Competitions

See our past, current, and upcoming competitions below.

They’re open to everyone in New Zealand, even if you don’t usually work in that genre.

Novel Excerpt Comp 2026

Closes: Sunday, May 24

Submissions are now open for the Little Monroe Lit Annual Novel Excerpt Competition - now in its third year!

We’re inviting writers to submit excerpts from works-in-progress or unpublished or self-published novels of any genre. Whether literary, mysterious, romantic, strange, or entirely uncategorisable, we want to read it.

Entry Details:

Entry fee: $4.99
Up to three excerpts per submission
Please include all excerpts in a single Word document or PDF
Each excerpt must be clearly identifiable as a separate piece
No minimum word count (note: excerpts may be condensed for print)

What You’ll Get:

Winning entries will be published in The Little Lit: Volume 6, as well as featured in a free downloadable mini-magazine. Selected writers will also be promoted across our social media platforms.

This annual prize is a chance to get your work in front of readers, build your publishing credits, and be part of a growing literary community. We can’t wait to read your work! Enter below!

- Open to New Zealand-based writers
- Submissions must be original work by the entrant
- Excerpts may be taken from unpublished or self-published novels, or works-in-progress, and can include any section (e.g. a single passage, a full chapter, or prologue).
- Multiple submissions (up to three excerpts) must be included in one document and clearly separated
- Entry fees are non-refundable
- Copyright remains with the author
- Selected excerpts may be edited or condensed for print (in consultation where possible)
More info on how our comps work can be found here.
Also check out our past comps below.