#WriteMentor

The #WriteMentor Children’s Novel Award is a competition for pre-agented and pre-published 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)

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’.
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.