It certainly wasn’t easy, but Nick Fuller Googins has made his selections: Congratulations to Nick Otte, author of “The Snag,” winner of the 2025 Novel Excerpt Contest! Congratulations also to Cecilia Beard, Dakota Collins, and AJ Rodriguez, our 2nd place, 3rd place, and honorable mention selections, respectively. Every year, we get to read so many wonderful novel excerpts—there is so much good work in progress, and our decisions are never easy as a result. Thank you to every single one of our submitters for making this one of our favorite contests! Stay tuned to read these terrific excerpts right here later this year.
Winner
“The Snag” by Nick Otte
Second Place Finalist
“Timeline of Events in Lieu of a Lobotomy” by Cecilia Beard
Third Place Finalist
“For the Realm” by Dakota Collins
Honorable Mention
“La Lucha” by AJ Rodriguez