American Writing Awards

2022 Hawthorne Prize

What is it about?

The Hawthorne Prize is an elite writing award founded by AmericanWritingAwards.com in honor of renowned American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne. A team of judges chooses only one winner each year from among the best works of fiction--judges reserve the right to award more than one winner if they believe multiple works merit recognition. A SHORTLIST of finalists is announced on May 15th, followed by a Hawthorne Prize FINALIST announcement on May 22nd, and the WINNER declaration on May 29th. The winner is hailed 'first among equals.'

Who is eligible to apply?

Authors of age between 18-120 can apply. Any book of FICTION published between 2019-2023. The deadline to enter is May 1, 2022.

What are the guidelines?

Authors must submit a work of FICTION--novel, novella, or short story collection--for consideration. The book must have a publication date of 2019-2023 and be published by an academic, commercial, or small press. Self-published books and unpublished manuscripts are also accepted. Electronic submission is the only accepted form of submission. Entries are judged based on multiple writing criteria, which include an author's story-telling ability, transitions, hooks, pacing, character development, dialogue, grammar, punctuation, and the overall impact it has on our judges. Check the entry form for more details.

What’s the prize?

Winners of the prestigious Hawthorne Prize will receive an official high-resolution Hawthorne Prize seal for promotional use and possible cover placement. The results of the competition will be published and promoted on AmericanWritingAwards.com and its different media channels, the author will be featured in the "Featured Author" section of the website, and the press release of winner(s), finalists, and short listers will be submitted to newspapers and media nationwide as well as referred to talent agents in New York and Los Angeles for possible manuscript review.

FEATURED AUTHOR

Dan Whitfield

Dan Whitfield is a multi-award-winning direct mail copywriter and novelist living in St. Petersburg, Florida with his wife, three daughters, and hundreds of books. Originally from the United Kingdom, Dan’s debut novel, Eagle Ascending, was published by TouchPoint Press in 2021. He contributed the short story Sometimes, They Come Quickly, to TouchPoint’s horror anthology, Nightmares of Strangers, in the same year. Dan’s next novel, The Spider’s Revenge, will be released in 2023.

FEATURED AUTHOR

Meg Nocero

Meg Nocero, a magical manifester, is a former federal prosecutor, an inspirational speaker, a transformational coach, and the award-winning author of The Magical Guide to Bliss: Daily Keys to Unlock Your Dreams, Spirit & Inner Bliss and Sparkle & Shine: 108 M.A.N.T.R.A.s to Brighten Your Day and Lighten Your Way.After she was brought on stage in Miami with Oprah Winfrey in 2014, she was inspired to manifest the life of her dreams and founded Butterflies & Bliss LLC and S.H.I.N.E. Networking Inc., a nonprofit that provides educational scholarships to young innovative leaders in her community. She holds a BA in Spanish from Boston College, an MA in International Affairs from the University of Miami, a JD from St. Thomas University School of Law, and a Happiness Certificate with the Happiness Studies Academy. She is also a Certified Federal Law Enforcement Instructor/Mentor and a Love Button Global Movement Ambassador. In addition to being named Miz CEO Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019, Nocero appeared on CNN Español with Ismael Cala and hosts her own You Tube channel and a podcast called Manifesting with Meg: Conversations with Extraordinary People. She lives in Miami, Fl. Visit https://megnocero.com/ to learn more about Meg Nocero.

About Us

How do I enter the American Writing Awards?

2022 Categories

Welcome to AmericanWritingAwards.com. Our website and contests are grassroots creations built with the purpose of providing an avenue of recognition and pride for authors and publishers all over the world. Our goal each year is to be the most inclusive and influential award competition available to authors and publishers worldwide. We do this in a number of ways. The awards and services offered through our popular website--ranked 98/100 on website traffic and user interaction--are perfect promotional vessels to help launch careers, open markets, and compete on the global stage. The American Writing Awards team is ALWAYS here to support you, answer any questions, and provide a most fulfilling experience in whatever contest or service you decide to take advantage of. Our contests are unique as they offer small presses, academic presses, micro presses, self-publishers, and even "Big 5" publishers and authors a chance to compete in the same arena for the same prize, entry fees are kept low--well below the industry standard for competitions of a similar caliber, there are multiple categories for entry--any author or publisher can nominate one or more of their books for an award, in multiple categories--a full list of American Writing Awards categories can be found below or on page 3 of the entry form, unpublished manuscripts are allowed entry--a great way to increase your book’s chances of future publishing offers, and all entrants submit their book digitally, as a PDF or eBook--avoiding the expenses and headaches of traditional mail. Our team of expert judges--Industry Professionals, Authors, College Professors--assesses your work in a fair and competent manner. Entries are judged based on multiple writing skills, which include an author's story-telling ability, transitions, hooks, pacing, character development, dialogue, grammar, punctuation, and overall impact. We are your chance to get noticed and we are dedicated to awarding excellence. You’ve put tremendous time and energy into your work--by winning our awards, you permanently build your credibility as an established author. Sign up now and get your work the attention it deserves.

2022 Categories

How do I enter the American Writing Awards?

2022 Categories

OFFICIAL 2022 AWA CATEGORIES

Did you know that the American Writing Awards has added TWO unique categories for OLDER books? The Legacy Fiction and Legacy Nonfiction categories accept books older than three years. Give your timeless book a chance at an award.

Check out our full list of categories.

· Animals/Pets – General

· Anthologies – Non-Fiction

· Art

· Autobiography/Memoirs

· Best Cover Design – Fiction

· Best Cover Design – Non-Fiction

· Best New (Debut) Fiction

· Best New (Debut) Non-Fiction

· Biography – General

· Business – General

· Business – Entrepreneurship & Small Business

· Business – Management & Leadership

· Business – Personal Finance/Investing

· Business – Sales

· Children’s Educational

· Children's Fiction

· Children's Interactive

· Children's Non-Fiction

· Children’s Picture Book

· Children's Religious

· Cookbooks

· Education/Academic

· Fiction – General

· Fiction – Anthologies

· Fiction – Fantasy

· Fiction – Historical

· Fiction – Horror

· Fiction – Inspirational

· Fiction – LGBTQ Fiction

· Fiction – Multicultural

· Fiction – Mystery/Suspense

· Fiction – New Age Fiction

· Fiction – Novelette (7,500 to 17,500 words)

· Fiction – Novella (17,500 to 40,000 words)

· Fiction – Religious

· Fiction – Romance

· Fiction – Science Fiction

· Fiction – Thriller/Adventure

· Fiction – Women's Fiction

· Fiction – Young Adult

· Health – General

· History – General

· History – Military

· History – United States

· Home & Garden

· Humor

· Legacy - Fiction (Older than 3 years)

· Legacy - Non-Fiction (Older than 3 years)

· LGBTQ – Non-Fiction

· Multicultural Non-Fiction

· Non-Fiction – Narrative

· Parenting & Family

· Performing Arts – Film, Theater, Dance, Music

· Photography

· Poetry

· Religion

· Self-Help

· Social Change

· Spirituality

· Sports

· Travel

· True Crime – Non-Fiction

· Young Adult – Non-Fiction

· Women's Issues

How do I enter the American Writing Awards?

How do I enter my book or manuscript into your competition?

Works are submitted to the American Writing Awards through our easy nomination process. Click the action button below to download the contest entry form. Follow the submission instructions on the form. A single category registration qualifies a piece for the category prize as well as Book of the Year consideration. The registration deadline for the 2022 competition is November 6th.

2022 Contest Entry Form

2022 SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR

2022 Sports Book of the Year Calendar

January 2022: Entry opens. Entry forms can be downloaded from the link below.

25th October 2022: Deadline for entry forms to be received.

Early December: Winners announced.

What is it about?

In its inaugural year, the AmericanWritingAwards.com "Sports Book of the Year" award is dedicated to rewarding excellence in sports writing. An esteemed team of judges made up of media members, professional athletes, college professors, and hall of fame coaches choose 1st Place and Runner-Up winners--American Writing Awards judges reserve the right to award multiple 1st Place or Runner-Up winners if they believe more than one piece of work merits recognition. Winners are announced in early December 2022.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any Sports Writer between the ages of 18-120 can enter their book. All books of sport published between 2020-2023 are allowed entry. If you have questions as to whether your book qualifies as a "Sports Book," email us @ info@americanwritingawards.com. The deadline to enter is October 25, 2022. Entries must have a publication date between 2020-2023. Academic, commercial, small press, self-published books, and unpublished manuscripts are all accepted. Electronic submission is the only form of submission. Entries are judged based on multiple writing criteria, which include an author's story-telling ability, transitions, hooks, pacing, character development, dialogue, grammar, punctuation, storyline, and the overall impact it has on our judges. Check the entry form for more details.

What’s the prize?

1st Place and Runner-Up winners of the AmericanWritingAwards.com "Sports Book of the Year" award will receive an official high-resolution seal for promotional use and possible cover placement. The results of the competition will be published and promoted on AmericanWritingAwards.com and its different media channels, the author will be featured in the "Featured Author" section of the website, the press release of the winners will be submitted to newspapers and media nationwide as well as referred to talent agents in New York and Los Angeles for possible manuscript review. Get your book the attention it deserves!

Let Your Stories Live! Welcome to AmericanWritingAwards.com

Let Your Stories Live! Welcome to AmericanWritingAwards.com

HAWTHORNE PRIZE FINALISTS ANNOUNCED!

2022 HAWTHORNE PRIZE FINALISTS

HAWTHORNE PRIZE SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED!

2022 HAWTHORNE PRIZE SHORTLIST

2022 Hawthorne Prize

What is it about?

Who is eligible to apply?

What are the guidelines?

What’s the prize?

FEATURED AUTHOR

Dan Whitfield

FEATURED AUTHOR

Meg Nocero