Submissions

FAQs

My online entry has failed, what should I do?

Can I enter my picture book/novel for adults/short story/short story collection/non-fiction/early readers book into the competition?

Can I enter two or more novels into the competition?

Can I enter my covering letter and synopsis in separate documents from my manuscript online?

I have already self-published my novel. Can I still enter it into the competition?

The word count of my submission is less than the suggested 30,000-word lower limit. Can I still submit?

I have previously had published a short story/poem/picture book/non-fiction/academic title. Can I still enter?

I have a literary agent. Can I still enter?

I have entered my manuscript into the competition before, but wish to submit it again. Can I?

I am under 18. Can I enter?

Is the competition open to international entrants?

Do you accept postal entries?

I’m not sure how to write a good covering letter and synopsis. Can you offer me some advice?

Who will read my manuscript, and can they offer me some feedback?

When will I hear whether I have been longlisted or shortlisted?

Will I be informed if I am not successful in reaching the longlist?

Should I include my name in the submission, or are submissions anonymous?

I have submitted online but although I’ve completed all the steps, the status of my order is still ‘processing’. Does this mean you haven’t received my entry?

If my order still shows as ‘processing’ after the competition deadline has passed, will I be disqualified?

Are there any spacing, font or other formatting/display requirements for online submissions?

What do you mean by ‘commercially published’?

I forgot to attach a part of my submission, e.g. my covering letter or synopsis. Am I automatically disqualified?

What if I want to update my manuscript after I’ve submitted?


I can’t afford the £20 fee. Can I get a reduction?

Does the ‘first look’ deal with Lime mean I’m signing over my TV/film rights?

My online entry has failed, what should I do?
In the first instance, please ensure you have followed these step-by-step instructions. If the problem persists, please email competitions@chickenhousebooks.com.

Can I enter my picture book/novel for adults/short story/short story collection/non-fiction/early readers book into the competition?
No. The competition is for full-length children’s novels only, aimed at children aged 7 and above, including YA.

Can I enter two or more novels into the competition?
No, we can only accept one manuscript per entrant.

Can I enter my covering letter and synopsis in separate documents from my manuscript online?
No. There is no option to enter multiple documents via the submissions portal. Our readers will be reading the submissions electronically and will need your submission as a single document to prevent any confusion.

I have already self-published my novel. Can I still enter it into the competition?
Yes, you may still submit a novel if it has been self-published.

The word count of my submission is less than the suggested 30,000-word lower limit. Can I still submit?
Yes, the word count limits are only suggestions based on our experience of novels for children aged 7+ up to (and including) YA – we are happy to consider shorter and longer submissions.

I have previously had published a short story/poem/picture book/non-fiction/academic title. Can I still enter?
Yes, you are eligible as long as you haven’t had a full-length children’s novel commercially published, anywhere in the world.

I have a literary agent. Can I still enter?
No, agented authors are not eligible to enter – after all, we accept ordinary submissions via all established literary agencies. If you gain representation after entry, contact competitions@chickenhousebooks.com to withdraw your submission, but please be aware that we cannot refund your entry fee.

I have entered my manuscript into the competition before, but wish to submit it again. Can I?
Yes. We understand that manuscripts can change significantly between drafts and we encourage writers to continue to improve their work.

I am under 18. Can I enter?
No. For legal reasons, the competition is open to writers over the age of 18 only. If you are under 18 and would like to receive an email with advice for young writers, please email competitions@chickenhousebooks.com.

Is the competition open to international entrants?
Yes.

Do you accept postal entries?
Unfortunately, we are no longer able to accept postal entries. The only way to enter the competition is through the submissions portal on our website. 

I’m not sure how to write a good covering letter and synopsis. Can you offer me some advice?
Both your covering letter and synopsis should not exceed a page each in length (single spaced). Your covering letter should consist of an introductory paragraph, a pitch about your novel and why you think it would appeal to the target audience, and a paragraph about yourself including any relevant writing experience. Your synopsis should be a factual explanation of the events in your book: please include all the major events, including the ending – no cliff-hangers, please!

Who will read my manuscript, and can they offer me some feedback?
In the first instance, your manuscript will be randomly allocated to one of our team of readers – these professionals work in children’s publishing and are experts at spotting literary talent. This team will select a longlist, which will then be scrutinised by Barry Cunningham and the Chicken House editorial team, who will select approximately five titles for the shortlist. Our prestigious panel of judges from across the publishing industry will read and discuss the shortlist before deciding on a winner. We offer a reader’s report for all longlistees (and supply judges’ feedback for shortlistees) but unfortunately, due to the large number of submissions received, we cannot offer feedback for everybody else.

When will I hear whether I have been longlisted or shortlisted?
We aim to announce the longlist on our website in August, the shortlist in September, and the winner in November. You can follow us on Twitter (@chickenhsebooks) to keep up with all the latest news.

Will I be informed if I am not successful in reaching the longlist?
Due to the number of submissions we receive, we will only get in touch with you if you are longlisted for the competition. If you have not heard from us by the time the longlist is announced, you have unfortunately been unsuccessful on this occasion. However, you are welcome to enter the competition again next time.

Should I include my name in the submission, or are submissions anonymous?
Submissions are not anonymous. These details are automatically included along with your submission. If you wish to include a header on each page with the entry title and your name, please feel free to do so, however this is not necessary.

I have submitted online but although I’ve completed all the steps, the status of my order is still ‘processing’. Does this mean you haven’t received my entry?
No – the order status only changes from ‘processing’ to ‘complete’ once we have downloaded your document onto our database. We intend to download the submissions in batches around the competition deadline, so there may be a delay of some months before you receive the ‘order complete’ email. We will contact you if there are any issues regarding your submission.

If my order still shows as ‘processing’ after the competition deadline has passed, will I be disqualified?
No, certainly not – the order status only changes from ‘processing’ to ‘complete’ once we have downloaded your document onto our database. Due to the expected volume of submissions there may be some delay in downloading all entries. We will contact you if there are any issues regarding your submission.

Are there any spacing, font or other formatting/display requirements for online submissions?
Apart from your submission needing to have been written on a word document, there are no other specific requirements.

What do you mean by ‘commercially published’?

A good rule of thumb is whether you received an advance against royalties. If you did not, we are happy for you to enter the competition. If you’re not sure, please feel free to email competitions@chickenhousebooks.com for confirmation of your eligibility.

I forgot to attach a part of my submission, e.g. my covering letter or synopsis. Am I automatically disqualified?

No. We will get in touch if anything is missing from your entry, even if the deadline has already passed – don’t panic.

What if I want to update my manuscript after I’ve submitted?
If you haven’t yet received notification that your entry has been downloaded (‘complete’), you should be able to login via the online portal and replace the uploaded manuscript with a new one. However, once we have downloaded your submission, it can’t be replaced. To avoid disappointment, please ensure you are happy with the version of your manuscript you are submitting before entering.

I can’t afford the £20 fee. Can I get a reduction?

Yes, you can. Please email competitions@chickenhousebooks.com for your discount code, which will reduce the fee to £15. Please ensure you do this by midday (UK time) on 1st June to allow time for you to enter before the deadline.

Does the ‘first look’ deal with Lime mean I’m signing over my TV/film rights?
No. The ‘first look’ deal means that if you are shortlisted, Lime will have exclusive right to consider your book for TV/film development for a period of 45 days after the winners’ announcement. This means that during this time, you may not submit the project to any other film/TV production companies. If Lime do not proceed with an offer, you or your literary agent may submit your novel to other production companies for consideration. If they do offer, they have 60 days of further exclusivity to negotiate the terms of the development contract with you or your agent. You are not required to sign any contract with Lime, nor does this affect any of your other rights.