11 Prizes for Your First Chapter
Everything you need to know about the Jotter Awards
Fiction is one of the best ways of finding truth—Amy Tan (author)
I write a lot of true stories, but fiction has a magical way of getting to the truth so directly.
You can share the depths of the human experience in ways you can’t always do with nonfiction. Even if that fiction story is based in the multiverse with alien life forms!
The other day, I promised more details on the First Chapter Awards I’m on the judging panel for so here they are!
Jotter First Chapter Awards at a glance:
Every story needs a great beginning.
Prize pool: $10,000 split into 11 awards—prizes for writers AND readers.
Word count: 1000-3000 words (short story length!)
Deadline to submit: Oct 15th
Winners announced by: Nov 15th (subject to the volume of submissions)
This really is worth a look. Jotter is a brand new platform so you have a good shot at a prize even if you’re an emerging fiction writer.
In fact, in my experience judging writing contests, strong entries come from a wide range of people—even fairly new writers.
And good writers often underestimate their talent. I see this all the time.
Give it a shot! You never know what will happen.
At minimum, you make a start on your novel and get to share your story with readers.
Also, NaNoWriMo is coming up in November (where writers around the world write a novel in a month) so this could be a great motivator!
I know you’ve got a story….Check out the range of genres:
What are the prizes available for writers?
Global Award: $2000 — judged by the Writer’s Council
Popular Choice Award: $2000 — judged by number of reads
Best Science Fiction Award: $500 (including genres like Apocalyptic, Space Opera, Time Travel, Steampunk, Solarpunk, Cyberpunk)
Best Fantasy Award: $500 (including Epic, High, Urban, Dystopian, & Superhero fantasy)
Best Horror Award: $500 (including genres like Supernatural Mystery & Gothic)
Best Romance Awards: $500 (including Contemporary & Historical romance)
Best Thriller Award: $500 (including Detective, Crime, Noir, Action, Spy thrillers)
Best Queer Lit: $500 (any genre featuring significant LGBTQIA2S+ representation)
Best Historical Fiction: $500 (including genres like Alternate History and Documentary fiction)
Not just for writers though! Here are the prizes available for readers:
Lucky Reader Award: $1000 — one avid reader on Jotter will be selected for this.
Best Constructive Critique: $500 x 3 — three readers will be selected by the strength of their compassionate and constructive comments on a piece of work uploaded on Jotter.
Sounds good, right?!
Okay, now some FAQ
How do I participate?
Sign up on jotterrevolution.com, pay for your monthly subscription, and download the app. Use the code “Jotter” to get the earlybird 60% off for 6 months.
Submit a first chapter on your desktop in an EPUB format. The chapter must be a maximum of 3000 words and a minimum of 1000 words.
Use the tag “firstchapterawards” on your upload.
Writers need to upload on the desktop version of the app.
Readers can download the app and read and comment on mobile.
FAQ:
Can I enter the competition without signing up for a Jotter subscription?
No, but thankfully it’s nowhere near as much as many contest entry fees!
Jotter members pay a minimal monthly subscription fee depending on their country of residence (USD4.99 / GBP 3.99 / INR 299) so that all the writers of this global community can be paid fairly for their work. As an early subscriber, Jotter are offering 60% off the subscription fee for the first 6 months using the code “Jotter.”
I know subscribing might put some of you off but there’s a reason for keeping it within the Jotter community. Jotter are trying to build a platform that supports writers and is a bot-free, community-focused space. When you open to the public with no barriers it often brings the trolls. (We all know how that goes).
I’ve signed up to the premium subscription because it lets me have 4 different profiles—one for me, one for my pen name, and two for my family members.
Can I upload work that I have published elsewhere?
Yes! You are free to share work that you've published elsewhere.
Can I upload work I have published to my personal social media or blog?
Yes, absolutely!
Can I submit a non-fiction chapter for the competition?
The First Chapter Awards are currently open only for fiction writings. You are welcome to upload non-fiction work, but it will not be considered for the awards.
Can I submit more than just the first chapter of my novel?
If you have more ready, you are welcome to! However only the first chapter will be considered for the competition.
What is the minimum and maximum word count for the first chapter to be eligible for the awards?
The minimum word count must be 1000 words and the maximum is 3000 words. Each entry will be read & considered as a first complete chapter of a book.
What format should submissions on Jotter be in?
Jotter accepts submissions on the desktop app in EPUB format.
Can I submit multiple first chapters of different novels?
You are welcome to submit as many different first chapters as you wish under any genre.
I don't have a chapter ready, can I still participate in the competition?
Yes! Jotter is as much for readers as it is for writers. The number of reads from you will decide who wins “Popular Choice Award.” As a thank you, Jotter also has one “Lucky Reader Award” and three prizes for the best comment or critique on a piece of writing uploaded on Jotter.
How will I know my work is being considered for an award?
You will get an email once you’ve tagged your entry on Jotter with the tag “firstchapterawards.” If you forget to tag your entry don't worry, any first chapter you upload will be entered automatically into the competition.
Can someone win both a genre award and the Global/Popular Choice award?
No, you will be considered for the top prize first. If you win the Global or Popular Choice award, you will not win the genre category.
Can my chapter win two different genre awards?
One entry will only win one genre award, even if the entry is eligible to be entered under two different genres.
Who is judging the awards?
Our writing council (including me!) will judge the entries for “Global Award” and genre awards, and the number of reads and comments from our readers will tell us who wins “Popular Choice Award.”
Will winners be featured?
Yes, all our winners will be featured on our social channels at the end of November 2024
Last things:
Deadline for first chapter uploads is Oct 15th.
You can use a writing/pen name however you will need to provide Jotter with your legal name and information if you win a prize (you can choose to use your writing name/identity for public announcements).
You reserve all rights to the work you upload. (Always!)
You can check out more directly on Jotter desktop (for submitting a story) and take a look at other people’s stories too on the Jotter mobile app.
Jotter are very happy to help if you’re struggling to upload your work. Just email them.
Let me know if you’re entering in the comments. Can’t wait to read your entries!!
Kelly xx
I've always wanted to participate in things like this. Never dared to. Now that I have multiple manuscripts near ready, but find myself afraid to share it, I'm tempted to do this so I kick myself out of that fear.
However, there's always a fear nagging in the back om my mind that I will lose the rights to my work and/or might lose out on publishing paths if I distribute a part of my work else where first...
How does this work with Jotter?