FAQ: Narratively x Belletrist True Romance Writing Prize

If I submit the first chapter or another part of my WIP manuscript for the Narratively x Belletrist Prize and it wins or is a finalist, will I be able to publish that work later in my book? Will I continue to have the rights to my manuscript?

Yes. You retain print publication rights, so you are able to pursue and publish a book version of your story now or in the future.

Can I submit the same story to both your Narratively x Belletrist Prize and one of your open calls for pitches?

No. At this time, entrants must choose one category in Submittable under which to enter their work. However, if you already submitted a story or pitch through one of Narratively’s non-prize open calls for pitches and have not yet gotten a response or any feedback from Narratively, you may email prizes@narratively.com and ask to withdraw your story/pitch so that you can enter it for the Narratively x Belletrist Prize.

Can I resubmit a story I already submitted to a previous Narratively Prize?

Yes! If you submitted a story in the past three years and have been reworking your piece since then, we’re happy to consider it for this year’s prize.

Can I submit something to both the shortread and longform categories?

Yes! We will accept multiple submissions from a single author (in the same or different categories), but each story must be submitted and paid for individually. (Paid subscribers get one free entry in each category.)

Can I submit a story I already published on my blog or personal website?

Yes. As long as your story hasn’t already appeared in a major publication (The New York Times, The Atlantic, Teen Vogue, etc.), we will consider it. We do ask that you disclose where and when your story was published.

Can I still be considered for publication with Narratively even if I don’t win the prize?

Yes. Once our judging window is complete and winners have been announced, we will reach out to some of the non-winning entrants whose work we see promise in, with offers of paid assignments to work on their story with our editors through Narratively’s normal editorial process. However, entrants are under no obligation to accept the offer.

My story includes photos that are integral to the writing. Will your submission system accept images? If not, may I send you my piece via some other channel?

Submittable will not accept standalone images. If you’d like to include images, you can insert them where you like them in the document (which also will help us to see why a particular image is relevant to a particular section of text). The inclusion of images will not help or hinder your submission.

Is there a full copy of the contributor agreement that I can review that might provide some clarity?

Yes, there is. You can request our contributor agreement in its entirety by emailing prizes@narratively.com.

Should I delete my byline after the title? What about headers and footers?

Yes. As stated in our Official Rules & Submission Guidelines, please keep your name (even a pen name) off of your manuscript. We prefer to read submissions without identifying information to avoid bias.

Do I delete my author’s bio info at the end of each story?

Yes. We prefer to read submissions without identifying information to avoid bias.

Are self-published works accepted?

Yes, they are.

Do you accept manuscripts that exceed the 5,000-word limit of your longform prize?

No, 5,000 words is a hard limit for this particular prize.

Help! I’m having trouble uploading my submission in Submittable. What should I do?

For tech support, you can head to Submittable’s Help Center here for answers to most of your questions (and an email address in case you need additional assistance).

Still have questions? Email us at prizes@narratively.com.

Good luck!