Submissions window for our 2025 ESSAY CONTEST (non fiction essays of 2,000 words or less) is open from February 1, 2025 - March 31, 2025. As a reminder, The Big Brick Review seeks personal essays (previously unpublished) that build on the narrative of our lives, finding new insight to old struggles...old insight to new struggles...and all shades-of-gray in between.
Essays must be narrative non-fiction (that is, they must explore a truth of a human experience as interpreted/experienced by the author) and will be judged on overall strength of writing, compelling content/theme, and interesting style/voice.
How do I enter?
STEP 1: PREPARE IT: Essay must not exceed 2,000 words, should be typed and double-spaced, 12-pt font, in a Word document or PDF format, should not contain any AI-generated content, and must include the following information:
STEP 2: SUBMIT IT: Entry must be submitted by March 31, 2025 (emailed or postmarked), using one of the two options below. Only one submission per author will be considered.
SUBMIT ELECTRONIC COPY ONLINE:
Submit your entry fee of $20 via PayPal (button below) OR by mailing a check to: The Big Brick Review, PO Box 10143, Rochester, NY, 14610.
Submit your completed essay to BigBrickReview@gmail.com with "2025 Contest" in the Subject line. .
SUBMIT HARD COPY VIA POSTAL MAIL:
Submit your completed essay and submission fee of $20 to The Big Brick Review, PO Box 10143, Rochester, NY, 14610
Contest finalists will be announced online by May 1, 2025.
Contest winners will be announced online by June 1, 2025.
The Big Brick Review can only consider unpublished work. If your submission is selected for publication online at The Big Brick Review, rights revert to author after publication online and/or in our hard-copy journal..
At this time, we do not accept poetry, fiction, or other unsolicited work.