How to enter

The 2022 DCI Novel Prize will be open for submissions until midnight on September 30st 2022. No entries will be accepted after this date and no refund of the entry fee will be made. If you enter your novel after the closing date you’ll be considered towards the 2022 prize.


The 2022 DCI Novel Prize competition is open to everyone, regardless of their nationality or location in the world. Submitted novels could be published, self-published or yet to be published, with no representation by a literary agent and free from a contract with a publisher by the closing date.

5.000 words extract should be taken from the opening of your novel and must including a synopsis of not more than five hundred words, so 5.500 is the maximum length of entries. Unfortunately, any entries received without a synopsis will be disqualified. Authors may enter more than one novel, but each entry must be made separately and must be accompanied by a separate entry fee.

Formatting should be: 12pt Times New Roman or Arial, 1.5 or double-spaced. Please submit your novel in .doc, .docx, .odt, .rtf or .pdf;
All adult genres are acceptable (including Young Adult), children genres won’t be accepted.

Entries must be in English. We accept translated novels given that, if shortlisted, you could provide a full translation of your novel.
Entrants must be over 18 years of age.
The decision of the judges is final.

  • Longlist will be published the 1st November 2022, we encourage early entries to speed up the process.
  • Shortlist will be published the 1st December 2022.
  • Winner will be announced the 31st of December 2022.