The 6th Annual 2025 Book Pipeline Unpublished contest seeks unpublished manuscripts across 10 categories of entry:

• Comic & Graphic Novel
• General Fiction
• Literary
• Middle Grade
• Mystery & Thriller
• Nonfiction & Memoir
• Picture Book
• Romance
• Sci-Fi & Fantasy
• Young Adult

Select publishers and agents get first look at the top picks for each category.

Grand Prize Winners (1 per category)

• $25,000 ($2,500 to each category winner)

Runners-Up (1 per category)

In addition to circulation to publishers, agents, editors, and other execs, the Grand Prize Winners and Runners-Up all receive:

• Consideration from producers seeking projects for film and TV adaptation
• Additional long-term review of other books for potential circulation and promotion

Winners/runners-up also receive exclusive invitations to private events hosted by Symposium.

The following agents and publishers will receive an exclusive, three-week first look window for the Grand Prize Winner in each category. Beyond the industry listed here, Book Pipeline's network is comprised of over 300 additional agents, editors, and publishers.

• Comic & Graphic Novel: Twisted Comics, AMP Comics, Avina Comics, Red5, and other publishers and comic industry execs.
• General Fiction: Talcott Notch Literary
• Literary: Amy Moore-Benson, Agent (AMB Literary Management)
• Middle Grade: Mollie Glick, Agent (Creative Artists Agency)
• Mystery & Thriller: Amy Tannenbaum, Agent (Jane Rotrosen Agency)
• Nonfiction & Memoir: Liz Parker, Agent (Verve Publishing, a division of Verve Talent & Literary Agency)
• Picture Book: Emily Van Beek, Partner/Agent (Folio Literary Management)
• Romance: Latoya Smith, Agent & Co-Founder (LCS Literary)
• Sci-Fi & Fantasy: An Acquiring Editor at a "Big Five House" Science-Fiction/Fantasy imprint (name withheld)
• Young Adult: Jim McCarthy, Agent (Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret)

Please read the instructions carefully for your submission category. Email us if you have any additional questions.

• Entries must be unpublished at the time of entry
• With the exception of Nonfiction, Memoir and Fiction manuscripts must be complete by November 10, 2025
• If the material is acquired by a publisher AND is set for release before November 10th, 2025, we can withdraw your entry from consideration
• Co-written works are acceptable, only one writer needs to register
• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age
• Former winners and finalists from Book Pipeline since 2021 are ineligible
• Authors may submit multiple entries, but each entry can only compete in one category and is a separate entry fee
• Simultaneous submissions are allowed (i.e., you can submit the material to other contests, or query agents and publishers, etc. while in competition).

Comics & Graphic Novels

• Comics: full script between 20-28 pages, broken down in comic format (no prose or books)
• Graphic Novels: the first 20-28 pages of manuscript (at a natural stopping point)
• A general synopsis of the complete story (1-3 pages). May include character arcs and supplemental details.
• Art is OPTIONAL, but allowed (up to 5 pages only).

Fiction

First 5,000 words only (appx.)

A full story synopsis (1-3 pages)

Nonfiction

A full proposal, which may include:

• A general overview (the nonfiction version of a synopsis)
• The book’s potential position in the marketplace
• The author’s platform
• The author's bio
• Comparative, already-published titles
• A chapter-by-chapter outline
• Sample chapters

Memoirs

First 5,000 words only (appx.)

A full story synopsis (1-3 pages)

Picture Books

Full manuscript (either text-only or with illustrations)

A brief conceptual overview/synopsis (1 page max)