6 Exciting Writing Competitions In the UK

It’s taken 4 revisions, 7 different endings and 1000 tears, but you’ve only gone and done it! You have finally completed your masterpiece, your sacred text, your oeuvre d'art - your first novel!

But only one question remains: what now?

You decide it’s time to bombard every single publisher in the country with your manuscript. You don’t need a literary agent to represent you because you know- for absolute certain- that your book is going to be an overnight success. How could it not be? It’s got everything you could possibly want in a story. Tension, steamy romance, drama, cliff-hangers- it’s pretty damn perfect! You can hear the faint rustling of contract papers on the breeze and you can envision the crowds of people ( obviously, post covid) lining up to buy your book. In fact, forget the book! Your work is going to be magically transformed into a film. Yes, your new life as a best-selling author is looking pretty sweet.

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it’s not that simple. Writing a book is one thing- getting it published is another. Publishing a book takes a lot of blood, sweat and rejections. For many first time writers, figuring out the next step can be incredibly frustrating, especially since there are so many ways of publishing depending on your budget, time and goals. Not only that, it’s a highly competitive market, so you need to do EVERYTHING to make your book stand out. It can be something of a popularity contest. So, yeah, have fun with that.

Look, I’m not here to scare you or railroad you off your journey to literary glory. I’m here to say, have you ever considered writing competitions? Entering writing competitions could gain you instant status as an author, expose you to new readers beyond your mum and let’s not forget, if you win, there could be a nice little cash bonus.

 I say, go for it!

Even if you don’t win, just the experience alone and the rush to meet the deadline will push you out of your comfort zone and sharpen your skills as a writer.

So, without further ado, here are my top 6 novel writing competitions that are still taking submissions.

First Novel Prize

This writing competition is the perfect platform for hidden potential. Open for all unpublished and independently published novelists, The First Novel Prize has launched the literary lives of debut authors Neema Shah, who won second prize in 2018 and Emily Itami, who was shortlisted in 2019. There are first, second and third prizes for the taking. Novels must be adult genres, and be over 50,000 words.

Entry fee - £25
Deadline - 31st May 2021
More details here - https://www.firstnovel.co.uk/

Flash 500- Novel Opening Chapter & Synopsis Competition

Calling all absolute beginners! If you have just started your novel and you’re like “Wow! Pretty impressive”, then you need to enter this competition. Your submitted first chapter and your sparkling synopsis will be judged by Headline Publishing, home to some of the best-selling authors in the UK, such as Maggie O’ Farrell and Victoria Hislop. Plus, there’s £500 up for grabs for the first prize and £200 for the runner up. What are you waiting for? I’m thinking about entering myself!

Entry fee - £10
Deadline- 31st October 2021
More details here - https://flash500.com/novels/

Bridport Prize - Novel Award
Fancy the chance of winning one of the most prestigious prizes in the literary world? This competition is another incredible opportunity for new novelists. To start with, you just need to submit up to 5,000 to 8,000 words - plus a 300-word synopsis. And let me quickly tell you about the prizes ( yes, plural!) The first prize winner will receive £1500, mentoring by The Literary Consultancy, consultation with literary agent AM Heath and publisher Tinder Press. Your winning submission will also be published in the Bridport Prize anthology, and you will be invited to the Bridport award celebrations. Better dust off those glad rags!

As Honorary Patron, Fay Weldon proudly declares “ Mention the Bridport Prize and the eyes of writers everywhere light up. It’s not just the money – though that’s not to be sneezed at – it’s a prize really worth fighting for in terms of prestige and genuine literary accomplishment.”

Entry fee - £20
Deadline - 31st May 2021
More details here -  https://bridportprize.org.uk/the-competition/novel-award/

Bath Novel Award

“Winning has turned everything upside down. I ended up with five agent offers – honestly, I never thought that would happen.” Sophie Draper, winner of the Bath Novel Award 2017.

Founded in 2013 by Caroline Ambrose, the Bath Novel Awards supports and champions unpublished, self-published and independently published novelists worldwide. Judged by a selected literary agent each year, the winner of the Bath Novel Award will recieve £3000. The shortlist prize winner will recieve manuscript feedback and literary agent introductions. The longlist prize winner will be awarded online tutoring by the Cornerstones Literary Consultancy. Novels can be in any genre.

Entry fee - £28 with sponsored places available for writers on low-income.
Deadline - 31st May 2021
More details here - https://bathnovelaward.co.uk/2020-2/

Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award

The BPA First Novel competition is open to all unrepresented and unpublished authors. The BPA is looking for a strong voice, an attention-grabbing paragraph and an original story. Does your novel tick all the boxes? The winner will recieve £1000 and agent introductions. Novels can be from any genre and to enter, you must submit the opening chapter or chapters up to 5000 words plus a 300-word synopsis and a covering letter.

Entry fee - £20. Online entry only. This year, the BPA is offering a minimum of 10 free entries for UK based writers on low incomes or from communities traditionally underrepresented in publishing.

Deadline - 31st May 2021
More details here - https://bluepencilagency.com/bpa-first-novel-award-2021/

Adventures in Fiction - New Voices Competition

“I loved the competition. Hitting the deadline gave me something to aim for. Actually winning was a massive boost. The prize gave me the confidence to continue writing (and still does to this day), because it showed me strengths and weaknesses. I am much more aware now of how to keep the story ticking over.” Gibril Kerefah, New Voices Winner 2019

Last, but certainly not least, we have the New Voices Competition, aimed at first-time writers who have completed at least 50 pages of their manuscript. Adventures in Fiction understands the many stumbling blocks and niggling insecurities that comes with writing your first novel. You know the ones: Am I using enough metaphors? Are my sentences too short? Are my characters too dull? And that's why the winner of the New Voices competition will receive a mentoring package worth more than £550.00! This masterclass includes a manuscript appraisal, guidelines, a development strategy, a consultation and an agreed deadline for a year later. To enter, you just need to submit the first page of your novel and a one-page synopsis.

Entry fee - £10.00
Deadline - 14th September 2021
More details here - http://adventuresinfiction.co.uk/new-voices-competition/