The Christopher Doheny Award

A project of The Center for Fiction (see other related projects).

Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions (June 2018). We provide the following information as an archive.

About

The Christopher Doheny Award recognizes excellence in fiction or creative nonfiction on the topic of serious physical illness. The award is presented for a completed manuscript that has not yet been published. It was founded in honor of Audible employee Chris Doheny, a writer himself, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a baby and passed away on February 20, 2013. The winner of the award must demonstrate both high literary standards and a broad audience appeal while exploring the impact of illness on the patient, family and friends, and others.

No Fees! This contest does not charge mandatory fees.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Audio Publication Audio Publication: Awarded 1 x per year

Collapse section Fiction Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Adults, Young adults.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Novella: 30,000 - 40,000 words.
Novel: No specific word count limits known (our definition: more than 40000 words).

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Health/Medicine: Illness, See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

Professional advance (US$2000 or more) + Unknown royalties Professional advance (US$2000 or more). Unknown royalties.
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than prize specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: Adults, Young adults.

Lengths:

Book: More than 30,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Health/Medicine: Illness, See guidelines.

Winner's Prize:

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

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

No recent cover image available for The Christopher Doheny Award

Go to contest webpage

Report:
Correction/Update

Support this Publisher:
Shop their Store

The Christopher Doheny Award 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.

This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

Your Submissions

This section is available to subscribers only. Join today!

NYC Emerging Writers Fellowship DNQ

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: 22 May 2026