2026 First Pages Contest

Agents, editors, and readers often decide within the first few pages whether to continue reading. Your opening matters.

Make yours impossible to put down.

The Keight Editing First Pages Contest is a professional contest for writers and novelists designed to recognize compelling manuscript openings and provide editorial feedback for unpublished works.

Whether you are preparing to query agents, revising your manuscript, or seeking professional insight into your novel opening, this contest can help you focus on the pages that matter most.

The 2026 First Pages Contest is closed. Judging is in progress. Winners will be announced late October 2026.

Key Dates

Submissions Open: May 15, 2026

Deadline: August 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM CST

Winners Announced: Late October 2026

Awards

One Winner Per Genre Category Receives:

  • Official Winner Trophy

  • Featured Winner Spotlight on KeightEditing.com

  • Instagram Winner Recognition

  • Official Digital Winner Badge

  • Professional critique of submitted first pages and synopsis. Feedback may address strengths, weaknesses, pacing, clarity, voice, and next-step revision opportunities.

Accepted Genre Categories

This year’s contest welcomed novel openings in the genres of Romance, Fantasy, and Mystery / Thriller / Suspense.

  • Romance remains the bestselling fiction genre worldwide, generating massive reader demand and strong querying activity. Whether you write contemporary romance, historical romance, rom-com, or the wildly popular romantasy blend of romance and fantasy, your novel’s opening pages must deliver instant emotional connection, chemistry, and that irresistible hook.

  • Fantasy continues to dominate writing communities and bestseller lists, with strong interest in epic, dark, and romantasy subgenres. A compelling fantasy opening needs to establish world-building, stakes, and an unforgettable voice without overwhelming the reader.

  • Mystery and thriller novels thrive on tight pacing, escalating tension, and a gripping hook from the very first pages. Writers in crime, psychological thriller, and suspense categories know that agents often decide based on those crucial opening scenes.

Entry Eligibility

  • The contest was open to writers submitting original, unpublished fiction manuscripts in the identified genre categories. Submissions are closed.

  • Multiple entries were welcome, but each had to be a different manuscript and submitted separately.

  • Poetry and short stories are not eligible. 

  • Manuscripts previously edited by Keight Editing, LLC are not eligible.

    These eligibility guidelines applied to your status at the time of entry. If you self-published or secured a book contract after submitting to the contest, your entry remains eligible.