2012 Break through Amazon Award

The 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

We'll start accepting General Fiction and Young Adult Fiction entries on January 23, 2012. Visit CreateSpace to learn more.

On the Contest

The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award brings together talented writers, reviewers, and publishing experts to find and develop new voices in fiction. The 2012 international contest will award two grand prizes: one for General Fiction and one for Young Adult Fiction. Each winner will receive a publishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $15,000 advance.
Open submissions for manuscripts will begin on January 23, 2012 and run through February 5, 2012. If you're an author with an unpublished or previously self-published novel waiting to be discovered, visit CreateSpace to sign up for regular contest updates.
See the official contest rules, or read details on how to enter.

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Crafting Your Pitch

Start this year’s contest off strong by creating an unforgettable first impression with your pitch.
Want to know what pitches worked in the past? Check out pitches from previous years' General Fiction and Young Adult Fiction winners.
Get feedback from other writers in the CreateSpace and Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award communities, and use CreateSpace Resources to find helpful tips and tricks from experts, including:

• Grab Readers' Attention with Your Hook
• Pitching the Book and the Brand
• Why Your Book Pitch Matters (Even If You Don't Want an Agent)

2012 General Fiction Expert Panelists		2012 Young Adult Fiction Expert Panelists
Our panel of experts for the 2012 General Fiction contest includes Linda Fairstein, best-selling author of the Alexandra Cooper novels, including Night Watch (available July 2012); Anne Sowards, Executive Editor of The Berkley Publishing Group; and Donald Maass, literary agent and author of The Breakout Novelist.		Our panel of experts for the 2012 Young Adult Fiction contest includes Andrea Cremer, best-selling author of Nightshade, Wolfsbane, and Bloodrose; Regina Hayes, President and Publisher of Viking Children’s Books; and Charlie Olsen, literary agent for InkWell Management.
Read more about the General Fiction expert panel		Read more about the Young Adult Fiction expert panel

2011 General Fiction Winner: East of Denver		2011 Young Adult Fiction Winner: Spookygirl
Gregory Hill has won the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in General Fiction for East of Denver. Expert panelist Lev Grossman says East of Denver is "on a par with that of top-flight black-comic novelists like Sam Lipsyte and Jess Walter, and it deserves to be read."		Jill Baguchinsky has won the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in Young Adult Fiction for Spookygirl. Expert panelist Jennifer Besser says, "In the increasingly crowded paranormal marketplace, this funny and suspenseful novel sets itself apart and heralds the arrival of a fresh new voice."
Pre-order East of Denver		Pre-order Spookygirl

Previous Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Winners

Farishta

›Patricia McArdle

Hardcover

$25.95 $16.69

Bill Warrington's Last Chance

›James King

Hardcover

$24.95 $1.70

Fresh Kills

›Bill Loehfelm

Paperback

$19.00 $3.08

Sign Language

›Amy Ackley

Hardcover

$16.99 $11.98