The Strongest Start Novel Competition 2023 Has Launched

Thanks Sol, this should be a good experience.
Good point Dirk. I'd prefer keeping it to my pen name. When you say "likeness" do you mean a picture?

Thanks
George FLC

I edited the section you referred to since we have never released someone's name and pen name together and have never publicized city or state.

Hello.

Just wanted to give an update to my science-fiction novel, Maiden. The first three chapters won the 2018 Strongest Start contest. A full first draft is posted on the site if you're interested--just know that the contest chapters are the more recently revised of that full draft. And that full draft is...really rough.

Maiden is slated for revision and release around June, 2023. I have a novella and novel ahead of it--these are also already written but need extensive revision. (I just started Null Warden--the first revised portion has been posted.) One of the prizes winning the contest was having those three chapters reviewed by an industry professional. She made pointed and helpful suggestions, and I'm pretty psyched to head into those revisions. I also plan to pen a short story to expand upon the history of Brethren Space--who the humans are and how they ended up where they are. It'll be a reader magnet at the end of Maiden--sign up for my newsletter and receive a free short story. You know the drill. I will share the cover for both when I have them to show.

I first started Maiden way back in 2011 or 2012, and put it aside when I decided I just wasn't ready to finish what I'd started--roughly 11,000 words down the drain. I'm pleased with the progress I've made with the manuscript thus far, and can't wait to share the final story with everyone as the time approaches.

Write on!

You can submit as many entries as you want.

Hi Sol,
Question: Would a prologue count as a chapter? If not, do I include it with the three, or just leave it out and only submit the first three true chapters?

Thanks, Lauren

Question: Can you clarify the Three Chapter rule? Are we talking three submissions to the website as chapters 1, 2, and 3? or Are we talking about three actual chapters from the book? When I first joined here, I was encouraged to cut my chapters in two when I submit them for critique here to encourage more readers. So the natural break you might have on a book chapter won't show up with the breaks we see here.
Can you clarify this rule? Thanks

Sol--
I'd really like to know if by submitting as many entries as you want means that they will all be considered, or just the last two entries as in the other contests on this site.
dags

Do anthologies count? Each chapter is a different short story or poem. Thanks.