The First 500 Novel Competition is now closed
Announcing our finalists
Massive congratulations to our final 8, as chosen by our literary agent and publisher panel, who will read live in our online final on 18 December:
Ruth Guntrip-Hook – The Free Pass (Romantic Comedy)
Denny Jace – Hush-A-Bye (Psychological Thriller)
Alana Warbrick – Arcturus Nimble and the Space Pirates (Middle Grade Sci-Fi)
Afoma Mbanefo – Chigbo (Literary Fiction)
Hazel Needham – Ex Next Door (Contemporary Romance)
David Foster – In Search of Eva (Literary Fiction)
Annabelle Dodson – Blue Moon (YA Fantasy)
Julie Holden – Blood and Stone (Gothic Fantasy)
What we are looking for
We’re looking for openings that grab us from the very first line and make us want more! The First 500 Novel Competition is all about your opening 500 words…the start of a story that could go on to captivate readers, agents, and publishers alike.
You can enter any genre, memoir, or non-fiction — as long as it’s your opening 500 words.
A winning entry includes:
- Hint of plot – Even in 500 words, show a story taking shape. Introduce conflict or tension to spark curiosity without giving everything away.
- Quality of writing – We’re looking for writing that flows well, is easy to read, and makes an impression. Clear, confident storytelling will stand out.
- Voice and characters – Bring characters to life and let your unique voice shine. Originality and personality help your story stand out.
- Captivating opening – Hook us from the first lines. Whether through a twist, a scene, or your voice, make readers eager to turn the page.
We also offered a limited-availability upgrade to purchase 250 words of feedback on your first 500 words. Please note that this upgrade is now sold out. If you are interested in an in-depth, comprehensive editorial review of the first 20,000 words of your novel, you can find out more here.
Winner’s Prize
The overall winner will receive an incredible package to kickstart their writing journey:
Finalists’ Prize
Even if you don’t take the top spot, being a finalist comes with fantastic rewards to celebrate your achievement and keep your writing journey moving forward:
The Judging Process
All entries are anonymised and first read by the Jericho Writers team. If you’re new to us, you can meet our wonderful team of writers and passionate readers here.
Each entry is read by two reader judges on the team and scored out of 10, taking into account the quality of the writing, how your plot is shaping up, and how captivating your opening is.
Once we’ve narrowed it down to a shortlist of 16 writers, these entries are passed on to our external judging panel to select the 8 finalists.
Meet our agents and publishers
Meet the experts reading the shortlisted entries and joining the live finale!
With years of publishing, editing, and storytelling under their belts, they’re here to spot talent, cheer on great writing, and maybe even fall in love with your words.
Jess Whitlum-Cooper
Associate Publisher • Bookouture
- Bio
Jess has worked with some of the most compelling commercial storytellers in the industry, and her passion has always been to bring their voices to the widest possible audience. Before joining Bookouture, she was a Commissioning Editor at Headline. Prior to that, she began her career at Curtis Brown Literary Agency. She loves stories with memorable characters, an incredibly strong sense of place, and a standout hook that will have her gripped from the first page.
John Baker
Literary & Screen Agent • Bell Lomax Moreton
- Bio
John Baker joined Bell Lomax Moreton in 2019. Alongside building his list of clients, John leads the agency’s film and TV team and is Secretary of the Association of Author’s Agents. He also serves on the Kingston University MA Publishing Advisory Board. John specialises in speculative, sci-fi, fantasy, romantasy, supernatural and horror fiction for adult, YA and new adult readers.
Laura Williams
Literary Agent • Greene & Heaton
- Bio
Laura began her career at Peters Fraser & Dunlop in 2011 before joining Greene & Heaton as a literary agent in 2018. She has reviewed over 275 submission packs through our online Agent One-to-One service alone, and has participated in numerous Jericho Writers live events and festivals. Laura works across genres in adult fiction from literary to upmarket to commercial.
Sam Jordison
Jericho Writers Tutor & Publisher • Galley Beggar Press
- Bio
Sam Jordison is co-director of independent publisher Galley Beggar Press which boasts a list of prize-winning and critically acclaimed authors. Sam provides editorial services for Jericho Writers and is a tutor on our Ultimate Novel Writing Course. He also has experience as a journalist and author, having written several best-selling works of non-fiction. Sam’s work at Galley Beggar has given him experience handling a wide variety of genres in fiction and non-fiction.
Special thanks to our sponsors
We’re incredibly grateful to our Gold Sponsors for supporting this competition and helping make it possible.
Supported by
We’d also like to thank our Bronze Sponsor for their support:
How it works
Unlike other novel competitions, as an entrant, you are also part of the judging process! All entries will be read by two reader judges on the Jericho Writers’ Team. The entries are each given a score out of 10. This takes into account, the quality of the writing, the initial shaping of your plot, and how much your opening captivates the reader.
Once the deadline has passed, the Jericho Writers team will create a shortlist of sixteen entries based on their overall score. These sixteen pieces will be judged by our panel of literary agents and publishers, who will shorten the list to eight finalists.
Finalists will be contacted on 9 December, 2025.
Finalists & Live Event
Finalists will be required to make a video of themselves reading their entry on camera. Please consider whether you are comfortable with this before entering – but do not be put off by your recording abilities as we will help those of you less technical!
All finalists will attend the live online event on 18 December, 2025 at 7pm GMT and have their video recordings played to a live audience. Each finalist will receive feedback from our panel of agents and publishers. The audience will vote for the favourite entries via a live poll. This live poll will decide our winner.
The Rules
Everything you need to know about how to enter without breaking any rules
- Entry is open to all Premium Members of Jericho Writers or those who have purchased an entry. If your Premium Membership expires during the competition period you must either renew your membership or purchase an entry to remain eligible.
- The deadline for entry is midnight GMT on Sunday 30 November, 2025. Late entries will not be considered.
- You may only enter the competition once.
- To give a chance to new writers, finalists from last year are not eligible. Please take this into consideration before entering.
- You must be available to record a video of yourself reading your entry and attend the live online event at 7:00pm GMT on 18 December, 2025.
All entries must:
- Be your own unpublished work.
- To maintain fairness and uphold creative integrity, no AI-generated or AI-written work may be submitted. All submissions must represent the writer’s own original work.
- Be in a word document or PDF.
- Contain the first 500 words of your manuscript in any genre (to the nearest sentence end).
- We also ask that you include a synopsis of less than 350 words within the same document as your first 500 words. This is not judged or assessed in any way. It’s simply to give us some helpful context.
- Not contain your name, as judging is done blindly.
- We encourage everyone to enter the First 500 Novel Competition, no matter your background or where you are in the world. However, if you have already have an agent or are traditionally published at the time of entry, we ask that you leave this opportunity for those who could most benefit from it. This also includes any writer who has a contract with a traditional publisher but their book has yet to be published.
- If you have been previously self-published you are eligible. If you have previously been represented by an agent but are no longer represented, you are eligible for entry.
Premium Members you will need to log in first in order to enter the competition for free.
How to enter First 500
From first words to the finale stage
Last year, over 1,000 writers entered the First 500 Novel Competition and our finalists truly shone.
Hear directly from last year’s writers about their experience, what they learned, and how far those first 500 words have taken them.
Relive the 2024 Live Final
Come and watch last year’s finalists wow us with their first 500 words and find out the style of feedback our agents and publishers give.
It’s well worth the watch if you want the inside scoop on the type of writing that excites us and makes us vote ‘yes!’
Hear from last year’s winner!
We also have a very inspiring success story from Stephanie Torrance, last year’s First 500 winner to spur you on.
Stephanie shares how entering the competition gave her confidence, structure, and a major boost in her writing journey. Her story is a brilliant reminder that sometimes, all it takes is 500 words to change everything.
Let’s make this the month your writing really takes off.
Frequently asked
questions
Can I enter with a memoir / non fiction/ etc etc?
Yes, we will accept entries from all genres including memoir, non-fiction and children’s.
I paid for my entry but haven’t received my submission link via email.
It may take up to 15 minutes for your confirmation email, with the submission link, to reach your inbox. It’s also worth checking your spam just in case, before reaching out to our Writer Support team.
What should my entry include?
Your submission should consist of the first 500 words of your manuscript (to the nearest sentence end).
Your submission document should also include a less than 350-word synopsis. We ask for the synopsis only so that we can understand your opening in the wider context of the overall plot, and it will not be judged or assessed. Your synopsis doesn’t need to be the sort of polished synopsis an agent would expect to see in a submission pack, and you’ll have a chance to update this synopsis if you’re chosen as a reader for our live final.
I bought a £10 entry, but have since joined as a member. Can I get my £10 back?
Yes. As long as the 14 day refund window has passed, we can refund you the £10 entry. You must have an active membership at the time of the live final or you will be disqualified.
Will I get feedback on my entry?
You will only receive feedback if you purchase the £45 feedback upgrade. If you do, you will receive 250 words of written feedback from the Jericho Writers team before the end of the year.
I haven’t got a finished manuscript. Does this matter?
No, we want to champion writers with strong openings, whether they’re only a few chapters in or at the stage of querying a fully polished manuscript. However, bear in mind that if you’re chosen as a finalist or our winner, you will need to claim any prizes within their respective validity periods.
Who is eligible to enter First 500?
We encourage everyone to enter the First 500 Novel Competition, no matter your background or where you are in the world.
However, if you already have an agent or are traditionally published at the time of entry, we ask that you leave this opportunity for those who could most benefit from it.
This also includes any writer who has a contract with a traditional publisher but their book has yet to be published. If you have been previously self-published you are eligible. If you have previously been represented by an agent but are no longer represented, you are eligible for entry. Please check the rules section for the full details.
How does the judging process work?
The Jericho Writers team will judge all entries anonymously, reading the 500 words only with no identifiers. Each entry is read by two reader judges on the team and scored out of 10, taking into account the quality of the writing, how your plot is shaping up, and how captivating your opening is. Once we’ve narrowed it down to a shortlist of 16 writers, these entries are passed on to our external judging panel to select the 8 finalists.
Here’s what we’re looking for in a winning entry:
- Hint of plot – Even in 500 words, show a story taking shape. Introduce conflict or tension to spark curiosity without giving everything away.
- Quality of writing – We’re looking for writing that flows well, is easy to read, and makes an impression. Clear, confident storytelling will stand out.
- Voice and characters – Bring characters to life and let your unique voice shine. Originality and personality help your story stand out.
- Captivating opening – Hook us from the first lines. Whether through a twist, a scene, or your voice, make readers eager to turn the page.
At our live final, the audience will vote on their favourite finalist entry via a live poll, which will decide our winner.
What are the benefits to joining as a member instead of paying for entry?
Joining as a member not only gains you access to this and other competitions, but you will also gain instant access to 280+ hours of masterclasses, our AgentMatch database, video courses for writers, opportunities for feedback from the Jericho Writers team and our monthly live online writing events.
My Premium Membership ends before the competition closes – can I still enter / be shortlisted etc?
No. You must be an active Premium Member at the time of the live final on 18 December, or have purchased a £10 entry. If your membership expires before the final and you have not purchased a £10 entry, you will no longer be eligible, even if you’ve been shortlisted.
When are the key dates for the First 500 Novel Competition?
- The competition opens for entries on Monday 3 November, 2025.
- The competition closes at midnight GMT Sunday 30 November, 2025.
- The finalists will be contacted on Tuesday 9 December, 2025.
- The live finale will be held at 19:00 GMT Thursday 18 December, 2025.
Does it have to be from the opening of my novel?
Yes, it should be your opening 500 words. If you have a prologue, it should be the first 500 words of that prologue. When it comes to prologues, we always advise that if it’s not strong enough to enter into a competition and you’d rather enter Chapter One, you should consider whether you need the prologue at all.
What format should my entry be?
500 words (to the nearest sentence end) in an easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman, ideally double spaced. You can submit either a Word document or a PDF.
How do I make my entry stand out?
Premium Members can access our Opening Pages Resource Pack via the Jericho Writers Vault and we also have plenty of free articles available in our Blog.
Also, watch the replay of last years final (on this page), for an idea of what has wowed us previously!
I want to enter but can’t afford the entry fee. What can I do?
We try to make everything we do as accessible as possible but totally understand that for some people, paying to enter a competition isn’t financially viable. If this is the case for you, please get in touch at info@jerichowriters.com and we will try our best to make things work.
I am terrified of speaking on camera, help!
We’ll invite you to a practice session before the live event so you can get familiar with the tech. However, if this still sounds scary, you can submit a pre-recorded video or a member of the Jericho Writers’ team can read your work on your behalf.
Will agents and publishers be in attendance?
Yes. Two agents and two publishers will join the panel at the live final. Although they don’t choose the winner (that’s up to the audience) they will give feedback on each finalist’s entry! It’s a great chance to get your work heard by industry experts and hear their feedback.
Can I enter the First 500 Novel Competition if I was shortlisted/a finalist for last year’s First 500?
You can enter First 500 if you have previously entered or been shortlisted before, however, if you were a finalist last year you will not be eligible to enter this year to allow the opportunity to other writers.
Can I enter the First 500 Novel Competition if I was shortlisted/a finalist for Friday Night Live?
Yes – You can enter the First 500 Novel Competition even if you entered or placed in the Friday Night Live competition at the London Festival of Writing.