Please read the judging criteria for our awards categories carefully before submitting your entries to the Brit Writers' Awards 2010...
To stand the best possible chance of submitting a successful entry – one which will see your work progressing through the various stages of the judging process and hopefully also being shortlisted for final consideration – you need to make sure that your submission ticks all the boxes and hits all the right buttons!
The very first hurdle is ensuring that your entry is submitted in the correct format. If you don't get that right, you don't progress any further. It's strict, but simple. So follow the instructions carefully.
Answers to other questions you may have will probably be found in the FAQ's: Entries section.
Then it's up to our judges. The more you interest, engage and even excite them with your words, the more points they will award your entry. So be sure to read carefully through the judging criteria for your chosen awards category to see what they will be looking for...
Good luck!
Award Categories for adults:
Poetry
1. Is the entry submitted in the correct format?
• Single PDF, Word document or Rich Text File
• Black, 12pt, Arial type
• Numbered pages
• Title of entry
(No other author details must appear on your entry - these are stored online when you
submit your work.)
2. Is the entry a collection of 5 poems – with a minimum of 6 lines and a maximum of 40 lines per poem, unless it is a haiku?
3. To what extent does the entry display correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling?
4. To what extent does the layout and presentation of the entry make it neat and easy
to read?
5. To what extent does the entry display accuracy of pronunciation and intonation?
6. To what extent does the writer successfully communicate the core concepts
within the entry?
7. To what extent does the entry display interesting content?
8. To what extent does the entry display originality or creativity?
9. To what extent does the entry display poetical form?
10. To what extent is the entry suitable for potential publication?
Short stories
1. Is the entry submitted in the correct format?
• Single PDF, Word document or Rich Text File
• Black, 12pt, Arial type
• Double line spacing
• Numbered pages
• Title of entry
(No other author details must appear on your entry - these are stored online when you
submit your work.)
2. Is the entry a minimum of 1,000 words and a maximum of 5,000 words?
3. To what extent does the entry display correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling?
4. To what extent does the layout and presentation of the entry make it neat and easy
to read?
5. To what extent does the entry display a well-developed storyline?
6. To what extent does the entry engage the reader?
7. To what extent does entry display well-developed characters?
8. To what extent does the entry display originality or creativity?
9. To what extent is the entry suitable for potential publication?
Novels
1. Is the entry submitted in the correct format?
• Single PDF, Word document or Rich Text File
• Black, 12pt, Arial type
• Double line spacing
• Numbered pages
• Title of entry
• Synopsis
(No other author details must appear on your entry - these are stored online when you
submit your work.)
2. Is the entry a presentation of three sample chapters? (Ideally the first three chapters, however other chapters may be submitted.)
3. To what extent is the synopsis of the entry useful and relevant to a potential
publisher?
4. To what extent does the entry make good use of chapter titles?
5. To what extent does the entry display correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling?
6. To what extent does the entry display a well-developed storyline?
7. To what extent does entry display well-developed characters?
8. To what extent does the entry engage the reader?
9. To what extent does the entry display originality or creativity?
10. To what extent is the entry suitable for potential publication?
Non-fiction
1. Is the entry submitted in the correct format?
• Single PDF, Word document or Rich Text File
• Black, 12pt, Arial type
• Double line spacing
• Numbered pages
• Title of entry
• Synopsis/abstract
(No other author details must appear on your entry - these are stored online when you
submit your work.)
2. Is the entry an acceptable work of non-fiction?
(Dissertations/research papers will be accepted)
3. To what extent is the synopsis or abstract of the entry useful and relevant to a
potential publisher?
4. To what extent does the entry successfully target its intended audience?
5. To what extent does the entry display correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling?
6. To what extent does the entry make good use of chapter titles and chapter
breakdowns?
7. To what extent does the layout and presentation of the entry make it neat and easy
to read?
8. To what extent does the entry engage the reader?
9. To what extent does the entry display originality or creativity?
10 To what extent is the entry suitable for potential publication?
Children's stories
1. Is the entry submitted in the correct format?
• Single PDF, Word document or Rich Text File
• Black, 12pt, Arial type
• Double line spacing
• Numbered pages
• Title of entry
• Synopsis
(No other author details must appear on your entry - these are stored online when you
submit your work.)
2. To what extent is the synopsis of the entry useful and relevant to a potential
publisher?
3. To what extent does the entry make good use of chapter titles and chapter
breakdowns?
4. To what extent does the entry successfully target its intended age group audience?
5. To what extent does the entry display correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling?
6. To what extent does the layout and presentation of the entry make it neat and easy
to read?
7. To what extent does the entry display a well-developed storyline and characters?
8. To what extent does the entry engage the reader?
9. To what extent does the entry display originality or creativity?
10. To what extent is the entry suitable for potential publication?
Songwriting
1. Is the entry submitted in the correct format and by an unsigned songwriter/artist,
with no ISBN number?
• Single PDF, Word document or Rich Text File (words) + MPEG file (melody/music)
• Black, 12pt, Arial type
• Double line spacing
• Numbered pages
• Title of entry
(No other author details must appear on your entry - these are stored online when you
submit your work.)
2. To what extent do the lyrics successfully fit with the supplied melody/music?
3. To what extent does the entry successfully target its intended audience?
4. To what extent does the entry display originality or creativity?
5. To what extent is the entry suitable for potential production and distribution?
Diverse Unpublished Writer of the Year (from people of black, minority or ethnic origin)
• If you ticked the box to say you would like to be included in this category when you submitted
your entry, your work will automatically be considered for this overall award.
• Our high-profile judging panel will review the five top-scoring opted-in entries across all
categories and select the stand-out entry that they feel shows the most potential.
• The judges' decision is final.
Published Writer of the Year (the only category for published writers)
• Nominations in this category may only be made by publishers - writers and their agents
should urge publishers to act on their behalf.
• This category only applies to published novels.
• To nominate in this category, publishers must submit work from three different authors.
• Each publisher must send five hard copies of each of the three nominated books to the BWA office: Brit Writers' Awards, 67 Lombard Street, Birmingham, West Midlands, B12 0QU.
• These three books must have been published within the last 24 months.
• Each nominated book must have been published in English.
• Each publisher must submit a short biography and photo of each of their nominated writers,
as well as an image of each book cover and a synopsis for each nominated book, plus a short profile of their own business. These can be sent to the BWA office on a CD-ROM at the same time as the hard copies of each book.
• It is the responsibility of publishers to inform writers of their nominations.
• Writers' groups will discuss and critique each of the nominated books and use a standard
scoring system to select the top 25 published novels.
• On 26 March 2010, these top 25 novels will be put to a two-week-long public vote to create
a shortlist of the top five published novels.
• On 1 May 2010, the top five novels will be put to a second two-week-long public vote to decide the overall winner.
• The Published Writer of the Year will be announced at the Brit Writers' Awards gala ceremony
on Saturday 26 June 2010.
Awards categories for young people (aged 16 and under):
Poetry:
1. Is the entry submitted in the correct format?
• Single PDF, Word document or Rich Text File
• Black, 12pt, Arial type
• Double line spacing
• Numbered pages
• Title of entry
(No other author details must appear on your entry - these are stored online when you
submit your work.)
2. Is the entry a collection of 3 poems – with a minimum of 6 lines and a maximum of 40 lines per poem, unless it is a haiku?
3. To what extent does the entry display correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling?
[0-100 points available]
4. To what extent does the layout and presentation of the entry make it neat and easy
to read?
5. To what extent does the entry display accuracy of pronunciation and intonation?
6. To what extent does the writer successfully communicate the core concepts
within the entry?
7. To what extent does the entry display interesting content?
8. To what extent does the entry display originality or creativity?
9. To what extent does the entry display poetical form?
10. To what extent is the entry suitable for potential publication?
Short stories
1. Is the entry submitted in the correct format?
• Single PDF, Word document or Rich Text File
• Black, 12pt, Arial type
• Double line spacing
• Numbered pages
• Title of entry
• Synopsis
(No other author details must appear on your entry - these are stored online when you
submit your work.)
2. Is the entry a maximum of 3,000 words?
3. To what extent is the synopsis of the entry useful and relevant to a potential
publisher?
4. To what extent does the entry display correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling?
5. To what extent does the layout and presentation of the entry make it neat and easy
to read?
6. To what extent does the entry display a well-developed storyline?
7. To what extent does the entry engage the reader?
8. To what extent does entry display well-developed characters?
9. To what extent does the entry display originality or creativity?
10. To what extent is the entry suitable for potential publication?
Songwriting
1. Is the entry submitted in the correct format and by an unsigned songwriter/artist,
with no ISBN number?
• Single PDF, Word document or Rich Text File (words) + MPEG file (melody/music)
• Black, 12pt, Arial type
• Double line spacing
• Numbered pages
• Title of entry
(No other author details must appear on your entry - these are stored online when you
submit your work.)
2. To what extent do the lyrics successfully fit with the supplied melody/music?
3. To what extent does the entry successfully target its intended audience?
4. To what extent does the entry display originality or creativity?
5. To what extent is the entry suitable for potential production and distribution?
