Send the opening chapter of your novel to win feedback from top publishing industry professionals.

2026 Judge

Louise Buckley is a literary agent at The Ampersand Agency, where she represents a diverse list of commercial and upmarket fiction across adult and young adult categories. With a keen eye for compelling narratives and fresh voices, Louise has built a reputation for championing authors who bring emotional depth and originality to their work. She is particularly drawn to psychological thrillers, contemporary women’s fiction, book club reads, and YA that tackles complex themes with authenticity.

Before joining The Ampersand Agency, Louise honed her editorial expertise working in publishing, giving her a comprehensive understanding of what makes a manuscript stand out in today’s competitive market. Her passion for discovering new talent and nurturing writers through their publishing journey makes her an invaluable judge for this competition.

Prizes

First Prize

Submission package review and feedback from Louise Buckley in a Zoom meeting. Louise will provide detailed guidance on your cover letter, synopsis, and first three chapters—essential elements of any submission to agents and publishers.

Second Prize

Feedback on your first three chapters from Amanda Saint, author, publisher, creative writing teacher and founder of WestWord and The Mindful Writer.

Shortlisted Entries

All shortlisted writers will receive short feedback from Louise Buckley on the first chapter submitted during the judging process. This feedback will be provided in the blog post announcing the competition results.

Entry Details

Deadline: 28th February 2026

Max word count: 3500

Entry Fee:

• Standard entry: £15
• Entry with detailed feedback on your first chapter: £75

Eligibility and T&Cs

Please note: This competition is for YA and adult fiction novels only. We do not accept submissions of children’s novels.

• Submit stories written in English through Submittable using the button above by 23.59 GMT on the deadline date (sorry late entries will not be included). Please use a clear font of at least size 12 so that we can read it easily!
• Please use the name of your story as your Submission title and the document you upload.
• Do not include your name on the story document or submission title but provide a short bio as requested in the submission form. All stories are read anonymously so any showing the author’s name will be disqualified.
• Please include the word count at the start or end of the story document.
• Stories must be your own original work and not have been published online or in print, or have won any other competitions (longlisted and shortlisted in other competitions is fine if the story remains unpublished).
• Simultaneous submissions are allowed but if your story wins a prize or is published prior to the winner’s announcement your entry will become ineligible. No refunds of entry fees will be paid.
• By entering the competition you agree to your story being published in the winners’ online anthology.
• Stories can be in any genre apart from children’s fiction.
• You can enter as many times as you like but all entries must be made separately and the entry fee paid each time.
• The judge’s decision is final.
• There are no alternative prizes.