The Josiah W. Bancroft Sr. Novel Contest

Josiah W. Bancroft Sr. was a physician who loved to write novels, plays, short fiction, poetry, and songs. He was a member of the Bard Society and a charter member of the North Florida Writers.

Entrant Guidelines and Checklist

• This contest welcomes unpublished, original manuscripts of all genres of fiction.
• Each entry requires a $39 entry fee.
• Make checks payable to First Coast Writers’ Festival, indicating “Novel Contest” in the For line of the check.
• Mail entries to Writers’ Festival Contests, 4501 Capper Road, Jacksonville, FL 32218, ATTN Dr. Dana Thomas.
• Each entry should be typed, double-spaced, with numbered pages.
• Entries should include two copies of the manuscript’s first 100 (or so) pages.
• Entries should not be the author’s only copy as the Festival does not return eliminated entries or accept responsibility for entries lost in the mail.
• Entries should be accompanied by a logline, summarizing the novel in one or two sentences, and a brief present tense narrative summary.
• Include a biosheet, written in third person, listing entrant’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address, along with the title of the manuscript(s) and the first line of the entry. Follow this information with a brief (two to three sentences) biographical statement.
• Current Florida Community College employees and Writers’ Festival Planning Committee members are not eligible for entry into the Writers’ Festival contests.
• This contest is not a critique service; however, the final five entries will receive written evaluations from Poyer or Hart.
• Winning novels from past Writers’ Festival contests may not be resubmitted.

Prizes

• First Place - $500 and serious consideration from a major publishing house.
• Second Place - $200.
• Third Place - $100.