Have you always wanted to be an author? Do you have a novel languishing in your bedside drawer?

This is your chance! Quercus, publisher of the international bestseller The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, is teaming up with Psychologies to find a gripping, new thriller to publish as an ebook.

The winner of the competition will receive a publishing contract from Quercus with representation by the agency, David Higham Associates.

The competition will be judged by a panel of experts, including Suzy Greaves, Editor of Psychologies, Lizzy Kremer, of David Higham Associates (agent to Paula Hawkins of The Girl On The Train fame), Quercus editors Stefanie Bierwerth and Cassie Browne and authors Lucy Atkins and Elizabeth Heathcote.

Entry details

To enter the competition, you are required to submit by post the first 5,000 words of your novel, alongside a 1,000-word synopsis. You must also include a completed competition form (see our new issue for this, out now).

Send your sample, synopsis and form to: Psychologies Writing Competition, Quercus, Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ.

Your finished novel must be in English, and between 75,000 and 130,000 words long, and it must be complete at the time of entering the competition. Submit your entry as a typed document, double-spaced with a font size of at least 11 point.

To learn more about what we’re looking for, how to submit your work and the competition rules, visit crimefiles.co.uk/ebookcompetition.

The closing date is 6 October 2017.

Pick up a copy of Psychologies now for tips, an entry form and to find out more!

Photograph: iStock