I never win writing contests. Not in middle or high school. Not in college. Not even in my MFA program. (Though years later they did ask me to judge the contest I never won, and I was honored to do so). Even post-MFA, with my first two manuscripts–Delicate Men: Stories and Californium: A Novel of Punk Rock, Growing Up, and Other Dangerous Things–I entered a few contests, even came close with the story collection (getting short-listed twice). And what’s great about contests is that they give you goals and deadlines (writers need deadlines, especially for big projects), and you know your manuscript will be read with care.

Eventually, both of my first two books found publication in the (for me) more traditional way: Delicate Men through soliciting indie presses on my own and Californium through the imprint of a big New York press my solicited by my agent. Yet, I’d argue that having to get them ready for contests was a great way to get them ready of acquisitions editors and literary agents.

So did I think things would be any different for my next book, Poser: A Mostly-True Memoir-in-Essays? Not definitely, but I’m a realistic optimist and so I thought the fact that I’d published two books might mean I could write a third that could possibly be contest-worthy. And so I tried contests once again, and when I was a Finalist for the Permafrost Book Prize but didn’t win, I wasn’t shocked. It was affirming that this book was good, if not good enough, and that had me looking at more contests, especially the ones that say they’ll publish the winner and give themselves the option of publishing some of the finalists. That’s what lead me to enter Vine Leaves Press’s 2026 International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition (applications are now open for the 2027 competition, by the way). After being long-listed, I was pleased. After being short-listed, I was excited but realistic. There were five of us, an 80% chance I would not win. So when I received an email informing me I, in fact, did not win, I wasn’t surprised and only a little disappointed since, again, I don’t win contests.

The email kept going, however, which was a surprise. There as this extra bit about how I had finished runner-up, and how much Vine Leaves Press liked Poser, and how they’d very much like to publish it and would be offering me a contract. At that moment, I didn’t know how to feel I hadn’t been here before. This wonderful, Athens, Greece-based press hadn’t just named me runner-up, they’d just awarded me a silver medal (metaphorically, of course).

And so, I didn’t win, and yet I won. My third book, Poser, will be published in February, 2028, by Vine Leaves Press. In the time between now and then, I’ll work with the editing team and, on my own, work on my fourth book, a novel, and fifth book, a story collection. And yes, when the time comes, I’ll enter some contests because there are more ways than one to win.