Mslexia 2011 Women's Novel Competition

As part of my ongoing quest to find writing competitions for YA authors, I've discovered this contest for unpublished women writers.  The first prize is £5000 and it's open to novelists writing in any genre for adults, including young adult fiction.  Mslexia can't guarantee that the winner will secure an agent or a deal, but they do promise that agents and editors will be falling over themselves for a first read of the winning manuscript.


Although the entry fee is high, Mslexia are aiming at a wide range of authors, including new writers and women who have struggled to find an agent in the past.  They'll also accept self-published novels.

The brief submission guidelines are as follows:

Closing date: 30 September

Entry fee: £25
Send up to 5,000 words – which must be the first 5,000 words of your novel. Please make sure you have finished the novel (at least 50,000 words) before you send your entry.

You can find more information on the Mslexia novel competition page.