Thank you for your interest in the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project.
Which contest is for me?
We offer two library-driven contests to support Illinois authors. Details about each project are below.
2026 Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project Contest
Enter your work in the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project contest for the opportunity to win a cash prize award and state-wide recognition.
We’re looking for the best adult and YA fiction and memoirs by Illinois self- and indie-published authors. Through our twelfth annual contest, we’re helping Illinois libraries connect local authors with readers.
Judged exclusively by Illinois library staff members, the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project contest is a powerful way for authors to elevate their careers and writing goals, powered by the library community. In addition to prizes and perks, being recognized by librarians creates credibility and visibility for authors, setting them apart in a growing marketplace of digital content and self- and indie-published books.
For the 2026 contest:
- The top three books chosen by our judges will be recognized as contest Finalists.
The overall winner of our contest will receive:
- $2,000
- Honors at the 2025 Indie Author Day Reception
- Statewide recognition by Illinois libraries as the top indie-published book
- Opportunities to promote your book at public libraries
- Opportunities to earn royalties through the IAP Select collection (ePUB format required for eligibility)
- Inclusion alongside other winners in a full-page print spread in Library Journal
To be eligible, the submitted book must be:
- Self- or Indie-published *
- Written by an Illinois resident
- English-language only
- In one of the following genres:
- Mystery/Thrillers
- Romance
- SciFi/Fantasy
- Historical Fiction
- General/Contemporary Fiction
- Memoir
- Young Adult
- Entries should be geared towards an Adult or Young Adult audience
- Available in either ePUB (strongly recommended) or PDF format
- Note: Due to the volume of entries we receive, we can only accept one entry per author at this time. Be sure to submit your best current work.
Note about the 2026 contest
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.
* Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project considers indie-published authors to include any authors who have the rights to independently sell, market, and distribute their works, including authors who have fully self-published all of their works, as well as hybrid authors who may have the rights to some of their works and be under contract on others.
Manuscript Project for Authors
Do you have a manuscript ready to take to the next level? We're looking for the best unpublished works of adult fiction. We will accept complete manuscripts of adult fiction in book length (50,000 to 100,000 words) from Illinois authors only. Our winner receives these valuable prizes:
- Professional line editor who will work with you to polish your novel.
- Professionally designed cover.
- Self-publishing guidance from past STBF winners and committee members.
- Finished book automatically entered as semi-finalist status in the next Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project contest.
The 2026 Manuscript Contest is currently on hold.
