2026 HAWTHORNE PRIZE OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS

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 one winner from among the year's 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, followed by a Hawthorne Prize FINALIST announcement, then the WINNER declaration a week later.  The WINNER is hailed 'first among equals.'  

Authors of age between 18-120 can apply.  Any book of FICTION published or planned to be published between 2021-2026 are accepted.

Authors must submit a work of FICTION--novel, novella, or short story collection--for consideration. The book must be published in English with an ISBN number. UNPUBLISHED works do not require an ISBN. 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.

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 our popular website and different media channels, the author will be honored as a "Featured Author," the press release of winner(s) 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. The WINNER will be hailed 'first among equals.'