The DM has teamed up with Transworld publishers and the winner will win a £30,000 publishing contract and the winning book will be published April 2008.

Details at either:

www.dailymail.co.uk/books

or

www.booksattransworld.co.uk.

Casey

Thanks for that Casey. I'm definitely going to enter!

Extra incentive to get my book finished and edited before July too...

Yes, it's a good deadline to have.

I've read the terms and conditions - wonder if you can submit to agents at the same time... don't see why not.

Casey

Good find.

Yes, a very good deadline indeed for those of us editing and polishing the "finished" novel. I was going to sent mine to an agent this summer anyway....

It gives me something to aim for, which is good.

I'm also thinking of submiting to agents as well as the competition. I assume its best to tell agents in the covering letter that we are also submiting to the competition?

I assume its best to tell agents in the covering letter that we are also submiting to the competition?

I wouldn't - any more than you would if you were submitting to other agents. Similarly, if you get any interest or a request for the full MS then yes, you should.

Good opportunity to tackle getting published from a slightly different angle than the usual agent route. I hope they know just how many entries they'll have to deal with...

How encouraging, if you see what I mean, to read Joanne Harris's story. So much not an overnight success.

Emma

Any sign of a winner or shortlist? Should be judged by 2/10 and winner should know by 2/11. Anyone here heard anything? I'm still optimistic ( misguided fool) but they must have been swamped.

I'm hoping mine HASN'T won - lol ) It's my first
attempt at a novel, but as I'm currently working on my second, I feel it is so much better.

Good luck you two

The 6 finalists are going to be announced in their weekend magazine tomorrow.

Good luck all!!

Casey, re sending to agents too... I noticed this comp after getting an agent a few months back now. I suggested to her that I'd like to enter but she didn't think it a good idea as she said it would mean putting all subs on hold until after the competition was over. So, if you do have an agent, I would double check how they feel about it.

It is quite a dilemma for authors I think.

Sarah

Hmm. I think, personally, that it's out of line to ask a competitor to stop submitting for months - i mean, if you won and had submissions 'out there' you could just withdraw them. And the likelihood of getting a deal in the meantime, well, it's miniscule anyway!

In 2 years i must have had 30 odd rejections, so if i'd submitted one at a time, waiting 4-12 weeks for each one to come back before sending off the next...well, that's about 7 years at least!