The Next Big Author Competition

Entry is free for all nationalities. The publishing groups of many of the world's most famous authors - including Dan Brown, Terry Pratchett and Stephen King - join to support The Next Big Author in our competitions, and read and provide feedback on winners opening chapters. If you have written the opening chapters of a book at any time you can participate in our competitions. Join now and the site will alert you when we introduce the next competition within the next few months.


The Next Big Author initiative aims to encourage and support new talent towards literary success. Register with TheNextBigAuthor.com by the Register Now button below, and click on the competition rules above to view how to participate. Free to join and participate.

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Competition Rules

The Next Big Author New Writing Competition - Closing Date for entry is July 31st 2012 - Free for all nationalities to enter with feedback for the winners from the publishing groups of Dan Brown, Stephen King and Terry Pratchett, in association with Arts Council funding established youwriteon.com.

The publishing groups of many of the world's most famous authors - including Dan Brown, Terry Pratchett and Stephen King - join to support The Next Big Author in our new competition, and will read and provide feedback on the ten winners opening chapters. If you have written the opening chapters of a book at any time you can participate. Free to enter, view the rules below.

Competition Rules

1) You can enter the competition with opening chapters of any novel genre, between 5,000 to 7,000 words, which were written prior to July 31st 2012. The opening chapters can be from a complete or incomplete book, published or not published. You retain the copyright to your creative work at all times. Members of all countries can enter the competition.

2) Register with TheNextBigAuthor.com by the Register Now button on The Next Big Author homepage, and upload your opening chapters between 17th July and 31st July 2012 to youwriteon.com. Join the youwriteon.com site, and the site will take you through the steps to upload opening chapters on site in an automated process, including entering story title, synopsis and pasting opening chapters online. Allow good time before noon of 31st July 2012 to upload your chapters to youwriteon.com. Stories that are eligible for the competition will be identified on youwriteon.com by the date of upload which all stories are given when uploaded to youwriteon.com. Stories from existing youwriteon members as per (3) below will also be eligible for the competition.

If you upload to youwriteon.com as per the paragraph above then you are automatically entered into TheNextBigAuthor.com competition.

3) During August 2012, you should then exchange reviews on youwriteon.com by reviewing and rating fellow members opening chapters. For every review completed by you, your novel opening will be randomly assigned for review and rating by another member of the site in exchange. The youwriteon site automatically takes you through the review exchange process there once you click to upload your opening chapters. Entrants require a minimum of 4 reviews and ratings during August 2012 to enter the youwriteon.com story charts. On the 1st September 2012, the ten highest rated entrants from chapters uploaded between 17th and 31st July 2012, as rated by youwriteon members, will be announced by youwriteon.com. Also eligible for this Next Big Author competition, alongside those entering between 17th and 31st July as above, will be all existing youwriteon members who have uploaded a story at any time and who are exchanging reviews as normal in August 2012. These existing youwriteon members are automatically entered to this Next Big Author competition through their existing membership. The top three will be read by and receive an indepth critique of their opening chapters: either from Random House or Orion, and the other seven of the top ten highest rated opening chapters will be read by and receive a mini-review of their opening chapters from either Random House or Orion too. The critiques will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks for their Publishing House editors to complete. Members who have participated in youwriteon review exchange have as a result achieved book deals with leading publishers including Random House, Orion, Penguin, Harper Collins and Hodder.

4) The associated youwriteon.com site will assess the highest rated chapters on youwriteon from those uploaded in July 2012 and also from existing youwriteon members as above who meet the criteria for this competition. In the event of a tie for any of the top 10 places for this competition, youwriteon.com will randomly draw from those that tie to decide the final 10 winners. Participants accept by participating that the results as announced by youwriteon on the youwriteon.com site on 1st September 2012 are final and no correspondence will be entered into. Members participating on youwriteon.com have as a result achieved book deals with leading publishers including Random House, Orion, Penguin, Hodder, Little Brown and Harper Collins, see the youwriteon homepage.

We wish all entrants every success!

TheNextBigAuthor.com