Welcome to The Storyteller’s

1st PAGE Writing Contest!

Get Your FIRST PAGE Seen!

A first page is often the first thing an agent or editor reads, so it’s worth getting it right!

We’re giving you that opportunity!

This contest gives you detailed feedback on your opening page from industry professionals, with finalists receiving written feedback from two literary agents.

Your manuscript doesn’t need to be finished to enter, and you’re welcome to submit more than one first page. Each page is a separate $25 entry.

What’s Included

Feedback for every entrant: All entrants receive a detailed score sheet with feedback from industry professionals, showing what’s working on your page and where it can be strengthened.

Semi-finalists: Twenty semi-finalists will receive enhanced written feedback on their pages.

Finalists: Ten finalists will receive written feedback from both of our finalist judges:

  • Lauren MacLeod, Senior Agent at Aevitas Creative and former co-vice president of the AALA!

  • Ameerah Holiday, Associate Agent at Serendipity Literary Agency and all-around amazing human!

1st Place Grand Prize

  • $50 Barnes & Noble gift card

  • The Storyteller’s Card Deck

  • Winner’s choice of a developmental edit (up to 100k words) OR 4 months of ICONIC Mentorship

  • A featured spotlight in The Writer’s Sanctuary Substack newsletter

  • Free access to the January 2027 Virtual Winter Writing Retreat

Runner-Up Prizes

The top two runners-up will each receive The Storyteller’s Card Deck and a half-hour industry call with Mary Weber and C.J. Redwine.

Submission Guidelines

  • Submit your first page, double spaced, in 12 pt. font with 1-inch margins (since we’ve been asked this before - yes, you can enter the first page of a chapter instead of the first page of your book)

  • Entry fee: $25 per entry

  • The contest is open to published and unpublished writers

  • Pages from previously queried manuscripts and from later books in a series are welcome

  • Published work: Indie-published work is eligible; traditionally published work is not

  • AI-generated writing is not accepted

Key Dates

  • Entries open: October 21

  • Entries close: November 19 at 11:59pm PT

  • Semi-finalists announced: December 17

  • Finalists announced: January 3

  • Winners announced: January 17

  • All feedback delivered by: January 28, 2027

HOW TO ENTER:

Pay the $25 entry fee below and complete the application with your first page attached.

This contest is sponsored by The Storyteller’s Deck by Mary Weber and C.J. Redwine, AND The Writers Sanctuary Publishing Studio.

“I am a first time author who is horrible with criticism, but decided to enter a contest from The Writer’s Sanctuary. The encouraging and constructive comments I received gave me confidence and made this an unforgettable experience.” ~Ashley

Contest Structure:

Our Judges

  • First and Semi-Final Rounds: Judged by industry professionals, including editors and published authors.

  • Final Round: The top 10 finalists will receive written feedback from literary agents Lauren MacLeod (Senior Agent at Aevitas Creative and former co-vice president of the AALA) and Ameerah Holiday (Associate Agent at Serendipity Literary Agency).

Submission Details

  1. Pay the $25 entry fee.

  2. Submit your proofread first page through our submission form.

  3. All entries must be received by November 19, 2026 at 11:59pm PT.

  4. Semi-finalists announced: The top 20 semi-finalists will be announced on December 17, 2026.

  5. Finalists announced: The top 10 finalists will be announced on January 3, 2027.

  6. Winners announced: The grand prize winner and two runners-up will be announced on January 17, 2027.

  7. Feedback: All participants will receive their detailed feedback no later than January 28, 2027.

About the Hosts

The contest is hosted by The Writer’s Sanctuary, LLC, a writing community led by New York Times bestselling author C.J. Redwine and multi-award-winning author Mary Weber. The community offers educational and networking opportunities for writers at every stage. C.J. and Mary’s latest release, The Storyteller’s Deck: 100 Creative Ideas to Ignite Your Story, is available now through Barnes & Noble.

If you’ve been working on your opening and want to know how it reads to industry professionals, we’d love to see your page. Whether you’re preparing to query or still shaping your story, the feedback is designed to help you move forward with a clearer sense of what’s working.

For the complete contest rules, see https://www.the-writers-sanctuary.com/rules

To Enter:

Entering takes just a few minutes!

  1. Pay the $25 entry fee.

  2. Fill out the application and attach your first page.

Your page should be double spaced, in 12 pt. font, with 1-inch margins. You’re welcome to submit more than one first page (each one is a separate $25 entry).

Entries are open October 21 through November 19, 2026, at 11:59pm PT.

Let’s do this thing!

1. Pay the entry fee —>

2. Fill out the entry form —>

Meet Our Finalist Judges!

Lauren E. MacLeod has represented Jodi Meadows, the co-author of the New York Times bestselling My Lady Jane series, actress and activist Nicole Maines, Chefs Kenny Gilbert, Nelson German, and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Rogelio Garcia, Middle East Book Award-winner Aminah Mae Safi, and former Youth Poet Laureate of the Southern United States, Alora Young.

MacLeod is a former co-vice president of the Association of American Literary Agents, sitting on the board from 2020-2024. She currently serves on the AI Special Committee and the contracts committees and co-chairs the communications committee. She is also a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier Nashville. Before joining ACM, she was named Vice President of The Strothman Agency. She graduated cum laude from Emerson College, receiving a BFA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing.

Based in Nashville, TN, she concentrates on cookbooks, food writing and history, young-adult and middle-grade fiction, memoir, pop culture, true crime, and narrative nonfiction.

Ameerah Holliday (she/her) is an associate agent at Serendipity Literary Agency, a former dancer, and a self-proclaimed poetess from San Diego, California. She earned her BA in English Literature from San Diego State University and brings her artistic sensibility and editorial insight to every project she champions.

Ameerah began her publishing journey as an editorial assistant intern for Poetry International and now serves as the editorial director of the San Diego Poetry Annual and editor for the Kids! San Diego Poetry Annual. Her deep roots in poetry and performance continue to inform her love of language and her eye for emotionally resonant storytelling.

At Serendipity, she’s passionate about helping writers build sustainable and meaningful careers. She acquires nonfiction and fiction across middle grade, young adult, new adult, and adult categories. Her sweet spots include contemporary stories, thrillers/horror with a psychological or mental health twist, romance with emotional depth, literary fiction with lush prose, and magical realism grounded in lived experience. She has a special love for narratives that explore intersectionality, friendships that feel like love stories, characters who grow and break molds.

A frequent panelist at conferences such as the Writing Barn’s Pitch & Play, the Writing Day Workshops, SCBWI San Diego and the Atlanta Writers Conference, Ameerah brings her interest and energy to writers across genres. Ameerah advocates for stories led by BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and neurodiverse characters, including Black women’s fiction, girls in sports, and novels in verse. In nonfiction, she seeks books by LGBTQ+ authors of color, work inspired by performing arts and niche passions, pop culture (bonus points for 90s/2000s nostalgia), mental health in marginalized communities, and fresh perspectives on connection and loneliness.

She has represented titles that include From Beauty to Business by Kiyah Wright and Shirley Neal, Drink Water & Mind Your Business by Dr. Donna Oriowo, and consulted on When It All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw. Books she wishes she had represented include Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan, Disney High by Ashley Spencer, and Platonic by Dr. Marisa G. Franco.

Ameerah has attended San Diego Comic Con every year since 2012, is a published poet, and has a cat named after a villain from The Vampire Diaries.

 

What She’s Looking For:

Ameerah looks for writing that explores diverse experiences with elements of intersectionality. She is drawn to stories that take you on a journey through growth and loves a good friendship story. She enjoys contemporary works, writing derived from performing arts, romance, and novels in verse. For fiction, she is primarily interested in middle grade, young adult, and Rom-Coms for any age. For non-fiction, she’s interested in pop culture, astrology, and discussions of mental health in minority communities.

Previous Finalist & Semi-Finalist Judges

Our 2024, 2025, 2026 (spring) Winners

CONTEST RULES:

  • Void wherever prohibited.

  • Entrants must be 16 years or older.

  • Each entry is $25. You may submit as many entries as you’d like.

  • Your first page must fit on 1 page, double spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman with 1-inch margins.

  • Entries must be the entrant’s original work. AI-generated writing is not accepted.

  • Previously queried and indie-published work is eligible. Traditionally published work is not.

  • All submissions are final, and revised pages will not be accepted, so please proofread carefully before submitting.

  • All judge feedback is final. Follow-up questions and resubmissions for additional evaluation will not be accepted.

  • Entries must be submitted by the deadline. Late pages will not be accepted, and no refunds will be given for entries that were late or not submitted.

  • Entries must meet all contest requirements as listed in the Official Rules.

  • This contest is hosted by The Writer’s Sanctuary, LLC, and is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Instagram, Meta, X, TikTok, Squarespace, or any other social media or website platform.

  • For a complete list of contest rules, visit The-Writers-Sanctuary.com/contest-rules