We’re thrilled to announce that we will be opening the portholes to unagented and unpublished writers in our sixth competition – this time for MIDDLE GRADE authors. Following hot on the heels of the publication of the wonderful EVIE AND MARYAM’S FAMILY TREE written by Janeen Hayat, we are excited to announce the dates for the next competition.

The Open Submission window will be the week of 16th June, from 9am on Monday 16th June to 5pm Friday 20th June 2025 GMT.

We would like to see the first few chapters or up to 2000 words of the novel (but don’t worry too much about word count going over, this is an approximate number of words). Please also send a short synopsis. Please submit in a Word or pdf document to submissions@guppybooks.co.uk during the Open Submission window only.

Writers who have been traditionally published in other genres are unfortunately not eligible. This competition is open to self-published authors. Please send your submission to submissions@guppybooks.co.uk during the specified dates only. Any entries sent before or after this time will not be eligible. ONE SUBMISSION PER PERSON. At longlisting stage (late July) we will ask the longlistees for a nearly-finished/full novel to be sent.

Any other enquiries, please email submissions@guppybooks.co.uk.

We do not charge an entry fee, though we would invite all entrants to buy a book published by Guppy Books if they can (available from all bookshops and online retailers as well as the Guppy shop). We strive to be as open as we can and encourage all aspiring writers to apply.

A winner will be announced in the autumn of 2025, after whittling down to first a longlist and then a shortlist – please keep an eye on social media and the Guppy Books website for updates along the way. We hope to announce the longlist by the end of July.

All shortlisted authors will be offered an editorial meeting with Bella Pearson. The winner will be offered a contract with Guppy Books (with no obligation to accept).

We look forward to finding our next winner! And good luck!

Winner Janeen Hayat and her wonderful middle-grade novel EVIE AND MARYAM’S FAMILY TREE was the 2023 winner of the Guppy Open Submission, and came out in the shops yesterday. Read more about it here!