F – Flash 500’s a “Novel Opening” Contest

Welcome to our Novel Opening & Synopsis Competition!

Have you started, or completed, a novel with strong, credible characters and a page turning plot? Have you honed the first chapters? Can you put together a compelling synopsis? Yes? Then why not enter our Novel Opening competition and have your work judged by Headline Publishing? We welcome published, self-published and unpublished novelists. The only stipulation is that the entry must be unpublished.

We are looking for a novel opening up to 3,000 words, plus a synopsis  of the story (max 750 words) to be submitted together in a single file. If your first chapter is longer than 3,000 words, DO NOT SUBMIT A LONGER MANUSCRIPT. Simply close the entry within the 3,000 word limit and make a note at the end (which will not be included in the word count) stating the chapter continues beyond this point.

Entry fee: £10 for one novel, £18 for two novels, £26 for three novels

Optional critique of one chapter and Synopsis: £25 per story

Prizes will be awarded as follows:

• First: £500
• Runner up: £200
• General Rules
  • Entries must be in English.
  • Entries must be the work of the entrant and must not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.
  • Entries may have appeared online in private (password protected) peer review sites, but should not have been published in any commercial online form including blogs or personal websites.
  • The competition is international and welcomes non-UK entrants.
  • Copyright remains with the author.
  • The decision of the judges is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • The closing date for entries is midnight (UK time) on the 31st October. Winners will be notified by email within six weeks of each closing date.
  • The results of the competition will be published on the competition website.
  • Chapters must not exceed 3,000 words and must be accompanied by a synopsis (750 word max).
  • Manuscripts must not show the name or address of the entrant, but must include the title.
  • Entries should be submitted via the entry form as a Microsoft Word Document (.doc or .docx), OpenDocument Text (.odt), Rich Text File (.rtf), or PDF (.pdf).
  • Entries will not be accepted without payment.
  • No corrections will be accepted or refunds given.
  • Entries not complying with competition rules will be disqualified.