2024 Writer of the Year
Unpublished manuscripts welcome!
1
Choose your
categor(ies).
2
Checkout.
3
Submit your entr(ies) via the Writer of the Year Google Form.
Prizes
All finalists will receive a certificate to celebrate their achievement and one grand prize winner will receive the gorgeous Serious Writer trophy.
Guidelines
Submission Guidelines
Payment and entries must be received by 11:59 PM Pacific on October 31, 2024 or submission will be disqualified. Payments are non-refundable.
Early Bird pricing ends September 30, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT.
- Submission lengths vary per genre category. Follow the instructions for your genre, which are included in the category dropdown area.
- Attach your document in a .doc , .docx, or .pdf format only and submit entry via the Google Form (below).
- Follow the formatting guidelines.
- Do not include your name on the manuscript. Your name and title are included in the Google Form.
Formatting Guidelines
Entries should be kept to the industry standards.
- 12-pt Times New Roman font
- Double-spaced
- 1” margins
- Include page numbers
- Include the title of the manuscript in the header. We use the title to track the entries, not the authors' name.
Submissions are uploaded via the Google Form. The link to the Google Form can be found in several places: below the checkout button on this page, in the thank you email you receive after checkout, and on the thank you page that appears after checkout.
Remember: Do NOT include your name in your manuscript!
Eligibility
- To hold to our standards for promoting Christian and clean writing, no extreme profanity, graphic sex, or R-rated+ content will be considered. Entries that contain these elements will be disqualified at the contest director’s discretion. Entry fees will not be refunded, nor will you be notified.
- All entries must be original works of the author or authors. No AI entries will be accepted.
- All entries must be submitted in English.
- No author who has a book-length work published in a category may enter an unpublished piece in that same category.
For example, if you are published (traditional or self) in romantic suspense, you cannot enter the Almost an Author award in that category. However, in this same example, if you are published in romantic suspense, you are allowed to enter the Almost an Author award for speculative fiction.
Please note: A novella is considered to be a book-length work. - Updated Rule for 2024: Entries may be entered even if they have been published for pay online or in a newspaper/magazine.
- Entries will not be returned.
- Any category receiving less than the minimum submission requirement will be combined with the closest genre category. The contest director reserves the right to cancel a category if the level of submissions is not up to industry publishing standards.
Categories
Indicate on your Google form which category your entr(ies) best fall into. Click the tab below to reveal the categories (aka sub-genres).
Please Note:
The page length for submissions varies. Submission length is indicated next to each category in the dropdown menu.
ALL genres are eligible, with the exception of erotica and horror.
If you don't see your category or sub-genre listed, you can still enter. For instance, there are several sub-genres within Romance and we may not have them all listed. In the case that you're not seeing your specific sub-genre:
1. Choose the genre that best fits your work.
2. When you complete the Google Form, you can leave a note with your specific genre.
Do not email or message Serious Writer asking us to determine which category your work should be entered.
Fiction Categories
Nonfiction Categories
Children's Categories
Enter Here
Step 1: Checkout and Pay
Step 2: Complete the Google Form and Submit Entry / Entries
Please Note:
Both steps (checkout + Google Form) must be completed for your entries to be judged.
All payments and contest entries must be received by October 31, 2024 at 11:59 PM Pacific.
Early Bird pricing ends September 30, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT.
*Tip: You can lock in the Early Bird pricing and still have time to submit the Google Form and entry/entries, which are not due until the end of the contest period: October 31, 2024.
Step 1: Checkout
Click the image or button below to be taken to checkout. You can choose the number of entries on the checkout page.
Step 2: Fill out the Google Form
The link to the Google Form is included below the checkout link. It can also be found on the Thank You page and will be sent to your email upon completion of payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't see your question listed below, you can email us at [email protected].
Can I resubmit a manuscript if I entered it in a past year?
If I am under contract for a book to be published, but it has not yet been published, can I still submit under Writer of the Year?
Do I submit a Word document or a PDF for the Writer of the Year?
Can I submit an entry if it was published on a blog or website?
Do the judges provide feedback?
How will the winners be notified?
Questions? Email us at [email protected].
