2026 Uncharted Magazine Novel Excerpt Prize | Judged by Liz Shipton | $3000 Awarded!

We invite writers to submit to the 2026 Uncharted Magazine Novel Excerpt Prize from October 15 to December 13, 2026. 

You know that chapter that just sings, that puts your protagonist into a tense and dramatic situation and leaves readers wondering what happens next? We want to read it! We’re back with our Novel Excerpt Prize, and we want those sections where your story is entertaining and thrilling, that demonstrate your best writing, plotting, and every craft move in between. Send us your first chapter, your first pinch point, or your climax; we don’t care where it comes from in the narrative, we just want your best storytelling in no more than 5,000 words. The goal of any excerpt for this contest is to make us want to keep reading! Play toward or away from genre expectations and tropes. We love characters who step out of the shadows or lurk frighteningly in the corners. We love twists, and we love conflict. . 

We're looking for the best 5,000 words or fewer from your novel in progress. Give us those scenes full of tension, crackling dialogue, and worlds we’ve never even imagined. Give us a chance to read the most captivating section of your novel—and make us want to read more!

We're thrilled to partner with Guest Judge Liz Shipton, who will choose three prize winners from a shortlist. The three cowinners of this prize will each receive $1,000, online publication, and a forty-five-minute consultation with Vicky Weber, a literary agent with Fuse Literary. All entries will be considered for publication.

Judge bio: Liz began writing when she and her partner set out to explore the world by boat in 2021. Her first book, Salt, was written on an iPhone in the cockpit while Liz was on night watch along the Pacific Coast. That book turned into two, then a series, then the pathological condition people call “being a writer.” Liz is best known for her urban sci-fantasy Dot Slash Magic, which received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, for her dark fantasy satire Mother & Slaughter, which was a 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards winner, and for her viral comedy videos. On the rare occasion Liz isn't writing, you can find her at yoga or karaoke, complaining about the weather, telling her dog “I love you!” for the bazillionth time today, or watching 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Submission tips from Guest Judge Liz Shipton:

I'm always on the lookout for sharp satire, dark humor, and fresh, voice-driven prose. I'm a fan of dystopian, but I'd rather see genre-bending, gender-bending, trope-destroying nonsense than anything else. Basically: craft matters. Genre doesn't. And I'll never say no to a bit of banter.

GUIDELINES

The deadline for entry is December 13, 2026. We will announce the winner and finalists within fourteen weeks of the contest’s close. All writers will be notified when the results are final.

• For the $20 reading fee, writers may submit any section of their novel that is 1,001–5,000 words in length per entry. 
• Please send novel excerpts (fiction) only—5,000 word count maximum.
• We only consider unpublished work for contests—we do not review reprints, including self-published work (even on blogs and social media). Reprints will be automatically disqualified. Both the excerpt and the novel must be unpublished. (The full novel does not need to be completed.)
• Simultaneous submissions are okay—please notify us and withdraw your entry if you find another home for your writing.
• Multiple entries are also okay—but each submission must be accompanied by a separate reading fee of $20.
• Writers from historically marginalized groups will be able to submit for free until we reach our cap of twenty-five free submissions. No additional fee waivers will be granted.
• All entries will also be considered for publication in Uncharted Magazine.
• Double-space your submission and use Times New Roman 12 (or larger if needed).
• Please include a brief cover letter with your publication history (if applicable).
• To ensure the protection of our volunteer readers and to keep Uncharted a safe space, please let us know in your cover letter if your work can be triggering in any way. This information will have no bearing on your submission or our decision—we just want to ensure the best possible environment for our readers. Thank you for your understanding.
• We only read work in English, though some code-switching/meshing is warmly welcomed.
• We do not read anonymous submissions. However, shortlisted stories are sent anonymously to the guest judge for review.
• Work generated by AI will be automatically disqualified.

Some Submittable Hot Tips:

• Please be sure to whitelist/add this email address to your contacts, so notifications do not get filtered as spam/junk: notifications@email.submittable.com.
• If you realize you sent the wrong version of your piece: It happens. Please DO NOT withdraw the piece and resubmit. Submittable collects a nonrefundable fee each time. Please DO message us from within the submission to request that we open the entry for editing, which will allow you to fix everything from typos in your cover letter to uploading a new draft. The only time we will not allow a change is if the piece is already under review by a reader.

FAQ

Q: What am I supposed to write in my cover letter?

A: Think of your cover letter as a brief author bio, that is, what you would like posted on our site should your piece be selected for publication. Don’t overthink it; we just want to know a little about you! Most writers choose to include publication history or something about the excerpt that is being submitted. Note that you can include personal or identifying information in your cover letter.

Q: When can I expect to hear back about my excerpt?

A: Regardless of acceptance or decline, you will hear back from us, we promise. You can expect a status update within twelve to fourteen weeks from the close of the contest. Every submitter is notified of a decision, and we send out responses once a submission doesn't advance to the next round. We'd also encourage you to follow us on social media as we publicly announce winners and contest opportunities there.

Q: Are prologues acceptable?

A: You can absolutely submit your novel’s prologue as long as the entire submission is under 5,000 words.

Q: Do you accept submissions from writing teams?

A: Yes! However, you would need to designate one person as the submitter—or maybe create a joint Submittable account. We love to see teams enter their work, as long as you all understand that you'd be splitting the prize if the submission was selected as one of the winners.

Q: Who retains the rights to my work, and will I be able to query my novel later?

A: We're not able to speak for every publisher, but since we're not publishing your work in its entirety, future publication should not be a problem. Rights also revert back to the author after ninety days. If an opportunity arises for you to publish your work before these ninety days, we are happy to revert rights back to you sooner.

OPTIONAL FEEDBACK ON YOUR WRITING

You may choose to receive editorial feedback on your piece. We will provide a two-page global letter discussing the strengths of the writing and the recommended focus for revision. Our aim is to make our comments actionable and encouraging. These letters are written by editors and staff readers of Uncharted Magazine. A significant portion of the editorial letter fees is paid to our feedback editors. Should your story win, no feedback will be offered, and your fee will be refunded.

Good luck and happy writing!