SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Entries for the 2026 competition will open on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 and close at 5:00 PM (17:00) (Eastern Time) Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Please check this time zone converter to convert the deadline into your own time zone in order to avoid disappointment and inability to enter.
Only entries received and paid for by the entry deadline will be considered. The entry fee for each entry is $20.00 US .
Entries that are not paid for, are incomplete, formatted incorrectly or submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Please submit only the complete first chapter of your unpublished novel-in-progress (fiction only). Please do not include title pages, dedications, prologues, introductions or any other opening pages—submit only your complete first chapter. There is no page limit or word count limit.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If your first chapter is dependent on an introduction or prologue, you might want to revise chapter one; arguably, opening chapters should be able to stand alone. Introductions and prologues can obviously add important information, but they should not be necessary for understanding a good first chapter.(Please don't try to append a prologue or introduction to your first chapter in an attempt to make it appear that it's part of chapter one—it's always obvious, and isn't in keeping with the guidelines. Thanks!)
As long as your work is the first chapter of a novel written for adult readers, entries may be in any genre (fiction), which may include young adult novels that adults would typically read, but must not include middle-grade or younger, or erotica. (Judge does not have enough experience reading MG or younger, or erotica, in order to make informed decisions.)
Format your submission as follows (this is industry standard for manuscript submissions):
– 8.5” x 11” or A-4 page
– 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins all around
– 12-point font (use your preferred font)
– Double-spaced (not 1.5 or 1.15 spacing)
– Indent however you usually indent
Submittable accepts the following types of documents (when in doubt, save your chapter as a PDF to preserve the formatting): .doc, .docx, .odt, .pdf.
Please note: if your formatting is not exactly as specified above, your entry won't be considered and you'll forfeit your $20 submission fee.
Your name should not appear anywhere on your pages or in the name of your document, but you're welcome to include the novel's title if you wish (there's a place to enter the title in the submission form, too).
By entering this competition, each entrant agrees that if they win first, second, or third prize, or an honorable or notable mention, they are agreeing to share their winning chapter on the prize website so that others may read their winning chapter. All rights remain with the author.
Each entry must be accompanied by the $20 (USD) entry fee.
Writers are welcome to submit more than one entry—each entry needs to be submitted and paid for as a separate entry.
Please read through the terms & conditions before you submit your entry.
All entries must be made through Submittable.
For inspiration and formatting examples, click here to read the winning entries from previous years.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Entries that don't follow the above guidelines will not be considered, and your entry fee will be forfeited.
Have questions? Read our FAQs.