Submit:

The first 50 pages, industry formatted, of a complete unpublished manuscript, alongside a 400-word synopsis and other information as requested in the Application Form.

Examples of acceptable entries include:

• fiction novels & novellas

• non-fiction books

• poetry collections

• children’s books

• graphic novels and comics

• short story collections.

Manuscripts for general adult fiction and non-fiction should be approx. 55,000–110,000 words in length; manuscripts for other genres/formats of work should be of industry standard length in their genre (contact QWC for more information).

Manuscripts should be presented according to standard formatting:

• 12pt Times New Roman font

• Left aligned paragraph formatting

• Double line spacing

• 1” or 3cm margins on an A4 page

• Page numbered

• Manuscript title at top of first page, bolded and centred.

Submissions accepted in unrestricted Word (.docx) or PDF format. Include the title of the manuscript in the file name. Please do not include the author’s name or identifying details on any portion of the manuscript.

Application criteria

Applications are accepted via the online Application Form. By making an application, applicants acknowledge to have read and understood these Guidelines.

Applications should be unpublished and uncontracted for publication.

Applicants should submit their own original work.

Emerging writers – defined as writers who are unpublished or who have no more than one commercially published, full-length work – are eligible to apply.

• A writer who has had one work published and has contractually agreed to give the option on their next work to their incumbent publisher is not eligible.

Applicants should be Australian or New Zealand citizens or reside in Australia or New Zealand.

Applicants under 18 years are eligible but should contact QWC prior to applying, and will need permission from a guardian.

Multiple applications are permitted.

Manuscripts may be of any genre or style, with the exception of self-help, business, and cookery manuscripts, or works designed for the education, training, advertising, marketing, or tourism sectors.

Applications may be made by agents or authors’ representatives on behalf of and with the written consent of the applicant.

Applicants who have applied for previous years’ programs (and/or other …able programs) are eligible to re-apply.

• Previously-shortlisted applicants are eligible to re-apply but not with a previously-shortlisted manuscript.

• Applicants may be asked to provide a short statement regarding changes made (if any) since the previous application.

Where there is Indigenous content or participation in the work, writers are required to comply with Creative Australia’s Protocols for using First Nations Intellectual and Cultural Property (ICIP).

Manuscripts should not be part of a current program of study or coursework. (Work completed as part of a prior program of study or coursework is eligible.)

Key dates

Applications open: Monday 13 April – Tuesday 22 June 2026
Longlist announced (manuscript development program commences): early September 2026
Development workshop (all applicants): late September 2026
Shortlist announced (mentorships commence): October 2026
Feedback Sessions: September–October 2026
Pitching: October/November 2026

Successful applicants will be publicly announced on QWC’s website and Pen & Pixel email newsletter. Applicants will be personally notified of the outcome of their application.

Fees & charges

• Member application fee ($55)

  Discounted application fees available to current members of state writers’ centres in the National Writers’ Centre Network, including QWC.

• Non-member (standard) application fee ($65)

Applications with add-ons:

• Application fee + One Year Membership ($124)

  Applicants can take out a discounted One Year Membership ($69, valued at $89) with QWC. (If already a member, the current membership period will be extended by one year.)

• Application fee + Feedback Session ($109)

  During the application period, applicants can take advantage of a discounted Feedback Session ($49, valued at $100+). After applications close, Feedback Sessions may be made available to book separately at full price for a limited time through QWC’s Writer’s Consults program.

• Application fee + One Year Membership + Feedback Session ($173)

(Prices are GST inclusive.)

Participants are required to arrange and pay for any other expenses arising throughout the program if applicable, except as expressly identified by QWC in written agreements.

Refunds are not available for ineligible applications and/or applications withdrawn outside of the application period.

Process

QWC staff and trained readers assess all submissions.

QWC will select up to 25 applicants, at its discretion, for the longlist.

• Longlisted applicants will take part in a manuscript development program, which may include consultation and workshops.

• Applicants may be asked to submit full works (within 72 hours of being notified) for proof of completion. This does not guarantee selection for the longlist or shortlist. The full manuscript may not be read or assessed in its entirety by QWC’s reading team.

  • Any advice given is based off the submission and synopsis, and is provided to allow writers to work through the rest of the manuscript.

Following the selection of the longlist, QWC will select up to 10 writers (the shortlist), at its discretion, to:

• attend an interview with at least one matched agent or publisher, and

• receive mentorship with a matched writer, editor or industry professional.

  • Once matched with a mentor, the format of the meetings and usage of the mentorship time will be agreed upon by the writer and mentor. QWC will continue to monitor progress.

  • Every effort is made to ensure an appropriate and mutually beneficial match between shortlisted writers and mentors. However, QWC acknowledges creative relationships are subjective and may not always be found to be suitable for both mentor and writer; in these circumstances QWC will negotiate for the best possible mutual outcome but is unable to guarantee the provision of mentorship hours or further administration, additional to what is ordinarily provided to participants as part of the program.

One-on-one Feedback Sessions (up to 30 minutes) with QWC staff are available as a paid add-on, for applicants to receive deidentified reader feedback on their manuscript and discuss next steps.

Correspondence with QWC will be a mixture of remote and in-person communication depending on availability. All required elements of the program will be made available in an online format.

QWC is committed to providing a relevant development workshop, delivered by an industry professional, to program applicants, regardless of application outcome.

Additional terms

QWC does not guarantee the future publication of manuscripts submitted to or developed during the program.

Final numbers selected for the longlist and shortlist are at the discretion of QWC, and may depend on the quality and number of applications received.

• Three places on the shortlist may be reserved for Queensland-based writers (currently residing in Queensland).

QWC reserves no rights over manuscripts submitted to or developed during the program. QWC allows writers to submit their manuscript to competitions, courses, or publishers prior to, during or following their participation in the program, unless/until longlisted and/or shortlisted, in which case a temporary embargo will apply.

• Works selected for the shortlist will be exclusively embargoed (i.e. successful applicants cannot continue to separately enter this work into competitions, promote, pitch or sell rights to the work) until three months after the pitch meeting/s, per standard practice.

While QWC will take all reasonable steps to secure an interview/s for shortlisted writers, entry into the shortlist may not guarantee an interview.

QWC does not take a percentage of any future royalties, option or sale of submitted work, and all rights and intellectual property remain with the author, regardless of their final placement in the competition.

Application materials (manuscript excerpts and other creative IP) will be stored securely and disposed of per standard QWC protocols. QWC may record and keep other information, including contact details, provided on the application form as necessary.

Whilst ultimately at the applicant’s discretion, if work selected for the shortlist and/or developed during the program is published and/or contracted by a publisher or agent due to exposure or experience gained from the program, the applicant is asked to acknowledge the assistance provided by QWC and the program in published/produced outcomes and/or associated promotional materials (i.e. press releases), with notification given and considering direction/consultation provided by QWC.

Successful applicants are encouraged to promote and support the program and QWC, and may be asked to provide a testimonial. 

QWC may offer unsuccessful applicants the opportunity to participate in a tailored program at a cost additional to the initial application fee.