Entry to The Virginia Prize for Fiction

The writing competition is open to women of any nationality from any country, aged 18 and over.

We are looking for entries of completed, unpublished novels for adults or YA readers, of at least 45,000 words in length.

Each entry fee allows you to submit one novel manuscript. You can enter more than one novel, but an entry fee is payable for each creative writing entry submitted.

Please send us your file at   vp@aurorametro.com

Longlisted writers will be contacted in January 2024. A special event to announce the finalists will be held in London.

Early bird £15 by June 1^st / Standard entry £20 by August 1^st / £25 Late entry by 31^st October.

The Prize:

Finalists will receive editorial guidance and a conditional publishing deal from Aurora Metro Books with an advance and royalty payable for the publishing rights.

Please ensure you’ve read the rules and FAQs before entering.

If you can’t upload your entry or for any further information, email vp@aurorametro.com

• Entries can be made by women of any nationality from any country who are aged 18 and over.
• Entries should be in English (or English dialect) and should not have been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.
• If more than 50% of a novel has been published elsewhere, the novel is not eligible. Self- published novels are not eligible.
• Please notify us if entries are under consideration in other fiction competitions at the time of submission.
• Entries should not be a translation of another author’s work.
• You have to identify as a woman to enter the competition.
• Your entry fee can be paid online or if required, by bank transfer.
• You can withdraw your entry at any time prior to announcement of the longlist but the entry fee will not be refunded.

• You may enter online. By entering the competition you agree to abide by the terms and conditions of the competition and join the Aurora Metro mailing list.
• You may enter as many novels as you like to the competition, but each submission incurs a separate fee.
• You may not withdraw your novel from the competition if your novel is either longlisted, shortlisted or the winner.
• The publisher has the first option to publish the shortlisted novels subject to contract and any changes agreed between the author and the publisher.

1. All entries must be received by 23:59 GMT on October 31st. The organizer accepts no responsibility for any entries that are incomplete, illegible, corrupted or fail to reach the organizer by the relevant closing date for any reason.
2. Do include the TITLE but do not include your name or contact details on the entry as these are registered in the online process.
3. Once submitted, no alterations may be made to your entry.
   • Your entry will not be returned, so please keep a copy.
   • Results are published on the Aurora Metro Books website.
   • We will contact only the longlisted authors who will be announced in January of the following year.
   • Finalists will be invited to a special event date tbc.
   • Novels accepted for publication may be published in the following year or later, depending on the publisher’s schedule.
   • The copyright of any entry remains with the author.
   • The publisher Aurora Metro Books has the right to publish the entries by authors selected as finalists subject to negotiation of the contract and any changes agreed between the author and the publisher.
   • There is no cash prize but an advance on royalties will be paid to authors on signature of contract.
   • Aurora Metro Books also has the unrestricted right to include author name and title of entry for publicity and marketing purposes related to the competition.
   • In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the organizer reserves the right in exceptional circumstances to amend or foreclose the competition without notice.

What file format can I send?

Permitted file types are: doc, docx, pdf

For large files over 20Mb, send via a file transfer service such as We Transfer to vp@aurorametro.com.

If you have a problem uploading your file send it to vp@aurorametro.com. We will send you a request for payment of the entry fee by paypal.

Do I have to send my novel extract(s) as single attachments?

Yes, please.

Will I receive a confirmation email once I have sent my entry form?

Yes, you will be sent an automated confirmation email. If you haven’t received this email, please check your spam or email us.

What do I do if I’m unsure that my entry went through?

If you think something has gone wrong with the upload or your email hasn’t reached us, please just email us at vp@aurorametro.com and we’ll check for you.

I want to enter more than one novel, what do I do?

You can enter each novel separately. Once your order has completed, you can submit another entry. You will receive an order confirmation for each entry.

I’ve submitted online, do I need a cover sheet?

As long as you’ve filled out the information required in the upload form, you don’t need to also include a coversheet.

Can I submit by post?

In special circumstances such as technology failure, we will accept a submission by post. Email us at vp@aurorametro.com to get permission and our postal address.

How do I pay the entry fee?

If you are not directed to a payment link please contact us on info@aurorametro.com