The 2024 Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project Contest is now accepting submissions through May 31, 2024.

On April 1, 2024 we opened the submission portal for Illinois adult and YA authors to submit their self- and indie-published works to our latest contest. This year mark the eleventh year of the powerful way for authors to elevate their careers and writing goals, powered by the library community.

For this contest, we've expanded the genres to include memoirs for the first time. Complete details, rules, and submission link for the contest can be found here.

Also new for this year: entering your book into our Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project provides simultaneous (and optional) entry into the annual Indie Author Project contest, too. This separate contest is open to self- and indie-published authors from across the globe to compete. One winner and two honorable mentions will be chosen in each of the following genres: Mystery/Thrillers, Romance, SciFi/Fantasy, Historical Fiction, General/Contemporary Fiction, Memoir, and Young Adult. For more information about this exciting additional contest click here.

If you're ready to submit your work, click this link. Hurry! The contest submission deadline is May 31, 2024.

UPDATE: June 1, 2024. The contest is now closed to submissions and is in its judging phase. Watch this website for our finalists announcement later this Summer.