#WriteMentor Children’s Novel Award

The #WriteMentor Children’s Novel Award is a competition for unagented and unpublished YA/MG fiction writers.

We aim to run the contest once a year with the entry window opening in December and closing at the end of January. 

#WriteMentor was set up to help novelists take their writing to the next level, so this competition is being run to help find the best and most exciting already well-crafted manuscripts and to give them a platform to help catapult them to the next level.

2019 Shortlist Judge:

Chloe-Northbank-2-570x570
Chloe Seager
Agent and YA Author
Northbank Talent Management
@ChloeSeager

Read an interview with Chloe here.

2019 Prizes:

Winner – £500 and trophy
Shortlist – a place on #WriteMentor programme
(if you’re not agented by June 2019)

We are also offering a 1 year mentorship with #WriteMentor Jedi Writers, at Level 3 (Jedi Master) worth £480, for the best placed entry featuring a BAME main character.

(Mentoring to be carried out by Emma Smith-Barton)

Who can enter?

Any pre-agented or pre-published writer of YA/MG fiction of any genre.

How much does it cost?

Entry fee is £5. If you are low-income and unable to pay this, you can enter for free. 

Our aim is to give an opportunity to everyone in our society, particularly those who are less privileged. 

Why charge a fee at all?

We have some small expenses to cover and we want to award a cash prize to help the winner so they can go to a conference, or complete a creative writing course, or perhaps to pay for lovely weekend in London as they meet and sign with their new agent!
(N.B. winning the award does not guarantee representation…but it won’t do any harm!)

What do I need to submit to enter?

We are looking for the first 3,000 words of your novel and a 1-page synopsis.

What are the important dates?

Entry window: December 1st 2018 to January 31st 2019.

Longlist announced: February 2019

Shortlist announced March 2019

Winner announced: April/May 2019

Rules

  • All entries should be for completed manuscripts (or complete and polished by February 2019).
  • We are accepting only YA/MG entries of any genre.
  • You cannot be agented or traditionally published.
  • To clarify, self-published novels are eligible.
  • Indie published writers, who have not received an advance may enter, but not with the published novel.
  • Submit the first 3,000 words (1.5 or double-spaced), preceeded by the synopsis (single-spaced) at the start, in the same word document. 
  • Use 12″ and a plain font like TNR. Put page numbers in the footer.
  • DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ANYWHERE ON THE DOCUMENT.
  • DO PUT THE TITLE OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT IN THE HEADER.
  • Please DO NOT have your name in the name of the document you upload. We are reading and judging anonymously. The ONLY place your name should be is in the name field on the form.
  • Name your document as ‘TITLE.docx’.
  • Due to issues with Google Forms, the confirmation email you receive may list the filename with your name in it. Do not worry, I am manually editing each filename as it comes in before I forward to the readers.
  • The manuscript titles will be able to be matched with names based on your entry form alone. We want all entries to be read blind.
  • Use the PayPal link to pay your entry fee.
  • If you are unable to pay this, simply type FREE in the box on the entry form. You do not need to provide any evidence or explanation for this.
  • If you are long listed, we will contact you after the announcement to ask for your full manuscript. Please send this within 7 days. 
  • If you are shortlisted, we will forward your full manuscript onto our judge, Chloe Seager.
  • All announcements will happen via the site, so do sign up to receive alerts of new blog posts.
  • Those under the age of 18 are ineligible due to safeguarding reasons.
  • You may enter as many novels as you wish, but they must be complete and unpublished.
  • All entries will be sent digitally. We are committed to being green and want to keep costs for writers down, so mail entries will not be allowed.

#PeerMentor copy

Novel Award

£5.00

If you’d like to avoid PayPal taking 37p from your £5 entry fee and give us the full £5 to go towards the prize money, you can send via a bank transfer.

Send to the following account:

Bank of Scotland
Write Mentor
Acc No. – 18564467
Sort Code – 802260
Reference – Your Name (as entered on the form)

After you have paid via the PayPal link above or by bank transfer, click on this link to fill out the entry form.

https://goo.gl/forms/5QthfaCCOmQTzmy53