Join our award-winning authors Jean Rabe and Lauren Eckhardt as they discuss their books, writing process, winning the 2019 contest, and so much more.We also named the winner of this year's Manuscript Contest!
This is a video replay of our April 22 webinar.
The Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project is for independent or self-published adult or YA fiction. Submit your book to be evaluated by a panel of librarians and potentially win prizes and opportunities to promote your book and much more. The contest opened Wednesday, April 1 and closes May 31, 2020. Details here.
Our judges have selected this year's finalists for our 2020 Manuscript Project. Thesethree manuscripts (listed below in alphabetical order by author last name) now compete for the top prize in our final round of judging.
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Our judges have completed their review of the 2020 Manuscript Project contest entries and we're excited to release the semi-finalists for this year. These manuscripts (listed below in alphabetical order by book title) now compete for the top three finalist spots in the next round of judging. Congratulations to these Illinois writers and their work.
Hollie Smurthwaite, our 2019 Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Manuscript Project Winner, updates us on all that's happened with her novel, The Color of Trauma. She talks about the debut of her book's cover design and her experience working with an editor, both prizes she won as part of last year's Manuscript contest.
Meet Jean Rabe, the 2019 Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project winner with her Adult fiction novel The Bone Shroud.
This interview took place moments after the winner announcement at this year's Illinois Library Association Conference.
The Soon to Be Famous committee manages two contests for Illinois authors each year. The Manuscript Project is for unpublished works of Adult fiction and runs November to January each year with the winner announced in April. TheIllinois Author Project is for self- and indie-published Young Adult and Adult fiction and runs April to June each year with an October winner announcement. Our two winners from this contest go on to compete in the regionalIndie Author Project where the winner emerges as the "Indie Author of the Year."
Meet Lauren Eckhardt, the 2019 Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project winner with her Young Adult fiction novel The Remedy Files: Illusion.
This interview took place moments after the winner announcement at this year's Illinois Library Association Conference.
The Soon to Be Famous committee manages two contests for Illinois authors each year. The Manuscript Project is for unpublished works of Adult fiction and runs November to January each year with the winner announced in April. The Illinois Author Project is for self- and indie-published Young Adult and Adult fiction and runs April to June each year with an October winner announcement. Our two winners from this contest go on to compete in the regional Indie Author Project where the winner emerges as the "Indie Author of the Year."
Announcing our second annual Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Manuscript Project contest is now open.
Starting November 1, 2019 and continuing through January 2, 2020, we are accepting complete manuscripts of adult fiction in book length (50,000 to 100,000 words) from Illinois authors only. NEW this year: authors can submit their work directly. Visit the Manuscript Project page for details about this year's contest. And to start the submission process, visit the For Authors section of our website.
Catch up with last year's Manuscript Project contest winner, Hollie Smurthwaite, here.
We are excited to announce this year’s winners for the2019 Soon To Be Famous Illinois AuthorProject. Our librarian judges from across Illinois scored the finaliststo select our winners in our two categories (Adult and YA fiction).
