The competition is open to unpublished women novelists writing in any genre for adults, including literary fiction, women’s fiction, young adult fiction, science fiction, fantasy, chick-lit, crime fiction, thriller, historical fiction... but not nonfiction or fiction for under 13s. To constitute a novel, your book must total at least 50,000 words.
Entry fee: £25
Send up to 5,000 words – which must be the first 5,000 words of your novel. Please make sure you have finished the novel before you send your entry.
Who is the competition aimed at?
* Women with an unfinished manuscript languishing in a bottom drawer. (Could this be the impetus you need to finish it?)
* Women who took up the write-a-novel-in-a-month challenge with NaNoWriMo and have a rough first draft. (Why not polish it up and send it to Mslexia?)
* Women who’ve submitted their completed novels over and over, and have despaired of finding an agent. (If you reach our shortlist, they’ll all sit up and take notice.)
* Women who’ve always wanted to write a novel, but could never find the time.
Get your book noticed
Because publishers specialise in different genres, we cannot guarantee a publishing contract at this stage. But we can guarantee that agents and editors will be falling over themselves for a first read of the winning manuscript.
Please make sure you have read the rules THOROUGHLY before submitting YOUR NOVEL:
* Your novel can be in any genre, but must be for adult or young adult readers. Nonfiction and fiction for children under 13 is not eligible. To qualify as a novel, your book must total at least 50,000 words.
* You may submit up to 5,000 words, which must be the first 5,000 words of the novel. Any preface is included in your 5,000 words. There is no need to submit a synopsis.
* Make sure you complete your novel before entering. Shortlisted entrants will be asked to submit a full manuscript and synopsis for the final stages of the judging process. Entrants who are unable to comply will be disqualified.
* Please submit your work typed, double-spaced on A4 paper, single sided, with pages numbered.
* Your novel will be judged anonymously, so do not put your name on the pages of your novel extract. Use a separate cover page with your name, address, telephone number and email address, plus the title of the novel you are submitting.
* No alterations may be made to a novel extract once submitted.
* Your submission will not be returned, so please keep a copy. If you want confirmation that we have received your postal entry, please enclose an SAE labelled ‘Acknowledgement’. We do not send copies of the result to entrants.
* The winner will be contacted by post in February 2012 and announced in the MAR/APR/MAY issue of Mslexia.
ELIGIBILITY
* This is a competition for unpublished novelists. Women who have had a novel published commercially, in any country, are not eligible.
* Women who have had other types of books published (e.g. poetry, memoir, nonfiction), but have not had a novel published, are eligible.
* Self-published manuscripts are eligible.
* Novels should be in English (or English dialect) and should not have been published or accepted for publication by a commercial publisher.
* Novels should not be a translation of another author’s work.
* You do not have to subscribe to Mslexia to be eligible, but you do have to be a woman. We will accept novels from women of any nationality from any country.
* Employees of Mslexia are not eligible.
HOW TO ENTER
* Send your novel extract by post or enter online.
* If entering by post, mark your envelope ‘Women’s Novel Competition’ and send it postmarked no later than 30 September 2011 to Mslexia Publications Ltd, PO Box 656, Freepost NEA5566, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1BR. We regret FREEPOST is not available for entries from overseas.
* If entering online, be sure to follow the instructions on the website carefully. Novel extracts should be sent as a single attachment.
* The entry fee of £25 allows you to enter an extract from one novel. You may enter as many novels as you like, provided each novel extract is accompanied by the £25 entry fee.
* Entry fees must be in pounds sterling. If you want to use a different currency, please pay online via PayPal, which will convert your fee automatically into pounds sterling.
* You can pay by cheque (payable to Mslexia Publications Ltd) or by debit or credit card (phone +44 (0) 191 233 3860 with your details). You can also pay online via our website, but in this case you must include with your entry a note of the date on which you paid, and the email address you used, so that we can trace your payment.
Contact Information:
For inquiries: postbag@mslexia.co.uk
For submissions: submit online here
Website: http://www.mslexia.co.uk
This blog is no longer updated. Please instead visit Writers For Diversity for new opportunities for women/ LGBT writers and writers of color. Thank you.
