Submit Your NaNoWriMo Novel to These Contests

For National Novel Writing Month, we’ve compiled a list of current and upcoming novel contests for emerging writers. These contests include chances to win money, publishing contracts, agent feedback, and more for not-yet-published and self-published novelists. Whether you’re writing fiction for adults, teens, or children, there is a contest here for you to submit to!

The Adventure Writers Competition

“We are the only contest we know of that focuses on Adventure Writing! Whether you write like the Grandmaster himself, Clive Cussler, or have your own action-packed style—get on board and enter!”

Award: First place receives $1,000. Second and third place receives $500. All winners receive consideration by Braveship Books for publishing and/or marketing.

Open: January 1 - April 30, 2023

Fee: $60

Learn more here.

The Bath’s Novel Awards

“The Bath Novel Award is a £3,000 international prize for emerging adult fiction talent. The award is open worldwide to not-yet-published and independently published novelists.”

Award: £3,000 ($3,403)

Open: December 1, 2022 - May 31, 2023

Fee: Not listed.

Learn more here.

The Bath’s Children’s Novel Award

“The Bath Children’s Novel Award 2022 is a prize for emerging children’s authors . . . The prize is open worldwide to writers of any nationality or residency. Books can be unpublished, self-published or independently published. We accept: YA novels; novels for teens; children’s novels; early readers; chapter books and the text of picture books.”

Award: First place receives £3,000 ($3,403). In the event of a joint win, the prize money will be shared equally between winners. Unrepresented shortlisted writers receive the opportunity to be introduced to literary agents. The writer of the most promising longlisted novel will receive a free place on Cornerstones Literary Consultancy’s online course “Edit Your Novel the Professional Way.”

Deadline: November 30, 2022

Fee: £29 ($32.90)

Submit here.

Black Lawrence Press’  The Big Moose Prize

“Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Big Moose Prize for an unpublished novel. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers . . . The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel.”

Award: $1,000, publication, and ten copies of the book.

Deadline: November 30, 2022 (early bird entry period)

Open: December 1, 2022 - January 31, 2023 (regular entry period)

Fee: $27 ($5 discount during early bird entry period)

Learn more here.

Cinnamon Press’ Literature Award

“We are keen to see work across a range of forms and styles from writers anywhere in the world who are writing in English and producing work that is for adults (we don’t take children’s fiction or poetry) including novels, novellas, short-stories, poetry collections and mixed genre works.”

Award: Publication

Deadline: November 30, 2022

Fee: £18 ($20.42)

Submit here.

Creative Writing Matters’ 2022 Exeter Novel Prize

“We accept the first ten thousand words including synopsis of a novel that has not been accepted for publication by a traditional publisher. It is open to all authors who are without representation by a literary agent, whether or not they have been published.”

Award: First prize receives £1,000 ($1,137) and a trophy. Five runners-ups receive £100 ($113) and a paperweight.

Deadline: January 1, 2023

Fee: £20 ($22.76)

Submit here.

Inkitt’s NaNoWriMo Contest

“Inkitt is an official sponsor of NaNoWriMo so we are hosting an exciting contest to inspire you to take part. Are you up for the challenge? Join us as we climb writer's Everest, and write 50,000 words in November. Romance, Thriller, Adventure. . . any genre welcome!”

Award: First place receives $1,500. Second place receives $1,000. Third place receives $500. All winners receive a social media spotlight across all of the Inkitt platforms.

Deadline: November 30, 2022

Fee: Free

Submit here.

The Masters Review’s Novel Excerpt Contest

“We’re looking for excerpts that show off a sense of style, with a clear grasp on craft: narrative, character, and plot. Choose wisely! Your excerpt can come from any point in your completed or in-progress novels, but a synopsis should not be required for understanding the excerpt. Excerpts must be from previously unpublished novels.”

Award: First place receives $3,000. Second place receives $300. Third place receives $200. All winners receive publication and agent feedback.

Deadline: December 1, 2022

Fee: $20

Submit here.

Red Hen Press’ Women's Prose Prize

“The Women's Prose Prize is for a previously unpublished, original work of prose. Novels, short story collections, memoirs, essay collections, and all other forms of prose writing are eligible for consideration. Awarded manuscript is selected through an annual competition which is open to all writers who identify as women.”

Award: $1,000 and publication

Deadline: February 28, 2023.

Fee: $25

Submit here.

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