The Itch Press Anthologies: Creative Non Fiction/Memoir Submissions The Itch Lit Gold Star Program Gold Star Fee: usd $8.00

TO BE HONEST: Best Creative Nonfiction 2027

An Anthology from The Itch Press

The Itch Press is seeking exceptional creative nonfiction for TO BE HONEST: Best Creative Nonfiction 2027, our inaugural creative nonfiction anthology.

We want the funny, the uncomfortable, the ordinary, the devastating, and everything in between.

We welcome personal essays, memoir, flash nonfiction, lyric essays, fragmented narratives, experimental nonfiction, and work that challenges the boundaries of the genre.

We’re interested in voice, originality, emotional resonance, and the particular ways writers make sense of being human.

We aren’t looking for tidy resolutions or universal lessons.

Tell us something we won’t forget.

Submission Period: November 12, 2026 – February 28, 2027

Word Limit: 1,500 words maximum per piece. Titles do not count toward the word limit.

$8 — One creative nonfiction piece

Each piece will be considered individually. Multiple pieces from the same author may be selected.

Writers may submit additional entries with the applicable entry fee.

Entry fees are nonrefundable, except where required by law.

Previously published work is welcome!

Please disclose the original publication name and date in your submission.

Authors must retain or obtain the rights necessary to authorize republication in both print and digital formats.

Previously published work receives the same consideration as unpublished work.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome.

Please notify us promptly if your work becomes unavailable for publication.

Please submit your work as a .docx file.

For two-piece entries, combine both pieces into one document, beginning each piece on a new page.

Use a readable 12-point font.

Submissions are open to writers aged 18 and older.

Both emerging and established writers are encouraged to submit.

FIRST PLACE — $100

SECOND PLACE — $25

THIRD PLACE — $25

Prize winners will be selected from the work accepted for publication in the anthology.

All three winners will be recognized in the published collection.

Every accepted contributor will receive two complimentary paperback copies of TO BE HONEST: Best Creative Nonfiction 2027.

Contributor copies are provided in place of additional monetary compensation or ongoing royalties.

Selected pieces will appear in TO BE HONEST: Best Creative Nonfiction 2027, published by The Itch Press.

The anthology is anticipated for publication in Summer 2027 in paperback and ebook formats.

Publication dates are estimates and may change during production.

Authors retain copyright to their individual work.

Accepted contributors will receive a publication agreement outlining the rights licensed to The Itch Press for publication, distribution, and continued availability of the anthology in print and digital formats.

Submission does not constitute acceptance of a publication agreement.

All submissions will be evaluated for literary merit, originality, voice, and overall contribution to the finished anthology.

The Itch Press will determine the final number of accepted pieces based on the quality of submissions and the needs of the collection.

Submission does not guarantee publication.

The Itch Press is an independent publishing venture from The Itch Lit, a literary magazine dedicated to writing that won’t leave you alone.

Our mission is to publish exceptional literature, champion emerging voices, and build a sustainable independent press.

We believe great writing deserves an audience.

The Itch Press

Writing that won’t leave you alone.