The Times/Chicken House
Children’s Fiction Competition
Everything you need to know to be in with a chance of getting your first children’s novel published around the world. Good luck!
Your entry
Your full-length manuscript (no more than 80,000 words, with a suggested minimum of 30,000 words), suitable for children’ aged between 7 and 18, must be received by the closing date of October 26, 2012. Because of the large number of entries and substantial administration costs, an entry fee of £15 is charged. The address, submission criteria, payment details, tips and terms and conditions can be found at thetimes.co.uk/ competitions and at www.doublecluck.com. If you do not have Internet access, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to The Times/ Chicken HouseChildren’s Fiction Competition T&C request, Books, 3 Thomas More Square, London E98 1RL.
The longlist and shortlist
The Chicken House reading team will select a longlist of approximately 20 entries by January 2013, which will be announced on the Chicken House website (doublecluck.com) and at thetimes.co.uk/ chickenhouse.
Each of the longlisted authors will be notified and will receive an editorial report on their entry.
A shortlist of five entries will be announced by Chicken House and The Times in March 2013. The winner, selected by a panel of expert judges, will be announced in spring 2013.
The prize
The winner will be the entrant whose story, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the greatest entertainment value, quality and originality.
The prize is the offer of a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House, with a royalty advance of £10,000, subject to a signed contract.
The judges
Barry Cunningham (Publisher and Managing Director, Chicken House); Amanda Craig (Children’s Literary Critic, The Times); Neil Blair (children’s literary agency, The Blair Partnership); Simon Mayo (BBC Radio 2 presenter and children’s author); Rachel Lindsay (commercial director, Peters Bookselling Services); Cat Banks (children’s category manager, Bertrams); Claudia Mody (children’s buyer, Redhouse); Clare Randle (children’s range buyer, Waterstones); Rachel Levy (chairwoman, Youth Libraries Group); Ed Wood (editor, We Love This Book); Christine Baker (international scout and publisher, Gallimard Jeunesse)
Entrants must be aged 18 or over. One entry per person. Entries must be submitted by the author, not an agent. Entries must be the original work of the entrant and not previously commercially published and distributed (self-published works are allowed). The entrant must not have previously commercially published any whole children’s fiction book in any country. Entries must be written in English, picture books and graphic novels will not be accepted and illustrations will not be considered. Before entering, you must read the full terms and conditions