FictionFive Contest for Unpublished Manuscripts!
The March 2022 results are in! View the winners here!
March 2022 Contest Features•The top entry in each category wins a 100-page critique by an editor (~$300 value).
Entry Fee: $39
Timeline- Submissions open: March 1, 2022.
- Submissions close: March 31, 2022 at 11:59p.m. EST. (Only the first 100 entries per category are accepted)
- Top 3 finalists/category are invited to resubmit their entries: April 25, 2022.
- Finalists and winners announced: May 18, 2022.
- All participants receive their score sheets between April 25 and May 18, 2022.
Prizes
- Top 1 entry in each category: 100-page high level critique by an editor (~$300 value).
- Top 3 entries in each category: feedback from one literary agent, who may elect to request more pages from you (50% of the previous contest finalists received agent requests!)
- All participants: high level critique from 3 Pro-Critiquers* (~$80 value vs. the $39 entry fee. Participants save 50%!)
Fiction Categories
- Literary Fiction
Type of Feedback
All contest participants get a score sheet that includes a high-level critique from Pro-Critiquers. The score sheet is included at the end of your manuscript. Line edits are not required.
Fantasy/Science Fiction Matt Belford, The Tobias Literary Agency
Literary Fiction Jacqui Lipton, Raven Quill Literary Agency
Women’s Fiction Leslie Zampetti, Dunham Literary
Romance Jon Michael Darga, Aevitas Creative Management
Thriller Anne Hawkins, John Hawkins & Associates
Submission: The first 2,000 words of your unpublished manuscript. No synopsis necessary. Your novel can be partially completed at the time you submit the first 2,000 words.
Payment Method: Credit Card
Judges
- First round: Pro-Critiquers
- Second round: Literary Agents
View the score sheet to be used by the judges.
Do you have questions? Email us here.
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Judging
CritiqueMatch promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our contest. All 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.There are two rounds of judging:
- In the first round (until April 20, 2022), 3 Pro-Critiquers will judge each entry. The three 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/Around April 25, the top 3 finalists receive the first-round judges’ feedback and have the option to resubmit their entries by April 30, 2022, for the second-round judges (literary agents). - In the second round, one agent 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 scores, on top of the first round’s score, will determine the final score and the winning entry in each category for the top prizes in the contest.
- If there is a tie for the winning entry or the top 3 entries in each category, we will utilize an additional Pro-Critiquer's score.
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March 2022 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) and use the same email address as registered on CritiqueMatch.
• Submit the first 2,000 words of your manuscript (no short stories). If more than 2,000 words are submitted, only the first 2,000 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 2,000 words.
• Format: all stories must be submitted by their author in Times New Roman 12 font and double-spaced text. No images or links are accepted.
• No synopsis is required.
• Adult, Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction are accepted, but Picture Books are not.
• Winners of the 100-page high level critique must submit their work in a Word document formatted with one-inch margins, Times New Roman 12 font and double-spaced text. Winners must submit their 100-page work within 30 days from the notification of their prize. The 100-page, high-level critiques will be returned to the winners within 60 days from their submission.
• You can submit multiple stories in the contest, one per each $39 fee, but we ask that you do not submit the same story more than once.
• Prior finalists cannot re-enter the contest with the same story.
• All contest participants get a score sheet that includes a high-level critique from 3 Pro-Critiquers. Pro-Critiquers will not be assigned to judge entries from existing clients.
• The score sheet is included at the end of your manuscript. Line edits are not required.
Prior Finalists and Winners
Click here to view the October 2021 FictionFive contest's results.Click here to view the March 2021 FictionFive contest's results.
Click here to view the October 2020 FictionFive contest's results.
Click here to view the June 2020 FictionFive contest's results.