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

Congratulations to Andrea Barnes and Francois Ngoma, who both wrote winning blog posts in our latest 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 two blog posts: Andrea’s post titled, “How to Train Your Dragon: Copywriting with Dyslexia.” … and Francois Ngoma’s post titled, “7 SEO Tips to Boost Website Traffic in 2025 in Today’s Search Landscape.”

In this short video below, AWAI learning chief Pam Foster explains why their blog posts stood above the rest.

Watch Video

Here’s what Andrea had to say about her post and the big news: “I signed up for 4 Days to $400, to see if I understood how to write a blog and if it was something I wanted to really do. The program is very comprehensive and was easy for me to follow. (Probably because it focused on one thing, which was better for me. LOL.) Being neurodivergent has always presented its challenges, but for me, this program broke down the writing process in just such a way that everything ‘clicked.’ I am sooooo excited and grateful for the opportunity that joining AWAI has afforded me, not just for this program, but for the resources and support to reinvent myself.”

And Francois said, “Writing about 2025 SEO trends was a fascinating challenge, especially as this was my first serious attempt at writing a blog post. My goal was to provide copywriters with immediately actionable strategies, emphasizing trust and user experience as the new pillars of SEO. The '4 Days to $400' program was fundamental, providing me with the framework and methodology to structure my thinking. This unique process reinforced my command of the topic and proved to me that the principles of powerful copywriting are truly universal."

Congratulations to Andrea, Francois, and 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.

Check out the past winners’ blog posts here:

Jeff Alley
Duwen Iye
Barbara Clabots
William Weeks
Estella Brown
Deanna Rasch

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.