How You (or Anyone) Can Be a Pulitzer Prize Nominee

You often see individuals advertised as being "nominated for the Pultizer Prize in Literature" or in journalism or other related fields. Reading this, you assume that those individuals are just one of a select few who--even if they didn't actually win--still made the final cut. But that may not be so--not even close.

The fact is that anyone can enter to be considered for the Pultizer. All you have to do is complete an online form and send in your work and a check for $50. Then you can go around referring to yourself as a Pulitzer Prize nominee. Many call themselves "Pulitzer Prize nominees" though technically they are referred to as "entrants," while those who are selected for serious consideration are called "final nominees." But as long as you don't use that specific term "final nominee," just "nominee" is a somewhat deceptive but not wholly inaccurate description. Bill Dedman (who is a legitimate Pultizer winner) has often lamented how other journalists such as Jonah Goldberg have described themselves as Pulitzer nominees in their press materials even though they were simply entrants.