For our second annual Personal Essay Contest, we want to hear about a memorable moment in your life — the day, or the hour, or the second that changed everything. We urge you to be poignant, reflective, funny. Make us howl with laughter. Make us blubber in our cubicles (we can take it!).

Tell Us About the Day That Changed Your Life

Ladies’ Home Journal is a community that shares stories — and we’re dying to hear yours.

If you win our essay contest, we’ll give you $3,000 and the chance to have your essay published in the Journal. You’re free to interpret the topic in whatever way you like, but remember that we value creativity and clarity above all.

Essays will be judged on their emotional power, originality, and the quality of their prose. They should be no more than 2,000 words and ideally typed or written in a Microsoft Word document.

You can enter the contest by e-mailing your submission as an attachment (with your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address) to LHJessaycontest@meredith.com or by mailing a copy to Personal Essay Contest, Ladies’ Home Journal, 805 Third Ave., 26th Fl., New York, NY 10022.

Entries are due by December 7, 2012.

Submit Your Essay >>

Read Last Year’s Winning Entry  >>

Official Rules >>