Mistakes Writers Make

08/01/2024

A little January sale for any kind followers who've been meaning to make a real go of writing non-fiction articles and features for magazines, newspapers and online in 2024, but need a little help with their early struggles — or just a bit of a motivational kick-start! Throughout this week, you can buy the first of the three 'Mistakes Writers Make' guides — 50 Mistakes Beginner Writers Make — for just 99 UK pence / US cents on Amazon. Not all the 50 mini-articles will be for you, but I'd hope at least a few of them might! 😀

28/10/2023

The Observer / International Anthony Burgess Foundation for Arts Journalism is for "an 800-word review of a recently released book, film, album, concert, exhibition, ballet, play, TV show, online stream, performance art piece or anything else that could be covered by a newspaper’s arts review pages". £3,000 / 2 x £500 prizes. £10 entry fee. Deadline 28th February.

The 2024 Observer / Burgess Prize for Arts Journalism is now open entries. This is a review writing competition with a prize fund of £4,000 and a chance to be published in the Observer newspaper. Maybe you’re a journalist, critic or blogger – or none of those. All we ask is you impress us with ...

12/10/2023

If you're based in East Midlands, here's a competition for you. It's for 1,500-2,500 words of fiction or non-fiction on any aspect of nature, the environment or sustainability. £600 top prize, and free entry! Deadline is 10th November (possibly 15th - there are conflicting dates), and it's from Writing East Midlands

Are you moved by our connections with the natural world? Are you interested in nature writing, climate fiction, the ecological crisis, the Anthropocene, nature and well-being? The University of Leicester’s Centre for New Writing and Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability are jointly sp...

04/10/2023

The Past Forward Essay Competition / Barbara O'Neill Local History Writing Competition is now open. There are three age categories (including two for children) and various word-length requirements / modest cash and voucher prizes. It's for an article on a local history topic within the geographical boundaries of Wigan Borough. Deadline is 15th January. Via Wigan Council.

Past Forward Essay Competition.

19/09/2023

You have just ten days to enter Ireland's Own writing competition for 2023. As well as the short story prizes, there is a "Memories" prize: "we are asking entrants to tell us of some special moment or event in not more than 800 words. It could be about school, holidays, falling in love, getting married, emigrating, a special person you have known, etc. This section carries a first prize of €200 and four runners-up prizes of €100". Deadline 29th September. Entry fee €10.

Ireland’s Own is pleased to announce details of our 2023 Writing Competitions. Entrants are invited to compete for €2,450 in gift-card prizes. OPEN SHORT STORY SECTION The Open Short Story section (2,000 words maximum) is open to all and carries a prize fund of €1,000 gift cards – a first pr...

11/09/2023

The Nature Chronicles Prize opened for entries on the 1st September, and will close on 15th January - so you have plenty of time to write a piece of non-fiction between 2,000 and 8,000 words on a contemporary nature theme. Top prize £10,000 and five £1,000 runners-up. £15 entry fee, but there are some sponsored entries available. For details check out the site.

An Award for Nature Writing Welcome to the Nature Chronicles Prize, a biennial, international, English-language literary award. Our aim is to find engaging, unique, essay-length non-fiction that responds to the time we are in and the world as it is, challenging established notions of nature writing....

06/08/2023

The Women's History Scotland Leah Leneman Essay Prize is now open, for "an essay on an aspect of women’s or gender history, focused on any time period and geographical area". £200 prize. Deadline: 18th December.
Forms of work that may be submitted include: undergraduate dissertation, postgraduate work (e.g. Masters dissertation or chapter of PhD), a piece of original research by students or independent scholars.
For further details, click here:

The Leah Leneman Essay PrizeNOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS ON ANY ASPECT OF WOMEN’S OR GENDER HISTORY!Women’s History Scotland awards the 2023 Leah Leneman Prize for an essay of £200 on an aspect of women’s or gender history, focused on any time period and geographical area.The prize was est...

14/07/2023

The The Royal Society of Literature's Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction is open until 25th August. Three annual awards — of £10,000, £5,000 and £2,500 — are available for authors engaged on their first commissioned works. If this is you, do take a look ...

Three annual awards — of £10,000, £5,000 and £2,500 — are available for authors engaged on their first commissioned works of non-fiction Applying These Awards are for writers with a publishing contract for their first work of non-fiction and can be entered by publishers, agents or writers. Th...

13/07/2023

Unpublished writers of colour have a month to enter the Morley Gallery / Morley College London Prize. Narrative works of non-fiction are accepted (fiction too). “To enter with a work of non-fiction, you will need to submit a detailed summary of the work of not more than 30 pages, including a table of contents and a coherent 3,000 word writing sample.” For more info, click the link.

Manuscripts may be submitted under a pseudonym, but the applicant’s legal name should be included in the application itself to ensure compliance with the prize rules.

23/06/2023

Just a week to enter the South Warwickshire Literature Festival Writing Competition (non-fiction, as well as poetry / fiction). Submit 800 words of "your best prose". Modest prize (£50) in each category, but modest entry fee too (£3). Give it a go!

The best literary festival & writing competition in South Warwickshire

22/04/2023

The theme for this year's Hubert Butler Essay Prize has been announced: "How far can we trust science?"
The Prize "is intended to encourage the art of essay-writing with a European dimension and to expand interest in Butler's work.
First prize, €1,500; two second prizes of €500". 3,000 words max.

The Hubert Butler Essay Prize is intended to encourage the art of essay-writing with a European dimension and to expand interest in Butler's work. There is a first prize of €1,500 and two second prizes of €500.

18/01/2023

Under-represented writer over 18? Enter the tenth Creative Future Writers' Award. For one piece of creative non-fiction, up to 2,000 words. (Poetry and fiction category too.) Theme: "X". Prizes: Totalling £20,000 / professional development. Entry fee: "free or pay what you can". Deadline: 14th May 2023.

2023 is the tenth anniversary of the Creative Future Writers’ Award, an annual development programme for all underrepresented writers: those who face barriers due to mental health issues, disability, neurodiversity, survivors, and those from LGTBQIA+, working class and/or Black, Asian and global m...

29/09/2022

Announcing the new look Mistakes Writers Make books ... With lots of fun writerly error puns on the front cover ... inspired by Kate Bush! https://mistakeswritersmake.com/new-look-mistakes-writers-make-books/

28/09/2022

Should you name and shame dodgy dealers in publishing? Think very carefully before you do ...

… and how to put them right! Advice and opportunities for new, aspiring and upcoming journalists and writers of non-fiction

11/09/2022

A new blog, after a long break!
Might you be asking for too much help from fellow writers?

… and how to put them right! Advice and opportunities for new, aspiring and upcoming journalists and writers of non-fiction

07/09/2022

Have you entered the Merky Books New Writers' Prize? It's an annual writing competition that is open to young (16–30), under-represented and unpublished writers from across the UK and Ireland. They are looking for a 200 word synopsis and 1,500 word extract for works of non-fiction (and fiction; and a 200 word synopsis and 500 word extract for works of poetry). Deadline 17th September. From Penguin Books

Books is an award-winning book publishing imprint launched by Stormzy and Penguin Random House UK in 2018. It is a home for underrepresented voices and provides a platform where their stories can be told, heard and uplifted. Our aim is to publish the stories that will allow a new generation o...