Latest Prize Winner Announced for AWAI's 4 Days to $400 Writing Challenge

Congratulations to Alyssa Gampong, who wrote a winning blog post in our latest 2026 round of AWAI's 4 Days to $400 Writing Challenge for new freelance writers.

This training program is for aspiring professional freelance writers learning the ropes of effective content writing through American Writers & Artists Institute (AWAI).

Participants were challenged to write a "how-to" or "listicle" blog post for AWAI readers, who are aspiring and working direct-response copywriters and content specialists.

The Challenge was to write a 1,000-word blog post that takes a fresh spin on the idea of how to write for money, which is what AWAI is all about. Participants followed four days of lessons on blog-writing best practices and how to find clients. They also scrutinized a variety of blog posts from different industries and audience types, studying the formulas that work best for business blogging. And they were given a chance to submit their best effort for the chance at a $400 prize.

The AWAI Editorial Team awarded Alyssa’s blog post 5 Ways Visuals Enhance Your Writing the $400 winner. Not only was it posted on our website … it was included as an article for AWAI’s Barefoot Writer Magazine. Editor Mindy McHorse chose to include it in the April 2026 issue, which is available to subscribers. (Find out how to subscribe here.)

In this short video below, AWAI’s Learning Chief Pam Foster explains why Alyssa’s blog post stood above the rest.

Watch Video

Here’s what Alyssa had to say about her post and the big news:

“Thank you so much, this is so exciting to see! The 4 Days Challenge was my official conscious choice to dip my toes back into the water and take my writing more seriously. Life is already hectic, changing careers is daunting. But I had enough in me to commit to four days and see how I felt. I had written a day-in-the-life blog for my college website for a few years but that was over a decade ago. My topic about visuals came from a personal struggle with attention to information. I love learning just about anything but sometimes the information gets lost in the sauce.”

Congratulations to Alyssa and to everyone who took the time to submit an entry. All participants who completed a blog post now have a finished sample of an in-demand project for their portfolio.

It can be your turn next! To enroll in our 4 Days to $400 Writing Challenge, check out the details here.

To discover more opportunities to get paid as a writer, be sure to read our daily e-letter, The Writer’s Life, and visit AWAI to browse through our many copywriter training programs.