. Yes!
My book is about to be published by a small indie press so it is not technically ’self-published’ neither is it traditionally published. Is it still eligible? If so which category should I submit it under? Thanks.
Yes, it is eligible. The category is up to you.
My published book is memoir, but co-authored (2 authors). Is it still eligible?
Yes, co-authored books are eligible to enter.
Please define Graphic Narrative. thanks.
A Graphic Narrative is defined here as a Graphic Memoir, or a Memoir told in pictures. Some great examples are:
By the Forces of Gravity: A Memoir by Rebecca Fish Ewan
Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke
Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
I’m not sure whether my memoir would be considered prose or poetry. Where can I go to figure that out?
That is your call, Jenny. We like to be flexible with labels of structure. Our only interest is exploring and championing the memoir genre and new forms it can take; if it tells your story we will accept it for consideration.
Does it have to be a full length memoir? what if it’s under 12,000 words
What is a full-length memoir? Some interpret “full-length” as a typical word count of what “most” memoirs are like, but we consider this more of a publisher practice as opposed to the writers craft decision or abilities of brevity. It really depends on how a publisher chooses to package and stand behind the work, and that will continue to change and evolve over time as we advance in a world of distraction and shorter attention span. We at MemoirMag interpret “full-length” as a long form memoir that is complete at any length. Have you said all you have to say in 12,000 words? Or is this actually part of a larger book and therefore incomplete? There is no rule against publishing what could essentially or alternatively be a long form essay in a smaller book packaging. For instance, the winner of the 2021 Memoir Prize was a little pocket-sized 94-page revelation called “Relief by Execution: A Visit to Mauthausen” by Gint Aras. Homebound Publications, Little Bound Books, October 2019. It was a powerful,”full-length” complete memoir about reckoning with racism in an immigrant family.
Hi, my memoir was published last year, and I worked with a self-publishing company. So the book had to be submitted and accepted, and was also professionally edited, but I still retain all rights.
Should I submit to your contest as traditionally published or self-published? Thank you.
Are you saying that the self-publishing company had to accept the book, but you still had to pay? That would make it more of a hybrid situation–and it would be your call and no one is here to judge this. But fyi, “Traditionally Published” usually means the publisher paid an advance and then took care of everything, meaning they paid all costs upfront and have made almost all artistic decisions–as was “traditionally” the case and seldom if ever would the author “retain all the rights” within a year. Self publishing usually means the author was the sole or final bill payer and decision maker, and we might reasonably assume and take into consideration that the final product did not have all the privileges and support of a conglomerate’s editorial team, marketing department. That said, we do not prefer one way or the other, we want to celebrate good stories that can change lives, and we find that many self published books are indistinguishable from traditionally published.