From Mslexia:

Want to win our 2019 Novel Competition?

We recently had 2019 novel competition judge Charlotte Robertson live on Mslexia Max, taking questions from users. She dropped some fascinating nuggets of info on exactly what she thinks makes a standout submission.

On top of a £5,000 prize, the winner of our novel competition will receive the option of representation from Charlotte (who brokered publishing deals for three previous finalists in this competition). The winner and four finalists will also receive manuscript feedback, and introductions to agents and editors at a special event held in London.

Scroll down to find out what Charlotte wants to see in your novel competition entry. Submit now for £25.

What makes a competition entry stand out?

CR: A story that grabs my attention from the very first paragraph. Gone are the days that we give a TV series more than the first episode to grab our attention, it’s the same with books – in fact, they have to work harder in competition with the numerous great TV Series we now have.

So, it shouldn’t take 50 pages to get going. Make sure the beginning draws the reader in, either by some form of intrigue of what’s to come, an event that grabs your attention, or an introduction to an unusual set-up, or characters that are really interesting. It is the stories that stay with us and that we want to debate that will do best.

What’s on your personal wishlist?

CR: My annoying answer: I want to read the thing that I’ve never read before that I didn’t know I wanted.

My more helpful answer: something that moves me (makes me cry one minute and laugh out loud the next), with characters that I can’t stop thinking about. I want a story that takes me by surprise, and makes me want to talk about it with everyone I meet.

Mslexia Fiction Competition 2019: Adult Novel

It is in the thousands of days of trying, failing, sitting, thinking, resisting, dreaming, raveling, unraveling that we are at our most engaged, alert, and alive.

The only way you’ll find out if you “have it in you” is to get to work and see if you do.

Competitions

There’s a word for a writer who never gives up: published.

The way we are living

Timorous or bold

Will have been our life

Following the success of the Greene Door Project, Greene & Heaton is delighted to announce the Greene Door Pitch Event. The Greene Door Pitch Event is an opportunity for aspiring writers to meet a literary agent, ask questions about seeking representation and the publishing process, and to discuss their work in a ten-minute one-to-one session. The event is open to unpublished writers from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Backgrounds and will be held at The Bush Theatre in Shepherd’s Bush, London on Saturday 1st June 2019 from 10.30am to 12.30pm. All attendees are encouraged to stay until the end of the event for mingling and more chat over tea and coffee.

To secure your space at the pitch event, please email Alisa Ahmed and Imogen Morrell at greenedoor@greeneheaton.co.uk by Friday 24th May. The event is first-come first-served and spaces are limited, so please email us as soon as possible to secure your place! After the event, the attendees will be encouraged to submit no more than 50 pages of their work to us at greenedoor@greeneheaton.co.uk, and one author will be selected to receive detailed feedback on their work from one of our agents.

http://greeneheaton.co.uk/the-greene-door/