About

America's Next Author

America's Next Author is the first real social writing contest. Winners will be chosen based on a unique combination of votes from readers and publishing industry experts.

Having a well-written, engaging story is a must, but in this contest, authors will improve their chances of winning by getting their friends and family to vote for their story. Don't yet have a huge online fan base? Our judges will be watching for writing talent and choosing four wild card nominees that will be sent straight to the final rounds of competition.

No entry fee. Grand Prize: $5000!

Transparent and Interactive Experience

America's Next Author is not a standard short story writing contest! In most writing contests, authors are left in the dark. They don't know what other people submitted, and after months of not hearing a word they never find out why they didn't win. We decided to change all that and create a writing contest that is a transparent and socially interactive experience. Instead of being boring and frustrating, America's Next Author is fun and exciting.

Each contestant will get an Author Page at AmericasNextAuthor.com. This page will display their author photo, bio, and the full text of the author's story. This means that all of the contestants can read each other's work and each author can use their page as a platform to build an online following and gain worldwide exposure.

Our judging panel is made up of experienced professionals from the publishing world who will be reading entries and providing authors with valuable feedback.

Competition Rounds

The competition will have eight nomination rounds. Stories will be ranked daily based on several factors, including votes, activity on social media, and reader reviews. Each week, the top-ranking author will be nominated for the final round. Even if a story isn't nominated, it will still be in the running for nomination during the next week. Authors can join during any week in the competition, but it's best to join as early as possible for more chances at being nominated.

After eight weeks there will be eight nominees, and our panel of judges will also choose four wild card authors. In the next round, these twelve authors will need to get as many votes as possible for the opportunity to advance to the finals.

In the final round, authors will battle against each other in a brief but intense bout of writing competition for the Grand Prize of $5000, worldwide press coverage, and the chance to be published.

How To Win

In America's Next Author, you can influence your chances of success!

1. Enter a great story. The best short stories have compelling characters, distinct settings, gripping plotlines, and impeccable spelling and grammar.

2. Your Author Page will help sell your story. Submit a quality photo of yourself and write a compelling author bio. This is your opportunity to profile yourself as a writer.

3. Get people to vote! To enhance your chances of winning, you'll need to mobilize your fans, friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Make sure everyone knows that you're in America's Next Author by linking to your Author Page on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. The more attention you can get, the more votes you'll get!

Participating in America's Next Author will be an excellent learning experience for a new author and has the potential to be very beneficial to your writing career even if you don't win. There is no entry fee for America's Next Author, so you have nothing to lose and a lot of attention to gain.

#ANA2012 | What Fans Have To Say

About

America's Next Author is the first social writing contest. Friends, family, fans and publishing industry experts will read authors' submissions and nominate their favorite to be America's next major author. Everyone can participate!