For the purposes of the contests, "Wisconsin writers" is defined as a current resident of Wisconsin OR someone who has lived in Wisconsin for five or more years.
- All submissions for categories except the Lorine Niedecker Poetry Award (partially) must be published between January 1 and December 31, 2025. These works may be traditionally published or self-published by the author either in print or electronic form. Work published on a personal blog or personal website, however, do not satisfy the publication requirement.
- Entry fees cannot be refunded.
- Books cannot be returned.
- Authors attest that they are the sole authors (or co-authors where applicable) of the work and that AI was not implemented in its creation.
- All submitted work must be written by a current full-time Wisconsin resident or someone who has lived in Wisconsin for a significant period of time. Where questions arrive, the Wisconsin Writers Awards staff will make final determinations.
- Translations, reprints, and/or works for which the submitter is the editor rather than the author are not eligible.
- All work submitted will be judged solely for their writing and not for their design or illustration.
- Books may be submitted by anyone (e.g. publisher, author, literary agent, etc) who fills out an entry form, pays the entry fee, and provides the requested copies of work.
- Authors may not submit multiple entries in any one category; however, authors may submit to multiple categories.
- Publishers may submit multiple entries in a single cateogry and/or in multiple categories.
- By submitting to the Wisconsin Writers Awards, authors or publishers agree to incur the travel costs when attending the award ceremony.
- Award winners will be asked to provide one lecture, presentation, or reading within twelve months of receiving the award.
- Entries not in conformity with the stated rules will be disqualified.
- IMPORTANT: ALL's offices are CLOSED November 24 to December 1 and December 21 to January 1. To ensure delivery please schedule your package around those dates. ALL is not responsible for lost packages.
The Wisconsin Writers Awards are judged by a writing professional who resides outside the state (see judge info on individual award pages). All full-length book awards are accompanied by a prize of $1,000 ($30 submission fee); all other awards are accompanied by a prize of $500 ($25 submission fee). In addition, our First Prize winners receive a five-day residency at Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts. Judges for each contest may designate a single honorable mention in their category or may decide to make no award. An Honorable Mention is accompanied by a cash prize and, in all categories, a five-day residency at the Ernest Hüpeden's Painted Forest in Valton, WI.
The submission period for 2025 Awards is October 1, 2025 through January 15, 2026 (all materials must be received no later than January 20, 2026).
Information on individual contests:
- Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award
- Edna Meudt Poetry Book Award
- Norbert Blei/August Derleth Nonfiction Book Award
- Zona Gale Short Fiction Award
- Kay W. Levin Short Nonfiction Award
- Lorine Niedecker Poetry Award
Writers from historically resilient communities are encouraged to apply.
Checks will be awarded at the ceremony and winners will have a brief opportunity to read.
Winners may designate someone to accept the award on their behalf as well as to read a short excerpt from the winning piece. Note: Residencies awarded as prizes are not transferable.
For questions about the awards, including waivers for writers for whom the fee represents a hardship, please email ritamae@artlitlab.org.
Judges will not consider entries from relatives, friends, and entrants with whom they have personal or professional relationships. Entries and fees disqualified on these grounds will not be returned to the entrants. Notification of disqualification will not be made.