Voyage 2022 Novel Excerpt Contest

Closed

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Guest Judges: Literary Agents Leah Pierre, Savannah Brooks, and Ernie Chiara | $1,000 Total + Publication Awarded

The contest is now closed! Thank you to everyone who submitted! Winners are announced and contest participants are notified about 12-14 weeks after the contest closes. Check back at the end of April 2023 for the results!
 
It’s that wonderful time of year when books are forged in the creative fires—there’s something about the fall change that inspires us. We want to see all that hard effort rewarded, and we warmly invite you to send us your favorite chapters from your novels!
 
Roll up your sleeves, write relentlessly, and send us your best! We’re looking for excerpts that make us ache for the rest of the book, that make us desperate to spend more time in the world of your creation!
 
We’re very excited to read your submissions and discover all the outstanding books just waiting for their readers! Submissions are open from November 15, 2022, to January 15, 2023.
 
Our panel of guest agent judges will choose three stories from a shortlist.
 
  • The 1st Place winner will receive $1,000 and an hour-long consultation with a literary agent
  • 19 Finalists will receive written feedback on five pages of their novel from a literary agent.

Guidelines

  • Voyage submissions are open to all writers working in English
  • International submissions are allowed
  • Submissions must be an excerpt of a Young Adult novel (full novel does not need to be completed), and from the point-of-view of a young adult, meaning through the lens of a teen protagonist
  • The excerpt doesn’t have to be standalone
  • 5,000-word count maximum
  • We’re open to any genre or style—just send us the best you’ve got
  • Previously unpublished work only, please
  • Simultaneous submissions are fine—just notify and withdraw your entry if it’s picked up by someone else
  • $20 reading fee per entry
  • Multiple submissions are okay—please submit each as a separate submission
  • Every entry will be considered for our regular publications as well
  • Please: 1) double space; 2) use Times New Roman 12 pt font; 3) have 1-inch margins, and 4) put the page number in the top right-hand corner
  • Tell us in a brief cover letter your publication history (if applicable, no worries if not)
 
Note: To ensure the protection of our volunteer readers, and to keep Voyage a safe space, please let us know in your cover letter if your work can be triggering in any way. This will have no bearing on your submission or a decision—we just want to ensure the best possible environment for our readers. Thank you for your understanding.
 
Editorial Feedback Options
The single feedback letter option costs $79 and will provide you with two pages of detailed and actionable feedback on your submission. The three-letter option will provide three separate letters (two pages each) from three different editors at $199, a 16% discount. Our guest editors are paid a significant portion of the fee (at EFA rates) and are all incredibly astute and professional authors.
 
About our guest judges:
 
A Texas native, Leah Pierre briefly moved to the East Coast to attend Rosemont College and to pursue her dream of working in publishing. She graduated from Rosemont College with a B.A. in English and History and soon after became an agent at Ladderbird Literary Agency. Leah then went on to pursue and receive her M.A. in Publishing from her alma mater as well. Having accomplished her dream of working in publishing, she has since moved back to the South to begin her next adventure and continue searching for the next commercial YA or Adult project that will hook her (or make her cry).
 
Leah likes to spend her time enjoying the company of fictional characters more than people. But when not in the company of fictional characters, Leah likes to travel, hang out with friends and family, and catch up on the movies and tv shows she is always behind on.
 
Her projects include forthcoming books from H.D.Hunter, Ravynn K. Stringfield, a number of IP projects, and more! She is a tenacious advocate for BIPOC writers and is always looking for ways to bring more diverse intersectionality to publishing.
 
Savannah Brooks started in agenting as an intern with the Jennifer De Chiara team in 2017, moving to associate agent in 2018. In 2022, she joined the incredible team at KT Literary as an agent, where she represents all of kid lit and adult contemporary fiction, romcoms, thrillers/mystery/suspense, and horror. She’s especially interested in stories that teach her something new, add to a larger sociopolitical conversation, and highlight underrepresented identities and cultures. She earned her MFA, focused in creative nonfiction, from Hamline University and her BS in marketing management from Virginia Tech and worked on the editorial side of publishing for two years prior to joining JDLA. As well as agenting, she works as a publishing and literature lecturer at the University of Minnesota and a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center. She lives in Minneapolis and can regularly be found at one of Minnesota’s 11,842 lakes—yes, even in winter.
 
Ernie Chiara loves nothing more than getting to work with his amazing clients on the books of their dreams. Having first joined Fuse Literary as a writer and client himself, he knows what it’s like to be in the query trenches, and his goal is to be the type of agent every writer hopes to find.
 
Prior to becoming an agent, Ernie was an Assistant to Fuse Senior Agent Tricia Skinner, was a Mentor and Communications Director for the Pitch Wars writer mentorship program, was a copywriter for a Fortune 500 client, and is the founder of TBRstack.com, a platform for authors and publishing professionals to share lists of their favorite books.
 
Outspoken about the issues of equality, both in society as a whole and as they relate to the publishing industry, Ernie values accuracy in representation and the raising of marginalized voices. He strives to be a fierce advocate for his clients and their interests, and is passionate about bringing their stories to a broader audience.
 
In his free time, Ernie enjoys sketching and painting, whaling away on his drum kit, binge-watching the latest fantasy series, and having fun with his three amazing kids. He specializes in Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror in the Adult, Young Adult, and Middle Grade categories, as well as select Literary/Upmarket fiction, YA Contemporary, and Mystery.
 
Voyage Values

Voyage YA is committed to diversity and inclusivity. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, disability, family status, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Voyage has a zero tolerance policy for any work that is discriminatory or harmful in any way, whether intentional or unintentional. Hate speech of any kind will not be tolerated and any work that violates our values will be immediately declined. Voyage maintains the right to further ban authors if problematic behavior persists and/or de-platform authors should there be problematic behavior via other platforms. As the landscape of publishing changes, Voyage acknowledges that there is still much work to be done. Systemic racism and structural inequality have been a problem for a long time, and Voyage will actively work to dismantle them. We have joined the global movement to fight for equality and will consciously work to amplify marginalized voices of authors who have been historically underrepresented in publishing.

We urge authors and readers alike to visit some of the resources we have found helpful—and seek out others.

 
 
 
Submit Here

Voyage accepts submissions year-round and published pieces can be found on our website, accessible to everyone for free.

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