James River Writers

James River Writers and Richmond magazine recognize the writing talents and entrepreneurial skills of Virginia’s indie authors by continuing The Best Self-Published Novel Contest, which we started in 2014.

Best Self-Published Novel Contest

self published novels only

For a novel to be eligible for this contest, authors need to have paid the full cost of production. During the contest period, writers must submit a digital pdf copy of their self-published novel, including the cover.

Your indie novel must have been published between the dates of April 1, 2022 (our last contest) and February 28, 2025 (the closing date of the 2025 contest).

Novel entries cannot be longer than 125,000 words.

The entry fee is tiered, based on the length of the manuscript, and needs to be paid via credit card using the online form, below.

For manuscripts up to 85,000 words, the cost is $25.00 for members and $35 for non-members.

For manuscripts of 85,001 words to 125,000 words, the cost is $50 for members and $60 for non-members.



Best Self-Published Novel Contest

Additional info

About