River Teeth‘s editors conduct a yearly national contest for a book-length manuscript of literary nonfiction in English. All manuscripts are screened by the co-editors of River Teeth. The contest winner receives $1,000 and publication by The University of New Mexico Press. Entries must be submitted online through Submittable. Online submission fee is $27.
Submissions open August 1.
Deadline for Submissions: October 31
Final Judge: Beth Nguyen
Beth Nguyen is the author of four books, most recently the memoir Owner of a Lonely Heart, published by Scribner in 2023. Owner of a Lonely Heart was a New York Times Editors’ Choice pick and was named a best book of 2023 by NPR, Time, Oprah Daily, and BookPage. Nguyen’s three previous books, the memoir Stealing Buddha’s Dinner and the novels Short Girls and Pioneer Girl, were published by Viking Penguin. Her awards and honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, an American Book Award, a PEN/Jerard Award from the PEN American Center, a Bread Loaf fellowship, and best book of the year honors from the Chicago Tribune and Library Journal. Her books have been included in community and university read programs around the country. Nguyen’s work has also appeared in numerous anthologies and publications including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, Literary Hub, Time Magazine, and The Best American Essays.
Complete Guidelines:
- Entries must be submitted online through Submittable. Manuscripts must be in English, double-spaced, and between 35K-85K words long (approximately 150-350 pages).
- The winner will receive book publication with The University of New Mexico Press and a $1,000 honorarium.
- The reading fee is $27 (which includes a one-year subscription to River Teeth to begin in the spring). While our contest is open to entries outside of the U.S., we cannot offer free subscriptions to non-U.S. submissions because of high mailing rates.
- The deadline for submissions is October 31st. The contest winner and finalists will be announced by early March.
- Submission should be previously unpublished as a complete book (it’s fine if excerpts or individual essays have appeared in literary journals or magazines). Any literary nonfiction (including memoir, personal essays, investigative reporting, et cetera) is eligible.
- Simultaneous submissions are fine, but as ever, be sure to withdraw your manuscript immediately if it is accepted elsewhere for publication before the conclusion of the contest.
- The editors make every effort to screen manuscripts without bias of identifying author details; however, because the contest is nonfiction, it is not always possible to eliminate identifying characteristics about the author from the manuscript. Do not include your name on the title page or in the header or footer of the manuscript, but otherwise do not fret too much over anonymity. Please include a brief bio in the cover letter section of Submittable.
- River Teeth encourages underrepresented voices to submit their work for consideration, including but not limited to: BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled writers.
- Close friends, family members, and former students of the judge may not submit in that year. (Writers who have had short-term interactions with the judge at residencies, conferences, or fellowships do not count as students.) Current Ball State University faculty and students (including interns) are ineligible.
Please direct all questions to riverteeth@bsu.edu.
Previous Winners
Laura Julier Wins River Teeth’s 2023 Literary Nonfiction Book Prize
We are delighted to announce that Laura Julier has won the 2023 River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize. Her manuscript, Off Izaak Walton Road, will be published by the University of New Mexico Press in Spring 2025. Julier will also receive a $1,000 honorarium. All entries were screened by the editors, and our guest judge, Lacy M. Johnson, chose a winner from among the finalists. All of us at River Teeth are grateful to the many writers who submitted their books to the competition this year and to Lacy M. Johnson for sharing her time and expertise to choose the winning manuscript and runner-up.
Sarah Capdeville Wins River Teeth’s 2022 Literary Nonfiction Book Prize
We are delighted to announce that Sarah Capdeville has won the 2022 River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize. Her manuscript, Aligning the Glacier's Ghost, will be published by the University of New Mexico Press in spring 2024. Capdeville will also receive a $1,000 honorarium. All entries were screened by the editors and our guest judge, Natasha Trethewey, chose a winner from among the finalists...
Robert Lunday Wins River Teeth’s 2021 Literary Nonfiction Book Prize
We are delighted to announce that Robert Lunday has won the 2021 River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize. Fayettenam: Meditations on Missingness will be published by the University of New Mexico Press in spring 2023. All entries were screened by the editors and our guest judge, Rigoberto González, chose a winner from among the finalists. Everyone at River Teeth is grateful to the many writers who submitted their books to this year’s competition and to Rigoberto González for sharing his time and expertise to choose a winner.
Walter M. Robinson Wins River Teeth’s 2020 Literary Nonfiction Book Prize
We are delighted to announce that Walter M. Robinson has won the 2020 River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize. His winning manuscript, What Cannot Be Undone, will be published by the University of New Mexico Press in Spring 2022. All entries were screened by the editors and our guest judge, Megan Stielstra, chose a winner from among many exceptional manuscripts. River Teeth is grateful to the many writers who submitted their books to this year’s competition and to Megan Stielstra for the difficult service of choosing among them.
Kevin Honold Wins 2019 River Teeth Book Prize
We are thrilled to announce that Kevin Honold is the winner of this year’s River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize. His winning manuscript, The Rock Cycle, will be published by the University of New Mexico Press in Spring 2021. All entries were screened by the editors and our guest judge, Bret Lott, chose a winner from among the exceptional finalists.
Essay Collection by Joan Frank Wins 2018 River Teeth Book Prize
Congratulations to Joan Frank, the winner of this year’s River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize. Her winning manuscript Try to Get Lost: Essays on Travel and Place is focused, most broadly, upon travel and place—but also and equally, popular culture and, by default, autobiography. The essays in the collection explore the breach between a traveler’s vision and the actual.
2014 Book Prize goes to Angela Morales, The Girls in My Town: Essays
The Girls in My Town: Essays by Angela Morales wins the 2017 PEN Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for Art of the Essay! River Teeth is pleased to announce the winner of the 2014 Nonfiction Book Prize is Angela Morales of Pasadena, Calif. Her collection of essays entitled The Girls in My Town was selected by contest series final judge Cheryl Strayed. The book will be published by The University of New Mexico Press and made available in the spring of 2016.
2010 Book Prize goes to Lisa Catherine Harper A Double Life: Discovering Motherhood
A Double Life: Discovering Motherhood wins 2011 National Book Critics Circle Small Press Highlight!
“In A Double Life Lisa Catherine Harper delivers a complex, heartfelt exploration of pregnancy and motherhood. Smart, accessible, and emotionally compelling, it is part memoir, part manifesto—a riveting read for anyone who is a mother, or hopes to become one.”—Michelle Richmond, author of The Year of Fog and No One You Know
2008 Book Prize goes to The Enders Hotel: A Memoir by Brandon R. Shrand
2010 Book Prize goes to Brandon R. Schrand for "The Enders Hotel: A Memoir." Wins 2008 Summer Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection and School Library Journal Best Adult Books For High School Students.
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