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Submission Guidelines 

• Please submit the first 5,000 words of your debut novel (envisaged to be no less than 60,000 words) together with a one-page full synopsis and a page of information about yourself (inc. date of birth) and what inspired this work.
• All entries are via email, no hard copies will be considered. Please submit your work as a Word document clearly labelled i.e. Author/Title. Please do not send large files or images. All submissions should be 1.5 or double spaced.
• Entry is via email, which will be acknowledged, debut@jennybrownassociates.com.
• Submissions close on 31 May 2023 and if we want to see your full manuscript we will be in touch by 15 June 2023. Note that you do not have to have entirely finished your work to be considered, but do have it ready in case it is called in.
• The shortlist of up to 6 will be announced on 27 July 2023 and the winner announced at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on 26 August 2023.
• This prize is open to all unpublished and unrepresented debut novelists aged 50 and above, writing for adults, UK residents only.
• The prize will consist of £1,000 and a week’s residential placement at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre for the winner and mentoring sessions with experienced writers, editors, and agents as appropriate for the runners up on the shortlist.
• Please note, as we do not generally represent the following categories, we will not be considering science fiction, horror or fantasy.
• Further questions? Please see our FAQ.

Terms and conditions

• This competition is organised by Jenny Brown Associates, 31 Marchmont Road Edinburgh EH9 1HU.
• The debut novel award is open to all unpublished and unrepresented writers resident in the UK aged 50 and above.
• The competition is open to anyone who is aged 50 on 31 May 2023 (ie if you were born on or before 31.5.73).
• Entrants must be unpublished fiction writers and entries must not have been published in any format (physical, eBook, audio) prior to entry. The exception to this is that if you have published short stories, non-fiction, poetry or children’s books as an unrepresented author it does not make you ineligible.
• If you have self-published one or more novels, you are ineligible.
• Writers may only enter this Award once, with one novel.
• The entry must be original, not involve another party, and must be in English, not a translation.
• A full manuscript, or a substantial portion of the work (envisaged to be no less than 60,000 words) has to be available if called in.
• Submissions open on 1 May 2023 and closing date for entries is 31 May 2023. No entries received after 23.59 on 31 May 2023 will be accepted.
• Entry is via our email debut@jennybrownassociates.com
• Entries may not be altered after submission.
• Please inform us immediately if you have submitted this work for another prize and been successful or have accepted representation elsewhere.
• The prize is £1,000, plus a week’s placement at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre for the winner including reasonable travel expenses, runners-up will receive mentoring sessions with established writers, editors, or agents as appropriate. The winner and runners-up may be offered representation by Jenny Brown Associates.
• By entering the competition you are agreeing to publicity associated with the prize.
• The winner of the competition will be chosen by an experienced panel.
• The entry instructions are part of the Terms and Conditions for this competition. By entering the competition you are agreeing to accept these Terms and Conditions. Any breach of these Terms and Conditions by you will mean that your entry will not be valid, and you will not be allowed to enter.
• Any personal information you give us will be used solely for this competition and will not be passed on to any other parties without your agreement. Copyright in your work remains yours at all times, however Jenny Brown Associates may wish to use limited extracts on their website or online in promotion of the prize.
• Jenny Brown Associates reserves the right not to award a first prize and to reallocate the prize pool as they see fit. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.