Blue Pencil Agency Pitch Prize 2021

The Prize is open to unrepresented writers in any adult fiction genre

Pitch Prize 2021 Winners Announcement

Pitch Prize Winners 2021

.EditorBy  .Peggy Lee  .November 30, 2022

We are delighted to reveal the winners of the BPA Pitch Prize 2023. This year we saw many stories depicting art forgery, unreliable narrators, and the ways artificial intelligence may intrude deeper into our intimate lives… Our judge, literary agent Millie Hoskins from United Agents, and the team at BPA, thoroughly enjoyed reading so many…

Read more…

The BPA Pitch Prize 2021

Competition for unagented writers looking for representation for a work of fiction.

Judge: Katie Greenstreet, Paper Literary

Prize: Up to 10 winners:

Pitch your novel to Katie. Editorial feedback and recommendations. Industry insights and advice on next steps.

Sign up for a live Q & A with Katie on Tuesday October 8 from 6 pm.

Purchase a recording of a tutorial on Hooks, Pitches and Openings with Emma Darwin

Submission:

First 500 words of your opening chapter

300 word synopsis

Cover letter to include your pitch

Online entry via BPA websit

Timetable

Entries Open: August 24, 2024
Entries Close: October 25, 2024

Readers Choice Voting: November 15 – 29, 2024

Winners Announced: December 2024

Prize: One to One Pitch Meetings with Katie on zoom for up to 10 winners in January/February 2025.

Entry fee: £10 for each submission. Online entry only

From PayPal, you will be redirected to the submission form.

Before entering, please ensure to familiarise yourself with the Rules, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Policies. Entering the BPA Pitch Prize is taken as your full agreement.

What we’re looking for:

• any genre with the exception of children’s fiction and non-fiction. YA is permitted provided there is an adult crossover.
• a strong voice.
• the makings of an original and compelling story.
• an attention grabbing first paragraph.

Eligibility

  • Authors must be over 18 years old at the time of entry.
  • The Prize is open to unrepresented authors of fiction at the closing date of October 25, 2024.
  • Clients of BPA who have been mentored for more than six months are not eligible to enter.
  • Writers must advise the organisers if they accept representation during the judging period.
  • Published authors are accepted as long as they don’t have an agent.
  • The first 10,000 words must have been completed at the closing date of October 25, 2024.
  • Entrants may submit more than one pitch but as separate entries.
  • Entries must be written in English.
  • Entries can only be submitted electronically via this site and payment made via PayPal.
  • Entrants may withdraw entries but fees cannot be refunded.
  • Judge’s decision is final. Judge is unable to comment on individual entries.
  • Copyright remains with the author, however we reserve the right to publish extracts of up to 300 words on our website as well as the opening lines on Twitter.
  • By submitting, entrants are agreeing for BPA to keep a record of their email address for marketing purposes only. This information will not be shared with third parties. Entrants can unsubscribe from all communication at any time.

How to submit

  • Please enter through the link on our website (from PayPal, you will be redirected to the submission form).
  • Upload your first 500 words plus a 300 word synopsis and a covering letter with some brief information about yourself/your career as a writer.
  • Please ensure that the file name is the title of the story.
  • Entries must be in either a doc., docx, or pdf. No other formats will be accepted.
  • Entries must be double spaced in a clear font (Times New Roman or similar) and pages numbered.
  • The novel’s title must be on every page but your name should not appear anywhere on the story.
  • The covering letter should include the following details: your name, the title of your novel, your email address and telephone number, a brief publication history and the genre of your novel if applicable (e.g. uplit, romance, contemporary, historical, psychological thriller, fantasy, crime, women’s, literary), as well as your pitch.
  • Go to the Shop page and click on the paypal button to pay the fee.
  • If payment is made using a different name, it is essential you include that name in the email you send with the story.

Assistance to writers on low incomes or from under-represented backgrounds

We’re offering a minimum of 20 free entries for UK based writers on low incomes or from communities currently under-represented in publishing.

Applications will be reviewed and the most promising submissions will be selected by the BPA team.

Please click here to Contact BPA with your application and, if relevant, proof of financial eligibility such as: Jobseeker’s Allowance; Disability Benefit; Income Support; Working Tax Credit; Child Tax Credit; proof of being a full-time student; Housing Benefit; proof of being a full-time carer.

All details will be kept confidential.

2021 Pitch Prize Judge

Joanna Swainson

Joanna is co-founder of literary agency Hardman & Swainson. She represents a range of authors, particularly across the genres of crime and thriller, speculative, historical, accessible literary and book group fiction. She also represents narrative non-fiction writers, and is particularly keen on science, history, nature, folklore and memoir. She doesn’t like to be too prescriptive in what she’s looking for when reading submissions, but a strong hook, intriguing characters and great writing with surprising insights and observations will always grab her attention. Atmosphere also plays an important part in any book she enjoys.

[ba_testimonial image=”https://bluepencilagency.com/wp-content/uploads/roxydunn_testimonial.jpeg” image_alt=”Testimonial Image” name=”Claire Williams” title=”2022 Pitch Prize Winner” use_rating=”off” testimonial=”When I entered the BPA pitch prize I was in the middle of querying another novel and had written just 10,000 words of the speculative novel which would ultimately win the prize and go on to receive an offer of representation from Millie Hoskins at United Agents. Winning the BPA pitch prize gave me such a boost and with feedback from Millie, I set to work on drafting the full novel in just under six months. The characters and storyline captured my heart straight away and Millie was the dream agent to sign with.

I would say to any writer, keep going. Keep honing your craft. I’ve invested a lot in my writing journey, from courses to mentoring to entering prizes, all have led me here and hopefully beyond. As for the pitch itself, a good hook will get you far, as will a sharp sentence that gets right to the heart of the story. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest benefits of the BPA Pitch Prize is to see if your story has enough potential before you fully invest in it. As a writer with five manuscripts in a drawer I really needed that!” selected_icon=”1″ website_url=”#” image_width=”100px” image_height=”100px” image_spacing_bottom=”20px” name_bottom_spacing=”15px” title_bottom_spacing=”20px” _builder_version=”4.10.4″ _module_preset=”default” name_font=”|700|||||||” name_text_color=”#303030″ name_font_size=”1rem” title_font=”|700|||||||” title_text_color=”#2c3b81″ border_radii_image=”on|100px|100px|100px|100px” global_colors_info=”{}”][/ba_testimonial]

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