The Prize - Expert Mentoring

Do you have a literary novel in you? Have you written the first chapter and a synopsis? Enter Lightship Publishing’s latest competition, First Chapter, for a chance to win the dream prize of every aspiring novelist.

Imagine getting priceless feedback from an acclaimed literary author, a top literary agent and a commissioning editor as you write your novel. That is what you get if you win First Chapter. You will receive three professional mentoring sessions over the course of a year from each judge: prize-winning British author Tibor Fischer; Simon Trewin of United Agents, Alessandro Gallenzi of Alma Books. You will also receive editorial support from author, Lightship editor, and Creative Writing tutor, Simon Kerr.

Not only will the winning First Chapter be published in the Lightship Anthology in 2011, but if, after the mentoring process, your finished novel is as enthralling as your First Chapter, Simon Trewin will agree to represent your work and Lightship Publishing and Alma Books will publish it as a book. Potentially, with a quote from Tibor Fischer on the cover, people will pick up your novel in a bookshop, and buy it. If your work is of the highest quality your mentors may become your champions. Winning First Chapter is a fantastic publicity platform to launch your novel and achieve the acclaim and sales that could secure you a career as a novelist in a highly competitive market.

The Rules

1. The Lightship International ‘First Chapter’ competition opens on 6th September 2010 and closes at midnight on 30th June 2011. Any first chapters submitted after the deadline will not be eligible for entry.
2. First Chapter entries should not exceed 5,000 words, an extra 400 words have been allocated for you synopsis (please put this at the start of your submission).
3. First Chapter entries should be accompanied by a one-page synopsis (plot summary). Any entries without a synopsis will be disqualified. (Please put this at the start of your submission.)
4. First Chapter is open to writers of any nationality writing in English. There is no restriction on theme or style.
5. First Chapter entrants must be 16 years of age or over.
6. First Chapter entrants must not have had a novel published before in book format by a literary or mainstream publishing house.
7. You can enter on-line, or by post. No entry form is required. If you enter by post please include your name and address on a separate sheet of paper along with the title of your First Chapter entry.
8. You can enter as many times as you wish. One First Chapter per entry fee.
9. Please do not put your name anywhere on your First Chapter entry. All judging is done anonymously. Any entries with names on them will have to be disqualified. If work is disqualified no refund will be given.
10. First Chapter entries cannot be altered or changed after they have been entered.
11. The winning First Chapter must be available for the anthology and, therefore, must not have been published previously in any form.
12. Please note that notification of receipt of entry will come from your payment processor (Paypal) and that no correspondence will be entered into once you have submitted your work.
13. First Chapter entries will not be returned under any circumstances.
14. We reserve the right to disqualify any entry if it has reasonable grounds to believe that the entrant has breached any of these First Chapter Rules.
15. We cannot accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrant entering the First Chapter competition.
16. We will act in accordance with current UK data protection legislation in relation to your personal data. All personal data entered on this site is secure.
17. The First Chapter judges' verdict is final. No correspondence or discussion will be entered into. We reserve the right to amend these Rules where it is deemed necessary to do so or where circumstances are beyond our control. Any changes to the Rules will be posted on the Lightship website.
18. Lightship Publishing reserves the right to not award the First Chapter prize, and to cancel the publication of the anthology, where circumstances are beyond our control, or if the judges’ overall verdict is that the level of entries is not up to the required standard for publication. In the very unlikely event of the competition being cancelled, entry fees will be refunded.
19. We reserve the right to edit (working with the author) the winning entry of First Chapter that will be included in the Lightship anthology.
20. Copyright for the first chapter of their novel remains with the First Chapter winner, but all entrants are deemed to grant Lightship exclusive worldwide license over their First Chapter entry for publicity purposes thereafter. Selected pieces may appear in electronic format on the Lightship website, or in other electronic forms.
21. Literary agent, Simon Trewin, Head of Books at United Agents Ltd, has first refusal on representation of the novel of winner of First Chapter. Simon Trewin has the right to refuse representation if the finished work is not up to the highest literary standard at the end of the year of mentoring (Oct 2012).
22. Alma Books, in partnership with Lightship Publishing, have first refusal on purchasing the worldwide publishing rights of the winner of First Chapter’s finished novel. Alma Books have the right refuse to offer a publishing contract if the finished work is not of the highest literary standard at the end of the year of mentoring (Oct 2012).
23. Submission of entry is taken to be an unqualified acceptance of all these Rules.

How to Enter

On-line entry costs £15

A First Chapter On-line Critique (optional) costs  £25

Postal entry costs £20. A First Chapter Postal Critique (optional) costs  £30. Please put your entry and the cheque in the same envelope. Cheques must be made out in the currency of the country from which they are sent, to the full value of the fee, or the entry will be deemed null and void. Cheques payable to Lightship Publishing Ltd. Send postal entries to: Lightship Publishing Ltd, Meredith Building, 23-33 Reform Street, Hull HU2 8EF, United Kingdom. Receipt of entry will be sent by email so please provide an email address. First Chapter entries will not be returned. Critiques will be sent by email.

On-line entries will only be accepted if entered through our website. Please do not send your stories as email attachments.

Please note that the cost of an On-line First Chapter entry is fixed at £15 Sterling. Conversion to your local currency will be done automatically by your credit card company, according to the exchange rate at that time.