Competition Shortlists 2025 - I AM in print Ltd

Have you made the shortlist?

For the first time in our four years of running the I Am Writing competitions, we hosted TWELVE fabulous opportunities. Yes, that's right TWELVE! We listened to some of your comments about your novel not fitting a particular genre and expanded the range to give as many of you as possible the chance to get your work noticed by a literary agent or publisher.

The judges have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to each whittle down their top ten for their category. This competition is anonymous, so while the judges remain in the dark about who they picked, their top ten titles (in no particular order) are shown on each poster below. If you see the title of your entry on a list, please do a happy dance and feel free to acknowledge that your entry is among those shortlisted on social media - keep the title anonymous though, as we don't want the judges to know which entry is yours just yet! If you are posting the great news, remember to tag us in @iaminprint so we can share in your excitement!

To give an idea of how difficult the judges found making their selection, an astonishing 2171 entries were received across all genres and were broken down as follows:

I Am Writing Action/Adventure Competition
Entries received: 51

I Am Writing Chapter Book(including Graphic Novels) Competition
Entries received: 87

I Am Writing Cosy Crime Competition
Entries received: 68

I Am Writing Crime/Thriller Competition
Entries received: 136

I Am Writing Historical Competition
Entries received: 151

I Am Writing Horror Competition
Entries received: 83

I Am Writing Literary Fiction (including Upmarket) Competition
Entries received: 255

I Am Writing Middle Grade Competition
Entries received: 223

I Am Writing Picture Books Competition
Entries received: 595 (Some of the 595 entries contained 2 picture books)

I Am Writing Romance Competition
Entries received: 153

I Am Writing Sci-Fi / Fantasy Competition
Entries received: 203

I Am Writing Teen, YA, NA Competition
Entries received: 166

Sponsored Entries

We are extremely grateful to all of the lovely people who sponsored one or multiple entries. This really does help keep these competitions accessible to those who otherwise would not be able to enter.

74 free of charge places were donated by I Am In Print
21 50% discounted places were donated by I Am In Print

The wonderful writing community donated an additional 12 places making a grand total of 107 writers who were granted discounted or free of charge entry into a competition of their choice.

Thank you to everyone who sponsored a place!

Stay strong and keep the faith

If you don't see your name on one of the lists below, we feel your disappointment. It takes enormous courage to enter our competitions and share your work with industry professionals so congratulations for trying. We want to encourage you to take some time to dust yourself off, and carry on. You write because you love it, and that is key.

You may have just missed out this time, but there will be more opportunities ahead. Keep going. We're willing you on and sending you every good wish.

Now, can you see your title below?

If you can, check back on Monday 14 July 2025 to see if you made the top three.

I Am Writing ACTION/ADVENTURE Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 3,500 words of any type of Action / Adventure novel for adults along with a one-page synopsis.

Judged by: John Baker, Literary Agent at Bell Lomax Moreton.

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with John Baker

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with John Baker

3rd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with John Baker

I Am Writing CHAPTER BOOKS / GRAPHIC NOVELS Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 2,000 words of any type of chapter book / graphic novel. Chapter books / graphic novels should be suitable for 6-9 year olds. A one-page synopsis was also required.

Judged by: Millie van Grutten, Literary Agent at RCW Literary Agency.

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with Millie van Grutten

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Millie van Grutten

3rd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Millie van Grutten

I Am Writing COSY CRIME Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 3,500 words of any type of cosy crime novel for adults along with a one-page synopsis.

Judged by: Louise Buckley, Associate Literary Agent at Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency.

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with Louise Buckley

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Louise Buckley

3rd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Louise Buckley

I Am Writing CRIME / THRILLER Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 3,500 words of any type of crime / thriller novel for adults along with a one-page synopsis.

Judged by: Rachel Neely, Literary Agent at Mushens Entertainment.

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with Rachel Neely

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Rachel Neely

3rd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Rachel Neely

I Am Writing HISTORICAL Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 3,500 words of any type of historical novel for adults along with a one-page synopsis.

Judged by: Thérèse Coen, Director and Literary Agent at Susanna Lea Associates.

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with Thérèse Coen

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Thérèse Coen

3rd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Thérèse Coen

I Am Writing HORROR Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 3,500 words of any type of YA or adult horror novel along with a one-page synopsis. YA is classed as being suitable for age 15+ for this competition.

Judged by: Jade Kavanagh, Literary Agent at Darley Anderson.

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with Jade Kavanagh

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Jade Kavanagh

3rd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Jade Kavanagh

I Am Writing LITERARY/UPMARKET Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 3,500 words of any type of Literary/Upmarket Fiction novel for adults along with a one-page synopsis.

Judged by: Liv Maidment, Head of Books and Literary Agent at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with Liv Maidment

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Liv Maidment

3rd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Liv Maidment

I Am Writing MIDDLE GRADE Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 3,500 words of any type of Middle Grade novel along with a one-page synopsis.

Judged by: Penny Holroyde, Director and Literary Agent at Holroyde Cartey

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with Penny Holroyde

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Penny Holroyde

3rd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Penny Holroyde

I Am Writing PICTURE BOOKS Competition

Entrants were invited to submit up to two texts of no more than 600 words each, in prose or verse, that are perfect for sharing with children aged 3-6.

1st Prize: £250, a one-to-one Zoom editorial consultation with the Little Tiger editorial team to discuss the winning submission plus a £50 book token

2nd Prize: Written editorial feedback and a £30 book token

3rd Prize: Written editorial feedback and a £20 book token

I Am Writing ROMANCE Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 3,500 words of any type of YA or Adult romance novel along with a one-page synopsis. YA is classed as being suitable for age 15+ for this competition.

Judged by: Rebeka Finch, Literary Agent at Darley Anderson Agency and Associates.

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with Rebeka Finch

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Rebeka Finch

3rd Prize: A 15 minute consultation with Rebeka Finch

I Am Writing SCI-FI / FANTASY Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 3,500 words of any type of YA or Adult Sci-Fi / Fantasy novel along with a one-page synopsis.

Judged by: Laura Bennett, Associate Literary Agent at The Liverpool Literary Agency

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with Laura Bennett

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Laura Bennett

3rd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Laura Bennett

I Am Writing TEEN / YA / NA Competition

Entrants were invited to submit the first 3,500 words of any type of Teen, Young Adult or New Adult novel along with a one-page synopsis. Teen entries should be suitable for 13-14 year-olds, YA books for 15-18 year-olds and NA for 18 year-olds and readers in their early 20s.

Judged by: Gyamfia Osei, Literary Agent at Andrew Nurnberg Associates

1st Prize: £250 plus a 30 minute online consultation with Gyamfia Osei

2nd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Gyamfia Osei

3rd Prize: A 15 minute online consultation with Gyamfia Osei

FAQS

Most frequent questions and answers:

Who can I contact if I have a question about the competition?

Please email us at: competitions@iaminprint.co.uk if you cannot find the answer to your question in the FAQs or the competition guidelines when you click through to the entry platform.

When will the shortlist be announced?

The shortlists will be announced on Monday 23 June 2025 on the www.iaminprint.co.uk website and across our social media platforms.

When will the winners be announced?

The winners will be announced on Monday 14 July 2025 on the www.iaminprint.co.uk website and across our social media platform.

If I am shortlisted or win will my entry be published on the website?

No. We will only publish the shortlist / entry title, not the actual document.