Hookline Novel Competition
The Readers' Choice
The Hookline Novel Competition is open only to students and graduates of MA
writing courses. But rather than judge the competition ourselves, we have turned
judging over to book club readers from around the UK.

The competition takes ten months and is in two stages:
1. Writers begin by submitting the first three chapters and a 300-word synopsis
of their novel.
Each book club is given a selection of these works to read and must decide
which show the most promise. Entries that find favour with readers are put on a
short list.

2. Favoured writers submit their complete work. These are typeset and bound
into individual paperbacks using POD printing. The books are sent to reading
groups who are asked to rate the works on four criteria: plot, character
development, writing style and reader satisfaction.

This is the first writing competition to link new writers with serious consuming
readers.

Writers should initially submit the first three chapters and a 300-word synopsis
(think of this as the description on the back of a book jacket and use it to engage
potential readers).

The winning manuscript will receive a publishing contract from Bookline and
Thinker Ltd.

Deadline for submission of the first three chapters and 300-word synopsis -
January 31, 2012.
Deadline for submission of the full novel - June 30, 2012. The winner will be
announced in early November, and publication should coincide with the London
Book Fair 2013.

To Apply:
1. Submit the application form on Hookline Application

2. Email, as Word attachments, the first 3 chapters of your novel (8,000 word
max. if chapters are long or chapter form not used) along with a 300 word
synopsis of your novel. Send to: fictioneditor@booklinethinker.com

3. To make life easy for our reading groups, we typeset and bind the works into
book form and then mail multiple copies. This is expensive, therefore we must
charge a submission fee of £50. This can be submitted via Paypal or by cheque
made out to Bookline and Thinker Ltd. (address below).
Bookline and Thinker Ltd
#231, 405 King's Road
London SW10 0BB
Tel: 0845 116 1476
Hookline Rules:

  • The Hookline Novel
    Competition is open to
    students and graduates of
    MA writing programmes in the
    United Kingdom.
  • The work must be in English
    and not previously published.
  • Entry must be the original
    work of the named entrant.
  • Entrant must personally
    submit the entry.
  • Each entry must be
    accompanied by a 300-word
    synopsis.
  • Single novel entry only.
  • Deadline for submission of
    the first three chapters is
    January 31 2012. (If chapter
    form is not used, or chapters
    are particularly long, we limit
    your submission to 8,000
    words)
  • Entries must be submitted
    electronically as a Word
    document with name and
    contact details on a cover
    sheet. Please include no
    unusual fonts or insignia. If
    you do not know how to use
    page numbers, headers or
    footers in Word, then please
    do not put them in manually
    (simply omit and we will insert
    them ourselves).
  • Writers who reach the short
    list should be prepared to
    submit a complete novel by
    30 June.
  • Copyright remains with the
    writer.
  • The winner will be offered a
    publishing contract with
    Bookline and Thinker Ltd.
  • There is no cash or
    alternative to the prize stated,
    and the prize is not
    transferable.
  • Bookline and Thinker Ltd are
    not responsible for any failure
    of receipt of entries.
  • Writers with agents are
    welcome to enter the
    competition, but the terms of
    the contract will not be
    changed.
  • Entries should be emailed to
    fictioneditor@booklinethinker.
    com
  • We must charge a £50 fee to
    cover printing and mailing
    costs to book clubs (this
    covers both stage one and
    stage two of the competition
    should you be shortlisted).
    This is payable by Paypal or
    by mailing a cheque to
    Bookline and Thinker Ltd.
  • Submission of an entry will be
    deemed acceptance of these
    conditions.
Hookline First Lines
Competition

To add interest to Hookline,
we will post the first sentence
of all entries on the website
and give the public the
opportunity to vote for the
best.

We recognise that the first
line does not define the whole
novel, but it is the gateway to
the story.
Think hard about that first
sentence.