What is the submission window?

This is listed on the contest page and will change for every contest. Generally, submissions will be accepted for six to eight weeks.

When will I know if my story has been selected as a winner?

Upon the close of the submission window, participants will receive an email with an expected date. The time needed to read through the submissions will be determined by the number of submissions received.

Who can submit to these contests?

These contests are open internationally to authors 18 years of age or older. Your submissions should be previously unpublished OR you must be able to prove that you hold the rights to publication.

Is this a pay-to-play type of contest?

No. You do not need to pay to enter the contest unless you’d like to receive feedback from a professional editor with nearly twenty years in the industry.

If I win the contest, do I get my feedback fee back?

Yes. If you paid for feedback and are selected as a winner of the contest, your fee will be refunded to you, as you’ll be receiving feedback throughout the publishing process.

If my story is chosen as the winner of the contest, what is the prize?

Winners of the contest will be presented with a traditional publishing contract that includes the purchase of World English rights and a 50/50 royalty split. Professional editing (from developmental through proofreading), cover design, interior design/formatting, and a basic level of promotion/marketing will be included in the offer. Publication release date will be discussed and mutually agreed upon. Stories submitted by teams (2+ authors) will be released on the And You Press imprint, while single-author stories will be released from the Attic Ebooks imprint. Stories that are long enough to print may be considered for paperback release and will release from Attic Books.

Beyond the possibility of being published by a brand-new publishing company with a little more than one year of sales history, what is the benefit of submitting to this contest?

Ideally, I want this company to be a stepping stone for authors. I work with many who get to the bottom of query letters and are unable to say they’ve ever published a story or an essay in a collection, magazine, or journal. I work with many more who have never worked with a professional editor, who have never received a professional critique or edit because it’s simply outside of their budget to do so. I want to be able to offer those experiences to authors who need them, and by creating an opportunity such as The Cover Story contest, and setting up this company in a traditional way, I am able to provide aspiring (and seasoned) authors with those experiences.

I am a cover designer who would like to partner with you on a future round of The Cover Story contest. How do we set that up?

If you’d like to be a featured designer for The Cover Story: A Writing Contest, email me directly at nicole@nicolefrailbooks.com or fill out my contact form.

I have short story/novella but it doesn’t fit these covers. Can I still submit it to receive feedback?

If it’s very obviously not even close to the genre, theme, or vibe of these covers, please do not submit it for these contests. If you want to submit it to Attic Ebooks for consideration for publication, you absolutely can. If you’re not ready to query yet and are looking for professional editorial feedback, I still offer assessment services via my editing company, and I’d be happy to chat with you separately over there.

If you have other questions, please don’t hesitate to email me!