Pre-submission Checklist for Literary Awards

A finished manuscript can still be ruined at the last possible moment. Sending the file ten pages over the limit without noticing. Leaving your real name in the file metadata when the award is judged blind. Misreading the deadline as midnight tonight when it was actually noon today. None of these have anything to do with the quality of the writing, and yet each one removes the entry from consideration. Use this checklist as a final pass before you submit. Work through the four sections in order, and you will spend far less time second-guessing yourself after the file is gone.

Format

The reason most people fail here is that they skim the rules. A last-minute reread of the guidelines often reveals that the word limit, layout, or file type is not what you first assumed. Read the format section once before drafting, and once more before sending.

• Page or word count fits the specified range (in the unit the rules use)
• Writing direction or layout matches the requirement if the award specifies one
• File format (Word, PDF, plain text, etc.) matches the brief
• File name follows the specified pattern
• Character encoding and line endings (UTF-8 / LF and so on) match if specified
• Margins, line spacing, and characters per line meet the brief if it specifies them

Manuscript

The reason most people fail here is that late edits leave the outside of the manuscript untidy. Before a judge reads a line of prose, they notice the cover page, page numbers, contents page, and chapter labels. A tidy manuscript inspires confidence. A misnumbered chapter or an inconsistent indent rule, on the other hand, is enough to make a reader's hand pause before they have started.

• Cover page and table of contents are included if required
• Page numbers are placed where the brief expects them
• Indentation, chapter numbering, and line breaks are consistent
• Typos are gone, and proper nouns are spelled consistently
• Your name and address are not buried in the body of the manuscript (for blind-judged awards)
• No leftover comments, track changes, or editor names in the file metadata

Procedure

The reason most people fail here is that they do not picture what happens after they hit send. What time exactly does the deadline land, in which time zone? How will receipt be confirmed? Is double submission allowed? The few lines at the end of the brief often decide whether the entry is even valid.

• Applicant information (legal name, address, phone) is up to date
• You are not breaking any anti-double-submission rules (this includes other awards and works already published online)
• You know the precise deadline (midnight today vs. next morning, including time zone)
• You know how the receipt confirmation arrives (email, postcard, or none at all)
• You know how and when to follow up if the receipt confirmation never comes
• You know when and how the results will be announced (in print, on the web, or by direct notice only)

After You Submit

The reason most people fail here is that the months of waiting kill the writing habit. Once you submit, the manuscript is no longer in your hands. The waiting period is for getting yourself ready to start the next thing, regardless of the result.

• Do not reread the manuscript for the first twenty-four hours; let your head cool down
• Note your reflections in five lines or fewer, and do not overwrite this note before the result is announced
• List three themes you would like to write next, and start light research while you wait
• Avoid posting the entry's content in detail on social media (it can collide with double-submission rules)
• Mark the result date on your calendar, so you are not refreshing your inbox in the meantime
• Decide in advance what you will do on the night of the announcement, win or lose (a meal with family, a fresh page of the next draft)

An example timeline from submission to result

Knowing roughly what comes next reduces the anxiety of the waiting period. The numbers below are general averages. Always check the specific brief of the award you are entering.

The moment your entry leaves your hands, move your attention to the next manuscript. That is the most reliable way to keep writing for years.