Novel Starts

Submissions are now open for the Sixth Annual NovelStarts Contest!

We will accept submissions for the 2025 contest from April 1-May 31, 2025.

Have you started a novel but haven’t yet finished it?
Are you wondering if it’s any good?

Or maybe you have a great story idea and have written a few pages but you’re not sure how to develop it into a complete novel.

If so, Novel Starts is the perfect contest for you!

The Scrivenings Press Novel Starts Contest offers a chance to bypass the dreaded slush pile because the Grand Prize winner will receive head-of-the-line privileges to submit to us once his or her novel once it’s finished.

NOVEL STARTS CONTEST PRIZES

Novel Starts Grand Prize — In addition to the ability to skip the slush pile and submit directly to us once your manuscript is finished, you’ll also receive thorough critique of up to 25 pages** of your manuscript; paid registration* for our annual author retreat to be held November 13-16, 2025, (details at ScrivCon.com); four ZOOM coaching sessions to help you complete your manuscript; AND a $75 Amazon gift card.

Genre Winners — The entry with the highest score in each genre will receive a critique of up to 25 pages** of your manuscript by a member of our editorial staff plus a $25 Amazon gift card. The Grand Prize winner’s genre will not have a separate genre winner, as that entrant will be awarded the grand prize package.

ALL ENTRIES will receive feedback from contest judges, who are all traditionally published in fiction, with tips to strengthen your writing.

*This prize only includes the registration fee ($399 value), which will include some of the meals. Travel, lodging, additional meals, and miscellaneous expenses are not included.

**Note: Do not submit 25 pages when you enter the contest. Novel Starts entries are 5 pages. Winners will be contacted so they can submit more pages for the in-depth critique. You do not have to have 25 pages written to enter the Novel Starts contest, but the winners will be awarded an in-depth critique on up to 25 pages.

Contest Deadlines, Rules, and Submission Guidelines

• Deadline: All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. (central time) on May 31, 2025.
• Winners: Winners will be announced at the Gala Awards Banquet (Saturday, November 15, 2025) at ScrivCon, and then posted to our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/scriveningspress) and Blog on November 16, 2025.
• Entry requirements: Entries must be unpublished in any format (print, digitally, or online). Entries must not contain any graphic violence, sex, or foul language (including euphemisms). Entries that violate these requirements will be disqualified and the entry fee will not be refunded. It is fine to have a Christian-based theme within your story, but if you do so, please make sure it is nondenominational so all readers with a Christian worldview will enjoy it.
• Submissions: Complete the form questions below and upload the first five pages of your manuscript prepared in standard manuscript format (page size 8-1/2 by 11 inches, 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins all around, black text on white background, and a 1/2-inch indent on the first sentence of each paragraph). Do not include any personally identifiable information on your manuscript–the contest coordinator will assign an entry number. All entries must be submitted via the Entry Form on this page. Entries sent via email, our contact form, or any other method, will automatically be disqualified. This form will be sent to our contest coordinator, who will assign a Contest ID Number to ensure all entries are confidential when sent to the judges.
• Genre Categories: Entries will be divided among four broad categories — Speculative; Historical; Contemporary; and Mystery/Suspense. For dual time (time slip) stories, you may enter in either the Contemporary or Historical categories unless your story would best fit with Speculative or Mystery/Suspense. If fewer than five entries are received within a category, we reserve the right to combine category entries and select one winner from the combined categories.
• Multiple Entries: You may submit more than one entry to the Novel Starts competition, but each entry must be submitted and paid for separately using the form below. You may submit the same entry to both the Novel Starts and the Get Pubbed contest as long as your entry complies with the Get Pubbed’s completed manuscript requirement.
• Entry fee: There is a fee of $25 per entry in the Novel Starts contest. Only paid entries will be considered.
• Judging: The first round of judging will be conducted by published fiction authors. All entries will be returned to the contest coordinator, who will tally the score sheets and submit the top three entries in each category to the final judges. Finalists will be notified no later than August 15, 2025, and will be requested to submit up to 25 pages of their manuscript within FIVE days of notification. Failure to submit the pages by the deadline will disqualify the entrant as a finalist. Finalist manuscripts will be judged by multi-published authors and/or members of the editorial staff of Scrivenings Press LLC.
• ScrivCon: All finalists will receive a coupon code that will allow them to attend ScrivCon 2025 at a discounted rate of $250. Category winners and the Grand Prize winner will be announced at the Gala Awards Banquet (November 15, 2025) at ScrivCon, which will be held in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Finalists who choose to attend the banquet in person are responsible to pay for their travel, hotel, optional Early Bird session, and any meals that aren’t included in the standard conference rate, including the Gala Banquet. The Grand Prize winner will be reimbursed for the cost of registration as well as the Gala Awards Banquet cost. Attendance to ScrivCon is optional and will not affect an entrant’s chances of winning. If you are named a finalist and have already registered for ScrivCon, you will be refunded a portion of your registration fee to bring your registration cost down to $250.
• Eligibility: United States residents ages 18 years of age and older are eligible to enter the contest who have not been traditionally published. Scrivenings Press LLC authors, staff, and employees are not eligible. Indie published authors are eligible to enter but entries must have never been published.
• Publicity: By entering this contest, you authorize Scrivenings Press LLC to use your name and/or likeness as well as the title and/or a short excerpt or quote from your entry to publicize the contest winners.
• All entrants agree to be added to the Scrivenings Press email community. Community members will receive periodic notifications of contests, sales, upcoming releases, and other news and announcements about Scrivenings Press LLC. You may unsubscribe if you feel the content is not relevant.
• Entry Confirmations – Once you submit the form, you will be redirected to PayPal. Please wait, as this may take several seconds (or longer if you have slow internet). Once your payment has been submitted, you will be redirected to a confirmation page. If you aren’t automatically redirected, please click the “Return to Merchant” button after you’ve paid. You will also receive an email confirmation with a recap of your entry. If you do not see this, please check your spam/junk folder. And you should also receive a receipt from PayPal (depending on how you have notifications in your PayPal account is configured).