Webnovel Contest!

Hello everyone! We have something a little different to announce this time.

We've spent a lot of time bringing you guys stories from other authors, and I thought it'd be nice to give the writers in our own community a chance too. I'm sure some of you have a novel sitting in a folder somewhere, or an idea you've been meaning to write for ages.

So... we're hosting a WeTried original webnovel contest, with a $1000 prize pool and a chance to have your novel serialized on the website!

You don't need to be an established author or already have readers. If this is your first attempt at writing a novel, you're just as welcome to submit it.

Here's what we're offering:

- 1st place: $500 + serialization opportunity + lifetime free reading access to paid chapters on WeTried

- 2nd place: $300 + serialization opportunity + lifetime free reading access to paid chapters on WeTried

- 3rd place: $100 + serialization opportunity

- 4th & 5th place: $50 each + serialization opportunity

As a participation effort, everyone who participates gets 500 coins on the website to spend on whatever they like :)

All amounts are in USD. We'll also commission a cover from a human artist for each winning novel that goes ahead with serialization, at our expense.

And yes, lifetime reading access means you get to read paid novel chapters for free for as long as WeTried lasts. It'll stay on your personal account regardless of whether you end up publishing with us.

For the 1st place novel, if the serialization goes well, we'd also like to consider a webtoon adaptation. I want to be upfront about this though, an adaptation takes a lot more money and work, so we can't promise one just because you win. We'd need to see how the novel performs, whether we can fund it properly, and agree on things with you first. It's something we'd like to work towards if the story does well.

A quick clarification about serialization:

Winning doesn't mean you're obligated to publish with us. You're free to decline, and you still keep your prize money and reading access.

If you're interested, we'll discuss the revenue share, release schedule, rights, and everything else with you separately. Both sides need to be happy with the arrangement. If we can't agree, your contest prizes aren't affected.

We also can't promise that every novel will become successful or make a particular amount of money. What we can offer is a place to publish, an artist-made cover, and a chance to introduce your story to our readers.

What do you need to submit?

1. A working title. It doesn't have to be your final one.

2. A short description under 100 words, like the descriptions you see on our novel pages. Something that makes people want to read it.

3. An author synopsis of up to 500 words, explaining the plot and where you're planning to take it. Spoilers are fine here, this is just for the judges.

4. The first 10 chapters, totaling 15,000–30,000 words.

5. Your genres, any content warnings, a pen name, and an email where we can reach you.

The novel itself doesn't need to be finished. We just need enough to get a proper feel for your writing, characters, and story. Please submit actual chapters though, not outlines for chapters you plan to write later.

You don't need to get a cover made to enter either. We're judging the writing.

You'll have time to submit until 1st Jan, 2027.

We're using a Google Form, so you can link your manuscripts there as a Google Drive link. Please check that we can actually open and download it before submitting!

How will judging work?

We'll have four judges, and you guys will count as the fifth.

Each judge contributes 20% of the final score, with the community vote making up the remaining 20%. We'll be looking at the plot, characters, writing, originality, pacing, and how much potential the story has as an ongoing novel.

The judges will shortlist up to 10 finalists first. We'll then put their descriptions and first ten chapters on the website for everyone to read for free before voting. All finalists get the same voting period, and all four judges will read their full ten-chapter submissions.

We'll reveal more info about things like when the voting starts as the deadline for submission comes close.

Now, a few rules. Please actually read these before submitting.

- It needs to be your own original work, written in English. No plagiarism, stolen novels, fanfics, or translations of someone else's story.

- Existing drafts are welcome. If you've already posted your story elsewhere, that's fine too, as long as you tell us where and aren't under a contract that prevents you from entering.

- One entry per person, and no co-authored or ghostwritten submissions for this contest.

- No unedited or barely edited AI drafts. Using tools to check grammar, organize notes, or help brainstorm is fine, but the actual writing needs to be substantially yours. Generating ten chapters and changing a few words doesn't count. Please disclose any generative AI assistance in the form.

- No explicitly sexual content or pornography, and no sexualized depictions of minors. Romance is fine. Darker themes, violence, and strong language are also fine within the content rules, just include appropriate warnings.

- No content promoting real-world hatred or violence against protected groups. Having a villain do or say something awful isn't automatically the same thing as endorsing it.

- Minors can enter too. If you win, we'll need your parent or legal guardian's consent and involvement to arrange your prize payment. We'll also need their consent before any serialization agreement.

- No buying votes, bots, alternate accounts, vote trading, or offering rewards for votes. Sharing your entry and asking people to give it a read is completely fine. Please don't spam or harass other communities over it.

- Organizers and judges can't enter, and anyone with a conflict of interest will be replaced for that entry.

You're free to edit your submission until the deadline. After that, we'll save the version we're judging, so later changes to your document won't count.

Your story still belongs to you. Entering doesn't hand us ownership or sign you into a publishing deal. If you're shortlisted, you're agreeing to let us share your description and first ten chapters for the contest. Your plot synopsis and the rest of your manuscript stay private.

But yeah, I'd really like to see what you guys come up with. If you've been wanting to give writing a proper shot, hopefully this gives you a reason to start. And if you know someone who writes, feel free to send this their way!

Submit here! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYi4kuRySKc4Neng0GiST1mqQXBV1FQ6fT8CqBGC_LOXr2fw/viewform

Deadline: 1st Jan 2027

Good luck everyone, looking forward to reading your stories!