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Streetlight Magazine Essay/Memoir Contest

A project of Streetlight Magazine (see other related projects).

About

As with our regular essay/memoir submissions, we are seeking strong and stirring personal stories.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions.
The fee is USD $15 (average for contests).
The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting a reasonable amount of time, assume your submission will not be accepted.
Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

Nonfiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: 800 - 2,400 words.
Narrative Nonfiction: 800 - 2,400 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Personal.

Topics:

Memoir.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $200 for first prize.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Streetlight Magazine Essay/Memoir Contest Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 1 report within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Other Information

The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting a reasonable amount of time, assume your submission will not be accepted.
The most common submission fee paid: USD $15.00.
Most recent response reported was received on 27 Apr 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 09 Jan 2026.
Date compiled: 11 Sep 2026 23:44 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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Your Submissions

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Streetlight Magazine  Charges fees for some submissions
Streetlight Magazine Art Contest ON HIATUS  Charges fees for all submissions
Streetlight Magazine Blog
Streetlight Magazine Flash Fiction Contest  Charges fees for all submissions
Streetlight Magazine Poetry Contest  Charges fees for all submissions
Streetlight Magazine Short Fiction Contest DNQ  Charges fees for all submissions

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 25 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.

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