Each of these is handpicked, with the data checked on a regular basis.
Many of these novel writing competitions are very prestigious, and highly likely to lead to agent representation and / or publication. We have not included any competitions that do not present a satisfactory level of credibility and authority.
For each competition we have collated the following information into an easy to access format:
- Name of competition, with a link to the website
- Deadline
- Entry fee
- Details of 1st Prize
- Eligibility - the writer (any limitations placed on who can enter)
- Eligibility - the submission (details about what sort of work is appropriate for this competition)
- Genre - which genres are accepted
They are listed in date order, so you can scroll down to find the ones with deadlines coming up soon.
Please note that as these are annual competitions, those with later deadlines may not have opened for submissions yet.
Entry fees vary from free to £10 to £20, and 1st prizes average about £1000. There are some exceptional ones, with cash prizes of £20,000. Several offer mentoring, publication deals and agent representation as their first prize and even for runners up.
Most are open to entrants worldwide, but some have slightly more limited eligibility criteria, such as being only open to UK residents, people of colour, or women.
If you have a novel writing competition that you would like added to this list, please get in touch. Or, if you notice any errors in the data, please do let us know so we can correct them.
We aim to update this post regularly, to add new competitions as we discover them.
Please share and bookmark this page if you find it useful!
Exeter Novel Prize |
|
| Deadline | 1st Jan |
| Entry Fee | £18 |
| First Prize | £500 plus Trophy |
| Eligibility (writer) | Authors currently without representation, whether or not they have been published. |
| Eligibility (submission) | The competition is for the first ten thousand words (including synopsis) of a novel. |
| Genre | All genres excluding children’s, but including Young Adult and New Adult, are acceptable. |
Author Mentor Match |
|
| Deadline | 14th Jan |
| Entry Fee | FREE |
| First Prize | Mentorship |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unpublished writers of young adult, middle grade, and select adult novels, about to start querying (or have only queried lightly) who are looking to find an agent and/or traditional publisher for their manuscript. |
| Eligibility (submission) | A completed manuscript for Middle Grade, Young Adult or Adult |
| Genre | All genres |
WriteMentor Children's Novel Award |
|
| Deadline | 31st Jan |
| Entry Fee | £12 |
| First Prize | Mentorship |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unpublished writers of children's novels |
| Eligibility (submission) | A completed children's manuscript |
| Genre | All genres (children's) |
Next Generation Indie Book Awards |
|
| Deadline | 11th February |
| Entry Fee | $75 |
| First Prize | $1500 and trophy |
| Eligibility (writer) | Indie authors |
| Eligibility (submission) | Book independently published within the last few years (see website for details) |
| Genre | All genres |
Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize |
|
| Deadline | 9th February |
| Entry Fee | £12 |
| First Prize | £1500, networking dinner and editorial consultation |
| Eligibility (writer) | Women over 18 resident in the UK, who have not had a full length novel previously published. |
| Eligibility (submission) | Unpublished, and must not have been accepted for future publication or self-published. |
| Genre | All genres except picture books |
Northern Writers Awards |
|
| Deadline | 17th Feb |
| Entry Fee | FREE |
| First Prize | Various |
| Eligibility (writer) | Writer must be based in Northern England at the time of submission. |
| Eligibility (submission) | Various |
| Genre | Various |
Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger Award |
|
| Deadline | Last working day in February |
| Entry Fee | £36 |
| First Prize | Shortlisted entries are presented to publishers and agents |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unpublished and unagented writers |
| Eligibility (submission) | The opening of a proposed crime novel (up to 3,000 words) and a synopsis (up to 1,500 words) outlining its further development. |
| Genre | Crime |
Chapter One Prize for Novelists |
|
| Deadline | 1st March |
| Entry Fee | $20 |
| First Prize | $1,000 |
| Eligibility (writer) | Over 18 |
| Eligibility (submission) | First chapter of an Adult or Young Adult novel (full novel does not need to be completed). |
| Genre | Adult and Young Adult |
The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize |
|
| Deadline | Awaiting Updates |
| Entry Fee | £39 |
| First Prize | £15,000 advance and publishing deal |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unpublished and unagented writers (self pub okay) |
| Eligibility (submission) | Adventure writing only |
| Genre | Adventure |
Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense |
|
| Deadline | 15th March |
| Entry Fee | $15/$30 |
| First Prize | Exposure to agents and editors |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unagented, unpublished |
| Eligibility (submission) | Unpublished, and must not have been accepted for future publication or self-published. |
| Genre | Romantic suspense and mystery / thriller / suspense |
Click here to visit the Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense website
Cheshire Novel Prize |
|
| Deadline | 1st April |
| Entry Fee | £25 - 10% of which goes to charity |
| First Prize | £1500 plus lunch with 6 judges in London on 1st August 2022 (or remotely if can’t attend) |
| Eligibility (writer) | Any unagented unpulished or unagented self published writers |
| Eligibility (submission) | Initially first 5000 words, plus 1 page synopsis. Shortlisted authors will be required to submit full manuscript. |
| Genre | Any except Children’s or picture books (YA allowed) |
Claymore Award |
|
| Deadline | 1st April |
| Entry Fee | $40 |
| First Prize | Possible publication and agent representation. Networking opportunities (in the US) |
| Eligibility (writer) | No limitations |
| Eligibility (submission) | Unpublished novels containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense. Self-published manuscripts are not eligible. |
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Alternate History, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Suspense, Thriller, Western. |
First Pages Prize |
|
| Deadline | 10th April (extended deadline 21st April) |
| Entry Fee | $20/$35 |
| First Prize | $2,000, agent consultation and developmental editing |
| Eligibility (writer) | Any writer worldwide over 18 years of age who is currently un-agented |
| Eligibility (submission) | First 5 pages (1,250 words max) of a longer fiction or creative non-fiction manuscript |
| Genre | All genres |
Adventure Writer's Competition |
|
| Deadline | 30th April |
| Entry Fee | $35 |
| First Prize | $1000 |
| Eligibility (writer) | No limitations |
| Eligibility (submission) | Novels in the genre 'Adventure' only |
| Genre | Adventure |
Blue Pencil First Novel Award 2023 |
|
| Deadline | 31st May |
| Entry Fee | £24 (free entries for low income writers available) |
| First Prize | £1,000 + Agent Introduction |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unrepresented and unpublished authors |
| Eligibility (submission) | Opening chapter or chapters up to 5000 words plus a 300 word synopsis and a covering letter. |
| Genre | Any Adult Genre |
WriteMentor Novel-In-Development Award |
|
| Deadline | 16th May |
| Entry Fee | £10 |
| First Prize | 1 year of Spark Mentoring (at Level 3, 5000 words a month) |
| Eligibility (writer) | Any unagented or unpublished writer |
| Eligibility (submission) | First 1,500 words of your novel and a 1-page synopsis |
| Genre | Children's |
Page Turner Awards |
|
| Deadline | 30th May |
| Entry Fee | £30 (£20) |
| First Prize | Various |
| Eligibility (writer) | Over 18 |
| Eligibility (submission) | Unpublished, complete fiction or non-fiction |
| Genre | Any |
First Novel Prize |
|
| Deadline | 31st May |
| Entry Fee | £25 |
| First Prize | £1,000 |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unpublished writers |
| Eligibility (submission) | English, unpublished or self-published |
| Genre | Adult fiction genres only (no children or young adult) |
Bridport Prize Novel Award |
|
| Deadline | 31st May |
| Entry Fee | £20 |
| First Prize | £1500 plus mentoring |
| Eligibility (writer) | Writers aged 16 and over living in Britain (including the Channel Islands and Isle Of Man) and Ireland (Northern Ireland and Republic Of Ireland) and British writers living overseas. |
| Eligibility (submission) | Full or part-written novel |
| Genre | Any adult fiction genre including fiction for young adults (YA) providing there is a genuine crossover for adult readership. Non-fiction and fiction for children is not eligible. |
Bath Novel Award |
|
| Deadline | 31st May |
| Entry Fee | £28 |
| First Prize | £3,000 |
| Eligibility (writer) | Writers should be yet to accept a traditional publishing deal. |
| Eligibility (submission) | Novels may be unpublished, self-published or independently published. At least least 50,000 words in length. |
| Genre | Any genre for adults or young adult (13+) |
Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition |
|
| Deadline | 1st June |
| Entry Fee | £18 |
| First Prize | Royalty advance of £10,000, publishing contract and agent representation |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unpublished and unagented writers over 18 |
| Eligibility (submission) | A full-length novel for children/young adults aged between 7 and 18 years. |
| Genre | Children's |
Guppy Books Middle Grade Open Submission |
|
| Deadline | 7th - 11th June |
| Entry Fee | None |
| First Prize | Editorial Meeting and Publication Offer |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unagented and unpublished authors |
| Eligibility (submission) | First three chapter and a synopsis |
| Genre | Middle grade |
North Street Book Prize |
|
| Deadline | 30th June |
| Entry Fee | $65 |
| First Prize | $5,000 plus perks |
| Eligibility (writer) | Self- published authors |
| Eligibility (submission) | 200,000 words maximum. |
| Genre | For self-published books |
Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize |
|
| Deadline | July 14th |
| Entry Fee | $20 |
| First Prize | $1,000 |
| Eligibility (writer) | Open internationally to all writers over 18 who are working on an as-yet-unpublished novel in the English language. |
| Eligibility (submission) |
FIRST PAGE of an unpublished novel written in the English language. Novel can be in any stage of completion. |
| Genre | Any genre of novel for adults or young adult readers. |
Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour |
|
| Deadline | 29th July |
| Entry Fee | FREE |
| First Prize | £500 cash and a consultation with an agent from Rachel Mills Literary Agency |
| Eligibility (writer) | The writer must be over 18, a resident of the UK or Republic of Ireland and a person of colour - Asian, Asian/British/Arab/Black, African, Caribbean or Black British/mixed or multiple ethnic groups or other marginalised ethnic groups. The applicant must not previously have had a novel or novella published. They must not be signed with an agent. |
| Eligibility (submission) | For a work of fiction, 30 pages of an original novel plus an outline of no more than three pages. For non-fiction, a summary of not more than 30-pages, plus a 3,000 word writing sample. |
| Genre | There are two prizes, one for fiction and one for non-fiction |
Staunch Book Prize |
|
| Deadline | 31st July |
| Entry Fee | FREE or £65 with feedback report |
| First Prize | International publicity |
| Eligibility (writer) | No limitations |
| Eligibility (submission) | Completed novel - can be traditionally published, self-published or unpublished. |
| Genre | A a thriller in which no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped or murdered |
Fiction Factory First Chapter Competition |
|
| Deadline | July 31st (early bird 15th June) |
| Entry Fee | £18 (£15) |
| First Prize | £500 and reading by top London agent |
| Eligibility (writer) |
Previously unpublished authors. International entries welcome. |
| Eligibility (submission) | The competition is for the first 5,000 words of a completed novel (The wordcount does not include the 1 page synopsis). If the first chapter is longer, the 5000-word point must be clearly marked. |
| Genre | All except Children’s and YA |
Kindle Storyteller |
|
| Deadline | Open for entries between 1st May and 31st August |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| First Prize | £20,000 |
| Eligibility (writer) | Over 18s |
| Eligibility (submission) | You must publish your book through Kindle Direct Publishing on Amazon |
| Genre | Any genre |
Book Pipeline Adaptation Contest |
|
| Deadline | August 31st (early deadline May 20th) |
| Entry Fee | $45 |
| First Prize | $10,000 + Film/TV Industry adaptation consideration /circulation |
| Eligibility (writer) | Self-published authors (and trad published authors) |
| Eligibility (submission) | Published (including self-pub) books, graphic novels, short stories (trad published / produced plays also accepted) |
| Genre | Any genre |
Impress Prize for New Writers |
|
| Deadline | 13th September |
| Entry Fee | £25 |
| First Prize | £500 advance plus publication by Impress Books |
| Eligibility (writer) | 16 years of age and over |
| Eligibility (submission) | A book proposal and a sample chapter of no more than 6,000 words |
| Genre | Fiction and non-fiction across most genres (excluding poetry and children’s fiction, however we will consider Young Adult submissions) |
Mslexia Novel Competition(Childrens' and Adults' on alternate years) |
|
| Deadline | 20th September |
| Entry Fee | £25 |
| First Prize | £5,000 |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unpublished women writers of any nationality from any country. |
| Eligibility (submission) | All entries must be in English, not previously published and not under consideration in other fiction competitions. |
| Genre | Either Adult or Children on alternate years (Adult in 2021, Children in 2022) |
Grindstone Literary International Novel Prize |
|
| Deadline | 28th September |
| Entry Fee | £20 |
| First Prize | £1,000 + Full MS Request |
| Eligibility (writer) | No limitations |
| Eligibility (submission) | Previously unpublished completed manuscripts exceeding 70,000 words in total length. |
| Genre | All adult genres, but not middle grade or younger. YA allowed. |
Pitchwars |
|
| Deadline | 30th September (opens 26th September) |
| Entry Fee | FREE |
| First Prize | Mentoring (multiple winners) |
| Eligibility (writer) | No limitations |
| Eligibility (submission) | Query + 1 page single-spaced synopsis + 1st chapter |
| Genre | Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult, or Adult |
The First Page Challenge (The Darling Axe) |
|
| Deadline | Opens May 2021 |
| Entry Fee | $5 CAD |
| First Prize | $200 |
| Eligibility (writer) | No limitations |
| Eligibility (submission) | First page of a novel |
| Genre | Any genre |
Book Pipeline Unpublished Competition |
|
| Deadline | 5th October (Early deadline June 1st) |
| Entry Fee | $45 - $60 |
| First Prize | $2,500 for each of six winners and industry circulation |
| Eligibility (writer) | Any writer worldwide over 18 years of age |
| Eligibility (submission) | Unpublished, full-length manuscripts of fiction and nonfiction |
| Genre | Young Adult, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, Mystery / Thriller, Literary, Outsider / Experimental, and Nonfiction |
Flash 500 Novel Opening Chapter & Synopsis Competition |
|
| Deadline | 31st October |
| Entry Fee | £10 |
| First Prize | £500 |
| Eligibility (writer) | No limitations |
| Eligibility (submission) | The only stipulation is that the entry must be unpublished. |
| Genre | Any genre |
The Caledonia Novel Award |
|
| Deadline | 1st November |
| Entry Fee | £25 |
| First Prize | £1,500 |
| Eligibility (writer) | Open to unpublished and self-published novelists over 18 |
| Eligibility (submission) | Original work at least 50,000 words |
| Genre | Any genre for adults or young adults |
Bath Children's Novel |
|
| Deadline | November 30th (opens 1st June) |
| Entry Fee | £25 |
| First Prize | £2,500 |
| Eligibility (writer) | Unpublished and independently published novelists |
| Eligibility (submission) | Novel written for children aged 7 to 17. |
| Genre | Children's |
Searchlight Writing for Children Awards |
|
| Deadline | November 22nd (opens 20th August) |
| Entry Fee | £11 |
| First Prize | £500 and Agent 121 |
| Eligibility (writer) | Over 16 |
| Eligibility (submission) | Opening of a novel written for children aged 8 to 18. |
| Genre | Children's and Young Adult |
Cinnamon Press Annual Literature Award |
|
| Deadline | 30th November |
| Entry Fee | £18 |
| First Prize | Book published by Cinnamon Press |
| Eligibility (writer) | Open to those who have not had a novel or full-length short story collection previously published through a press. (Those who have self-published novels or collections may enter.) |
| Eligibility (submission) | Unpublished |
| Genre | Adult and crossover novels only (no children's fiction) |
Betty Trask Prize |
|
| Deadline | 30th November |
| Entry Fee | Free (as far as we can tell) |
| First Prize | £10,000 |
| Eligibility (writer) | Under 35. British National or resident (see comp page for more details) |
| Eligibility (submission) | First novels (published in the last year, or unpublished - see comp for more details) |
| Genre | Traditional or romantic but not experimental style |
David Higham Open Day for Under Represented Writers |
|
| Deadline | TBC |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| First Prize | Attendance at an Open Day meeting industry experts and receiving tailored feedback. |
| Eligibility (writer) | Any un-agented writer living in the UK from an under-represented background (see website for details). |
| Eligibility (submission) | None |
| Genre | Any |
Daisy Pettles Writing Contest for Women |
|
| Deadline | December 12th |
| Entry Fee | $0-25-45 (sliding income waivers) |
| First Prize | $1,000 plus a month-long free residency in the Daisy Pettles' Writer's House |
| Eligibility (writer) | Women writers, aged 40+, published OR unpublished |
| Eligibility (submission) | 20 pages of sample writing |
| Genre | Fiction or non-fiction. Not poetry. |
