NUMBER OF ENTRIES:

Maximum of 5 total entries per person per year.

Maximum of 2 entries in any one category.

Manuscripts can only be entered once and in only one category.

Each entry will be paid for separately during submission.

We will only accept the first submission of a particular entry.

NO AI USE:

No entries with the assistance of a text-generating AI such as ChatGPT, 

or others, and no image generated work. 

We value and reward human creativity and ingenuity.

CO-AUTHORS - IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Both authors need to give consent at the time of submission.

(If one or both co-authors are not a member of ACFW, please pay the nonmember entry fee.)

The person who enters the work or book is entirely responsible for notifying and gaining approval for entry into this contest.

You will need to enter their name in the entry form.

If we receive notice that they do not approve of your entry, we will disqualify your submission.

You will be responsible to forward the scoresheets and any awards, badges, or certificates at your own expense to the co-author after the contest.

GUIDELINES FOR DISQUALIFICATION:

The following will disqualify an entry. 

We will not notify you, so please read the rules carefully.

No swearing, no graphic sexual content. 

No approval or glorification of alternative lifestyles condemned in the Scriptures. 

No graphic violence for the sake of shock effect.

No sorcery or black magic, no horror, no demons or evil spirits.

Our hope is that our writing glorifies God and the themes of Christianity. 

Your entry or book does not have to be explicitly Christian or include Scripture, 

but the content and moral lessons must align with the Holy Bible.

See specific rules for eligibility 

for both published and unpublished authors below.

PUBLISHED AUTHORS:

Definition:

You are considered a published author if you are published either 

traditionally, self, or hybrid but see the exception below.

Published Book Copyright:

Your work must have a copyright date of 2024, 2025, or 2026.

This is different from last year.

Judge Scoresheets:

You will receive a total score, averaged from 3 different judges.

We have automated the average score calculations this year.

If you move on to the finals round, you will receive at least 2-3 more scoresheets.

Unpublished Manuscripts by Published Authors:

If you have NOT been published in a specific category, 

even if you are a published author,

you may enter an unpublished manuscript in the unpublished category, 

but only if you have not yet been published in that category.

Ineligible Manuscripts and Books:

If you won first place for your category in the previous year's KidLit Contest, 

you are not eligible to enter that specific work again, 

nor are you allowed to submit that work for consideration in any other category.

If you have signed a contract before August 30th of the current year 

for any work in the category you are entering, your specific work is not eligible.

You may enter other published books in any category if they meet all the specifications.

See guidelines for disqualification above. 

We will not notify you. Please read rules carefully.

UNPUBLISHED AUTHORS:

Definition:

You are considered an unpublished author if your work has not been published

 in any form on any platform, including on your own website.

Or if you are a published author, you may enter an unpublished category,

only for a category that you have NOT been published in before. 

Please enter your unpublished, un-contracted work-in-progress 

in one of the four unpublished categories.

Unpublished Manuscripts by Published Writers:

See above. Read the General Notes above.

Unpublished Manuscripts by Unpublished Writers:

Unpublished manuscripts by unpublished writers, 

are eligible if the work has not been published anywhere 

including on your personal blog or in print.

For example, if you have a published picture book or board book, 

you may not enter that category in the unpublished category. 

And if you are also published in Young Adult Fiction, 

you may enter the Readers & Chapter Books or the Middle Grade Fiction,

but only if you have never published those genres before.

Please follow the sample manuscript formatting guidelines.

Judge Scoresheets:

You will receive a score for each of 10 questions, 

with a total score averaged from 3 different judges.

We have automated the average score calculations this year.

If you move on to the finals round, you will receive 2-3 additional scoresheets, 

which will also be averaged.
If there is a tie, the contest directors will award both entries.

Ineligible Manuscripts and Books:

If you won first place for your category in the previous year's KidLit Contest, 

you are not eligible to enter that specific work again in that category, 

nor are you allowed to place it for consideration in any other category.

If you have signed a contract before August 30th of the current year 

for any work in the category you are entering.

See guidelines for disqualification above. 

We will not notify you. Please read rules carefully.