2025 Speculative Fiction Competition
Entry fee: £0 - FREE!
Prizes:
1st: editorial feedback on a full novel or novella manuscript (worth over £1000)
2nd & 3rd: feedback on the first 5,000 words of your novel plus 50% off editorial services in 2025
Rules
You must be 18 years or older to enter, from anywhere in the known universe
One submission per person
Your book should be science fiction, fantasy and/or horror
Novellas and novels accepted (30,000 - 100,000 words)
Completed books only, written in English
Please include your name, email address and short (100 words or less) biography on page one
Microsoft Word or PDF formats, with a legible font
Any use of AI is prohibited, you must be the sole author
Deadline for submissions is 23rd June 2025, results announced by autumn 2025
Competition Judge
Philippa Thompson is an Editorial and Events Intern at Black Blade Literary. In 2024, she graduated from the University of Glasgow with an undergraduate degree in English Literature and is currently studying a postgraduate degree in Publishing at Edinburgh Napier. Philippa really enjoys reading anything that contains dragons and books which take inspiration from classical mythology. Her favourite book series is The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.
As this year’s competition judge, Philippa wants to read page-turning stories with utterly memorable characters, unique concepts and worlds that feel lived in.
