Sponsored by The Pink Flamingo Society of Jekyll Island
Young Authors Competition
Become a Real Author and Get Your Book Published
The Pink Flamingo Society of Jekyll Island invites young writers from across Georgia to submit an original, complete book manuscript of at least 35,000 words. The winner will be honored at the Georgia Author Luncheon during the Gilded Pages Literary Festival.
The purpose of the contest is to give a young, up-and-coming Georgia author the opportunity to publish their own book with the support of a professional publishing team. There is no fee to enter.
The prize
One winning book will be selected from all entries. The winner receives:
- Professional editing and proofreading of the book
- A complete cover package from Deena Rae Schoenfeldt of E-BookBuilders: design of the book cover and interior in consultation with the winning author, plus uploading for paperback, hardback, large print, and ebook
- Publication of the book for sale on Amazon
- 100 printed copies of the book
- A free table at the Gilded Pages Marketplace to sell their books
- An invitation to attend the Georgia Author Luncheon and Literati events at Gilded Pages as a guest author
- Contest opens
- Entry deadline, 11:59 p.m.
- Winner notified
- Honored at the Georgia Author Luncheon
Who Can Enter
The contest is open to writers ages 12 to 22 who live in Georgia. Age is determined on the entry deadline, April 1, 2027. Writers under 18 must have permission from a parent or guardian to enter. All entries compete in one category for one prize.
Children and grandchildren of The Pink Flamingo Society directors and officers, Jekyll Island Club Resort executives, and contest judges are not eligible.
What to Submit
Submit one complete, original book manuscript of at least 35,000 words. The book must be finished, with a beginning, middle, and ending; outlines, partial drafts, and sample chapters will not be accepted.
Any genre is welcome, including:
- Fiction: mystery, fantasy, science fiction, adventure, romance, historical, humor, or realistic fiction.
- Nonfiction: memoir, narrative nonfiction, or a collection of personal essays.
Manuscripts under 35,000 words will not be judged.
How to enter
Ready to submit your book?
- Download and complete the application form.
- Email it as an attachment to info@pinkflamingosofjekyll.org with Book Contest in the subject line.
- Attach your book as a Word document to the same email. If the file is too large to attach, say in your email that you need a link, and we’ll send you a Dropbox link to upload your book.
Official Rules
- One entry per student. Each writer may submit one manuscript.
- Original work only. The entry must be written entirely by the student. Teachers and parents may encourage and proofread, but the ideas and words must be the student’s own.
- No AI-generated writing. No AI tool (such as ChatGPT or Claude) may be used to draft or write any part of the book. Entries that use AI will be disqualified. Spell-check and basic grammar tools are fine.
- Unpublished work. The manuscript must not have been published, including self-published on Amazon or any other platform, or have won a prize in another contest. Sharing chapters with a writing group or class is fine, but no part of the book may be posted online before the winner is announced.
- Formatting. Manuscripts must be typed in 12-point font, with a single space between sentences. Each chapter must begin on a new page, and scene breaks within a chapter should be marked with “xxx.” Submit the whole book as a single Word document.
- Blind judging. Once a manuscript is received, it will be judged blind. Judges will not see the author’s name or any other identifying information.
- Signed application. Every entry must include a completed application form signed by the entrant. Entrants under 18 also need a parent or guardian’s signature.
- Appropriate content. Entries should be suitable for a family audience. Mild peril and conflict are welcome; graphic violence, explicit content, and profanity are not.
- Copyright. Students keep all rights to their work. By entering, the entrant (and a parent or guardian, for entrants under 18) grants The Pink Flamingo Society permission to read excerpts from the winning entry aloud at the festival and to publish excerpts of up to 2,000 words, with the author’s first and last name, in festival materials and online.
- Amazon account and royalties. The winning book will be published on Amazon under an account in the author’s name. If the author is under 18, the account will be in a parent’s or guardian’s name. All royalties go to the author.
- Photos and promotion. Photos and promotion are required as part of winning. The winner agrees to be photographed and featured in Pink Flamingo Society and Gilded Pages promotions, including to promote future contests and raise money for children’s literacy groups. The winner also grants The Pink Flamingo Society permission to print a limited number of copies of the winning book for marketing and promotional purposes.
- Final decisions. Judges’ decisions are final. The Pink Flamingo Society may decline to award the prize if no entry meets the contest standards.
Judging
Entries are judged anonymously by a panel of authors, book designers, and editors, including Deena Rae Schoenfeldt of E-BookBuilders. Each manuscript is read by at least two judges. The panel looks for:
- Originality and voice: fresh ideas and a voice that’s clearly the writer’s own
- Plot and structure: a story that holds together across the whole book, with strong pacing and a satisfying ending
- Characters: people readers believe in and care about
- Language and polish: strong dialogue and description, with clean spelling, grammar, and punctuation
Questions? Contact The Pink Flamingo Society at info@pinkflamingosofjekyll.org.
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