Eligible writers
- Have never published a novel
- Are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of America with Green Cards
- May have published any other type of work including non-fiction articles and short stories
Non eligible writers
- Officers of the James Jones Literary Society
- Writers who have published previous novels
Eligible submissions
- Unpublished novels
- Novels in which one or more chapters have been published
Non-eligible submissions
- Collections of short stories
- Linked short stories
- Self-published novels
Note: Manuscripts may be simultaneously submitted for the First Novel Contest and to a publisher for publication. If the work is accepted by a publisher at any time up to the announcement of the First Novel winner, the Society must be notified and the selection will be withdrawn from the contest.
Entry Fee: A $30 check/money order, payable to Wilkes University, NOT to James Jones First Novel Fellowship, must accompany each entry. For online submissions add a $3.00 processing fee.
