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Submissions open September 1, 2026!
The Novel Excerpt Contest quickly became one of our favorite contests, so of course it’s returning for the sixth consecutive year. Writing a novel is tough work, and we want to encourage everyone who’s undertaking this arduous journey to share their most exciting excerpts. We’re looking for resonant narratives, memorable characters, a voice that’s uniquely yours. We’re looking for excerpts that stand alone, that do not require a synopsis for understanding. Most importantly, we’re looking for excerpts that grab us from the get-go and refuse to let go. As always, we have no limitations on genre, though we are primarily interested in literary fiction. Submissions for the Novel Excerpt Contest will open on September 1 and close on November 8, 2026.
This year’s guest judge: Chinelo Okparanta, author of Under the Udala Tree, the forthcoming This Impossible Life, and more! Okparanta will select three finalists from a shortlist provided by The Masters Review’s editorial staff. The winning excerpt will be awarded $3,000; online publication; and an hour-long consultation with Marin Takikawa, a literary agent with The Friedrich Agency. Second- and third-place excerpts will be awarded online publication and $300 and $200 respectively, in addition to written feedback from Takikawa.
There’s nothing I enjoy more than immersing myself in a good book. For me, it’s about a captivating voice, an alluring tone, beautiful language throughout, and an original premise. It’s also about how compelling I find the characters. But mostly, it’s about how focused the novel is where the main conflict is concerned. What primary narrative thread should I be following? Too many novels lose their way with a scattering of unfulfilled and unfulfilling plot strands. In reading these excerpts, I’ll be looking for a unique voice and tone, a compelling cast of characters, gorgeous sentences, and an original premise. More than that, I’ll be keeping an eye out for an expertly handled and affecting central plotline.
—Chinelo Okparanta, Guest Judge
Submission Guidelines
- The winner receives $3,000; online publication; and a consultation with Marin Takikawa, a literary agent with The Friedrich Agency.
- The second- and third-place finalists receive cash prizes ($300/$200), online publication, and agent feedback.
- Submitted excerpts must be under 6,000 words.
- Submitted work must be previously unpublished. This includes personal blogs, social media accounts, and other websites. Previously published excerpts will be automatically disqualified.
- Simultaneous and multiple submissions are allowed, though each submission requires a $20 entry fee.
- Writers from historically marginalized or underrepresented groups are invited to submit for free until we reach fifty submissions in this category.
- If your excerpt is accepted or contracted elsewhere, please withdraw your submission on Submittable, or contact us otherwise to let us know the piece is no longer available.
- We do not require anonymous submissions for this contest, but the judge will review the shortlist anonymously.
- This contest is for emerging writers only. Writers with single-author book-length work published or under contract with a major press are ineligible. We are interested in providing a platform to new writers; authors with books published by indie presses are welcome to submit unpublished work, as are self-published authors.
- International submissions are allowed, provided the work is written primarily in English.
- No translations, please.
- All submissions must be double-spaced with one-inch page margins and use 12pt Times New Roman or Garamond font.
- Excerpts from novels under contract for 2026 or 2027 are ineligible, but novels under contract from 2028 and beyond are eligible.
- The contest’s deadline is 11:59pm PST on Sunday, November 8, 2026.
- All entries are also considered for publication in New Voices.
- Every submission will receive a response by the end of March 2027. The winners will be announced in May 2027.
- AI-generated or -assisted submissions will be automatically disqualified.
- Friends, family, and associates of the guest judge are not eligible for this award, nor are past winners of the Novel Excerpt Contest.
About the Judge
Chinelo Okparanta was born and raised in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Her new novel, This Impossible Life, will be published on November 10 by Mariner. Her debut short story collection, Happiness, Like Water, was nominated for the Nigerian Writers Award, longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, and was a finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, and the Etisalat Prize for Literature. Her first novel, Under the Udala Trees, won a Lambda Literary Award, was a finalist for the International Dublin Literary Award, was nominated for the Kirkus Prize and Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and was a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice. She was a finalist for the 2025 Dos Passos Prize and the Caine Prize for African Writing. She has published work in The New Yorker, Granta, Harper’s Bazaar, Lit Hub, Tin House, the Kenyon Review, AGNI, and was named one of Granta’s Best of Young American Novelists. She received her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and she is currently Associate Professor of English Literature and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Swarthmore College.
Editorial Letter Option
If you’re interested in getting feedback on your writing, utilize our editorial letter add-on option. Our response to your submission will be accompanied by a one- to two-page letter from an experienced guest editor, who will offer observations on the strengths of the piece as well as opportunities for revision. Your editor may also offer further submission and reading suggestions, or other comments on craft. A significant portion of the additional fee is paid directly to your feedback editor. See a sample editorial letter.
FAQ
Q: Does it have to have a beginning, middle, and end?
We want an excerpt that stands well on its own, that makes us want to read the full book. We want a sense of conclusion from the excerpt, but we also know that we’re only reading part of a novel and don’t expect all threads to be resolved. You can read last year’s winners at the links below for an example of the kind of novel excerpt we’re interested in.
Q: When should I expect to hear back?
We will try to respond to every submission by the end of March 2027, and hope to have the finalists announced in May 2027. If this timeline changes significantly, we will notify all authors. We appreciate your patience!
Q: Can I submit two chapters if they fall under 6,000 words?
You can submit as many chapters as you’d like, as long as the word count is under 6,000 words.
Q: How firm are you on word count?
We allow for some wiggle room; don’t force your revisions into 6,000 words. We’d rather read a couple hundred extra words than a cramped conclusion!
Q: Can I submit a synopsis/prologue with my excerpt?
We recommend that you don’t; your excerpt will be judged on its merit alone, and the synopsis will not be published alongside your excerpt.
Q: Can I submit with a cowriter?
Sure, but you’ll need to split the prize money.
Q: What if a small portion of the book has already been published?
As long as the excerpt you’re submitting has not been published in any form, and the novel itself has not been published, we’re happy to consider your work!
Q: What’s the deal with my rights if I want to publish my book eventually?
We ask for first publication rights of your excerpt only. All rights also revert back to the author after an exclusive ninety-day publishing window. Specific questions or concerns about publishing rights can be addressed to contact [at] mastersreview [dot] com.
Q: If I self-published my novel on my blog but later took it down, can I still submit an excerpt?
Unfortunately, because it’s been published in some form or fashion, the excerpt would no longer be eligible for this contest.
Congratulations to Nick Otte, author of “The Snag,” our 2025 Novel Excerpt Contest winner!
Second place: “Timeline of Events in Lieu of a Lobotomy” by Cecilia Beard
Third place: “For the Realm” by Dakota Collins
Honorable mention: “La Lucha” by AJ Rodriguez
The 2025 shortlist can be found here.
All previous contest winners can be found on our Past Awards page.