Entrants are invited to submit a fiction novel for an adult audience in one of the following genres: action thriller, cosy mystery, crime, historical adventure, horror, psychological thriller, romance or saga. Your manuscript must be complete and be between 70,000 and 100,000 words. A covering letter or synopsis is NOT required.
Judged by the editorial team at Canelo.
Please read the following guidelines carefully for more information. Any entry that falls outside of the specified criteria will not be judged.
Once you have uploaded your manuscript to the Zealous platform changes cannot be made. Entry fees will not be refunded.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Only entries submitted via the Zealous.co competition entry platform will be accepted. Paper entries are not allowed.
Who can enter: Entrants must be over 18 and can be based anywhere in the world, however all entries must be written in the English language.
Manuscript length: Manuscripts must be complete and be between 70,000 and 100,000 words. Anything outside of this range will not be a valid entry. This word count includes the title, a prologue, and any epilogue. Please include your word count at the end of your manuscript. If you should forget to include the word count, you will not be disqualified.
Accepted genres: Only fiction novels written for an adult audience are accepted. Please do not submit any type of non-fiction, including memoirs, or fiction for an under 18 audience. Any entry that does not fit the specified criteria will not be judged. The genres accepted are: action thriller, cosy mystery, crime, historical adventure, horror, psychological thriller, romance or saga. When entering the competition, you will be asked to select which genre best reflects your manuscript. Should you feel your work is a mix of several genres, you must decide which is the dominant genre and select one. If the judge feels the genre selected is not the best representation of the work it will not go against you. It is simply to help the judging team process the entries.
Agent representation: If you are represented by a literary agent at the time of submission you are not eligible to enter. Should you receive an offer of representation while your novel is under consideration in this competition, please inform us as we will need to withdraw your entry.
Previous publication: If your manuscript or part of it has been published or accepted for publication elsewhere, in print or online, by a mainstream or an independent publisher you are not eligible to enter. Books that have been previously self-published are also not accepted. This includes self-publishing on a blog or website.
If you have previously been traditionally or self-published but have now written a different work of commercial fiction in one of the accepted genres which remains unpublished you are eligible to enter the unpublished new work as long as you currently do not have an agent or a publishing deal.
Translation: If your book has been previously published in a different language it is eligible for entry in English, but the author must have all rights to the translation.
Co-authored entries: Entries must be written by one author only. Co-authored entries will not be accepted. By entering this competition you understand you are confirming the work is your own.
Previous competition prizes: You must not have won or been placed – 1st, 2nd, or 3rd – in another competition with the same entry. Commended, short-listed and long-listed work is eligible provided a cash prize was not awarded. Should you hear that you have won or been placed in another competition before the judging of this award is announced, please inform us and your entry in the I Am In Print Novel Award will be withdrawn.
Copyright: Copyright of all works submitted for competitions remains with the author.
Changes to entries: Once an entry has been submitted, it CANNOT be modified. Please ensure that your entry is in its final form before submitting. Entries MAY NOT be withdrawn and resubmitted. If this occurs, the entry will be disqualified and removed from the competition and the fee will not be returned.
Number of entries allowed: Entrants may enter as many times as desired, but a separate entry fee must be paid for each entry. To submit two entries, two entry fees must be paid and the competition entered separately for each.
Judging: The decisions of the judges are final and the judges reserve the right to withhold awards if no entry reaches an appropriate standard. Judgment of entries will be by the editorial team at Canelo. Canelo is a London-based independent publishing company. They have published books since 2015, and become one of the fastest-growing publishers in Europe. In both 2021 and 2022 Canelo was shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards, and their stable of authors includes numerous literary prize nominees and million-copy bestsellers.
Winner Announcement: Winners may be contacted before a formal announcement is made to the public. The winners will be announced publicly on Thursday 30 November 2023 during one of the online Canelo Masterclasses.
Names of the winner and 2nd and 3rd placings, and their book titles, will be posted on the I Am In Print website and across social media channels following this.
Canelo may also contact entrants following the competition that were not placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd. By entering this competition you are agreeing to the possibility of being contacted by Canelo.
Members of The Writing Sphere: If you are a paying member of I Am In Print’s online writing community, The Writing Sphere, you are able to enter using the 50% reduced entry fee.
If you would like to become a member to take advantage of this discounted offer, sign up to The Writing Sphere before entering the competition by visiting https://www.iaminprint.co.uk/thewritingsphere/
Please note: You must be a fully paying member of The Writing Sphere at the time you enter the Novel Award on the discounted entry package, not just on the 7 day free trial. If this is found not to be the case, your entry will be disqualified. When submitting your entry on the Zealous platform, you will be required to enter the month that you became a member.
Concessions: If you are a writer of colour, LGBTQ+, living with disability, or otherwise feel you are from an under-represented background, please email competitions@iaminprint.co.uk with the subject line ‘I Am in Print Novel Award: entry discount’ before you enter to receive a 50% discount on your entry fee.
We also have a limited number of free of charge entries available to low-income writers. If you are a low-income writer and wish to request a free place please email competitions@iaminprint.co.uk with the subject line ‘I Am in Print Novel Award: free entry’ before you enter.
Judges of the competition will not be aware of any reduction offered to entrants.
Please note: If it is discovered after application and entry that you do not fall into either category, but have used one of these concessionary options, we have the right to withdraw your entry.
HOW TO ENTER:
Make sure your manuscript is complete, written in English and between 70,000 and 100,000 words. Please put the word count at the end of the manuscript. If you should forget to include the word count, you will not be disqualified.
A covering letter or synopsis is not required. Please also do not include a contents page or any illustrations in your manuscript.
Format your entry in 12pt, Arial, double-line spacing.
DO NOT PUT YOUR REAL NAME ON THE ENTRY. Your entry will be given a number and the judge will not know your name. If your real name appears on the entry document it will be disqualified. We will identify you from your Zealous account. Using your name in your email address to set up your Zealous profile is fine.
Ensure your completed manuscript is in ONE file saved in either .doc, .docx or PDF. Call your document the title of your novel. Again, please do not use your name in the title.
Agreement: By entering and paying for your competition entry, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions above and understand that when your entry has been submitted, no changes can be made and no refunds given.
I Am In Print Ltd reserves the right to amend these rules when deemed necessary.
Please email us at: competitions@iaminprint.co.uk if you cannot find the answer to your question.
The closing time and date to enter is 10:00am BST on Monday 9 October 2023.
Entrants must be over 18 years old and can be based anywhere in the world. All entries must be written in the English language.
If you are represented by a literary agent at the time of submission you are not eligible to enter. Should you receive an offer of representation while your novel is under consideration in this competition, please inform us as we will need to withdraw your entry.
Entries must be written by one author only. Co-authored entries will not be accepted. By entering this competition you understand you are confirming the work is your own.
You must not have won or been placed – 1st, 2nd, or 3rd – in another competition with the same entry. Commended, short-listed and long-listed work is eligible provided a cash prize was not awarded. Should you hear that you have won or been placed in another competition before the judging is announced, please inform us and your entry in the I Am In Print Novel Award will be withdrawn.
Only fiction novels written for an adult audience are accepted. Please do not submit any type of non-fiction, including memoirs, or fiction for an under 18 audience. Entries that do not fit the specified criteria will not be judged. The genres accepted are: action thriller, cosy mystery, crime, historical adventure, horror, psychological thriller, romance and saga. When entering the competition, you will be asked to indicate which genre best reflects your manuscript. Should you feel your work is a mix of several genres, you must decide which is the dominant genre and select one. If the judge feels the genre selected is not the best representation of the work it will not go against you. It is simply to help the judging team process the entries.
No. Only fiction novels written for an adult audience are accepted.
Only fiction novels written for an adult audience are accepted. Please do not submit non-fiction, including memoirs.
Manuscripts must be complete and be between 70,000 and 100,000 words. Anything outside of this range will not be a valid entry. This word count includes the title, a prologue, and any epilogue. Please include your word count at the end of your manuscript.
The I Am In Print Novel Award costs £25 per entry. (This includes 20% VAT).
If you are a paying member of I Am In Print’s online writing community, The Writing Sphere, you are able to enter using the 50% reduced entry fee.
If you would like to become a member to take advantage of this discounted offer, sign up to The Writing Sphere before entering the competition by visiting https://www.iaminprint.co.uk/thewritingsphere/
Please note: You must be a fully paying member of The Writing Sphere at the time you enter the Novel Award on the discounted entry package, not just on the 7 day free trial. If this is found not to be the case, your entry will be disqualified. When submitting your entry on the Zealous platform, you will be required to enter the month that you became a member.
Concessions: If you are a writer of colour, LGBTQ+, living with disability, or otherwise feel you are from an under-represented background, please email competitions@iaminprint.co.uk with the subject line ‘I Am in Print Novel Award: entry discount’ before you enter to receive a 50% discount on your entry fee.
We also have a limited number of free of charge entries available to low-income writers. If you are a low-income writer and wish to request a free place please email competitions@iaminprint.co.uk with the subject line ‘I Am in Print Novel Award: free entry’ before you enter.
Judges of the competition will not be aware of any reduction offered to entrants.
Please note: If it is discovered after application and entry that you do not fall into either category, but have used one of these concessionary options, we have the right to withdraw your entry.
Members of The Writing Sphere: If you are a paying member of I Am In Print’s online writing community, The Writing Sphere, you are able to enter using the 50% reduced entry fee.
If you would like to become a member to take advantage of this discounted offer, sign up to The Writing Sphere before entering the competition by visiting https://www.iaminprint.co.uk/thewritingsphere/
Please note: You must be a fully paying member of The Writing Sphere at the time you enter the Novel Award on the discounted entry package, not just on the 7 day free trial. If this is found not to be the case, your entry will be disqualified. When submitting your entry on the Zealous platform, you will be required to enter the month that you became a member.
Judgment of entries will be by the editorial team at Canelo. Canelo is a London-based independent publishing company. They have published books since 2015, and become one of the fastest-growing publishers in Europe. In both 2021 and 2022 Canelo was shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards, and their stable of authors includes numerous literary prize nominees and million-copy bestsellers. For more information see here.
Winners may be contacted before a formal announcement is made to the public. The winners will be announced publicly on Thursday 30 November 2023 during the online Canelo Masterclasses.
Names of the winner and 2nd and 3rd placings, and their book titles, will be posted on the I Am In Print website and across social media channels following this.
The team at Canelo is kindly offering a selection of online masterclasses to be held on Thursday 30 November 2023.
All I Am In Print Novel Award entrants can attend these as part of their entry fee. The Zoom links will be emailed for this after the competition closing date. For those of you not ready to enter a novel in the award, tickets for these masterclasses will be sold separately so the learning opportunity is open to all (more details to be announced soon).
No there will not be a long-list or a short-list. We will announce 1st, 2nd and 3rd place only.
Copyright of all works submitted for this award will remain with the author.
No. We will only publish the winners names and entry title, not the actual document.
Only entries submitted via the Zealous.co competition entry system will be accepted. You are allowed to enter this competition with more than one entry, but separate entry fees must be paid. Click on the ‘Submit Your Entry Here’ button on this webpage or by using the link below:
https://www.zealous.co/iaminprint/opportunity/I-Am-In-Print-Novel-Award-2023/
No. Do not include your name on your entry. You will need to use your name when creating a profile on Zealous, our competition entry system, but do not include your name anywhere on your manuscript. If your name appears anywhere on your uploaded manuscript it will be disqualified. The judging platform gives each entry a number and the judging will be completed anonymously. Once the winners have been decided using their entry number we will then be able to contact the authors from their Zealous profile.
A cover letter and synopsis are NOT required. Just the manuscript is needed.
Entries should be in 12pt, Arial, double-line spaced and in English.
Make sure your manuscript is in ONE file saved in either .doc, .docx or PDF. Call your document the title of your novel. Again, please do not use your name in the title.
Please do not include a title page, contents page or any illustrations in your manuscript.
Paper copies will not be accepted.
Unfortunately no. Once you have uploaded your manuscript to the Zealous platform changes cannot be made. Entry fees will not be refunded.
If you need technical help when entering this competition you can use the Zealous Live Chat function Mon – Fri between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST or email info@zealous.co outside of these hours. For all other non-technical enquiries, please email competitions@iaminprint.co.uk.