The First Page Challenge
A writing contest for novelists
If you want a reader to buy your book or an agent to offer you representation, then it only makes sense to have a stunning first page. That's what the First Page Challenge is all about—we're open to fiction or narrative nonfiction, short stories or full-length manuscripts.
Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question:
how likely am I to turn this page and keep reading?
First place: $700 CAD
Second place: $200 CAD
Third place: $100 CAD
All three finalists win publication on the Chopping Blog
and receive complimentary access to one of our self-paced courses.
The Finer Points
• Entry is $5 CAD• One page: double-spaced, 12-point font
• Multiple submissions accepted
• Original, unpublished, unrepresented work only
• Once you've paid, send your docx/pdf to contest@darlingaxe.com
• Submission deadline: September 30
• Original, unpublished, unrepresented work only
• Once you've paid, send your docx/pdf to contest@darlingaxe.com
• Submission deadline: September 30
Check out the 2019 winner here.
And the 2020 winner here.
And the 2021 winner here.
And the 2022 winner here.
And the 2023 winner here.
New: Optional Feedback
Would you like to know how your first page lands with our contest screeners? For an additional $40 CAD, we will send you brief feedback about your entry's strengths and snags. This will come in the form of an email with a few notes about what our screeners thought, a score out of five, and any relevant resources. Please note: this feedback will not be sent until after the contest closes and winners are announced—sometime in October.
A note on sincerity: some so-called editing websites host writing contests as a ruse to then up-sell contestants into paying to have their submissions edited. A shifty trick indeed! We attest that this is a legitimate annual writing contest, and if winning entries ever need some editing, we will gladly assist without charge.