21 March 2016
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Luigi Bonomi
An unpublished novelist will win a £20,000 advance, publication with Penguin Random House and representation by literary agent Luigi Bonomi
An unpublished novelist will win a £20,000 advance, publication with Penguin Random House and representation by literary agent Luigi Bonomi
The Daily Mail First Novel Competition is free to enter. Entries may be in any genre for adult readers.
Luigi Bonomi (pictured) advises writers to pay particular attention to the beginning of their book.
'If the first page is well written, captivating, intriguing, with promise of a great plot to come, then the agent will continue reading. After just a few pages, they will get a sense of whether this is a story for them,' he said. 'Remember that agents and editors really are desperate to find the next bestseller. When they open the first page of what could be the novel that they have been waiting for all year, their hearts begin to beat just that little bit faster.'
Writers entering the competition must not have previously published a novel in any format, including ebook or self-published, and must be not represented by a literary agent.
To enter The Daily Mail First Novel Competition, send the first 5,000 words and a 600-word synopsis.
Writers may send only one entry. The winning manuscript must be completed by 30 October.
The closing date is 16 April.
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