"I entered this book (my debut) in several competitions touting entry feedback and this has been the best of the various feedback I have received (from award contests/competitions including Reader's Favorite, The BookLife Prize, Writer's Digest, etc.) I especially enjoyed the specific feedback on improvement areas—no sarcasm."
Submit your self-published or hybrid-published book to this year's North Street contest from Winning Writers. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000.
Choose from eight categories. $22,000 in cash will be awarded in all, and the top nine winners will receive additional benefits to help market their books. Books published on all self-publishing and hybrid-publishing platforms are eligible. Any year of publication is eligible. Entry fee: $85 per book, with free gifts for everyone who enters.
All entrants who submit online can choose to receive a brief commentary from one of the judges (5-10 sentences) at no extra charge. See more about this below.
Winning Writers has offered this contest since 2015. The top feedback we heard from contestants was—we want feedback! So last year we introduced feedback at no extra charge for everyone who entered online. This consists of 5-10 sentences of comments from a judge along with links to relevant resources. The response has been enthusiastic, so we're doing it again. (We also discovered that some people don't want feedback. No problem. Just leave that box unchecked when you enter the contest.)
Here are kind words from some of our 2024 contestants:
"I want to convey to you my immense gratitude for your very detailed, encouraging, and educational critique of my submission. I think it is the best critique I have ever received. It is very clear that your mission is to truly help writers achieve their full potential, and I love that you are out there doing that. You are a true diamond. Thank you!
"In one email, the links that you sent are a full semester's worth of rich knowledge. I intend to share your enormous generosity with my writing group."
"Thank you so much for taking the time to read and digest my book! I love your review, and was a bit surprised by some of your comments, in a good way!
"I am very grateful! I will take your comments to heart and try to pay more attention in these areas in the future."
"I especially appreciate your critique and citing specifics on how to improve my writing. I was pleased to know that you enjoyed reading about the 'action' aspect of some of my life's experiences and travel adventures.
"I will certainly refer to the resources you included in your email for more writing tips."
"Thank you so much for the thoughtful feedback and for taking the time to do so. This is just the kind of guidance I was hoping the editor assigned to me would have provided, but her focus leaned more toward copy editing. Live and learn! :)
"A lengthy note with resources from Paweł was the best feedback that I've gotten on my writing. This is an important part of the contest for me and very useful. Paweł included linked resources that I will use going forward. It's difficult for authors to get good straightforward criticism.
"My motto is 'Feedback is the Breakfast of Better Writers'. I appreciate what Winning Writers has done this year."
"I so appreciated your honesty, insight and positive feedback regarding Finding the Grain. This was my first attempt submitting to North Street, so truly I focused on getting helpful feedback. It's a win-win for me.
"I agree that there may have been too many story arcs and I welcome the resources you provided. This actually was my Covid project and needed multiple revisions. I didn't think it was as tight as I wanted it to be.
"I also worked very hard on the dialogue; one reviewer called it 'nuanced' and that's exactly what I was going for.
"Your kind words and encouragement have gone a long way. Thank you again for such helpful information."
"Thank you so much for your insightful and incredibly meaningful feedback on my book submission for the North Street Book Prize 2024.
"I am deeply grateful for how you structured the feedback and provided me with very relevant insight, both from a larger and specific perspective. Thank you for framing your feedback in a positive, yet informative way; it gave me clarity, things to consider, and encouragement in the best possible way.
"It was my first time submitting the book in a contest, and I am so glad I did. The entire process, topped off by your feedback, has given me so much valuable insight to take with me on my next steps.
"I will take your feedback and press on!
"Thank you again for your time, kindness, expertise, consideration, and thoughtfulness."
"I am overwhelmed at the information you have sent to me on my current memoir and also on how to improve my writing and creative skills. I am impressed too on how deeply you read into the memoir.
"I hadn't thought to do a re-write but now I will consider this...
"Many thanks to you and your team for all your professionalism and that you included me now that you have decided to contact all the entrants with feedback, which has encouraged this writer to continue her journey within the world of authorship!"
"I received your comments about my book—Ledicia's Key, for which I thank you very much.
"Your review of the work is extremely informative and I agree with you.
"You recognized the struggle I had, trying to get this story across. I very much appreciate the feedback and references you have provided...so thank you very much.
"I would also like to say that I appreciate Winning Writers for going the extra mile in reviewing each entry and giving each writer the advantage of learning a bit more about the craft. That alone is worth the submission price and I hope you keep up that policy. I believe it will make more writers want to enter."
"I was very impressed with the thoughtful review I received. Enough so that I'm interested in hearing more. I've entered contests before and been grateful for the feedback, but yours was different and makes the others feel canned. You spoke to my strengths, and gave me specific suggestions, including exercises and links to articles that you felt could help me.
"I felt that you really connected with me through my writing, which took time and attention. I have never had the privilege of knowing a reviewer's name before or been asked for feedback, which defines a quality product.
"I even looked you up on LinkedIn, and if possible would engage you for additional assistance with other books and follow-up on this one.
"Thank you for providing an individualized and thoughtful review of Wallflower."
"I’d like to thank you very much for taking the time not just to read The Music of the Gridiron, but to provide such detailed and helpful feedback. I'm greatly pleased!
"Your comments were both very encouraging and highly useful—an author can’t ask for much more than that. I really felt that I was getting solid advice from an experienced professional who respected my work. You even went to the trouble of finding four sites which can provide useful assistance as I develop my craft—much appreciated!
"I’m now keen to enter my next novel into the North Street Book Prize competition. With your feedback, I feel that I am a stronger writer now (or will be soon) than I was a week ago!"
"Although I was disappointed that The Marsh Keeper did not advance in the North Street Book Prize competition, I couldn't help but be impressed by your thoughtful comments and thorough analysis. I appreciated the very specific references to those aspects of the work that you found enjoyable as well as those that needed work. Incidentally, my writing group had voiced a similar criticism about connection to the main character after reviewing my initial draft. I thought I had addressed it, but obviously I did not.
"I am particularly grateful for the links you offered at the bottom of your critique.
"In the quagmire of questionable competitions, the North Street Book Prize has proven to be a standout."
You may mail your entry and $85 fee to Winning Writers, Attn: North Street Book Prize, 351 Pleasant Street Suite B PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060-3998, USA. Please postmark your entry by July 1.
Please note that feedback will only be provided for entries submitted online, and not those entries submitted by mail.
If you would like us to return your book at the conclusion of the contest, please request this at the time of your entry and enclose an extra $10 for postage and handling.
