Psst- A once-a-year opportunity for novelists & memoirists - $2,500 prize, and help finding an agent...

Register now, send manuscript later... and get a lowered registration fee

I’m working once again on the first 5,000 words (or so) of my novel—for the umpteenth time—editing, refining, and polishing. This is for submission to a once-a-year competition I’ve waited for since 2024. I’m feeling anxious. I registered for this competition a couple months ago, knowing I had until late September to submit the actual work. I planned to send my manuscript no later than June 30, but here I am. Now I’m getting scared that I’ll just continue staring into space, waiting for the work to feel “ready” to send, until the September deadline sails by.

Photo by 广灏 曾 on Unsplash

And another thought now comes to me, causing even more anxiety—what if you are doing the same as me? If you’re one of my paid subscribers, I sent this competition to you as part of the July Get Yourself PUBLISHED listings. What if you unconsciously relegated it to a “gonna do this later” list, and now time is passing you by?

This competition is a big opportunity for authors of big works; a novel or memoir or collection of short stories. If you win in your category, you’ll receive a $2,500 award and assistance with finding an agent. Even if you’re a runner-up, your manuscript will be put in front of select publishers and agents who get first look at the top picks for each category.

I really don’t want you to miss this, so I’m laying out all the details in this “special opportunity special notice,” to make sure you pay attention. This may be the chance you’ve been hoping for.