ABOUT
The 6th Annual 2025 Book Pipeline Unpublished contest seeks unpublished manuscripts across 10 categories of entry:
Comics & Graphic Novels
General Fiction
Literary
Middle Grade
Mystery / Horror / Thriller
Nonfiction & Memoir
Picture Books
Romance
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Young Adult
Select publishers and agents get first look at the top picks for each category, including CAA, HarperCollins, and Verve Publishing.
Winners and Runners-Up receive:
- $25,000 to winners ($2,500 for each category winner)
- Direct circulation to publishers, agents, editors, and other execs
- Consideration from producers seeking projects for film and TV adaptation
- Additional long-term review of other books for potential circulation and promotion
- Access to exclusive writer events via Pipeline Artists' Symposium
DEADLINES
Early: May 22nd, 2025 - $45
Regular: August 20th, 2025 - $55
Late: September 5th, 2025 - $60
INDUSTRY REVIEWING:
The following agents and publishers will receive an exclusive, three-week first look window for the Grand Prize Winner in each category. Beyond the industry listed here, Book Pipeline's network is comprised of over 300 additional agents, editors, and publishers.
- Comics & Graphic Novels: Twisted Comics, AMP Comics, Avina Comics, Red5, and other publishers and comic industry execs.
- General Fiction: Talcott Notch Literary
- Literary: Amy Moore-Benson, Agent (AMB Literary Management)
- Middle Grade: Mollie Glick, Agent (Creative Artists Agency)
- Mystery / Horror / Thriller: Amy Tannenbaum, Agent (Jane Rotrosen Agency)
- Nonfiction & Memoir: Liz Parker, Agent (Verve Publishing, a division of Verve Talent & Literary Agency)
- Picture Books: Emily Van Beek, Partner/Agent (Folio Literary Management)
- Romance: Latoya Smith, Agent & Co-Founder (LCS Literary)
- Sci-Fi & Fantasy: An Acquiring Editor at a "Big Five House" Science-Fiction/Fantasy imprint (name withheld)
- Young Adult: TBD lit agent or publisher
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
*please read the instructions carefully for your submission category—but if you have any questions, please email us
Comics & Graphic Novels
- Comics: full script between 20-28 pages, broken down in comic format (no prose or books)
- Graphic Novels: the first 20-28 pages of manuscript (at a natural stopping point)
- A general synopsis of the complete story (1-3 pages). May include character arcs and supplemental details.
- Art is OPTIONAL, but allowed (up to 5 pages only).
Fiction
- First 5,000 words only (appx.)
- A full story synopsis (1-3 pages)
Memoirs
- First 5,000 words only (appx.)
- A full story synopsis (1-3 pages)
Nonfiction
A full proposal, which may include:
- a general overview (the nonfiction version of a synopsis)
- the book’s potential position in the marketplace
- the author’s platform
- the author's bio
- comparative, already-published titles
- a chapter-by-chapter outline
- sample chapters
Picture Books
- Full manuscript (either text-only or with illustrations)
- A brief conceptual overview/synopsis (1 page max)
RULES:
- Entries must be unpublished at the time of entry.
- If the material is acquired by a publisher AND is set for release before November 10th, 2025, we can pull it from competition and refund the entry fee.
- Co-written works are acceptable, only one writer needs to register.
- Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
- Former winners and finalists from Book Pipeline since 2021 are ineligible.
- Authors may submit multiple entries, but each entry can only compete in one category and is a separate entry fee.
- Simultaneous submissions are allowed (i.e., you can submit the material to other contests, or query agents and publishers, etc. while in competition).
NOTABLE SUCCESS STORIES:
- After an introduction from Book Pipeline, 2020 Mystery/Thriller category Grand Prize Winner Laura Picklesimer signed with Natalie Kimber of The Rights Factory for her upmarket satirical thriller novel, Kill for Love, released in 2023.
- Finalist Kate Evans signed with Cindy Bullard of Birch Literary. Kate placed in the 2022 season with her nonfiction title Ditch Your Sh*t!: How to Declutter the Crap Out of Your Life and Home.”
- Sci-fi / Fantasy Winner Aaron Brooks signed with Talcott Notch. Book Pipeline execs sent his manuscript Nocturnal Ink direct to lit agent Amy Collins.
- Michelle Lerner signed with Veronica Goldstein of Fletcher & Co (now UTA) after placing as a finalist in the 2020 Outsider category with her experimental novel Ring. The book is set to release in 2025—available for pre-order.
- Via circulation from Book Pipeline, 2021 Nonfiction category Grand Prize Winner Melissa Duge Spiers signed with Dani Segelbaum of the Carol Mann Agency for her memoir, The Glory Whole. Melissa is currently finalizing her materials for The Glory Whole before going out on submission to publishers.
- Through meetings facilitated by Book Pipeline, 2020 Sci-Fi/Fantasy category finalists Jessi Honard & Marie Parks signed a deal with Not a Pipe Publishing for their contemporary fantasy novel, Unrelenting, released in 2022.
- After placing as a finalist in the 2020 Nonfiction category, Samuel Spitale signed with Veronica Goldstein of Fletcher & Co (now UTA) and inked a publishing deal with Quirk Books for his prescriptive work, How to Win the War on Truth: An Illustrated Guide to How Mistruths Are Sold, Why They Stick, and How to Reclaim Reality (fka How to Tell What’s True in a Post-Truth Society: A Guidebook for Identifying Fake News, Alternative Facts, and Other Forms of Propaganda). The book released in 2022.
- Laura Garrison signed with Erin Clyburn of Howland Literary through recommendation from the Book Pipeline Workshop team. Laura's middle grade horror-comedy novel is now out on submission to publishers.
- Meg Serino signed with Matthew Carnicelli of Carnicelli Literary Management after placing as the Runner-Up in the 2021 Literary category with her novel, Annapurna.
- Rowena Leong Singer signed with Alicia Brooks from the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency after placing as the 2021 Literary category Grand Prize Winner for her novel, All Manner of Beasts.
- ABOUT BOOK PIPELINE -
For over 10 years, Book Pipeline has connected writers worldwide with publishers, agents, editors, and the film industry. Through our two divisions—Unpublished and Adaptation—the company seeks both new and established storytellers. Additionally, Book Pipeline's team of professional editors helps authors refine their fiction and nonfiction manuscripts, queries, and more via the The Workshop.
The Book Pipeline team has helped many authors secure literary representation and publishing deals through its unique, long-term, hands-on facilitation process. Recent published winners and runners-up include the thriller Kill For Love by Laura Picklesimer and How to Win the War on Truth by Sam Spitale, with Ring by Michelle Lerner, Ditch Your Sh!T by Kate Evans, and several other titles slated for 2025 and 2026 releases.
In total, across Book, Film, and Script Pipeline, approximately 25,000 pieces of creative material are reviewed annually, with close to 4,000 entries submitted to Book Pipeline in 2024.
Learn more about Pipeline Media Group, as well as Pipeline Artists, a platform designed to educate and support emerging creatives in the arts.