I’m an Author: How Do I Apply?

Thank you for your interest in the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project.

Which contest is for me?

We offer three library-driven contests each year to support Illinois authors. Submission details for each project are below.


2023 Manuscript Project for Authors

Here is how our contest works:

  • Participating authors must live in Illinois, and the manuscript being submitted must be unpublished and in an adult fiction genre.
  • Submissions must meet certain other criteria in order to be eligible. Please verify that your manuscript includes:
  • A Title Page with the following:
    • Title (Working)
    • Author Name
    • Word count number (entries must be no fewer than 50,000 and no more than 100,000 words)
    • A Synopsis on the title page (50 words or less)
    • An Author Bio also on the title page (100 words or less)
  • The Manuscript itself must be formatted as a single Word Doc or PDF
    • 12 pt (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)
    • 1.5 line spacing
    • Multiple files not accepted.

Note: failure to meet criteria may result in disqualification for the entry.

The 2023 contest closed to submissions on March 1, 2023 and is now in its judging phases.


Illinois Author Project for Indie and Self-published authors

The 2023 contest runs April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023.

  • Submit your work through the official portal.
  • Each book that is submitted to the contest must be: Indie-published in an adult fiction or young adult fiction genre, written by an Illinois resident, and available in either ePUB or PDF file.

De la Página a la Fama

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This is how our contest works:

  • Participating authors must live in Illinois and be 18 or older
  • The work must be submitted in ePUB or PDF format
  • The book being submitted must be:
    • indie or self-published (the author must hold the copyright)
    • have not previously received any awards
    • written originally in Spanish
    • word count number: entries must be no fewer than 50,000 and no more than 200,000 words