The First Page Challenge

Thanks for your interest in The First Page Challenge.

But... gasp... it's sad but true: we're taking a hiatus from writing contests.

Why? Well, read on...


The First Page Challenge is a writing contest for novelists by Darling Axe Editing

2023 Contest Results

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in our fifth-annual First Page Challenge. We had 149 entries this year. Michelle Barker, our judge, has made her decision. Here are the finalists as well as Michelle's comments.

It's always an honour to judge a Darling Axe contest, and this round I had the pleasure of reading several excellent first pages.

Three entries rose to the top:

First Place

The Bobici House captured me with both its strong voice and evocative imagery. The historical details gave the setting a feeling of authenticity, and the author deftly wove in intriguing details of other characters while keeping the tension of the moment high.

THE BOBICI HOUSE by Hannah Croft

Second Place

Willoughby's haunting atmosphere of menace made it a close second. The author created several small mysteries that promise to produce full blown crises over the course of the novel. I loved the subtlety of the writing and the gap that was created between what's happening and why.

WILLOUGHBY by Donna Tracy

Third Place

The opening of the 100 Year Flood made great use of tension and gripped me right away. The rising floodwaters created an immediate ticking clock, and with the narrator's stepmother trapped in the valley, the stakes are high.

THE 100-YEAR FLOOD by Nicole Brooks

All three entries made me want to turn to page two, which is exactly the aim of a strong opening. Kudos to these three authors for some great reads.

—Michelle Barker, Darling Axe senior editor and award-winning author

 


A writing contest for novelists

The First Page Challenge is a writing contest for novelists by Darling Axe Editing

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

Check out the 2019 winner here.
And the 2020 winner here
And the 2021 winner here.
And the 2022 winner here.

Our contests are recommended by Reedsy!  Reedsy Best Writing Contests 2022

New: Optional Feedback

Would you like to know how your first page lands with our contest screeners? For an additional $30 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.

 


Click here for entry only




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.