A £50,000 'reader-led' writing prize has been launched by Libraro in partnership with Hachette UK, aiming to shake up the book industry's traditional dynamics.
The new competition, open to adult and crossover YA fiction written in English, invites writers to upload their full manuscripts to the Libraro platform. However, it's not just the writers who get a say – readers also play a crucial role in selecting the shortlist of six books. The twist? Readers can earn cash prizes for their involvement.
The grand prize winner will receive £30,000 and an additional £20,000 towards marketing their finished book, as well as a book deal with Hachette UK. Two more reader prizes of £10,000 each are also up for grabs – one to the reader who referred the winning author to the platform, and another to the most active reader who engages with submissions.
The judges selecting the winner include bestselling thriller author Elly Griffiths, Deborah Maclaren from book recommendation platform LoveReading, and book blogger Zubs J Malik. This prize is part of a broader trend towards self-publishing success stories like Colleen Hoover and Freida McFadden.
David Roche, chairman of Libraro, believes the prize puts "power in the hands of writers and readers". The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over worldwide, with no prior publishing history required. Entrants can receive constructive feedback from readers and gain professional support for their manuscripts before judging.
The launch comes at a time when publishers are rethinking their approach. Maclaren notes that "readers shape culture" and says this competition is part of a wider publishing ecosystem that helps expand the diversity of books reaching publication.
The new competition, open to adult and crossover YA fiction written in English, invites writers to upload their full manuscripts to the Libraro platform. However, it's not just the writers who get a say – readers also play a crucial role in selecting the shortlist of six books. The twist? Readers can earn cash prizes for their involvement.
The grand prize winner will receive £30,000 and an additional £20,000 towards marketing their finished book, as well as a book deal with Hachette UK. Two more reader prizes of £10,000 each are also up for grabs – one to the reader who referred the winning author to the platform, and another to the most active reader who engages with submissions.
The judges selecting the winner include bestselling thriller author Elly Griffiths, Deborah Maclaren from book recommendation platform LoveReading, and book blogger Zubs J Malik. This prize is part of a broader trend towards self-publishing success stories like Colleen Hoover and Freida McFadden.
David Roche, chairman of Libraro, believes the prize puts "power in the hands of writers and readers". The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over worldwide, with no prior publishing history required. Entrants can receive constructive feedback from readers and gain professional support for their manuscripts before judging.
The launch comes at a time when publishers are rethinking their approach. Maclaren notes that "readers shape culture" and says this competition is part of a wider publishing ecosystem that helps expand the diversity of books reaching publication.
... like they're trying to get people to spill their guts on some writing platform and then use that info to sell us out to publishers. I mean, what's to stop them from using the feedback to write an even better book and then passing it off as someone else's work? And those reader prizes are just a way to get more people hooked in, so they can make more money off of you. It's all just a ploy to keep the machine going 
...
I mean, can you blame them? A £50k prize for just uploading your manuscript online? It's like they're saying 'hey, we trust our readers'... not. Anyway, it's cool that readers get a say, but let's be real, who doesn't love getting paid to read and give feedback on books all day 
. The fact that this is part of a broader trend towards self-publishing success stories is just rubbing salt in the wound, though... like, what about all the talented writers out there who can't afford to 'self-publish' themselves into stardom 
. Still, I guess it's a decent way for new authors to get noticed and for readers to feel included in the process 
I think its so cool how Libraro is giving readers a chance to get involved in picking the next big book, like literally we're all gonna be authors for a day! And its awesome that readers can earn some cash prizes too, that's definitely gonna make me wanna read more and give feedback on manuscripts. It feels like a win-win for both writers and readers 
. A £50k writing prize where readers can actually earn cash for helpin' out with submissions? That's like, total game-changer! It's not just about the writers, it's about creatin' a community that supports each other 
. Now they get to be part of the decision makin' process and win some cash for it? That's just the icing on the cake 
!
. Fingers crossed, right? 
. I mean, who doesn't want to be part of something that can help shape the future of books? And £50k for the grand prize winner? That's some serious book-talking money 
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. It's all about giving power back to writers and readers, which I think is a total game-changer for indie authors who are getting more recognition nowadays 
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! The cash prizes for being an active reader or referring the winner are a nice touch, too 
I'm so stoked to see more opportunities for writers out there! The fact that readers get a say in choosing the shortlist and even earn cash prizes for it is genius 
. More diversity and reader power, yeah! 
– fingers crossed! 
how readers get to be a part of the process too, earning cash prizes just by engaging with submissions 
, but also about giving writers and readers the chance to work together and make some noise in the industry 
... Like, what's next? A £50k prize for just clicking 'like' on someone's book review? 
This Libraro thing is just a way to make writers beg for validation from complete strangers who might not even read their work. And don't even get me started on the whole "readers can earn cash" thing – it's just a ploy to get people to flood the platform with mediocre submissions 
. I mean, what's wrong with traditional publishing methods? This feels like a recipe for disaster... Can we please go back to good old-fashioned writing and editing instead of relying on social media hype? 
and im so excited to see more ppl getting into writin 
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