FictionFive Contest for Unpublished Writers!
October 2020 Contest Highlights
Submit the first 1,500 words (approx. 5 pages) of your unpublished manuscript in 5 fiction categories, and get a detailed score sheet with feedback from 3 top-rated writers—the CritiqueMatch community is known for providing constructive and encouraging feedback! The top 3 finalists in each fiction category receive feedback from one agent and one editor. The top-rated entry across all categories wins a $250 gift card.
Timeline:
- Submissions open: October 1, 2020.
- Submissions close: October 31, 2020 at 11:59p.m. EST.
- Finalists announced: December 18, 2020.
- Score sheets and agent/editor feedback sent to all entrants within 30 days from the finalists’ announcement.
Prizes
Prizes
- The top-rated entry across all categories: $250 gift card.
- Top 3 finalists in each fiction category: feedback from one agent and one editor.
- All entrants: feedback from 3 top-rated writers on CritiqueMatch.
Critique Partner Matching (Optional): All contest entrants may request to connect or become critique partners with the first-round judges who critiqued their work (pending judge approval).
Fiction Categories:
- Top 3 finalists in each fiction category: feedback from one agent and one editor.
- All entrants: feedback from 3 top-rated writers on CritiqueMatch.
Critique Partner Matching (Optional): All contest entrants may request to connect or become critique partners with the first-round judges who critiqued their work (pending judge approval).
Fiction Categories:
- Fantasy/Science Fiction
- Thriller
- Mystery
- Romance
- Literary Fiction
Literary Agent Judges
- Thriller
- Mystery
- Romance
- Literary Fiction
Literary Agent Judges
Literary Fiction Duvall Osteen, Aragi Agency
Romance Stephanie Winter, P.S. Literary Agency
Mystery Annie Bomke, Annie Bomke Literary Agency
Fantasy/Science Fiction Matt Belford, The Tobias Literary Agency
Thriller Danya Kukafka, Aevitas Creative Management
Submission: The first 1,500 words of your unpublished manuscript. No synopsis necessary. Your novel can be partially completed at the time you submit the first 1,500 words.
Fee: $25
Submission: The first 1,500 words of your unpublished manuscript. No synopsis necessary. Your novel can be partially completed at the time you submit the first 1,500 words.
Fee: $25
- First round: top-rated CritiqueMatch peer writers.
- Second round: agents and editors.
Not ready to enter? Volunteer to judge 5 entries and get 20% off the next contest, get more starred ratings for your critiques, and find critique partners!
Do you have questions? Email us here.
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Judging
CritiqueMatch promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our contest. Any writers regardless of their race, color, gender, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation are welcome to enter the FictionFive Contest. Entries are judged anonymously and only on their writing craft merit. Contest entrants can also be judges in the contest.
There are two rounds of judging:
There are two rounds of judging:
- In the first round (November 1 to November 22), 3 top-rated CritiqueMatch peer writers will judge each entry. The lowest of the three scores will be dropped, and the rest two scores will be added to create the final score of the first round.
- The top 3 entries in each category will advance to the second round.
- On November 23, the finalists receive the first-round judges’ feedback and have the option to resubmit their entries by November 30, 2020, for the second-round judges (agents and editors).
- In the second round, one agent and one editor will score each entry. On top of providing feedback, agents may elect to request more pages from the second-round finalists (not guaranteed).
- The agent and editor scores, on top of the first round’s score, will determine the final score and the winning entry for the top prize in the contest.
- If there is a tie for the winning entry or the top 3 entries in each category, we will utilize the dropped score from the first round and/or an additional editor’s score, if necessary.
Would you like to volunteer to judge in our contest?
- The top 3 entries in each category will advance to the second round.
- On November 23, the finalists receive the first-round judges’ feedback and have the option to resubmit their entries by November 30, 2020, for the second-round judges (agents and editors).
- In the second round, one agent and one editor will score each entry. On top of providing feedback, agents may elect to request more pages from the second-round finalists (not guaranteed).
- The agent and editor scores, on top of the first round’s score, will determine the final score and the winning entry for the top prize in the contest.
- If there is a tie for the winning entry or the top 3 entries in each category, we will utilize the dropped score from the first round and/or an additional editor’s score, if necessary.
Would you like to volunteer to judge in our contest?
CritiqueMatch members in good standing with four-star ratings or above can become judges!
The judges get 20% off the next contest, more starred ratings for their critiques, and even find critique partners! Sign up here.
Critique Partner Matching Program (Optional): Once the contest ends, the judges may request to become critique partners with the authors whose work they critiqued (pending author approval).
The judges get 20% off the next contest, more starred ratings for their critiques, and even find critique partners! Sign up here.
Critique Partner Matching Program (Optional): Once the contest ends, the judges may request to become critique partners with the authors whose work they critiqued (pending author approval).
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October 2020 Contest Rules and Guidelines
- These rules overwrite any previously published rules for previous contests. Contest participants must be members of CritiqueMatch (sign-up is free).
- Submit the first 1,500 words of your manuscript. If more than 1,500 words are submitted, only the first 1,500 words will be submitted to the judges. Please submit a minimum of 1,000 words.
- Your manuscript can be partially completed at the time you submit the first 1,500 words. However, the estimated manuscript length must over 60,000 words.
- Format: all stories must be submitted by their author in Times New Roman 12 font and double-spaced text.
- No synopsis is required.
- Adult and Young Adult fiction are accepted, but Middle Grade and Children’s Books are not.
- You can submit multiple stories in the contest, one per each $25 fee, but we ask that you do not submit the same story more than once.
- We currently only accept electronic submissions of works in English language.
- All submissions must be previously unpublished and must be your own work (Fan fiction is not eligible).
- All entries must be received electronically by October 31, 2020 11:59p.m. EST.
- An entry is considered complete only when the payment has been received.
- All entries are final. No revisions, substitutions or replacements are accepted or permitted after submission.
- We cannot process refunds once an entry has been received.
- The $25 entry fee helps cover the administrative cost of the contest.
- We’ll recognize 3 finalists in each of the Five fiction categories: Fantasy/Science Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Mystery, and Literary fiction. If your story crosses over several genres, we ask that you select the genre that is the most important to your plot/characters.
- Contest participants retain all rights in and to their work.
- The first round of judging will be conducted anonymously via the CritiqueMatch platform per the following: the contest coordinator will submit the entrants’ first 1,500 words to 3 randomly chosen peer judges on CritiqueMatch. The entrants’ work will not be accessible to the first-round judges once judging is completed.
- For the second round of judging, the entrants’ work (without identifiable information) will be emailed to the agents and editors, who will return their score sheet and feedback in a Word document.
- CritiqueMatch reserves the right to replace the final-round judges in case the initially listed agents or editors can no longer participate in the contest.
- CritiqueMatch reserves the right to cancel the contest unless at least five (5) entries are received in each of the aforementioned categories. If CritiqueMatch cancels a contest, the entry fees paid for that contest will be refunded.
- If you recognize the submission you were assigned to judge, please let us know and we will reassign a submission to you.
- CritiqueMatch’s Terms of Service apply to the contest's participants.
- No cash substitution, transfers or assignments of prizes will be permitted. All expenses, including taxes, relating to a prize will be the sole responsibility of the winner. By accepting a prize, the winner releases CritiqueMatch from any and all liability for any loss, harm, damages, cost or expense, including, but not limited to, property damage, personal injury and/or death, arising out of or relating to a contest participant’s participation in a contest or the acceptance, use or disposition of a prize. If, for any reason (including unauthorized intervention, technical failures, or any other cause beyond the control of CritiqueMatch which affects the administration, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of a contest), a contest is not capable of being conducted as described in the Contest Rules, CritiqueMatch reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend that contest.
- Within approximately thirty (30) days after confirmation of the winners in a particular contest, CritiqueMatch will provide all winners with their prizes.
- All participants will be individually notified of the contest results by e-mail.
- The contest is void where prohibited by law.
- Click here to view the June 2020 FictionFive contest's results.
