The Chapter One Prize 2026

The Chapter One Prize is organised by Gutsy Great Novelist, a writing community and platform led by award‑winning novelist and teacher Joan Dempsey. The prize seeks the strongest opening chapter of an unpublished novel‑in‑progress written in English, giving novelists international exposure and cash awards for compelling first chapters.

The competition is open internationally to writers aged 18 and over working on an unpublished fiction novel in any adult genre (including many adult and young‑adult categories, but excluding middle‑grade). Entrants must submit only the full first chapter of their novel‑in‑progress; submissions must not include title pages, dedications, prologues, introductions, or other pages. There is no page or word limit specified, but submissions must be formatted to industry standards. Each entry is judged blindly to identify strong narrative openings

Cash prizes are awarded for the top entries, with at least three prize levels including first, second, and third cash awards. All entrants (winners and honorable mentions) agree to allow their winning chapters to be posted on the contest website

Is this competition legit?YES! – Based on our research this event is legitimate and the organizer is well established. However, as with any event, please remember to do your own research before submitting your work.

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