Your chance to be a top author

Who hasn’t dreamt of having a novel published? Well, today the Mail gives you the chance to do exactly that. Send us part of your story and a synopsis, and you could win a book deal – with a £20,000 advance!

Have you ever dreamed of seeing your novel in a bookshop alongside those of your favourite authors? Is there a hard- edged thriller inside you, just bursting to get out, or a brilliantly researched historical adventure, a tear- jerking romance or even a comedy of modern manners?

Many of us dream of having a bestseller — but first you have to get your novel published, a daunting prospect in today’s competitive book market. Until now.

Today, the Mail and one of the world’s biggest and most respected publishers launch a search for the UK’s brightest literary talent.

For the winner, the prize will be life- changing — their book will be published by Little, Brown’s Sphere imprint, which boasts authors such as Robert Galbraith, val McDermid, Jenny Colgan and Clare Mackintosh.

Our chosen author will also get a £20,000 advance and be taken on by top literary agency LBa.

Previous winners — and runnersup — are now successful authors.

Our last, Louise Morrish, has just had her novel Operation Moonlight published (see panel, right). She hopes to follow in the footsteps of previous winners amy Lloyd and Lizzy Barber (both of whose works have been optioned for films) and Georgia Fancett. Their books were all published to great acclaim. BY ENTERING, your opening chapters and synopsis will be read by publishing professionals. If you win, an editor will help you shape and polish your first work of fiction, tackling plot problems, character development and scene setting.

although entrants must be aged 18 or over, there’s no upper age limit — after all, experience feeds imagination. even if you don’t scoop the first prize, it’s possible your book may be chosen for publication anyway if the judges decide it has potential. This has been the case with several runnersup in the past.

your entry must be written for an adult audience, can be in any genre except Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror and can be contemporary, historical, funny or tragic, dark or delightful, so long as it has an original voice, compelling characters and a driven plot.

The contest is for first- time authors who have not had any work of fiction published before.

It doesn’t need to be complete — just send 3,000 words, plus a 600word synopsis (including spoilers) to show where you plan to take your plot and characters.

See the How To enter box, right, for a short version of the terms and conditions — but make sure you read the full set online and agree to them before entering.

We have asked our judges to give you a taste of what they are looking for. They are bestselling novelist

Clare Mackintosh; ed Wood, Sphere publishing director; Darcy nicholson, Sphere editorial director; Luigi Bonomi, founder of the LBA agency; and Hannah Schofield, a leading agent at LBA. Completing the judges’ line-up is Sandra Parsons, Daily Mail literary editor.

So what are you waiting for? Read on — and start writing!

KEEP IT SIMPLE AND PUNCHY

Ed Wood, publishing director at Sphere

I’M a huge fan of novels that come with a unique hook. Whether they’re in my core area — crime and thrillers — or whether they are love stories, coming- of-age tales, family dramas… keep it simple and keep it punchy.

your crime novel, for example, might have familiar elements — the murderer and the detective, or the person afraid for their life, or the amateur sleuths who crack the big case — but finding a new and original concept, an angle no one else has thought of, is what it’s all about: give me that one-liner that just says yes, tell me more.

Then it’s all about danger and stakes: I want to hear about the characters inhabiting your world and what they’ve got to lose.

as long as a character has something crucial to lose — or to gain — then you’ve got a book people will want to read. and when a character’s needs come into conflict with another character’s desires, then you’ve got an exciting book, too.

and finally, it’s voice. voice is how you express your story. your concept is the book’s core, the characters drive the story, but voice is the writer’s expression.

every writer’s voice is unique and finding one you love, and readers will flock to, is the secret to success. Readers remember stories and characters, but voice is what will keep them coming back for more, year after year.

Concept, character, voice. now, let’s go.

PULL THE READER IN STRAIGHT AWAY

Luigi Bonomi, founder of the LBA agency

BEGIN with a great sentence that pulls readers in. Open mid- scene. This allows you to pull the reader straight into the heart of the story. you can always go back later to what happened before this scene, but this way you are immediately immersed.

all novels need a beginning, a middle and an end. Make sure you describe your plot in a simple synopsis, about 600 words, setting out exactly what happens.

CREATE A WORLD THAT IS REAL

Darcy Nicholson, editorial director at Sphere

WHENEVER I start reading a

manuscript, i am looking to be moved.

Whether i’m moved to tears, to laughter, to rage or to action i really don’t mind — but finding a story which is able to affect readers on that level is a great sign of a future hit.

The very best way to engage a reader is to build a world on the page that is so real, so visceral, that they feel every emotion alongside your characters.

So, listen to how people really speak and try to capture that in your dialogue. Observe how people really react to situations and work that into your scenes.

And i’ll never tire of my obsession with showing, not telling. Don’t tell the reader that your character is sad, find a way to show them.

This one takes practice, but it is worth the effort.

i publish novels by, for or about women; it’s a huge area — most books fall into this category, really — and, as such, i’m coming to this competition with an open mind.

i can’t wait to be surprised, delighted and, of course, moved by the entries.

SETTINGS MUST BE EVOCATIVE

Hannah Schofield, literary agent LBA i’M A very broad reader, and my favourite books include contemporary novels, thrillers, historical drama, romance — and many more.

i love to be drawn in immediately by the narrative voice, so starting your novel in the right place ( not, for example, by describing the weather or your character waking up) is key.

An evocative setting is something that’s really important to me in a book as well.

And if i’m in love with your book’s characters, i will follow them anywhere — ditto if i’m even a bit scared of them!

i will always be intrigued by a brilliant one-line pitch, or an interesting X meets Y comparison — both formulas are really ‘hot’ in publishing at the moment, and can be an excellent tool to hook a reader straight away.

A new spin on an existing trope, or a fresh take on a beloved classic will also definitely pique my interest.

And though plot can be worked on later, please give me all the spoilers in your synopsis — i want to see how you will structure your story, and whether there’s going to be an exciting lastminute twist…

Ultimately, i want to have fun while reading — so if you have fun while writing, i would really love to hear from you!

MAKE IT A TRUE PAGE-TURNER

Sandra Parsons, Literary Editor

GIVE me a reason to keep turning the pages, whether that’s to find out what happened next or what happened many years ago.

Make me believe in your characters and plot so much that i don’t want to stop reading until i know how it all ends.

The best novels are great stories — so tell me one!