HOW TO ENTER

Submissions will be open from 9 January 2025 until 22 April 2025. Entry and monitoring forms are available on the site for download on 9 January 2025.

We require the work to be submitted both DIGITALLY and as PRINTOUTS (in black and white or colour) to ensure that the judges have access to all the entries. If you have any access needs in making this application, please get in touch with us at info@firstgraphicnovel.co.uk

An entry fee of £10 (or £5 concessions low income, student, benefits) is required as a contribution towards the administrative costs of copying / posting / displaying your entries for the judging and exhibiting process. Entries that are not accompanied by the entry fee cannot be accepted.

Download the ENTRY FORM here and the MONITORING FORM here.

CHECKLIST

1) Please EMAIL your DIGITAL FILES to entries@firstgraphicnovel.co.uk with the following:

  • A PDF of your ENTRY, 15-20 pages, with the title only. Please keep your file size under 15 MB. We do not require high resolution artwork at this stage. If there are two or more of you working on an entry, we only need ONE copy emailed to us. If you are unable to make a PDF, then email us jpegs with the pages clearly named 01-TITLE, 02-TITLE etc.

  • ONE PAGE with your pitch: a bit like the blurb on the back of a book, we’d like a short description of what your book is about, how the narrative develops, and who you see as your readers.

  • ENTRY FORM including your name, postal address, email address, phone number and the title of your work. Please include an entry form and monitoring form (optional) for each of you if it is a entry.

  • MONITORING FORM optional, but the data really helps us to raise more awareness of comics and who their creators are.

  • PROOF OF PAYMENT. We will ask you to send your payment to the Cartoon Museum online here or by cheque made out to The Cartoon Museum, to be posted with your entry below. If there are two or more of you working on an entry, we only need one payment per entry.

  • The SYNOPSIS, ENTRY FORM(S), MONITORING FORM(S) and PROOF OF PAYMENT can be sent by post if you prefer.

2) Please POST your printed or photocopied pages to First Graphic Novel Award, The Cartoon Museum, 63 Wells St, London W1A 3AE.

  • A PRINTOUT or PHOTOCOPY of your ENTRY, 15-20 pages (or sides) on single or double-sided A4 paper, marked with the title only. Please do not send us originals as we cannot return your artwork. If you want to show two pages as a double-page spread, as they would appear in a book, then print out double-sided so we can see the two pages side by side. If you’re working on an A5 page, blow the artwork up to A4 size to print A4. If you’re working larger, please reduce the artwork to A4. This will help us display your work, as selected entries will be on display when we reveal the longlist and shortlist, and at comic events.

  • Please do not send us originals as we cannot return your artwork. If there are two or more of you working on an entry, we only need ONE copy posted to us.

  • The SYNOPSIS, ENTRY FORM(S), MONITORING FORM(S) and PROOF OF PAYMENT can be sent by email if you prefer.

CONDITIONS TO ENTER

The competition is open to creators over 18, of any nationality, resident in the UK.

  • Submissions should be an extract (of no less than 15 pages and no longer than 20 pages) intended to be part of a longer work. At least ten pages must be finished artwork.

  • Entries must be previously unpublished by a professional or commercial publisher in print or online, and must be unagented. They must be original and in English.

  • Entries must be received by 22nd April 2024..

  • Each entry must be accompanied by proof of PayPal payment in respect of the entry fee of £10 (or £5 concession) per entry. If it is the concessionary rate, please let us know why.

  • No entry can be returned, so please do not send originals.

  • The judges’ decision is final. No discussion concerning the judges’ decision will be entered into.

  • The competition is not open to authors already published by SelfMadeHero, nor to employees of SelfMadeHero or the Cartoon Museum.

  • Longlisted authors will be notified by email in September 2025. Shortlisted authors will be notified by email in November 2025. The winner will be announced in December 2025.

  • Failure to meet the conditions of entry will mean that a submission is automatically disqualified from the competition.

  • Entrants are advised to retain a copy of their entries.

  • Entries which are received after the closing date will not be accepted.

  • Events may occur which render the awarding of the prize impossible due to reasons beyond the control of the award partners. They may at their absolute discretion vary, amend, suspend or withdraw the prize with or without notice.

  • Any enquiries relating to the prize should be emailed to info@firstgraphicnovel.co.uk

  • The winning entrant[s] agree[s] to the use of his/her/their name[s] and photograph[s] in relation to publicity material. The winning entrant (or entrants) also agrees that SelfMadeHero has first option to consider the finished work for publication.

Personal details will only be retained and used by the First Graphic Novel Award partners for the purposes of this competition and will not be passed on to third parties.

The closing date for entries is midnight on Tuesday 22nd April 2025.