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Are you ready to make a splash with your opening pages?

Hosted by Whitewater River Publishing, the Breakthrough Award is a premier talent search designed to honor excellence in writing and help authors launch their next big project with momentum. Whether you write pulse-pounding thrillers, high-stakes suspense, or epic fantasy, we want to read the story that keeps readers turning pages from chapter one.

This contest is open to original, unpublished fiction manuscripts. Submissions will remain open for the entire month of August, so sharpen your hook and show our judging panel your very best work!

 

🏆 Prizes & Recognition

Grand Prize Winner 🏆

The ultimate winner of the Breakthrough Award will receive:

The Official Digital Winner Badge for book covers and marketing materials.
A Dedicated Publisher Spotlight across our entire platform.
Your Choice of ONE of the following Grand Prizes:
  • A guaranteed Publishing Contract Offer with Whitewater River Publishing, Or 
  • 50% Off a Full Developmental Edit for the completed manuscript.

Finalists (Top 3)

Our three chosen finalists will receive:

1.  The Official Digital Finalist Badge for promotional use.


2.  An "Opening Hook Diagnostic" critique to help sharpen your pages.


3.  A Featured Platform Spotlight to showcase your work to new readers.

Whitewater River Publishing is dedicated to celebrating uplifting, impactful literature. This contest is strictly limited to Christian and clean fiction.

    •    What We Accept: High-stakes tension, complex characters, deep themes, and gripping plots that maintain a strict "closed-door" standard.

    •    What We Do NOT Accept: Manuscripts containing explicit sexual content ("spice"), excessive or harsh profanity, or gratuitous/graphic violence.

⚠️ Note on Disqualification: Entries that violate these standards will be disqualified immediately, and entry fees will not be refunded.

You are welcome to submit multiple entries if you have more than one story to share! Each individual submission requires its own form entry and fee.

    •    Standard Entry ($20): Includes full entry into the contest for consideration for the Finalist and Grand Prize packages. Additional entries for separate projects are allowed at $20 per entry.

    •    Feedback Entry ($55): Includes full entry into the contest plus a guaranteed, professional 1-page line and developmental critique of your first chapter directly from our editorial board. Additional entries with feedback are allowed at $55 per entry.

Sign Up

All entry fees are strictly non-refundable once submitted. Because our judging panel begins allocating resources and processing entries immediately, we cannot grant refunds for any reason, including submission withdrawals.

📅 The 2026 Contest Timeline

 •    August 1, 2026: Submissions Officially Open

    •    August 31, 2026: Submissions Close

    •    September 1 – September 25, 2026: Judging & Critique Period

    •    Early October 2026: Winners Announced & Feedback Delivered

EVENTS

🛑 Quick Formatting Checklist

Before uploading your manuscript, please ensure your file meets all of the following requirements. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in disqualification.

Ensure your name, contact details, or identifying info are completely removed from the document text and the file name to ensure a fair, blind judging process.

First chapter only (maximum 3,000 words).

Double-spaced, standard 12pt font.

Submitted strictly as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file.

Originality: The work must be your own original, unpublished writing. You retain 100% of your copyright.

Ready to Submit?

Contact us