Competition Rules

Historical Novel Society International Award

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE READ THE RULES THOROUGHLY BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR NOVEL

Your novel can be in any genre of historical fiction. For the purpose of these rules, historical fiction shall mean fiction set in the main at least fifty years ago.
To qualify as a novel, your book must total at least 60,000 words. Novels submitted should be no longer than 150,000 words.
You may submit up to 5,000 words, which must be the first 5,000 words of the novel entered. Any preface, prologue or introduction is included in your 5,000 words. You must also submit a synopsis of the novel of no more than 500 words.
Your novel must be complete before entering. Shortlisted entrants will be asked to submit a full manuscript for the final stages of the judging process. Entrants unable to comply will be disqualified.
The closing date for submissions is 30 September 2012.
Submissions may be made online only, via our submission form. All documents must be double spaced in Word with each page numbered in sequential order.
Your novel will be judged anonymously, so do not put your name or pseudonym anywhere on any document other than the submission form.
No alterations may be made following submission.

Anyone may enter, regardless of age or nationality and whether or not previously published. Posthumous entries are not acceptable.
Novels should be in English and should not have been published or accepted for publication by a commercial publisher anywhere in the World.
Novels which are under contract to be published by a commercial publisher either in print or digitally are ineligible.
Novels under option with a commercial publisher are ineligible where the terms of the option would be incompatible with the e-publication by the Society that will form part of the prize awarded to the winner.
Novels that have been self-published in print or digitally are eligible.
Any novel entered must be your own original work and not a translation of another author’s work.
This Award shall not be open to anyone involved in its organization or judging or their families.

Entries can be received online only via this page, and entrants must follow the instructions on our submissions form carefully.
The entry fee of $25 ($15 for members of the Historical Novel Society) allows you to enter an extract from one novel. You may enter as many novels as you like, provided each novel extract is accompanied by the entry fee.
Entry fees must be in US dollars. If you bank in another currency, PayPal will convert your fee automatically into US dollars.

Extracts and synopses will be assessed in the first instance by a panel of experienced readers and reviewers for the Historical Novel Society. The assessment will be moderated by the Chairman of the Society, Richard Lee.
From the initial submissions a longlist of 15 will be selected for announcement in November 2012 and the longlisted authors will be asked to submit full manuscripts.
Full manuscripts will be assessed by the HNS reader panel and a shortlist of 3 selected for announcement in January 2013.
The winner will be chosen from the shortlist by three international top judges: an agent, editor and bookseller, and the result declared in March 2013.
Longlisted authors must be prepared to give interviews and/or comment for publicity purposes and to supply author photographs.

The prize for the Award will be £5000 plus e-publication by the Historical Novel Society to include professional copy-editing and cover design.
By submitting a novel you consent to its digital publication by the HNS should your novel win the Award.
The winning author will be bound by the terms of a publishing contract for e-publication of the novel with the HNS.
Under the terms of the contract, in return for the £5000 prize money and a net receipt royalty of 50% on e-book sales, the winner will grant full digital World rights in the novel to the HNS for 5 years, as well as the right to make editorial changes to the content in consultation with the author.
All those longlisted will be given a copy of the contract and asked to acknowledge that they have read and accepted its terms before being considered as contenders for the shortlist for the Award.

Failure to comply with any of these rules will render an entry liable to disqualification. The decision of the Award organizers as to the interpretation and application of these rules shall be final.